DBG - January 26 - Exodus 19-21

In this chapter we see the preparations for receiving the Law at Mt. Sinai.

vs. 1 – This is the beginning of the Jewish month Sivan, roughly our May or June.  This is the first day of the new moon, about 45 days since the Passover and exit from Egypt.  Reese’s Chronological Bible gives that year as 1491 B.C.

vs. 2 – Israel is now camped before Mt. Sinai.  They will not leave until almost a year later in Numbers 10:11-13.  Again, and I do not want to make a big deal about it, but I think this is not the traditional site in the Sinai peninsula, but rather a place known as Jabal al-Lawz in Saudi Arabia.

vs. 3-6 – Moses ascends Sinai for the first time.  There God tells him that if the children of Israel will agree to follow Him that He will make them a nation of priests.

vs. 7-8 – The people accept the offer made by God.

vs. 9 – God says that He will speak to the people Himself out of a cloud.  Clouds are associated with the shekinah glory that surrounds the presence of God.

vs. 10-15 – Moses prepares the people to encounter God.  Note the various commands here.  Much of this is because the holiness of God must be respected. The command in vs. 15 regarding married couples is to prevent accidentally becoming ceremonially impure.

vs. 16-19 – Here is described one of the most dramatic scenes in Scripture.  God’s presence on the mount is marked by a cloud, thunder, lightning, a call like a trumpet, rising smoke, and earthquakes.

vs. 20 – Moses ascends Sinai for a second time.  God gives him further instruction on making sure the people respect His holiness.  Only Moses and Aaron would be allowed to ascend the mountain.

In this chapter God begins giving His Law to the people, beginning with the Ten Commandments.

vs. 1 – God speaks these words not just to Moses but to all of Israel gathered at the base of the mountain.

vs. 2 – This the basis for not only the Ten Commandments but all the Law.  God had specially chosen Israel and delivered them from Egypt.  They had already indicated  before in 19:8 that they would obey whatever the Lord commanded them.  God begins with the Ten Commandments.  These work as both an introduction and a summary of the further revelation of the Law that is to come.  If you would like more in depth information on these, I have a series of lessons on my website at https://www.baptistbasics.org/notes/#commandments

vs. 3 – FIRST COMMANDMENT.  God will be the singular object of Israel’s worship.  He alone is God.

vs. 4-6 - SECOND COMMANDMENT. This is a prohibition not only against idols but also of making images of God.  Most idols were worshiped as a proxy for the god they resembled, thus worshipping the idol meant worshipping the god.  God desires direct worship.  He also does not want our image of Him shaped by imperfect human hands.  Our finite minds and limited artistic skills can in no way capture the majesty of God.

vs. 7 - THIRD COMMANDMENT.  We often associate this command with using God’s name in a vulgar manner.  It is far deeper than that.  Taking the name of God implies association.  Our relationship with Him must not be empty or vain.  My misusing the name of God we dishonor Him.

vs. 8-11 – FOURTH COMMANDMENT.  The Sabbath rest was established in Creation when God rested on the seventh day.  This is one of the special signs of God’s covenant with Israel like circumcision.

vs. 12 – FIFTH COMMANDMENT.  The first institution created by God was the family.

vs. 13 – SIXTH COMMANDMENT.  This is a prohibition against murder.  There are times, such as in capital punishment, that the taking of a human life is necessary.

vs. 14 – SEVENTH COMMANDMENT.  The bonds of marriage are to be pure and unbroken.

vs. 15 – EIGHTH COMMANDMENT.  We are not to take that which we have no right to claim.

vs. 16 – NINTH COMMANDMENT.  One of the gravest crimes in the Old Testament is that of lying as a legal witness. The need for honesty extends beyond the courtroom and into all of life. Integrity matters.

vs. 17 – TENTH COMMANDMENT.  We are to be content with God’s provision in our lives. 

vs. 18-20 – The power of God’s presence is overwhelming to the people.  They beg Moses to act as mediator and bring God’s message to them.  God had desired to make such an impact on the people.

vs. 21 – Moses ascends the mountain for a third time.

vs. 22-26 – This section gives regulation regarding how to construct altars to sacrifice to God.  They should not use idols or hewn stone.  The collected stones must have been split naturally.  The prohibition against such ornamentations keeps the focus on the humility of the offerer of the sacrifice and the majesty of its receiver.  The prohibition against steps in vs. 26 is to prevent shame from accidentally revealing one’s nakedness when ascending such stairs.  These commands are for personal or communal altars and do not apply to the singular altar in the Tabernacle.

In this chapter we see further regulations concerning enslavement and restitution.

vs. 2 – NOTE THIS APPLIES TO ISRAELITES ONLY.  No Israelite could keep another Israelite as a slave permanently.  The maximum length of servitude was set at six years.  The freed slave could not be charged for his manumission.  Most slavery for Israelites was a form of indenture to pay off debts.

vs. 3-4 – The confusion in these verses is cleared up when we understand that the wife in both cases IS NOT AN ISRAELITE.  If they were Israelites they would be released in accordance to vs. 2.

vs. 5-6 – A slave could refuse his freedom and willingly commit his life to serve his master.  He was marked for this decision by boring a hole through his ear on the door or doorpost.  The ear is supposed to symbolize that he would hear and obey his master’s commands.  Using the door or doorpost indicates a connection to that particular house.

