NOW WHAT? a message

As I approached the 10 commandment series, in our journey through Exodus, I had a couple of weeks to decide what to preach. I felt led to go ahead and jump ahead of the 10 commandments and see what God expected of HIs people after the 10 commandments were given. After studying these passages, I realized that this served well as a good introduction for the 10 commandments series.

I did find this message and the one to follow difficult to prepare and preach. This was especially challenging, since these passages are full of detailed ceremonial laws that are hard, in some cases, to understand, let alone figure out how to apply. It was good for me, personally, to study them, apply them to myslf, and then try to communicate it to everyone else. If you choose to read this message, I pray God will use it to move your heart to action as well.

NOW WHAT?
Exodus 20:22-22:15

Please turn in your Bible to Exodus, the 2nd book of the Bible. Find Exodus, chapter 20.

Coming into the summer, we were making our way through the book of Exodus and made it to chapter 20. We are going to resume in chapter 20, with a series on the Ten Commandments, beginning September 20th. But, before we get there, we are going to look at the other side of the Ten Commandments. That is, after the 10 Commandments were given, God then gave some specific laws for the people of Israel, that were really an application for them, based on the 10 Commandments. But, most of us have not heard much teaching or preaching on the 2nd half of Exodus. And we especially don’t hear much about the particular laws.

The reason we don’t hear about them is because some of them are hard to understand, and applying them is not very easy either. Much of the details of what we read don’t apply in exactly the same way it did back then, and many people wonder if it is even worth the time to read or study it. I have even had friends and other pastors suggest to me, that I skip large sections of Exodus, because of how difficult they are to preach.

But, let me remind you of a truth that has driven me to share every word in Exodus with you.

II Timothy 3:16,17 – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”

When the Apostle Paul wrote these words about the Scriptures, about the Bible, guess what part of the Bible he had access to at that time? That’s right: the Old Testament, including the book of Exodus, including all the specific laws, that was written for a people and culture a long time ago. So, that means that even the 2nd half of Exodus is God’s Word for our application today. It means that these passages are profitable for us, and will help us be all God wants us to be!

I am always interested when I hear about laws that still exist. These are some of the ones, where I could actually verify they were in the law:

· Alabama:
Section 9.08.010 Spitting.
It is unlawful for any person to spit upon the sidewalks, or upon the floors of places of worship, buses, public halls, theaters or other public places.
(Ord. 63A 3-12, 1977)
No spitting in church – good law I think!

· Georgia
Sec. 4-1-9. Animal giveaway. No person in Athens-Clarke County shall give away any live animal, fish, reptile or bird as a prize for, or as an inducement to enter, any contest, game, or other competition, or as an inducement to enter a place of amusement, or offer such animal as an incentive to enter into any business agreement whereby the offer was for the purpose of attracting trade.
(Ord. of 12-1-98)
[Goldfish may not be given away to entice someone to enter a game of bingo, for example]

· Oregon
[Babies may not be carried on the running boards of a car].
811.205 Carrying child on external part of vehicle; penalty.
(1) A person commits the offense of carrying a child on an external part of a motor vehicle if the person carries any child upon the hood, fender, running board or other external part of any motor vehicle that is upon a highway.
(2) The offense described in this section, carrying a child on an external part of a motor vehicle, is a Class B traffic violation.
[1983 c.338 604; 1995 c.383 53]

All moms in favor of that law, say I. Did you notice the law is you can’t do it on the highway? But you can in your own neighborhood?

· Minnesota:
[Airplanes may not be landed in city parks].

7-3-3: ACTIVITIES REQUIRING PERMIT:
No person shall engage in the following activities, except pursuant to a permit for the activity:
G. Use park property for starting or landing of aircraft, hot air balloons, parachutes or hang gliders.
(Ord. 662, 1-20-1999)

· Louisiana:
[“Fake” wrestling matches are prohibited.]

RS 4:7575. Sham or fake contests or exhibitions. Whoever conducts or is a party to any sham or fake boxing contest or wrestling exhibition shall forfeit his license and shall not thereafter be entitled to receive any license pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
Acts 1974, No. 553, 1.

