We then come to the penalty for a person stealing an ox or sheep and he slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep (v1-4). This shows restitution and the reason for the higher penalty for stealing an ox, presumably shows that that was the owners living by using it to plough or pull heavy loads.
The underlying principle in these laws shows the importance of restitution as well as punishment. This something often overlooked even in Christian circles as well as ordinary society. If he has nothing with which to pay, he was to be sold in slavery until he has paid back the victim. If the animal which he stole is found alive in his hand, he shall restore double.
If the thief breaks in and is struck so that he dies, no-one shall be guilty of his death. The owner of property had the right to defend himself and his property, even with force, but if it was daylight, the sun had risen, he would be guilty. I assume that if it was dark and he couldn’t see the burglar he could use force even to kill him, without being guilty, but if he could see him, he couldn’t use force enough to kill him without being guilty.
In verses 5-8 God’s law dealt with further details of restitution – if a man lets loose his animal and it grazes in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own fields or vineyards. If fire breaks out in thorns and another man’s grain or field is consumed, restitution must be made for the loss. If a man gives his neighbour money or goods for safe keeping and it is stolen from the man, the thief shall repay double but if the thief is not found, the master of the house must be taken before the judges to see if he had appropriated them. There was great responsibility upon people for the property of others.
If we damage someone else’s property, we are responsible and must be honest to own up to it even if no-one else sees us. Remember God sees it.
Notice that many penalties were laid down e.g. double or five times, thus there was no need to go before the judge. Very much like a system of fixed penalty. In verses 9-13 we see that the duty of the judge was to find guilt or innocence and if guilty the penalty was laid down. For trespass of any kind or something lost which another claims to be his, if found guilty by the judges, it was double repayment.
If a man delivers to his neighbour an animal to keep and it dies, is hurt or driven away and no-one sees it. The man shall swear on oath that he had not interfered with his neighbour’s goods. The oath being of The LORD shall be acceptable of the truth and that is the end of the matter, but if it has been stolen from him, he shall make restitution to the owner. If it has been torn in pieces by a beast, he must bring it in evidence and that is the end of the matter.
Despite some saying that we should not make oaths, this is an occasion when it was perfectly legitimate and honourable to God to make one.
We now come to borrowing and lending (v14,15). It was Shakespeare who said, ‘Neither borrower nor lender be’. Some think that it was from the Bible but that is not the case. There are obvious warnings, but the Bible does say – Proverbs 22:7 “…. the borrower is servant to the lender.”
“…. if a man borrows anything from his neighbour, and it becomes injured or dies, the owner of it not being with it, he shall surely make it good. If its owner was with it, he shall not make it good; if it was hired, it came for its hire.”
Thus, responsibility and restitution apply in these cases too. If the owner was with it, he is still responsible but if he has loaned it out and he is not present the responsibility passes to the borrower, and he must make it good.
God’s laws move into the moral realm (v16,17). If a man has sex outside of marriage with a virgin who is not betrothed, he must pay the bride-price for her to be his wife. However, if her father refuses to give his daughter to the man he had to pay the bride-price of a virgin. In other words, if he has pre-marital sex with a virgin, he must marry her or provide money for her.
The Hebrew for ‘virgin’ was an unmarried girl who was always expected and presumed to be a virgin. Virginity is important and those who wish to be married should keep themselves virgin for their future spouse. How important is this today when ‘free love and free sex’ is encouraged. The Bible stresses the importance of keeping oneself virgin until married. There is no such thing as casual sex, the Bible stresses that it carries consequences.
Some years ago, there was a movement which encouraged young people to keep themselves pure for their eventual marriage partner. It didn’t last long but, in a way, it is a pity that more do not treat it as important. A true Christian should treat this subject very carefully.
In these verses it commences with ‘if a man entices a virgin….” Indicating that he persuaded her by things like flattery etc., which was obviously by seduction, but he could not take advantage without paying a price. Whilst it refers to a man and a virgin woman and in this context it is referring to a man enticing a female and in these verses there seems to be no penalty for the woman because the man has enticed her. If the woman was not enticed there would be the loss of her virginity and the affect that would have on her chances of marriage which would be a penalty in itself.
Virginity is precious whether in a man or a woman and should be guarded very carefully. Sadly, many women entice men today and it requires great strength of character and will for men not to be enticed. Females often dress seductively, and males need to be on their guard. It is a known fact that males are attracted by looks and appearance more than females. I know I’ve said it often, but it is very pertinent, the late Derick Bingham once said, ‘Females please dress attractively but not seductively’. I think he was quite right.
