Deuteronomy 23:1-4
“No one whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord.
“No one born of a forbidden union may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of his descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord.
“No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the Lord forever, because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.
Tag: Only Perfection comes before God.
In the above passage we see the instructions about those who “may enter the assembly of the Lord.” Three types of people in this instruction are told they CAN’T enter the assembly of the Lord:
1. Those who have a physical issue (in this case, crushed testicles)
2. No one from a forbidden union.
3. No foreign person.
God demands holiness and perfection. God is perfect and only those perfect can come before Him. But, with that demand, who can come before Him? Remember, in the OT only the high priest could come into the Holy of Holies, and then, only once per year. Note what one commentator says about this passage:
Understanding the Old Testament Bible Series:
“The reasoning behind the laws restricting entry into the assembly of YHWH in 23:2-9 suggests the principle that only those who are perfect physically and not the product of some unnatural union should be members of the covenant community in ancient Israel. The situation is somewhat similar to a superficial reading of the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: "You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt 5:48). The holiness of God demands perfection in those who would approach his presence. In the gospel of the NT, this perfection is found in Christ, who provides the means of access to God for all people, regardless of their imperfections, whether moral, physical, or spiritual. The follower of Jesus stands in God's presence as perfect-clothed in the perfection of Jesus himself.
“Though the people of Israel believed that God was not pleased or honored with bodily mutilation of any kind, they did come to realize that God's mercy extends even to eunuchs who faithfully keep his commandments (Isa 56:4-5; cf. also the story of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch under the ministry of Philip in Acts 8:27-39).”
Hebrews 10 tells us that, because of Christ, we can enter the Throne of Grace “boldly.” Christ makes it possible for ALL to enter into the presence of God - those who believe in Christ and accept His intercession for them. We can see that Christ makes us perfect. God demands perfection - we can’t be perfect, but God provide perfection for us via His Son!!
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