SPEAKER_00 0:02

Fairness, dignity, a church that practices neutrality and generosity. This morning we journey from the command against false witness to the question: what does a true covenant community in God look like? Reverend Daniel shares the word.

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Church, once again, a very good morning to all of you. Indeed, it's a joy for me to be here and to bring God's word to us. So we are continuing our sermon series on the book of Deuteronomy. And today the title of the sermon is The Commandment Against False Weakness. The commandment against false weakness. So the text before us roughly corresponds to the ninth commandment. How many of us know what is the ninth commandment in the Bible? We know the ten commandments, right? What is uh the ninth commandment? Right? It is revealed in Deuteronomy chapter 5, verse 20, which says, You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. That's the ninth commandment. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. So in the text before us, there are a series of exhortations or encouragement that seek to motivate the Israelites on very specific details how not to bear false witness. For example, we see uh peppet throughout the text in verse 8. Uh, the author says, Take care to be very careful to do. Verse 10b says, You shall not go into his house to collect his pledge. And again, verse 12, and if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep in his pledge. Verse 14, you shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy. Verse 17, you shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or the fatherless, or take a widow's garment in pledge. You shall not muzzle an ox when it's treading out the grain. So, what is common in all these verses I read is the you shall not, right? So these are injunctions, exhortations on very specific uh attitudes that the people of Israel is to embody. So, right at the outset in uh Deuteronomy 24, verse 8, it makes it clear for the reader that the responsibility lies in the law court, right? And it is the duty of the Israelites in the time of the day to obey what it is directed to them through uh what was being established during the time. So the emphasis is placed right at the beginning in verse 8 of the responsibility of all Israel to do all that has been directed. We see that in verse 8 to verse 9, where the word do, the verb do repeats three times. Be careful to do all that is according to what the Levitical priest shall direct you. So they were instructing them what to do, and Israel was called to do that. So it goes on to say, as I commanded them, so you shall be careful to do. Uh and uh verse 9 uh is a reminder to Israel uh what happened to them in their history. Uh to Miriam on the way as they came out of Egypt, uh the Israelites were reminded of the example of Miriam, who when she and Aaron actually opposed Moses when the Israelites came out of Egypt, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses, and because of that there was uh judgment. Miriam became leprous like snow. So, in the text before us from Deuteronomy 24, verse 8 to 25, verse 4, the prohibition of false witness is defined in a very nuanced way. Right? It's not very specific as to someone standing before the law courts and just saying uh a lie. No, it's not that kind of false witness, but it's interpreted quite loosely. In fact, if you read uh the whole text before us, it is more regarding fairness. That means the community must be fair to one another in their dealings, both regards to their needs and their provision, as well as to respect the dignity as a person in God's covenantal community. So a lot of what we will read or we will quickly go through focuses on these two points. There must be a fairness in all our dealings, there must be a respect for the person as uh being part of the community of God. So uh very quickly, there are various exhortations uh separated into various parts. Uh verses 10 to 13 tells us on loans and pledges what to do and what not to do. Right? So uh on loans and pledges, verses 10 to 13, and verse 14 to 15 speaks of a hired servant who is poor and needy. How should you respond to him? And then verse 17 to 22 talks about justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. So verses 10 to 13 on loans and pledges. Deuteronomy verse uh chapter 24, verse 10 says, When you make your neighbor a loan of any sort, you shall not go into his house to collect his pledge. You shall stand outside, and the man to whom you make the loan shall bring the pledge out to you. And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep in his pledge. You shall restore to him the pledge as the sun sets, that he may sleep in his cloak and bless you, and it shall be righteousness for you before the Lord your God. The principle here is to protect the dignity and ensure provision for the borrower. The borrower in most cases was almost always poor, and the lender relatively rich. So there is a power relationship in which the lender can exploit and take advantage of the one who is poorer, the borrower. So the rules or the laws given here is to safeguard the borrower. And therefore, the lender is prohibited to go into the borrower's house to collect the pledge for perhaps several