The fourth commandment is, "Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy"(5:12). The reason for observing the Sabbath day was Yahweh's redemption of Israel from bondage in Egypt and His consequent adoption of the Israelites as His chosen people (5:15). In the ancient Near East nations expressed their gratitude, loyalty, and worship to their sovereign by bringing him offerings periodically. What follows in this section is the laws concerning how Israel was to do this.
There was a yearly tithe (vv. 22-27) and an additional three-year tithe (vv. 28-29) in Israel. The Israelites were to invite the Levites to the celebration at the tabernacle when the Israelites consumed the yearly tithe (v. 23). They were also to invite the Levites and the needy to the third year celebration, every third and sixth year in the seven-year sabbatical cycle, that they held in each town (v. 28).
"As the Israelites were to sanctify their food, on the one hand, positively by abstinence from everything unclean, so they were, on the other hand, to do so negatively by delivering the tithes and firstlings at the place where the Lord would cause His name to dwell, and by holding festal meals on the occasion, and rejoicing there before Jehovah their God."166
In what way did observing this ordinance cause the Israelites to learn to fear Yahweh (v. 23)? Yahweh was the possessor of the land, and He provided that His servants, the Levites, would receive sustenance from its bounty.167
"The fear of the Lord is not merely a feeling of dependence on Him, but also includes the notion of divine blessedness, which is the predominant idea here, as the sacrificial meals were to furnish the occasion and object of rejoicing before the Lord."168
"The purpose of this section is not so much to give a comprehensive statement of the tithe law as to guard tithing procedure from being prostituted to idolatrous ends; that is, to prevent Israel from honoring the Canaanite fertility deities for their harvests."169
The yearly celebration evidently coincided with the Feast of Firstfruits (cf. Lev. 27:30-33; Num. 18:21-32). The third year feast occurred at the end of the year (v. 28).
The Hebrew word shekar, translated "strong drink"(v. 26, NASB) or "fermented drink"(NIV) refers to some type of fermented beverage made from grain. God did not forbid consumption of this beverage in Israel, but He did condemn drunkenness. Ancient Near Easterners did not distill liquor until the seventh century A.D., so the beverages in view here were not that high in alcohol content.170
The Lord does not require these tithes of Christians, but He has taught us to express thanksgiving to Him for His provisions and to show His compassion for needy people. We should also have compassion on those who serve God and others who may be in need by sharing what God has given us with them (1 Cor. 9:11, 14; Gal. 6:6, 10; et al.).
The Israelites were not only to care for the Levites (14:27, 29) and the aliens, orphans, and widows (14:29) but also other individuals in the nation who were in need (15:1-18).
15:1-11 "It is appropriate to deal with the law of release at this point, since it is best interpreted as an extension of the agrarian principles of the fallow year for the land, rather than a slaverelease law, linked in some way to the Hebrew slave release laws of Ex. 21:1-7 and Dt. 15:12-18."171
"At the end of every seven years"is an idiom meaning "during the seventh year."172There is some debate among interpreters whether God wanted the Israelites to terminate debts permanently173or only suspend them for a year.
"The present passage is a further exposition of the Sabbath year release recorded in Exodus 23:10 and Leviticus 25:2-7. The premise of the exposition offered here is that if the land was left unused in the Sabbath year, the landowner would not have money to pay his debts. To alleviate this hardship on the landowner, the debts were to be released for one year during this time. The sense of the word releaseis not to cancel,' as may be suggested in some English translations (e.g., NIV), but rather to postpone.' The debt was postponed for a year. This provision was not intended for the foreigner' (Dt 15:3); it applied only to those who lived permanently in the land. The foreigner' was one who stayed only temporarily in the land. Such a one was not a sojourner,' that is, a non-Israelite who had come to live permanently in the land."174
God values each person equally as an individual. This perspective comes out clearly in this section. God instructed His people to show concern for the welfare of every individual regardless of his or her economic or social position (v. 7; cf. Prov. 11:24).
"Elsewhere in the ancient Near East men were treated in terms of their status in the community rather than as individuals."175
The apparent contradiction between verses 4 and 11 is explainable as follows. The statement that "there shall be no poor among you"(v. 4) rests on the condition that the Israelites would be completely obedient to God (v. 5).176The statement that "the poor will never cease to be in the land"(v. 11) expresses what would really exist since Israel would not be completely obedient. It also represents what would exist among Israel's neighbor nations even if Israel was completely obedient.
