5-6 If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfil the duty of a brother-in-law to her.  The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. 7-10 However, if a man does not want to marry his brother’s wife, she shall go to the elders at the town gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to carry on his brother’s name in Israel. He will not fulfil the duty of a brother-in-law to me.”  Then the elders of his town shall summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying, “I do not want to marry her,”  his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face and say, “This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother’s family line.” That man’s line shall be known in Israel as The Family of the Unsandaled.

11-12 If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts, you shall cut off her hand. Show her no pity. Deuteronomy 25:5-12 New International Version

These laws will be strange to readers in the modern Western world where the family line, or family name, is not as important in most people's thinking as it was in those days, and still is in much of the Eastern world. But to the Jews who were proud to be physical descendants of Abraham, the 'family tree' was special. So if a brother wasn't prepared to continue the name of a dead brother it suggested a lack of compassion, as was as being regarded as shameful. That's why the rejected woman was allowed to respond so strongly in the ceremony described above. But what about vs 11-12? Does that sound way too severe?

I suggest it follows on from what was being said earlier. Apart from the immodesty involved, her action could result in an injury that might prevent the man from having children, which would be a disaster if he was newly married and childless at the time. But it could also be that it was simply a gross indecency against the husband of another woman. Remember, these laws were given to the Jews to remind them that God is almighty and holy, and they were to obey Him from the heart. The New Testament book of Hebrews reminds us that “The message God gave through angels (the things we read in Deuteronomy) has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished.” (Hebrews 2:2) 

In view of the warning above, the writer of Hebrews also says: “We must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. What makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?” (Hebrews 2 vs 1 & 3) God’s word must always be taken seriously.

I think there are a couple more lessons we can apply from today's reading. Jesus taught that everyone who does God's will are His 'brothers and sisters'. The Christian's 'family tree' consists of all those who through the ages have sought to love, serve and obey God. So the apostle Paul said: “Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone - especially to those in the family of faith.” (Galatians 6:10) We are called to love and do all we can for those who bear the name of Christ.

The other lesson is that we must also do all we can so that no shame is brought on the family name. When Christians behave badly in the world and do things even the world sees as wrong, it's like the brother in Israel who dishonoured the family name. This happened in Corinth in the days of Paul, and he wrote to them saying: “It's reported that there is sexual immorality among you - and the kind of sexual immorality that is not even tolerated  among Gentiles - a man is sleeping with his father’s wife!” (1 Corinthians 5:1) And speaking of disobedient Jews in his generation, Paul said: “You are so proud of 'knowing the law', but you dishonour God by breaking it. No wonder the Scriptures say, 'The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.'” (Romans 2:24)

May we seek always to live in a way that no shame is brought upon the family name – that people won't speak badly of Christ because of things we have done - or are doing!