2018-07-15 Exodus 21

Exodus 21:28–36 CSB

“When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox’s owner is innocent. However, if the ox was in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned, and its owner must also be put to death. If instead a ransom is demanded of him, he can pay a redemption price for his life in the full amount demanded from him. If it gores a son or a daughter, he is to be dealt with according to this same law. If the ox gores a male or female slave, he must give thirty shekels of silver to the slave’s master, and the ox must be stoned. “When a man uncovers a pit or digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit must give compensation; he must pay to its owner, but the dead animal will become his. “When a man’s ox injures his neighbor’s ox and it dies, they must sell the live ox and divide its proceeds; they must also divide the dead animal. If, however, it is known that the ox was in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not restrained it, he must compensate fully, ox for ox; the dead animal will become his.

(CSB)

28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox’s owner is innocent. 29 However, if the ox was in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned, and its owner must also be put to death.

35 “When a man’s ox injures his neighbor’s ox and it dies, they must sell the live ox and divide its proceeds; they must also divide the dead animal. 36 If, however, it is known that the ox was in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not restrained it, he must compensate fully, ox for ox; the dead animal will become his.

28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox’s owner is innocent. 29 However, if the ox was in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned, and its owner must also be put to death.

(CSB) 28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox’s owner is innocent. 29 However, if the ox was in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned, and its owner must also be put to death.

28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox’s owner is innocent.

Illus: It is a fact of life, you will be wronged. Something will happen whether intentionally or unintentionally, that hurts you.

No matter whether it is physical wound, emotional wound, or even a financial wound, something will happen where you are wronged.

When this happens, do think the worst of those who have hurt you?

The bible leads the offended party to think the best, to work in good faith, forgiving the offending party, while not ignoring the offense.

When someone hurts you, don’t jump to the worst possible conclusion. Give grace understanding that accidents and mistakes do happen.

By the way, this is exactly what happens when you are changed by God. The christian heart is not one which blame shifts or denys wrong doing. It openly admidts its failures and then seeks to make them right.

Illus: (CSB) 31 Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

31 Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

(CSB)

28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox’s owner is innocent. 29 However, if the ox was in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned, and its owner must also be put to death.

Illus: it is one thing to look at the offended party and say you should show grace, but if you hurt someone, you have the responsibility to change.

Let’s take this on several levels.

One day you are working and you lose your cool. You fly off the hook and chew a coworker out. You apologize to your fellow worker telling them you are just having a bad day. They forgive you.

But you never deal with the cause of your anger, and flying off the hook becomes a normal practice for you.

You have moved from an honest mistake to a pattern of behaviour which you are responsible for.

ON another level. At your work you an employee gets hurt because of an unnoticed safety concern. If you ignore the concern, the safety concern moves from a workplace accident to negligence.

Illus: (CSB) 17 So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it.

Willful ignorance does not remove responsibility.

(CSB)

28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox’s owner is innocent. 29 However, if the ox was in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned, and its owner must also be put to death.

(CSB) 28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox’s owner is innocent. 29 However, if the ox was in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned, and its owner must also be put to death.

(CSB)

33 “When a man uncovers a pit or digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit must give compensation; he must pay to its owner, but the dead animal will become his.

35 “When a man’s ox injures his neighbor’s ox and it dies, they must sell the live ox and divide its proceeds; they must also divide the dead animal. 36 If, however, it is known that the ox was in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not restrained it, he must compensate fully, ox for ox; the dead animal will become his.

Illus: How many times do we try to sidestep our mistakes.

One day you are working and you lose your cool. You fly off the hook and chew a coworker out. You apologize to your fellow worker telling them you are just having a bad day. They forgive you.

You blame shift?

If this wouldnt have happened then I wouldn’t have done that? If they wouldn’t have said this to me I wouldn’t have reacted the way I did.

But you never deal with the cause of your anger, and flying off the hook becomes a normal practice for you.

You have moved from an honest mistake to a pattern of behaviour which you are responsible for.

THe bible teaches that we should own up to our mistakes, and make it right.

ON another level. At your work you an employee gets hurt because of an unnoticed safety concern. If you ignore the concern, the saftey concern moves from a workplace acident to neglegence.

By the way, this is exactly what happens when you are changed by God. The christian heart is not one which blame shifts or denies wrong doing. It openly admits its failures and then seeks to make them right.

Pictured in Zaccheaous (CSB)

19 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because of the crowd, since he was a short man. 4 So running ahead, he climbed up a sycamore tree to see Jesus, since he was about to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today it is necessary for me to stay at your house.”

6 So he quickly came down and welcomed him joyfully. 7 All who saw it began to complain, “He’s gone to stay with a sinful man.”

8 But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.”

9 “Today salvation has come to this house,” Jesus told him, “because he too is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

(CSB) 28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox’s owner is innocent. 29 However, if the ox was in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned, and its owner must also be put to death.

Illus: None of us own oxes. That said the undergirding concept is one that applies to us today.

Accidents, ignorance, mistakes, should be treated as such.

When you willfully ignore your mistakes, they you are held personally liable for them.

How many times do we do this with sin. Perhaps we sin unintentionally at first and realize it afterwords. We have a choice.

Do you willfully ignore the sin, or do deal with it, repent and turn to God?

Illus:Romans 1:18–20 (CSB)

18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse.

(CSB) 28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox’s owner is innocent. 29 However, if the ox was in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned, and its owner must also be put to death.

28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its meat may not be eaten, but the ox’s owner is innocent. 29 However, if the ox was in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned yet does not restrain it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox must be stoned, and its owner must also be put to death.

Illus: As humans we sin both unintentionally and intentionally. Over and over in the law we see a price must be paid for the sin.

God did not turn his back on sin, or wickedness, but instead embraced us while we were sinners taking our sin for us.

1 Peter 2:22–25 CSB

He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth; when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree; so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but you have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

When you are hurt by someone, how should you react?

When you hurt someone, what is your responsibility?

2018-07-15 Exodus 21

Grace should drive accidental offenses.

When you are hurt, work in good faith offering forgiveness to the one who hurt you.

When you hurt someone accidentally, you have a responsibility to prevent future harm.

Willful ignorance does not remove responsibility.

You have a responsibility to take ownership for your mistakes.

When you willingly ignore unintended harm, you become fully responsible for its punishment.

God has not ignored the wickedness of His creation.

God has willingly embraced the brokenness and sinfulness of his creation by paying the price for it.