EXODUS 21:1-36

In our study in EXODUS 20 we began our study of the LAW

A)We saw that there are 2 distinctions that need to be made concerning the

LAW

B)First, there is the LAW OF GOD/ Second, there is the LAW OF MOSES

Both of these make up what is known as THE LAW

  1. But We noted the differences between the LAW OF GOD and the

LAW OF MOSES

C) THE LAW OF GOD is ETERNAL.. It is UNCHANGING.... and it is BINDING upon all men at all times...

1)It APPLIES to all mankind throughout ALL of history

D)THE LAW OF MOSES deals with the CEREMONIAL and CIVIL aspects of the national life of Israel

1)It is APPLICABLE to and BINDING to the Israelites

 

We also noted that there were differences in how they were given

A)The LAW OF GOD was given AUDIBLY Everyone heard it as God proclaimed it from Mt. Sinai

B)BUT - The LAW OF MOSES was given only to Moses who communicated to the people what was said

C)The LAW OF GOD was written DIRECTLY with the finger of God upon the tables of stone

1)BUT - The LAW OF MOSES was dictated from God to Moses and he himself committed it to writing

D)The LAW OF GOD was Miraculously PRESERVED in the Ark of the Covenant

While the LAW OF MOSES was NOT to be kept in the Ark of the Cov.

Tonight we will BEGIN looking at the 2nd aspect of the LAW –namely the LAW OF MOSES

A)The LAW OF MOSES is NOT binding upon us as gentiles, but it is HELPFUL to us

B) For in it we learn of the heart of God and mind of God

  1. But It also gives us insight into the PERSON & NATURE of Jesus Christ It helps us understand Him & His Ministry

C)Thru all the sacrifices / the rituals and the ordinances we can discover insight about Jesus Christ – it all speaks of Him!!!!

CHAPTER 21 - VERSES 1-6

Now there have been those groups who have tried to JUSTIFY the institution of slavery by using these verses,

A)And there have been groups who attempted to CONDEMN Christianity by saying that the Bible approves of slavery

B)Both of these positions are UNTRUE / not right / These verses are not suggesting that God was initiating the practice of slavery

1)But What we have here is God REGULATING an existing social

practice that was deeply imbedded into that society

C) So God was putting DEFINITE regulations upon slavery / For instance :

1) The LENGTH of his service - v.2- 6 yrs

D)The circumstances of his departure - v.3-4- If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself;

if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.

But 4If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.

The EXCEPTION to the rule - v.5-6

A)Now the slave could say – well I love my Master & I love my wife/ kids –make a choice to be that mans servant forever – BONDSERVANT

B) One who serves willingly – out of his own Choice !!!!

  1. what they would do is take him to the door post w/ the Leaders / or the Judges of the community – Pierce his ear w/ an Awl.

C) That servant would then go around –wearing an earring – thus signifying that he was a BONDSERVANT – forever

  1. He was choosing to stay w/ His master / that was the exception

 

But was not just a regulation for the Jews but it serves as a wonderful illustration for us of Jesus who is the Perfect servant

Isa.42:1 Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights!

A) God the father Prophesying about the Son- My servant in whom I delight

  1. What did the Father declare at Baptism. – Behold my …..well pleased

B)In Phil 2 - 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, He was God – for Him to say that was not robbery 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

C)Jesus didn’t come as a King to be served – but He came as a servant to give His life a ransom for many

C) He Choose to be a servant – He gave of Himself of His own free will

  1. He loved His master – His father – I always do that which pleases my father

D) He loved His wife - Church / He loved His kids

Now the servant was to work for six yrs – in the seventh year he could have the opportunity to go free

A)Six is the number of man – 7 is the number of completion –

Jesus became a man / and served completely –

B) He as a man fulfilled every Jot & tittle of the Law – every aspect of it he covered perfectly

  1. On the Cross He completed His Mission – He completed His service / It is finished

C) Because of His love for His Master / His wife & His Children – He willingly went to the Timber / to the door Post

  1. Significance of the Door post why not a table or wall? – PASSOVER

D) When the Ear was pierced the Blood would stain the Door post

Psa.40:6-8 6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Lit Pierced - Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.