If this law was upheld nation wide, wouldn’t that pretty much abolish all professional wrestling?

· North Carolina
[Bingo games may not last over 5 hours unless it is held at a fair.]

14-309.8. Limit on sessions.
The number of sessions of bingo conducted or sponsored by an exempt organization shall be limited to two sessions per week and such sessions must not exceed a period of five hours each per session. No two sessions of bingo shall be held within a 48-hour period of time. No more than two sessions of bingo shall be operated or conducted in any one building, hall or structure during any one calendar week and if two sessions are held, they must be held by the same exempt organization. This section shall not apply to bingo games conducted at a fair or other exhibition conducted pursuant to Article 45 of Chapter 106 of the General Statutes.
(1983, c. 896, s. 3; c. 923, s. 217; 1983 (Reg. Sess., 1984), c. 1107, ss. 6, 7.)

So, all of you bingo players beware, especially if you are in the state of North Carolina!

· Wisconsin

97.18(4)
(4) The serving of colored oleomargarine or margarine at a public eating place as a substitute for table butter is prohibited unless it is ordered by the customer.

· West Virginia
[A person may be placed in jail for up to six months for making fun of someone who does not accept a challenge.]

61-2-24. Taunting for nonparticipation in duel; penalty.
If any person post another, or in writing or in print use any reproachful or contemptuous language to or concerning another, for not fighting a duel, or for not sending or accepting a challenge, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, shall be confined in jail not more than six months, or fined not exceeding one hundred dollars.

· Missouri

10.32.100 Climbing into another's vehicle, sounding horn, etc. prohibited without permission.
No person shall, without the permission of the owner or person in charge thereof, climb upon or into, or swing upon any motor vehicle or trailer, whether the same is in motion or at rest, or sound the horn or other sound-producing device thereon, or attempt to manipulate any of the levers, starting device, brakes, or machinery thereof, or set the machinery in motion.
(Prior code 21-28)

· Constitution of Tennessee

Article IX Disqualifications
Sections 1 Ineligibility of ministers and priests to seats in legislature.
Whereas Ministers of the Gospel are by their profession, dedicated to God and the care of souls, and ought not to be diverted from the great duties of their functions; therefore, no Minister of the Gospel, or priest of any denomination whatever, shall be eligible to a seat in either House of the Legislature.

Of course – what would we do if people dedicated to God were allowed in politics?

And, in another country: An Israeli couple was fined 1,000 rou- pees (about $23) after an Indian court found them guilty of obscenity…for what? for kissing… in what circumstance? Their own wedding! Yeah!

Laws have been written in different cultures and at different times, to address particular issues that were important to the law makers; and were based on their perception of what was most important to them. In our country, many people talk about laws being based or not being based on the Constitution; but you probably know that many people disagree on how to interpret the Constitution. It can be a real mess to figure out. However, back when God brought His people out of bondage in Egypt and began to lead them toward the promised land, He gave them His moral law: the Ten commandments. And following that major list, He gave them many specific laws, that were based on their culture at that time, and that were based on the foundational Ten Commandments. They had the 10 commandments, but the question was: NOW WHAT? How did those commandments apply to the particulars of their lives in that day?

I’m just telling you right now: just like some of the laws in our country, some of these God put together may not make sense to you. One of the main reasons they are hard to understand, is because God made those rules for a particular people at a particular time. Many of them no longer apply to us; but many of them laid the foundation for our laws today. So, I would like to approach these laws for ancient Israel this way. We will look at a section of the laws, and see the points of law, the perspective we should have of those laws; and the principle we can apply from them, based on the whole Word of God.

A title, that is commonly applied to Exodus 20:22-24:8 is The Book of the Covenant. The reason for this title is because this is a section of laws and rules, that God gave to the people of Israel, that served as an agreement. This was how they were to apply the Ten Commandments that He had just given them. These laws would reveal the character of God. These laws would give the people an opportunity to demonstrate that what they said was true: Before the 10 commandments:

Exodus 19:7,8 – “So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him. All the people answered together and said, All that the LORD has spoken we will do…”

And after these laws were given, following the 10 commandments:
Exodus 24:7 – “Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.”

