Observations and Interpretations:
Israelites were supposed to live with a brotherly love to each other(1) 22:1-4
(BKC) The regulation in Deuteronomy 22:1–4 refers not primarily to taking someone else’s lost animal but rather to the natural tendency to ignore it because of the extra time and labor involved in restoring it...Today this law would apply in any circumstance where a believer is tempted “not to get involved” with someone else’s needs (cf., e.g., James 2:15–16; 1 John 3:17).
(2) 23:19-20
19 You must not charge interest on a loan to your fellow Israelite, whether on money, food, or anything else that has been loaned with interest.
The thing you loan to your fellow Israelite was something that could have been loaned with interest, but you should not do that. To foreign you could. In other words, you do this to help your brother to get out of his financial difficulties.
(3) 23:24-25
(BKC) This law, like those in 22:1–4, gave a concrete expression to the principle of loving one’s neighbor as oneself. A traveler was given the right to refresh himself from a vineyard or grainfield, but not the right to carry grapes away with him or to harvest in the field. Since the Lord had been gracious in providing for the farmer, he in turn should be gracious to a stranger traveling through his land.
Principle: Love one another is not just a slogan the LORD anticipated Israelites to put into practice in everyday life. Loving others costs you time and energy, which is against your natural tendency. Loving others is to think of the goods of others and not gaining anything out of it. (Or even financially costs you money). Finally, those who receive love from others should not abuse the system. God set boundaries to protect the giver of love.
Application: As a person who trained to live indepently in the modern day society I lost the sense of community. When God told me to love one another I am limited to what I feel comfortable to do. Who is able and willing to live like this passage? I am afraid we live below this standard of "love one another."
Audrey
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