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Exodus 24: Drops of Blood, Drips of Wine

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Moses has now received the Ten Words (Ex 20:1-17) and the many rules to apply them (Ex 20:22-23:33). The goal of obeying these words and these rules is to make these rescued people into Yahweh’s treasured possession among all peoples, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex 19:5-6). To this end, Yahweh wishes to make a covenant (a binding agreement, a treaty) with them (Ex 19:5). When the people heard this plan, they quickly promised to do all Yahweh would say to them (Ex 19:7-8). Will they feel the same way now that they hear the full extent of the words and rules?

Observation of Exodus 24:1-18

Most repeated words: Moses (14 times), Lord (11x), mountain (8), people (8), all (7), Israel (7), up (7), said (6), come (5)

  • A glance at the repeated words show the focus landing back on the characters of the story: Moses, the Lord, and the people of Israel.
  • The mountain itself takes special prominence
  • I’ll watch for a broad scope (frequent use of “all”)

The genre shifts from instructional monologue back to narrative. Looking ahead, I see this is the last narrative until we get to chapter 32. Many more instructional monologues (seven, to be exact) are on the way in chapters 25-31.

  • With a shift back to narrative, we shouldn’t be surprised by a renewed focus on elements like characters, plot, setting, climax, and resolution.

The instructions of chapters 20-23 are called “The Book of the Covenant” (Ex 24:7), divided into two main sections: the “words” and the “rules” (Ex 24:3).

  • Apparently, this book represents the covenant between God and Israel.
  • This book defines the treaty between them.
  • As they did earlier (Ex 19:8), the people promise to obey (Ex 24:3)—apparently seeking to become God’s treasured possession, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation (Ex 19:5-6).

The chapter’s structure wraps around the mountain itself:

  • God delineates 3 zones for the mountain – Ex 24:1-2
    • The people must stay at the bottom (Ex 24:2).
    • The elders will “come up” with Moses (Ex 24:1).
    • Moses alone will “come near” (Ex 24:2).
  • At the mountain’s foot, Moses and the people establish the covenant with sacrificial blood – Ex 24:3-8
  • At the mountain’s mid-point, Moses and the elders experience the covenant with a meal – Ex 24:9-11
  • At the mountain’s peak, Moses enters the cloud of Yahweh’s glory – Ex 24:12-18

    Tony Heyward (2014), Creative Commons

Interpretation of Exodus 24:1-18

Some possible questions:

  1. Why is the covenant-making ceremony so gruesome?
  2. What do the elders experience on the mountain once the covenant is made?
  3. What does Moses experience on top of the mountain?
  4. Why is the mountain divided into three zones with differing degrees of access?
  5. So what ought we to understand about God’s covenant with us?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. The use of ritual sacrifices when making a covenant doesn’t begin here. We see it clearly in Genesis 15:7-21, where God makes a covenant with Abram after Abram cuts a few animals in half. Jer 34:18-20 provides historical background on the practice: symbolizing the curse pronounced on those who might violate the treaty. The practice also possibly goes back to Gen 3:21, though the word covenant isn’t used there. A substitute must shed blood to threaten the people of what happens if they violate their agreement. Therefore, the Israelites are covered with the blood of the covenant (Ex 24:8), being united with the sacrifice, along with with the altar, the place of sacrifice (Ex 24:6).
  2. The elders “saw” God (Ex 24:10) and “beheld” him (Ex 24:11). But who knows what he actually looked like? All they saw of him was but the pavement under his feet (Ex 24:10). That’s the closest they could get. But they also enjoyed a meal in his presence, and he did not lift his hand to destroy them (Ex 24:11). Great deal!
  3. The glory of Yahweh, appearing as a cloud (Ex 24:16). A devouring fire that all could see (Ex 24:17). Here is a more terrifying version of the burning bush from Ex 3:2, which burns but does not consume Moses.
  4. This mountain is now the place where heaven and earth meet; God and men are meeting together. The three zones may allude to the 3 zones of the created cosmos (heaven, earth, waters under the earth – Ex 20:4, 11), and to the three decks of Noah’s ark (Gen 6:16), which was a miniature cosmos, preserved for a new creation. Perhaps at Sinai, God is making another new creation, as he makes this nation into his people and sets them on a path to expand his rule on earth. We’ll see plenty more creation imagery in the next few chapters to confirm this connection.
  5. God’s covenant is not something to take for granted. It cannot be made without blood, but it draws us into God’s presence to eat and drink with him. God is all-glorious in himself; yet, astonishingly, he gets even more glory when he includes people in his purposes. God’s covenant is gracious; we do not deserve to enter into it with him. And yet he still expects something of us; he is not indifferent to our life choices. God’s presence is something to be terrified of without a proper bloody substitution.

Train of thought:

  • Yahweh’s man comes down to establish the covenant with the people.
  • Yahweh’s man comes up to experience the covenant with the elders.
  • Yahweh’s man come higher to enter into God’s glory alone.

Main point: It costs both personal sacrifice and substitutionary death to draw near to God in covenant.

Connection to Christ: Jesus’ blood of the covenant was shed once for all (Heb 9:17-26, and we proclaim this Lamb’s death every time we eat and drink with him (1 Cor 11:28). God’s covenant with us through Christ is only by his grace (Heb 13:20-21, 25). Yet it requires great personal sacrifice (Mark 1:15), and we must never take it for granted by going on sinning deliberately (Heb 10:26-30).

My Application of Exodus 24:1-18

Oh, how much I take for granted. Grace is so abundant and so free, and I forget all about it. I drift into self-sufficiency, which requires me to compare myself to others and do better than them. Then I get petty and demanding when I’m unable to keep up. And the bitterness sets in when I see others doing better than me. It doesn’t take long for me to start biting and devouring.

But the blood of the new covenant was shed for me, once for all. I need to “remember Jesus Christ” (2 Tim 2:8) daily—not just so I can teach others about him, but so I can see him more clearly, worship at his feet, and rely only on his righteousness and not my own.

The heavenly Mount Zion has no zones. We’re all granted equal access. I have nothing to be ashamed of, and I have nothing to hold over another person. Ever.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

Exodus 23:20-33: The One Relationship You Must Never Neglect

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Moses stands upon Mount Sinai, having received many case laws to apply the ten commandments. Before he goes back down to the people, however, Moses must hear one last thing, an epilogue to the case laws.

