A Holy Revelation Pt. 3 • Exodus 22-23

Review & Overview

1.1 Previous Study’s Review

In chp.21-23:   Moses will receive some Laws from God… 

We mentioned that there are 3 major divisions regarding the Law of God…

Moral Law: 10 commandments.   Civil Law: crimes & punishments.    Ceremonial Law: religious events.

            Ex.20:                    Ex.21-23:       Lev.

1.2 Current Study’s Overview

As we come to chps. 22-23…          we continue to look at some of the Civil Laws…

These laws are not meant to deal with every situation in life…    but     general principles regarding life…

There are 8 things we want to look at in Ch. 22 and 5 things in chp. 23...

1. Thieves Vs. 1-4

If you steal something you must repay more than what you stole… this was to deter stealing…

If you kill a thief at night no problem, its dark, there is no help, you can’t identify him…   

but   if you kill him during the day your guilty…  because the thief can be identified, there is more help available…

APPLICATION: Again we’ve come so far from this… there are cases where a thief has broken into a house, hurt himself and sued the owner & won…

2. Property Damage Vs. 5-6

Simple, Restore what you damaged…

3. Safe Deposits Vs. 7-13

If someone entrusts something to you, your responsible for it…  take of it, watch over it as if it were yours.

4. Borrowing Vs. 14-15

If you borrowed it & you broke it… you fix it…    unless the owner came with it for hire…

5. Bride Price Vs. 16-17

God places great importance on moral purity… respecting a virgin…   no sex before marriage…

6. Sins Worthy of Death Vs. 18-20

So 3 more sins worthy of death…

7. Care for the Needy Vs. 21-27

For the first time in Scripture we’re told God is Gracious…  the point is simple, since God is gracious so too should we…         we should be gracious to others…

Luke 6:35

8. Basic Principles Vs. 28-31

Reverence Vs. 28 - Revere God & Rulers…  Rom.13:1 be in subjection… no authority except from God.

Romans 13:1 NKJV

1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

First Fruits Vs. 29-30 - it all belongs to God so don’t delay in giving it to Him… hold it with an open hand.

Holiness Vs. 31 - being set apart for the Lord,  

1 Peter 1:15 NKJV

15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

2 Corinthians 6:17 NKJV

17 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”

5 things in Chapter 23

1.  Justice God deals with People & Animals Vs. 1-9

1.1 Vs.1

This is the 9th commandment, Ex.20:16.   Do not bear false witness against your neighbor…  In other words don’t lie, don’t pervert justice. 

Ephesians 4:25 NKJV

25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.

Always tell the truth… be honest…  why, because...

John 8:44 NKJV

44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

1.2 Vs. 2

So don’t jump on the bandwagon…     don’t follow the crowd in doing the wrong thing…

Stand up for justice and righteousness even when it’s not popular to do so…

APPLICATION: I’m so thankful for the Salt & Light ministry… standing up for justice & righteousness even though it’s not the politically correct thing to do…

1.3 Vs. 3

Just because a man is poor doesn’t mean he should get away with doing wrong…  don’t show him partiality…      

1 Timothy 5:21 NKJV

21 I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.

We might feel sorry for someone because of they’re poor… but that doesn’t give them the right to steal

APPLICATION: Talk about all the riots and stealing malls etc.

1.4 Vs. 4-5

don’t take out your anger on your enemies animals…     they didn’t do anything to you…

Be nice to animals in general, They are God’s creation too. Unless your going to eat them…   

1.5 Vs. 6

In vs.3 we’re not to go easy on someone because they are poor…  here we’re not to pervert judgment by siding with the rich…   &   forgetting about the poor…  

So there is a balance...

