The Book Of Exodus
Exodus 3:14 "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say
unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."
This next set of laws is connected to the 8th commandment. Various examples of theft or destruction of property are presented along with the prescribed punishments for each crime.
Verses 1-4: The thief is required to pay back five oxen for the theft of one ox and four sheep for one sheep if he has killed or sold the stolen animal. (v.1) (2 Samuel 12:6, Proverbs 6:31, Luke 19:8) If a thief is caught breaking into a man’s home and the homeowner kills him, then the homeowner is blameless for the death. (v.2) But if the thief survives the murder attempt and is captured by the authorities, he is to make full restitution. If he has no wherewithal to pay back the money or goods that was stolen, then he shall be sold as a slave to repay his debt. (v.3) If it was livestock that the thief was caught trying to steal then he is to pay back double what was taken. Verses 5-6: These verses describe situations in which property is destroyed through negligence. Verse 5 explains the punishment for a man who allows his livestock to graze in his neighbor’s field after his own field has been eaten up. He is to pay back from the best of his own crops and vineyards whatever amount his beast consumed. Verse 6 deals with the negligence of someone who allows a fire to get out of control and it burns up his neighbor’s crops. Verses 7-9: If a man is keeping money or goods in trust for his neighbor, and those things are stolen from the man’s house, the thief – if he can be found – is to pay back double what was stolen. (v.7) But if the thief isn’t found, then the trustee is hauled before the judges to determine if he is the guilty one. (v.8) In the case of one man accusing another of stealing from him, “…both parties shall come before the judges…”. Whomever the judge determines to be guilty shall pay back double to his neighbor. (v.9) Verses 10-15: If a man is watching over his neighbor’s livestock and any of them die, or are injured, or run away, and there is no other witnesses to vouch for the man’s innocence in the matter, then shall he swear by an oath of the Lord that he did not injure, kill or drive away the beast. (v.10-11) (1 Samuel 20:42, 2 Samuel 21:7, 1 Kings 2:42-43, Hebrews 6:16) The owner of the animal is to accept this and no restitution is required. But if the animal is stolen while under the other man’s care, then that man is required to make restitution to his neighbor according to the law stated in verse 1. (v.12) (Genesis 31:39) Likewise, if the animal is killed by another beast, the man that is keeping watch over his neighbor’s livestock will prove his innocence by bring the pieces of the carcass for evidence, and, thus, he won’t have to make restitution. (v.13) This, of course, presumes that the animal’s death is not due to any negligence on the part of the man babysitting his neighbor’s flock. If that is the case, and there is sufficient witnesses to prove it, then that man would very likely be required to pay back to his neighbor according to verse 1. That same law of restitution applies to any livestock borrowed by one’s neighbor and something happens to the beast. (v.14) The neighbor is responsible for making good with the animal’s owner. But if the owner is with his beast at the time of the incident, then the neighbor is not at fault since the animal is still in the care of its owner while both man and beast are assisting one’s neighbor. (v.15) Verses 16-17: The usage of the word “entice” in verse 16 (Deuteronomy 22:28-29, Judges 14:15, 16:5, Proverbs 1:10, 16:29) refers to seduction, not rape. The wording implies consent on the part of the woman, not resistance, and the man is expected to provide for her, regardless of whether or not she is allowed to marry him. This law refers to sex outside of marriage, and the father of the virgin has the authority to deny his daughter’s marriage to the man that seduced her. If she is no longer a virgin, she would be unable to marry anyone else according to the other laws pertaining to the 7th commandment; hence the requirement for the man that enticed her to pay the full dowry regardless. Verse 18: The nation of Israel is not allowed to have anyone in their midst who practices divination or sorcery of any kind. This is punishable by death. (Leviticus 19:31, 20:6, 27, Deuteronomy 18:10-11, 1 Samuel 28:3, Jeremiah 27:9-10) Witchcraft