this WNC farm scene attests to the beauty of orderliness in creation.
God also sets boundaries in relationships by His laws and judgments.
February 5
If I read these scriptures in Exodus without knowing
anything about God, I would probably think, “Wow, He sure is a stickler for
laws!” And, if I were much younger, I might think these laws are a little
drastic, to say the least. However,we would no doubt want these underlying principles applied in our
own situations. On a personal note, my mother grew a beautiful vegetable garden
one summer and our neighbor’s cow destroyed it. The neighbors ignored the situation and demonstrated no sense of fairness or responsibility toward my mother and her loss. This very situation is
addressed in God’s judgments we are studying today. (It has been said that most
people rebel at the thought of The 10 Commandments, however, almost everyone
would love to have neighbors that abide by them.)
These judgments are based on right
principles and include: accountability, responsibility, justice, honesty, and
restitution. In other words, just doing what is right. However, without specific guidelines, we may disagree as to what would be fair. Our first parents rejected God's instructions and were left to their own devices. However, God continues to guide those who desire His input in their lives. Because of God’s love and mercy, He continued to offer His help and gives us gifts (Matthew 5:45). Whether or not we accept what He says and follow His guidance
is entirely up to us. God even made clothes for Adam and Eve after
they sinned. Later, He chose Israel to be His people and receive His blessings; He
gave them His laws, instituted cities of refuge, and placed value on their
bodies and their lives by requiring an eye for an eye, a life for a life. These
judgments were for the purpose of deterring injustice, injury, harm, and even
death. God’s mercy and love for us are astounding!
If God values life so much, we might wonder why he says a person can be considered “property” in Exodus 21:21. God allows us to set up our own ways of doing things, including our own governments and our own laws, however He does hold us accountable for how we treat others. (It is interesting that The Ten Commandments are depicted on the doors of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC, representing the basis of all law. The court room also contains several depictions of Moses and The Ten Commandments engraved in marble.)
A nation without laws or without regard for law is obviously unstable and leaves itself open for many problems. Unfortunately, our own country is reaping the consequences of lawlessness at present. Many of our laws are never enforced and certainly not speedily, leaving citizens in danger of violence. We would do well to consider Ecclesiastes 8:11, which was written by the wisest man who ever lived and which, of course, is “God-breathed”: “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil”. God is not the author of confusion (I Corinthians 14:43), and sets us laws to preserve orderliness in the Universe as well as in our lives. Although, as sinners, we cannot follow God's laws perfectly, we can enjoy a more peaceful and prosperous life when we follow His principles of living. (Following God’s Laws can enhance our happiness, however it is not the way to salvation. Salvation is the gift of God, not of works, lest any one should boast. See Ephesians 2:8-10).
Some of the judgments in these chapters include being responsible for damage done by your animals (the cow & garden incident), and taking responsibility for starting a fire that results in damage. Spiritual matters are also addressed—practicing sorcery incurred the death penalty, as did sacrificing to other gods. Morality is addressed—bestiality brought the death penalty. God forbade His people to charge interest to the poor, and did not allow their clothes to be held as collateral after sundown. God says a person's clothes are his covering and asks, “What will he sleep in?” God goes on to say that “when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious”. These judgments are examples of applying the second greatest commandment (Matthew 22:39), and treating others like you want to be treated.
God said He Himself would avenge widows and the fatherless, “If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry". He made it clear that the oppressors of these unfortunate people could count on the fact that their families would also know what it is like to be widows and fatherless. God also says not to revile Him or curse a ruler, not to delay giving Him what belongs to Him, and to dedicate first-born sons to Him. He also says He expects His people “to be holy men to God”. What a different culture we would have today if we lived by these judgments.
Our reading in Psalms exalts God as our Rock, our avenger, and our deliverer. He has shown Himself in this capacity in the chapters in Exodus we have read. Proverbs continues along the lines of "cause and effect" (Galatians 6:7), and warns that a man can lose everything he has by keeping company with prostitutes.
In Matthew, Jesus verbally chastises the hypocritical religious leaders who attempt to turn His kingdom into a system of do’s and don’ts. Jesus knows the Law inside and out and reprimanded them for their ridiculous rules which were so contrary to God's purposes. God's law reflects His character and reveals His standard and is not intended to inflict hardship, but quite the contrary--blessings. In Psalm 119:97, it is written, “O how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day”. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 7:12, “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good”. Neither did Jesus come to destroy what we have read in Exodus 21 & 22 (See Matthew 5:17-18).
As Believers, God’s laws are written on our hearts with love (Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10), and because His Holy Spirit lives in us, we have the capacity to exceed the written law in our love for God and for others (Galatians 5:22-23). We find our culture in a state of decay as a result of denying God and disregarding His laws. Our culture is permeated with an attitude of lawlessness that is contributing to our failure as a nation. Nevertheless, God has called us out of the world and we have the opportunity to glorify God and be a blessing to others by exemplifying these godly principles in the way in which we live.
