Exodus Segment 6

The Law: It’s Statues and Judgments 

Exodus 19:3 And Moses went up unto God... 

This is the first of seven ascents and descents by Moses to receive God’s laws and ordinances. 

19:3b and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;  

4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.  

5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:  

A peculiar treasure is a treasure acquired for a possession. It denotes a treasure reserved for one’s self. They were to be God’s own treasure, set apart for Him. 

6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests [a royal priesthood], and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.  

God wanted the whole nation of Abraham’s descendents to be special, be blessed as a royal priesthood would be, with respect to other nations, as the tribe of Levi was to become for Israel. 

7 And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.  

8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.  

16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.  

17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.  

18 And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.  

19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.  

20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.  

The first part of the Mosaic Law was delivered on the day of Pentecost, 50 days after Israel had participated in the first Passover, and was a type to the giving of the holy spirit to the apostles, in Acts 2:1-4. 

Exodus 20:1 And God spake all these words, saying,  

This is the record of God speaking the 10 commandments before all the people. Elohim not Jehovah gives these ten commandments making them of universal application.  

The Law is being given so quickly after leaving Egypt in order to give the people a standard, to help Moses govern them by. 

Although God gave the law to the Israelites, He wanted the same thing from them He wants from the Church of the Body today: worship, love and obedience. 

Exodus 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. 

Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  

I Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.  

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.   

Jeremiah 7:22 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:   

23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.  

There became three forms of law enforcers, (1) the daysman, (2) the judge, and (3) the elders at the gate, which is where it usually started. 

The three subjects are thought, word and deed.  

The 10 commandments are the moral code, given in public. The ceremonial law was given to Moses in the tabernacle. The judicial law was given at many times.

EWB says that the Law was revealed for two reasons, to teach man what sin is; and to teach about the coming Messiah. It showed people a need for God and grace. 

What was the purpose of the Law? For the answer we must go to the New Testament, the New Covenant. The major key to discovering the purpose behind the different sets of laws in God’s Word is giving strict adherence “to whom” scripture is addressed. 

Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the [Mosaic] law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto [until]Christ, that we [not Israel, but we now, the Church of the Body of Christ] might be justified by faith [believing].  

The Old Testament law was Israel’s “schoolmaster,” or guide, teaching them how to live in harmony with God’s will. The Mosaic law was not “the perfect law,” nor did it perfect people. A much greater law was made available by the coming of Jesus Christ. 

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.  

3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:  

God sent His Son Jesus Christ, to accomplish what the Mosaic law could not accomplish, because it was weak and of the flesh. 

The entire book of Hebrews is filled with the comparisons of the Old and New covenants. 

Hebrews 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.  

If the law was weak and could not make anyone perfect, then the law itself could not have been perfect. According to Galatians 3:19, the law “was added because of transgressions, till the seed [Christ] should come.”  

The book of Hebrews explains that with the accomplishments of Christ there was a change in the law, including the priesthood. 

Hebrews 7:11 If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?  

12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. 

19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. 

22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. [covenant] 

The Old Testament law could make nothing perfect. Jesus Christ paid the necessary price to establish “a better testament.” [diatheke meaning “covenant.”] The old covenant was the one God established with Moses. But through Jesus Christ there came a new and better covenant.  

Whereas the high priest entered into the Holy of Holies once a year to make atonement for the sins of the people, Jesus Christ entered once and for all to atone for all sins and sicknesses. 

Hebrews 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.  

The Law, and the tabernacle were types of the coming one, the Messiah, who would establish something greater with God, a complete and finished covenant. 

Hebrews 8: 9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.  

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:   

Israel had laws on stone and scrolls, but God told Israel He would later write the laws of the new covenant in their hearts.  

Jesus Christ himself condensed all the commandments given to Israel into two laws, duty to God and neighbor.  

Matthew 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  

38 This is the first and great commandment.  

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophet. 

Pertaining to the Age of Grace. 

Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.  

9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  

10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.  

Jesus Christ fulfilled God’s Word for all mankind and specifically fulfilled the law for Israel. 

Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  

Therefore, for Israel there was a change in the law. 

Hebrews 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.  

For the Church of God, the called out of both Israel and Gentiles, Christ was the end of the law. 

Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.  

We of the Church of God have greater liberty than was ever before available. By our identification with Christ--in his life, his sufferings, his death, his resurrection, and his ascension--we now live above the old law. 

In order to be considered righteous, the Old Testament believers had to keep the law. Jesus Christ gave his life so we could be righteous. When we walk by the spirit, we walk above the carnal ordinances of the law. When we walk by the spirit, we walk perfectly and have greater freedom than ever before. 

II Corinthians 3:6 Who [God] also hath made us able ministers of the new testament [covenant]; not of the letter [law], but of the spirit: for the letter [law] killeth, but the spirit giveth life.  

3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  

As we walk by the spirit, we walk in liberty. 

Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty… 

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.   

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.  

18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.  

When we walk by the flesh, we are limited in our thinking to the information gathered by the five senses. However, when we walk by the spirit, our capacity for service is unlimited. 

