I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Deuteronomy 24-26.

    Today’s passage is a collection of miscellaneous instructions for the people of Israel. There are two related themes which run through many of them: justice and compassion for the poor/those in our power. One of the interesting things I see here are the repeated commands to provide the poor with the opportunity to help themselves. When you are gathering your harvest and forget a portion of the harvest in the field, do not go back for it. Instead, leave it for the poor to gather. Notice that it does not say to be as efficient as you can and give from your excess to the poor. Instead, it tells you to leave opportunities for the poor to gather for themselves. Several of the commands address issues related to making loans to the poor. When you make a loan, do not take the person’s means to produce as security against them paying you back. Also, when giving loans, do not take that which the person needs to fulfill their basic necessities as security (the passage speaks of clothing, but I think the rule extends beyond that).