Deuteronomy 25

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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Deuteronomy Chapter 25

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: Moses

Date Penned: (1407 BC)

Overview: To Remind and Rededicate Israel to the Lord (c 1-34)

Theme: Principles for Godly Living (c 5-28)

Message: Settling Differences (v 1-19)

Deuteronomy 25 Commentary

(25:1-3) Principles about Discipline - At first glance these verses appear irrelevant today. But a closer look reveals some important principles about discipline. Are you responsible for the discipline of a child, a student, or an employee? Three important points will help you carry out your responsibility: (1) Let the punishment follow quickly after the offense; (2) let the degree of punishment reflect the seriousness of the offense; and (3) don't overdo the punishment. Discipline that is swift, just, and restrained makes its point while preserving the dignity of the offender.

(25:4) The Ox and Muzzle - What is the point of this Old Testament regulation? Oxen were often used to tread out the grain on a threshing floor. The animal was attached by poles to a large millstone. As it walked around the millstone, its hooves trampled the grain, separating the kernels from the chaff. At the same time, the millstone ground the grain into flour. To muzzle the ox would prevent it from eating while it was working. In the New Testament, Paul used this as an illustration to argue that people productive in Christian work should not be denied its benefits--they should receive financial support (1 Corinthians 9:9-12; 1 Timothy 5:17-18). The fact that a person is in Christian ministry doesn't mean he or she should be unfairly paid. There is also a broader application: Don't be stingy with those who work for you.

(25:5-10) Providing for Widows - This law describes a levirate marriage, the marriage of a widow to the brother of her dead husband. The purpose of such a marriage was to provide for the needs of the widow and to carry on the dead man's name and inheritance. Family ties were an important aspect of Israelite culture. The best way to be remembered was through your line of descendants. If a widow married someone outside the family, her first husband's line would come to an end. Tamar fought for this in Genesis 38.

Dave Burnette's Life Application

Don't Muzzle the Ox

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue in the book of Deuteronomy with Chapter 25 and we see the important principles for discipline, the carrying on of a family name, and what catches my attention verse 4 that explains the to not muzzle the ox when he treadith out the Corn. This principle describes the ox that grids the corn and grinds the flower but is muzzled and cannot feed himself even though he is doing the labor. In making application we see some that are serving the Lord today are facing this challenge of being muzzled. I see many Pastors of small Churches are denied a wage as are many workers that labor hard for their employer. These labors are not make a wage to support their family. Many approach the area of usury of others which the Lord describes as a sin. It reminds me of a Pastor I knew whose Church refused to pay him a wage while having plenty in the treasury. He had a small family and worked a full time job during the week then was expected to perform all the duties of the Pastorate. The Church ended up voting him out due to him not visiting the all the sick but what they did is muzzle the ox that God gave them to meet their spiritual needs. If they had followed this principle in our text they would have had the Pastor they needed. In making application we need to pay our Pastors and Ministers a decent wage. Many think that Preachers work only one day but I can testify that Ministers work more than lay people. With all the study, prayer, visits, and contacts I average 48 hours a week on this Ministry. Add to that a family and a business and you can see it that it is truly a calling but to Me and other Ministers who serve the Lord it is a labor of love. Many would and do work for free because it is a labor of love but it is the Churches responsibility to take care of Pastor. How about you and your Pastor or Minister? Make sure you meet their financial needs. Let us learn from today's text and not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

Deuteronomy 25

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Deuteronomy 25

¹If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.

²And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.

³Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.

⁴Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

⁵If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her.

⁶And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.

⁷And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.

⁸Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her;

⁹Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house.

¹⁰And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.

¹¹When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets:

¹²Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her.

¹³Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.

¹⁴Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.

¹⁵But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

¹⁶For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

¹⁷Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;

¹⁸How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.

¹⁹Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.

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