Observation of Exodus 23:20-33

Most repeated words: land (5 times), not (5x), out (5), drive (4), all (3), enemy (3), gods (3), make (3), send (3), serve (3)

  • This section has mostly to do with what will happen when the people enter their new land.
  • The case laws now look forward to the fulfillment of God’s promise to settle them in the land promised to Abraham.

Verse 20 makes a sudden shift from what the people ought to do (case laws) to what God is doing (“I send an angel before you…”).

  • This section includes instructions for the people:
    • Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice – Ex 23:21
    • Carefully obey his voice and do all that I say – Ex 23:21
    • You shall not bow down – Ex 23:24
    • You shall serve Yahweh – Ex 23:25
    • You shall make no covenant – Ex 23:32
  • But it gives even more space to what God will do if they obey
    • I will be an enemy to your enemies – Ex 23:22
    • I blot them out – Ex 23:23
    • He will bless your bread and water – Ex 23:25
    • I will take sickness away – Ex 23:25
      • And 9 more actions in Ex 23:26-31

Though the passage begins with God’s angel (Ex 23:20), and mentions the angel again in Ex 23:23, there is an awkward alternation of pronouns between “he” (Ex 23:21, 22, 25) and “I” (Ex 23:23, 25, 26, etc.).

  • A prime example of the awkward alternation is right in verse 25: “You shall serve Yahweh your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.”
  • Another example is verse 22: “But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say…”

Clearly all the actions of God in Ex 23:25-31 hinge on the obedience of the people to the angel of God (Ex 23:22).

Barbara Skinner (2012), Creative Commons

Interpretation of Exodus 23:20-33

Some possible questions:

  1. Who is this angel sent by Yahweh?
  2. Why is the activity of God in the land dependent on the people’s obedience to the angel?
  3. Why do the case laws end with this epilogue?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. There is much overlap in identity between the angel and God himself. “My name is in him” (Ex 23:21). This angel has authority to pardon transgression (Ex 23:21). Obeying the angel’s voice (Ex 23:22) is practically the same as serving Yahweh (Ex 23:25). So this angel is simultaneously distinct from God (because God “sends” him) and the same as God (“obey his voice and do all that I say”). This angel plays a critical role as a manifestation of God’s presence among the people.
  2. The argument of the passage goes like this: “If you obey my angel, you obey me. And if you obey me, I will give you prosperity and success in the land of Canaan.” Great blessings come with obedience to God’s appointed representative. The way you treat God’s angel (the manifestation of his own presence) determines how God will treat you.
  3. This section deeply personalizes the body of instruction in Exodus 20-23. The point is not so much about following a set of principles, or about trying to keep God happy by doing the right things. The point of the laws is to bring the people of Israel closer to a person, the angel of Yahweh. The laws are meant to guide and shepherd the people into a closer relationship with God himself. Those who are close with God experience unspeakable blessing. Here is life: Life comes not from your performance or activity, but as a result of your steadfast trust in the one God sent to give you life.

Train of thought: See answer to question 2.

Main point: How you trust God’s angel determines how God treats you.

Connection to Christ: I have no problem saying this angel is Jesus, the second person of the Trinity. But, because the original audience had no concept of “the second person of the Trinity,” it might be more precise to say that this angel shows them exactly the role Jesus Christ would eventually have to play. He is the messenger sent by God, pardoning our transgression. How God treats us hinges on whether we give Jesus our allegiance. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son does not have life (1 John 5:12).

My Application of Exodus 23:20-33

The path of blessing will never come through obedience to a code of ethics or body of rules; it comes only through fiery allegiance to the one God has sent to pardon transgression. This truth should more deeply penetrate my leadership and parenting.

If I live according to this truth, I won’t merely multiply rules for my children; I will draw them close in relationship to Jesus Christ (and thus to me). I won’t be so disappointed when my will is crossed. I won’t be so quick to scold when expectations go unmet.

And, even when we study God’s law together, my church and small group ought not come away with only a list of things to do better (though this is not a bad thing). We will come away with inflamed passion and commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ, the one sent by God to take away the sin of the world. We never grow out of our need to work on this one relationship.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

Exodus 23:1-19: Doing Good Through Truth and Justice

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God has applied the Ten Commandments through a series of case laws that address basic human rights, private property, and social justice. Now he turns to essential matters of truth and justice.

Observation of Exodus 23:1-19

Most repeated words: not (9 times), feast (5x), keep (5), year (5) day (3), donkey (3), eat (3), field (3), lawsuit (3), let (3), nor (3), poor (3), rest (3), sojourner (3), time (3)

  • If we include common stop words, this passage continues the case-law trend of frequently using “you,” “shall,” “of,” “your,” “with,” and “for.”
  • A shift to the sabbath commandment is apparent from “feast,” “keep,” “year,” “day,” “rest,” and “time.”
  • Another theme seems to be oppression or justice (lawsuit, poor, sojourner).

The structure clearly divides into two sections, with a noteworthy conclusion:

  • 10 instructions about truth and justice (applying “don’t bear false witness”)
    • 4 instructions about wicked partiality – Ex 23:1-3
      • Don’t ever join testimony about someone without evidence, even if it will help people in need.
    • 2 instructions about being true to your enemies – Ex 23:4-5
      • Don’t pretend you weren’t aware of their needs.
    • 3 instructions about perverting justice in legal proceedings – Ex 23:6-8
      • Don’t act like the wicked, who are not able to see things clearly.
    • 1 instruction about being true to sojourners – Ex 23:9
      • Don’t feign ignorance of what it’s like to be a sojourner.
  • 6 instructions about work and rest (applying “remember the sabbath”)
    • 2 instructions about working hard so you can rest and provide for others – Ex 23:10-12
    • 1 instruction about crediting the right god (Ex 23:13) – this might be an application of “don’t take Yahweh’s name in vain”
    • 1 instruction, with 3 instances, about keeping Yahweh’s appointed feasts – Ex 23:14-17
    • 2 instructions about authorized offerings – Ex 23:18-19a
  • 1 concluding instruction about how to boil a young goat – Ex 23:19b
    • This final instruction stands apart, as it’s not really about work and rest (goats would not be boiled, but roasted, during an offering at a feast)

In addition, the next verse (Ex 23:20) takes us in a new direction. The rest of chapter 23 doesn’t have any case laws, but more of a vision for obeying the case laws. So the instruction about boiling a young goat takes a prominent place as the last instruction.

