Deuteronomy chapter 23

vs 14

If God steps in poo while he guards the camp, he'll leave.

Seriously though, this is about conviction of God's presence and understanding his holiness. Poo is only unclean because he says it is (although why he picked it to be unclean is fairly obvious). If you really believe God is guarding the camp, then you want to show him respect and honour, and so you keep the place clean.

For Christians, if we really believe the Holy Spirit lives inside us, then I assume we don't do stuff with our bodies that will dishonour him.

vs 15

Interesting law. I assume it has the same basis as all the other laws of slavery - that Israel was once a slave in Egypt, so you should treat slaves well.

In the same way, Christianity was once a minority religion whose adherents were persecuted and killed and stripped of thei rights...

vs 16

This makes it sound like it is slaves escaping from people who live outside Israel. So Israel is a place of refuge for escaped slaves - as long as they don't come from within Israel.

vs 17

If this wasn't obvious. I imagine that shrine prostitution was pretty popular - if not for the prostitute themselves, then for the population at large.

Oh, the KJV for this is priceless. The word for prostitution and shrine prostitution is the same, sometimes anyway. But other times, like in the next verse...

vs 18

...they use the word for adultery, but in the context of payment. Adultery for money = prostitution. Or, for men, they just call you a dog.

God doesn't accept bad money. He wants it to come from a reputable source.

vs 19-20

Interesting that Christians picked up this law in the medieval times, and then Jews were able to charge them interest. And then they just got hated all over again.

Anyway, God wanted the community of God to look after its own. Being prepared to lend money without interest, to forgive debt, was part of the hesed of the community.

vs 21

I'm assuming that a vow is a fiscal type arrangement - like promising to give thank offerings? Possibly when people pray, "Lord, if you bless my land, I will give you the first harvest" - you know the prayers I mean. Or it could be that it means all vows, and that payment is the language used to show that God expects fulfillment of those vows in the same way a lender would expect payment.

vs 22

These promises are totally voluntary. Which means they are more than thank offerings, which I think are more mandatory.

vs 23

So there you go - it is more than just financial. Anything you promise to God you have to go on with. God will hold you to it, and if you fail, then you will be guilty of sin.

vs 24

I'll remember that next time I visit Penny's aunt and uncle's vineyard. I wonder if Woolworths would accept this as a defence when they catch you eating grapes from the fruit section?

vs 25

So don't harvest from your neighbour's crops, but feel free to take a snack if you're hungry. It might sound unfair, but considering they can do the same thing, then it's fine. And inevitably those who are rich are going to get snacked on by those who are less well off, so it's going to make for equity.