Exodus 20-23 His Law
The people have asked Moses to talk to God for them. God gives Moses His Law. Be patient, for this will take a while. God’s got a lot to say.
We are at a portion of scripture that doesn’t lend itself easily to ‘story telling’. But I want to be there with Moses as he hears from the Lord. I’m not trying to be flippant or disrespectful with my attempt to bring us there. So, with love and respect, let’s join Moses and the Lord on Mt. Sini.
♥ ♦ ♥
Moses and Aaron have wrapped up sharing God’s original commandments with the people. Moses longs to get back up on the mountain with the Lord. The people are still shaking from witnessing the Lord’s presence from afar.
The people were terrified! “How does Moses do it? Stand in the presence of the Lord.” This question is on everyone’s mind. Instead of asking it, them make another request. One that gets them to a position of safety. “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” (Exodus 20:19)
Moses understands their reluctance. If his curiosity hadn’t overridden his fear, he probably wouldn’t have approached God at the burning bush. By this time though, he LOVED spending time with God. His faith and dedication to the Lord hand grown with each passing day and each miracle he witnessed. He tried to calm the people and make them understand God’s purpose is speaking to them.
“’Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.’ (Exodus 20:20) God wants you to understand, firsthand, His might and power so that you will feel compelled to walk in His ways, so as not to risk angering Him. So that you will choose with your WHOLE HEART to obey Him.”
Even while giving the people this information, his spirit feels drawn back to the Lord’s Mountain. He CHOOSES to spend time with the Lord. Now that the people are settled a bit, Moses has one piece of preparation he needs to do before resuming his talk with the Lord. He KNOWS that the Lord has MUCH to say and he wants to be certain he remembers it all. Moses calls on Joshua to help him with this.
“Joshua, go to my tent and bring back writing supplies.”
Joshua bows his head in recognition of accepting this task and rushes back to camp. In Moses’ tent, Joshua gathers ink, parchment, and a pen. He wraps these carefully in an oilskin and brings it back to Moses.
The people have not moved by the time Joshua returns with Moses’ supplies. Moses reaches out and accepts the oilskin from Joshua’s hand. “Thank you.”
Moses then turns his back to the people and his face to the Lord. He begins to climb the mountain with purpose. Aaron steps down from the boulder he and Moses stood on and joins the people in their wait. NO ONE will go near the mountain! They have seen enough of God’s power in action for one day.
Moses walks into the cloud which is filled with the Lord’s presence. He feels it envelop him like a warm blanket. He has no ‘fear’ as in terror at being here. His ‘fear’ is reverent respect instead. Moses finds a rock and spreads his writing implements. He is ready for whatever the Lord has to share with him.
As soon as God sees that Moses is prepared, He begins to give him instructions for ALL of Israel.
“Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.” (Exodus 20:22-23)
“They have certainly seen Your power Lord. And it has them terrified” replies Moses.
God shakes His head. He KNOWS their fear will fade, but He doesn’t share that information with Moses; yet. He continues on with His instructions.
“An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.” (Exodus 20:24)
“Lord, that would be washed away with every rain. Can we use something more substantial to make it out of?”
“Yes. But there are restrictions. ‘If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’” (Exodus 20:25-26)
“I pray we do NOTHING to profane Your altar Lord. NO steps. Got it” replies Moses and he continues to write. Moses knows that God is not done, so he turns the page.
“As you were once slaves in Egypt and suffered greatly, I have laws for you concerning slaves that the people may one day own. ‘When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out alone. But if the slave plainly says, “I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,” then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.’” (Exodus 21:1-6)
Moses thinks about this for a bit. “That would mean that children born into slavery are not required to be freed. It would take a hard heart for a man to walk away and leave his family in slavery while he enjoys freedom” reasons Moses.
“It would” agrees God. “But there is more.”
“As I believed there would be” answers Moses. “I’m ready.”
“When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.” (Exodus 21:7-11)
“I have questions here Lord. Should I ask them now, or hold them for another time?”
“I know the questions of your heart. But hold them for now. We can address them at another time. We have much to cover right now.”
Moses nods his head and continues to record the words of the Lord.
“Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.” (Exodus 21:12-14)
“This sounds just to me. NO safety for a willful murderer.”
“Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.” (Exodus 21:15)
“That should cut down on rebellion!”
“Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.” (Exodus 21:16)
“Joseph was stolen from his Abba and sold by his brothers…”
“We will deal with questions later; remember?”
“Yes Lord. I was just thinking out loud.”
“Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.” (Exodus 21:17)
“WOW! Rebellion takes another decisive step out of the hearts of children!”
“When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but takes to his bed, then if the man rises again and walks outdoors with his staff, he who struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed.” (Exodus 21:18-19)
“Payment for time lost and the wages he could have earned during that time. Sounds fair.”
“When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged. But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money.” (Exodus 21:20-21)
“Who will avenge the slave?”
“Vengeance is MINE. I WILL repay.”
“Then we can be certain that ALL lives matter to You.”