Holly Occhipinti (2013), Creative Commons

 

Interpretation of Exodus 23:1-19

Some possible questions:

  1. Why does God give so many instructions about truthful justice?
  2. What does the Lord want to communicate about the purpose of the sabbath?
  3. Why are the culinary habits of young-goat chefs so prominent? What is significant about boiling a young goat in its mother’s milk? Why is this the last case law?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. Clearly, we all are prone to one form of bias or another, so the Lord warns against it from all sides. Watch out for peer pressure (Ex 23:1), social pressure (Ex 23:2), and victimization (Ex 23:3). Don’t let your negative feelings toward someone prevent you from treating them humanely (Ex 23:4-5). Watch out for power-mongering (Ex 23:6), reversing God’s standards (Ex 23:7), and profiting personally from legal outcomes (Ex 23:8). Don’t ever forget what it’s like to be one of the little guys (Ex 23:9). Our sinful hearts will seek any direction away from truth and toward self-preservation. Be on your guard!
  2. The sabbath is not merely about going to church on Sunday, nor about dutiful religious activity. It requires hard work (Ex 23:10). For the Israelites, it’s not just one day per week, but also three weeks out of every year, and one year out of every seven. The purpose is not primarily for you, or even for God, but for others. The sabbath year is so “that the poor of your people may eat” (Ex 23:11). The sabbath day is so “that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed” (Ex 23:12). Here in the Old Testament, we learn why Jesus had little patience for people who refused to do good on the sabbath. When Jesus himself did so, he was never breaking the sabbath command, but actually obeying it.
  3. A mother’s milk was created by God to give life to her young. Boiling a young goat in its mother’s milk would be taking what was meant for life and using it as an implement for death. Perhaps this instruction is the last case law, to serve as a metaphor for the entire code of Ex 21-23. This body of instruction is meant to give you life, by showing you how God’s character works itself out in your community. Don’t use it (the law) to kill or destroy. In other words, don’t use it to try to earn God’s favor, which you already have (Ex 20:2). Don’t use it to bludgeon people into submission (as the Pharisees tried to do with Jesus and his disciples). Don’t use it to lay burdens on people without lifting a finger to help them carry those burdens. Instead, use the law to help improve the quality of life for God’s people in God’s world.

Train of thought:

  • Blind justice preserves extreme truthfulness.
  • Hard work promotes true rest.
  • Implements of life must never be twisted into agents for death.

Main point: God’s people diligently employ truth and rest to do good for others.

Connection to Christ: Jesus not only spoke the truth but was himself the embodiment of Truth (John 14:6). And Jesus’ work was never for himself but always for the good of others (Acts 10:38). He died, according to the will of his Father, so self-interested liars like us could have life.

My Application of Exodus 23:1-19

I usually focus on personal/inward application, but this text provokes me to focus more outwardly and culturally. We must apply these truths as a people before God, and God has called me to help influence the world for him.

So as a part of this community, I must fight to prevent channels of life from becoming instruments of death. Truth and justice matter, for the good of others. There is a time and a place for death (such as the field of battle, the hospice, and the execution chamber). But schools are not for shooting. Hospitals are not for euthanizing. Medical clinics are not for aborting. Homes are not for fighting or yelling. Conversations are not for tearing down. Sabbaths are not for coercing. And Bibles are not for thumping or berating.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

Exodus 22:16-31: Social Justice Done God’s Way

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Having established basic human rights, even for society’s least, and basic property rights, to promote peace between one person and another, the Lord’s body of case laws moves on to bigger issues of social justice that will affect the entire community.

Observation of Exodus 22:16-31

Most repeated words: shall (21 times), you (20x), not (9), your (9), for (6), if (6), me (5), any (4), give (4), I (4), cry (3)

  • On this section’s list of repeated words, I’ve included some of the common “stop words” that I normally exclude. Usually, words like shall, you, your, for, me, and I aren’t terribly significant compared to other vocabulary used. But in this section, they take pre-eminence.
  • In particular, we see often in this passage the reasons (“for”) why “you” “shall” “not” do certain things.
    • And those reasons usually have to deal with what is true about “I” and “me” (Yahweh God).

This section is filled with reasons for the case laws—something lacking in the first two sections of instruction

  • We’ve seen the English word “for” before this, but only as a preposition (“it came for its hiring fee,” Ex 22:15), not a conjunction (“for you were sojourners,” Ex 22:21).
  • Ex 22:21: Don’t wrong a sojourner, for you were sojourners in Egypt.
  • Ex 22:23-24: If you mistreat widow and orphans, I (God) will hear their cry and make your wives widows and your children orphans (i.e. I will kill you).
  • Ex 22:27: Don’t take a poor person’s cloak as collateral, for that is his only covering.
  • Ex 22:27: If he cries out, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
  • Ex 22:31: Don’t eat roadkill, for you are consecrated (special) to me.

This section begins with a case of sexual impurity (Ex 23:16), and it ends with a case of dietary impurity (Ex 23:31).

  • In between, we have many cases dealing with broad societal issues, such as who may (not) live in the community (Ex 23:18-20), how the community treats aliens and the weak (Ex 23:21-27), and how the community treats God and its leadership (Ex 23:28-30).
  • All throughout, there are references to fathers, daughters, widows, wives, children, firstborn and sons. Lots of familial terminology.

Structure:

  1. 5 cases dealing with impurity in the community (Ex 23:16-20)
  2. 4 cases dealing with oppressive treatment of society’s weakest (Ex 23:21-27
  3. 4 cases dealing with insubordinate treatment of society’s leadership (Ex 23:28-30)
  4. 1 case demonstrating the implications of being a special people for God (Ex 23:31)

    Chris Potter (2012), Creative Commons

Interpretation of Exodus 22:16-31

Some possible questions:

