Matthew 25:1-30 begins with the parable of the ten virgins, five with oil, five without oil. (Give me oil in my lamp, keep it burning). After that Jesus told the parable of the five, two and one talent given to three different people, the one with five made ten, the one with two doubled his talents, but the one with only one talent buried his. Jesus had his one talent taken away and be given to the one with ten talents. The moral of this parable is: Equal opportunity, not equal outcome.
Deuteronomy19. God commanded to set aside three Cities of Refuge, maybe three more as the land expands. Do not change property boundaries. There must be two or three witnesses for a conviction in court. From this chapter also comes the saying “an eye for an eye”.
Deuteronomy 20. Rules for warfare: The Lord fights the battle for you. If you are too chicken or are building a house or are pledged to marry, you may be excused. For the rest of you, show no mercy unless they surrender, but above all, save the fruit trees.
Deuteronomy 21 deals with what to do with unsolved murders. Can you marry a female taken captive? What are the rights of the firstborn? What to do with a rebellious Son? A man punished to death and hung on a tree, he must be buried the same day. From this we get “Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree”.
Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment. 