“Yes. You can.”
“Is it question time yet?”
“No. We must go on.” God smiles. He has allowed Moses questions already but He knows there are more that Moses would love to voice.
“When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” (Exodus 21:22-25)
“Children are precious and defenseless. This is just!”
“When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye. If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth.” (Exodus 21:26-27)
“This is payment for a master’s cruelty. I wish the Egyptians would have had these laws.”
“When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable. But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him. If it gores a man’s son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule. If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.” (Exodus 28-32)
“A rogue ox is not safe for anyone. A habitually aggressive ox is a shame on its owner! It should not ever be so.”
“When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his.” (Exodus 21: 33-34)
“The man’s own carelessness caused the problem. He should be held responsible.”
“When one man’s ox butts another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share. Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his.” (Exodus 35-36)
“A rogue ox again. There should not be such a beast left unfettered!”
“If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.” (Exodus 22:1-4)
“This fits perfectly with Your original command NOT to steal. It is just consequences for such an act.”
“If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard.” (Exodus 22:5)
“We will watch over our livestock to ensure we do not become guilty of this sin.”
“If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.” (Exodus 22:6)
“And we will watch over our cooking fires as we travel through the land!”
“If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man’s house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor’s property. For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties shall come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.” (Exodus 22:7-9)
“This is a hard one to judge Lord. I’m glad YOU will be the judge of such matters.”
“If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it, an oath by the Lord shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor’s property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution. But if it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner. If it is torn by beasts, let him bring it as evidence. He shall not make restitution for what has been torn.” (Exodus 22:10-12)
“This, again, is a hard one to judge. With the size of our herds, this matter is sure to come before me. I will attend to Your judgment and render it exactly as You lead.”
“If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution. If the owner was with it, he shall not make restitution; if it was hired, it came for its hiring fee.” (Exodus 22:14-15)
“The presence of the owner would mean that he didn’t trust his neighbor with his property. So, the borrower would hold no guilt for what happened under the owner’s watch. Very wise Lord!”
“If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife. If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.” (Exodus 22:16-17)
“This brings back the story of Dinah to mind. Would that mean…”
“We are holding questions until later; remember?”
“Sorry Lord. My list is growing with each passing moment.”
“I know. But my Spirit will be there to guide you any time one of these questions arises in the camp with My people.”
“And I promise to listen and obey Lord.”
“Good. Let’s move on” says the Lord.
“You shall not permit a sorceress to live.” (Exodus 22:18)
“They practice demonic acts.”
“Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death.” (Exodus 22:19)
“Acts NEVER intended by You!”
“Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction.” (Exodus 22:20)
That fits with Your earliest commandments! NO gods but YOU!”
“You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.” (Exodus 22:21-24)
“You heard our cries in Egypt. You are always listening and will hear the cries of those who are being mistreated, no matter where they are.”
God nods His head and smiles before He continues. “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. If ever you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.” (Exodus 22:25-27)
“You have GREAT compassion Lord. And You want Your people to model that compassion too.”
“You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.” (Exodus 22:28)
“Respect and obey. An essential part of any authority structure.”
“You shall not delay to offer from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me. You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me.” (Exodus 22:29-30)
“This is honoring our word. To YOU FIRST and then to others. Promises made to You MUST be fulfilled. And You called for this as a witness to Your redemption work on our behalf in Egypt.”
“You shall be consecrated to me. Therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.
“This is probably because the blood would still be in it. Wild beasts don’t take time to drain the life’s blood from their prey.”
“You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.” (Exodus 21:1-3)
“This links with Your command not to bear false witness. Bad company corrupts even good men.”
“If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.” (Exodus 23:4-5)
“Again, WOW Lord! Caring even for our enemy’s animals! Maybe this is more about caring for something that has no stake or blame in your quarrel.”
God shakes His head again and smiles. His stern and solemn attitude returns as He continues. “You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit. Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.” (Exodus 23:6-8)
“A lesson You want to make CERTAIN Your people understand. Justice perverted is NO justice at all!”
“You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 23:9)
“Another lesson You expect us to need a refresher on. We, of all people, should understand this matter of oppression in a foreign land.”
“For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.” (Exodus 23:10-11)
“This is good for the land as well as the people. Will the poor be sowing the fields in the seventh year?”
“Questions again. It is almost time for you to ask all that is on your heart. But I am not finished yet. Your turn is coming.”
“Sorry Lord; again. Continue please.”
“Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.” (Exodus 23:12)
“A MUCH needed rest for everyone and everything! Just as You Yourself rested on the seventh day.”
“Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.” (Exodus 23:13)
“Yes Lord! We will endeavor to do ALL that You have said.”
“I’m not quite done yet.”
“Ok. I’m still listening.”
“Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to me. You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As I commanded you, you shall eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. None shall appear before me empty-handed. You shall keep the Feast of Harvest, of the firstfruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. You shall keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your labor. Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the Lord God.” (Exodus 23:14-17)
“Three times Lord, as an offering of thanksgiving to You! You deserve SO MUCH MORE!”