  1. Which of the Ten Commandments are being applied here?
  2. Does God require a woman to marry her rapist (Ex 22:16, also Deut 22:28-29)?
  3. Why does this passage suddenly give so many reasons and purpose statements?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. Some of the cases are clear applications of “do not commit adultery” (Ex 22:16-17, 19). Ex 22:20 seems to apply “no other gods.” Ex 22:28 seems to apply “don’t take God’s name in vain.” But what do we do with the case of the sorceress (Ex 22:18)? Or moneylending (Ex 22:25-27)—is that about “do not steal”? The cases in Ex 22:16-31 are not as clear as the earlier sections were. But because of all the familial language, the rooting of many of these cases in the character and relationship of God with his people, and the fact that adultery has to do with much more than extramarital human sexual relations (e.g. see Hosea 1:2, 2:2, etc.)—for those three reasons, I’m inclined to see all of Ex 22:16-31 as applying the command “don’t commit adultery.” These cases deal with sexual ethics, as well as the purity of the community as the Bride of God. I wouldn’t fight too hard for this conclusion, but it’s where I’ve come to at this point.
  2. This interpretive question is not critical to understanding the whole passage, but I mention it because I think it’s a common question for those who accuse the Bible’s ethics of being barbaric or inhumane. In Ex 22:16, the sexual activity appears to be consensual and not rape, but I could be wrong; and anyway, Deut 22:28-29 clearly addresses the case of rape. And the focus of the text is not so much to require the victim to marry her attacker, as it is for the attacker to take on the responsibility of providing for his victim for the rest of her life. In ancient Israelite culture, a woman so violated would have been utterly forsaken and destitute for the rest of her life. The requirement for the rapist to marry her was a provision for her well-being. In today’s culture, we would probably apply the principle differently: requiring the attacker to pay lifelong “alimony” to his victim.
  3. This third question moves us much farther in interpretation. When God broadens his instructions out from detailed person-to-person dealings, and into the purity of the community, he makes sure to root the community’s sense of justice in his own love for these people. He is a father to these people. He is a vengeful husband to the oppressed. Nobody messes with his bride and gets away with it. We learn much about God’s compassion and ferocious commitment to those who have no other built-in social protection.

Train of thought:

  1. The community must maintain purity as the status quo.
  2. The community must care for the least.
  3. The community must do these things in submission to the Lord their God.

Main point: Social justice is rooted in God’s just character, and it flows from maintaining purity before him.

Connection to Christ: Jesus shows us the fulness of the character of God. He came to bring justice to the oppressed and declare freedom to captives. He did that by laying down his life to win for himself a true bride, whom he will one day present pure and spotless.

My Application of Exodus 22:16-31

Social justice begins in my home and my church, and it moves out from there to society. If we compromise purity before God, our attempts at justice get nowhere. If we don’t move out to bring justice, our attempts at purity before God are self-serving and ultimately unconvincing. As a husband, father, and church elder, I must persevere in protecting our purity and in persuading folks to keep looking outward to minister Christ’s justice to the nations. Our compassionate God expects it of us.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

Exodus 21:33-22:15: Private Property and Restitution

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From the start, God’s case laws show that his kingdom is not like the kingdoms of the world, because even the lowest in society have basic human rights. These rights affect the way we treat even one another’s property.

Observation of Exodus 21:33-22:15

Most repeated words: if (17 times), ox (11x), man (10), not (9), make (8), owner (8), beast (7), restitution (7), neighbor (6), sheep (6)

  • The shift from slavery and violence (Ex 20:22-21:32) to non-human property is clear even from the repeated words

As with the previous section, the main unit of grammar remains the sentence, but sentences are grouped into paragraphs that give alternative situations.

The theme of this entire section is restitution: paying someone back for what was lost, broken, or stolen.

  • Owners can be held liable for both active (Ex 21:35) and passive (Ex 21:33) negligence. It doesn’t matter whether they cause damage or simply fail to prevent it.
  • The basic penalty for theft is to repay double (Ex 22:4).
    • But high-handed profiteering from theft (killing or selling stolen beasts) requires much higher restitution, based on the profitability of the stolen goods.
  • Allowing something in your care to steal from another is still a form of theft (Ex 22:5). Owners and managers cannot make the argument that they’re not responsible for the theft that occurred under their leadership.
  • The issue of restitution can get complicated as it involves a “breach of trust” between one person and another (Ex 22:9).
  • Borrowers are responsible to care for possessions in their care, but lenders assume a level of risk they cannot control (Ex 22:7-15).
  • Sometimes there is not enough evidence to assign blame. In such cases, both parties must trust each other’s word and then God with the outcome (Ex 22:11).

Structure:

  • 3 cases of restoring damage from negligence (Ex 21:33-36)
  • 7 cases of restoring damage from theft (Ex 22:1-6)
  • 7 cases of restoring damage to borrowed property (Ex 22:7-15)

Interpretation of Exodus 21:33-22:15

Some possible questions:

  1. Why is it so important to hold people responsible for property damage? Why not just expect people to be generous and to share freely, overlooking any damage to their stuff?
  2. Why must thieves repay double what they stole?
  3. Why are there so many cases dealing with borrowed property?
  4. What are the implications for laws today about negligence or theft?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. From this text, I’m not sure there’s a complete answer, other than the fact that God cares about it. These case laws clearly apply the command “do not steal,” and thus highlight that command’s assumption of the right to hold private property. Of course God is generous, and he calls his people to be always generous and ready to share (1 Tim 6:18). But generosity is not at odds with the expectation that your neighbor will pay for the repairs if he backs his car into the side of your house.
  2. I can only guess at what the text implies, which is that the penalty for theft is to bring on you what you tried to bring on another. If you steal one sheep, you must pay back two sheep—which makes YOU the one who ends up down one sheep.
  3. Since the commands are applying “do not steal,” we might assume “stealing” means causing only intentional property damage. But the concept applies to many other areas, even when our negligence or failure to protect causes damage. God’s people don’t demand that others be generous with them; instead they pay what they owe and return borrowed items in the same or better condition. In fact, God’s standards for restitution involve a generous repayment not only for damaged property but also for lost time and trust.
  4. I’ll leave this question to the legislators, but it does make me wonder whether we’d better disincentivize fraud and theft if we followed these principles. Instead of flat fines, arbitrary fines, or even jail time, the threat of double restitution might cause more citizens and corporations to better count the cost of their negligent or fraudulent actions.

Antony Majanlahti (2005), Creative Commons

Train of thought: 

  • Pay back what you accidentally damage.
  • Pay back what you intentionally damage.
  • Pay back damage that occurs on your watch.

Main point: It is good and God-like to pay restitution for damage done to others’ property.

Connection to Christ: Jesus had everything taken from him (Luke 9:58, Matt 27:35), yet he never demanded payment (Luke 23:34). Jesus repays not double, but a hundredfold to those who suffer damages in his service (Mark 10:29-30).

