(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
Deuteronomy 22:5–12, “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God. If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young: But thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to thee; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days. When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence. Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled. Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together. Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together. Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.”
This section contains a section of different regulations to cover areas not considered in some of the broader regulations. When the Lord created mankind, He created Adam and then Eve, according to His own wisdom. After the curse, He placed different obligations on men and women. The first regulation here insists that we all submit to the Lord’s first act in creating mankind, that is, He made men and women different. We are to submit to the Lord’s order in this matter and dress according to the way that the Lord God made us. However, as we move through this section we should be mindful of the fact that all the regulations belong in the same category. The second regulation shows something of the Lord’s grace. No one should kill a nesting bird on the same day that they take its eggs. After this we have some common sense. When a person builds a house they are required to consider safety in the design process. Never leave a flat roof without a fence because if a person falls off a house roof they will be badly injured or they may die. If a builder sets up a house without safety precautions then the builder is responsible for the safety of the people you come to the house. (This is similar, in some ways to Eze 33:1–6, “Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.”) The builder is required to take safety precautions but is not responsible for a foolish person. Leaders can also be held responsible for leading their flock in the right way and not leading them astray. The Lord had set Israel apart to be a special people dedicated to achieving His goal of blessing all the families of the earth so He told them they must remember the principle of purity in the farming practices as well. Lastly the Lord called upon them to wear a garment with tassels, or fringes on the four corners. This is to remind Israel of the four corners of the earth and that they are to be a source of blessing to the people right to the four corners of the earth. (compare Is 11:12, “And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”). If a person is dogmatic about one part of this section, for example, men not wearing women’s clothes but is willing to a woollen suit with a cotton shirt then that person is being a hypocrite.
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