So, the 10 commandments were given, and then the laws that specifically applied those commandments were given; and the people gave the same response: All that the LORD has spoken, we will do. Now, let me remind you, that the name for God here, in verse 22, is LORD, in all capital letters, referring to the Hebrew name YAHWEH or we could pronounce it Jehovah. This is the name for God that refers to His faithfulness and loyalty in keeping all of His promises and desiring a special relationship with His people. Now, the key was, for the people of Israel, whether or not they were going to keep their end – through obedience.
Forty years later, the people of Israel would be getting ready to enter the promised land, and Moses reminded them of this time when this agreement, this covenant was made. According to Deuteronomy 4:15, when God gave them these commandments, the people “saw no form of any kind”. In other words, they did not see God – at all, when these laws were given.

This would become a huge challenge for God’s people back then. It is still a huge challenge for us today. They could not see God, although they could see the results of His presence everywhere. Because they could not see Him, they struggled with fully trusting in Him. And although they said they would do everything He said, they would find it much more difficult to follow through once they were faced with tough trials and temptations, on their journey to the promised land. In our passages in Exodus this morning, and throughout this Book of the Covenant, we learn about God, and we learn about our right response to Him:

1. God is invisible: Listen to His Word (20:22-26)

Exodus 20:22,23 – “And the LORD said to Moses, Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: You have seen for yourselves that I have talked with you from heaven. You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.”

I told you that a huge challenge was that the people could not see God. Why was that a challenge? Because most of us trust in only what we can see; and why wouldn’t we want to see God, you know, to know for sure that He exists and that we can believe Him? Well…that would take away the faith element, which would be a problem. And when people can’t see God, He knew that they would be tempted to make, with their own hands, gods that they could see. It sounds ridiculous, but it is exactly what people who didn’t believe in God did; and it is what even God’s people were tempted to do. That is why the 2nd commandment was this:

Exodus 20:4,5 – “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or 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. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God…” The first point:

· POINT: Don’t make something to replace God

The 2nd commandment made it clear that they were not to make any kind of replacement for God. Because, the true God deserves their wholehearted commitment and dedication, instead of dividing it with other false gods. So, here, following the Ten Commandments, this was reiterated. But, instead of trying to replace God with building idols to worship, they were to build altars on which to make sacrifices to the one and only true God.

Exodus 20:24-26 – “An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.” What does that mean?

In order to worship Him properly, the people were to worship only Him; and were to use their hands to build an altar to make sacrifices. But, that altar was to be made of natural stone and not formed with tools, in a sense, to keep it pure for worship. He didn’t want the altar itself to become an idol of worship for them.

On this altar, they would bring the specific offerings of worship that God would require. This would be a part of them following through by doing all that God would tell them to do.

POINT: Build an altar and approach the worship of God purely

In the culture of that day, and in days to come, people would use nudity and sex to worship false gods. Later, steps would be made in the temple and the priests would wear undergarments, to show modesty and purity as well. God’s people were to demonstrate purity in their worship. Basically, they were to follow the Word of God, as it related to how to worship Him properly. No, they wouldn’t be able to see Him; but God would communicate His Word through His leaders, and the leaders, in turn, would communicate it to them.

PERSPECTIVE: God required their worship and that it be in holiness

God created them and loved them and was therefore rightly jealous when they loved someone else. And as a holy God, He made that the expectation for His people. This was God’s perspective:

Leviticus 19:2 – “…You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”
The Apostle Thomas did not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead, at first, and said he wanted to see Jesus for himself. Once Jesus appeared to him, he believed, and repented of his unbelief. But Jesus gave a word of encouragement to all of us, when He said to Thomas:

John 20:29 – “Jesus said to him, Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

PRINCIPLE: You cannot see the invisible God, but you can accept His Word by faith.

