Today's Favorite Verse: Deuteronomy 25:5-6

Today's Favorite Verse: Deuteronomy 25:5-6

"If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her.

And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel."

This is the levirte (husband's brother) law of marriage. The custom insured security to a widow and that the first son born to the widow would inherit the dead husband's property. The Sadducees used this law to try and trap Jesus in saying who's wife she would be in the resurrection. A rather interesting question given that the Sadducees didn't believe in a resurrection, angels or spirits. They did not believe in immortality.

"The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,

Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:

Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.

And last of all the woman died also.

Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.

Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,

I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine."

(Matthew 22:23-33)

The Savior is not tricked by the Sadducees and gets to the real root of their issue. They don't understand the scriptures and the resurrection. The levirate law of marriage was a custom for this life and not for the next. This reminded me of President Dallin H. Oaks, general conference talk where he speaks of a church leader's counsel to those more worried about the living arrangements in the next life, than if they will make it there at all.

“You are worried about the wrong things. You should be worried about whether you will get to those places. Concentrate on that. If you get there, all of it will be more wonderful than you can imagine.”

(President Dallin H. Oaks, "Trust in the Lord", Oct 2019 General Conference)

Day 2337