Introduction
Today’s study is about law. Laws again…it’s probably time to buy a new book about lawyer jokes. The books of the Bible now take a drastic turn from narrative and the great story of Abraham’s family, to a set of legal documents by which most people identify the entire book. Ask most people what the Older Testament is about and they will tell you, “Thou shalt not such and such.” Is that what the Bible is really all about? I don’t think so.
What did we learn as the purpose of law anyway?
Today, more teaching. More demands. More boundaries.
Today’s lesson relates to various laws on slavery and purchasing, on homicide and bodily injuries, and the beginning of case law on property damage. This may not excite you as much as the narrative of Joseph or Moses and the Pharaoh, but I assure you, this is as relevant today as it was then, how shall we live it out, now that we are a freed people, needing to know how to relate to one another? Exodus is about our freedom, long after the initial deliverance took place. How do freed slaves live freely? That’s still the story for us, isn’t it? We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt; that’s our family story. But even more, we were slaves to Satan and to sin, to our own selfishness, and God in His own mercy delivered us, redeemed us and brought us back by the Redeemer of all, Messiah Yeshua. Thanks be to God. Now, as a redeemed person, what do I do?
John Wesley said of this chapter, “The laws recorded in this chapter relate to the fifth and sixth commandments; and though not accommodated to our constitution, especially in point of servitude yet are of great use for the explanation of the moral law, and the rules of natural justice.”
And when I write about protecting the innocent, I'm not (only) speaking of the little bird in the photo, but about our neighbour, the unable to self-protect. They are with us. Let's consider ....
Owning people: various laws (verses 1-11)
First things first. You are a delivered people; you were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt for 400 years. All you know is slavery. Now when you fall into hard times and want to indenture yourselves again, here are some rules to follow. That makes sense, doesn’t it?
First, there is a limit on slavery. You can only be a slave to a person for 6 years.(.2) How does that sound to you who have worked for the same boss for 20 years? Of course, today’s employment situations are very different than the slavery concept, still there are parallels.
Wesley commented, “lest they should abuse their servants as they themselves had been abused, provision was made for the mild and gentle usage of servants.”
CS Lewis said this about slavery itself:
“Mankind is so fallen that no man can be trusted with unchecked power over his fellows. Aristotle said that some people were only “fit to be slaves. I do not contradict him. But I reject slavery because I see no men fit to be masters.” "Equality" in his “Present Concerns”
The NIV commentary on this section tells us,
“I love my master . . . wife and children”(.5) has legal rather than romantic overtones (cf. Dt 21:15-17: “does not love,” i.e., “hates”). The “judges” changed the slave’s status from temporary to permanent by a ceremony at the doorpost, the mezuzah, of the master’s house. The perforation of the ear (.6) was a humiliating punishment in the Middle Assyrian Laws.”
The situation of the woman sold by her father (.7ff) indicates a marriage set up, not a slavery one. This, even though she is designated a “servant” by the Book. If the new husband breaches his contract with her, she becomes free, inducted for a good ride, after the invoking of the forfeiture clauses of the moral law.
A word about the word ‘forever’
Some religionists, especially in churches like the Seventh Day variety or in Orthodox Judaism, cite biblical references to bolster their understanding of mandates lasting into our day and beyond.
For instance, concerning the Sabbath, they quote Ex. 31.17 “It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.”
Concerning Law itself, “Be careful to listen to all these words which I command you, in order that it may be well with you and your sons after you forever” Deut. 12.28 or again
“And the statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment, which He wrote for you, you shall observe to do forever” 2 Kings 17.37
Concerning Solomon’s throne “And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever. 2 Sam. 7.16
But there’s something wrong, isn’t there? Solomon’s throne is not here. Some quote passages about Israel lasting forever. But a clear view of history will tell us that Israel did not last forever. For 1900 years it did not exist.
The problem with this simplistic approach is found here in verse 6. “serve him forever.” But is this forever in the Greek eternal sense? Or does it more correctly mean, “As long as he lives, or till the year of Jubilee.” In eternity, a slave will not perpetually be serving his earthly master. There is an end to ‘forever’, although we don’t usually think in those terms.
Those who argue for perpetuity of Torah are not reading their own books, where when Messiah comes, Torah will change. Ask any Chabadnik. It won’t be the same as before. So how can Torah be forever in the non-ending sense? We who know Messiah personally, the One who was born in Bethlehem and died for our sins on the cross, know the Law changed at His coming. For instance, about 2000 years ago a big building fell over in Jerusalem. The Temple. And as a result hundreds of biblical laws that are forever, came to an end. The Law which was l’olam, forever, came to an end. It came to its conclusion and changed. We could not perform scores of mitzvot. Forever came to an end.
There is however, no end to eternal life. No end to eternal walking with God. No end to God who is Himself eternal. And as a result for all who trust Him and know Yeshua, we too will live eternally. That’s good news, friends.
Laws on Bodily injuries and homicide (.12-32)
Verse 24 uses the oft-quoted text of an eye for an eye.
Wesley: “if every man might avenge himself, [this] would introduce universal confusion. The tradition of the elders seems to have put this corrupt gloss upon it. But magistrates had an eye to this rule in punishing offenders and doing right to those that are injured.”
That makes sense. It’s not, “you hurt me, I’m going to retaliate.”
I believe however that it goes beyond human organizing of the society. Listen to the intentionally first-person statements of the Almighty. “I will appoint” and again “Mine altar.” (.13-14) God doesn’t want anyone to miss this—it’s about Him and His plan when people take other lives. What you do to others, you are doing to Him. He takes it personally.
Was ‘eye for an eye’ overturned by Jesus? Not at all. In fact, according to Kilgallon and Webber, in their book “Beyond the Commandments” Jesus elevated the teaching on the Sermon on the Mount above the teachings of Moses. He didn’t say if someone killed they could be killed; he said, if someone is angry, they should be punished. He didn’t lower the bar of biblical standards, he raised them! Imagine higher than the elevated standards that Moses gave. Moses said bad speaking about your family would warrant the death penalty. Now Yeshua takes it further.
The five cases which follow might involve the death penalty for bodily injury. They are fighting, slaves struck by their masters, pregnant women who are assaulted, an overworked slave and goring oxen. All good to know; all proper for magistrates who are trying to organize the justice system for the newly-freed slaves.
Laws about property damages
We will look much more closely to this tomorrow but suffice this intro to open the doors for us. God looks after all people, especially those who cannot see something on the misuse of the open pit, etc. They call it culpable negligence in legal terms.
Lessons learned
I believe we should see applications from our stories today.
1) God’s concerns for slaves and other downtrodden is a model for us all
2) We should all protect the innocent in every circumstance we are able to share
3) Killing another is so serious, God himself will require it of the murderer
4) Only one thing will last forever, and that’s relationship with the Almighty.
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