This applies to us. Just as with Israel in those days, we cannot visibly see God. What we have is His Word: The Bible. You cannot see Him, but you can choose to trust in His Word. His Word tells you what you need to know about God, about yourself, and about your relationship with Him. Do you find yourself struggling to follow an invisible God? Join the club. You cannot prove God’s existence, but if He lives in you, you know He is real; and you have the completed Word of God to guide you in all truth. God is invisible: Listen to His Word. Secondly:

2. God is just: obey His laws (21:1-22:15)

Again, there is an emphasis on the character of God, just as the people of God are to respond to that character with certain actions. In the case of a variety of laws we have in this book of the Covenant, the people were to obey in order to respond correctly to God’s character. And these laws covered many areas of life, and gave specific instructions that applied to their culture. You are going to think, and rightly so, that many of these details don’t apply to us today. But, do not make the mistake of thinking that these passages have nothing to do with us; because the principles found here have lasted up until today, and certainly apply to your life and mine. He begins with:

· Laws about slaves (21:1-11)

Exodus 21:1-6 – “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 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. But if the slave plainly says, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free, 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.”

Points:
· A Jewish male slave will be set free after serving 6 years
· The slave can choose to remain with his master for the rest of his life

Exodus 21:7-11 - “When a man sells his daughter, as a slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. 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. If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter. If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights. And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing , without payment of money.”

Points:
· A Jewish female slave could have her freedom purchased
· The slave was to be well taken care of, providing for her future

Those were laws that don’t have specific application to us, so let’s get some biblical:

PERSPECTIVE:
God regulated the existing practice of slavery, and provided rules that would take care of their well being, or even to set them free.

Was God condoning slavery here? No. This practice was already in place, but God regulated it in order to protect the slaves. God was not condoning divorce here, but regulating it to protect the women. God chose to use the idea of slavery instead of prisons and prisoner of war camps; to promote His justice and love for all people. There is a principle for us to apply today:

Remember that a Jewish male slave, after 6 years, had the option of leaving a free man or having a nail of sorts put through his ear, and remaining that master’s servant for the rest of his life? The Bible talks about we Christians making that same decision. The Apostle Paul often referred to Himself as a servant, a bond slave of Jesus Christ. This was the word for slave, one who would commit his life to serve His master. So, the principle for us today is this:

PRINCIPLE:
· You can respond to His love by committing to serving Him for the rest of your life

President Abraham Lincoln was instrumental in the first steps toward abolishing slavery. And the story goes that one day he went down to a slave block to buy a slave girl. As she looked at the well-dressed white man bidding on her, she figured that he was just another one that was going to buy her and then abuse her. Well, Lincoln won the bid, but as he was walking away with his legal property, he said, “Young lady, you’re free.” She was silent for a moment, and then she asked, “What does that mean?”“It means you are free.”“Does that mean I can say what I want to say?”“Yes.”“Does it mean I can do what I want to do?”“Yes, of course.”“Does it mean I can go where I want to go?”“Yes, you can go wherever you want to go.”Then with tears streaming down her face she said, “Then I will go with you.”

That is the picture of what every true believe in Jesus Christ does. We are given our freedom in Christ, bought with His shed blood and made alive through His resurrection. And because of His great love, we commit our lives to Him, freely following Him; rather than spending our days in selfish pursuits. He bought us, and so we are dedicated to Him forever! This is the right response to His justice, His grace, His mercy. In fact, the only reason we make ourselves His servant, is became He paved the way by becoming a servant, for our salvation:

Philippians 2:5-9 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Next, we have:

· Laws for crimes requiring death (21:12-17)
Exodus 21:12-14 – “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. 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. But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.”

Today, we call this capital punishment. Here’s the:
POINT: If a man kills on purpose, he must die

Now, if it was accidental, or there were circumstances other than premeditation, then the man who did the killing had Cities of Refuge where he could go for temporary safety, until judges determined his guilt or innocence. But, if it is determined that a man took a life, a part from the law, he would be killed: life for life. This was the justice God set up at that time. There were no prisons for rehabilitation. If you took and destroyed God’s creation, he required your life as well.

