1. Exclusion from the Assembly
The Israelites are given several commands regarding who could worship in the Lord's presence. In particular, God did not permit those who had emasculated themselves in the course of idol worship to worship Him. Others who were excluded in this regard included children who were products of "forbidden marriages" (whether this denotes those who were born out of wedlock and/or those who were products of affairs with shrine prostitutes is unclear), Ammonites and Moabites (based on their actions in Numbers 22-24). Edomites and Egyptians were to be punished less harshly, though, as the third generation of their descendants would be allowed to worship the Lord.
2. Uncleanness in the Camp
The Israelites are then given several commands regarding proper hygiene when maintaining their encampments during periods of warfare. Any soldier who had a nocturnal emission needed to leave the camp during the day - and could only return in the evening after washing themselves. If soldiers needed to relieve themselves they had to perform this function outside the camp, and they needed to cover their excrement afterward. This was done to preserve the holiness of the camp, as the Lord was not absent from His army during those times.
3. Miscellaneous Laws
In addition, the Lord gives the Israelites a veritable potpourri of commandments in this long section that spans the remainder of today's reading. The stated regulations can be lumped into several general categories:
- do not take unfair advantage of others
- set yourselves apart from the nations around you by not engaging in their evil practices
- honor the Lord with all your heart and soul and mind
- care for the disadvantaged among you
- strive to build up families.
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