1.6 Vs. 7

If your not sure about the verdict don’t make a decision regarding it so you won’t kill the innocent…

Because God will not justify the wicked, they won’t go unpunished… if your not sure, let God handle it. Which is a good idea anyway…    

Romans 12:19 NKJV

19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

1.8 Vs. 8-9

Don’t accept bribes…   don’t oppress the stranger…

Apply justice in every instance…     always do what is just…   what is right…   what is holy…

We are to be above reproach, Col.1:22…      men & women of integrity, Titus 2:7…

2.  Sabbath Vs. 10-13

2.1 Vs. 10-11

The Land:   this is the Sabbath for the Land…  the land was to rest every 7 years for 1 year…

And whatever grew in the fields during the 7th year would be for the poor and the animals… 

We’re not told here but in Lev.25:20-22 God told them that in the 6th year He would produce enough food for 3 years…         which of coarse would take care of the 7th, 8th & 9th year…

Leviticus 25:20–22 NKJV

20 ‘And if you say, “What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?” 21 Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years. 22 And you shall sow in the eighth year, and eat old produce until the ninth year; until its produce comes in, you shall eat of the old harvest.

2.2 Vs. 12

The People:  Reiterating the 4th Commandment from Ex.20:8…

This day was a day to rest from work so you could spend time with the Lord, which is a good idea…

For us the Sabbath is not about a particular day…  but  a particular person…  Jesus Christ.

2.3 Vs. 13    

In all things God desires Obedience…   

When the Children of Israel came into the Promised Land they did not obey the Sabbath rest for the Land or for the Servants for 490 years…    Jer.34:14-22…      so they owed God 70 years…

In Jer.25:11 we’re told they would be in Babylonian captivity for 70 years…

APPLICATION: There is always a price to pay for disobedience…       pay day one day…     

Galatians 6:7 NKJV

7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

3. Feasts Vs. 14-19

Now there are 7 Feasts in all…    the 3 that are listed here are the 1st, 4th & 7th Feasts…    and they all involve the Agricultural Cycle… 

3.1 Unleavened BreadVs. 14-15

Unleavened Bread:  is really the 2nd feast but it includes Passover the 1st feast…

Passover & Unleavened Bread were in April – May…    the Early Barley Harvest…

Passover was on the 14th of Nissan or Abib, Unleavened Bread was on the 15th – 21st day of Abib…

It commemorates the urgency the Children of Israel left Egypt…  they didn’t bake leaven in their bread.

Leaven is a type of sin…     

1 Corinthians 5:6 NKJV

6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

Romans 6:14 NKJV

14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

So Unleavened Bread points to Jesus Christ…  

John 6:48 NKJV

48 I am the bread of life.

2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

1 John 3:5 NKJV

5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

3.2 Harvest Vs. 16a

Harvest: Weeks, Pentecost the 4th feast…   

This was in May – June,   during the Wheat Harvest…    50 days after the barley harvest…

Acts 2: on the day of Pentecost the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit & the church was birthed

3.3 Ingathering Vs. 16b

Ingathering:    Booths, Tabernacles the 7th and final feast…

This was Sept – Oct,  which was the Final Harvest…  

this feast commemorates God’s provision for the Israelites in the Wilderness wanderings…

It looks forward to the Millennial Kingdom, in Zech 14:16-20 we’ll be celebrating this feast for 1000 yrs.

3.4 Vs. 17-19

These 3 feasts required mandatory attendance for every male Jew, Deut.16:16…

In Israel today they don’t mix their Meats & Dairy products because of this verse…        

you don’t walk in and ask for a cheeseburger…           or         a pepperoni pizza…

4. An Angel Vs. 20-24

This Angel from God is no doubt Jesus Christ…       vs.21 He can pardon sins…  

God instructs the Israelites not to Provoke Him…       but       to Obey Him…  

Because Obedience will bring Blessing…    it’s a simple truth…   but an important one…

APPLICATION: Now we don’t obey to be blessed…  we are obedient out of love…  &  the result of that is a blessing…

Like giving…          we don’t give to get…       but       when we do give we do get…

5.  Service Vs. 25-33   

God says if you serve Me…      I’ll fight for you…   &   give the land to you…

9 times in these 9 vs. God said: I will,  provide for you…  heal you… deliver you…  fight for you… 

In other words don’t worry about anything, just Serve Me…      I’ll take care of everything else…

APPLICATION: We need to understand that…    &      believe  1 Sam.17:47 battle belongs to the Lord

But look closely how the Lord will take care of everything in vs.30,    little by little…   I hate that…

I want the Lord to deal with all my problems right away, amen?

But the Lord will take of everything is His time & in His way…  not ours… Isa.55:8-9 My thoughts…

ENDING...