A false report

Exodus 23: 1-9: “Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him. Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked. And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous. Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

The Ten Commandments make a simple statement: “thou shalt not bear false witness against your neighbour”. That might seem quite straightforward but a good lawyer can find an argument. These same lawyers were around during the Lord Jesus Christ’s time and they were good at manufacturing situations that were almost impossible to answer (see for example, Matt 22: 34-36, “ But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” and Luke 20: 20-22, “And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor. And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly: Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?”) The simple commandment could raise complicated questions so this section widens the application. What about just agreeing with someone else or not actually contradicting a lie? What about the difference between telling a lie and making a lie by, say, only telling part of the truth or encouraging someone to come up with a false conclusion? Well those things are covered as well. The Lord also cared for strangers and outcasts and would protect them even though the lawyers were not willing to do so.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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The poor

Exodus 22: 25-31: “If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. If thou at all take thy neighbour’s raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious. Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people. Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me. And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.”

We live in a day when people believe that they can completely control their own destiny by making the right kind of affirmations. However, this is not true the Lord said, “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4: 13-17) In this environment, many people despise those who are poor and say that it is their own fault. Who can actually guarantee that they will still be alive tomorrow? Who can guarantee that every child will know their own mother’s love? There are too many things that we cannot control. In fact, the Lord is the only One Who can make firm commitments because He knows the end from the beginning (see Isaiah 46: 10, “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:”). This is why it is so important for those who have money to treat the poor with compassion. If a person needs their coat to keep them warm at night then someone who takes that coat as a guarantee against the repayment of a loan is evil and the Lord will hear those who are persecuted and He can destroy a person is hell (see Luke 12: 4-7, “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”) The Lord gives and takes but it is important for us to thank the Lord for all that He gives.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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If a man entice

Exodus 22: 16-24: “And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death. He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed. Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.”

When a man is young his gonads often rule his brain. However, this does not mean that he is to be excused from the consequences of his actions. One of the fundamental rules of creation is the fact that a person will reap what they sow (se Gal 6: 7, 8, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.) A young man might find that he lusts after a girl and even persuade her to surrender to his lust. However, that man should have to bear the consequence of his action. When God created Adam and Eve He said, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Gen 2: 24) When a man and a woman are joined together to become one flesh they can only be separated by death. However, the young man may have a bad reputation and then he will have to pay the bride price for the girl, this is also just because he has acted as though he has taken her to be his bride. Witches are people who deal with Satan and treat him with the respect that only the Lord God deserves. They are breaking the first commandment and are encouraging others to do the same so they, too, have to suffer the consequences of giving Satan the respect and honour that belongs to the Lord God. People who commit unspeakable acts with animals are, in fact, removing themselves from the family of mankind and asking to be taken out of circulation. The Lord also had a special place for the stranger, the widow and the orphan. After all, the entire nation of Israel were strangers in Egypt, disenfranchised and dispossessed. They were never to forget this and act accordingly. The same is true today: there are only two kinds of people on earth, sinners saved by grace and sinners not yet saved by grace. Sinners saved by grace should rejoice in the grace that has saved them and live the gentle cheerfulness of a grateful life.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Stuff to keep

Exodus 22: 7-15: “If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man’s house; if the thief be found, let him pay double. If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods. For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour. If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it: Then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good. And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof. If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn. And if a man borrow ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good. But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire.”

This section tells us, along with others, why it is important to have regulations as well as the Law. “Thou shalt not steal” is an important Law but it is open to argument in some cases and your viewpoint depends on how you are affected by that circumstance. When one person asks another person to look after something for him and then the goods are stolen or damaged how does the Law apply? Is the person responsible for the goods to be treated as a thief. The person who has lost his goods would like that to be the case so that he can get restitution but the person who was holding the goods might not have done anything wrong. Why should he be responsible for the actions of someone else? Of course, when there is insurance then the insurance company will be involved and seek a way of avoiding their obligation but there wasn’t insurance, as far as we can tell, when the Lord gave Moses the Law. When something is borrowed then the borrower is responsible but if a person hires an animal or something else then the person who owns the animal or the goods is responsible. This illustrates how important it is for us, today, to make sure that we act justly before our God and act with grace and mercy towards our neighbours because we don’t always understand their circumstances.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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If a man shall steal

Exodus 22: 1-6: “If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double. If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man’s field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution. If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.”