7 Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

8 I delight to do Your will, O my God,

E) In Heb. Ch. 10 we are told that this Psalm is speaking about Jesus

Now when that servant went around w/ that ear ring in His ear it was a Blessing to His Master –

A)Because that servant was declaring by wearing that ear ring that He loved his master so much that he would willingly stay w/ Him

B) It would bless His master & it would MOVE his family – My husband & Our father – gave up His freedom to be w/ us

C) So too The heavenly Father is blessed when He sees the scars in the Son – Jesus was submitted so completely to the fathers will

  1. But it moves us too – REMINDS us constantly of how much he loves Us – willingly gave Himself for us / still bears the scars / still reminder

But here is the clincher the real mind blower v. 6 – it says that the servant shall be a servant forever

A)Jesus became a servant – and He remains a servant forever/ He is the servant King – The king who serves

B) We are told in Heb. 7:25 He lives to make intercession

C) We are told in Luke 12:37 "Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.

D) GIRD – robe – when did Jesus – Gird Himself ? John 13 washing the Disciples feet –

  1. when we get to heaven our Servant King is going to gird himself and serve His Bride

That is how much that He loves us – ( INCREDIBLE)

A)Now you recall Peter’s reaction – Not washing my feet - No part w/ me ……. Wash all of me

B) Basically Jesus had Peter sit down so He could wash his feet

  1. In Heaven our reaction would be similar to Peter’s – Lord I should serve you

C)But it says there in Lk.12 That the Lord will have us sit down & serve us

  1. He is the Conquering King & yet He chooses to be a servant / and He is going to serve those who Love Him & are watching for His appearing

D) THAT JUST BLOWS MY MIND – I don’t understand that at all – but I accept it – (CRY ) Accept it AND I AM TO REFLECT IT

Jesus leads the way – and we are to be like Him – willing servants J.13

A) 13 "You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.15 "For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

B) Family Devotions Mon. night – what does it mean to wash feet ?

  1. Today – I asked myself this question – How much of what I do each day is for me ? How much is for others?

C) We are to be servants – You have a Chance to see just how much of a servant that you really are – when others treat you like one

  1. Everything that you do when there is no thanks – there is no appreciation

Those are opportunities to reflect Jesus

D) So Jesus is the perfect Servant !!!!! Move on v. 7

7"And if a man sells his daughter to be a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.

HOW can that possibly be justified in the Bible

A)In cases of poverty, a poor man that had a daughter could sell her to a wealthy man who would betroth her or marry her

B)So A father had the right to sell his daughter into slavery

  1. She was to remain in that state forever- she couldn’t go free after 6 years

C) So what the Lord was really saying here was – think twice about this because it is going to be forever !!!!

  1. Father would have to think real hard about – selling his daughter

D) But sometimes they would do this because – they were giving her a better life / she would become the Bride of a rich man v.8 –11

8If she does not please her master, who has betrothed her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her. 9And if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters. 10If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marriage rights. 11And if he does not do these three for her, then she shall go out free, without paying money.

Now IF the rich man decided, I don't want to marry her, then the daughter could be redeemed out of slavery...... bought with a price

A)Basically her family would have to pay the man back some of the money that he paid for her in the first place

B) BUT - She could NOT be sold into slavery into a strange nation

C)IF a man bought such a girl to betroth to his son, and the son decided to marry somebody else, THEN she was still be provided for

  1. She was cared for like a Daughter in law

 

I can SOMEWHAT understand the intention of the father

A)Wanting the best for my daughters and wanting to provide the direction for such a major decision – who they will marry

B)BUT - There is a PRINCIPLE here for us SPIRITUALLY

1)I CAN do much to make sure that my daughters & my Son are going to

be in a spiritually rich household

C) I can do MUCH to PREARRANGE that- Through PRAYER

  1. Praying for Amy & Amanda’s Husbands / praying for Aaron’s wife

D) Seeking to create for them a godly home environment – seeking to model for my Son – how to treat a wife / My daughters how they are to be treated

VERSES 12-14

A)If a man takes another life with premeditation... that Man is to be put to death/ Plain & Simple V.12,14 are the basis for capital punishment

B)Some people believe that "Thou shalt not kill" means that the government has no right to exact a death penalty.

