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Shemot (Exodus)
mishpatim 21:1-24:18 |
Meaning
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Day Two
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Haftara
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B'rit Hadashah
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1 Our Father, we receive Your Words and hide Your commandments with us; 2 we incline our ear unto wisdom, and apply our hearts to understanding; 3 We cry after knowledge and lift up our voices for understanding; 4 we seek it as silver; and search for it as for hidden treasures; 5 We declare that we shall understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. Declaration of Proverbs 2:1-5
Exodus 21:1-27 (NASB)1
28 "If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished. 29 "If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death. 30 "If a ransom is demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is demanded of him. 31 "Whether it gores a son or a daughter, it shall be done to him according to the same rule. 32 "If the ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall give his or her master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. 33 "If a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall become his. 33 "If a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it over, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit shall make restitution; he shall give money to its owner, and the dead animal shall become his. 35 "If one man's ox hurts another's so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide its price equally; and also they shall divide the dead ox. 36 "Or if it is known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring, yet its owner has not confined it, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal shall become his. 22 1 "If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep. 2 "If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account. 3 "But if the sun has risen on him, there will be bloodguiltiness on his account. He shall surely make restitution; if he owns nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4 "If what he stole is actually found alive in his possession, whether an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double. 5 "If a man lets a field or vineyard be grazed bare and lets his animal loose so that it grazes in another man's field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard. 6 "If a fire breaks out and spreads to thorn bushes, so that stacked grain or the standing grain or the field itself is consumed, he who started the fire shall surely make restitution. 7 "If a man gives his neighbor money or goods to keep for him and it is stolen from the man's house, if the thief is caught, he shall pay double. 8 "If the thief is not caught, then the owner of the house shall appear before the judges, to determine whether he laid his hands on his neighbor's property. 9 "For every breach of trust, whether it is for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for clothing, or for any lost thing about which one says, 'This is it,' the case of both parties shall come before the judges; he whom the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbor.
3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Psalm 43:3. I don’t know about you, but when I read these words I can’t help but feel that they just make so much sense! This ‘Torah’, is ‘light’ and ‘truth’! In this portion, with these judgments and ordinances, I see things like responsibility, accountability and respect for each other and their possessions. In our society today, I see very little of this. It seems that many have very few boundaries, if any at all. In this week’s readings we see the principles of doing justly, loving mercy and walking humbly before our Father God. There's situations in the Word that don’t match up with traditions, or context of our own society, but the “principle” is the same. A “principle” is a basic truth, law or an assumption. It's a rule or standard. OR a corporate and collective set of moral, ethical standards, OR, here is that word again: judgments. These in the Bible, still suggest that a decision is made that settles a dispute between two parties. There is a sort of preamble or prologue that lay out all the 'facts' of the case. Based on 'the facts' the rights and obligations of each party are determined. The verdict (or judgment) obtained thereafter, whether a civilian tort or criminal matter, carries a lot of weight. The decision is made by a ruling judge. This verdict includes the rights, liabilities, guilt or innocence of those involved. Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury: you have just read the basis of the definition of law and how justice is met through the process. That's what judgments do: they determine justice through the designated process.
Now as I'm writing this, in consideration of what I've just said, I don't understand what a lot of folks have against learning about such a basic foundation of laws, just because they occur in the Old Testament of the Bible. If we read them carefully, we'll see that they are astoundingly similar to a lot of the laws on our respective country's books in Canada and the United States of America! There are reams and reams of tort law that deal verdicts regarding restitution, retribution and punishments declared after the discovery (of all facts pertaining to the events). I used to think and maybe I still do, that what we're reading here in the second book of the five, are simply laws that deal by common sense. But this year, I think they've become a little bit more than that. The principles behind these AND those that exist in our countries today are VERY SIMILAR. People today have laws against their farm animals encroaching and causing harm to neighboring farms. Mostly what we see now, aren't agricultural but take place in cities. So many of us don’t follow agricultural pursuits and so we don’t relate so much to situations with farm animals but we could see the sense of it if we thought about situations with our domesticated pets (like maybe when owners think it’s ‘cool’ to teach their dogs to be vicious?) Can you see the danger that men perpetrate when they don't take responsibility seriously?