vs. 7-11 – Special protections are places on Israelite women sold into slavery.  In vs. 8 the case is presented that if she and her master became betrothed but not yet married and she displease him, then she could be bought back by family or friends.  She could not be sold to foreigners.  In vs. 9 we see the case where she is betrothed to her master’s son, in which case the master should treat her as his own daughter, including providing a proper dowry.  In vs. 10 we see that if her betrothed takes another wife, she is to be guaranteed the rights and provision of a wife.  In vs. 10 we see that if the obligations are not fulfilled then she should be set free at no penalty and her debt absolved. 

vs. 12-27 – One of the key tenets of the Mosaic law is the concept of lex talionis, or law of retribution.  Someone who takes a life should lose their own.  Someone who causes another to lose an eye or tooth should lose the same.  It is an effective deterrent to evildoing that many ancient cultures practiced.

vs. 13 – Here is the case of accidental manslaughter.  God will provide a place in the cities of refuge for accidental killer to run to until his case is cleared.   See Joshua 20:2-9 for the establishment of these.

vs. 16 – Those involved in selling kidnapped people into slavery were placed under a death penalty.

vs. 17 – Violators of the Fifth Commandment were  placed under a death penalty.  This is for repeated and unrepentant abuse.

vs. 18-19 – In the case of mutual combat where one person is injured but not killed, the injured is to be compensated for their lost wages and the costs of their care covered.

vs. 20 – In the case of a slave dying after being beaten by their master, the master is under the death penalty.

vs. 21 – In the case of a beaten slave that lives a day or two and then dies, the master is not under a death penalty but the loss of the slave and his investment in them is counted as his punishment.

vs. 22-23 – In the case of a expectant mother who is struck by someone attacking her husband, if the mother lives but loses the child the attacker is pay recompense as determined by the father or judges.  If the mother dies because of the injury or ensuing childbirth, the attacker is under the death penalty.

vs. 24-25 – This is the classic treatment of lex talionis.  Any injury caused by an individual is in return inflicted upon them.

vs. 26-27 – An exception to the law of retribution is given in the case of injuring a slave.  Instead of inflicting the same injury on the master, the slave is freed.  This loss would likely be counted as greater than whatever injury threatened to the master.

vs. 28-32 – We deal here with the case of injury caused by livestock.  If a beast has no history of violence and kills someone, it is put to death by stoning and its owner is not to further punished.  If the bast has a history of violence and kills someone, it is to be put to death by stoning and his master for his negligence is under the death penalty.  There is a possibility in this case that deal could be struck by which the death penalty is commuted by paying a restitution.  In vs. 31 it is made clear that these restrictions apply to injuries to both adults and children.  In vs. 32 there is that case that the beast has attacked a slave, in which the beast is killed by stoning but the owner pays the master of the slain slave 30 shekels of silver as restitution.  At today’s very high silver prices, this is about $1,300 dollars for the little more than 12 ounces total weight of the silver.  We will find this price repeated as the value of a slave, most famously as it was the price paid to Judas to betray Christ. 

vs. 33-34 – In the case where someone cause the death of livestock by negligence, he is to pay the owner the cost of the animal.

vs. 35-36 – Here are two cases where one beast kills another beast owned by someone else.  If the beasts had no history of violence, the dead animal is divided as meat between the two owners and the surviving animal is sold and its price also divided.  If the surviving beasts has a history of violence then its owner pays the owner of the slain animal full value of the lost animal.  The slain animal is not divided in this case and remains property of its original owner.

To understand these chapters and much of what follows you must remember that God is holy.  He is completely perfect in His being and will.  He is completely pure in His desires and actions.  He is completely protected from ever not being holy.  We humans are the opposite of this!  We cannot be holy on our own and God’s holiness excludes us from His presence.  But God has made a way that we may come to Him.  We do so in respecting and honoring His holiness.  Through the regulations of the Law men could approach God, but not until Christ could we truly have fellowship with God.  Christ imputes the holiness of God over our unholiness.

Today’s hymn I have only found in one of my favorite hymnbooks, Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs by Melody Publications.  It was written by a Baptist minister named William Gadsby (1773-1844) who authored many hymn texts that are largely forgotten today.  This hymn captures the grandeur of God’s holiness as displayed at Sinai but also looks ahead at the hope we have beyond the Law in the grace of Christ.

God is an awful God, His terror who can bear;

The vengeance of his righteous rod Sinks rebels in despair.

Once, on mount Sinai’s hill, ‘Midst streams of fire he spoke;

And sinners who transgress his will, His dreadful ire provoke.

Ye ministers o God, Who have his terror felt;

And by the Saviour’s precious blood, Are no freed from your guilt.

Persuade the sons of man That God is righteous still;

And never will, no never can Repeal his holy will.

His law he must maintain, Should all the world be lost;

And rebels who despise his name, Shall by the law be cursed.

Persuade men ‘tis in vain  Their own good works to plead;

For justice must each work condemn, Which is not pure indeed.

The Law extends its pow’r To all the thoughts within;

And must at last its vengeance pour, Where any spot is seen.

Then how can guilty men, Immersed in sin and woe,

A perfect righteousness obtain, Extensive as the law.

Presumptuous is the hope, Which rests on nature's ground;

Yet mercy's hand a door hath ope’d, Where full salvation's found.

‘Tis Christ the Lord on high, A Saviour great indeed,

Who gave himself to bleed and die, That sinners might be freed.

Here justice is appeased, The law is magnified;

Here God the Father is well pleased, And sinners justified.

Whoe'er believes in him, From condemnation's free,

He saves from Moses, death, and sin, And calls to liberty.