and all its related arts is an abomination before God. It is of the devil. To practice it is to invite demons and evil spirits into one’s life, and the child of God has no business doing any of that. Sorcery, magic and other forms of divination are a staple of the false religions and false gods of the heathen nations that inhabit the promised land as well as Egypt, the land of bondage from which the Israelites had just been delivered. (Exodus 7:11) This law is another example of God setting apart His chosen people from the pagans and idol worshipers that surround them. Witchcraft and sorcery are no different today than they were back then. We now group it all under the heading of New Ageism, but the basic themes and beliefs are the same. Mother Earth, the cycle of new moons, crystals, meditation, Eastern Mysticism, Druidism, Celtic/Norse/Greek/Roman mythology, casting spells, the pentagram, the celebration of Halloween – all of it is an abomination of pride and rebellion against God. It is all false religion and the worship of self, and, even worse, to engage in any of these arts or beliefs is to open the door to the very real and very demonic spirit worlds, the realm of Satan and his fallen angels. Halloween, in particular, is a holiday that should not be celebrated in any way, shape or form by any Christian today. Even just allowing one’s children to dress up as their favorite cartoon character or superhero and going around the neighborhood to collect candy door to door should be forbidden. No, it’s not harmless fun. Satan has deceived the world into thinking this holiday is just a fun time for the kids and very few adults truly understand the historical roots of All Hallow’s Eve and what it truly represents. Halloween is a celebration of witchcraft, sorcery, divination, evil spirits, and death. God commands us right here in Exodus and Leviticus to abstain from all forms of this particular evil. The Israelites are commanded to execute known witches and sorcerers by stoning. That’s how serious God is about this sin. So why should we today, who call ourselves followers of Christ, have anything to do with a holiday that celebrates the very thing from which God commands us to abstain? Verse 19: Bestiality is expressly and explicitly forbidden. Violation of this law is punishable by death. (Leviticus 18:23-24, 20:15-16, Deuteronomy 27:21) As with witchcraft and divination, this abomination was also commonly practiced and allowed among the heathen nations of the promised land. The Hittites even allowed by law the sexual union of a man and his horse or donkey. Sexuality was created by God as something holy to be shared only between husband and wife. Therefore, anything other than that is an abomination and perversion of this holy ordinance. That’s why God forbids adultery, homosexuality, bestiality and incest. All of it is wicked, filthy, immoral behavior, and we who are saved by the blood of Christ, risen and sanctified in Him, and always striving for holiness must adopt the same attitude as God when it comes to these abominations that the world says are okay and acceptable. Verse 20: God is a jealous God, and He abhors idolatry. The commandment of the death penalty for any who are found guilty of offering sacrifices unto false gods shows just how serious God is about the Israelites' worship of Him. (Exodus 32:8, 34:15, Leviticus 17:7, Numbers 25:2, Deuteronomy 17:2-3, 5, 1 Kings 18:40, 2 Kings 10:25) We today are guilty of this sin with idols that displace God in our hearts: time, entertainment, money, sex, hobbies, our family, etc. When God is not the number one priority in our lives, we rob Him of the worship and love that is due Him. This is why the sin of sexual immorality goes hand in hand with idolatry. All those sexual perversions I listed in the commentary for verse 19 promote the worship of self. Lust is a sin of selfishness and the result of pride. One of the many deadly consequences of pornography addiction is that it feeds the lust of the flesh which, in turn, keeps us focused our selfish needs and desires and turns us away from God. Verses 21-24: Slavery of any foreigners by the Israelites is expressly forbidden. (v.21) (Exodus 23:9, Deuteronomy 10:19, 24:18, Zechariah 7:10) The word “vex” in verse 21, from the Hebrew word “yanah”, means “to oppress or suppress” or “to do violence”. In other words, God is saying to His chosen people, “Remember how you were once enslaved by a foreign nation. Don’t