My Application of Exodus 21:33-22:15

This may sound incredibly mundane, but this passage demands it: I must return the things I have borrowed from others, or pay to replace things damaged under my care. It is so easy for me to presume on the kindness of my friends and forget that I’ve borrowed their property. Eventually, borrowed items just become part of my collection once I forget who loaned them to me, but this is not okay.

Loving my neighbor as myself means I treat other people’s stuff as if it were my own. And I teach my children to do the same.

Yet at the same time, I truly can be graciously generous if others don’t do the same. Jesus is well able to repay whatever I lose in his name and for his service.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

Exodus 20:22-21:32: Basic Human Rights

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With a few guiding principles in hand, we’re ready to look at the case laws delivered to Moses.

Observation of Exodus 20:22-21:32

Most repeated words: if (20 times), not (15x), slave (14), man (11), go (10), out (9), master (7), ox (7), then (7), when (7)

  • The frequent use of “if,” “then,” and “when” should not surprise us, as we’re dealing with specific applications of the Ten Commandments.
  • A major relationship in this section is that of slaves and their masters.

The grammar of the case laws consists of lists of relatively short statements, each describing a specific scenario. The sentences are arranged into groups, but the essential unit is the sentence.

Ex 20:22 is a narrative introduction (“And Yahweh said to Moses”), framing all the case laws into a single divine speech that doesn’t end until Ex 23:33.

  • However, Ex 20:22-26 appears to be an introduction to the case laws, since Ex 21:1 marks the main body of laws (“Now these are the rules that you shall set before them.”).

Grouping topics into paragraphs, and taking note of the narrative markers, yields the following structure:

  • Introduction to the case laws: The God who speaks from heaven gives 4 instructions about how he is to be worshiped—applying the commands for “no other gods” and “no graven images” (Ex 20:22-26).
  • Slavery: 8 instructions about possessing slaves—applying “do not steal.”
    • 4 instructions about male slaves (Ex 21:1-6)
    • 4 instructions about female slaves (Ex 21:7-11)
  • Violence: 16 instructions about conflict and assault—applying “do not murder.”
    • 3 instructions about murder and manslaughter (Ex 21:12-14)
    • 3 capital offenses involving parents and kidnapping—applying not only “do not murder” but also “honor father and mother” (Ex 21:15-17)
    • 6 instructions about humans assaulting one another (Ex 21:18-27)
      • A: 1 case of direct assault (Ex 21:18-19)
      • B: 2 cases of assaulting a slave (Ex 21:20-21)
      • A’: 2 cases of indirect assault on a pregnant bystander (Ex 21:22-25)
      • B’: 1 case (with 2 examples) of permanently injuring a slave (Ex 21:26-27)
    • 4 instructions about livestock assaulting humans (Ex 21:28-32)

      Les Stockton (2009), Creative Commons

Interpretation of Exodus 20:22-21:32

Some possible questions:

  1. Why do instructions about worship introduce the body of case laws?
  2. Why do the case laws begin with the topic of slavery?
  3. So what should we conclude the Bible teaches about slavery?
  4. What do these laws reveal about God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. The Ten Commandments began with the topic of worship. This suggests that the foundation for everything we do is the worship of God. If we get worship wrong, we get everything else wrong as well. In addition, when the covenant is broken in Exodus 32, the Israelites transgress almost every instruction in Ex 20:22-26. The narrative thus highlights the primacy of these worship matters.
  2. Again, the Ten Commandments help, in that God introduces them with, “I am Yahweh your God…who brought you out of the house of slavery” (Ex 20:2). These people have just been lifted out of slavery; slavery is all they’ve ever known. Yet the Pharaohs were hardly model slave-masters. We could go back over Exodus 1-15 to show how the Pharaohs explicitly violated every one of the principles in Ex 21:1-11. In their new freedom, Israel must not do “slavery” the way it was done to them. They must not drift into what they’re used to. God’s kingdom is altogether different. In particular, slaves have rights. Even female slaves have rights. I believe no other ancient law code gives rights to slaves or to women or to slave women in this way—especially not in the law code’s first article.
  3. Does this mean that slavery is a good idea, commended by the Bible? I will defer this question for another day and another passage, as this text does not address it. But what this passage does teach—and what must be included in any discussion of the Bible’s teaching on slavery—is that slavery always has an end. It was never to be permanent (though we could quibble over the permanence of the voluntary slavery to a generous, humane, and inspirational master in Ex 21:4-6). In the seventh year, slaves were to go free. When mistreated or denied their rights, slaves were to go free. And kidnapping people for the slave trade was a capital offense (Ex 21:16).
  4. God is not like the gods of other nations. God cares about those who usually go uncared for, and who may be unable to care for themselves. God values life, peace, and justice for the oppressed. God instills humanity with basic rights to life and liberty. God holds owners responsible for patterns of behavior even in their animals. God’s justice means, when harm is done, life must be given for life, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. Wrongdoing cannot go unpunished in his kingdom.

Train of thought:

  • Worship the unique God uniquely
  • Protect the rights of even society’s lowest
  • Value life and peace over self-advancement

Main point: God’s kingdom is different from the world’s kingdoms in that all its citizens have rights, and justice is the cost of living.

Connection to Christ: Jesus took on the form of a slave to rescue us from our bondage to sin. By his wounds we are healed. Jesus gave his life to pay for our violation of God’s justice. Jesus is God over all, who is blessed forever. Amen.

My Application of Exodus 20:22-21:32

Though God has given me real authority as a parent, he also expects me to honor the rights of my household members. Even if I feel rushed, annoyed, upset, or discouraged that the same issue keeps coming up, my children deserve to be treated with respect. They have the right to an opinion. They have the right to a hearing. They have the right not to be condemned and punished on the testimony of a single embittered sibling. They have the right to know why I’m asking what I’m asking. When I meditate on how justice works in God’s kingdom, I’m motivated to much greater patience and compassion as a leader.

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6 Principles for Understanding the Case Laws of Exodus

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When Yahweh thundered from heaven, without Moses’ mediation, he immortalized the Ten Commandments. So we teach them to our children, we picture them in stained glass, and we bring them to bear on public life. Christian interpreters legitimately differ on the best way to apply the Sabbath commandment (Rom 14:5), but it is widely acknowledged that the Ten Commandments contain the moral will of God in summary form.

