Daily Thoughts from Deuteronomy 22:1-4: Hide Yourself (Hit’alam’tah)

24 Hide Yourself (Hit’alam’tah)

You are not to watch your brother’s ox or sheep straying and behave as if you hadn’t seen it; you must bring them back to your brother.  If your brother is not close by, or you don’t know who the owner is, you are to bring it home to your house; and it will remain with you until your brother asks for it; then you are to give it back to him.  You are to do the same with his donkey, his coat or anything else of your brother’s that he loses. If you find something he lost, you must not ignore it.

(D’varim 22:1-4)

In the quiet of the wilderness morning as he had read from Moshe’s words, he was gripped by Yahweh’s requirements in the very first words.  The dread of his future prospects as the one who announced Yahweh’s kingdom was not diminished, but the certainty that he could do no other than his Father had asked him to do was sealed.

Just as he could not pretend he didn’t see his brother’s straying ox, so he could not pretend he did not see his people’s errant ways.  All of them, like sheep, had gone astray, and like a good shepherd he must try to bring them back.  Though he might want to hide himself, he could not.

Even the legislation against eating a mother bird and her eggs or chicks seemed to speak to him.  This way of conserving the future of these birds was an object lesson for him about the conservation of the nation.

And the requirements concerning adultery seemed pertinent also.  Yisrael was the unfaithful wife who had earned judgment, but Yahweh had covenanted with her to restore her for the sake of Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya’akov.  He would call unfaithful Yisrael to her husband who loves her.

“She should be stoned.”

It caught him off guard.  Did the satan really know what he was thinking?  Did he know where he was reading today?  Satan’s silence had lulled him to sleep.  He’d forgotten he was there, but a few paces behind him.

“Is Yahweh really being just by giving Ya’akov’s people another chance?  Is he not really showing his mawkish sentimentality for this spoiled fruit?  What a waste!”

He wasn’t going to respond to this.  It was old ground.  Did he really think that by sheer repetition of his viewpoint he would accomplish his purposes?  Did he really believe he could turn him from the purpose his Father had given him?  Why not!  It had worked before.  He persuaded Cain to kill Abel.  He persuaded Abraham to lie about Sarah.  He moved David to take Bathsheba.  He had caused Yisrael to resort to idols through sheer repetition of their presence in the peoples around Canaan.  It was an effective strategy.

Whether it was an effective strategy or not, however, it did not require of him a response.  Answer not a fool according to his folly and do not cast your pearls before swine.

“You had a lovely time at the shore, did you not?  The company was surely pleasant and the time to rest was needed.”

Hmm, if one tactic did not work, perhaps another would.  But what was this tactic?

“I did enjoy my time there.  And yes, the people were very kind.”

“An interesting offer they made to you?  Did it hold no appeal for you?”

“It held an appeal.”

“You have pushed yourself into a hole, son of God.  Does it not make sense to have alternative plans should yours go astray?  Does not Scripture itself say, ‘Don’t boast about tomorrow, for you don’t know what the day may bring’?”

“The plans I have are not mine but my Father’s.  And you use the Scriptures to justify your own desires.  Has your plan not failed?  Do you have an alternative?”

“My plan has worked over and over again.  I have many souls in my possession.”

“Your plan will certainly fail and my Father’s plan will be the reason.”

“You sound boastful, son of God.”

“My boast is in Yahweh, my God, and I will not cease to glory in His purposes and power.”

As the day approached its close and another was about to start with the coming darkness, he was feeling more weary than usual.  It had been 24 days since he had eaten.  He was convinced now that the reason he had as much strength as he did was his Father’s provision of strength.  His trip to the shore was slow, something he could have accomplished much quicker were he in better nourishment.

He turned in for the night, grateful for the chance to sleep and, if he were honest with himself, grateful for some escape from the constant presence of satan.  Maybe he could wear him down.

“Father, I need your protection.  Tonight I rest in the secret place of Your refuge, wrapped in Your strength and safety, receptive to the help you give me in sleep and ready to go when I wake.  I trust You with all my life.  I love you, Yahweh, my strength!”

He slept.