THE AUDITORIUM SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS

AUGUST 15TH, 2004
DEUTERONOMY 22
GOD IS A GOD OF ORDER

I.      “Finder’s keeper’s….was unlawful to the Jews.     (1-4)

	A. Some examples are given concerning the finding of personal property.

		1. A neighbor’s ox goes astray in verse 1.
		2. A neighbor’s ass, raiment, or personal property may be found.   (3)
		3. A neighbor’s ox falls “by the way” in verse 4.

	B. In each of these examples, you have observed the fallen ox, or found the property, that belongs to another.

		1. You are not to hide yourself, or the property, from the owner.
		2. You are to give what you find back to the owner.

II.     God’s Law addresses the clothing of God’s children.     (5).

	A. There are those who say that “what I wear doesn’t matter because God looks at the inside.”

		1. Then explain verse 5.
		2. Clothing is a reflection of the real you.
		3. If you view yourself as a dedicated Christian, and you view God as the Lord of your life,
		    it will effect your appearance.

	B. There are verses in the Bible that refer to modesty, but this verse does not.
               
                    -     You should dress to be admired, not desired.

		1. This verse deals with gender identity. ( dressing, not cross-dressing.)
		2. God’s children were forbidden to dress like the opposite sex.
		3. The distinctions in God - made creations are always clear.

		-  It doesn’t say that women are to wear a female version of what men wear; it says that 
			women are not to wear what men wear.
		-  The distinction is to be clear, not border-lined.

III. 	Is God interested in how you treat animals?

	A. Summary: don’t kill the hen when you need eggs.

	B. Throughout the Law, from trees to birds, God forbade the waste of natural resources and life.

IV.     Even in personal property, God’s children are to consider others.     (8)

	A. A new house is to be built with safety features in the Promised Land.

		-  battlements on the roof are equal to walls around the roof.

	B. Visitors to your house should be in a danger-free zone.

V.  In verses 9-12, we see an emphasis on order as opposed to blending and disorder.

	A. Notice the examples give:

		1. Sowing seeds should be done orderly (9).
		2. Plowing a field should be done orderly (10).
		3. Blended materials for clothing was forbidden (11-12).

	B. There are practical reasons that we could speculate on concerning these rules, 
		but we should emphasize the ORDER behind the duties.

		1. I Corinthians 14:40 is a N.T. command for order.
		2. Families, churches, and Christian individuals should live lives of orderliness.

			-  Children are to be reared with order - Judges 13:12
			-  Houses are to be kept with order - 2Kings 20:1
			-  Conversations are to be made with order - Psalm 50:23




Conclusion:     Please read Deuteronomy 23  for next Sunday