You may have read these before, but as you read them now, notice how they are all meant to look out for and care for people. They are given out of love to protect and keep order.
When the people saw the smoke and heard the trumpet, they were afraid.
20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”
21 The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.
The Lord told Moses,
23 “Do not make any gods to be alongside me.”
Is there anything that you’re trusting in more than or as much as God? Perhaps a career, relationship, or money? While these are good things, God just wants us to elevate him above all other things and people in our hearts and lives.
In verse 26, God told Moses to not build altars requiring steps. This is interesting considering the many other religions with temples which have so many steps.
Chapter 21 begins with God giving rules about owning servants. They were actually very kind laws. If a Hebrew servant was purchased, he was to be completely released after six years of work. If a woman was sold as a servant, she couldn’t be passed along to foreigners if she did not please her master. If she was purchased for a son, she was to have the rights of a daughter. If she was not provided with food, clothes, and marital rights, she was to be released.
21:12 said that any premeditated murder was to result in the death of the murderer. Verse 13 says that if it was unintentional, his life could be spared, but he should flee to a designated place.
21:15, 16 states that anyone who attacks his mother or father must be put to death, as well as anyone who kidnaps someone.
21:17 “Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.”
21:18 states that if someone injures someone else, they must pay restitution to the injured party.
21:23-25 “But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”
Verse 28 states that if a bull kills a person, that animal must be put to death. If the bull has a history of doing this and the owner has been irresponsible, the owner is also to be put to death.
Chapter 22 continues with cases involving theft. In most cases, restitution was to be made. In many cases, the victim was to be paid back double for his loss.
22:16 says that any man who sleeps with a virgin must pay the bride-price and marry her.
22:18 “Do not allow a sorceress to live.”
22:19 “Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal must be put to death.”
22:20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the Lord must be destroyed.”
22:21 “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.”
22:22-24 “Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.”
22:29 “You must give me the firstborn of your sons.”
23:1 “Do not spread false reports.”
23:2 “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.”
23:10-12 says to sow and harvest for 6 years, then to let the poor and animals get food from it on the 7th year; also to work 6 days and rest on the 7th day to be refreshed.
23:13 “Do not invoke the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips.”
23:19 “Bring the best of the first fruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.”
God doesn’t just want our leftovers (time, money, love). He wants us to love him and honor him first with our best.
I think the 20th verse of Chapter 23 starts one of the most fascinating overlooked passages in the Old Testament. Perhaps for the sake of time and importance, people often highlight the “bigger” stories like crossing the Red Sea or being given the Ten Commandments. I usually skim through the laws, and I have missed the importance of this passage until now.
23:20-21 “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says.”
God assured the people that they would be guarded and led. Like the Garden of Eden on Day 1’s post, we see that God had already prepared this place for his people. By natural eyes though, I’m sure it did not appear that way. Let us walk in obedience to His voice so that we never ascertain the situation ourselves by sight and miss out on His prepared promises and goodness.
23:22-23 “If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.”
God was going to take care of business. Many of the promises of God are conditional though. It is so important to look carefully at what we are instructed to do in order to receive His promise.
23:24 “Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces.”
This is something we must be careful of as a nation. Many Christians follow the practices of religions which worship other gods. These practices are often “secularized” and are made common in society (like the use of Reiki, Qi Gong, work with Chakras (which work with gods), and energy work). God forbids this. He, alone, is the Lord Almighty and is more than enough for all of our needs.
23:25-26 “Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.”
That is an amazing promise given to us. Even though it is phrased differently, note the promise is still conditional.
23:27-30 “I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every nation you encounter.
I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run.
I will send the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites out of your way.
But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.”
Whew. Isn’t God good? I have missed this passage my entire life. I have always wondered how only Joshua and Caleb could explore the promised land and have the faith to inhabit it after all God had done at the Red Sea, but this makes me wonder how the whole nation didn’t have faith in God to inhabit the land. He had just revealed His game plan. He even included the reasons for why there would seem to be delays so that the people would not get discouraged during that time. God specified it was for their benefit. God asked so little in exchange for providing so much. God said he would take care of things.
23:31 “I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines (the Mediterranean), and from the desert to the River (Euphrates).
I will hand over to you the people who live in the land and you will drive them out before you.”
Ah. The conditions before required something between the people and God. This conditional promise required something from the Israelites regarding the people they would encounter.
The Israelites’ fear and consideration of man kept them from their inheritance. Oh that we would never let fear or pleasing people stop us from moving forward.
Chapter 23 ends with instructions to not make a covenant with the other people or their gods and to not let them live in the land since they would influence the Israelites to sin.
Lord, thank you for your ways. They are great, and they show how much you care about your people. Reveal the areas of my life and decisions I make which are not pleasing to you. Show us if there are any practices of other gods which we need to stop. Let us worship you.
May people who have had things stolen or destroyed be payed back with increased portions. Please restore what has been taken from your people.
Thank you for your love- that you would encourage your people in your presence so that they would be confident in the journey to come. Let us be confident in the journey as we love, obey, and worship you. Remove any hindrance to us inhabiting the places and opportunities you have prepared for us. Amen.
A Walk Through The Bible 