D23-23: How Paul’s Olive Tree Metaphor Is Linked To A Man Who Leaves The Camp Due To Uncleanliness

“Also you are to have an area outside the camp to use as a latrine.   You must include a trowel with your equipment, and when you relieve yourself, you are to dig a hole first and afterwards cover your excrement.  For Adonai your God moves about in your camp to rescue you and to hand over your enemies to you. Therefore your camp must be a holy place. [Adonai] should not see anything indecent among you, or he will turn away from you.”-Deuteronomy 23:13-15

In my last post, the principle of being sent away because of impurity but being allowed back in once purified was demonstrated via a soldier who has a nocturnal emission and as result has to undergo a “wash and a wait” before he can return to the camp.

From verse 13, we see the same principle at work in the event that a Hebrew soldier needs to relieve himself. 

Again, in that case, he is to leave the camp and take with him a shovel, dig a hole and after he has done his thing properly cover it up.

Why?

Verse 15 tells us clearly.

“Therefore your camp must be a holy place. Adonai should not see anything indecent among you, or he will turn away from you.”-Deuteronomy 23:15

It’s pretty darn clear, isn’t it?

To expose bodily waste inside God’s Holy War Camp would be considered an unthinkable and horrible act of desecration.

Also, note the part where it says ^“Adonai your God moves about in your camp”.

Understand this notion of God “moving” or “walking” about in the camp is being used figuratively in reference to God’s presence (and no it ain’t talking about some pre-incarnate Yeshua walking around).

In ancient times, the idea of an owner “walking” around his land symbolically represented possession.

This is called CHAZAKAH in Hebrew and you can read a quick article about it by clicking here.

Another interesting point I want to bring to your attention is to show how Paul’s Olive Tree metaphor in verse 11 also demonstrates the idea of being sent away and taken back due to becoming impure and then purified.

Let’s read Romans 11:16-25 together.

 ^“Now if the hallah offered as firstfruits
is holy, so is the whole loaf.
And if the root is holy, so are the branches.
But if some of the branches were broken off,
and you — a wild olive — were grafted in among them
and have become equal sharers in the rich root of the olive tree,
then don’t boast as if you were better than the branches!
However, if you do boast,
remember that you are not supporting the root,
the root is supporting you.
So you will say,
“Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”
True, but so what?
They were broken off because of their lack of trust.
However, you keep your place only because of your trust.
So don’t be arrogant; on the contrary, be terrified!
For if God did not spare the natural branches,
he certainly won’t spare you!
So take a good look at God’s kindness and his severity:
on the one hand, severity toward those who fell off;
but, on the other hand,
God’s kindness toward you —
provided you maintain yourself in that kindness!
Otherwise, you too will be cut off!
Moreover, the others,
if they do not persist in their lack of trust,
will be grafted in;
because God is able to graft them back in.
For if you were cut out of what is
by nature a wild olive tree and grafted,
contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree,
how much more will these natural branches
be grafted back into their own olive tree!”

Can you see how Paul is expressing how some of his Hebrew brethren were separated and then taken back via the Olive Tree metaphor?

Basically he’s saying that although much of Israel became impure because they did not accept Yeshua, when the Lord opens their hearts and minds to Yeshua, they will be made pure and grafted right back in again.

It’s good to be familiar with this part of the New Testament because it completely demolishes the all too typical idea that somehow God has rejected Israel and replaced them with the gentile church.

The metaphor is quite clear.

Just as a man who had a nocturnal emission is removed from the camp of Israel because he is impure but is returned once he’s cleansed, so too will all those who have been cut off from the tree of Israel be grafted back in at the end of days with the advent of Messiah.

As Paul said, in the end of days ALL of Israel shall be saved!