Written by: Nick Shepherd
Exodus 22 v 1-4
“If a man steals a bull or a sheep and kills or sells it, he must pay back
five bulls for the one bull he stole and four sheep for the one sheep he stole.
“The robber who is caught must pay back what he stole. If he owns nothing,
he must be sold as a slave to pay for what he stole. If the stolen animal is
found alive with the robber, he must give the owner two animals for every animal
he stole, whether it was a bull, donkey, or sheep.
"If a thief is killed while breaking into a house at night, the one who
killed him is not guilty of murder. But if this happens during the day, he is
guilty of murder.”
Notes
Over the last couple of years there have been a number of stories about burglars
caught in the act of robbing and shot by the homeowners. The argument comes
down to self- protection – “a man has a right to defend his property”.
However, I also think a little slither of another feeling creeps into this.
This can be summarised by an old-fashioned phrase – comeuppance! A
thief “getting what they deserve” is no bad thing we may feel.
In America the fine line between protecting one’s property and killing
a fleeing criminal in vengeance often hinges on window hinges – whether
the body falls inside or outside the house!
Jewish law has a similar right to security and restitution, for victims of crime. Yet the thief is also attributed protection. This is highly unusual for the time and place this law was written. The Near-East in the 3rd century BC was not renowned for its protection of criminals. Stoning and lynching even a suspect would not usually be condemned. Not so for Yahweh’s people. Property, though valuable, is not worth more than a life, even the life of a thief.
A thief caught in the act has to pay for his crime. In the dark of a night illuminated only by the stars, taking no chances in stopping a criminal can be forgiven. Not so in the light of day, or the light of the law. It is possible to covet the possessions we own as much as those that others have. Such coveting may lead people to steal, or it may lead those wronged to murderous rage.
Of course, this situation is far too far-fetched. Someone took the car parking space I was waiting for the other day – I was so angry I could have killed him.
Prayer
Lord God,
The world I live in is broken and damaged by sin. I confess that sometimes
my attitude to those who perpetrate wrongs is often just as damaged by my own
greed and mistrust. Help me to be more like my God of grace who seeks to protect
both victims and perpetrators. Amen
Exodus 22 v 5-8
“If a man lets his farm animal graze in his field or vineyard, and it wanders
into another man’s field or vineyard, the owner of the animal must pay
back the loss from the best of his crop.
“Suppose a man starts a fire that spreads through the thornbushes to his
neighbour’s field. If the fire burns his neighbour’s growing grain
or grain that has been stacked, or if it burns his whole field, the person who
started the fire must pay for what was burned.
“Suppose a man gives his neighbour money or other things to keep for him
and those things are stolen from the neighbour’s house. If the thief is
caught, he must pay back twice as much as he stole. But if the thief is never
found, the owner of the house must make a promise before God that he has not
stolen his neighbour’s things.”
Notes
When I was younger my best friend’s family had a running feud with a
neighbour. I have no idea how it started. It seems vaguely amusing now to picture
their next door neighbour and remember his antics. He makes Victor Meldrew
look like a gentile, kindly old man without a bad word against anyone. This “neighbour” would
regularly “accidentally” spill his rubbish onto my friend’s
family’s drive. He once “forgot” he’d left a hosepipe
on watering his hedge (his hedge!) and flooded their garage.
These laws differentiate between carelessness and deliberate malevolence. Or, to put it another way, living next door to an idiot or a sadistic so and so! The capacity of the human heart to deceive is without question. But the first act of deception is often to convince yourself you’ve done nothing wrong – “it was an accident; it wasn’t my fault”. If you achieve this act of conscience submergence then the next step is easy. Deluding yourself that you actually didn’t do anything wrong – it really wasn’t your fault; somebody else did it.
