Exodus 22-Exodus 23:13
"Restitution" • 3.17.11 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Thursday Night Bible Study
Intro.
- According to various statistical sites on the web, there are roughly 2.3 million United States citizens in prison today. In 2009, 93% of those were male.
- This includes 27% that are federal housed illegal immigrants and 33% which are over the age of 55, requiring special health care attention.
- According to statistics taken from 2006, $68.8 billion dollars was spent on corrections. The average cost per inmate being around $62.00 a day.
- In some situations, prisons resemble a fairly nice life. Prisoners eat, have access to reading and educational materials, as well as recreational facilities, including weight rooms.
- In the more seedy prisons, prisoners resume their life of criminality, forming gangs and engaging in violent and sexually deviant practices.
- The belief of society is rehabilitation and eventual release, though a 2002 study showed that of the 275,000 people released just years earlier, 68% of them were re-arrested in 3 years, 52% were back in prison.[i] With this as a background, let's examine what God would do about it!
Text
• Exodus 22:1-4 : "If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed. If the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt for his bloodshed. He should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the theft is certainly found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall restore double." : God gives Moses a plan for when His people give into the temptation of thievery. The value in that day was in livestock.
- If a man steals, he shall restore 4 or 5 times the amount that was initially stolen. It seems exorbitant, but the point is that God does not want people stealing.
- The amount that would be required would serve to deter the thieves. Restitution was a deterrent, as well as the law governing self-defense.
- A thief could be killed if he was caught in the act without the one killing being charged for a crime. You'll note however, that if he is caught during the day, then only appropriate force is applied.
- At night, when there is greater danger to the man and potential family and less aid available, God allows for lethal force.
- When he was caught red handed, he would be sold to pay for the crime or restore double.
- The thief forfeited all rights when he decided to break the law. At the same time, the property owner was given the right to defend his property.
• Exodus 22:5,6 : "If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed, and lets loose his animal, and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard. If fire breaks out and catches in thorns, so that stacked grain, standing grain, or the field is consumed, he who kindled the fire shall surely make restitution." : Notice that the man is to make restitution, but not simply with anything. He is to make restore with the best he had.
- He was not give low quality material, either of grapes or wheat. He was to bring the best of it to replace what he had been responsible to destroy through animal feeding or purging fire.
- Both grazing and fire starting, were methods of restoring fields to proper use. When this was done, the danger was not to their own fields, but to their neighbors. Damage was a possibility.
- God tells them in that event that they are not to give back something inferior to what was lost.
- Give back something of greater value. Be a blessing to those that might have lost because of your unintended negligence.
• Exodus 22:7-15 : "If a man delivers to his neighbor money or articles to keep, and it is stolen out of the man’s house, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbor’s goods. For any kind of trespass, whether it concerns an ox, a donkey, a sheep, or clothing, or for any kind of lost thing which another claims to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whomever the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbor. If a man delivers to his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep, and it dies, is hurt, or driven away, no one seeing it, then an oath of the Lord shall be between them both, that he has not put his hand into his neighbor’s goods; and the owner of it shall accept that, and he shall not make it good. But if, in fact, it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to the owner of it. If it is torn to pieces by a beast, then he shall bring it as evidence, and he shall not make good what was torn. And if a man borrows anything from his neighbor, and it becomes injured or dies, the owner of it not being with it, he shall surely make it good. If its owner was with it, he shall not make it good; if it was hired, it came for its hire." : God makes sure that the principle is clear. Somebody is responsible to make restitution for property that is lost.
- In the case of that which is stolen, an investigation was to be made. Whoever is guilty of relieving the initial person of their property, shall be the one to pay.
- If something is damaged while in the hands of another, there shall be restitution. The same goes for one who borrows: Responsibility and restitution.
• Exodus 22:16,17 : "If a man entices a virgin who is not betrothed, and lies with her, he shall surely pay the bride-price for her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money according to the bride-price of virgins." : The soap opera tryst love affair is not some new phenomena. Immoral sexual activity was just as much an issue then as it is today.
- When judges became aware of this type of activity, the man who caused the woman to be open minded toward such an affair, would necessarily make her an honest woman.
- He would pay the bride price or a dowry for this woman. This did not mean that he could marry her, as the Father had the right to keep his daughter from this man.
- In that case, the seducer would still have to pay for his indiscretion.
• Exodus 22:18-20 : "You shall not permit a sorceress to live. Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death. He who sacrifices to any god, except to the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed." : You'll notice now a change in tone. God has been giving the judges examples of civic behavior.
- Now, He directly addresses them about the range of their power. They are given the power to execute in certain situations.
- God does not endorse the things that will happen in their midst. He makes provision for what type of behaviors His people would encounter.
- Each of the following items would be worthy of death in their society. If one discovered a witch or one who used witchcraft, that person was to be put to death.
- Those who would be sexually deviant with regard to relations with animals, would be put to death. This was something that man's depravity would lead toward. It's an abomination to the Lord.
- Those who sacrifice to other gods would also be destroyed.
- One might wonder how people could be so depraved without the help of Hollywood or the porn industry! The fact is that our natures are completely fallen.
- Another question that might be posed is "Why?" First response: God wanted it this way. "But why?" We often say such things as children would to their parents!
- Death, despite being a deterrent, would also be a way to keep the disease of depravity from spreading to others.
• Exodus 22:21-27 : "You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest. If you ever take your neighbor’s garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. For that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious." : There are several times that God reminds the people that they were once strangers and foreigners.
- His law reminds them that they are to treat people in their lives in a way that expresses His gracious heart. The Lord can be severe as well as generous.
