The Book Of Exodus
Exodus 3:14 "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say
unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you."
Verse 1: “Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.” (Exodus 24:3, Deuteronomy 4:14, 6:1) Here in chapters 21-23, known as the Book of the Covenant (Exodus 24:7), God gives Moses further judgments, or ordinances, by which the Israelites are to faithfully live their daily lives. According to the Moody Bible Commentary, “These laws were of both the casuistic form (i.e., case-law, recognized by the common “If … then” structure, providing examples or cases as guides for community living and resolving disputes) and the apodictic form (i.e., commands and precepts laid down, the “do’s and don’ts”). There are basically two purposes for such laws: one, to promote faithfulness in living in the community and two, for fostering faithfulness in devotion to the Lord.”
Verses 2-6: This first set of laws pertains to slaves. Slavery has long been a fact of life for almost every people and culture since the days of Adam and Eve. A careful study of how God addresses the topic for the Israelites here in Exodus and Leviticus compared to the way in which slaves were treated in other heathen cultures and empires throughout history will reveal a stark contrast. In a broken and fallen world, there will always be those who are more well off and successful versus those are poor and downtrodden. Jesus said in Mark 14:7, “For ye have the poor with you always…”. While the other nations and peoples around them abuse and mistreat their slaves, God commands the Israelites in His law to do the opposite. Slaves have rights and are not treated as mere property or inhumanly. And because there are many reasons for which one Israelite might willingly enter into indentured servitude under a fellow Israelite, God makes it clear in these verses how a master is to treat his or her slave. The first stipulation is that a Hebrew slave that is lawfully purchased may serve his or her master only six years. (v.2) He will go free in the seventh year, owing his master nothing. (Leviticus 25:39, Jeremiah 34:14) Deuteronomy 15:12 makes it clear that this law applies to both male and female slaves. (That same passage also stipulates that the master is to gift his former slave with enough livestock, food and other supplies so that the man or woman will have enough on which to live as they begin their new life.) Verse 3 states that is the slave was unmarried at the time of his purchase by the master, he will leave his servitude as a single man. However, if he was married at the time of his purchase, his wife will leave with him at the end of the six years. The wife will not remain the property of the master. But if the master gives a wife to his slave during the time of servitude, she and the children will remain behind with the master and not leave with the slave. (v.4) It can be logically presumed that the former slave will remain married to his wife since there is no mention here of divorce or annulment, and also because God would not contradict His first law regarding marriage (Genesis 2:23-24) as well as the 7th commandment (Exodus 20:14). However, verse 5 seems to imply that the servant has a choice of whether or not he remains married to his wife after his six years of servitude. “…I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free…” The wording of this verse suggests that the freed slave has the option of being released not only from his servitude but from his marriage as well. Or perhaps that’s simply the way I’m reading it. What are your thoughts or comments on this? Leave me a reply in the comments section of this post. Whatever the case, verse 6 gives the necessary instruction for the master if the freed servant desires to remain with his master and family. The master will bring him before the judges (Exodus 12:12, 22:9), presumably to put on record in the presence of witnesses that the servant wishes to remain a slave for the rest of his life, and then the master will put an aul in the earlobe of the servant as an outward symbol of the new contract. (Deuteronomy 15:17) It’s clear from these verses that the term “slavery” as depicted here in Exodus and Leviticus is not the form of slavery that we commonly think of today, i.e. pre-Civil War in the United States. As I noted earlier, God makes it clear in the law for His chosen people that masters are to treat their servants humanely and with dignity. The servants, likewise, have a choice at the end of their required term whether to go free or remain in servitude for the rest of their lives. Verses 7-11: This section pertains to the rights of the female slave. (Nehemiah 5:5) If she has been betrothed to her master with the expectation of becoming his wife or concubine, then she cannot go out free in the seventh year. (v.7) If the master isn’t willing to fulfill his marital responsibilities to her for whatever reason, then she is to be purchased by another master as long as he is not a Gentile. (v.8) The master may also give her as a wife to his son, in which case the master would treat her as he would any daughter-in-law. (v.9) If the master chooses to take on another wife, but he is still expected to provide for the maidservant and fulfill all his other duties per the betrothal agreement mentioned in verse 8. (v.10) But if the master is unwilling to do any of these things, then he is to set her free and she doesn’t owe him anything. (v.11) Verses 12-14: Premeditated murder, the act of deliberately and willfully taking another’s life, is punishable by the death. (v.12, 14) (Genesis 9:6, Leviticus 24:17, Numbers 35:30, Matthew 26:52) But if the death of the victim was accidental (“…but God deliver him into his hand…”), the one that caused the death could take refuge at an appointed place. (v.13) (There’s more detail given later in Exodus and Leviticus on the Cities of Refuge.) There is no refuge, however, for the one guilty of premeditated murder. (“…Thou shalt take him from Mine altar, that he may die.”) (v.14) (1 Kings 2:28) Verses 15-17: Killing one’s parents – or even just cursing them – is also deserving of the death penalty. (v. 15, 17) (Leviticus 20:9, Proverbs 20:20, Matthew 15:4, Mark 7:10) So, too, is kidnapping for the purpose of selling the victim into slavery. (v.16) (Deuteronomy 24:7) The Hebrew word for “curse” is “qalal” (pronounced kaw-lal), and while it has varied definitions according to the context in which it’s used, the meaning here in verse 17 is “to make light of”, “to make small or trifling”, or “treat with contempt”, according to both Strong’s Concordance and the Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon. God takes a very dim view of rebellion and disrespect towards one’s parents. Verses 18-19: In the case of two men involved in a brawl with one another, and one of them is seriously injured, the one who caused the injury will not be guilty of manslaughter if the victim lives and regains full health. Only monetary payment as reimbursement for the time of lost wages during the recovery period is required by this law. Verses 20-21, 26-27: If a master beats