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Retribution This retributive form of justice was harsh, ... Note, however, that the punishment must be carefully measured. Justice was meant to restore order and social harmony,
Judge Righteous Judgment--God’s promise is that, when His people thus live in justice, according to all His Word, as faithfully taught and judged by the rulers of each community, they will know the fullness of His covenant blessings.
In the Gates--Rulers meet in the gates of the city, for both practical and symbolic reasons. Meeting in the gates symbolized their guardianship over what came into the community.
Honor Rulers--Parents, prophets, and rulers: these are the primary authorities God has established to bring order and blessing to the community of His people.
Expose False Teaching--As for those who assay to speak the Lord’s Word in His Name, the warning is even more dire.
The Lord Will Require It--The Lord promises to “require” it of those who will not listen to His spokesmen.
The Duty of Listening--For their part, the people of God must listen to the Lord’s spokesmen.
God’s Prophets--But in these words of Moses a tradition of God speaking through prophets is established, a tradition which continues through to this day.
Serious Punishment--We recall that, in ancient Israel, the people did not yet possess the Spirit of God; deep-seated and lasting heart-change was therefore not as readily possible as in this age of grace
Fear Your Parents?--lest, by our lack of proper respect, we despise an image-bearer of God.
By the Way We Live--we must recognize that perhaps the best way we honor our parents, and all those whom we are called to love and serve, is when we live in such a way as to reflect praise and honor on them in the eyes of others.
Honor Your Forebears--the rich heritage of literary, cultural, and liturgical achievement which our forebears have bequeathed to us are entrusted to our care in the present, for the sake of the generations to come.
Free to Serve All--God teaches us to gain the promises of His blessings through obedience to properly-constituted authorities.
Showing Honor--We show honor in a wide array of ways – by our speech, attentiveness, service, giving of gifts and honors, and otherwise seeking the wellbeing (“shalom”) of others.
Honor Begins at Home--Honoring one’s parents is fundamental to a well-ordered and just society,...