Deuteronomy 23:24-25 — “When thou comest into thy neighbour’s vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure…” In a law that seems a bit strange to us, the Children of Israel were permitted to eat grapes from any vineyard in the land. They were also permitted to eat grain from any wheat…

Exodus 23:4-5 — “If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.” This command given to Israel in the Law was fairly straightforward, and yet very difficult to obey. It goes right against our fallen human nature to help those who hate us. When…

Leviticus 18:21 — “And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.” At least four times in the Law, the LORD warned His people against participating in child sacrifice. This was part of the worship of…

Leviticus 19:14 — “Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD.” In this command we see God’s deep concern for vulnerable people — a concern that is apparent all over the Law. We also see it in His dealings with Israel,…

Deuteronomy 5:12-15, 15:12-15 & 24:17-22 — When God gave Israel the Law He answered the “why” question. He gave His people reasons for the commandments and these were supposed to serve as motivation to obey them. In this study, we consider one reason in particular and we see how it carries over into God’s dealings with…

Deuteronomy 22:6-7 — “If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground… thou shalt not take the mother bird with the young…” It is remarkable that in the great Mosaic Law God gave His people a specific commandment about how they were to treat little birds! This is certainly…

Deuteronomy 22:5 — “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.” This is a fairly simple and straightforward command and yet it has deep roots. It goes all the way back to…

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 — It’s no exaggeration to say that there has been an explosion in the proliferation of pagan spirituality in Western societies. Beliefs and practices associated with witchcraft (Wicca) and neo-paganism are very much mainstream and growing in popularity. It’s probably also true that most Christians don’t have a great understanding of this belief…

Leviticus 19:27-28 — “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you…” The Children of Israel were forbidden from having tattoos and other body modifications that involved cutting. In this study we think about why the LORD prohibited these practices and whether this command has any relevance…

Deuteronomy 12:1-28 — “There shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you…” When Israel took possession of its Promised Land, the LORD would choose a place where He would dwell and that was where Israel was…