his slave to point of death, the master is guilty of murder and is punished accordingly. (v.20) But if the slave recovers from his/her injuries, then there is no cause to penalize the master. (v.21) However, if the beating results in permanent injury to the slave, such as the loss of an eye or a tooth, that slave is immediately set free. (v.26-27) What is most likely in view here is the customary discipline of an unruly or disobedient servant. The master is forbidden from abusing his servants, but the servants are subject to proper discipline if they do not obey their master. Verses 22-23: If a pregnant woman sustains an injury at the hands of another man or woman, and that injury is not fatal to either her or the baby – even if the injury results in a premature birth of the baby – then only a fine is levied against the perpetrator. (v.22) But if either the mother or the baby die as a result of the assault, the murderer is punished accordingly. (v.23) Many pastors and Bible scholars have, sadly and egregiously, adopted an incorrect assumption from this passage that God is placing less value on the life of a child still developing in the womb versus a newborn baby, thus legitimizing and condoning abortion. The Hebrew word for “fruit” in verse 22 is “yeled”, which means “child” or “offspring”. Thus, the phrase in verse 22 “…so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow…” literally means, “If the woman gives birth prematurely yet neither mother nor child dies as a result of the injury…”. Therefore, the phrase in verse 23 “…if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life…” means “If any death results from the injury, the murder shall pay with his own life.” Both verses are referring to human life and thus one cannot make the case from this passage that a developing fetus in the womb is any less alive than a baby delivered at full term. To do so is a classic example of using a verse or passage out of context in order to support heresy. Verses 24-25: Here is the origin of the famous saying, “Eye for an eye”. (Leviticus 24:20, Deuteronomy 19:21, Matthew 5:38, 1 Peter 2:19) These two verses also have been misused and misapplied throughout history to justify murder committed in the name of justice or vengeance. In point of fact, all that these verses are stating is that the punishment must fit the crime. Vengeance and retribution belong to God alone. (Deuteronomy 32:35, Psalm 94:1, 1 Thessalonians 4:6, Romans 12:19, Hebrews 10:30) Verses 28-32: The next five verses list scenarios in which the death of a human is caused by an animal. In the first example, if there is no negligence found on the part of the ox owner, then only the ox is killed and even his flesh is destroyed. It’s not to be consumed for food. The owner is acquitted of murder. (v.28) But if the owner had been made aware that his ox was a danger to others, and he did nothing to keep the animal properly restrained or tamed, then he is at fault if the ox gores someone to death. Both the beast and the owner are subject to the death penalty. (v.29) (NOTE: death by stoning was the typical method of execution for a man or woman in the ANE, but not an animal.) However, verses 30-31 state that the animal’s owner may be given the option to ransom his life instead, subject to whatever monetary amount the judges and the family of the victim see fit to lay on him. The gender of the victim has no bearing on the restitution amount, only whether or not he/she is a slave. If that’s the case, the restitution amount is set at thirty shekels of silver. (v.32) (NOTE: Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, indicating that he believed Christ’s life to be worth no more than that of a dead slave. [Zechariah 11:12-13, Matthew 26:15, 27:3, 9]) Verses 33-36: Open pits were common in the ANE, most often used as cisterns for water reclamation. This law deals with a negligent pit owner who has not properly covered his pit or otherwise set up barriers to prevent animals and humans from falling into the pit. (v.33) If an ox falls into the pit and dies, that pit owner has just bought himself a dead ox. (v.34) If a man’s ox gores another man’s ox to death, the live ox is sold to pay restitution to the dead ox’s owner. (v.35) The dead ox is also divided up between the two men. However, if this is another case of an ox that has not been properly restrained or tamed by its owner and has gored other animals before, that owner will simply trade his ox for the dead one. (v.36) What is clear from these first set of laws in the Book of the Covenant is that all life is created by God – both human and animal – and that human life is more valuable than an animal’s. Humans are image-bearers of God and only He has the authority to take a life. Premeditated murder is the act of us taking God’s place, and that is the sin of pride. Therefore shall the murder’s life be taken as punishment and recompence for that sin. This is why capital punishment in modern society is acceptable and should be implemented far more often than it is. God commands us right here in Exodus and Leviticus that the elected leaders of our government have a responsibility to carry out the execution of murderers who have been convicted in a court of law for their premeditated, willful crime. It is not inhumane, it is not cruel and unusual punishment, and it most certainly is true justice. God said so clearly and explicitly right here in His holy word. It’s also okay to clear a wetland in preparation to build a shopping mall or an office complex. It’s ok if that puts the rare species of the buck tailed rainbow unicorn crane in danger of extinction. The life of some bird doesn’t matter as much as that of the humans, and man is not destroying the environment by building civilization. It’s what God created us to do, and as long as we are properly caring for this planet he gave us, it’s okay for us to have dominion over the land and all the animals upon it. God said so in Genesis 1:28[xxxvii]. That’s why I also have no problem killing a four point buck, stripping it of its hide, frying up the meat and serving a feast for my family. God said that, too, is ok. (Genesis 9:2-3[xxxviii]) In fact, meat is a staple of a balanced, healthy and normal diet. (Yes, veganisim & vegetarianism heretical cults. It’s best to avoid them except when barbecuing something. In that case invite your vegetarian friend for dinner and lock him in the kitchen with the roasting meat so that he will convert once he smells the delicious aroma. If he still persists in his heresy, end the friendship. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life.) In all seriousness, folks, God laid down His law here in the OT so that we who are His fallen creation would know how we are supposed to treat one another as well as our livestock, pets and other property. We reflect God’s image, and God is loving, gracious, merciful and kind. But God is also holy and just, and He commands us to keep law and order in our personal lives as well as the communities in which we live. When any of us violate and break those laws, we must execute justice in accordance with God’s law and His holy word.