These laws are an application of the 6th commandment:
Exodus 20:13 – “You shall not murder.” O.k. Back to:

Exodus 21:15 – “Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.”

POINT: If a child hit a parent, the child would be put to death. Wow – isn’t that something? In God’s eyes, that is what a child deserved, if he/she decided to disobey and rebel against God, as it relates to the 5th commandment:

Exodus 20:12 – “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”

If you decided to strike your parents, your days were not going to be long. That is what you deserved. It was justice…God’s justice. Perhaps, as some suggest, to strike a parent means to kill them; but that is not certain. We would like to think it would be the discipline for murder; but if a child, in those days decided to lash out at the authority God placed in their lives, they were, truly, lashing out against God. In that day, it brought death.

Exodus 21:16 – “Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death.”

POINT: If a person kidnapped another person, he would be put to death.

What sometimes happened is this: someone would steal a child, or a slave, or take someone else by force and sell them as slaves, making money on the deal. In God’s sight, this person deserved death. That was God’s justice. They would receive the death penalty because, even though they didn’t take a life, they decided to steal someone for their own benefit, rebelling against God and abusing His created beings.
Exodus 21:17 – “Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.”

POINT: If a child cursed his parents, he would be put to death.

Do you really want to know how serious God was about obeying and honoring parents; and how if you didn’t, you would not receive God’s promise about living very long on the earth. This shows it pretty clearly, doesn’t it? If a child cursed his parents, he could be brought before the authorities for Israel and then put to death. Again, we don’t exactly what this means. Does it mean that the child one time curses out his parents? I don’t know. But it is clear, once again, that God takes it very seriously when a child decides to curse God by cursing the parental authorities He has given for their good. Let’s try to get some biblical:

PERSPECTIVE: God’s justice requires that when someone else dishonors life through abuse or murder, the offender’s life is taken.

You might not think this was too fair. But, think about it this way. God was demonstrating His justice; and it didn’t matter who you were: man or woman, slave or free, parent or child – you were expected to treat others fairly and respect life – otherwise, you would lose your own. Yes, today, the grace and mercy of God seem to be most evident. He normally doesn’t take someone’s life just as he did in those days (although He does give the government the responsibility of taking life in some circumstances.) But, this was God’s justice in that day, and it was always right. The people didn’t need to worry about what the rules were, but they just needed to obey. So what about today? What is the:

PRINCIPLE: You are to value the lives of others, as much you value yours

If you live out the command of Jesus:
Matthew 7:12 – “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them…”

Then, you won’t murder, you won’t lash out against your parents, you won’t kidnap anyone – make sense?

Next there were:

· Laws about injuries (21:18-32)
Exodus 21:18,19 – “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, 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.

POINT: If someone is injured in a fight, the offender will pay for the recovery process.

This isn’t too far off of some laws today, that have the offender pay for time lost when someone is injured and cannot work; as well as paying for the medical bills.

Exodus 21:20,21 – “When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged. But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money.” Skip down to:

Exodus 21:26, 27 – “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. If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth.”

POINT: If a slave is disciplined too severely, the owner will pay.

If he killed his slave in discipline, he would be disciplined by law. If he injured the slave so badly that he couldn’t serve, he would lose out of productivity. If the master would, in his discipline, go too far and the slave would lose use of an eye of lose a tooth, then God’s justice demanded that the slave be given his freedom. That would hurt the master greatly, in financial terms, in the short and long run. Back to

Exodus 21:22-25 – “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. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.”

This whole “life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth” idea was given by God to His people, in those days, which people even today might refer to in principle: The punishment must fit the crime. Warren Wiersbe writes: “This principle has been severely criticized by some as being barbaric, but it’s just the opposite. In an age when the legal system was developing, this law made sure that the punishment meted out by the judges was equal to the seriousness and severity of the crime, not more and not less. If the guilty aggressor blinded his enemy’s eye, then his own eye was blinded. Nothing could be fairer. If you broke your enemy’s finger and the court ordered you to be blinded, that wouldn’t be fair at all, because the sentence must fit the crime. The only time this principle was not enforced was when a master injured a slave, and the slave’s compensation was his or her freedom.