Yet we find greater divergence of opinion when we come to the case laws, the “Book of the Covenant” (Ex 24:7), immediately after the Ten Commandments. How are we to understand ancient slavery, the death penalty, goring oxen, five-fold restitution, road kill, wandering donkeys, and the festival in the month of Abib? As I scan the Exodus commentaries on my shelf, Exodus 21-23 is the section most often skipped or summarized in a mere page or two. Even the extensive tabernacle narratives get substantive attention, as interpreters love discussing how Jesus is the light, the bread, the living water, and the embodied presence of God. But the case laws?

Jan Buchholtz (2013), Creative Commons

Granted, Paul fills his letters with strong statements about the law: No one is justified before God by the law (Gal 3:11). Christ redeemed us from the law’s curse (Gal 3:13). You have died to the law through the body of Christ (Rom 7:4). God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do (Rom 8:3). You are not under law, but under grace (Rom 6:14). The power of sin is the law (1 Cor 15:56).

And sometimes Jesus is accused of breaking the law because of his love: touching a leper (Matt 8:3), eating sacred bread (Mark 2:26), breaking the Sabbath (Luke 13:10-17), and overturning fundamental principles of Old Testament justice (Matt 5:38-39).

So how should Christians of the 21st century understand the case laws in Exodus?

Guiding Principles

1. The law cannot save.

The laws given by God in covenant with his people had much glory. Yet the glory was temporary and fading; Moses veiled his face to conceal this fact (Ex 34:33-35, 2 Cor 3:7, 13). The law can give direction (Ps 119:105), but it cannot produce obedience or righteousness (Gal 3:11). Any attempt to turn bad people into good people through the coercion of law will fail. I’d prefer not to begin with what the law can’t do, but we need constant reminders of this fundamental impossibility.

2. Jesus and Paul validated the case laws.

I could point to the big law-statements Jesus makes, such as “not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matt 5:18), but the impact of those statements is still disputed. So instead, I’ll remind you that Jesus and Paul assume the ongoing validity of the case laws, when they quote them to support their teaching or choices. We tend to skip over the fact, but Jesus affirms—in two Gospels—the death penalty for those who “revile father or mother” (Ex 21:17, Matt 15:4, Mark 7:10). And Paul quotes the case law from Ex 22:28 as normative Christian behavior in Acts 23:5. (Though I think he’s being cheeky and not a little mocking, showing he knows the law better than the high priest who ordered him to be struck. How could Paul not know which member of the council was the high priest?)

3. The case laws apply the Ten Commandments.

As you read the case laws, don’t get lost in their seemingly random nature, as though the case laws are time-bound, culture-bound, generational minutiae. Yes, they apply the principles of God’s moral will to certain people at a certain time in a certain cultural context. All the details will not be the same for all people everywhere. But don’t disregard them on that account. Instead, figure out which of the Ten Commandments is being applied, and figure out how it is being applied. This will give you wisdom to learn how to apply them in our context. For example, without the case laws, how would you know what counts as murder (manslaughter, etc.), and what doesn’t (just warfare, civil sentence, etc.)? How would you know what to do with an apprehended thief? What does it really mean to take God’s name in vain?

4. The case laws are particular applications, not universal principles.

This follows from point #3. Since the case laws are applications of universal principles, they are not themselves universal principles. This means they may have limited application in their canonized form. God has since revealed more about himself, so we may apply the principles of sabbath or tithing or restitution a little differently. But we should still learn from the case laws what it looks like to apply the Ten Commandments at all. Armed with such a template, and with the Spirit of God illuminating the rest of the word of God, we can figure out how to apply those commandments to our situation.

5. The case laws reveal God’s character.

All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16). God’s word will carry out his purpose of creating worshipers (Is 55:10-12). We know God, in all his glory, through the things he has revealed (Ps 19:1-14). We miss part of what God wants us to know about himself if we skip the case laws or disregard them. In studying them, we’ll behold God’s great mercy and justice in action. Believe it or not, I’ve heard stories of people from non-Western cultures coming to faith in Christ by reading the case laws, as they had never seen such mercy and justice working in perfect harmony except through the cross.

6. The case laws reveal Jesus.

All the Law and the Prophets are about Jesus (Luke 24:27). When considering double restitution of what was stolen, we’re amazed at Jesus who gave everything for those who stole from him. When contemplating the freeing of slaves in their 7th year, we’re humbled by Jesus, who took on the form of a bondservant to become a priest forever. When we’re told not to exact interest from the disadvantaged, we can’t help but see Jesus, who became poor so we, through his poverty, could become rich. When we read about the Feasts of Unleavened Bread, Harvest, and Ingathering, we’re reminded that in Jesus we have a continual feast.

But we’ll either miss these things, or not understand how marvelous they truly are, if we don’t take the time to study the case laws.

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Exodus 20:1-21: Ten Words and Two Responses

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God wants his people close, but not too close. Moses has gone up and down the mountain three times to help everyone prepare for their big meeting with God. Now, with Moses at the mountain’s foot with the people (Ex 19:25), God thunders his covenant from heaven.

Observation of Exodus 20:1-21

Most repeated words: you (19 times), your (19x), not (14), God (10), Lord (8), day (7), all (4), neighbor (4), people (4), servant (4).

  • I normally would exclude words like “you” and “your,” as common stop words that carry little interpretive significance on their own. But since they serve as the subjects of most sentences here, I cannot disregard them.
  • This repetition shifts the mood to what “you” must “not” do.

The setting: God speaks all these words (Ex 20:1), from the top of Mt. Sinai, along with thunder, lightning, a trumpet sound, and smoke (Ex 20:18).

The words begin (Ex 20:2) with an opening statement of Yahweh’s identity (“I am Yahweh your God”), history (“who brought you our of the land of Egypt”), and intention (“out of the house of slavery”).

Four of the “words” (Ex 20:5-6, 7, 11, 12) have a reason or motivation attached; six do not.

Eight of the words are negative; two (Ex 20:8, 12) are positive. But even the positive “remember the Sabbath” is actually a negative “you shall not do any work” (Ex 20:10). So only one (Ex 20:12) is a positive “do this” commandment.

The first four words (Ex 20:3-11) speak to the people’s relationship with God. The last six words (Ex 20:12-17) speak to their relationships with one another.

The first (Ex 20:3) and last (Ex 20:17) speak to the heart’s allegiance or desire. 