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As you’ll recall from my commentary on Genesis 3, there are at least seven distinct dispensations, or ages, of human history, starting in Genesis 1 with the creation of the heaven and the earth. The term “dispensation” refers to the primary method by which God has related to – and dealt with – mankind. Throughout human history, God has revealed Himself to man in different ways and by different means, and He has also changed His methods by which He has dispensed or instituted His governing of His creation. The Believer’s Bible Commentary puts it this way: “While God Himself never changes, His methods do. He works in different ways at different times.” Doctor C.I. Scofield, the famous 19th century American theologian, minister, and Biblical scholar, listed the following dispensations according to his study of the Bible:
1. Innocence (Genesis 1:27-28): from Adam’s creation up to his fall. 2. Conscience or Moral Responsibility (Genesis 3:7): from the Fall to the end of the Flood. 3. Human Government (Genesis 9:1-17): from the end of the Flood to the call of Abraham. 4. Promise (Genesis 12:1-3): from the call of Abraham to the giving of the Law. 5. Law (Exodus 20:1-17): from the giving of the Law to the Day of Pentecost. 6. Church (Acts 2:1): from the Day of Pentecost to the Rapture. 7. Kingdom (Revelation 20:4): the thousand-year reign of Christ. The illustration that I provided at the end of my commentary for Genesis 3, given to me by Pastor Cliff Taylor in his Bible Institute class last year, lists nine dispensations. Doctor Taylor inserted an age of transition between the age of the Law and the Church (a.k.a. the age of Grace), as well as another dispensational age for the Tribulation (Revelation 6:17) between the Church age and the Millennial Kingdom age. That latter one makes sense because God’s direct dealings with mankind will be distinctly different than they are now as well as what will be during the Millennial Kingdom after Christ’s third return to earth. However, the age of Transition that Pastor Taylor believes exists solely in Christ’s three year ministry here on earth in the four gospels is based entirely on Jesus’ words in Luke 16:16, and is up for some debate. In any case, it is clear that while God Himself never changes and is the same today as He was at the creation of the world, His methods and ways of dealing with – and interacting with – mankind have changed at various times and ages throughout human history. (For further reading and study on dispensations, I recommend Scofield’s book Rightly Dividing The Word Of Truth.) Here in Exodus 20, with the giving of the Mosaic Law to the children of Israel, God is ushering in a new dispensation. Until now, there was no direct, clear commandment from God regarding His relationship to mankind as well as mankind’s responsibilities to God and their fellow man. As noted in Scofield’s list, God had primarily used man’s conscience, then human government (which was given to Noah after the Flood), and then the covenantal promise to Abraham as methods of ruling over and guiding his creation. Now, God is giving to Moses the law by which the Israelites – and the rest of mankind, by extension – will be judged and dealt with until the death of Christ upon the cross. Verses 1-2: Once again, God reminds Moses and the children of Israel why He is the one giving them this law. He is the one who redeemed them, who brought them out of slavery and bondage in Egypt (Hosea 13:4, Deuteronomy 7:8), who guided and provided and cared for them thus far in their journey, and now God expects of His chosen people covenantal faithfulness, obedience and worship. The Moody Bible Commentary makes this note regarding verse 2: “The opening words of the Decalogue proclaim three great theological truths: The Lord is the God who speaks (in words), He is self-revealing, the God who relates: I am the LORD your God (emphasis added). The Lord is the God who acts, He is the God who redeems, who brought you out.” As noted in the previous chapter’s commentary, God is now fleshing out the details of his new treaty with the Israelites. The ten commandments specify Israel’s responsibilities to Him as their King and Lord, as well as His expectations of their responsibilities towards each other. 1. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. (v.3) (Deuteronomy 6:14, 2 Kings 17:35, Jeremiah 25:6, 35:15) The phrase “before Me” means “in addition to”. God is the only true and living God, the creator of the heaven and the earth and all that is in them. There is none like Him, and He alone deserves all of our obedience, worship and praise. The Moody Bible Commentary puts it this way: “Nothing else, no other gods (money [see Matthew 6:24], pleasure, power, fame, even one’s self) can have the priority in one’s thoughts, words, or deeds. God’s people and indeed all living creatures, owe ultimate allegiance to Him and Him alone.” 2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. (v.4) (Leviticus 19:4, 26:1, Deuteronomy 4:15, 27:15) In all the archeological digs in the Middle East there has yet to be found any carved image of Yahweh at the site of any known Israelite city. For all other nations and cultures of that time period, archeologists have unearthed many carvings and engraved images of all kinds of gods and other idols pertaining to religious worship. But there is none of the one, true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God that defeated Pharaoh and all the false gods of the Egyptians. God states in verse 5 that “…I the Lord thy God am a jealous God…”. (Exodus 34:14, Deuteronomy 4:24, Joshua 24:19, Nahum 1:2) He further commands the children of Israel, “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them…” God is Yahweh, the One who has always been and always will be. God is holy, and His holiness is the cause of His righteous jealousy. He alone deserves our obedience and our worship and our praise precisely because of who He is. Furthermore, the attempt to create a physical image of God distorts and perverts the nature of God Himself. God is a spirit, invisible to the human eye, and thus, the very methods and processes by which an image of Him would be made by human hands could never truly represent God. John 4:24 states this command as follows: “God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” The Holman Illustrated Bible Commentary puts it this way: “The best way [for the Israelites] to know and worship Him was to recall what He had already done and said and to be alert to trust Him and see what He would do in the future.” Verses 5-6: As a consequence of idol worship, God states that He will visit “…the iniquity of the father upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me…” (v.5) It seems, at first, that God is contradicting Himself here with other passages such as Deuteronomy 24:16 and Ezekiel 18:20. But, in actuality, God is addressing only the specific sin of idolatry here in verses 5 and 6. Those verses from Deuteronomy and Ezekiel are addressing other types of sins, such as theft or murder or adultery. Those verses are also referring to legal matters of the law. In a court case, the son or daughter will not be held liable for the crimes committed by their parents. God has always held each of us accountable for our own choices and actions. However, one of the consequences of idol worship – along with almost all other sins – is that the children will almost always follow the example of their parents. Thus, God is warning the Israelites here that if they worship false gods instead of Him, their children will do the same, as will their children, and so on. This type of sin naturally carries itself over from one generation to the next, and that’s what God means by his statement in verse 5. Verse 6 is the corollary of verse 5. If the Israelites worship God alone, then their children will very likely do so, and their children’s children, and so on. God will show mercy and love to those who keep His commandments – and teach them to their children – and they will not suffer the natural consequences of their sin, as well as avoid God’s wrath for those who disobey Him. (“…them that hate Me…”) 3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain. (v.7) (Leviticus 19:12, Deuteronomy 6:13, 10:20, Matthew 5:33) The Hebrew term in this verse for the word “vain”, shav, means “emptiness, nothingness, vanity”. The children of Israel are to use the name of God (Jehovah, Yahweh) with reverence, fear and respect. “Vain” refers to all manner of falsehood or lying, as in worthless deeds (Psalm 127:2), all forms of idolatry (Jonah 2:8), and false prophecy (Ezekiel 12:24), to name a few. So yes, while this command does prohibit using the Lord’s name as a curse word, it also addresses a host of other sins related to the various ways and methods in which mankind relates to the holiness of God and His name. The phrase “Oh my God” is the most common violation of this commandment in our modern world. The unsaved use this phrase so flippantly and so irreverently that it doesn’t offend us Christians nearly as grievously as it should. We hear it so often at work or when we’re out and about in our daily activities that we’ve become numb to it. Very often, we even allow it in our homes through the TV shows and movies that we watch, and we so easily forget the gravity and solemnity with which God gave this 3rd commandment to His chosen people on Mount Sinai. Not only that, but the name of His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, has also become nothing more than a profane epithet in the mouths of the lost and unbelieving of this world. I myself used it quite frequently in that manner before I was saved. Now it pricks my soul when I hear a customer spout His holy name in a very flippant and casual manner while speaking to someone on their cell phone as I am completing their transaction at my window. God’s name is holy, and He demands that His creation utter it with the deepest reverence, awe and respect that is always due Him. To do anything less is a sin. 4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (v.8) (Exodus 23:12, 31:13, Leviticus 26:2, Deuteronomy 5:12) The sabbath is first described in Genesis 2:2-3, though not mentioned by that specific name until Exodus 16:23. God had designed for all mankind from the beginning a pattern of six days work and one day of rest. Now, here in chapter 20 of Exodus, God is formally instituting this pattern as law for His chosen people. The Jewish sabbath, observed from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday, is to be set aside as a day of complete rest for the Israelites, as well as a day to contemplate and reflect on all that God had done for the children of Israel. That is what is meant by the phrase “…the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (v.11) God wants His chosen people to rest from their daily labor once every week, something that they as a nation of slaves in Egypt were never allowed to do. He also wants the sabbath to serve as a memorial of His deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt. (Deuteronomy 5:15) In a larger sense, the sabbath also represents complete rest for the weary believer at the end of this life. Just as God’s deliverance of the Israelites from their bondage in Egypt is a picture of every sinner today freed from the bondage of sin at the moment of salvation, so this day of rest each week is a picture of the rest and rejoicing that we will experience in heaven when our lives here on earth are over at last. Of the ten commandments, this one is the only one that is NOT required of us today in the New Testament church age. Nowhere in the NT did Paul or any of the other apostles write that God commands for His church to observe the sabbath as laid down in the Mosaic Law here in Exodus. It is not even required of the Jews today, just as animal sacrifices are no longer required because of Christ’s atoning death on the cross for all mankind. False religions such as Seventh Day Adventists claim that we today must adhere to the Mosaic Law, but they are wrong. They and their founder, Ellen White, failed to properly study and rightly divide scripture, and thus they missed this one important rule: we should always take into account who is writing to whom when we read and study the Bible. God is giving His law to His chosen people here in Exodus and Leviticus, and the apostles in the book of Acts – as well as throughout the NT – reinforce all the other commandments for the church EXCEPT this one. A careful study of the book of Acts as well as the Pauline epistles will bear this out. (Strangely enough, the Seventh Day Adventists don’t offer animal sacrifices every day as God commanded the Israelites to do. Why be so picky about following every single command from God in the OT, yet not that one???) In the wake of Pentecost, the new believers began assembling on Sunday for worship and teaching because that was the day that Christ rose from the dead. That’s why we do the same today. And it is worthwhile to follow the pattern that God laid down at the completion of the six days of creation in Genesis. We should be setting aside one day a week to fellowship with other believers and focus on God as we take time out to rest and recuperate from our busy lives. 5. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. (v.12) (Leviticus 19:3, Deuteronomy 5:16, 27:16, Matthew 15:4, Ephesians 6:1-3) “Honour” in this sense means “to prize highly”, “to care for”, and “to show respect for”. God commands us to love, respect and obey our parents, but not just when we are young. We are to continue honoring them throughout our lives, eventually caring and providing for them when they are too aged to do so themselves. This commandment is the key to a stable and functioning society, and it is the only commandment with a promise attached to it. God is speaking to the Israelites with regard to the promised land, but there is a broader application for us today. If we honor our parents by loving and obeying them for all of our lives and theirs, God will bless and reward us accordingly. By contrast, rebellion and pride bring about self-destruction and death. This pattern is seen often throughout the Bible, especially here in the OT, and many of Solomon’s proverbs contain warnings about the dire consequences of the sin of pride. (King David’s son, Absalom, for example.) Foolishness and pride – which naturally lead to rebellion against all forms of authority, including one’s parents – give way to a life full of conflict and strife, as well as the likelihood of an early grave. (Proverbs 20:20, 28:24) But humility combined with the search for wisdom will almost always lead to a long and fruitful life. (Proverbs 4:7-9) 6. Thou shalt not kill. (v.13) (Matthew 5:21-22, 1 John 3:15) The Hebrew word for “kill” in this commandment, ratsach, means “to murder” or “slay”, referring to the deliberate, premeditated act of taking a human life. This command from God is not referring to the slaughter of animals for food or other needs, such as the daily and yearly blood sacrifices required by the Levitical law, nor is it a prohibition against the necessary killing of one’s enemies, such as when God commands the Israelites to slay the heathen nations that currently inhabit the promised land. All life belongs to God, for He is the Creator of life. Therefore He is the only one who decides when someone should die, not us. This commandment prohibits murder, which is the sin that Cain was guilty of when he slew Abel. Man is created in the image of God, and thus, the willful, premeditated murder of a human life is a sin against God. (Genesis 9:6) It’s a transgression caused by pride and rebellion, both of which naturally give way to jealousy, envy and rage, and these are often the cause of murder. God is saying here in verse 13 that only He has the authority to decide the fate of every man, woman and child, and that for us to assume His role in that regard by taking the life of a fellow human is a grievous sin. (Romans 12:19) Nowhere is this commandment more grievously violated than in the form of child sacrifice. Ever since the days of Noah before the Flood and continuing into our present time, mankind has willfully, rebelliously assumed the role of God by sacrificing newborns on altars of fire to false gods, or by slaying the unborn in the womb. Abortion is a heinous and despicable act that grieves the heart of God, and every single man and woman that has had a direct, active role in such an act will stand before God one day and answer for that sin. If he or she has not accepted Christ as their savior and been washed clean in His blood, then they will be cast into the Lake of Fire and burn for all eternity for the crime of murdering the precious, defenseless, innocent life made in the image of God. 7. Thou shalt not commit adultery. (v.14) (Genesis 2:24, Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 5:18, Matthew 5:27-28, Hebrews 13:4, James 2:11) Adultery is the act of sexual intercourse with anyone other than one’s spouse. Marriage is a sacred institution created and ordained by God, and He also designed human sexuality to be experienced only within the boundaries of marriage. Marriage is the foundation of the family unit, and God designed that unit to be the foundation of a normal, healthy society. As I noted in my commentary of Genesis 2, sexuality was one of the key areas that was corrupted by the Fall. Our sin nature has perverted and distorted God’s design for holy sexuality between man and woman, and God’s commandment here to the Israelites reflects His original design and purpose for marriage and human sexuality. One does not have to be married to commit adultery. Premarital sex between any two people who are still single is also seen as adultery in the eyes of God. Other perversions such as homosexuality, incest and bestiality also fall into this category. (Leviticus 18:6, 22-23, 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Timothy 1:10, Jude 7) Sexual immorality was rampant among the heathen nations that inhabited the promised land, and God was making clear to His chosen people that they were not to practice these abominations. The same holds true for all believers today. We are to abstain from sex until marriage and then remain faithful to our spouse until death. That is the original intent and purpose of this 7th commandment. 8. Thou shalt not steal. (v.15) (Exodus 21:16, Leviticus 19:11, 13, Matthew 19:18) The fundamental right to private property is also key to any stable, healthy society. This commandment, along with #9, reinforces respect for others by not unlawfully seizing the private property of one’s neighbor. This includes kidnapping. 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (v.16) (Exodus 23:1, 7, Deuteronomy 5:20) God is a God of truth. He hates “…every false way.” (Psalm 119:104, 128) Therefore, He expects His chosen people to reflect this aspect of His character in their dealings with others. The Moody commentators put it this way: “Lying is a denial that truth is always right. It is a denial of God’s character and of His attributes. Without truth-telling the whole social structure will fail. This command prohibits blatant lies, any conscious deceptions, and unsubstantiated assertions (i.e., gossip and rumor).” 