Bible Materials

THE LAWS OF GOD

by   07/19/2019   Exodus 21:1~23:33

Message


At Mount Sinai God made a covenant with the Israelites. God said to Moses, “This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites” (Ex. 19:3-6). In his amazing hope, God wanted to raise the Israelites as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Then God gave them the Ten Commandments. When the Israelites heard the voice of God, they were afraid. Then Moses said to them, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning” (20:20). The people remained at a distance while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven: Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves god of sliver or gods of gold’” (20:22-23). God reminded the Israelites of the first and second commandment. And God commanded them to make an altar of earth for him and sacrifice on it their burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, their sheep and goats and their cattle (20:24). Now God says in 21:1, “These are the laws you are to set before them.” These are a combination of casuistic (case law) and apodictic (direct command) precepts laid out as a detailed extension of the Decalogue, the framework for judging and resolving civil disputes in Israel. Such a combination continued to confirm the uniqueness of Israel’s law among the different surrounding ancient Eastern law-codes. Later in a special ceremony, God entitled these precepts “The Book of the Covenant” (24:7). The LORD God is real. He is concerned about the details of his people’s lives. He is a great God and, at the same time, a meticulously and delicately caring God with concern and love. As we study these laws of God, may we go deep into the heart of God. First, God of freedom (21:1-11). Verse 2 says, “If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything.” In verses 2-11, the words “go free” are written 6 times. God was mindful of Hebrew slaves. After six years of servitude, they would be free to the end of their lives. This was sensational amidst the overruling of the slavery system. God wants all men to be free. Freedom came from God. Freedom was the gift of God in the Garden of Eden. The LORD God is the God of freedom. We must learn how to use our precious freedom. God says continually in verse 3, “If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him.” Fair enough to the slave family. Then in verse 4, “If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.” God does not just side with the slave family. He is also fair to the master. In verses 5 and 6, “But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.” In this case the service would be in the context of love. There will be a beautiful love relation beyond the position of the master and of the servant. Love transcends slavery. This is possible in God. God respects such a choice. In verses 7-11, God deals with a female slave. When the master selects her for his son, he must grant the rights of a daughter. If the son marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing, and marital rights. If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money. How deeply God cares for the female slave who was once a precious daughter in a family! It shows that no one is neglected by God. He wants everyone to come to repentance and be saved and free in Christ Jesus. Second, God of responsiveness and restitution (21:12-22:15). In verses 12-14, the death penalty was prescribed for intentional homicide only (see 20:13), whereas for unintentional homicide the penalty was banishment to a designated place, later known as cities of refuge (cf. Num. 35:6-24; Deut. 19:1-13). God does not just see what happened, but the motive behind it as well. In verse 15 it says, “Anyone who attacks his father or his mother must be put to death” and in verse 17, “Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.” This can be a hard application of the fifth commandment, “Honour your father and mother” in the Decalogue. Children’s disrespect for parents seen in physical and verbal abuse of them was so serious that it was designated a capital offense. According to verse 16, a kidnapper is to be put to death. In verses 18-19, in the case of quarreling and hitting, “the one who struck the blow will not be held responsible if the other gets up and walks around outside with his staff; however, he must pay the injured man for the loss of his time and see that he is completely healed.” God even considers the loss of the injured man’s time and complete healing. With that consideration, payment had to be made. In verse 22, “If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows.” Compensation was mandatory for accidentally causing a premature birth, even if no injury resulted to either mother or child. In verses 23-25, “But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.” The principle of retaliation applied if injury occurred to either mother or child. The punishment matched, but did not exceed, the damage done to the victim. The welfare of a pregnant woman was protected by this law so that unintentional maltreatment constituted culpable negligence. Significantly for the abortion debate, the fetus was considered a person; thus, someone was held accountable for the baby’s death or injury. Punishment of slaves was considered the right of the owner (Prov. 10:13; 13:24), but did not allow for violence. Judges were to decide the appropriate punishment if the slave died (v. 20). And in verses 26 and 27: “If a man hits a manservant or maidservant in the eye and destroys it, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the eye. And if he knocks out the tooth of a manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the tooth.” What a compensation! Any permanent personal injury brought freedom and loss of a master’s investment. The master’s power over the slave was thus limited, which made this law unprecedented in the ancient world. Verses 28-32 are about a bull goring people. Basically, the owner of the bull is responsible. Particularly in verse 32, “If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull must be stoned.” We are reminded of Jesus who was sold at thirty silver coins (Zech. 11:12; Mt. 26:15). Christ was betrayed for the price of a slave. He was treated in such a humiliated way to redeem and restore us into the state of God’s precious children. Verses 33-34 are about an ox or a donkey falling into a pit. The owner of the pit must pay for the loss; he must pay its owner, and the dead animal will be his. The law of God deals with even the loss of animals, for God knows that the animals are precious to the owner. And in verse 35, “If a man’s bull injures the bull of another and it dies, they are to sell the live one and divide both the money and the dead animal equally.” What a fair treatment! And in verse 36, “However, if it was known that the bull had the habit of goring, yet the owner did not keep it penned up, the owner must pay, animal for animal, and the dead animal will be his.” Again, God is so mindful of the party of the loss and showed exact fairness. 