"Relief" - ‎03/18/13 - Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19

^"Mark out an area outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourselves. Along with your weapons have a stick with you. After you relieve yourself, dig a hole with the stick and cover your excrement. God, your God, strolls through your camp; He’s present to deliver you and give you victory over your enemies. Keep your camp holy; don’t permit anything indecent or offensive in God’s eyes." (23:12-14)


Very important questions to ponder.............

Did Adam and Eve, the animals, have belly buttons?  Probably not.  Where did they live, sleep?  Did they eat only with their hands?  Was it always raw foods?  How did they cleanse themselves?  Comb their hair?  Did they have to shave?  Even though they didn't have anyone else to compare themselves to, when they realized they were naked - was it a "whoohoo baby" or "Are you kidding me"?

And then the verses above led me to - where did they relieve themselves?

Seriously, the thoughts that came when reading these verses, "why would they have to be given specific instructions on relieving themselves?"  Bathrooms have been discovered in ruins that date back to Moses' time with the Egyptians.  Even though living in tents, didn't they know what to do when they defecated?  I also found it interesting that along with a stick, they had their weapons.   

Obviously, this isn't a very sweet subject, but one God needed to touch upon.   To hand down laws regarding fecal matter.  These laws were to be followed as one way of keeping the camp free from diseases and unpleasantness.  

To keep the camp holy because God strolled through it. 

I then begin to wonder - how is my camp?  Just like human waste, sin doesn't offer up a sweet fragrance to the Lord.   What worldly fecal matter am I putting into my mind, my heart? What "spiritual weapon" am I carrying with me at all times?

He lives within me.  He strolls through my "camp".   I am instructed to "keep my camp holy". 



When I was younger, outhouses weren't all that uncommon at the homes of elderly persons.  It wasn't surprising to me that they were still being used.  I can remember my great uncles talking about the "lazy fool over yonder that built their outhouse not 10 feet from their well".  Through listening to them, I learned that you didn't place them near running water either. 

God in His wisdom created the layers of earth as a filter for unclean matters, before entering into our drinking source.  Today, there are many third world countries where it is completely normal to relieve themselves wherever and whenever the urge hits.  These countries are riddled with diseases that can be traced back to this unhealthy practice. 

I wonder how is it a people became so far removed from a healthy practice.


Much like a people becomes so far removed from keeping their spiritual camp clean. 

They have decided it is okay to live in a camp that has sin within the perimeter.  And when living  close to sin, it will seep into your being, just as the waste from an outhouse sitting too close to the well.  This is why Christ had to become our filter, cleansing us, before our Abba.  We were living in sin.  He has handed us our weapon to never put down in His Word.  We are to daily wear His Armor.  Sin has to become far removed and buried outside of our spiritual camp. 

Your spiritual camp in which God strolls.