reasons. Uh, firstly, it could be to avoid ridicule, which might ensure from the lender who often displayed a harsh and demeaning attitude. So to protect the boundary of the borrower such that uh today we may say it's the it's the along, you know, who you know somehow have goes to your door, and uh if you borrow in excess, or even we don't give the person uh access to our houses in those situations. So it's to avoid ridicule, to bring some dignity to the borrower. Secondly, it could be to allow the borrower some control by allowing him to choose what to give as a pledge. You know, the lender could just barge into the house and you know, just see what they want. Uh and I'll take this, I'll take that, right? But in this situation, again, give the borrower some space to decide what he shall give to you as a pledge. Uh so thirdly, it could be that pledging of a collateral or anything that has to be given should be mutual. The lender should not take advantage of the borrower and force his way through the house. The provision can be observed in verse 12 to 13, in which provision is made for the poor man for his practical needs. It says, if the sun sets and a cloak is given as collateral pledge, this should be written to the borrower so that he can keep warm. Again, this provision focuses on the dignity and the need of the borrower. Secondly, we'll look at uh verse 14 to 15 that speaks of a hired servant who is poor and needy. Verse 14 to 15 tells us you shall not oppress a hired servant, hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he's one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns, you shall give him his wages on the same day before the sun sets, for he is poor and counts on it. Lest he cry out, he cry against you to the Lord, and you be guilty of sin. So this is now a hired servant who is poor and needy. So uh the book of Deuteronomy has a particular concern for the poor. Ultimately, the understanding is that in the land that God has given to Israel, there should be no poor as a category, as a permanent class among the Israelites. Therefore, Deuteronomy 15, verse 4 tells us there should be no poor among you, for the Lord will bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess. In this case situation, a hired worker who is poor and needy should be paid at the end of the workday because they are daily wage workers, so that whatever they receive could be used to feed the family and attend to their basic needs of food and sustenance and without being deprived of them. Lastly, we look at verse 17 to 22, which speaks of justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and a widow. This is what it says, you shall not pervert the justice due to the sojourner or to the fatherless, or take a widow's garment in pledge. Verse 18 says, But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the Lord your God redeem you from there. Therefore I command you to do this. Strong words. Verse 19 When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. And the Lord, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over them again. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not strip it afterward. It shall be for the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. Again, Deuteronomy emphasized this. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. Therefore, again it says, I command you to do this. And the reason why uh the author of Deuteronomy gave the reason they gave, he gave not to pervert the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless of or the widow is to resist and defy the notion of slavery. Right? There should be no slaves in the house of God and among their own people, and especially those who live among them, right? The sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow. So just as how the Israelites were previously slaves in Egypt, remember for 40 years they were slaves under Pharaoh. So they were oppressed. Exodus 1, 12 to 14 tells us they were oppressed, their lives were made bitter with hard service. That was their experience. So having gone through that, they were reminded not to treat the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widows the same way. And the reason why they are so protected, because this is a different category from the poor, the poor and needy. This category of people, the sojourner, fatherless, and widows, were those whose independent status, in other words, their legal standing was not recognized. Right? Somehow they do not have a position in the society of the day. They don't have a status, they don't have someone to fight and stand up for them. Therefore, uh special provision is made for them, uh, such that sheaves that are left behind, the leftover of olive trees and grapes of the vine is left so that they have a means of food and sustenance. So whatever is left behind, don't harvest to the full, so that the sojourner, the fathers and widow can tap on them for their sustenance. In fact, as we read on further in Deuteronomy 24, verse 19 to 22, we are reminded uh of that that Israel, the Israelites, all in community, including the poor and the needy, the sojourner, the fatherless and the widow, all have rights to share in the blessings of the land, which is ultimately again in Deuteronomy's concept of land, it is God's