Accidents do happen. The first two laws here bring an uncomfortable suggestion. If we screw up we might have to pay! These types of laws were given to help regulate disputes among farmers. Genuine hardship would result in the loss of grazing or grain. Therefore such accidental damage would really hurt. In such circumstances we may be tempted to place the blame elsewhere! “I have a sheep that smokes; he must have started the fire – not me, guv.” This capacity for deceiving others and ourselves is a real temptation. Especially if you think you can get away with it because no one saw or someone else could have done it!
Have you ever broken something and blamed someone else? No, course you haven’t!
Prayer
“If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not
in us. But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust
God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done.
If we say we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and we do not accept God's
teaching.” (1 John 1 v 8-10)
Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen
Exodus 22 v 9-15
“Suppose two men disagree about who owns something—whether ox, donkey,
sheep, clothing, or something else that is lost. If each says, ‘This is
mine,’ each man must bring his case to God. God’s judges will decide
who is guilty, and that person must pay the other man twice as much as the object
is worth.
“Suppose a man asks his neighbour to keep his donkey, ox, sheep, or some
other animal for him, and that animal dies, gets hurt, or is taken away, without
anyone seeing what happened. That neighbour must promise before the LORD that
he did not harm or kill the other man’s animal, and the owner of the animal
must accept his promise made before God. The neighbour does not have to pay the
owner for the animal. But if the animal was stolen from the neighbour, he must
pay the owner for it. If wild animals killed it, the neighbour must bring the
body as proof, and he will not have to pay for the animal that was killed.
“If a man borrows an animal from his neighbour, and it gets hurt or dies
while the owner is not there, the one who borrowed it must pay the owner for
the animal. But if the owner is with the animal, the one who borrowed it does
not have to pay. If the animal was rented, the rental price covers the loss.”
Notes
Renting a car (or animal) can be a very stressful process. It’s so complicated.
One of the options faced is whether to take a mystical optional extra called “collision
damage waiver” (CDW)! What? Am I agreeing to wave politely at someone
who runs into me? These verses remind me of the small print in an insurance
agreement!
The first time I rented a “big van” to move a load of stuff for work, apart from having to buy a day’s worth of Yorkie bars to give me the trucker image, I took out “collision damage waver”. At the start of the rental a nice man walks around the van and marks on a sheet of paper where all the current dents and bumps are. At the end of the rental a nasty man (who just happens to be the same man) walks around the van and sees if he can find any new ones! As it happens he found something! There was a new scratch down the side; I know not from where it came – honest, before God, I don’t! Its OK, I thought, I have CDW! Ah – now we learn about “the excess”!
The Apostle Paul provides some excellent explanations about how we as Christians should understand the law. In Romans 7 he tells us that the purpose of the law is really to point out sin. The law is very good at pointing out sin, but it doesn’t provide a way of dealing with it. It’s the equivalent of the clipboard the rental man had to mark the marks on my van – it showed up a new flaw.
Even with CDW I was looking at paying £250. That was until the rental agent said, “Ah, I’ll pretend I never saw it; give us the keys!”
Prayer
God of grace,
Where I am aware of my sin, help me to confess.
Where I am ignorant of my sin, gently provoke me.
Where I am defiant in my sin, rebuke me.
But above all, grant me your grace that I may be free of my sin and know I
am forgiven.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Exodus 22 v 16-24
“Suppose a man finds a woman who is not pledged to be married and has never
had sexual relations with a man. If he tricks her into having sexual relations
with him, he must give her family the payment to marry her, and she will become
his wife. But if her father refuses to allow his daughter to marry him, the man
must still give the usual payment for a bride who has never had sexual relations.
“Put to death any woman who does evil magic.
“Put to death anyone who has sexual relations with an animal.
“Destroy completely any person who makes a sacrifice to any god except
the LORD.
“Do not cheat or hurt a foreigner, because you were foreigners in the land
of Egypt.
“Do not cheat a widow or an orphan. If you do, and they cry out to me for
help, I certainly will hear their cry. And I will be very angry and kill you
in war. Then your wives will become widows, and your children will become orphans.”
