Israel's cousins

 Welcome to the Daily Bible Chapter. My name is James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as I attempt to read the Bible with fresh eyes, as if I don't know anything about it, and without consulting experts on what it "really" means.. Let's see where this takes us! 

Deuteronomy 23

I'm reading Young's Literal Translation (YLT) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

From Genesis, the Ammonites and Moabites are descendants of Lot. The Edomites are descendants of Esau. They are all cousins of the Israelites and live on the east side of the Jordan, across from Canaan or The Promised Land. There may be hostility among these nations, but the LORD hasn't called on them to be eradicated or displaced, as he has the nations in the land of Canaan.

Although the people of Canaan and Egyptians are descendants of Ham while the Israelites are descendants of Shem, the LORD will welcome the Egyptians even as he wants the Canaanites displaced. One reason may be that the Israelites themselves probably have a lot of Egyptian blood in them.

This is speculative, but I don't think the LORD condemned Egyptian practices the way Canaanite idolatry is condemned. Moses himself would have been trained in the Egyptian mysteries that remain mysteries today; perhaps Joseph brought the mysteries to Egypt in the first place. 

The problem with Egypt was the "hardened heart" of Pharaoh and the condition of slavery. But perhaps the Israelites brought a lot of Egyptian wisdom with them.

As a metaphor, there is much in this chapter to tell us that, as individuals, we must keep out the ways of the external world, or the practices of other nations, when coming into the "assembly of the LORD," i.e., our higher consciousness.   

Taken literally, however, this chapter seems to endorse enmity and discrimination. The more a literal interpretation is insisted upon, the more backlash there will be towards the Bible.

James Leroy Wilson writes Daily Miracles, The Daily Bible Chapter, JL Cells, and The MVP Chase. Thanks for your subscriptions and support!

(Photo credit: TyshkunVictor)