Deuteronomy 25:1-3 deals with the judgment on a dispute brought before the children of Israel. If there was a dispute between some among the children of Israel, and they approached the court, the judges were to justify the righteous and condemn the wicked (v. 1). Justifying the righteous and condemning the wicked maintains justice among God's people.
In 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 Paul tells us that a dispute among brothers in the church should be settled by certain able ones in the church. This indicates that sometimes the church may be like a court where judgments are made regarding disputes. In settling any dispute, we must be just, justifying the righteous and condemning the wicked.
According to Deuteronomy 25:2, if the wicked one was worthy of beating, the judge was to make him lie down and have him beaten before him as was sufficient for his wickedness, by number. The judge could give him forty blows (v. 3a). The judge was not to exceed this number, lest, in exceeding, his brother would be degraded before his eyes (v. 3b).
Today we should never degrade any brother in the Lord. If we must speak about a brother's wrongdoing, we should be restrained and be careful not to exaggerate. If our speaking about him is excessive, we may degrade him in the eyes of others. Since every brother is precious to the Lord Jesus and is treasured by Him, having been purchased by Him with His blood, a great price, it is sinful to degrade a brother. If we degrade a brother by criticizing him or by speaking excessively of his wrongdoing, the divine life within us will condemn us. Therefore, in speaking concerning the saints, we need to be restricted and careful.
Deuteronomy 25:5-10 speaks regarding the judgment over a brother who was not willing to do the duty of a husband's brother. If Israelite brothers dwelt together, and one of them, having no son, died, his brother was to take the deceased brother's wife as his wife and was to do the duty of a husband's brother for her (v. 5). The firstborn whom the wife bore was to assume the name of her deceased husband, so that his name would not be blotted out of Israel (v. 6).
This judgment reveals God's love, for in His love for the one who died, God wanted the name of that one to be preserved among the people. This judgment also reveals that God wants His people to be productive. God loves His people and desires that they be productive.
If the dead husband's brother did not desire to take his brother's wife, she was to appeal to the elders at the gate, saying that her husband's brother was not willing to do his duty for her (v. 7). The elders of the city were to find out if this was true. If it was true, then she was to draw near to her husband's brother in the sight of the elders and remove his sandal from off his foot, spit in his face, and say, "Thus shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother's house" (vv. 8-9). This man's name was to be called in Israel, "The house of him whose sandal has been removed" (v. 10). To bear such a name was an insult and a shame.
The brother who died without having a son had his "sandal" removed. This means that his walk had ceased and that he could no longer move. Because he had no successor, his name would be blotted out from among the children of Israel, and his entire house would cease. This was a shame. Since his brother would not do his duty, the brother's name was to be called, "The house of him whose sandal has been removed."
We may apply this judgment to our situation today, although in a limited way. In making the application, I would point out that this judgment indicates that we need to be spiritually productive and have spiritual children as our successors. If we have spiritual children, we can die in peace. On the one hand, we all need to have spiritual children as our successors; on the other hand, we need to help our brothers in the Lord to have spiritual children.