I'm having trouble understanding Deuteronomy 23:1-8 where God says certain people are to be excluded from the "assembly," which I understand to be the Israelite community, or God's chosen people. Those to be excluded are eunuchs, children of illegitimate birth (such as incestuous or adulterous relationships), Moabites, and Ammonites.
Now I understand he wanted to emphasize for his people that they were to be holy, but might this prevent some from learning about God's grace? It doesn't sound like God to exclude people. The Bible tells us, "God wants all people to be saved" (1 Timothy 2:3-4).
The editor's comments sound hopeful--"certain person are excluded from the spiritual congregation, though they are apparently permitted to enjoy covenant relationship and to observe Sabbaths in personal worship"--but I don't know where he gets this from.
Can anybody help me understand this section?
I wanted to pass along this response to my post that a reader shared with me directly. I thought it was helpful:
ReplyDelete"I struggled with the exact thoughts as you when reading this section and decided to call a pastor I knew and ask him about it. He said that the main thing to remember is the need to look at the law as a whole and remember that it's truly meant to prepare God's people for the new covenant. Not only that, but everything in the law is meant to be symbolic of how God is perfect and we are not (thus preparing us for the need for the Savior). The assembly of the Lord was to be kept holy and without blemish, so it made sense that those with blemishes, etc. not be allowed to enter. So, basically, it was another way to remind God's people that they were separate from God and sinful and that they needed a Savior to take their blemishes away.
I hope this helps and makes sense. To me, God's law seemed unfair in more ways than one, but when the pastor again reminded me of its purpose and its symbolism, I guess it doesn't seem so unfair. I just have to admit that I'm more thankful for what Christ did, so now we don't have to live under the law and can go to church despite the fact that we're terrible sinners.
Also, in the editor's explanation, he comments that the genital mutilation was often done during worship of pagan gods. So, really it may just be a consequence of sin that those people couldn't enter the Lord's assembly. Viewing that small section as a whole, it seems all those excluded committed some sort of sin first, which may be why that exclusion is the consequence."