Chapter 21
As I approached the age of 18, I remember feeling excited to officially become an “adult.” However, there was one thing that still haunted me in the quiet of the night: the idea that I would now be responsible for not breaking any laws. It even scared me a little. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn’t know most of the laws in my state. They didn’t really teach them in high school. I wasn’t worried about the “big” laws, but about all the small ones I might miss. I had nightmares that I would be walking down the street, accidentally break some unknown law, and get carted off to jail. Let’s face it, you need to know the law in order to consciously follow it.
Chapter 20 is known as “God’s Law” or the “Moral Law.” The Ten Commandments are still relevant today for all people, regardless of race or creed. Simply put, they represent God’s standard. Jesus also helps us better understand these commandments and our relationship to them.
The next few chapters cover a different aspect of the law, known as the ordinances, or civil and ceremonial law. Together, they are referred to as the “Law of Moses,” and they differ in style and purpose from “God’s Law.” It’s important to understand a few things about these laws:
- These were given to Israel as a nation. They were for Israel and had/have a time limit attached.
- When reading them, don’t get too caught up in the nuances of the details. Remember, these laws were written thousands of years ago to a specific culture. They essentially created a standard of living for this new and very young nation. They describe how people should behave toward one another and how they should relate to God. They also cover the judicial system and define what “fair” means.
- Never forget that this was a very high standard, one that God knew couldn’t be perfectly followed. It included sacrifices for atonement. The law was meant to reveal our need for Jesus and the need for his sacrifice for mankind.
- As believers, our job is not to try to follow the law we will read about. Instead, we should look at this high standard and let it reveal how God’s grace has covered us. You might say, “But I’m not Jewish, so the Law of Moses doesn’t apply to me.” To that, I refer you back to the Ten Commandments. Even they are impossible to keep without the forgiveness, grace, and mercy of Jesus.
Ordinances for the People
1 “These are the ordinances which you shall set before them:
2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve. In the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. 3 If he comes by himself, he shall go out by himself. If he is married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master. He shall go out by himself.
5 But if the servant shall plainly say, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I will not go free.’ 6 Then his master shall bring him to God, and shall bring him to the door, or to the door-post. His master shall pierce his ear through with an awl and he shall serve him forever. [notice blood was to be deposited on the doorpost. We also saw this in the Pass-over. Another
7 And if a man sells his daughter to be a servant, she shall not go out as the men servants do. 8 If she please not her master, who has selected her for himself, then shall he let her be redeemed. Sell her not to a foreign people for he shall have no power, seeing he has dealt deceitfully with her. 9 And if he selects her for his son, he shall deal with her in the same manner as a daughter. 10 If he takes him another wife, her food, her clothing, and her duty of marriage shall he not deprived. 11 And if he does not these three things for her, then shall she go free for nothing, without money.”
Personal Injuries
12 “Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death. 13 However, if it is not done intentionally, but God lets it happen, they are to flee to a place I will designate. 14 But if anyone schemes and kills someone deliberately, that person is to be taken from my altar and put to death.
15 “Anyone who attacks their father or mother is to be put to death.
16 “Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death, whether the victim has been sold or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.
17 “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.
18 “If people quarrel and one person hits another with a stone or with their fist and the victim does not die but is confined to bed, 19 the one who struck the blow will not be held liable if the other can get up and walk around outside with a staff; however, the guilty party must pay the injured person for any loss of time and see that the victim is completely healed.
20 “Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, 21 but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.
22 “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. 23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
26 “An owner who hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. 27 And an owner who knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.
28 “If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull is to be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible. 29 If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up and it kills a man or woman, the bull is to be stoned and its owner also is to be put to death. 30 However, if payment is demanded, the owner may redeem his life by the payment of whatever is demanded. 31 This law also applies if the bull gores a son or daughter. 32 If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver [This was established as the price of a servant. This was also the price Judas paid to give up the ultimate servant of mankind – Jesus.] to the master of the slave, and the bull is to be stoned to death.
33 “If anyone uncovers a pit or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the one who opened the pit must pay the owner for the loss and take the dead animal in exchange.
35 “If anyone’s bull injures someone else’s bull and it dies, the two parties are to sell the live one and divide both the money and the dead animal equally. 36 However, if it was known that the bull had the habit of goring, yet the owner did not keep it penned up, the owner must pay, animal for animal, and take the dead animal in exchange.
