Bible Talks

From: Messages of God's Love: 1970

• 3 min. read • grade level: 9

Exodus 22:2-20²If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. ³If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. ⁴If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double. ⁵If 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. ⁶If 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. ⁷If a man shall deliver unto his neighbor money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him pay double. ⁸If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbor's goods. ⁹For 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 neighbor. ¹⁰If a man deliver unto his neighbor an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it: ¹¹Then shall an oath of the Lord be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbor's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good. ¹²And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof. ¹³If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn. ¹⁴And if a man borrow ought of his neighbor, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good. ¹⁵But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire. ¹⁶And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. ¹⁷If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. ¹⁸Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. ¹⁹Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death. ²⁰He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed. (Exodus 22:2‑20)

IN THESE chapters God gave instructions to His people Israel, telling them how they ought to act toward one another. And what good instructions they are! They could have been no better, nor could any one else have made laws so wise as these God gave Moses for the people to obey. No other nation under heaven was privileged to have such laws as He gave to Israel.

God’s law taught them what was worthy of a man, as God’s creature on earth. It told them in God’s own words what was right and what was wrong. Had they kept these commandments, they would have been wise and good men, fearing God and loving one another. In another book, later on, we hear God saying: “Oh that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it might he well with them, and with their children forever.” Deut. 5:29²⁹O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! (Deuteronomy 5:29).

In all these laws we are impressed with the righteousness and justice displayed in them. We as Christians need to read every one carefully and treasure them up in our hearts, for they are all needful and important. We can take lessons from them, remembering that though we are ling in “the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2²(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2)), though we are not under law but under grace, still God’s character is unchanged, and instead of expecting less from us who are His own now, than He did from Israel, He expects more, seeing He has freely forgiven all our sins by His grace.

God does not give us the law on tablets of stone, which once broken cannot be restored, but He writes them on the fleshly tables of our hearts by His Spirit (2 Cor. 3:3³Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. (2 Corinthians 3:3)). To us who believe in His dear Son God gives a new life and a new nature, with new thoughts and desires. He also gives us the blessed Spirit of God to abide with us forever, to teach us about the Lord Jesus who is above and to help us to walk like Him down here. We do not have a law but a living Person to honor and obey. “We love Him because He first loved us,” we want to live for Him and to be as nearly like Him as we can.

In the first part of this chapter then we have the law of restitution, or act of restoring, in case of theft. Stealing has been a common form of sin in the world since man fell and many have lived by robbing others. God knew the evil thoughts and desires in the hearts of His people and said: “Thou shalt not steal.” Here we see how He would guard the property of His people, and make all who disregarded His law answerable to Himself.

How wonderful the story of the poor thief, dying for his crimes, crucified with the Lord Jesus, found Him to be the Saviour of sinners, confessed Him as Lord and went to be forever with Him in paradise. Grace triumphs over man’s sin and its penalty.

In verse 16 we have another coon form of sin — impurity in conduct. We live in days when sin is lightly thought of, when moral standards are falling rapidly, but God looks down and sees all. His standards change not; He abides faithful. As Christians, we are called to holiness — “as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation (or, manner of life.)" 1 Pet. 1:15¹⁵But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; (1 Peter 1:15). Dear young Christian, we cannot keep our selves, but the Lord can and will keep us, if we desire to be kept.

The prayer of the godly, dependent Man in Psalm 16:1¹<<Michtam of David.>> Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. (Psalm 16:1): “Preserve me, O God: for in Thee do I put my trust,” Psalm 16:1¹<<Michtam of David.>> Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. (Psalm 16:1), is a good daily prayer for a young believer, and for older ones as well.

ML-02/22/1970

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