What a great privilege it is to have the spirit of God within us. Because of that spirit we have a greater law to follow than fleshly commandments of the old law. We realize that the law was merely a “schoolmaster,” a guide to Israel until the coming of the Messiah. 

The Old Testament gave Israel one long set of commandments to follow. These commandments demanded works. Jesus Christ condensed all these commandments to Israel into two laws: love God and love your neighbor. These two commandments are the “royal law.”  

The “perfect law” is not a law at all, but a walk of freedom. In the church of God, we have complete freedom to walk by our senses or by the spirit of God born within when we were saved.  

Only when we understand that we need not be subject to our flesh, but rather to our inward man, will we begin to comprehend the richness of the life God has provided for us at this time of grace. 

Now, after that parenthetical break let’s consider the 10 commandments. Their structure divides them into 5 plus 5, signifying grace. There was grace in the law seeing that no other nation was favored with them.  

The first five are linked together by the words “the Lord thy God,” the second five by the word “thou.” 

(1) Exodus 20:2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me [my face]. 

(2) 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image [a sculpture], or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:  

The making is equally forbidden as the worshiping of it. 

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I the LORD thy God am a jealous [zealous] God, visiting [charging] the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;  

The punishment being not lengthened in vengeance, but rather distributed in mercy over the third and fourth generation, so that the whole weight falls not on the first or second generation. 

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.  

The iniquity that God is referring to is the making of graven images or the worship of anything before the one true God. Then, anyone who has a little statuette of one of those supposedly saintly people in his house falls right into that. This is a grave spiritual matter! 

Aaron, Moses’ brother fell into this category when he built the golden calf while Moses was getting these commandments in writing.  

(3) 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain [without believing]; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.  

(4) 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.  

It’s “remember” because God instituted a day of rest way back in Genesis 2:2,3. 

9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:  

The Hebrew accent (zarka) marks this word for emphasis: implying that the fourth commandment is twofold, and no seventh-day rest can be really enjoyed without, or apart from, the six days of labor. 

10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work [not just any forbidden work], thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:  

11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.  

(5) 12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.  

This is the first commandment with promise. [Ephesians 6:2] The promise is that if you honor your believing father and mother, then you will have a long life.  

(6) Exodus 20:13 Thou shalt not kill. Murder. Huge difference. 

(7) 14 Thou shalt not commit adultery. [Unless your the president.] 

(8) 15 Thou shalt not steal.  

(9) 16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.  

(10) 17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor his car, nor his job, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.  

18 And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.  

19 And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.  

20 And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.  

21 And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.  

Exodus 21:1 Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.  

2 If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.  

3 If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.  

4 If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.  

5 And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:  

6 Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.  

In the New Testament God refers to born again ones as having the privilege to be servants, in the Greek doulous, and uses this example to show the commitment level a sold out born again son or daughter is to have to his master, in this case, God. 

Let’s read a few specifics of the general law to get an idea of what it was like. 

12 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.  

13 And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.  

That is where the concept of  “cities of refuge” came from. 

14 But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.  

15 And he that smiteth [context is smiting seriously or with death resulting] his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death. [Columbine High School shootings] 

16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death. [kidnapping, or deprogrammers] 

17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.  

18 And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:  

19 If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.  

20 And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished [avenged].  

21 Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.  

22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished [fined], according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.  

23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,  

24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,  

These laws made prisons unnecessary, and prevented crimes. 

25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.  

26 And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye's sake.  

27 And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.  

28 If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.  

29 But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.  

30 If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.  

Implying that death penalties were in certain cases commutable. 

33 And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein;  

Digging a well, and leaving the pit uncovered. 

34 The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.  

35 And if one man's ox hurt another's, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide.  

36 Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.

Exodus 22:1 If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.  

2 If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.  

“Make my day” law. 

3 If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.  

4 If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.  

5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; [Scribal error: this should be added in texts: “he shall surely make restitution out of his own field according to the yield thereof; and if the whole field be eaten”] of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.  

6 If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.  

7 If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him pay double.  

8 If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour's goods.

9 For all manner of trespass [rebellion], whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour.  

10 If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it:  

11 Then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbor's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good.  

12 And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof.  

13 If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn.  

14 And if a man borrow ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good.  

15 But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire.  

16 And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.  

17 If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. [50 shekels] 

18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch [spiritist] to live.  

19 Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely [go on the Jerry Springer show] be put to death.  

20 He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.  

The judgments of the Lord continues through chapter 23. Justice was swift if you read the book of Numbers because God was in charge, not like today because today is Man’s day, man does the judging.

Deuteronomy 23:12 Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad:  

13 And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee:   

NIV 12 Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself.

13 As part of your equipment have something to dig with, and when you relieve yourself, dig a hole and cover up your excrement. 

[KJV]14 For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.   

19 Thou shalt not lend upon usury [interest] to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals  [food], usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:  

Don’t charge your brother interest, whether on money or food or anything else. 

20 Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.  

21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.

22 But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.  

23 That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.  

Say what you mean and mean what you say. In other words don’t say it if you aren’t going to do it. Words salted? 

Exodus 24:4 And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.  

The pillars were a memorial of the contract they had just made with God. One pillar for each tribe to signify that the contract was with every individual of all 12 tribes.