D23-10: The Real Reason Why A Eunuch Was Barred From Entering The Assembly Of Israel

 “A man with crushed or damaged private parts may not enter the assembly of Adonai.”-Deuteronomy 23:2

Let’s talk a little bit about the foreign eunuch and why he was barred from becoming a citizen of Israel.

First, there were a variety of reasons why a man might become a eunuch in ancient times.

Here are some of the possibilities:

-Castration as punishment for committing a crime.

-Castration as a requirement to become a priest of  pagan religious sects that worshipped female goddesses.

-Voluntary castration as part of a religious ceremony.

-Certain government officials were castrated and made part of a separate group known as SARIS.

Now the one thing not made clear in the Scriptures is whether or not the reason why a man became a eunuch mattered or not.

Did it matter whether he came into his emasculated state because of a punishment or whether it was because he voluntarily agreed to become circumcised in order to meet the requirements of a pagan government or religion?

That’s really not made clear.

This exclusion most likely did not include those men unfortunate enough to be born with genital defects due to disease or injury.

Hence, the reason for exclusion was more likely because the man in question had volunteered to be castrated.

Or here’s a simpler way to put it.

The foreign men who were emasculated as a result of worshipping a heathen god or goddess WERE to be considered the excluded class.

Why was this such a big deal?

I can answer that question in one word: CIRCUMCISION.

The problem with eunuchs was their lack of properly functioning reproductive organs.

In order for a gentile to become a citizen of Israel, there were two key requirements.

FIRST, he had to be circumcised.

SECOND, generally speaking, he had to be capable of producing children.

In those days, a eunuch’s genitalia was so mutilated (or in some instances unavailable) that it wasn’t even possible to perform a circumcision on his organ.

We modern folks can laugh and make fun of the idea of circumcision as a key religious component in how the Lord operates.

But I wouldn’t.

Why?

Because the God of Israel takes it dead seriously.

In my next post, I’d like to give you an example of just how serious circumcision is and show you just how much it plays into God’s plan of salvation.

See you all next time.