(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
Deuteronomy 25:5–12, “If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her. And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel. And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother. Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her; Then shall his brother’s wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother’s house. And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed. When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets: Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her.”
Apart from the tribe of Levi, every Israeli had inheritance rights in the Promised Land. this was not because they were good or deserved it but because the Lord is both generous and gracious. When they took possession of the Land it was divided among the tribes and the families. A man who had reached the age to be married had also reached the age to take possession of the portion of the Land that the Lord had promised him. This also included the hereditary rights, given by the Lord, the that man’s family. If he was unable to produces a child to take over those rights before death then another member of the family was obliged to ensure that his brother’s inheritance was made secure. The brother was told to produce a child with his brother’s widow so that the succession of the Land could be guaranteed. If a man was unwilling to do his duty as a relative then that man was to be despised in his community. That man had preferred himself over his family duties (compare Ruth 4:6–7, “And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it. Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.”) This process was not about sex, it was giving the family a chance to ensure that their relative’s widow was cared for by the child that born after this process was complete.
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