Exodus 22:16-23:9 - Holiness and Compassion
Notes
Transcript
Handout
16 “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. 17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins. 18 “You shall not permit a sorceress to live. 19 “Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death. 20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction. 21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless. 25 “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. 26 If ever you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, 27 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. 28 “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people. 29 “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. 30 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. 31 “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. 1 “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. 2 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, 3 nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit. 4 “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. 5 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. 6 “You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit. 7 Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. 8 And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right. 9 “You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
Introduction
Introduction
Many more case laws that deal with various issues
Grouped into two categories: Protection for the Vulnerable and Holiness in God’s people
Protection for the Vulnerable
Protection for the Vulnerable
God’s care and protection for the weak and vulnerable is displayed in these laws.
The exploited person is protected (22:16)
The responsibility fell on the man.
Not rape - Rape demanded the death penalty (Deut 22:25-26)
This situation seems to be consensual premarital sex.
Dt 22:28-29 “If a man meets a virgin who is not betrothed, and seizes her and lies with her, and they are found, 29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the father of the young woman fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days.”
He had to marry her, he could never divorce her, and he had to pay the wedding price or bride price to her father.
If the father rejected the marriage, the man still had to pay, and acknowledge his sin.
Sojourner - temporary inhabitant without family support (22:21, 23:9)
Lev. 19:33-34 “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
Protection for the widows and orphans (22:22)
Mistreat - includes humiliating or humbling someone
God will hear their cry and avenge them.
He will die a violent death (22:24)
His wife will become a widow and his children orphans.
Protection for the poor (22:25)
They were not to exploit the poor
More vulnerable and do not have the money to defend themselves.
Deut 23:19 “You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest.”
Not to cause further hardship by keeping essential items. (22:26)
Millstone in Deut 24:6 “No one shall take a mill or an upper millstone in pledge, for that would be taking a life in pledge.”
Care for your enemy (23:4)
Even your enemy was not to be take advantage of.
Matt 5:43-45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
Rom 12:20-21 “To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Justice without partiality (23:1-3)
Not to lie, agree with the majority, decide based on standing, or participate in bribery (23:8)
Deut 10:17 “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.”
Again in 23:6-7
Holiness in God’s People
Holiness in God’s People
Consecration (22:31)
God’s holy character was to be reflected in His holy people.
Holiness in every sphere of their life.
Set apart from the Canaanites.
Sorcery (22:18)
Using demonic power to try to tell the future or speak with the dead.
One of the sins of the Canaanites
9 “When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, 12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the Lord your God,
Demanded the death penalty
Lev 20:27 “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.””
Bestiality (22:19)
Also a practice among the Canaanites.
Also, the death penalty.
Sometimes was an attempt to unite with the false god represented.
It violates boundaries God has set between the animals and humans made in His image.
Evolution - we are just animals.
Legal in some countries today - age of absurdity.
Worship of false gods (22:20)
Devoted to destruction -
Devoted to sacred use or to God.
If it could not be used in a sacred way, it was to be destroyed.
Joshua 6:18 “But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it.”
Iain Campbell, “The Greek word ‘anathema’, or ‘cursed’ seems to carry this idea into the New Testament.”
1 Corinthians 16:22 “If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!”
Submission to authorities (22:28)
Cursing a ruler is placed on the same level as reviling God
Acts 23:5 “And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ””
Rom 13:1-2 “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”
Delay of offering (22:29)
The firstfruits symbolize that everything belongs to God.
They were not to hold it back or delay.
Firstborn and the Passover in Exodus 13:2 “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.””
Torn by Beasts (22:31)
The animal may be an unclean animal - may not be able to tell.
More clear later, but likely because of the blood not being drained.
Lev 7:26-27 “Moreover, you shall eat no blood whatever, whether of fowl or of animal, in any of your dwelling places. 27 Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people.””
Ceremonially unclean.
Application
Application
We should pursue holiness
God gives very detailed laws
Demonstrates is expectation of obedience to the 10 Commandments.
His character
His holiness is to be reflected in His people
The character of His people
1 Pet 1:15-16 “but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””
Hebrews 12:14 “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
We should have compassion for others
Compassion is “An attitude of care and concern, grounded in pity and sympathy towards others.” (Martin H. Manser, Dictionary of Bible Themes).
Compassionate God (22:27)
Exod 34:6 “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,”
Dt 4:31 “For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.”
Ps 103:13 “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.”
Our compassion:
A reflection of the compassion we have received (22:21).
Luke 6:36 “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”
How we treat others is often determined by how we judge their treatment of us.
How we treat others should be determined by how God has treated us.
Col 3:12 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,”
The vulnerable and all people
Gospel
Eph 2:4-5 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—”
Eph 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Give them the gospel in love and care for them.
We have a compassionate Savior
God’s compassion is displayed in the incarnation.
His love and mercy for helpless people.
Jesus embodied God’s compassion
Matt 9:36 “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Closing Hymn:
Benediction: 2 Cor 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction.”