February 5, Reading Notes

Exodus 21:22-23:13

The laws that God is giving here do not spell out every possible situation, but they do provide a network of situations that you could use to make applications to other similar but unmentioned events.

It seems that for this first block, the central theme is restitution and punishment in case of a death.

Ex. 21:22-25

Notice that the baby is killed by accident. Since it is not murder, there is a penalty for killing the child. The father sets the restitution and judges determine if this is fair. If the woman is injured, the penalty will be the same as the injury. This is the first mention of this famous law of retribution. Notice that it actually limits what can be done to a person in judgment. Life for life is clear, but the others say that you cannot go beyond duplicating the injury. It makes it clear too, that this was overseen by the town judges or elders.

Ex. 21:26-27

As in the law above, this does not seem to be premeditated, but someone losing their mind and lashing out. In this case, injury would mean letting the slave go free.

Ex. 21:28-36

These 3 situations have to do with restitution where animals are inflicting harm or are harmed by carelessness.

What hits me here is that in the first situation, the man who owned the ox was liable for death if he knew the animal was dangerous. Yet in this case, the judges and family of the victim could elect to not kill the man, but instead, demand a payment of some kind.

Ex. 22:1-17

I just have a couple of notes here.

Notice that this section hangs together because each block begins with “If.” Verse 18 begins a different kind of thought.

It seems that the issue in this section is “restitution for damaging someone’s property or means of revenue.” You might come up with a better title or idea. Back in that day, livestock carried things and moved things and plowed things. You can understand the money, property and livestock, but what is that section about the virgin doing there?

First, when a family married off their virgin daughter, they were given money or cattle or something, the bride price.

Notice, that she is “seduced” and not a willing participant. Back in that day, a girl could be engaged as a young teen. Some say that Mary, Jesus’ mother, could have been as young as 14 or 15. In this case, I suppose if she was at a feast or celebration and someone was feeding her wine this could happen. Women, when guys say, “Can I buy you a drink,” that is not a gift, it is a speculative investment. In any case, this guy was a premeditative predator and the girl is not seen as being of age or maturity to fend off the influence.

The penalty was not only the bride price, but marriage, unless the guy was such a jerk that the father couldn’t stand thinking of his little girl being hitched to him or having him in the family. Whatever you get from this episode, marriage is seen as the proper context for sex.

Ex. 22:18-31

What I think might be going on here is social or personal actions that lead to guilt before God. Elsewhere in the Bible, God is seen as the protector of widows, orphans, the poor and homeless. Sexual perversion of any kind, is not seen primarily as a social malfunction, but as a sin against God, and the order or proper use of what He ordained in creation.

V.31, as God’s people, they were above eating “road kill.” Later, we’re told that a dead animal made them “unclean” before God. So, Samson, that renegade poet, made himself unclean before God when he ate the honey out of the lion. God cut Samson a lot of slack, up to a point, and then his own sins entrapped him.

Ex. 23:1-9

This section looks like there is more emphasis on “love your neighbor.”

Ex. 23:10-13

This is the first mention of the sabbatical year. This will loom large in Israel’s history, but once we are past Deuteronomy it will become hidden, forgotten, until Jeremiah. It looks like Israel never, under any king, celebrated the Sabbath year. Here, it is mentioned as to how it related to the poor. The poor were free to gather food for a day or two but not harvest. This would have been different than the general provision given later that landowners were always to leave something in the corners of their fields so the poor could find food. In this case, the poor could wander into the fields and take what they found growing for the entire growing year.

Even more than the Sabbath day, the Sabbath year reflected a deep trust and dependence on God. “Can I relax and trust and not work for a day? Sure.” “Can I relax and trust and not sow or harvest for a year?” They never obeyed this one.

Although some of the laws look social and simply humane, God wanted the people to see them as coming from Him so that the message behind the laws and the motivation to obey was, “You are my people. Love Me and love your neighbor.” As Jesus says later, loving God and your neighbor sum up the law. As disciples, we are consecrated to God. We belong to Him to live for Him as lights in the world. For those in the western world, obeying government laws, as it says in Romans 13, should be easy for us because we know why we’re here. Loving our neighbor to show them the love we have found, is our mission, born out of our love and appreciation for Jesus saving and calling us to Himself and His service.

Matthew 24:1-28

Matt. 24:1-2

Jesus is talking about the immediate judgment of Israel and Jerusalem under Titus in 70AD. The disciples now knew this was coming. This launched them into asking Jesus what the “end of the age” would look like.

Matt. 24:3-28

The Mount of Olives, directly across from Jerusalem, would have given this discourse a great vantage point to view the city. It also gave it a great name, “The Olivet Discourse.” The end of the age is what Jesus is talking about here. It will be the time of the Tribulation of the Jews that will precede the second coming of Christ and the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth in Jerusalem.

A few observations:

It will be a time of disaster on earth and therefore, people will be looking for Christ. This means that the Bible will be used and people will have some idea of what is happening.

Even during this awful time, the earth will be reached by the proclamation of the Gospel. By whom? By the 144,000 Jewish preachers from Revelation. Israel will rise and fulfill its ministry.

The abomination of desolation refers to a man who will come into the rebuilt temple, stop the worship, and proclaim himself to be god. At this point in time, there will be 3.5 years of tribulation left and at this point, all heck will break loose on Israel as a nation, and on all of those who have become disciples of Christ.

During this time, it will get very desperate, greater deceiving signs, more destruction and death, and when it gets darkest, Jesus returns.

As disciples, there are a couple points of interest. There is great judgment coming and this earth will get wrecked, so we work now realizing this is coming. We are saved and ok and I don’t think we’ll live though that time, but others will. Jesus says the harvest is white, but there won’t always be time to harvest for us.

Also, the Bible teaches that it will get a lot darker before it gets brighter. We are not called to obsess about our political situation. We are to work in the harvest as the storm clouds are gathering on the horizon.

Psalm 29

The most natural way to witness is to be overcome by God. Count as precious the love of Christ and His payment and deliverance and forgiveness and gift to you, and it comes out of you. Work with the lost in the harvest, and see what you have that you take for granted as you strain in prayer to God for the salvation of others, and you will find praise and gratitude to God becoming heartfelt and natural.

Proverbs 7:6-23

One of the things that is interesting in reading the Proverbs at this speed, daily, is that you notice how often Solomon is hitting on this theme. Did you know this before this year? I guess God is really, really, really saying, “Watch Out!” Stay away from the willing woman. Unplug the computer. If you’re married, make enjoyment with one another your hobby and passion. If you need to be married, lay it before the Lord, submit to Him, make Him your heart’s desire and begin asking God how to seek for a marriage partner. Ask Him where you can get involved in the harvest, and as He leads you toward that person, focus on the harvest now. Don’t wait.

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those at New Song who are following a One Year Bible and involved in a discipleship cell. We're meeting weekly and discussing the texts, not necessarily my comments. We're growing together, learning to become and make disciples who make disciples. We will all be leading others in this process and training them to do likewise.

The comments I'm writing are in no way exhaustive, but meant to give some leading thoughts on how the text applies to us as disciples and to encourage and stimulate our growth in reading the Bible, with the effect that we will grow as disciples and encourage the growth of others as disciples growing in the word. If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible, in fact, no one in our church reads the version I do, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.