The Law commanded that a person refrain from stealing. However, this statement needed to be modified to cover various situations. Even today people who attend court expect the “Rule of Law” where they can expect to get the same outcome under the same conditions even though there might be a different judge at a different time. The fist question would be, “Should breaking the Law always lead to the death penalty?” This, of course, is extreme so the Lord, in is loving wisdom made sure that the punishment would fit the crime. If someone stole a domestic animal then that person would be expected to make restitution. Even the restitution for different kinds of animals was prescribed. However, if a person was seeking to defend their property from theft and the thief was killed then the person would be free from the death penalty for the thief was largely responsible for their own death. This was analogous to a person accidentally killing another person but the person who was killed, in this case, actually made a large contribution to their own death. In many ways this wasn’t really an accident even though the homeowner may have had no intention to kill another person. People were also responsible to keep their animals under control. In a farming community, the feed and crops a person has is a genuine asset that can be used to feed their own stock so if someone allowed their animal to take another person’s asset then that person was really stealing. The same was true for lighting fires. A fire could easily destroy a person’s livelihood. Someone starting a fire would be expected to make restitution for any damage caused by the fire the lit.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Thirty shekels of silver

Exodus 21: 22-36: “If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake. And if he smite out his manservant’s tooth, or his maidservant’s tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake. If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit. But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death. If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him. Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him. If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein; The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his. And if one man’s ox hurt another’s, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide. Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.”

Sometimes when men fight together their wives, or partners, become involved as well. This is more likely in a village or small town situation where all the families know each other and feuds can simmer between families or clans. If a pregnant woman was hurt in that situation and she lost her child then the man responsible was to be punished. This is interesting these days when there is argument about the beginning of life and what punishment a person should face if they cause a woman to miscarry. This regulation is even more telling when we are told that if the woman is hurt then the offender was to face the full force of the Law. The old rules of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” were quite acceptable in those days but they show the importance of thinking before you act. These regulations also consider the sanctity of the life given by the Lord. If a person damages a life that the Lord has given to another person the offender must pay a penalty. This is more about responsibility than about human rights. We do well to consider our responsibility to other people than to seek to defend our own rights or ambitions. These regulations also apply to servants indicating that a servant was still considered to be a person and not just a chattel. People were also responsible for the behaviour of their animals. This section also contains an interesting precedent that was important many years later during the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. We learn that the price of dead servant was thirty shekels of silver. This is the most insulting some of money to a devout Jew. The Lord Jesus Christ was sold for the price of a dead servant so that we, who are servants of sin, could have everlasting life. What a wonderful Saviour He is!

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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Lie not in wait

Exodus 21: 12-21: “He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death. And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee. But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die. And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death. And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death. And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death. And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed: If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed. And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished. Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.”

On the sixth day of creation the Lord God formed Adam out of the dust of the ground and they He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life so that Adam became a living soul (Gen 2: 7). This was only only specific action the Lord did to bring life. We find that the Lord commanded the earth to bring forth living creatures but that He created man in His own image and breathed into him the breath of life. This specific activity on God’s part makes life sacred. We can kill animals for food but to kill another person is to undo the Lord’s specific activity. When a person treats the Lord with such disrespect and destroys another life then that person forfeits their own life. However, there are some instances where the rules are not so specific. Sometimes a person dies in an accident. The killer is, in many ways, a victim of the circumstances as well and had not deliberately sought to undo the Lord’s work. Under these circumstances a person can find security. However the Lord also established an ordered world and that includes lines of authority. To kill your parents is to violate the lines of authority in the Lord’s ordered world and openly attack his wisdom. Sometimes a person attacks another person and they are injured then the attacker must bear the responsibly of the damage they have done.

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

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