22:1-4 are about stealing and restitution (paying back) had to be made, double, four times or even five times. In 22:5, “If a man grazes his livestock in a field or vineyard and lets them stray and they graze in another man’s field, he must make restitution from the best of his own field or vineyard.” God considers each one’s property, here, field or vineyard, precious. Restitution had to be made not superficially but sincerely, restitution from the best of one’s own field or vineyard. In verse 6, “If a fire breaks out and spreads into thorn bushes so that it burns shocks of grain or standing grain or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution.” Here, the one who makes restitution is clear. Verses 7-13 are related to safekeeping. There are the case of silver or goods for safekeeping and the case of animals for safekeeping. Verse 9 states, “In all cases of illegal possession of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any other lost property about which somebody says, ‘This is mine,’ both parties are to bring their case before the judges. The one whom the judges declare guilty must pay back double to his neighbour.” In this case the role of the judges will be huge, since God wanted the both parties to listen to the judges’ decision. In verses 12-13 it states, “But if the animal was stolen from the neighbour, he must make restitution to the owner. If it was torn to pieces by a wide animal, he shall bring in the remains as evidence and he will not be required to pay for the torn animal.” Here God deals with case by case. Again, this shows God really cares for his people. In verses 14 and 15, “If a man borrows an animal from his neighbour and it is injured or dies while the owner is not present, he must make restitution. But if the owner is with the animal, the borrower will not have to pay. If the animal was hired, the money paid for the hire covers the loss.” Again, what an accurate restitution! Third, God of compassion and justice (22:16-23:9). In this part, particularly 22:21 says, “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.” Again it is written in 23:9, “Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt.” Then in 22:22-24, “Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.” What a strong expression! He is the defender of aliens, widows and orphans. He is a compassionate God. Then in verses 26-27, “If you take your neighbour’s cloak as a pledge, return it to him by sunset, because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.” This law shows concerns for even the case of sleeping without a covering. And in verses 29-30 it says, “You must give me the firstborn of your sons. Do the same with your cattle and your sheep. Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but give them to me on the eighth day.” This is an expression that God knows mothers’ hearts. And in 23:19b, “Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.” It is written again in 34:26b, “Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.” And also Leviticus 22:28 says, “Do not slaughter a cow or a sheep and its young on the same day.” These are all the expression that God knows mothers’ hearts. The law of God is really interesting. God says in verse 31, “You are to be my holy people.” The holy people of God, a kingdom of priest and a holy nation, should know this law of God. Look at verses 23:1-3. “Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness. Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd, and do not show favouritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.” This shows that God is the God of justice. In the Decalogue, the ninth commandment is “Do not give false testimony against your neighbour.” God says continually in verses 4-5, “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to take it back to him. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help him with it.” God of justice wants his people to genuinely help their enemies’ animals when they are in need, although their relationships are hard. And verses 6-7, “Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuit. Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.” God dealt with the cases of a wicked man, the crowd, the poor, and innocent or honest person. All should be treated justly. In verse 8, “Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.” When we give something or receive something, we should be very careful to see that it should be done purely, clearly and meaningfully before God. Fourth, God of rest and joy (23:10-19). Look at verses 10 and 11. “For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.” A sabbatical year of rest after six years of farming benefited the land and the poor and the wild animals. This pattern of letting a field lie fallow (uncultivated) appears to have been unique with Israel. Then in verse 12, “Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed.” The LORD God is God of rest, even wanting one’s ox and donkey, and the born slave and the alien, all may have rest and refreshed. We are reminded of the fourth commandment in Decalogue in 20:8-11, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, not your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” We know that God does not need rest, but he rested to teach us that we need rest. We may know God’s heart desire for us to have rest in him. Then God said in verse 14, “Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me.” God is God of festivals. He wants us to have joy and gladness out of thanks for his deliverance and provision. In verse 15, “Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat brad made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt.” No one is to appear before the LORD empty-handed. And he said in verse 16, “Celebrate the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field. Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field.” All three feasts were joyful occasions, being a commemoration of the Exodus (the Feast of Unleavened Bread), an expression of gratitude to God for all the grain He had provided (the Feast of Harvest), and a thanksgiving for the final harvest (the Feast of Ingathering). Alternative names appear in the biblical record for the second and third feasts: the Feast of Weeks (34:22) or Firstfruits (34:22; Acts 2:1), and the Feast of Tabernacle or Booths (Lev. 23:33-36). How important it is to keep thankful heart and joy in our Christian life. So 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Fifth, God of guidance and blessing (23:20-33). Look at 23:20. “See, I am sending an angel ahead of your to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.” Then what are they to do? God says in verses 21-23, “Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him, he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.” God wants his people to listen to him and be victorious. The key to victory in the upcoming takeover of the land would not be Israel’s military skill, but following God’s guidance. Now God says about worship and blessing in verses 24-26, “Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces. Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.” We learn that worshiping God is the focal point of the lives of God’s people and then all blessings will come to them. So far there were five “I will” statements. There are continuous “I will’s” in verses 27-30. “I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run. I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.” What deep concern God has for his people! Truly the life of God’s people is not to live by “I will” but by “he will.” God says continually in 31. “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the River. I will hand over to you the people who live in the land and you will drive them out before you.” Now they will drive them out as God will drive them out. He continues in verses 32-33, “Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods. Do not let them live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you.” These laws of God end with the matter of worship. Paying attention to the word of God and listening to him and worshipping him are all closely related. Thank God that he is the God of freedom, the God of responsiveness and restitution, the God of compassion and justice, the God of rest and joy, and the God of guidance. May we grow in fellowship with our God by paying attention to his laws and living by them



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