Following God’s words, the narrative describes two response to God’s words:

  1. The people see, fear, and stand far off (Ex 20:18, 21).
  2. Moses comforts (Ex 20:20) and draws near to where God is (Ex 20:21).

Structure:

  1. Yahweh affirms his identity, history, and intentions.
  2. Yahweh speaks four words about their relationship with him, beginning with their heart’s allegiance.
  3. Yahweh speaks six words about their relationships wth each other, ending with their heart’s desires.
  4. The people stand far off while Moses draws near to God.

    Prayitno (2012), Creative Commons

Interpretation of Exodus 20:1-21

Some possible questions:

  1. Why does the passage follow this structure?
  2. Why does God speak these words to all the people with thunder, rather than with Moses on the mountain top?
  3. Why do God’s words begin and end by focusing on the heart?
  4. So what sort of response should we have to these words?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. We need some historical background to understand what would have been obvious and assumed to the original readers. This passage closely follows the structure of ancient treaties between a conquering king and a vassal king. Introduction of the parties, recounting their history, stipulating conditions, rewarding obedience & penalizing disobedience, documenting the agreement, and securing attestation. Though this text doesn’t use the term “covenant” or “treaty,” an ancient would recognize it as obviously being one. To learn more, see Douglas Stuart’s excellent article on the structure of ancient covenants. The point is that God is making a covenant and, in doing so, binding these people to himself as vassals. They do not earn their position as his people by obeying these words. He gives them these words because they are already his people.
  2. The setting gives these ten words a unique place among God’s instructions. In the next few chapters, there will be many more detailed commands; but all are spoken to Moses alone on the mountain top. These ten words thunder from heaven for all the people. Therefore, these ten words summarize the essence of God’s covenant with these people. The remaining details will expand on these ten words and apply them to specific situations.
  3. Because they focus on the heart’s allegiance and desires, the first and last words would be unenforceable in a human court of law. How would you get enough evidence to convict someone for something that can’t be observed? This fact shows us that God’s Law has always cared about the thoughts and intentions of the heart. There is no room in this covenant for outward, technical conformity from people whose hearts are far from their God.
  4. We see the two responses of Moses and the people. Ought we to see ourselves in them? Some believe we should hang these words in public schools and community centers, yet perhaps we need to feel the fear and awe the first audience felt. As we unpack the requirements and prohibitions, we tremble at God’s demand for perfection, vertical and horizontal, outside and inside. Maybe we are even scared of the words and want the New Testament to tell us they don’t apply any more. Regardless, the goal of these words is not to baffle you, but “to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin” (Ex 20:20). These words test you. They inspire you to fear the one who spoke them. And they minister his grace to you that you may not sin. We ought to love these words, along with (spoiler alert) the Spirit who indwells us and empowers us to obey (2 Cor 3:1-18).

Train of thought:

  • Yahweh enters into covenant with his redeemed people, in order to capture their hearts.
  • This covenant inspires appropriate fear, while also inviting them to draw near to God.

Main point: God makes a treaty with his redeemed people, inspiring them to fear and obey, so they might draw near to him.

Connection to Christ: Jesus speaks no longer from a mountain top but from heaven itself (Heb 12:18-26). He calls us to fear and obey him (Heb 12:28-29), but especially to draw near with full confidence of mercy and grace (Heb 4:14-16).

My Application of Exodus 20:1-21

When faced with impossible standards, I’m more of a run-and-hide person than a shake-my-fist-at-God person. I know well the fear and trembling caused by the Lord’s demands for perfection. At the same time, I struggle with treating my worship and approach to God too flippantly or casually. As though he’s lucky to have me around because I’m so much better than all the other people.

There’s an important tension here I haven’t yet figured out: Draw near with confidence, yet with fear and trembling.

All I know is that I can’t go wrong when I hold fast to Christ. My love for him has grown far too dull.

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Exodus 19: Close, But Not Too Close

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Act II of Exodus exposed the people’s great need for God’s law. We now begin Act III, where God rebuilds his house—first by setting up a covenant (treaty) with his people.

Observation of Exodus 19

Most repeated words: people (21 times), Lord (18x), Moses (14), mountain (12), all (8), up (8), come (7), said (7), out (6), Sinai (6).

  • The relationship between the people and the Lord takes center stage.

The setting remains at the mountain through the whole chapter, but Moses keeps going up and down. Almost every time God speaks, it is from the mountain top.

  • Moses goes up, and God speaks to him (Ex 19:3).
    • Moses goes down and speaks to the people (Ex 19:7).
  • Presumably, Moses goes up to relay the people’s words (Ex 19:8), and God speaks again (Ex 19:9).
    • Moses goes back down (Ex 19:14).
  • God comes down to the mountain and calls Moses up (Ex 19:20).
    • Moses goes back down with a final warning (Ex 19:25).

The only exception is in Ex 19:19, where Moses speaks from the foot of the mountain (Ex 19:17), and God answers with thunder.

Notice what God has to say each time Moses ascends the mountain. The mood of the first speech is warm and intimate; the second and third get increasingly severe:

  1. First trip: Tell the people that, if they keep my covenant, they will be my treasured possession.
  2. Second trip: The people will hear me speak to you (Moses) from the cloud, so they may believe you forever. Prepare, and stay away!
  3. Third trip: Warn everyone to stay away, so Yahweh won’t break out against them. 

Erik Gustafson (2008), Creative Commons

The logic of God’s promise is worth noting (Ex 19:4-6):

  • You’ve seen how I delivered you from Egypt.
  • Therefore, obey my voice.
  • And you will be my treasured possession.
    • That is, you will be a kingdom of priests to me, and a holy (i.e. special) nation among all peoples.

Obedience does not earn their deliverance; it follows from it.

Interpretation of Exodus 19

Some possible questions:

  1. Why does Moses go up and down the mountain so many times?
  2. Why does the tone of God’s speeches shift so drastically?
  3. What does it mean to be a kingdom of priests?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. The only thing clear in the text is that the top of the mountain is where God is (Ex 19:16-18). God, who led them in a pillar of cloud and fire (Ex 13:21-22), now resides on this mountain. In other words, heaven has come to earth, but only at this one spot, Mt. Sinai.
  2. The three sets of speeches communicate a tension between two poles: God wants his people to be close, but not too close. If they stay far away, they can’t be his treasured possession. And if they come too close, he must break out against them so that they die. The covenant being established here takes great pains to expose this tension.
  3. The only priest we’ve seen in Exodus so far is Jethro, priest of Midian (Ex 3:1, 18:1). Ex 19:22, 24 mention a group of Israelite priests, distinct from the rest of the people, but they’ve never come up before now. But, judging from how God has used Moses so far, we can guess that a “kingdom of priests” is a group of people who, in service to Yahweh, mediate between God and the nations of the earth. 

