FEBRUARY 5
Exodus 21:22-23:13
The laws that
God is giving here may seem varied and random, but there is a pattern. The laws
here do not spell out every possible situation, but they do provide a framework
of situations that you could use to make applications to other similar, but
unmentioned, events. We see something like this on TV in courtroom dramas. The
hot-shot lawyer will find a case like, "Smith vs. the State of
Nevada," and use that judgment to help decide a case that has some similar
aspects.
It seems that
the theme of this first block is restitution and punishment in case of a death.
Exodus 21:22-36
Vs. 22-25
Notice that the baby is born prematurely. Some translations say
"miscarry," but the Hebrew has a separate word for miscarriage. This
is an injury that causes premature birth. If the child lives, no problem. If
either the mother or child is harmed, 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. If either mother or child died, then death is the
penalty.
This is the
first mention of the 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. This limited the punishment.
If someone broke your tooth, you couldn't kill them, maim them or take two
teeth. It makes it clear too, that this was overseen by the town judges or
elders. This wasn't something that took place privately in an alley.
Vs. 26-27 This
law gives a slight addition to the law of retribution in the case of a slave.
As in the law above, this does not seem to be premeditated violence, but
someone losing their mind and lashing out. Not only would the slave owner lose
his eye or his tooth, but he would also lose the slave.
Vs. 28-36 These
three situations have to do with restitution where animals are inflicting harm
or are harmed by carelessness.
V. 30 What
strikes 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 not to kill the man since he
himself didn't do the killing, but instead, demand a ransom payment of some
kind.
You'll notice
in many of these laws that God is sowing thoughts and giving traditions that
will point to Christ's sacrifice for us. We are ransomed by His blood.
Knowing that you were ransomed from the
futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as
silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb
without blemish or spot. (1
Peter 1:18-19)
V. 33 People
were responsible to be careful for others and their property.
Exodus 22
Vs. 1-17 This
section seems to be laws to clarify the eighth commandment, Do not steal. Notice that this section
hangs together because each block begins with If. Verse 18 begins a different kind of thought.
V. 1 This sets
the theme of this section. This is like the law of retribution for loss or
theft.
Vs. 2-3 Notice
that the death of the thief was to be avoided. The burglary at night left the
owner defenseless in defending himself. The message is pretty clear. Stuff is
not a reason to kill someone. Let it go.
If the thief
was caught but spent everything, he was to be sold into slavery to repay what
was stolen.
V. 4 This
reflects back on v. 1. If the thief was caught and still had the stolen
animals, he gave back the animals he stole and an animal for each one he stole.
Vs. 5-6 Again,
carelessness resulting in loss had to be paid for.
Vs. 7-13 There
were no banks, self-storage rooms or doggy and cattle hotels back then. If you
went on a trip, you had to leave your stuff in the care of someone. These laws
make sure that the property or animal was not lost as a result of the
caretaker.
Vs. 14-15 And
then what about borrowing your neighbor’s ox? If the neighbor damaged it, you
made full restitution, but if the owner was there either using it to plow or
pull out a stump or watching it being done, the owner had responsibility by his
ownership to supervise and keep things safe.
Again, these
were general situations given to give a baseline in more complex or unexpected
situations. I'm sure if the owner was there, but suddenly the borrowing
neighbor did something bizarre and the animal died, there were other laws to
make sure there was restitution.
Vs. 16-17 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, cattle or
something, the bride-price. If a girl
lost her virginity, the family was robbed of the bride-price. Virginity, and the implied faithfulness and virtue
thereof, was prized in that day.
Notice, that
she is “seduced” and not a willing participant. The girl is not looked on as
being responsible. The guy is responsible. 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 when she was betrothed to Joseph. In this case, I suppose if
she was at a feast or celebration and someone was feeding her wine this could
happen. (BTW, when a guy says, “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.
Vs. 18-20 So
what are these warnings doing here? Generally speaking it seems to be
concluding the previous section. If there was an unknown theft or if there was
need for prosperity or for information, they were to go to God, not to other
sources. The people were to depend on God.
V. 18 Remember
when Joseph was testing his brothers in Genesis 44:15, he said that he
discovered their "theft" by divination. Joseph didn't really divine
anything. He said that to conceal his identity. Divination is how you did
things back then. You hired an occultist to see an event or tell you the
future. You can see how this would be used as a way to make decisions or find out
things. God wanted them to come to Him and use the law to decide. In a short
time we'll see God give the people a method for judgment, the Urim and the
Thummim, by which they could find out almost anything. They were to depend on
God only.
V. 19 Baal worship
was a way to obtain fertility and fruit in your fields and livestock. Sexual
intercourse with cult prostitutes was part of this worship, as was having
intercourse with animals. You wonder how VD was introduced to mankind? I'm not
a doctor, but this would be a safe guess.
V. 20
Especially in pagan worship, you worshipped in order to get something. God was
the One they were to seek.
Vs. 21-27 Over
and over it is mentioned in the NT that loving your neighbor was the fulfilling
of the law. These laws regarding the defenseless also have something to do with
finance and prosperity.
Vs. 21-24 They
might be tempted to take advantage of aliens, widows and children, working them
for next to nothing, feeding them little, because there was no one to protect
them. That still happens today.
Vs. 25-27 Even
in lending money to these kinds of people, you couldn't make interest. Nor
could you hold as collateral anything they needed for daily life and
well-being.