gift. The land is God's gift to his people. Therefore, everyone should have a part to play. Everyone should have should have be able to find a place in the land in which the Lord is giving to Israel. In fact, you read on in Deuteronomy 25, the first four verses, it tells us the fairness that is due to those in community extends even to convicted criminals. Right? Uh just now we uh the reading was read for us. It says, even uh for convicted criminals who are beaten with a number of stripes on their back, it must be proportional to the offense committed. In other words, be fair even to a condemned criminal. And it goes on all the way, uh ironically, even to the point of uh a domestic uh animal, right? Verse 4 says, you shall not muzzle an ox when it's treading out the grain. Right? So so the rules of the case laws in Deuteronomy is specific, detail, and it's meant to meet the needs of everyone, you know, not just those who are rich and well to do. So, underlying the exhortation to prohibit false witness through fairness to all in community as regards to both their needs and provision as well as their dignity as persons in God's covenantal community. I'd like to suggest to us fundamentally why is the author talking about all this? It's because of the fundamental concept of covenantal brotherhood and sisterhood of all Israelites. That means they have a different status because they are brothers and sisters in covenant with God. And therefore, they are entitled to full participation, even if you are a foreigner, as long as you are in the land, you are entitled to full participation. Somehow, some way, the inheritance is meant to be a blessing. So this this leads us to a fundamental question which I like to explore with us in terms of application today. What does a true covenant community in God look like? What does a true covenant community in God look like? Deuteronomy twice exhorts the Israelites to remember that they were slaves in Egypt and God had redeemed them. So this seems to be a law that transcends just uh regulations, you shall not, you shall not, but beyond that, the fundamental idea is that Israel was slaves, but God had redeemed them. And before, because God had redeemed them, their lives have to bear true weakness to their redeemed lives from slavery by not making a slave of others, those who are less fortunate, the poor and needy, the marginalized, the uh the foreigners among them. So for us today, the heart of what it means to be redeemed by God is well put forth in 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 18 to 19. Peter exalts the believers then. He says, Knowing that you were ransomed from the fruitile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. So God has redeemed, ransom us through the blood of Christ. And because of that, all of us exist in a very unique and special relationship apart from the world. In other words, I'm saying that all of us as God's community should be loving each other even much more because of the union of God's love that has been poured forth in our hearts. Dietrich Bornhoefer, in his classic book on Christian community, in his book Life Together, he argues that Christian community is unlike any other community. That means if you go to the CC for social club, you know, or you have uh some socials out there with your colleagues at work, uh it's not wrong and it's needed uh because God has not asked us to be hermits, to just stay and mingle in church and exclude those uh outside church. He's not saying that. But what uh Bonhoeffer is saying that the Christian community, there's something distinct about who we are. Because of a unique bond, he goes on to say, because of a unique bond, a bond that exists between each of us through Christ. That means through Christ's blood uh shed for us, then there's now a bond between us that is unique and different. Right? So there are days uh many, many decades ago, and I think we have a chance to do this again. You know, we used to hold our hands together, right? And we sing the song uh We Are One in the Bond of Love, right? Uh because it's more than a song that we sing, but we need to mean it. Uh we need to have that love of God in our hearts that we are able to see each other in the bond of the love of Christ. Because a Christian community, I think Bonhoeffer is right, he's saying that it's unlike any other community because it's a unique bond shared and uh exists because of the precious blood of Christ shed for us. So, based on this premise of being uh in a unique bond with Christ, um God has called us to be in covenant relationships, all of us with one another, in which all of us have full participation in Christ's body. All of us here have a part to play in his family. So in Christ's body, in his church, there should be no lack, as each part of the body have mutual concern for one another. First Corinthians 12 would say, verse 25b to 26 if one member suffers, everyone suffers with it. If a member is honored, all rejoice with it. We should not take advantage of one another as we are exalted again to do nothing out of selfish ambition or rivalry. Uh Paul says this in Philippians, but in humility, consider, count others more significant than yourself. Let each one look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. You