1)However, God commanded the nation Israel to put to death any murderer.

C)Now If it was what we call today manslaughter, or second degree murder.... the taking of life without premeditation...

1)there were places appointed by the Lord (Cities of Refuge: Num. 35) that

they could flee to You would be safe there

D)There were six cities of refuge placed throughout the land of Palestine.

set up in convenient locations

  1. So that one charged with manslaughter could find shelter for himself until the matter in which he was involved could be settled.

E)We will speak more of the cities of refuge later study

 

 

Read VERSE 15-17/ Note First v.15 & 17

A)The SEVERITY of the punishment tells us the importance that God places upon the AUTHORITY and DIGNITY of parents

B) No exceptions - Kids who show disrespect to their parents /

  1. Think how far we have moved away from this today

C) Kids who regularly curse parents / groups all over today for "Battered parents

1) there are parents whose lives are threatened by their children

D)Seems like weekly there is a case of some teen-ager shooting their parents because the parents disciplined them

VERSE 17 If you CURSE your parents you are put to death

A)Some ask WHY such a radical punishment ?

B)Because some of the most BRUTAL murders committed are committed with WORDS

  1. Words can be LETHAL – Tongue is a weapon

Now we know that all that the Lord commands for us is for our best interest – it is for our benefit

A)So when the Lord says it is wrong for Children to talk to their parents in that kind of way – to show them / disrespect

B)To allow them to do that is only hurting your Child – they are going to miss out on God’s best for them

C) Now I am not suggesting that you kill your Child if – that happens / but I think we need to take this a little more seriously in training them

  1. I sometimes see how – some teenagers treat adults w/ no respect – Mark cuss him out

D) Dad – mad at Marc / Starts at home

 

VERSE 16 – deals w/ the subject of Kidnapping – every year there are more that 15,000 Children who are abducted in U.S.

A)Micro Chip identification – mark is going to be a seller / major problem in our day & age -

B)Alfred Edersheim, author of Old Testament History and The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah said that KIDNAPPING, REBELLION and MURDER was virtually UNHEARD of.

C) Maybe this was one reason why the Severity of the Punishment – made people think twice about it

 

 

 

 

 

18"If men contend with each other, and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but is confined to his bed,

19if he rises again and walks about outside with his staff, then he who struck him shall be acquitted. He won’t be put to death

BUT He shall only pay for the loss of his time, If you strike somebody and they are out of work, you are to pay for the time that is lost/

and shall provide for him to be thoroughly healed. – You pay for all of their medical bills

VERSES 20-21

A)If a man abuses his slave, he is to be punished for that abusing

In other cultures, that was NOT the case

B) EXAMPLE: Cleopatra was a connoisseur of poisons

She actually killed 275 of her servants by having them test her poisons

C) Abuse of slaves was very common – but the Lord set up this Provision

Respecting of human life – other people

VERSE 22-25

So if two men are in a brawl and some how a pregnant woman is injured so that the baby is born prematurely

A)Her husband & a judge are to determine a price to be paid for the trauma

B)Now if the mother or the baby come into harm – meaning either one dies / the person who did this will repay with his life

  1. God is here Elevating the Life of a woman who is carrying a Baby

C)If the baby or the mother loses an eye….. eye … tooth….. tooth …..

 

 

Now this is an expression of God’s Fairness but also His mercy How so?

A)Human nature says – You knocked out my tooth – I am going to knock out both of yours

B)You bloodied my nose – I am going to Knock off your head

  1. God says – No – Instead He places RESTRAINT placed upon man in meeting out justice EYE/EYE / TOOTH …/ BURN …/

 

Now here’s what is interesting - that is the LAW of MOSES – yet Jesus said in Matt. 5:38- 39

38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

39 "But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

A)NOTE: Some people think that LOVE and GRACE are the EASY way out/ Not so/ LOve and grace demand MORE than the Law

B) That is a LOVE that is costly

 

VERSES 26-27

Again, no place for abuse

VERSES 28-36

Here we see a PRINCIPLE of RESPONSIBILITY for his pets and property

And for what we possess

Here we see the PRINCIPLE for RESPONSIBILITY for actions