“You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened, or let the fat of my feast remain until the morning.” (Exodus 23:18)
“Let it NEVER be done in ALL of Israel! This sin of giving ANYTHING that belongs to you to another!”
“The best of the firstfruits of your ground you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God.” (Exodus 23:19a)
“The BEST of ALL we have is only a gift from You. It shall be Yours in return.”
“You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.” (Exodus 23:19b)
“Ok Lord. I’m not sure I understand this restriction, but I will follow it and pass it on to Your people.”
“I promised you time for questions. What do you have for me?”
“That last part leaves me with a question of ‘Why?’”
“The pagans use this as a fertility spell. I don’t want My people to have ANYTHING to do with this. It also could appear cruel to cook a kid in the very source of its life. Just some possibilities for you to ponder.”
“Ok. I can see that.”
“What else do you have for me?” asks God with a smile. He LOVES it when His children think.
“Well, I’m curious about Your section on slaves. Does Your command to free them after six years apply to slaves from other nations? And does Your command regarding their treatment apply equally to slaves brought from other nations?”
“These specific commands are for one brother who has sold himself to another. I will share with you, later, on how to treat those of the nations around you.”
“Ok. Now, would the brothers of Joseph be cursed, along with Potipher and Pharaoh for selling and accepting Joseph?”
“As Joseph himself said, ‘What you meant for evil, God meant for good.’ I had a purpose to fulfill. This was how it was accomplished.”
“I understand. How about when Simeon and Levi killed the men of Shechem. Did they pay the bride price for a virgin? If so, why did Simeon and Levi kill them?”
“Simeon and Levi acted out of malice. They did not follow their Abba’s command. NOR MY leading. But their sin came before the Law I am giving you. We are starting fresh. From this day forward. You can be certain that I took notice of their actions and dealt with them in MY own way.”
“Ok. I leave them in Your hands. One more question; or at least one more that I remember. With the fallow year, will the poor plant and harvest the land during that year?”
“The poor may plow and plant small portions of the land during that time, but they do not have the resources to do much beyond that. They will gather from what grows of itself in the seventh years, as will the wild animals. Including what grows in your untended vineyards in the Sabath years.”
“But that would only feed them every seventh year. How will they survive the other six?”
“I will give you instructions later for the remaining years. You can be certain that I will ALWAYS care for the poor.”
“Ok. I suppose this is also a lesson in ‘patience’ for me. Not having ALL my questions answered at one time.”
“That it is! And it is also a lesson in ‘relying on My leading’ for questions that aren’t explicitly addressed. Just as you do with the people when they bring their concerns to you each day.”
“I’m learning that one for sure!”
“But even you still have to keep working on that ‘lesson’.”
“Indeed I do. Thank You for Your patience in teaching me. I would NOT have been ready for these lessons during our first meeting.”
“And the people we are leading now will take time to learn all the ‘lessons’ I have prepared for them too.”
“I should probably get back down to them so I can share these with them” Moses says while looking over the parchments he has compiled while with the Lord.
“Not just yet. I have one more thing to share with you for this time we have together.”
“What is it Lord?”
“It is a glimpse of what is to come. And it is a cautionary tale. One you must take to heart. For when you follow My ways, I will bless your ways. When you turn away from me, I will NOT bless your ways.”
“I’m ready Lord. I will relay exactly what You say to the people. And they will follow Your Laws always!”
“O if only that was so” thinks God. To Moses, He simply gives him the promised message.
“Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.
“But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.
“When my angel goes before you and brings you to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, and I blot them out, you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces. You shall serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. None shall miscarry or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you. I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land. And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.” (Exodus 23:20-33)
“Lord, I will share ALL Your words. This promise is ALL we have dreamt of for as long as I can remember. The fulfillment of the promise You made to our Abba’s Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When will this take place Lord?”
“Again, with the questions, Moses. Wait and see!”
Moses ducks his head and his neck burns with embarrassment. He is STILL learning that lesson too.
(to be continued)
Father God, I know from this side of history that the people didn’t stick with their promises. Even Moses ran into trouble along the way. Not doubt, but obedience. I am NO better on this journey than they were. I run into times of disobedience and sin. I’m SO grateful that I don’t have to be perfect to be loved by You though! And neither did Israel. You KNEW they were going to break Your heart before You even let Moses put pen to paper. But You gave them Your framework anyway.
Even before You gave the people Your Law, You gave us a spirit that longs for You. You instilled in us foundations of right and wrong. I suppose that ‘knowledge’ came when Eve, and Adam, ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. NONE of us can claim TRUE ignorance of good and evil.
Being part of Your people for whom Jesus fulfilled the Law does NOT give us license to do anything our ‘fleshly heart’ desires. My ‘spiritual heart’ desires to serve only You! That is the heart I want to listen to. Help me in my choices and in my sticking with my choice to follow YOUR will in my life; at all times.