know, we we hear this preach very often, but uh the sad thing is as we as I uh as we hear of the truth about the state of the Christian church, there are good things that happen, but if we will only live this out, I think we'll be a community that stands apart. If each of us can not just look to our own interests, but learn to uh consider others' interests more significant than ourselves. I think we will be a community that grows, um, that really uh bonds in the love of God. So the the Greek word for fellowship, uh some of us may know, is the word koinonia. And the word koinonia is a very deep word. Uh it comes from a root meaning of common or shared. So when we say uh fellowship meeting, fellowship group, or koinonia, we are talking about sharing. We're talking about certain commonness, certain mutuality, a common participation. In other words, it cannot be one way, right? If you have friendship with someone, but it's always a one-way, you know, uh uh dynamic, uh rich to poor, or it's always giving, but the person refuses to receive help, right? Then there's no koinonia, there's no fellowship. Because a true fellowship, there's mutuality, there's a give and take, there's a lack of one-upmanship where I'm the boss, I'm more superior than you, you know, so you better listen to me. But neither is it the other way, you know, where the you refuse to submit to one another because you refuse to listen. Right? So it's not it's not about that, but there is a mutual sharing, mutual participation. In other words, it's about giving and taking. You know, um I'm sure all of us in our experience with friendships and uh relating to people, it'd be very awkward, right, if you're always on the receiving end or always on the giving end. Have you had had uh friends or relationships where you are always giving, right? And somehow the person doesn't, you know, there's no neutrality. After a while you you feel quite and say, maybe I shall draw some boundaries because I'm always giving, you know, and on the opposite side, there could be those who are uh uh you could be a compulsive giver but hope not. But on the other side, you could be uh uh at the receiving end. That means you're always receiving, but you never rise up to give, right? Uh so that again is is not what uh true koinonia. Because true koinonia is a partnership, a mutual sharing of giving, of receiving from one another. And that is deep fellowship, because all of us know when any relationship is reciprocal, where there is mutual giving and sharing and supporting, the relationship often thrives. But when it's always, when it's either or either a party is always giving or always receiving, we realize that after a while, the relationship collapses or we draw boundaries, which is right, right? Because we can't always give, you know, and to the point where the person doesn't learn. Neither can we always be the one always receiving and not give. So true koinonia is it's really about this fellowship, this common life, this mutuality that God has called us to be. So the body of Christ ought to be a place of mutuality, where giving and receiving, a place where needs are met, provisions where needed are supplied. The dignity of one another in Christ is also recognized by not withholding good when we have the ability to do so, and by not taking advantage of the more vulnerable in our midst, we act as a true witness to the reality of life in God's covenantal community in Christ. Through a life of common participation, of giving and receiving, we show to the world what an authentic community in Christ is all about. I'd like to share with us in closing a snapshot or rather a picture, you know, of what an authentic community in Christ is like. It's well captured in the early church, but very often we say that's not for us now. You know, we are already much advanced, 21st century. We we can't go back to the early church. Neither can we say, you know, today uh pastor says, okay, sell all your possessions, you know, and we have a common pool place uh right in front of you know the sanctuary, and all of you sell everything you have, you know, and some of some of us, because it's so radical, the teaching of the early church that we say it's not relevant for us, you know, it's a contextual issue, it's during that time, you know, but now is we are living in 21st century Singapore, so we can't apply it practically to our situation. But I believe that the principle of it uh can be embraced, the principle of uh what uh the early church practice uh can be embraced without swinging to a very radical uh slant. So Acts 4, verse 32 to 35 it says, now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul. And no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own. But they had everything in common. There's good stewardship because we know that uh all things come from God and of him we give, right? So this is good stewardship. Um nothing we have belongs to us, actually. So the early church practiced this, everything they had in common. Verse 33, and with great power, the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all, great power and great grace was upon them. Verse 34 gives us a picture echoing the heart of Deuteronomy 15, verse 4. There shouldn't be a poor among them in Deuteronomy in the