Train of thought: Now that I’ve rescued you, I want you to be special mediators between me and the nations. But don’t assume this means you can come too close or take my place!

Main point: The purpose of God’s deliverance is to make something special out of an utterly undeserving people.

Connection to Christ: Even Jesus at times had to hold himself back from breaking out against his utterly undeserving people (Matt 16:23, 17:17, 26:40-41). Yet his incarnation, death, and resurrection brought heaven to earth, and he created a space (the church) where we could draw near to God without fear of judgment.

My Application of Exodus 19

I am not in my church, in leadership, or in ministry (or whatever) because I’ve done great things. Nor because I’m a great person. I’m here only because the Lord decided to do great things and to invite me in.

As I teach others, I must not shy away from the majestic glory of God. The threat of “close, but not too close,” would stand—were it not for Jesus Christ, who invites us to draw near to God’s throne with confidence to find mercy and grace (Heb 4:16).

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Exodus 15:22-18:27: You Need God’s Law

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Step Back

When our Bible study focuses intently on each passage, one after another, we may find it difficult to step back and see how they fit together. But we must remember the Bible is a work of literature. It was not written to be scrutinized in bites; it was written to be devoured in gobbles. We should remember to read the Bible as we’d read any other book: moving through it at a reasonable pace and recognizing ongoing themes, climax, resolution, and character development. When we hit milestones in the text, we should take the opportunity to survey where we’ve been and how it fits together.

So, now that we’ve hit the end of Exodus’s short second act with the appearance and blessing of Jethro, priest of Midian, it’s a good time to catch our breath. From this point in Exodus, we’ll see God building his own house to dwell with his people in paradise. But where have we been so far?

Review

Let me list the main points I’ve proposed for each passage in this section:

  • Exodus 15:22-17:7: Yahweh must give his law to expose how completely distrustful, disobedient—and thereby undeserving—his people are of his fatherly care.
  • Exodus 17:8-16: Your highest and most public loyalty must be to Yahweh your God.
  • Exodus 18:1-27: Being God’s people means we constantly remember our deliverance and look to his instruction for our new life.

In addition, my overview of the whole book led me to this overall main point:

Who is Yahweh, and why should you obey him? He is the God who 1) demolishes the house of slavery (Ex 1-15), 2) prepares to rebuild (Ex 16-18), and 3) builds his house in the midst of his people (Ex 19-40).

And the main idea of Act I (Ex 1:1-15:21) was that Yahweh demolishes the house of slavery. He does this in two parts:

  1. He trains up a qualified mediator to deliver (Ex 1:1-7:7).
  2. He delivers his people from their enemies into a frightful joy (Ex 7:8-15:21).

Pull It Together

Now what do these things show us about the flow of thought in chapters 16-18? We are in between the mighty deliverance and the making of the covenant. How does God prepare to rebuild his people into his house?

  • Act I describes God’s deliverance of his people. Act II shows how God prepares them for a covenant relationship with him.
  • Exodus 15:22-17:7 exposes their rebellious hearts with clear instruction.
  • Exodus 17:8-16 highlights and memorializes in writing their greatest need: to trust Yahweh above all gods.
  • Exodus 18:1-27 draws together the twin themes of deliverance and instruction. We never stop looking back to the former, even while we heed, hope for, and honor the latter.

These chapters all center on how much these fallen, rebellious people need God’s instruction to survive, and yet they can’t obey it. But that won’t hinder them as long as they maintain their highest allegiance to Yahweh. These chapters foreshadow the tension and confusion God’s people have felt toward God’s law through the ages. If he gave us laws, he must expect us to obey them. But if we can’t obey them, and they expose our failure and condemn us to death, are they bad for us? Yet if they truly reveal God’s will, we have reason to love them, and strive to obey them, and forever guard their place in our community.

If we take each episode out of context, on its own, we’ll miss the clear thread of God’s law. And we’ll forever feel the tension and confusion, not seeing how God prepares his people for it even before he hands them the stone tablets. But reading these chapters as a unit, we get a foundation for God’s law:

  • You need God’s law/instruction to have life.
  • You can’t and won’t obey it.
  • So your only remaining hope of life is to fall upon the mercy of your God and maintain to him your highest allegiance.

When we get these three points, we can’t help but love God’s law. It shows us our need, it reveals God’s mercy, and it drives us to hope not in ourselves but him.

Paige (2008), Creative Commons

We can flesh out our outline of the book a little further:

Act I: Yahweh demolishes the house of slavery (Ex 1-15).

Introduction: Nobody can prevent Yahweh from keeping his promises, but we’re not sure how he’ll do it (Ex 1).

Part 1: Yahweh appoints a mediator and ensures he is fully qualified and trained for the task of deliverance (Ex 2:1-7:7).

Part 2: Yahweh delivers a deserved destruction to his enemies and a frightful joy to his people (Ex 7:8-15:21).

Act II: Yahweh prepares to rebuild (Ex 16-18)—by exposing how deeply his people need his law to know him.

Act III: Yahweh builds his house in the midst of his people (Ex 19-40).

Gaze Upon Jesus

Jesus is “the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom 10:4). Those who rely on the law are under a curse, for, without perfect obedience, it cannot give life (Gal 3:10). So all it does to sinners is hold them captive to their sin (Gal 3:23). Yet such captivity leads us like a guardian to Christ so we might be justified by faith (Gal 3:24). By showing us our need for God’s law, Exodus 16-18 ends up showing us our need for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Apply

Head: Do you love God’s law (Ps 119:97) or resent it (Prov 13:13)?

Heart: The new covenant in Christ is by no means a lawless religion (Rom 8:12-14). While the law cannot empower your obedience to God, the Spirit of Christ within you can.

Hands: Walk by the Spirit, and don’t gratify the desires of your flesh. Let the law show you how to keep in step with the Spirit, not being conceited, neither envying nor provoking (Gal 5:16-26). And keeping in step with the Spirit means most of all that your allegiance is to none but Christ (1 John 5:11-12).

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