Remember that the number three is a Messianic reference. This third-year tithe is a reference to the Messiah: His sacrifice, God’s acceptance of the Messiah’s sacrifice and, from that point, God will make those who accept the Messiah’s sacrifice into His people.
These two chapters are very heavy and they record far more curses than blessings. The previous chapters we covered tell us how God expects to treat one another and today’s chapters show us how God will either reward or punish the people depending on how well they put His words into practice.
In this passage, Moshe (Moses) reminds the people of Israel that God will bless them if they follow His Torah but he will have to curse them if they do not. He also reminds the people they have the duty to enforce God’s Torah in the land as well. It really is a Tale of Two Mountains.
Honesty in business dealings and setting aside for the LORD the first and a 10th of what He has blessed us with seem like straightforward teachings from these two chapters for modern times. However, what do we do with teachings in this passage about men temporarily marrying their sisters-in-law to perpetuate the name of her dead husband and amputation as punishment for women who “fight dirty” seem way out of step with modern culture? Richard Agee explores what God is trying to show us about Himself with these teachings.