Notes
This is a fascinating list of four laws aptly located in a section of Exodus
that some commentaries call “miscellaneous religious and social statutes”!
This does appear to be a very miscellaneous list!
In actual fact these four statutes provide an excellent “caricature” of what God finds detestable practices, things that his people should not indulge in. Like a caricature, it’s a bit of a cartoon – it accentuates the certain features. As in some political cartoons this particular sketch picks out prominent ugly features! You could say that the prominent features being described are the “eyes” and the “hands” of faith (or in this case living contrary to faith).
Israel was chosen to be God’s people – a nation who by the way that they lived would be “a light to other nations”. The first call is to be faithful to God in worship. The second duty is to demonstrate God’s care and justice. Putting to death “a woman who does magic” and “anyone who has sex with an animal” are both connected to acts of idol worship that existed at this time. Though sex with animals is most likely despicable in God’s eyes full stop, it is it in the context of the looking to idols in worship (pleas for help and assistance) that it is mentioned here. The second two statutes are connected to how God’s people are to treat the most vulnerable in society. Those who break these aspects of covenant are threatened with the death penalty as well – this time by divine action in the coming of war.
Idolatrous behaviour can lead us to worship that which we shouldn’t and exploit those who we are charged with caring for. This is a salutary reminder to us about how we view sin and wrongdoing.
Prayer
Lord God,
Help me to be honest with you about my own sin and failings.
Help me to be single in my worship of you and singular in my pursuit of justice.
[Spend some time thinking about issues of your own worship and dependency on
God and issues of justice in our world]
Amen
Exodus 22 v 25-31
“If you lend money to one of my people who is poor, do not treat him as
a moneylender would. Charge him nothing for using your money. If your neighbour
gives you his coat as a promise for the money he owes you, you must give it back
to him by sunset, because it is the only cover to keep his body warm. He has
nothing else to sleep in. If he cries out to me for help, I will listen, because
I am merciful.
“You must not speak against God or curse a leader of your people.
“Do not hold back your offering from the first of your harvest and the
first wine that you make. Also, you must give me your firstborn sons. You must
do the same with your bulls and your sheep. Let the firstborn males stay with
their mothers for seven days, and on the eighth day you must give them to me.
“You are to be my holy people. You must not eat the meat of any animal
that has been killed by wild animals. Instead, give it to the dogs.”
Notes
Drop the Debt – Make Poverty History – Fair Trade Now
The last four years have seen a constant drip, drip, drip of protest and creative
action that it seems has finally begun to be a social force that can achieve
change in campaigning for debt relief and fair trade for the poorest people
on our planet. There are still challenges nonetheless and recent comments by
leaders of the campaigns I mention above has stated that the progress in implementing
agreements at this year’s G8 has been disappointing. If you’re
not involved or connected to these campaigns then these verses should stimulate
you to be so! The aim and purpose of Drop the Debt and Fair Trade Now to Make
Poverty History are biblical and rightly deserve the church’s full support.
However, in reading this passage something else struck me that could get lost in our focus and zeal for campaigning on issues of poverty – personal generosity. “Firstborns” and “firstfruits” were offered to God as a sign of thankfulness and recognition of God’s provision. There is nothing harder to swallow (or is it just me) than teaching on giving, yet being a people of justice demands that we make sacrifices as well as sign petitions. I would much rather turn up to a good protest gig with great bands than go without buying the iPod nano I was eyeing up in Dixons the other week and give that money away! I really don’t know if I will save up my Christmas money and buy the iPod – being honest I probably will; but I am provoked by this passage to reconsider how I make personal generosity and sacrifice more a part of my response to other people’s need.
Prayer
Give me today my daily bread and help me to share my excess.
Your kingdom come, your will be done. Amen
Exodus 23 v 1-3
“You must not tell lies. If you are a witness in court, don’t help
a wicked person by telling lies.