"In Deuteronomy, poverty did not just happen. It was the result of conscious decisions that people made to ignore the divine will for Israel as expressed in the covenant."177
". . . poverty among Yahweh's vassals was a disgrace . . ."178
15:12-18 Moses turned now from the poor to slaves. These people also had rights in Israel. God did not condemn slavery as an institution. He permitted it in Israel. However slavery in Israel amounted to voluntary servitude. God strongly forbade the enslavement and oppression of individuals. Israelites could sell themselves as slaves as well as hired men and women (v. 18).179All slaves went free at the beginning of each sabbatical year.180
"The humanitarian spirit of Mosaic legislation permeates these civic and religious aspects of the Israelite society. It stands in contrast to the lack of dignity accorded to the common man in contemporary cultures of the Mosaic age."181
For more detailed information concerning the year of release, see Exodus 23:10-11 and Leviticus 25:1-7. In Deuteronomy, Moses emphasized the importance of love for God and man, principles more than procedures.
The year of release was a provision of the Mosaic Covenant that God has not carried over into the present dispensation. However as Christians we have revelation concerning how to deal with our debtors. We should settle our disputes with our brethren out of court privately or in the church if necessary (1 Cor. 6:1-6). We may take unbelievers to court, but if we cannot resolve our conflicts with our brethren out of court we should take the loss (1 Cor. 6:7) and forgive (Matt. 6:12, 14-15). We should also be compassionate and share with others, believers and unbelievers, who may be in need (Matt. 23:39; 2 Cor. 8-9; Gal. 6:10; Heb. 13:16).
Moses had finished what he had to say about provisions for the needy (the Levites, the alien, orphans, widows, the poor, and slaves; 14:22-15:18). Here his thoughts turned back to the subject of the first-born of animals that he mentioned previously when he addressed the sacrificial meals (12:6, 17; 14:23).
The Israelites were not to use their first-born male animals for personal gain but were to offer them to God as sacrifices. The Law taught them to regard them as God's possessions (cf. Exod. 13:2, 12). They could eat defective first-born animals at their homes rather than offering them at the tabernacle and eating them there. In all cases they were to set aside first-born oxen and sheep for God as sacrifices because God had blessed the herd or flock with fertility. The Israelites were to offer God as near a perfect specimen as possible. This taught them that God deserves the very best, which would have cost them the most.182
As Christians we too should acknowledge God's goodness if He increases our possessions. Our sacrifices need not be the first-born animals of our herds or flocks, but they might be verbal thanksgiving (Heb. 13:15), our own labor, our money, indeed our very lives (Rom. 12:1-2).
The point of connection of this section with what precedes is the sacrificial meals. Moses repeated here the instructions regarding those important feasts that included sacrificial meals that the people would eat at the tabernacle (cf. Exod. 12; Lev. 23; Num. 28-29).
1. Passover and Unleavened Bread vv. 1-8
2. Pentecost (also called Harvest and Weeks and Firstfruits) vv. 9-12
3. Tabernacles (also called Ingathering and Booths) vv. 13-17
God commanded all the male Israelites to assemble at the sanctuary for all these feasts each year (v. 16). These feast amounted to a pledge of allegiance to Yahweh each time the Israelites celebrated them. They came to His presence to do so, as their Near Eastern neighbors returned to their king's presence to similarly honor him periodically.
"The ancient requirement that the men of Israel should report to the central sanctuary three times a year has an interesting parallel in the Near Eastern treaty requirements. It was common practice for suzerains to require their vassals to report to them periodically, in some cases three times a year, in order to renew their allegiance and to bring tribute."183
The Passover and Unleavened Bread feast were a more solemn occasion (v. 8), but the other two were joyous celebrations (vv. 11, 15). Evidently the Israelites roasted the Passover lamb (Exod. 12:9), but they boiled the additional offerings for that day (v. 7; cf. 2 Chron. 35:13).184
God's people should celebrate God's redemption, remember our previous enslaved condition, and rejoice in God's provisions corporately and regularly (cf. Eph. 5:4; Phil. 4:6; Col. 2:7; 4:2; 1 Tim. 4:3-4). These are the things God encourages Christians to remember at the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. 11:23-28).