5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution. 6 If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution. Exodus 22:5-6.
The point is, whether it be in the agricultural setting, or in the city: for every action there is a consequence. If men will intentionally live recklessly, caring not for the boundaries or the consideration of his neighbors and those around him, then he's responsible for his behavior. Liability and breach of trust were as important in ancient times as they are in the here and now. Perhaps because they might be couched in different terms is why folks don’t realize this and another reason might simply be that they haven’t read enough of the Bible to make a knowledgeable assessment. In any case, we can still agree that “what is old is new AGAIN” and that apparently, “there's NOTHING new under the sun”.
The conclusion of chapter twenty-one and the following, are examples of liability. Liability in short, involves responsibility for actions taken OR for failure to act. If one is charged with a ‘violation of statute’ or ‘breach of contract’, they’re required to pay for resulting damages. Considering how complicated the books of law have become, I would definitely prefer wading through Exodus and Leviticus than through the law codes of either USA or Canada. In the agricultural world of Moses these examples were important. A farmer that dug a pit and had the ox of his neighbor somehow fall into it is of course, responsible. The neighborly thing to do was to assist the owner to lift that ox out of the pit and assess possible injuries. (Bear in mind the work it would entail to lift that animal with no heavy machinery with slings in those days). But the RESPONSIBLE thing would have been to ensure that the pit was covered or fenced off so that no animal or person could be found to have wandered into the pit in the first place. It’s beginning to sound like liability is interchangeable with responsibility. What kind of small ‘g’ god has commanded or even offered such sensible solutions for human behavior? Sensible solutions promulgate laws that protect citizens. This is a sensible thing to do as opposed to lawlessness which hurts EVERYBODY. One might consider that these laws can also be likened to “instructions for living”. Torah is a body of ‘instructions for living’ that would make Israel the most different nation from all other nations on the planet.
9 For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour. Exodus 22:9.
The New American Standard Bible renders trespass as “breach of trust”. A modern definition of breach of trust is a violation of a law, contract, or obligation that gives an individual the right to expect honest and fair treatment from another party. Breaches of trust can range from deception about a product's quality, quantity, or price to underpaying agreed-upon wages. A definition of trespass, from the King James Version, found in the Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1913 (that I’ve abridged or shortened for space and time) is:
“1. To pass beyond a limit or boundary; hence, to depart; to go. [Obs.]
2. (Law) To commit a trespass; esp., to enter unlawfully upon the land of another.
3. To go too far; to put any one to inconvenience by demand or importunity; to intrude; as, to trespass upon the time or patience of another.
4. To commit any offense, or to do any act that injures or annoys another; to violate any rule of rectitude, to the injury of another; hence, in a moral sense, to transgress voluntarily any divine law or command; to violate any known rule of duty; to sin;— often followed by against.”
In my opinion, the word trespass, as expanded by Webster’s definition is better than the modern one offered. The CYCLOPEDIA of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical LITERATURE Prepared By James Strong and John McClintock in 1880 was a glaring reminder of the directions that The Anointed/Christ gave when He talked about these trespasses:
“Trespass (אָשָׁם, guilt; παράπτωμα) is an offence committed, a hurt, or wrong done to a neighbor; and partakes of the nature of an error or slip rather than of deliberate or gross sin. Under the law, the delinquent who had trespassed was of course bound to make satisfaction; but an offering or oblation was allowed him to reconcile himself to the Divine Governor (Le 6:15). Our Savior teaches us that whoever does not forgive the trespasses of a fellow-man against himself is not to expect that his Father in heaven will forgive his trespasses (Mt 6:14-15).”
In the days ahead we shall also learn about culpability. That’s a ten dollar word for ‘blameworthiness’ that requires that a person acted purposely and knowingly, or with negligence. (This is me trying to get away with as little legalese as is possible.) Blameworthiness is at the core of fixing every trespass. The young Yosef/Joseph knew this when he acted as the ‘number one’ in the household of Potiphar. If he even touched his master’s wife he knew that he was violating the boundaries of his master and his wife and that the act itself would be against his God. Joseph chose not to trespass against his master, or his God. Then he gave his brothers a clean slate (howbeit via a most convoluted and eerie process) over the trespass that they perpetrated on him. What a sterling role model you were, Yosef!
