Post by Woody Williams on Nov 12, 2007 7:45:15 GMT -5
Text for the Day -- Deuteronomy 25:5-10
----------
When brothers reside together, and one of them dies and has no son,
the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a
stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her, taking her in
marriage, and performing the duty of a husband's brother to her, and
the firstborn whom she bears shall succeed to the name of the
deceased brother, so that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.
But if the man has no desire to marry his brother's widow, then his
brother's widow shall go up to the elders at the gate and say, "My
husbands brother refuses to perpetuate his brother's name in Israel;
he will not perform the duty of a husband's brother to me." Then the
elders of his town shall summon him and speak to him. If he persists,
saying, "I have no desire to marry her", then his brother's wife
shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, pull his sandal off
his foot, spit in his face, and declare, "This is what is done to the
man who does not build up his brother's house." Throughout Israel his
family shall be known as "the house of him whose sandal was pulled
off."
Devotional
----------
In ancient Israel a brother was obligated to marry his brother's
widowed wife. The purpose was to provide a child and carry on the
brother's name, so that the name would not cease to exist. If the
name died out, the person died out. There was not a teaching at that
time about the resurrection. Jesus' resurrection was a radical move
on God's part to reveal and demonstrate a great hope for us all.
Prayer
--------------------
I thank you for the gift of eternal life, gracious God. Amen
----------
When brothers reside together, and one of them dies and has no son,
the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a
stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her, taking her in
marriage, and performing the duty of a husband's brother to her, and
the firstborn whom she bears shall succeed to the name of the
deceased brother, so that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.
But if the man has no desire to marry his brother's widow, then his
brother's widow shall go up to the elders at the gate and say, "My
husbands brother refuses to perpetuate his brother's name in Israel;
he will not perform the duty of a husband's brother to me." Then the
elders of his town shall summon him and speak to him. If he persists,
saying, "I have no desire to marry her", then his brother's wife
shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, pull his sandal off
his foot, spit in his face, and declare, "This is what is done to the
man who does not build up his brother's house." Throughout Israel his
family shall be known as "the house of him whose sandal was pulled
off."
Devotional
----------
In ancient Israel a brother was obligated to marry his brother's
widowed wife. The purpose was to provide a child and carry on the
brother's name, so that the name would not cease to exist. If the
name died out, the person died out. There was not a teaching at that
time about the resurrection. Jesus' resurrection was a radical move
on God's part to reveal and demonstrate a great hope for us all.
Prayer
--------------------
I thank you for the gift of eternal life, gracious God. Amen