10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour’s. (v.17) (Luke 12:15, Romans 7:7, 13:9, Ephesians 5:3, 5, Hebrews 13:5) This commandment address one’s inner life, the source of the external actions that are prohibited in commandments 6-9. Covetousness is the root cause of murder, adultery, theft and lying. (Matthew 15:19) The purpose of this commandment is to remind us to always be focusing our desires on heavenly things, and not the accumulation of earthly possessions that are ultimately temporal and fleeting. God is teaching the Israelites – and us today – in these last five commandments to be content with what He has given each of them, and to not lust after anything that does not lawfully belong to them. (Philippians 4:11, 1 Timothy 6:6-8) The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are the three basic sins from which spring all others, and these ten commandments address all three. (1 John 2:16) Covetousness and pride caused the fall of Adam and Eve. (Genesis 3:6) As we strive for holiness in our daily walk with God, we must take care to keep His commandments at the forefront of our minds and hearts (Psalm 1:2), using the power of the Holy Spirit and the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11) to keep our heart’s door firmly shut against sin. (Genesis 4:7) Verses 18-21: These four verses are a retelling of the same narrative found in the previous chapter in verses 16-20. According to the Moody Bible Commentary, those verses in chapter 19 describe the events from God’s perspective. Here in chapter 20, the same event is described from the people’s perspective. Verse 18 is the same powerful and majestic display that is shown in Exodus 19:18-19. Here in chapter 20, after listing the ten commandments, Moses revisits that scene of thundering and lightning and fire, all of it accompanied by the quaking of the whole mountain and the prolonged trumpet blast. The people are so afraid of this awesome display of God’s power and majesty that they retreat down the mountain, and they ask Moses to speak to them on God’s behalf instead of proceeding further up the mountain to the designated meeting place with God as He had initially command them. (v.19) (Exodus 19:11, 13) Moses exhorts the people to not be afraid for their lives, but rather to have the right kind of fear. (v.20) The purpose of the fire and smoke and thundering and lightning was so that the people would be possessed of a healthy fear and awe of God and all His majesty and power and holiness. (Exodus 14:13, Deuteronomy 4:10, 6:24, Proverbs 3:7, 16:6, Isaiah 8:13, 41:10, 13) This, in turn, should motivate them to honor and worship God daily by keeping and obeying the commandments that He’s going to give to Moses. But the Israelites remain at a distance, and so Moses goes back up the mountain to meet with God. Verses 22-26: God concludes the giving of His law with some additional instructions. He says in verse 22, “…Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.” (Deuteronomy 4:36, 5:24, 26, Nehemiah 9:13) He then reiterates the 2nd commandment in verse 23: “Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.” (Exodus 32:1-4, Deuteronomy 29:17) Unlike the false gods of the Egyptians or the other heathen nations that currently inhabit the promised land, God is a living God. He is the one, true God. As I noted earlier in the quote from the Moody commentators, the preamble to the decalogue in verse 2 of this chapter states clearly that God is self-revealing, that He acts of His own free will, and that He is now relating to His creation in a new and direct manner. All of those things set Him apart from all other gods that are created only from the wicked and prideful imagination of sinful mankind. God is now bringing his message to Moses full circle. The reason for the ten commandments is to show to God’s chosen people that they, too, are to be set apart from all other nations on the earth, and that they will show their allegiance to God by honoring and obeying all his commandments, for He is their God. There is none other besides Him, and He is a jealous God. In the closing verses of this chapter, God gives Moses instructions for the proper building of the altars upon which the blood sacrifices will be made by the Israelites. The first half of verse 24 states specifically that the altar is to be made of earth, not of the gold or silver that the Israelites had brought with them out of Egypt. The people can also use stones, but are not allowed to shape them or carve them in any way with tools. The stones are to remain natural and uncut, most likely to avoid the temptation of engraving on them in any manner that might violate the 2nd commandment. If they use tools of any kind in any manner during the building of the altars it would profane the altar and the sacrifice, thus polluting God’s name and glory. Nor are the Israelites allowed to build the altar upon a platform or a hill where the priest might accidentally expose himself to the people below because of the type of robes they would be wearing. This would also profane and corrupt the solemnity and purpose of the occasion of the blood sacrifice. The Believer’s Bible Commentary says it this way: “…sinners can approach God only on the ground of shed blood. The altar speaks of Christ as the way of approach to God. Man could contribute nothing to the perfection of Christ, either by the tools of personal effort or the steps of human achievement.” The Lord’s statement in the second half of verse 24 is meant to show the Israelites that God is not confined to a single place, again referring to the false gods of the Egyptians and other heathen nations. Their gods were limited to a single place or function, i.e. the sun god Ra, or Hapi, the god of the Nile. But God is everywhere, and He is over all things and all people, and He will bless the children of Israel as long as they remain faithful and obedient to Him and His commandments. (Deuteronomy 12:5, 16:6, 11, 1 Kings 9:3, 2 Chronicles 6:6) As noted previously, the children of Israel arrive in the wilderness of Sinai three months after leaving Egypt. (v.1) They set up camp at the base of Mount Sinai where they will remain for almost a year. (v.2) (Numbers 10:11-12) All the events described in the remainder of the book of Exodus, all of Leviticus, and Numbers 1-10:10 take place here in the wilderness of Sinai.