Many like to read the Bible in portions that they can “swallow”, so to speak. Then when they get to a place or places where they cannot agree, instead of bowing to The Father God’s wisdom, they choose to argue His sovereignty on the subject. There were times in our own childhoods that we came upon such rules and edicts set down by our earthly parents. We didn’t understand why they set the rules the way they did and yet we knew that we must follow them even though we didn’t understand them. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why Messiah said the following when the disciples thought that they should keep children quiet and out of his way.
15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. Mark 10:15-16.
There are also supporting verses from Luke:
17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. Luke 18:17.
And more in Matthew:
1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:1-4.
How is it that we generally, end up arguing the sovereignty of God as adults, when clearly, we should know better! It was never more important to be following “as a child” in those early days when The Ancient of Days was attempting to instill a pure ethic and obedience into the Israelites. And yet, same as now, so many of them insisted on arguing the sovereignty of the God of their fathers. And so it is that each day we take the teachings that were given to the Israelites and we’re challenged to choose the principle of the matter and apply it to our own time and situations! We do the same with the Apostolic Writings at the other end of this marvelous book called the Bible. The Gospels record the ‘historical’ account of Messiah’s life and teachings. The book of Acts details the way of Salvation as it was practiced in the days of Messiah and then after He left the earth and returned to heaven. Repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost was “The Way”.
Now as I'm writing this, in consideration of what I've just said, I don't understand what a lot of folks have against learning about such a basic foundation of laws, just because they occur in the Old Testament of the Bible. If we read them carefully, we'll see that they are astoundingly similar to a lot of the laws on our respective country's books in Canada and the United States of America! There are reams and reams of tort law that deal verdicts regarding restitution, retribution and punishments declared after the discovery (of all facts pertaining to the events). I used to think and maybe I still do, that what we're reading here in the second book of the five, are simply laws that deal by common sense. But this year, I think they've become a little bit more than that. The principles behind these AND those that exist in our countries today are VERY SIMILAR. People today have laws against their farm animals encroaching and causing harm to neighboring farms. Mostly what we see now, aren't agricultural but take place in cities. So many of us don’t follow agricultural pursuits and so we don’t relate so much to situations with farm animals but we could see the sense of it if we thought about situations with our domesticated pets (like maybe when owners think it’s ‘cool’ to teach their dogs to be vicious?) Can you see the danger that men perpetrate when they don't take responsibility seriously?
5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution. 6 If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution. Exodus 22:5-6.
The point is, whether it be in the agricultural setting, or in the city: for every action there is a consequence. If men will intentionally live recklessly, caring not for the boundaries or the consideration of his neighbors and those around him, then he's responsible for his behavior. Liability and breach of trust were as important in ancient times as they are in the here and now. Perhaps because they might be couched in different terms is why folks don’t realize this and another reason might simply be that they haven’t read enough of the Bible to make a knowledgeable assessment. In any case, we can still agree that “what is old is new AGAIN” and that apparently, “there's NOTHING new under the sun”.
The conclusion of chapter twenty-one and the following, are examples of liability. Liability in short, involves responsibility for actions taken OR for failure to act. If one is charged with a ‘violation of statute’ or ‘breach of contract’, they’re required to pay for resulting damages. Considering how complicated the books of law have become, I would definitely prefer wading through Exodus and Leviticus than through the law codes of either USA or Canada. In the agricultural world of Moses these examples were important. A farmer that dug a pit and had the ox of his neighbor somehow fall into it is of course, responsible. The neighborly thing to do was to assist the owner to lift that ox out of the pit and assess possible injuries. (Bear in mind the work it would entail to lift that animal with no heavy machinery with slings in those days). But the RESPONSIBLE thing would have been to ensure that the pit was covered or fenced off so that no animal or person could be found to have wandered into the pit in the first place. It’s beginning to sound like liability is interchangeable with responsibility. What kind of small ‘g’ god has commanded or even offered such sensible solutions for human behavior? Sensible solutions promulgate laws that protect citizens. This is a sensible thing to do as opposed to lawlessness which hurts EVERYBODY. One might consider that these laws can also be likened to “instructions for living”. Torah is a body of ‘instructions for living’ that would make Israel the most different nation from all other nations on the planet.
