Revealed in the Law - Commandments 6-8

Commandments 6-8 - Human Dignity

"You must not murder."

"You must not commit adultery."

"You must not steal."

Deuteronomy 19-21; Deut 22:1-23:14; Deut 23:15-24:7

Human dignity is derived from three areas:  

existence, belonging to a uniform group, and personhood.

Just as we saw in Commandment 2 how God wants to be treated, with utmost respect,  dignity and directly face to face, so these sections uphold a similar principle for all people who are all made in His image (regardless if they have faith in Him or not).  The means of how we treat God and how we treat other humans differs because of His invisible and immortal nature and our visible and mortal nature, but the message is clear and contributes greatly to the essence behind "love your neighbor as yourself."  

There is a lot of material in these sections, and there are some overlaps, but Hill and Walton can see three general topical areas (9.1).  

Existence.  The sixth commandment holds that we are to respect life by not making the willful choice to unnaturally end a life (human or animal) illegally or without justification. (9.2)  The laws give examples of how capitol punishment (Deuteronomy 19:11-12) and war (Deuteronomy 20) are not violations of this commandment (9.3), nor are animal sacrifices or animal slaughter for food.  Though there are interesting limitations specified for different scenarios in war which speak to God's heart to care for all peoples, including designating cities of refuge for those accused of crimes they did not commit but have no fair justice systems to protect them in their homeland.

Belonging to a uniform group.  Hill and Walton see the various laws in Deuteronomy 23 as distinguishing between things that belong together and things that don't (9.4), with examples such as seeds and threads.  This wider view of more than just the seventh commandment to respect marriage that Moses includes in this section of Deuteronomy 22:1-23:14  goes beyond our traditional understanding of this commandment.  It for sure preserves the sacred family unit by forbidding anyone who does not belong to it to disrupt it, as well as anyone who threatens the sacred community.  But we also see in this section how God also wants to preserve the uniformity of (and be consistently faithful to) how He made His holy (set apart) Creation.

Personhood.  With the emphasis of this section of Deuteronomy 23:15-24:7 on the treatment of victims not just the act of stealing something tangible from them, commandment 8 is elevated to include the concern for their dignity and personhood not just anything that belongs to them. (9.5)  Therefore, any effort that serves to make a person, or group of people, feel disrespected, violated, excluded, discriminated against, or lessened would not uphold this principle, regardless if they acknowledge Him or not. Gane summarizes by stating the "Bible clearly prioritizes the value of a human being above that of nonhuman property," whereas the "Laws of Hammurabi reflect a different value system, calling for capital punishment in some cases when nonhuman property is stolen." (9.6)  Once again using the contrast between the ANE laws and God's laws to unmistakably see God's loving and merciful heart for all people and relationships above everything else in His Creation.  We are not called to judge others (Matthew 7:1-2; Luke 6:37; James 4:11), but to love others in His Name and through relationships reveal God's glory and truth to them and let His Holy Spirit do the work of transformation in their hearts!

God has done this for His people since Abraham, and His people are to behave and look like Him to others.  Again, this transformation is a life-long progression and won't be fully completed until Jesus returns.

Bruce C. Birch, Old Testament professor at Wesley Theological Seminary, pulls all of this together for us by saying that all of God's Word is a revelation of Himself and His character, which cannot be separated from His will, or the formation and flourishing of an alternative sacred community bearing His name. (9.7)


Here are a few questions to ponder before you continue:

How is your heart responding to what you just learned?  
What dangers can you see in trying to "love your neighbor" by your own subjective definition without a clearer understanding of these underlying principles that state unambiguously and objectively what God means by "love your neighbor?" 
While we are not called to impose these principles on others, nor judge them in their lack of (with the exception of legal violations of course), can you see how acceptance of behaviors that do not uphold these principles (no matter how much we may empathize with them) goes against what God deems for all of our good (Deuteronomy 10:13)?
How are you processing the tension between being set apart by God as His holy people and the principles to love your neighbor as yourself when those neighbors do not hold the same values as you?
Based on everything we've seen so far in God's focus on authentic relationships, how do you think God wants us to interact with people who do not share our values or are not as far along in their faith maturity?

Next Post:   Commandment 9

Credit Notes

Previous Posts:

Commandment 5

Commandment 4

Commandment 3

Commandment 2

Commandment 1

The Decalogue (The Ten Commandments)

Some Background

Introduction

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Last updated: July 30, 2018