This weeks Parashat has a lot to say about our current time and season. Just look at the heading in the Word of God for this week.

Marriage to a Captive Woman
Look at what is happening in Afghanistan.

Rights of the 1st Born
Abraham’s 1st was Ishmael and they are rising up. Afghanistan

Dealing with a Rebellious Son
Hunter Biden and Afghanistan

Various Regulations.
Here are a few I have picked out that I find extremely interesting just based on current events:

A body must not hang on a tree overnight. You must bury it the same day. Let’s just watch Afghanistan.

A woman must not put on man’s clothes and a man must not wear a woman’s  clothes. Anyone who does so is detestable to the Lord. Transgender should I say any more?

If you happen onto a bird’s nest and there are young ones or eggs in the nest with the mother do not take the mother with her young. You may take the young, but let the mother go so you may prosper. This is a direct reference to Jacob and Esau. When Jacob stole the blessing he flew away like a bird to escape Esau’s anger. Esau honored his father and said he would wait until Isaac died before he would kill Jacob. Rebecca sends her son away to live with her brother. She is a mother bird who shooed her son away to protect him. 20 years later when Jacob comes home he is like the mother bird with his entire family in tow. He has become vulnerable and easy pickings for Esau. However Esau chooses not to take advantage of his brother and he makes peace with him. There is a lot more to this law and story which we may get into at a later time.

When you build a house you must build a railing around the edge of it’s flat roof. That way you will not be considered guilty of murder if someone falls from the roof. I point you again to Afghanistan. We built a military base left everything behind now innocent people will die. What was needed to protect the innocent was not put in place and the one who created it is responsible for everything that happens because of it.

The word then goes into Regulations for Sexual Purity. These laws say who is responsible for the punishment based on sexual sin. If a woman is raped it’s the man’s fault. He must be killed. If the man and women are consenting and they are not married both are at fault and must be put to death. Then it goes into the laws for divorce. Again watch what is happening to Afghanistan.

Then the word says who can worship and who cannot come in the sanctuary. God singles out the Ammonites and Moabites for 10 generations because of their actions toward the Israelites in the wilderness with Balaam. The Israelites are to never promote the welfare of these 2 nations. God then says the Edomites and Egyptians may not enter for 3 generations. (A side note on this is that Ruth and Boaz were the 10th generation. These 2 were used to bring King David into the picture, then Jesus.)

More Miscellaneous Regulations
These pertain to war and proper actions again look at Afghanistan

The word then talks about temple prostitutes and how there should not be any in Gods house nor is any money or gifts given from prostitution allowed in the house of God. There are issues with sexual sin in the church. We also have people in the church who prostitute the word of God like a pimp to benefit themselves which is a major issue today.

The rest goes on to talk about treating people the right way.

The final thing the word says this week is that when Israel is at peace they are commanded to take out the Amalekites because they attacked them when they were at their weakest. We know Israel did not complete the task because we have the story of Ester. Haman was a decedent of the Amalekites. When we research the Amorites we find out they are decedents of Esau. Esau’s 1st born Eliphaz is the father of the Amalek which is where the nation came from that attacked Israel.

Now when you read in Genesis 36 you learn Amalek is not a legitimate son. He is the son of his father’s concubine. Amalek mother is from Canaan so Amalek has some deep rooted issues. There is a spirit attached to Amalek that takes advantage of the weak. That is what Israel is suppose to wipe out. That is also what we are to wipe out.