9 For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour. Exodus 22:9.
The New American Standard Bible renders trespass as “breach of trust”. A modern definition of breach of trust is a violation of a law, contract, or obligation that gives an individual the right to expect honest and fair treatment from another party. Breaches of trust can range from deception about a product's quality, quantity, or price to underpaying agreed-upon wages. A definition of trespass, from the King James Version, found in the Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1913 (that I’ve abridged or shortened for space and time) is:
“1. To pass beyond a limit or boundary; hence, to depart; to go. [Obs.]
2. (Law) To commit a trespass; esp., to enter unlawfully upon the land of another.
3. To go too far; to put any one to inconvenience by demand or importunity; to intrude; as, to trespass upon the time or patience of another.
4. To commit any offense, or to do any act that injures or annoys another; to violate any rule of rectitude, to the injury of another; hence, in a moral sense, to transgress voluntarily any divine law or command; to violate any known rule of duty; to sin;— often followed by against.”
In my opinion, the word trespass, as expanded by Webster’s definition is better than the modern one offered. The CYCLOPEDIA of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical LITERATURE Prepared By James Strong and John McClintock in 1880 was a glaring reminder of the directions that The Anointed/Christ gave when He talked about these trespasses:
“Trespass (אָשָׁם, guilt; παράπτωμα) is an offence committed, a hurt, or wrong done to a neighbor; and partakes of the nature of an error or slip rather than of deliberate or gross sin. Under the law, the delinquent who had trespassed was of course bound to make satisfaction; but an offering or oblation was allowed him to reconcile himself to the Divine Governor (Le 6:15). Our Savior teaches us that whoever does not forgive the trespasses of a fellow-man against himself is not to expect that his Father in heaven will forgive his trespasses (Mt 6:14-15).”
In the days ahead we shall also learn about culpability. That’s a ten dollar word for ‘blameworthiness’ that requires that a person acted purposely and knowingly, or with negligence. (This is me trying to get away with as little legalese as is possible.) Blameworthiness is at the core of fixing every trespass. The young Yosef/Joseph knew this when he acted as the ‘number one’ in the household of Potiphar. If he even touched his master’s wife he knew that he was violating the boundaries of his master and his wife and that the act itself would be against his God. Joseph chose not to trespass against his master, or his God. Then he gave his brothers a clean slate (howbeit via a most convoluted and eerie process) over the trespass that they perpetrated on him. What a sterling role model you were, Yosef!
Many like to read the Bible in portions that they can “swallow”, so to speak. Then when they get to a place or places where they cannot agree, instead of bowing to The Father God’s wisdom, they choose to argue His sovereignty on the subject. There were times in our own childhoods that we came upon such rules and edicts set down by our earthly parents. We didn’t understand why they set the rules the way they did and yet we knew that we must follow them even though we didn’t understand them. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why Messiah said the following when the disciples thought that they should keep children quiet and out of his way.
15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. Mark 10:15-16.
There are also supporting verses from Luke:
17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. Luke 18:17.
And more in Matthew:
1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:1-4.
How is it that we generally, end up arguing the sovereignty of God as adults, when clearly, we should know better! It was never more important to be following “as a child” in those early days when The Ancient of Days was attempting to instill a pure ethic and obedience into the Israelites. And yet, same as now, so many of them insisted on arguing the sovereignty of the God of their fathers. And so it is that each day we take the teachings that were given to the Israelites and we’re challenged to choose the principle of the matter and apply it to our own time and situations! We do the same with the Apostolic Writings at the other end of this marvelous book called the Bible. The Gospels record the ‘historical’ account of Messiah’s life and teachings. The book of Acts details the way of Salvation as it was practiced in the days of Messiah and then after He left the earth and returned to heaven. Repentance, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost was “The Way”.
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38.
1 Scripture reading from the NASB www.lockman.org and KJV unless otherwise stated.
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