The eighth commandment

Deuteronomy 24.5

“‘When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife whom he has taken.’”

We note here, first of all, that there were situations in which war was necessary and legitimate in ancient Israel. This is not the place to outline the criteria for a just war, but merely to acknowledge that such was understood to be a lawful part of life in Israel.

What we note here, primarily, is the priority of family over state. A newly married man must be allowed the opportunity of being with his wife and, presumably, beginning a family, before he could be asked or required to risk his life in war against an enemy.

In Israel, under the Law of God, the people and their communities did not exist for the sake of the State. Rather, the State was instituted to protect families and communities so that the people could increase and multiply and thus fulfill their God-given mandate. What the State could require of the people – either in terms of money or service – was strictly regulated.

This series of In the Gates we present a detailed explanation of the Law of God, beginning with the Ten Commandments, and working through the statutes and rules that accompany each commandment. For a practical guide to the role of God’s Law in the practice of ethics, get The Ground for Christian Ethics by going to www.ailbe.org and click on our Book Store.