POINT: If fighting men cause a pregnant woman to give birth pre-maturely, they are held responsible.

If the baby is not harmed, then there would be a fine imposed by the judges. If however, there was harm done, then whatever was lost or damaged by the offender would be done to the offender. That means that if an eye was lost, an eye would be destroyed of the offender. If any body part was broken, missing or destroyed, the same would be done to him. And if this caused death, then his life would be taken from him. Are you getting the idea that God valued life, and in those days, so did the law?

“When Jesus prohibited His disciples from retaliating against those who hurt them, He was dealing with personal revenge and encouraging personal forgiveness. He wasn’t criticizing Moses or interfering with the legal system, because he came to fulfill the Law and not to destroy it. As believers, we have the privilege of waiving our legal rights to the glory of God and not demanding compensation . However, a judge has to see that justice is done and the law is respected.”

Exodus 21:28-32 – “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. 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. If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him. If it gores a man’s son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule. 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.”

POINT: If a person’s animal injures or kills someone, the one responsible is punished.

If the animal hurts or kills someone, the animal is killed. But if the animal has done this before and the owner doesn’t contain it, they both die. It seems harsh and yet this was the justice God required. The court could also fine the owner and allow him to pay it and go free. Whether the animal hurt a man or woman, the punishment was the same. If a slave was hurt, there was a particular fine paid.

The Associated Press reported this on March 21, 2002: “A woman whose two huge dogs mauled a neighbor to death in their San Francisco apartment building was convicted of murder, a charge almost never leveled in an animal attack. Her husband was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Marjorie Knoller, age 46, could face 15 years to life in prison for second-degree murder conviction in last year’s death of 33 year old Diane Whipple.” That type of conviction certain comes from the principle of this law in the Old Testament.

Here is God’s:
PERSPECTIVE: Every life is precious, and when life is harmed, the offender must pay a price.

And this goes for man, woman, slave or child, including the unborn. What would God have to say about abortion, spousal abuse or any kind of careless harm that people participate in today? This is the way God sees it: It is not just about life and death; but about how life is treated, no matter who you are. God set it up so that if a slave was harmed, justice would bring his freedom. If an animal, even, does the harming, a price is paid. God is so concerned with the lives that He created, He set up stiff penalties for anyone who did not respect His creation; which by the way, according to the Bible:

Genesis 2:27 – “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him male and female he created them.”

PRINCIPLE: You should do everything in your power to treat others as God’s image, and to protect them.

This might mean that you have the authority to discipline others, make the punishment fit the crime, and to direct them to the glory and holiness of God. But, in most cases, this will be about you making sure you are treating every person as someone created in God’s image; and then doing what you can to protect them. Finally, this morning, let’s look at the:

Laws on property damage (21:33-22:15)

Exodus 21:33,34 – “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, the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his.”

Exodus 21:35,36 – “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. 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.”

POINT: If an animal is killed or injured, the one responsible must pay.
The animals were very important, so that they could work the land; and so proper restitution had to be made if an animal was no longer able to work.

Exodus 22:1-4 – “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.”

The 8th commandment:
Exodus 20:15 – “You shall not steal.”

POINT: Depending on the circumstances, a thief may pay with animals, his freedom or his life.

This is what God determined. If someone stole another’s animal, they had to repay more than what they stole. If it was in the night, the owner could kill the thief and there was no penalty. The idea was that finding help in the night was much more difficult and if the owner had to defend himself and his property on his own, and ended up killing the man, he would not be held guilty. If the owner killed the thief during the day, he would be responsible for killing the thief. If the thief doesn’t have enough, he would be sold into slavery in order to pay his fine.