- He points out a few people that He wanted them to look out for.
- Strangers among them would be people from other lands and cultures. They were not to treat them like second class citizens. They to remember how they were treated.
- It is wise to remember what it was like to not belong to Christ. We too were once strangers and foreigners to the covenant and the relationship to God.
- We should not oppress people outside of that understanding with condescension.
- Secondly, the widow and the orphan were to be treated fairly as well. They were not to afflict or abuse them in any way.
- The widow has no husband to defend her and the orphan has no parent to defend them. God says, "I'll be her husband and I'll be their Father."
- The widow has no one to cry to, but when she does, the Lord will hear her. He promises that His wrath would be hot against them.
- Anyone who would take advantage of someone in this condition makes God their enemy!
- In the New Testament, James tells the church that pure and undefiled religion was to take care of widows and orphans in their midst.
- The third group of people will be the poor. They were to lend to them, but not like a moneylender would, with an eye toward interest.
- The final person that God covers is one who would give their outer garment as a pledge. God wants to make sure that they are fair with someone and not deprive them of what they might need.
- The outer garment was their warm clothing for the evening. If that was given as collateral, it was to be given back.
- Any of these people who are beaten down and impoverished have an ally in the Lord.
• Exodus 21:28-31 : "You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people. You shall not delay to offer the first of your ripe produce and your juices. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. Likewise you shall do with your oxen and your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me. And you shall be holy men to Me: you shall not eat meat torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs." : The word translated "God" here should more likely be the word "judges." The word can be translated God or judges.
- In this context, it would be more appropriate to translate it "judges."
- God wants His people to respect their leaders. We are meant to have this same attitude towards our leaders, even if we didn't elect them!
- Our heart should be one of respect, our actions toward them should be aggressive in prayer!
- This is very convicting, as most of the time, I am guilty of simply complaining and loathing politicians. I am wrong when I feel that way. We are not to curse them. We are to bless them!
- The people of God were not to treat their leaders with contempt and He is their first leader. He is the first to receive from us. One is contemptable when they refuse to give God what is His.
- You shall not delay to offer these things to the Lord. Not the last, but the first. That includes the strongest, most profitable son. That belongs to the Lord.
- At the same time, they were not to curse a ruler. God had appointed them.
- They were to give to the Lord what was due His name immediately.
• Exodus 22:1-3 : "You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice. You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute." : This is interesting given what we have learned from the trial of Jesus.
- These judges were to communicate that the people were not to participate in anything that was false or wicked. They were not to lift up or promote or give undue time to a false report.
- The Spanish translation of the Bible gives us a good shade of meaning when it uses the word "rumor." Don't give time to spreading unfounded stories with half truths.
- That is a good word to all of us. Don't spend time in your life chasing down things that seem to be or are partially true. And certainly, don't spread that around. Nothing good ever comes from that.
- Additionally, they weren't to participate or cooperate with the wicked and be a violent or malicious witness against someone.
- They were not to join a mob or contribute to a perversion of justice. A perversion of justice would be to show partiality to a poor man simply because He was poor.
- In every aspect here, the religious leaders, the Sanhedrin, those who would have looked at this as their law book, violated every single principle here!
- This however was God's intention. They were to stand for the justice and righteousness that God loves. He illustrates that more with the next two verses.
• Exodus 22:4,5 : "If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it." : To show partiality toward a poor man just because he was poor would be a perversion of justice.
- At the same time, not helping somebody simply because they are enemy, was just as much of a miscarriage.
- Animals would be valuable property, especially beasts of burden. If one got away, that would be not only a loss of property, but a loss of machinery.
- One could see that and be satisfied that their enemy was suffering and let it continue going astray. God says that this is not the heart that He wants His people to have.
- The other illustration is of a donkey that has collapsed under the weight of it's burden. The temptation would be to leave that donkey alone to spite the enemy.
- God says, "You are to help the man with it." This section is reminiscent of the Lord's words in the sermon on the mount: "If you do good only to those that love you, what have you done?"
• Exodus 22:6-9 : "You shall not pervert the judgment of your poor in his dispute. Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked. And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous. Also you shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the heart of a stranger, because you were strangers in the land of Egypt." : It was unjust to favor the poor. It was just as unjust to take advantage of him as well.
- Any false matter, stay far from it, run the other direction. Don't oppress the stranger because they know what it was like to be strangers.
• Exodus 22:10-13 : "Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your olive grove. Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed. And in all that I have said to you, be circumspect and make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth." : There was to be a sabbath for the people, as well as the land that they owned. Once again, we see the 6 and 1 principle.
- In the 7th year, the Sabbath year, the field was to lay dormant, unplowed and unused. The Lord gives them for this command.
- This was given in response to the poor. That which grew was intended for them.
- Today, agricultural science tells us that a year of rest, specifically the 7th year, is exactly what a field needs.
- Aside from the obvious benefits, this was not the reason that at the same time, their employees would have the benefit of being refreshed themselves.
- When the soil is refreshed, the fruit that is produced will be greater than before. When the people are refreshed, they will produce better than before.
- A Sabbath is not a hand to laziness and a lack of production. It is a benefit to the Lord when we are centered and refreshed in Him.
- We conclude this section with an injunction from naming any other god. They were to be careful not to do that. His was the name that they were to reverance.
Conclusion
- God wanted His people to be responsible and watchful for those around them that would be less fortunate.
- His law shows His heart for the poor and the stranger. He wants our hearts to be like His in this regard, knowing ultimately that without Him, we would be strangers too.
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