New Testament, even in the church today, I believe uh it is possible, right? Uh there was not a needy person among them, right? Fulfilling the vision of Deuteronomy 15, 4. For as many as were owners of lands or houses, sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. So the early church in the book of Acts was growing, right? It's a growing church because it says uh the full number of those who believe were one heart and mind, one mind. So the indication of a full number means that the church is really growing. So it's not a dying church, it's not uh it's not a church that is stagnant or just a small church, but it's a growing church, right? So some would say, I yeah, the early church because it's a small group, like a small kampong, like a connect group. So they can share everything, but the church grow bigger then, not possible because you know the dynamics of size changes, but this was a growing church, right? The numbers were being added daily, perhaps, right? The full number of those who believe, yeah, they were there. They were growing. So despite its size, it had a common mind and purpose. That means the premise of everything they saw in their relationship with one another is their devotion to the Lord, being of one heart and one mind. That means they saw each other as brothers and sisters, being one in Christ. They were devoted to the Lord, being of one heart and one mind. Acts 4 verse 32b tells us no one, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. So a commentator says this nobody regarded his property as being under his own control. It doesn't mean that we should sell all our property and uh all our assets and give to the church. It doesn't explicitly say that, say that. It says his property, it's still his property, but it's not his own, right? He's steward of his property. But the person was prepared to regard it and to share it for the use of the community as a whole. If there's a need, right, and if God is leading me and I'm a steward of the property that I have, then I will share it. In other words, this is the principle. It's not to sell everything to the church and then be homeless, right? X, I don't think X is saying that. This way of putting the matter brings out the fact that the things which each person possessed continued to be his own property until it was found necessary to sell them for the common good. If there's a need, I'll be a good steward and share it. So the two characteristics described uh correspond broadly to the two great commandments of love. Love for God and love for one's neighbor. Love or devotion to God is seen in their oneness of heart and mind. And their love for their neighbor is seen in their generosity, sharing uh to those who have need in their midst. And scripture tells us out of that authentic community of devotion to God and mutuality and generosity to one another, as this was going on, great power and great grace were upon them all. Their words, when they spoke about the resurrection of Jesus, they were under the guidance of the Holy Spirit such that they were effective in leading others to Jesus. The grace of God was also working powerfully through them. What a picture, what a sight that flows out of a devotion to God and to one's neighbor. As I mentioned earlier, the Old Testament promised to God's people that there will be no poor among them in Deuteronomy 15, verse 4, which says, However, there should not be any poor among you, for the Lord will surely bless you in the land that He's giving you as an inheritance, was brought to fulfillment in the early church by the generosity of the better-off members. Those who had had estates or houses sold them and brought the proceeds to the apostles, who then distributed them to the needy. The reference to bringing uh the goods to the feet of the apostles suggests some kind of uh legal transfer uh expressed in that language. In fact, they transferred their properties to those who had need because of their devotion to God and their generosity and mutuality to see each other as brothers and sisters in God's covenantal family. So a church that practices mutuality and generosity that flows out of our devotion to God and neighbor is one that will be full of grace and power. Right? Actually, this is my main point I wanted to share with us, but took a long way. But this is this is a picture uh of what it means to be an authentic community, I believe. A church that practices mutuality, right? No one-upmanship, no uh disobedience, uh, where we refuse to submit to authority or we refuse to listen, mutual submission, uh, generosity out of our devotion and love for God will be one pleasing to the Lord. So may the Lord grow us as a community. I think it's now it's too early for us to say, you know, of course we can look at the ideal and we say, God help us to walk, walk, walk this life and walk our community through this, right? And it all begins with us, right? How the Lord is moving us and touching us. And I pray that we will be an authentic community which please the Lord, devoted fully to God and to our neighbor.

SPEAKER_00 35:41

We pray that you've been ministered to the Word of God today. If you'd like to know more about Eastern Christian Church, please visit our website at yccanglican.com. Have a blessed day.