There is a principal here, that depending on what a person takes, he must face the consequences and make restitution. Just like the thief in Montgomery, Alabama.
October 27, 2007 - The unlucky burglar was caught red-handed when Adrian and Tiffany McKinnon returned to their house near Montgomery, Alabama, after a week away.To their dismay they discovered their home had been plundered.

"Tears just rolled down my face as I walked in and saw everything gone and piles of trash all over my home," Mrs. McKinnon told her local newspaper the Montgomery Advertiser.When her husband walked into another room to check what was missing he came face to face with the burglar, who was wearing one of Mr. McKinnon's hats."My husband Adrian caught the thief red-handed in our home. And what is even crazier, the man even had my husband's hat sitting right on his head," Mrs. McKinnon said.Mr. McKinnon held suspect Tajuan Bullock at gunpoint and made him sit down until he decided what to do."We made this man clean up all the mess he made, piles of stuff, he had thrown out of my drawers and cabinets onto the floor," Mrs. McKinnon said.When the police arrived the work-shy burglar had the cheek to complain to them - about having to clean up his mess at gunpoint."This man had the nerve to raise sand about us making him clean up the mess he made in my house," said Mrs. McKinnon. But the police officer laughed at Bullock when he complained and told him that anybody else would have shot him dead. Bullock was arrested on burglary and theft charges and was held in Montgomery County Detention Facilities.

He deserved to die, but grace and mercy was shown. However, the older couple also expected this thief to clean up his mess; which was a part of paying restitution. It just makes sense, doesn’t it?



Exodus 22:5,6 – “If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard. If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.”
POINT: If crops are destroyed, the one responsible must pay

With no fences in those days, but just boundary markers, animals could easily cross boundaries and ruin another’s field. It was the owner of the animal’s responsibility to make sure that didn’t happen. Or, if someone was careless and started a fire that ruined crops, they had to pay the full value. Again, even though we live in a different day, many of these laws, and the consequences for disobeying make a lot of common sense; and were supposed to be the foundation for our laws today.

Exodus 22:7-9 – “If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man’s house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor’s property. For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, This is it, the case of both parties shall come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.”

Exodus 22:10-13 – “If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it, an oath by the LORD shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor’s property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution. But if it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner. If it is torn by beasts, let him bring it as evidence. He shall not make restitution for what has been torn.”

Exodus 22:14,15 – “If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution. If the owner was with it, he shall not make restitution: if it was hired, it came for its hiring fee.”

POINT: Whoever is responsible for the loss of the animal, he must pay.

We should be able to trust our neighbors to watch our stuff, right? But, if stolen, or innocently loses the animal while in his possession, he must prove or give an oath before God that he had nothing to do with it; and prove that he is not liable because of carelessness. Whoever is found guilty must pay back double the value of what was lost. The judges would determine who was telling the truth, if it was stolen, if it was an accident; and would decide who was at blame. However, if the owner was with the person he gave his animal to watch over, when something happened, there was no liability.
PERSPECTIVE: Since everything is God’s, even man’s possessions, then those responsible for the loss of those possessions are held responsible by God.

So, let’s say you took something that didn’t belong to you. Even if the law doesn’t demand it today, you not only confess your sin, but pay back more than you owe. It is the principle of restitution. It is a principle we can instill in our children. They may not like it, when they have to hand over 2 toys to their brother or sister from whom they borrowed and broke one, but it will teach them this important principle.

A famous biblical example of this is a man named Zacchaeus. You can read about him in Luke 19. He was a tax collector, and stole from people on a regular basis. But, once Jesus came into his life and changed it forever, he changed as well. In fact, one of the evidences that he truly was changed by Jesus, is found in this declaration:

Luke 19:8 – “And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.”

PRINCIPLE: You are to pay back more than what you damaged.

Because God is a just God, we are to obey His laws. What does that mean for you today? Are you willing to think about it? Are you willing to pray about it? Are you willing to ask the dangerous question: Lord, what is the one thing you want me to do, in response to your word today? Would you please stand with me? And please take a moment to pray. Then, when the music starts, please join us, as we think about how the holiness of God should affect the way we look at these principles today: Let’s Pray.