V. 28 At the
heart of the matter was their respect for God and those God put in authority to
keep law and order. Just as a note here, Paul quotes this sarcastically in Acts
23:3-5. Paul was saying that he didn't know the high priest was the high priest
because the people hated him and made jokes about his corruptness. The fact
that they spoke evil of the high priest proved he was not a ruler of the
people. Please tell me you got that.
Vs. 29-30 The
people were to see themselves completely in God's care. Blessing came from Him;
therefore, they were to be quick to give Him what He requested in these laws.
Also, these tithes were used for the poor and to feed the priest and Levites
who cared for the people.
V. 31 They were
to see themselves so completely in God's care that they didn't need to eat road
kill. They could trust God for His provision and walk on by.
Exodus 23:1-13
This section
looks like there is more emphasis on “love your neighbor,” but there is still a
sense of commerce and well-being. These people lived directly from the land,
and often from "hand to mouth." God is training them and teaching
them to depend on Him. He will take care of them with His love so they can
relax and show love to others.
Vs. 1-3 This is
the ninth commandment; but again, what did you gain by lying and bearing false
witness? It was often for financial advantage or personal well-being. Notice
here they couldn't be partial to a poor
man. Surely the rich or the thrifty had something to spare. Again, that is
the financial aspect of what is implied in this section on truth. Justice was
always to be just.
Vs. 4-5 This is
not only "love your enemy," but his life and livelihood would be at
risk losing an animal. God brings justice and vindication. We "play
God," not by vengeance or looking the other way, but by showing His love.
Vs. 6-9 Faith
in God gives courage to be just and fair. There is no need to oppress the poor
or needy, or to watch it happen. Notice then, that there would be no need to
take a bribe or pervert justice.
Vs. 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 and 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?” It seems they never obeyed this one. But
imagine trusting God and having the year off!
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 to His service.
Matthew 24:1-28
Vs. 1-2 Jesus
is talking about the immediate judgment of Israel and Jerusalem under Titus in
70 A.D. The disciples now knew this was coming. This launches them into asking
Jesus what the close (end) of the age would look like.
Vs. 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.”
V. 3 Notice
that the disciples ask Jesus about the close
of the age. The close of the age is
what Jesus is talking about here, not what will happen in 70 A.D. 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.
Vs. 4-8 These
are the days leading up to the Tribulation. There will be confusion and
questioning. Jesus describes these as the pains before the birth. Notice that
there will be deception and people claiming to be Christ.
Vs. 9-14 This
would be the first part of the Tribulation. 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.
Vs. 9-10 During
this time of disaster and hardship on the earth, the heart of man will
instinctively know that God is responsible and the followers of Christ will be hated by all nations. Imagine that. Since
it will not be popular or cool to be a Christian, many "believers"
will fall away and will betray and hate other, true, believers. It is a way that the Lord will reveal
those who actually belong to Him. How foolish we are to think that the mark of
a disciple is anything other than bearing our cross of death with a heart of
love and joy, following our Lord into the harvest.
Vs. 15-28 The abomination of desolation refers to the
event where a man, the antichrist, will come into the rebuilt temple, stop the
worship, set up a desecrating image, and proclaim himself to be god. At that
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,
having greater deceiving signs, more destruction and death; and when it gets
darkest, Jesus returns. The sign of Jesus' coming will be so pronounced and
obvious that all men will see it regardless of where they are on the earth.
Vs. 27-28 refer
to the appearance of the Son of Man
in the heavens. If someone were to ask, "where is the body (corpse),"
the answer was to look up to the circling "eagles" (vultures). Jesus
was telling His disciples that the question as to where the Christ was would
only be answered one way, "Look up."
As disciples,
we know that there is great judgment coming and this earth will get wrecked. We
work now realizing this is coming. Things will not get better; they will get
worse. We who are saved will be taken before that time, but others will go
through the Tribulation. Jesus says the harvest is white; but there won’t
always be time to harvest for us, so we follow Him now, every day, reaching out
to the lost, making disciples, who make disciples.
Especially in
election years, we need to remember we are not called or commissioned 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.
If you read
this slowly, looking for clues to the structure, this beautiful psalm is also a
good lesson in studying the Bible.
Vs. 1-2 This
section is marked by the word ascribe.
What does that mean?
Vs. 3-9 Notice
the word voice - the Word of God.
V. 10 He sits enthroned. Cool! Think of the first
lines of the Lord's Prayer.
V. 11 Amen.
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 ever notice
this before this year? I guess God is really, really, really saying, “Watch
Out!” Stay away from the willing woman. Beware of sexual adventure. 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.
Vs. 8-9 Notice
that this man is already "had" because of the openness of his own
heart. It isn't the woman or the website that is the ultimate problem. She has
him here.
Vs. 10-21
Hollywood!
Vs. 22-23 We
think that God is overstating the case, yet our world of leaders, political and
spiritual, is a landscape filled with corpses. And each of these intelligent
people walked to their demise as the fool in v. 7. When will we learn?
If you’re reading along
and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link http://oneyearbibleonline.com/weekly-one-year-readings/?version=47&startmmdd=0101. This version is set to the ESV but you can reset this
to a different version or different language.
I'm writing these
comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in
growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see
the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples,
meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out
and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal
manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us
more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are
only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of
God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are
designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is
that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a
year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples,
disciples making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a
complete description of this model of being and making disciples you can find
it in my book: Simply Disciples*Making Disciples.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
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, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel
1984.
Anyone reading along with
us is welcome to do so and is 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. Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like
documents containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download these to use on your computer or to
print.
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