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I've never done this before, so bear with me.
This week's Torah reading took a look at, Exodus chapters 21 through chapter, 22 verses 21 to 23 and chapter 22, that was reading this myself and I don't think it's actually anything I've ever read before. It's a lot of lost really old laws and they might not necessarily seem completely applicable to us today. Some of us might consider these laws and relevant since they don't seem very usable, we don't have oxygen or service a sheep but I don't think anybody stealing them and we obviously don't have slaves overarching theme though and I was reading through this every single one of these laws is actually very detailed on how we're supposed to treat one another, there's laws about Justice and the laws are also about responsibilities and being fair there about being able to take care of each other and respecting the likelier that God has given us. These laws also reflect God's character, same throughout the two chapters actually still shows, all of God's love that he gives to us as his children because he respects us and wants us to be able to have personal property. In these chapters are actually so many lessons that really do still apply to us today even if they might seem a little bit outdated cuz of some of the vocabulary, see some of the virtues that are forgotten in our world are really important and these laws actually show them. One that really stood out to me was Exodus 22:20 to do not take advantage of the Widow and the fatherless. If you do they will cry out to me and I will certainly hear their cry in this chapter. Got further elaborates on the justice and he's going to take against people who try to take advantage of the vulnerable.
An exodus 22 16 through 23, God commands that we're not supposed to exploit the vulnerable, the command to not take advantage of them is not just a call for empathy, but also for Action, so God is asking us to ensure that these individuals are taken care of how many people can we got to think of it. Our community that might be either. Widows are people who are single parents children. Who have either been adopted, or don't have parents at all. People in the foster care system and people are just have a lower income status. How often do we see whether it be on the news or in person, the mistreatment of the vulnerable as well? I know, we see this, a lot of it's very disheartening, Weatherby war overseas are here in our own country. There's a lot of unfortunate circumstances where people in our world forget to take care of each other.
Our culture has become very self-possessed as we moved away from God. I'm pretty sure a lot of us can see that when we become self-obsessed and focused on her own needs, we have no room for the fruits of the spirit mentioned, in Galatians 5:22 through 23, gentleness rooted in humility and tenderness, if they've you vulnerable people as lower than themselves, how can somebody have any peace if they are constantly devaluing the value of other people and patience? The fruit that is supposed to be taken? From being able to understand and deal with somebody suffering or your own without getting angry or upset? It can't be practice when you make quick, judgments without listening to someone, let me give you guys a personal example, back in school. And I'm home school now, but in middle school, I saw dozens of these examples of children, not treating each other or correctly. They treated each other unfairly because of their statuses despite being commanded by the Bible to be completely humble and gentle be patient bearing with one another in love. It says it says in Ephesians 4 Or my command is this love one. Another as I have loved you greater love has no one other than this to lay down one's life. For once friends, John 15, 12 through 13. They heard the words in James. This is my dear brother by their brothers and sisters has God not chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and do inherit the Kingdom. He promised those who love him yet. They were so focused on things that were so devoid of God, they forgot about the characteristics of God, and they didn't put any value in his life anymore.
If you ask anybody from my class who were the most two separate groups, it was the rich kids. The people who had enough money to be considered as behind a status. And then there's everybody else. It was me and my friends. And then, there are people who were suffering economically or being raised by single parents. We had a lot of students whose families were struggling and that was kind of visible throughout they acted. And, you know, the cultures that they involve themselves. I not only saw a lot of these kids directly taken advantage of but they were bullied and ostracized and one including bad less money or just parents wouldn't donate keep the money to the school. They are forgotten by students who view themselves as hire more important valuable. Anybody was ever experienced. This know, it makes you devalue yourself. You can forget the inherent value that you have is a child of God. When people treat you this way in the same school, I had a teacher name is Miss trailer. Do my English teacher and she's one of my favorite teacher, still to this day and she always reminded us of our inherent in Jesus Christ. Matthew 10:29, states are not Two Sparrows. Sold for a penny. You're not one of them will fall to the ground outside. Your father's care and even the hairs of your head are numbered. So don't be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows. Infusions to Ted. We are called. And because that's how much she cares about us. Every single part of us has been directly designed by him.
We are infinitely valued by God and every bit of us has been designed by the creator of the universe. God doesn't desire for anybody to be treated this way and he makes this very important in his loss. Treating people in certain ways and don't deserve is very antithetical to the law.
Somewhere The Exodus 22:22 is Isaiah 117. Learn to do right seek Justice defend the oppressed take out the cause of the fatherless and plead the case of the Widow. The fact that God feel such pain in the impression and hurt of his children, is the exact reason why he calls for justice, it's elaborated upon in these laws. And it's one of the big reasons why they even existed in Exodus.
We see this exemplified in many of the other verses in Exodus, 21, and 22. Actually, this is where we get the term, an eye for an eye from, I didn't know that but it's found in Exodus 21 verse 23. Looking back on these laws of the Torah, they may seem extreme but we do them through the lens of God's character in love, we can understand His True Values in Justice and fairness. God was establishing a system of justice for the Israelites. That was fair. That was equal and that was sent to fight by him.
When considering the possibility for one might for what one might do, without these laws, we understand the need for them in the need for these Concepts in our world today, the heart of these laws really restricted Vengeance and trying to get revenge on somebody. They directly outline courses of action and that's we can assume they probably prevented a lot of undeserved punishments. The idea of an eye for an eye, or the law of retaliation condemns disproportionate retaliation by its nature, like the laws given to the Israelites. We too must be mindful of fairness, Justice respect, and compassion in every area of Our Lives. While the laws in Exodus 21:22 may seem distant or a relevant to us today, they actually offered Timeless principles that speak to the very core of how we are supposed to act christ-like and loving one. Another The vulnerability of others should not be ignored and it is our responsibility to stand up for them. And to just lie, love them with a heart that is compatible with a heart of compassion. That's like rice. May, we always remember that every person is independent value in God's eyes and we're command them to view the message.