“You must not do wrong just because everyone else is doing it. If you are
a witness in court, you must not ruin a fair trial. You must not tell lies just
because everyone else is. If a poor person is in court, you must not take his
side just because he is poor.”
Notes
A couple of years ago I was on jury service. I loved it. I was assigned to
Belmarsh Crown Court in London, though I didn’t get any of the more
infamous “terror” suspects held there. I enjoyed being in court
and listening to the cases and thought it an incredible privilege to be in
such a responsible position. If you’re ever called, don’t make
an excuse and try and get out of it – the God we serve is interested
in fairness and impartiality in human justice. If we are participants in
court – witnesses, jurors, accusers or defendants - we need to provide
what we can to see that this happens. This starts with our own integrity
and honesty.
These verses are part of a section in Exodus that covers procedures for court and regulations for courts. In what is called jurisprudence (the ethics and basis of law) the framework we have inherited from “Judaeo-Christian” values is very strong. It’s interesting that in many sections of the law we find stern commandments on protecting those who are poor and vulnerable. Yet, here we find an insight into the fairness and justice God wants. Courts are not to be used as a means to personal gain, where people can use their circumstances of poverty and appeal to the authorities for recompense unfairly. Such cases are to be treated with contempt.
At the beginning of jury service you are asked to swear an oath on the Bible (or other holy text) or “affirm” your impartiality to the court. This is a principle we need to celebrate and uphold in our society – and pray that our courts can be places of fairness and lack of prejudice, whatever temptations may be faced to the contrary.
Prayer
Lord God,
I pray for our judicial service. For those who work in law – judges,
barristers, solicitors, probation officers and court officials. I ask that
you would grant them wisdom and skill in maintaining fairness in our system.
I ask too that for our law makers, you would provide counsel in how to introduce
new laws that will provide continued protection for the innocent and the good
of society, but not be open to bias and unfair interpretation. Amen
Exodus 23 v 4-7
“If you see your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering away, you must return
it to him. If you see that your enemy’s donkey has fallen because its load
is too heavy, do not leave it there. You must help your enemy get the donkey
back on its feet.
“You must not be unfair to a poor person when he is in court. You must
not lie when you accuse someone in court. Never allow an innocent or honest person
to be put to death as punishment, because I will not treat guilty people as if
they were innocent.”
Notes
These verses hint at the centrality of forgiveness in God’s scheme of
justice. The first two verses (the ones about the donkey) seem a little out
of place in what is essentially a section on rules for conduct in court. However,
if you take the line of some Bible commentators, that this is advice for someone
who encounters their “advisory” from court outside of court, they
make a little more sense. What should your attitude be if you met them outside
of court?
This is not merely asking someone to be “civil” with someone they are in dispute with, but kind. It is not simply asking people to get along, but to “put yourself out for” the person you have taken (or are being taken by) to court. This seems to me to ensure two things. Firstly, it forces a person to deal with the emotional attitude to a person we are in dispute with – do we forgive or hold a grudge? If we forgive, whatever verdict is delivered by the court will not hamper moving on from this dispute. If we don’t forgive then whatever the verdict is will not address any emotional bitterness. In addition, these actions may cause a change of heart and reconciliation, no longer requiring a court action. This is always preferable to God as a basis for his people’s social lives together (see 1 Corinthians 6 v 1-6).
The second part of this section perhaps suggests that the rush for justice can sometimes lead to injustice, or worse that dishonesty can lead to the honest being punished. Here again, forgiveness meters out a sense of fairness. Looking for “justice” is not to get even. Looking for “justice” is seeking for the truth to guide a verdict.
Prayer
Lord God,
Help me to desire reconciliation above “justice” - getting equality,
not “even”.
Help me in my own attitudes towards those with whom I disagree or am in open
dispute.
In the name of Jesus, who calls us to love our “enemies”, Amen
word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text
taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright
1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes