Exodus 22:16-31
Various Societal Laws
We return to our study of Exodus
- We will be finishing chapter 22 this morning
Let’s zoom out for a little bit and get a sense of context
- God has miraculously delivered His people out of Egypt
He has given the nation the Ten Commandments
- This is the moral code by which Israel was to measure herself
Then God proceeds to give other types of laws
- Laws about personal injury
- Laws about property damage
- This morning, we will see God give laws that pertain to society in general
We are not just studying laws or rules, though
- We are studying the character of God1
Whether it’s the Ten Commandments or personal injury laws or property laws or societal laws, we see the
nature of God on display
- The law flow from the very heart of God
I know that as we go through some of this, it can seem tedious
- We can wonder, “Why are we studying this?”
The main reason is because I am committed to expository preaching
- Preaching through a book of the Bible
- Preaching the whole counsel of God
So this morning, don’t just think about a bunch of rules
- Ask yourself, “What can I learn about the character of God through this passage?”
Let’s read Exodus 22:16-31
This passage describes various societal crimes that Israel was to avoid
So what does God want us to learn from this?
- Be sexually pure (22:16-17)
- Don’t engage in idolatrous practices (22:18-20)
- Help the weak (22:21-27)
- Honor God (22:28-31)
1
Philip Graham Ryken, Preaching the Word, Exodus, 733.
Page 1 of 14 I.
Be sexually pure (22:16-17)
16 “And if a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry for her to be his
wife.
The first societal crime that is mentioned here is one of seduction or enticement
- Specifically, a man trying to lure a woman to have illicit relations with her
We are told that this woman is a “virgin who is not engaged”
- She had not had sexual relations before
- She was not engaged or betrothed to anyone
In other words, this lady allowed herself to be sweet-talked into a bad situation
- The same thing could happen when a woman sweet-talks a man
We have to understand how relationships were viewed during this day and age
- They are much different from today’s standard
When a man and woman wanted to get married, they went through a betrothal period
- This may sound like our modern-day engagement
- But it is far, far different
When a couple entered into this betrothal period, it was legally binding
- In the eyes of the law, they were already considered husband and wife2
There were two major differences between the betrothal period and the actual marriage
- First, the woman didn’t live with the man until after marriage
- Second, there was no sexual intercourse
When a man wanted to enter into this betrothal with a lady, he would pay the father a “dowry”
- This was also known as a “bride-price”
Did this insinuate that the girl was just a piece of property?
- Why was a price put on her?
The bride-price was given to the father
- In a real sense, he would be losing a worker in the home
- This money would help him to recover the loss of his daughter3
In the case described here in verse 16, a man who seduced an unbetrothed virgin to have sex with him had to
pay this money
- He had violated her
- He had brought open shame on her
2
3
John L. Mackay, A Mentor Commentary, Exodus, 390.
Michael Bentley, Travelling Homeward, 244.
Page 2 of 14 Remember the situation with Joseph, when he found out that Mary was with Child?4
- “Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away
secretly” (Mt 1:19)
- Joseph seriously entertained the idea of divorcing Mary!
17 If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the dowry for virgins.
But what about the father?
- Did he have a say in whether his daughter would marry this guy?
Yes
-
Verse 17 says that he actually had veto power over that relationship
Perhaps the father could see that this relationship was broken from the beginning
- That it was in his daughter’s best interest not to marry this guy
If the father called off the marriage, notice that the seducing man still had to pay the dowry
- This was probably because no man would pay this amount for a woman who had already had sex before
marriage
What happened if a man seduced a woman who was engaged?
- If the woman didn’t cry out – if she consented – then both of them were to be stoned to death, according
to Deuteronomy 22:23-24
- If the woman was engaged and did cry out when the man forced himself upon her, then only the man
died (cf. Deut 22:25)
If a man lay with a betrothed woman, then it was considered adultery!
- Again, betrothal was considered to be legally binding5
How different this is from today’s sexual “norm”
- It is common for couples to live together and engage in activity that is reserved only for marriage
- This is clearly wrong and against God’s holy standards
Those of you who are single, commit yourself to holiness
- Commit to remaining a virgin until you are married
- Save that gift for your future spouse
The goal is to be sexually pure
- In thought
- In word
- In action
Fathers, teach your daughters to avoid the advances of sinful men
- Teach your sons not to be those kind of men!
4
5
R. Alan Cole, Tyndale OT Commentary, Exodus, 173.
John D. Currid, An EP Study Commentary, Exodus, Vol 2, 98.
Page 3 of 14 Just because a couple has failed in this area before marriage is not a sign that they should get married6
II.
Be sexually pure (22:16-17)
Don’t engage in idolatrous practices (22:18-20)
In the next three verses, we encounter three crimes that are so severe that they demand the death penalty
- In other words, there was to be no question or discussion in the matter
18 You shall not allow a sorceress to live.
First up on the list of capital crimes is sorcery
- Verse 18 lists “sorceress” which is the feminine form
Does this mean that only females who practiced magic should be put to death?
- Certainly not
Listen to these words from Deuteronomy 18
- “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire,
one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or
one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For whoever does these
things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive
them out before you. ” (18:10-12; cf. Lev 20:27)
It doesn’t matter whether it is a sorcerer or sorceress
- Both are to be put to death
Why is the penalty so severe for sorcery?
- Because magic, by its very essence, deters people away from following the Lord7
- Nowhere in the OT or NT is magic spoken of in a positive light
Ancient people relied upon magic to manipulate the gods
- Magic was supposed to provide guidance and direction, something that only God was supposed to
provide
- Magic was a means by which people would try to communicate with the dead or foretell the future
Remember when King Saul went to the sorceress at En-dor (cf. 1 Sam 27:7f)?
- Saul wanted this woman to bring Samuel up from the dead
- God allowed Saul to hear from Samuel, even though Samuel was dead
Remember when Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and it became a serpent (Ex 7:10)?8
- Verse 11 says, “Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the
magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts”
Egypt had its fair share of magicians, sorcerers, and the like
- Moses and Aaron saw this magic being practiced before their very eyes!
6
Douglas K. Stuart, NAC, Exodus, 509.
Stuart, 514.
8
John J. Davis, Moses and the Gods of Egypt, 241.
7
Page 4 of 14 Do we still have people who believe in magic today?9
- Fortune tellers
- Ouija boards
- Wiccans
- Psychic hotline
19 Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death.
Next up is a sin that frankly makes most of us sick to our stomach
- It is so taboo that we would rather not discuss it
- But the Bible addresses it (Lev 18:23; 20:15-16; Deut 27:21)
It is the sin of bestiality
- Having sex with animals
Yahweh is to the point, “whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death”
It may shock you to realize that certain people groups considered this to be part of their worship
- The Hittites, for example, practiced this sin10
- It was also associated with the fertility cult of the Canaanites11
God, however, didn’t want His people to be sexually impure
- He didn’t want His people engaging in this type of behavior with animals
Think about it
- God sets stringent rules about sex with humans, as we discussed this morning
- But this is absolutely outlawed with animals
20 He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the LORD alone, shall be utterly destroyed.
The third of this list of capital crimes is the sin of sacrificing to a god other than Yahweh
- This is the language of worship
It is a common aspect of worship to offer sacrifices on an altar
- But any sacrifice to any god other than Yahweh was outlawed
God would not tolerate His people offering sacrifices to other gods
- Because He demands exclusive worship
Remember the 2nd Commandment?
- “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth
beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your
God, am a jealous God” (Ex 20:4-5a)
9
Ryken, 737.
Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Exodus, 439.
11
Mackay, 391.
10
Page 5 of 14 God isn’t just jealous
- His very name is Jealous
- “you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God” (Ex 34:14)
The person who offers sacrifices to other gods “shall be utterly destroyed”
- This is a very serious sin with a very serious penalty
The penalty implied total annihilation12
- Not only would the person be killed
- But all of his/her possessions would be destroyed as well
God doesn’t want His people engaging in idolatrous practices
- He wants His people to be singularly focused on Him
- He wants His people to worship Him alone
Some would object to this
- They would say that God is being selfish
But God is the Almighty
- He is perfectly right in demanding exclusive worship
- His jealousy is a holy, righteous jealousy
- His is not a sinful jealousy
These sins are so bad that He demanded that Israel put to death those who practiced these sins
- God didn’t want their influence to spread
III.
Be sexually pure (22:16-17)
Don’t engage in idolatrous practices (22:18-20)
Help the weak (22:21-27)
We now transition to a societal crime that we might overlook
- But God makes sure that Israel has ample instruction on the matter
It involves helping the weak or disadvantaged of society
- The strangers
- The orphans and widows
- The poor in general
These categories of people are still with us today
- Citizens of other countries who come to live with us (international students, for example)
- Those who have lost father and mother
- Those who have lost husband or wife
- Those with very little financial resources
What is to be our response to these people?
- That is what this text is all about
12
Nahum M. Sarna, The JPS Torah Commentary, Exodus, 137.
Page 6 of 14 There was no government welfare system in Israel
- It was the responsibility of the covenant community to share this burden13
21 And you shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
What about the “stranger”?
- Who is God talking about?
This is the person who was not an Israelite
- Someone of another country living among the Hebrews
Yahweh made it clear that they were not to “wrong” or “oppress” this person
- The thoughts of violence, pressure, and coercion are certainly applicable
- It would include all types of physical or psychological pressure14
The reason why the Israelites were not to wrong or oppress the alien is simple
- “you were strangers in the land of Egypt”
Were the Israelites treated with kindness and compassion in Egypt?
- Certainly not
- They were treated as slaves
In other words, God wants His people to treat aliens the way that they would have wanted themselves to be
treated
- It is the OT version of the Golden Rule, “Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat
them” (Mt 7:12)
22 You shall not afflict any widow or orphan.
Now that we have discussed how the Israelites were supposed to treat the “stranger,” two other groups of people
are discussed
- “widow” and “orphan”
These two people groups were especially in a precarious situation
- The widow was without a spouse
- The orphan was without a parent
Thus, they were without adequate protection
- They were vulnerable
So the Israelites were forbidden from “afflict(ing)” them
- They were not to anything that would cause harm to these people
13
14
Stuart, 515.
Mackay, 392.
Page 7 of 14 23 If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry;
If the widow or orphan feels afflicted, who can they call out to?
- Yahweh
- The covenant-keeping, Almighty God
The LORD has His ears open to the cries of the widow and orphan
- When no one else is listening, He is
The Text is clear
- “if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry”
There is no doubt about this
- God will hear the cry of the orphan or widow
24 and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall become widows and
your children fatherless.
But God doesn’t stop with just listening
- He also takes action
Verse 24 tells us that God’s “anger will be kindled”
- In other words, this did NOT please God
- His anger would be aroused
Furthermore, God promises, “I will kill you with the sword”
- God assures Israel that He Himself would take this action
There is irony in the last portion of verse 24, “your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless”15
- If Israelites afflicted the widows and orphans, then the LORD would cause them to become widows and
orphans!
- What a change in circumstances!
25 If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not
charge him interest.
The fourth group of disadvantaged people is addressed in this verse
- The stranger
- The widow
- The orphan
- Now the “poor”
This is by far the broadest description
- The “poor” encompasses such a wide range of people
The very essence of being “poor” is that you don’t have adequate financial provisions
- You are in a place of need
15
Currid, 104.
Page 8 of 14 So verse 25 deals with the fact that sometimes, the poor need money
- How should they obtain that money?
The wrong response is given here in verse 25
- The Israelite is “not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest”
In other words, the Jews were not to be loan sharks
- They were not to charge interest at all!
In other words, the Hebrews were not to look at the poor as a way to make money
- They were to see a loan simply as a ministry tool
- As a way to help the poor
In the day in which Moses lived, there were laws that allowed up to 50% interest rates!
- The normal was around 33%16
It was ok to charge a foreigner interest
- But not to a fellow Hebrew
Jesus spoke these words, “And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners, in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good,
and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for
He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men” (Lk 6:34-35)
26 If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets,
It is customary to put down collateral when a loan is taken out
- That way, if the buyer can’t make the payments, the lender has something by which he can obtain to
recoup his money
But what can the poor put down as collateral?
- After all, they are in need
The only thing that the poor could put down as collateral was their “cloak”
- This functioned something like a jacket
- Shaped more like a poncho
The poor would have this article of clothing with them at all times
- It would protect them from the elements
- It would keep them warm at night
Notice the stipulations of the loan agreement
- If the cloak was taken as collateral, it had to be returned to the borrower at night
16
Sarna, 139.
Page 9 of 14 27 for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in?
Verse 27 continues this line of thought, “for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall
he sleep in?”
- This cloak is the only thing that the poor man has
- Take that away, and he has nothing to keep him warm at night
The lender was showing compassion to the poor in returning his cloak
- He was showing that mercy and compassion was more important than holding on to the collateral
And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear him, for I am gracious.
If the poor man cried out, who would listen?
- The same person who listens to the orphan and widow
- The LORD Himself
“And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear him”
- God promises to hear the cry of the poor man
The widow and orphan could be manipulated, threatened, and mistreated
- The same can be said for the poor
I mean, who really defends the poor?
- Yahweh
Why is God defending the poor?
- He says of Himself, “I am gracious”
It is God’s very nature to extend grace to those who don’t deserve it
- Those who are in need
- Those who may be disadvantaged
God wants His people to have His heart
- To reach out to the weak of society
- To minister to the stranger, the widow, the orphan, and the poor
Phil has covered this point in our study of James in SS
- “This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in
their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27)
In 1 Timothy 5, very specific guidelines are given about how widows are to be taken care
- If their family can’t take care of them, then the local church needs to take on this fiscal responsibility
This is a real practical way that we can show the love of Christ
- How we view the disadvantaged and weak people in society
-
Be sexually pure (22:16-17)
Don’t engage in idolatrous practices (22:18-20)
Help the weak (22:21-27)
Page 10 of 14 IV.
Honor God (22:28-31)
28 You shall not curse God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
The final few verses deal with our attitude toward God
- Whether we honor Him or dishonor Him
The Israelites were not to “curse God”
- They were not to dishonor God
- They were not to think lightly of Him
- They were not to disregard Him17
Not only were the Israelites not to curse God
- They were not to “curse a ruler of your people”
God is the One who puts leaders into power and positions of influence
- He is ultimately sovereign over these decisions
For us, there are all sorts of rulers over us
- Political rulers
- Spiritual leaders
- Judicial leaders
It is becoming more and more popular to speak ill of our President
- You have the right to disagree with him and his decisions
- But you don’t have the right to dishonor the position that he is in
What we need to understand is that the rulers who exist over us are put there by God’s own design
- Our responsibility is to respect them, submit to them, and pray for them
- Even if we disagree with them, we are to carry out these responsibilities
Just because we don’t like the policy or decisions of a leader does not give us the right to dishonor him or her
- God takes that very seriously
In Acts 23, Paul was standing before the Sanhedrin and Ananias, the high priest
- Paul said, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day”
(23:1)
The high priest then commanded someone to strike Paul on the mouth (23:2)
- Paul responded by saying, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! And do you sit to try me
according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?” (23:3)
It was then that someone asked Paul, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” (23:4)
- How do you think that Paul responded?
The apostle Paul was quick to apologize, saying, “I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is
written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT SPEAK EVIL OF A RULER OF YOUR PEOPLE’” (23:5)
- Paul quotes Exodus 22:28, one of the verses in this morning’s message
17
Mackay, 395.
Page 11 of 14 Paul was quick to realize that he had violated God’s law in Exodus 22
- He didn’t realize that Ananias was the high priest
- He then quotes the verse
29 You shall not delay the offering from your harvest and your vintage. The first-born of your sons you shall
give to Me.
Israel was not to delay giving God the offerings that He deserved
- The offerings “from your harvest and your vintage”
Israel was to give back a portion of their income
- Whether that was from their crops or their wine
Israel was also called to give their first-born sons to God
- This wasn’t some type of child sacrifice
Rather, Israel was to set apart their first-born sons as belonging to God
- They could, in turn, redeem their sons (cf. Ex 13:13; Num 3:46-48)18
30 You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days; on the
eighth day you shall give it to Me.
Israel was told to give to God
- From their harvest
- From the first-born sons
- From the first-born of oxen and sheep
The principle of the first-born is that it is from the top
- The very best
- From the beginning
Israel wasn’t supposed to wait and give God the leftovers
- The scraps
Rather, they were to set aside the very best for God
- That which was most costly
The animals were to be with their mother for seven days
- But on the eighth day, they could be given
If an Israelite withheld these offerings, it was a sign of dishonor toward God
- As if God wasn’t worthy of their gifts
- As if something else was more important
18
Kaiser, 440.
Page 12 of 14 31 And you shall be holy men to Me, therefore you shall not eat any flesh torn to pieces in the field; you shall
throw it to the dogs.
A fourth and final way in which Israel was to honor God was through dietary restrictions
- Eating certain things
- Not eating other things
The key word in verse 31 is “holy”
- “you shall be holy men to Me”
This word “holy” means set apart
- Consecrated
- Singled out
- Special
- Different
Israel was not supposed to be like the rest of the world
- They were a unique people
- They served a unique God
Specifically, Israel “shall not eat any flesh torn to pieces in the field”
- It had come into contact with unclean beasts
- The blood had not been drained from the corpse19
What was Israel supposed to do with this meat?
- “throw it to the dogs”
- It was unfit for human consumption
Think of how much of what we discussed today is an application of the Ten Commandments
- 7th commandment (don’t commit adultery) – a focus on sexual purity
o Sex outside of marriage
o Sex with animals
-
8th commandment (don’t steal) – a respect for the stewardship that belongs to someone else
o Seducing someone, stealing the virgin status of an betrothed lady
-
3rd commandment (don’t take the name of the LORD your God in vain)
o Cursing God or His appointed leaders
-
1st commandment (don’t have any other gods before Me)
o Making sacrifices to other gods than Yahweh
Put another way, these societal crimes are an outright violation of the overall thrust of the Law
- Loving God
- Loving my neighbor as myself
Israel wasn’t the only people who were called to be holy
- Those of us in the Church are called to that same standard
19
Davis, 243.
Page 13 of 14 Take the holy test this morning
- Test yourself in these areas
Are you pursuing sexual purity?
- Are you setting yourself apart for God’s purposes?
- If not, then you are acting and looking just like the world
Are you practicing idolatry?
- Are you dabbling with the things that God forbids?
How do you minister to the disadvantaged or weak of society?
- How are you personally helping the stranger, widow, orphan, and poor?
In what specific ways are you honoring or dishonoring God?
- Do you curse God?
- Do you curse the officials that God has placed over us?
- Do you withhold financial offerings from God that are rightfully His?
Don’t just assume that you are doing ok!
- Pursue sanctification!
- Grow in holiness!
- Dare to be radically different!
Because as you pursue holiness, you are pursuing Christ
- As you become more and more holy, you are becoming more and more like Him
Page 14 of 14