do the same to others.” Nor are they to oppress, abuse, or take advantage of in any way the widows and orphans. (v.22) (Deuteronomy 24:17, Proverbs 23:10-11, Jeremiah 7:6-7, James 1:27) There’s a beautiful promise in verse 23: “…I will surely hear their cry…”. This is another example of how the God of Israel is the one, true God. Unlike the false gods of the Egyptians or the Hittites or the Canaanites, our God hears our cry! He is a friend of the fatherless and the widows. (Psalm 68:5) He places the solitary in families (Psalm 68:6) and frees the slave. He is the savior of the downtrodden and the oppressed. (Psalm 34:6-7) Unlike the other laws where God ordains judges and human government to carry out the penalties and punishments, He Himself will be the judge of those guilty for breaking this law. (v.24) (Psalm 69:24) If the Israelites as a nation do not enforce this law, God will bring upon them invasion and captivity by their enemies. (Psalm 109:9) This is another way in which God’s law differs from the laws and treaties of the other peoples and cultures of the ANE. Foreigners have no rights and are often enslaved. Widows and orphans are likewise taken advantage of or abandoned entirely. But God makes special provisions in His law for this specific group of people. Verses 25-27: God also takes a dim view of those who take advantage of the poor. Usury by one Israelite to another is forbidden. (v.25) (Deuteronomy 23:19-20, Psalm 15:5, Ezekiel 18:8) If a man’s cloak is given as a pledge to his neighbor and it’s his only cloak, the neighbor must return it by nightfall. (v.26) To take advantage of one’s neighbor by depriving him of his only warmth at night is cruel, and God will hear the cry of oppressed. For God is gracious. (v.27) (Exodus 34:6-7) Verse 28-31: The first part of verse 28 is related to the 3rd commandment. To revere and honor God is more than just not taking His name in vain. The word “revile”, translated form the Hebrew word “qalal”, means “to appear trifling or insignificant” or “to make despicable” or “to curse”. It is the sense of dismissing God and all that He is by not worshiping Him, obeying Him, and always giving Him first place in our lives and our hearts. To do otherwise invites God’s righteous wrath. (Leviticus 24:16) The second part of that verse commands us to also not curse those whom God has placed in authority over us. (Proverbs 24:21, Ecclesiastes 10:20, Matthew 22:21, Acts 23:5, Romans 13:1, 1 Peter 2:17) Even when our leaders are ungodly and persecute us we are still commanded to love them and pray for them. For God is sovereign over all, and He allows kings and governors to rise to power for a reason. It's not our place to question God, but to trust in Him and obey Him. That goes back to the first part of this verse. Because God has first place in our lives we are to offer Him the first fruits of everything: our labor, our time, our children, our tithe, etc. (Exodus 13:2, 12, 15, 23:16, 19, Deuteronomy 15:19, 26:2, Proverbs 3:9) For the Israelites, it’s their firstborn sons or daughters, the firstborn of their livestock, and the first fruits of their crops and vineyards. (The word “liquors” in verse 29 is translated as “juice”.) The second part of verse 30 refers to the time that the eldest child of an Israelite or the eldest of the offspring of the livestock should spend with his/her mother. On the eighth day the child is brought forth and dedicated to God through the ceremony of the circumcision, if it is a male. For the sheep or the bullock, the animal is offered up in a blood sacrifice on the eighth day. This chapter concludes with a commandment for the Israelites not to consume the meat of wild beasts that were killed by other animals and left to rot. This is carrion and is unclean due to other animals feeding on the carcass as well as disease caused by the length of time the flesh has been rotting in the sun. God reminds His chosen people that they “…shall be holy men unto Me…”. (Exodus 19:6, Leviticus 11:44, 19:2) The whole point of this concluding verse is to restate the purpose of God’s law: the children of Israel are His chosen people, and they are to come out from among the other nations and peoples around them and walk separately unto God. They do this by obeying His commandments, treating one another with kindness and respect, and honoring God in all that they say and do. The same holds true for us today.
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