10/29/2024 – Day 128 – Exodus – Chapters 21 – 24 / Common questions asked about apparent inconsistencies in the Law…
Our previous posts for today’s reading are dated: 1) 07/05/2022 – 23: 22-24 and 24: 15-18; 2). 09/29/2020 – 23:16
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Commentary today is taken from the Apologetics Study Bible.
Reading: 21-20 – 21:26
“The Bible does not condone slavery any more than it condones polygamy or divorce. Instead, it establishes human e limits for an existing evil system. Slavery had long been a feature of human society. The Israelites were always to remember that they themselves had been victims of this practice for an extended time (Genesis 37:289, 36; Exodus 1: 8-14) as slaves of Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:15; 15:15; 16:12; 24: 18,22). Accordingly, Israelite slave owners were to treat their slaves in a fair and charitable manner. They were to be given a day of rest every week (Exodus 20:10) and, as beings created in God’s image, were expected to attend religious festivals (Deuteronomy 12: 12,18; 16:11). Israelites who were slaves were to be treated with special benevolence, and to be released after six years (Exodus 21:2; Deuteronomy 15:12) or in the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25: 40-41) whichever came first. Female slaves who became wives to their owners or owner’s sons were to be treated with all the respect and rights of a regular wife (Exodus 21: 8-11). When an Israelite’s term of slavery had ended, he was to be given a gift (Deuteronomy 15: 13-14). If slaves were physically abused by their owners, they were to be granted immediate freedom (Exodus 21: 26-27) and, unlike animals the killing of a slave constituted a crime (v. 20)
Through these measures the law of Moses made it clear that slaves were to be treated as persons with God-given rights and standing before God. Furthermore, slavery for Israelites was to be a temporary state, not a lifetime condition. The law of Moses laid the groundwork for the eventual demise of one of the most demeaning institutions in human society.”
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“If there is an injury, then you must give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, bruise for bruise, wound for wound.” Exodus 21: 23-25
Commentary:
“If the Israelites were not to kill the innocent, why were they ordered to kill the Canaanites children (see Deuteronomy 7: 1-2; 20; 16-17)? This verse is part of a larger section that provides guidance to judges when trying cases in Israel; in courts of law the innocent were not to be punished. But the elimination of entire cultural groups as punishment for the long-term institutionalized sin was not considered a legal matter. It was an issue of divine judgment following centuries of unacceptable conduct. God ordered the Israelites to eliminate cultures that had institutionalized despicable sin. Canaanite cultures were steeped in a religion that was polytheistic, idolatrous and highly immoral. As part of their religious corruption, those cultures permitted human sacrifice and practiced cultic prostitution (worship of their ‘gods’ involved intercourse with women attached to their temples). All of this cultural perversity was offensive to God and was to be brought to a complete end when the iniquity of the inhabitants of Canaan was complete (Genesis 15:16).”
For a fuller perspective, see the attached article of the pervasive sin of Canaanites in despicable and horrendous categories at the bottom of the article.
https://www.knowingthebible.net/topical-studies/the-extermination-of-the-canaanites
Soli Deo Gloria!
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Questions for fellowship generation, the lifelong sanctification process:
- What does the text reveal about God’s character?
- How has this reading generated prayer for you and/or us?
- What themes stand out to you in this bible study?
- How does our reading fit into the bigger picture (creation, the fall, restoration, etc.)?
- What verse(s) jumped out at you like never before? Is it explainable at this point?
- Do you have any questions you would like to put before the group as to how to interpret any particular verse(s) in our reading. Let scripture testify to scripture: Share with us where you sense contradiction between passages elsewhere.
- What did you find convicting and inspiring at the same time? Share with us how the Spirit of God is working within you as a messenger, both within and outside of our fellowship group.
- Share with the group how our study is calling or confirming to you a new mission to glorify God in our times.