Exodus 18 to 22

Exodus 18

Exodus 18 (NKJV)

1 And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.

2 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,

3 with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land”)

4 and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”);

5 and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God.

6 Now he had said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.”

7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent.

8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the Lord had delivered them.

9 Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the Lord had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10 And Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.”

12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

13 And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening.

14 So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”

15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God.

16 When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

17 So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good.

18 Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.

19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God.

20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.

21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

22 And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.

23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.”

24 So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said.

this shows Moses humilty, he was one who would listen to advice and obey.

Moses was a man who would speak to God face to face, and Jethro an ordinary man who is not part of the covenant or Israel, uncercumcised man.

Yet he was humble enough to listen to this good advice of adminitsration from Jethro.

25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

26 So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.

27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land.

Exodus 19

Exodus 19 (NKJV)

1 In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai.

2 For they had departed from Rephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before the mountain.

3 And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:

4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.

5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. (1 Peter 2:7-p9)

6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

7 So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him.

8 Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord.

9 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.” So Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes.

11 And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.

12 You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.”

13 Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.”

The Access to God’s presence was restricted.

Hebrews 12:18–24 (NKJV)

18 For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest,

19 and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.

20 (For they could not endure what was commanded: “And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow.”

21 And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling.”)

22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels,

23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect,

24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes.

15 And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives.”

16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.

17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.

18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly.

19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice.

20 Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

21 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish.

22 Also let the priests who come near the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.”

23 But Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.’ ”

24 Then the Lord said to him, “Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest He break out against them.”

25 So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

Exodus 20

Exodus 20 (NKJV)

1 And God spoke all these words, saying:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

3 “You shall have no other gods before Me. (1)

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;

5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, (2)

6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. (3)

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (4)

The Sabath is the shadow of Christ and the rest that we find in Christ.

9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.

11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. (5)

13 “You shall not murder. (6)

14 “You shall not commit adultery. (7)

15 “You shall not steal. (8)

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (9)

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.” (10)

These ten commandment can be summerised in two commandments

Matthew 22:35-40 “35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.””

18 Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off.

19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

20 And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.”

21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘You have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

23 You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.

24 An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you.

25 And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it.

26 Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.’

Exodus 21

Exodus 21 (NKJV)

1 “Now these are the judgments which you shall set before them:

2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing.

3 If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.

4 If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

5 But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’

6 then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.

Piercing of the ear was a sign of one being a forever slave of his master.

A sign of ownership, a property of his master. THis was done with the slaves own desire to be his masters forever.

7 “And if a man sells his daughter to be a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.

8 If she does not please her master, who has betrothed her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.

9 And if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters.

10 If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marriage rights.

11 And if he does not do these three for her, then she shall go out free, without paying money.

God is basically giving laws that protects the slaves from harm and abuse, that was ever common in the era

Slaves in thoses era, epseciaaly in the surrounding nation, had no rights or protection.

Israel were much more advance in their laws and much more human in their laws regarding slaves than any nation in that Time.

All thise laws can be summarised in one law “love your neighbour as yourself”

You will then treat the slave in you house as you would wish to be treated if you were in their circumstance.

12 “He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.

13 However, if he did not lie in wait, but God delivered him into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.

14 “But if a man acts with premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.

15 “And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

16 “He who kidnaps a man and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, shall surely be put to death.

17 “And he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.”

A child who reviles, and insults his parents, and wishes all kinds of evil this upon them, his fate is the same as the one who strikes them which is death.

God does not tolerate such behaviours.

18 “If men contend with each other, and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but is confined to his bed,

19 if he rises again and walks about outside with his staff, then he who struck him shall be acquitted. He shall only pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for him to be thoroughly healed.

We see here the law of compensation

20 “And if a man beats his male or female servant with a rod, so that he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished.

21 Notwithstanding, if he remains alive a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he is his property.

In Most nation of that time, Master could do whatever they want with their slaves according to the laws, they can beat them and kill them without being punished.

The punishement would be death, based on the law against murder.

Here the law is given to restrain the common tendency of the brutality of certain masters.

Making it punishable to kill a slave

Verse 21 goes with verse 26 -27

The master won’t be punished because his intention was not to kill the servant.

22 “If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

23 But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life,

24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

26 “If a man strikes the eye of his male or female servant, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for the sake of his eye.

27 And if he knocks out the tooth of his male or female servant, he shall let him go free for the sake of his tooth.

The master who strike his slave and damages any part of his body, even his tooth, will suffer will result in the emancipation (Freedom) of the slave.

This law was exceedingly generous in comparison of the law of slave in that era, even in Rome slaves could be killed by their masters without any consequence from the law.

28 “If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, then the ox shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be acquitted.

29 But if the ox tended to thrust with its horn in times past, and it has been made known to his owner, and he has not kept it confined, so that it has killed a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death.

This is the law against negligence that is detremninatle to a human life.

So the owner becomes responsible for the death of the individual by his ox.

Hence is judged as a murder.

Think of it like drink driving, the person driving the car might not maliciouse intent to kill somebody. However the fact that he knows the risk of drink driving, that there is a high potential for an accident and death of an innocent person, that alone is enough to convicted of homicide.

Many of the laws by which the western world is govern have their roots in the Bible.

30 If there is imposed on him a sum of money, then he shall pay to redeem his life, whatever is imposed on him.

31 Whether it has gored a son or gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him.

There is compasiion side to this law, if the Judges together with the family of the victim deem that the person can pay money to them to redeem his life, he can.

32 If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

This was the worth of a slave, 30 shekels of silver.

Slaves were the lowest class in society.

Amazingly, this was the value with which Jesus Christ, the creator of the world was valued at.

33 “And if a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls in it,

34 the owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money to their owner, but the dead animal shall be his.

35 “If one man’s ox hurts another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the money from it; and the dead ox they shall also divide.

36 Or if it was known that the ox tended to thrust in time past, and its owner has not kept it confined, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal shall be his own.

Again all this law can be summed up in one word “love your neighbour as your self”

Romans 13:8–10 NKJV

8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.