October 21, 2020
The book of Exodus tells the story of the birth of the nation of Israel fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham. From the seventy descendants of Jacob, Israel was fruitful and multiplied greatly until they filled the whole land of Egypt. After four centuries of slavery, God answers the cries of His people for deliverance. God raises up Moses for this calling, to lead his people out of bondage to a land of promise and deliverance.
Some of the greatest stories of the Bible are featured in Exodus—from the Ten Plagues, and the Passover, to the crossing of the Red Sea, and the establishment of the covenant at Mount Sinai. The Passover lamb, the exodus from the land of Egypt, the seven feasts, the tabernacle, and even the high priest, are all foreshadows of the ministry of Christ.
Chapters 1-18 contains the events leading up to God’s delivering the Hebrews from their captivity in Egypt, and chapters 19-40 shares the events in the wilderness and the account of God’s instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai to direct the life and worship of the nation.
Exodus 21
Laws About Slaves
1 “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. 2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. 3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out alone. 5 But if the slave 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 God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.
7 “When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 8 If she does not please her master, who has designated her for himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her. 9 If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. 10 If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. 11 And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.
12 “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. 13 But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. 14 But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.
15 “Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.
16 “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.
17 “Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.
18 “When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but takes to his bed, 19 then if the man rises again and walks outdoors with his staff, he who struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed.
20 “When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged. 21 But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money.
22 “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. 23 But if there is harm, then you shall pay 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 “When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye. 27 If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth.
28 “When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable. 29 But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. 30 If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him. 31 If it gores a man’s son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule. 32 If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
Laws About Restitution
33 “When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his.
35 “When one man’s ox butts another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share. 36 Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Reflection:
- God begins to create a nation out of an ethnic group of people. The laws he gives them are intended to be guidelines for them to live together as a just society. Does God still want us, as believers, to pursue moral excellence?
- Though certain laws would seem antiquated to us, they were still given by God to protect the poor and vulnerable (v. 9) and maintain civility among the people. How do you treat those that may be under your authority?
- Paul says in Romans 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.Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.” How do you apply this passage of God’s word considering what you have read today out of Exodus 21?
- Do we obey the governing authorities when they require us to do something contrary to God’s word?
Prayer: Lord, help me to live righteously in society. Help me to be obedient to authority while I am obedient to you and your word. Give me wisdom to know what to do when the rules of the authorities’ conflict with your word and your commands. Help me to honor you with my life. In Jesus name, amen.
Lord Jesus Praise your holy name. Help me to speak good and not evil today. Let me encourage someone today who really needs a kind word. Help me to do good and not evil. Help me to be kind and loving toward everyone, not just those who are lovable. Help me to let you love others through me. Help me to share your love with everyone I meet. I love you Lord and I want to serve you better.
Praise your holy name. Turn our nation back to you, Almighty God, so you can continue to bless us. Make us be what you want us to be. Amen.
Dear Heavenly Father,
It is good to have rules to help guide us so that we can live in a fair, righteous and civil way. Please help us to follow Your laws and to know what to do when there is a conflict. Thank You for giving us life and Your commandments to follow. It makes life simpler knowing that You are providing the way. We are just to trust and obey. Lead me through this day and help me with anything that comes my way. In Jesus ‘ name. Amen.
Perfect AMEN AND HALLALUJAH!!!!????
Lord, thank you for your law, for authorities and government that you use to bring order, justice, peace, to judge and punish evil, but also to test our faith. Help me obey not only your law, but also those that you have allowed to be in power. Give me wisdom when your law supersedes man’s law, and give me the courage to disobey when it’s your will.
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” Psalm 33:12
I think it’s interesting to notes that in verse 23, the Lord is referring to harm done to a pregnant woman, as stated previously …. “If men strive together and harm is done to a pregnant woman,” ….thus the words, “Eye for eye,” etc. Are intended for any harm done to a pregnant woman, not just everybody in every circumstance!
It’s “funny” that people over the years have taken those words “Eye for eye, etc…” out of context and have used them as an excuse to cover every harm done to anybody, and not to a pregnant woman, as the verse implies.
We have seen what happen in society when laws are not keep. riots. May God help to not think bad is good under any circumstance.
I will obey the law of the Lord.