The term “wilderness” in the Bible is commonly used to describe a desolate place, a desert, or an uninhabited land. Strong’s Concordance also lists “pasture” or “open field” as one of the uses of this word in the original Hebrew. Wilderness conveys the image of an isolated place away from civilization, a vast area where there is nothing but grasslands or desert vegetation. A simple search for this word in my Bible app turned up 293 verses in the KJV, with nearly every book in the Bible having at least one verse containing this word. While it’s used as both a place of refuge for some (Genesis 21:20, Exodus 3:1, Revelation 12:6) and a form of righteous judgment for others (Job 12:24, Psalm 107:40, Isaiah 33:9, Zephaniah 2:13), it’s most often seen as the latter. There are far more references with God using the term “wilderness” as an example of His condemnation against the rebellious, the unholy, the proud and the wicked than there is of the desert as a desirable or good place. Here in Exodus, God chooses the wilderness of Sinai to give His holy law to His chosen people. The note in my study Bible for this passage says that “…this chapter, in addition to chapter 20, follows the pattern of ancient suzerainty treaties, thus suggesting that Yahweh is King and Israel is His kingdom. His subject people are to render complete submission, allegiance, and obedience to Him.” The term “suzerain” refers to the specific form of treaties that were common in the Ancient Near East (ANE), which typically consisted of the preamble (v.3), historical prologue (v.4) and then a list of specific obligations of the vassals, as well as the consequences of keeping or breaking the treaty, i.e. the blessings from God for obedience or punishment for disobedience (v.5-6). The commentary goes on to say that “…The pattern follows closely that of the Hittites, who were destroyed around 1200 B.C., thus demonstrating the antiquity of the Law, and the fact that it is a complete unit not to be dissected.” Verse 4: God had miraculously delivered the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt, shown to them signs and wonders to demonstrate His power and authority over not only the physical world around them (the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea), but also over all the people of the earth (Pharaoh and the Egyptians), guided the Israelites through the desert – also miraculously providing for their basic needs – and now brings them to a place of rest and isolation at the foot of Mount Sinai. God has given His chosen people more than enough proof of His right and authority to rule over them. Verse 5: Then God says to Moses, “Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine:” That phrase “peculiar treasure” conveys the idea of “personal possession” or “property”; something that is set aside or separated for a unique purpose. (Deuteronomy 4:20, 7:6, 14:2, 26:18, 1 Kings 8:53, Psalm 135:4, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9) God had chosen Abraham, called him out from among his people to a new land for a new purpose, and is now initiating a new, personal relationship with Abraham’s seed. God had stated as much to Moses in Exodus 6:4. Though the whole earth and all that is in it belongs to God (Exodus 9:29, Deuteronomy 10:14, Job 41:11, Psalm 50:12, I Corinthians 10:26), the children of Israel are His special, peculiar treasure. But that same status also applies today to all true believers in the New Testament church age! Verse 6: God then concludes by stating His ultimate desire for His chosen people: “…a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” (Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:21, 26:19, Isaiah 62:12, I Corinthians 3:17, 1 Peter 1:15-16) The whole purpose of the law which God is about to give to Moses is twofold: 1) It reveals the holiness of God and His perfect nature, and 2) it reveals, by contrast, the unholy, sinful, fallen nature of mankind. God is about to institute a system of rules and processes by which His chosen people will live their daily lives. This treaty, by which God will be their Lord and king and they His subjects, will state in clear and direct terms God’s expectations for the Israelites and the process by which they will atone for their sins when they fail to obey His law. That is what meant by the phrase “a kingdom of priests”. When God first revealed Himself to Abram/Abraham, He commanded him to “…Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee…” (Genesis 12:1) God called Abraham to separate himself from his family, and from his father’s house, and leave his homeland to begin a new life and a new journey to a promised land. God is now commanding the same thing from Abraham’s seed, the children of Israel. By giving them the law, God is making clear to His chosen people that they are to come out from the world, to live separate from the heathen nations around them, and they will accomplish this daily by doing and obeying the statutes, ordinances and precepts given forth in this law. Verse 7-9: Moses relays to the elders of the people the message God has just given him. The elders, in turn, pass this on to all the people, and the children of Israel respond by saying, “…All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” (Exodus 4:31, 24:3, 7, Deuteronomy 5:27, 26:17) When Moses meets with God to give Him the people’s answer God then tells Moses He will appear before them as a thick cloud, and the Israelites will hear God’s voice when He speaks. (Exodus 24:15, Deuteronomy 4:11, Psalm 99:7, Matthew 17:5) The children of Israel were quick to pledge their obedience to God and His law, but they had no true understanding of their own sinfulness and depravity. D.L. Moody had this to say about verse 8: “Bold and self-confident language. The golden calf, the broken tablets, the neglected ordinances, the stoned messengers, the rejected and crucified Christ, are overwhelming evidences of man’s dishonored vows.” Verses 10-15: God then gives specific instructions to Moses about the manner in which the children of Israel are to prepare to receive the revelation of His law. For this day and tomorrow, they are to sanctify themselves by washing their clothes. (v.10) Though not stated directly, there is also an implied command here that the people are to wash and cleanse themselves. (Leviticus 11:44-45, Hebrews 10:22) Husbands and wives are also to abstain from sexual relations. (v.15) (I Corinthians 7:5) God makes clear to Moses the boundaries of the mountain and where the Israelites are to gather on the morning of the third day. God had declared Mount Sinai to be holy ground, and the people are to respect God’s holiness by not even coming near that ground which God makes clear is forbidden. (Exodus 3:5, 34:3, Hebrews 12:20-21) If anyone – man or beast – defies this command, they are to be immediately killed by stoning or shot with an arrow. In other words, no one can even go up on the mountain to execute that person or beast, lest they, too, violate the first directive. The obedience of the second directive had to be done from a safe distance. God concludes His instruction to Moses by saying that, at the sound of the trumpet on the third morning, the children of Israel are to come up to the designated assembly area on the mountain. Moses relays these instructions to the elders and all the people, and the Israelites obey. (v.14) Verses 16-25: On the morning of the third day, God descends upon Mount Sinai in a thick cloud, accompanied by lightning and thunder and the fanfare of the trumpet blast. (v.16) Moses calls the people forth to the designated area of the mountain where God instructed them to assemble. (v.17) (Deuteronomy 4:10) The whole mountain quakes, wreathed in fire and thick smoke. This, along with the constant thunder and lightning and the sustained trumpet blast, naturally causes great fear and awe among the children of Israel! (v.18) (Exodus 3:2, 24:17, Deuteronomy 4:11, 5:4, Judges 5:5, 1 Kings 19:12, 2 Chronicles 7:1, Psalm 68:8, 104:32, 144:5, Jeremiah 4:24, Hebrews 12:18, 26) So much so, in fact, that the people are too terrified to ascend the mountain to the designated meeting place. (v.17) So Moses ascends the rest of the way alone to meet with God by himself. (v.20) The reason for this grand and majestic manifestation of God’s presence is because of the oath the Israelites had just sworn to God three days earlier. (v.8) God needs to impress upon His chosen people the seriousness of His holiness and the gravity of the commitment they had just made to follow his law and obey Him. But because the people are too afraid to follow God’s first command to meet Him on the mountain, God gives a new instruction to Moses. (v.21-25) Instead of a nation of priests, the children of Israel will now be a nation with priests. God commands Moses to tell the people to return to camp, “…lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze, and many of them perish.” (v.21) Only Moses, Aaron, and the priests may come further up the mountain to meet with the Lord, but God also repeats His command regarding sanctification of the priests before they return with Moses. (Leviticus 10:3, 21:6) NOTE: the term “priests” here most likely refers to the elders, or the heads of the families, or the firstborn males of each house. [Exodus 13:2, Job 1:5] The Levitical priesthood has not yet been officially established. Moses returns to the people to give them God’s latest instructions. The Israelites continue their journey, departing Rephidim in the third month of their exodus from Egypt and setting up camp in the wilderness of Sinai, at the base of the mount of God. (Exodus 19:1-2) This is the same location where Aaron was first reunited with Moses in Exodus 4:27, and where God told Moses he was to bring the Israelites after their exodus from Egypt. (Exodus 3:12) The events described here in chapter 18 actually take place shortly after the Israelites’ arrival at Sinai. The most likely reason for relating them here rather than the next chapter is because the narrative shifts in chapter 19 from the Israelites’ exodus out of Egypt to the giving of the law from God to His chosen people. (Exodus 19-24)
Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro (Exodus 2:16, 3:1), the high priest of Midian, has heard all that God has done for the children of Israel (Psalm 106:2, 8), and he now meets with Moses at Mount Sinai, bringing with him Zipporah and their two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. (v.2-4) (Exodus 4:20, Acts 7:29) The name Gershom means “stranger in a strange land” (v.3) and Eliezer means “God is my help”. (v.4) (Genesis 49:25) We can infer from these verses that Moses had left his family with Jethro in Midian after the incident regarding the circumcision of one of his sons. (Exodus 4:24-26) Verses 6-12: Moses’ reunion with his family and his father-in-law is a sweet and blessed one. Moses tells Jethro all that God has done for the children of Israel, starting with their deliverance from bondage in Egypt. (v.8) (Exodus 15: 6, 16, Psalm 81:7) Jethro rejoices at the testimony of God’s goodness and providence, giving a testimony of his own faith in the one, true God. (v.10-11) (Isaiah 63:7) He then performs a burnt offering and sacrifices for God in the presence of Moses, Aaron, and all the elders of Israel. (v.13) (Genesis 14:18, Job 1:5) Verses 13-27: The next day, as Jethro observes Moses performing his daily duty as a judge for all of Israel, he takes note of how the great responsibility – which occupies his son-in-law from sunrise to sunset – wearies Moses. (v.14) Jethro asks Moses why he performs this duty alone, and Moses responds that the people come to him to settle disputes as well as enquire of God. (v.15-16) Moses further explains that “I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.” This is another indication that the events of this chapter very likely take place sometime after God gave the law to Moses (Exodus 19), but probably before the incident of the golden calf (Exodus 32). “Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel…” Jethro says to Moses in verse 19. He then advises Moses to assume only the role of spiritual leader for the children of Israel. Moses should limit himself to just enquiring of God on behalf of the people as well as teaching the Israelites the ordinances and laws of God. (v.19-20) As for all the other legal matters and disputes that needed to be settled among the people on a daily basis, Moses should select “able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness…” to serve as judges. (v.21) Enough men should be selected so as to equally divide the workload among all the Israelites. Only the matters that were too great for the judges to handle would then be brought to Moses to resolve. (v.22) Jethro gives this advice with God’s blessing (v.23), and Moses wisely heeds it. (v.24) Jethro then returns to Midian. (v.27) Moses displayed two of the greatest qualities of a true leader and man of God: humility and teachability. He did not allow his pride or his ego to get in the way of wise counsel from an elder, and he demonstrated a teachable attitude here in that he was willing to accept rebuke and correction from another man of God. The man that we see in this chapter is not the same man that we first encountered in Exodus 2. Moses has come a long way in just a few months, another indicator of God’s power and ability to change the heart and character of those who willingly surrender to his sovereignty and authority. |
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