“For the Lord your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you…”
Deuteronomy 23:14a (NIV)
Last weekend, in celebration of our 20th wedding anniversary, Wendy and I hosted a dinner party of special magnificence. Our friends—Chefs Alex and Aidan—came to our house to prepare appetizers and a three-course meal in our own kitchen, served in our dining room, for us and our dear friends.
I can tell you that Wendy and I did little that day but prepare our home for the evening. We thought through and discussed every detail. Tableware, plates, napkins, and the table setting were carefully determined. The house was cleaned top to bottom. The flow of the evening, the spaces our guests would be in, and the facilities our guests would use were each considered. Timing, flow, and execution of the entire evening was thought through anticipating what would be needed, what might be requested, and what would make for the most pleasurable evening for each guest. Who was in our home that evening—both the chefs and our guests—mattered deeply to us. And that reality informed our thoughts, our decisions, and our behavior that day.
Today’s chapter once again reads like a string of random, ancient rules and regulations. It feels kind of…fussy. Who’s in, who’s out, who we should steer clear of, who we should always treat with respect—cleanliness, runaway slaves, bathroom etiquette, financial dealings, vows, and even a neighbor’s property. But, beating at the heart of the seemingly random regulations is the critical point of it all:
God is dwelling among them.
God’s tent tabernacle is at the very center of the camp. He abides in their midst. He strolls among them.
If God is present, life is not mindlessly casual.
The regulations in today’s chapter are not just camp logistics. They are about honoring the place where God dwells. God’s presence makes their camp sacred geography.
God has told them that the entire reason He is in their midst is not tyranny. On the contrary. His presence is about formation. After 400 years of slavery in Egypt, the Hebrews have a lot to learn about life unshackled. God intends to teach them a way of life that is the opposite of the exploitation, violence, power, and cruelty of human empire.
God wants to teach them His way of community and living life together in which:
Healthy boundaries are established and maintained.
Family is honored and respected, even the cousin Eddie the Edomite.
You keep yourself clean out of respect for others, even giving consideration to bathroom etiquette.
You give refuge to runaway slaves. This was a radical and revolutionary idea at the time. In God’s camp no one, no one is to be returned to their shackles. Power bends to mercy.
Debt is never to be about domination.
Promises are sacred, but silence is honored too.
Provision is to be readily available for the poor, but no one is to hoard what is graciously offered.
Today’s chapter is not about rigid rules of a divine dictator. It’s about creating life space where God feels at home. It’s about living in such a way that God and your friends feel welcome, honored, and comfortable. A place where they want to linger at our table.
Which brings me back to our dinner party. God and our guests lingered around the table for well over four hours of life-giving feasting and conversations. Thanks to our generous chefs, everyone had a care package of leftovers to take home.
In the quiet this morning, I’m reminded that Jesus sent His Spirit to dwell within me. God isn’t just dwelling in the camp, at the church, or my neighborhood. God is dwelling in me. My body and my life are the camp. This means that the principles of today’s chapter necessitate me asking an important question:
How can I honor the place where God dwells—and live in such a way that God feels at home in me?
If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.