No-one is let off the hook today, it does not mean that it is all one way. Both males and females have a difficult job today in this realm. The Bible is so relevant, as usual. Like most things, God gives us warnings of the dangers lurking around in what maybe thought to be innocence. We men are to protect females, but there is a responsibility upon females too. We are living in an age where anything goes, but the consequences can be devastating and can be detrimental for the rest of our lives.
There was great incentive against taking advantage of a young female virgin because if the father of the girl considers the man to be unsuitable for his daughter, the offender must pay the bride-price without receiving the bride. It could be a costly error for nothing.
“Marriage is honourable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” (Hebrews 13:4) Thus we all have a responsibility to prepare ourselves for marriage.
We next come to three offences which, in addition to murder, carry the death penalty. In some respects, they may seem innocuous and particularly in today’s society where the world has become very liberal in its views.
“You shall not permit a sorceress to live. Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death. He who sacrifices to any god, except to the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.”
It commences with a sorceress – translated in KJV as a witch. A man is included in the meaning, but it seems to be that women were more inclined to this behaviour. Sorcery is to use incantations, magic, sorcery, or the arts of witchcraft. Sorcerers often used drugs and potions, and the Greeks called them ‘poisoners’ (pharmakos). It is thought that the Israelites had learned these things from the Egyptians.
God was obviously not pleased with this behaviour, so much so, that the death penalty applied. In God’s eyes it was wicked but also dangerous for the people and God cared for His people. Communication with the spirit world was not encouraged. They had fellowship with Almighty God and that was sufficient.
We still encounter occult practices today and they are totally against God’s will. They are dangerous in the extreme.
I was asked many years ago by one of our young people at church, whether a Christian should read and dabble in horoscopes. I considered it carefully and found in Deuteronomy 18:10 “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you.”
The KJV reads, “one who interprets omens” as “an observer of times.” The term ‘an observer to times’ is the relevant bit. According to the dictionary, horoscope comes from two Latin words – ‘hora’ and ‘scopos’. ‘Hora’ means observer and ‘scopos’ means times. There was my answer. One eminent preacher said, “God did make the stars (as well as everything else in the universe), but he intended them to be a witness to his power and glory, not as a means to guide us or foretell the future.”
We have The Lord to guide us, and He never makes a mistake so why seek guidance from elsewhere?
Witchcraft is also condemned in New Testament days (Acts 13:10; 19:19).
The second of the three carrying the death penalty was the person who commits bestiality. It was a perversion.
To most of us it doesn’t bear thinking about, but sadly, it is now legal in some countries. It should not come as a surprise as God’s standards have been rejected in most areas of sexual immorality.
Moses repeats God’s law to the people in Leviticus 18:22-25 where it says, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination. Nor shall you mate with any animal, to defile yourself with it. Nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it. It is perversion. Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you.For the land is defiled; therefore, I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants.” Leviticus 20:15,16 goes on to say that “if a man mates with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. If a woman approaches any animal and mates with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood is upon them.”
It is clear that these abominations were practiced in Egypt and the nations of Canaan which the Israelites were taking over. God makes it clear that it defiled the nations, the land and invited God’s punishment upon it, and the inhabitants would be vomited out.
How we need to avoid these things in our land because the same will happen to us. We live in a day when, ‘if it feels good, do it’ and it only leads to depravity and hell. These sins were loathsome to God.
The third of the three says, “He who sacrifices to any god, except to the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.” (v20) We already had the Ten Commandments, the first of which was “You shall not have any other gods before (besides) Me.” This verse goes even further to sacrificing to any god, except The LORD only. The penalty for such was death or destruction.
Verse 21 brings us to positive actions about having compassion on strangers. “You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
God gives them a very good reason for this, and it was that they had been strangers in the land of Egypt. It is very much a case of ‘do to others as you would like them do to you.’ They had not been treated very well in Egypt and the reaction might be to get their revenge on others. They were going into a land that God was going to give them victory over, where they would not be welcome.
It is not saying that Governments do not have the right and responsibility to control borders and immigration, but that as individuals we have a responsibility to neither to mistreat a stranger nor oppress them.
They were to have compassion for the weak and vulnerable (v22-24). They were not to afflict a widow or fatherless child. They were considered to be the most vulnerable as there was not a man in the family to support them. God was quite clear that if they afflict them and they cry out to Him, He would hear their cry, His wrath would be hot, and He would kill them with the sword and their wives would become widows and their children fatherless.
Over in the New Testament we read, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27) These people were extremely needy, and it would be sacrificial love to care for them. They would have no means to repay those who cared for them. There was no welfare state as we have today hence this would display true Christian love. It was not only right to care for such people, but God made it clear that it was seriously wrong to mistreat them.
In verses 25-27 there were more positive, practical actions – to have compassion on the poor. “If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest. If you ever take your neighbour’s garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. For that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious.”
If you lend to the poor, you shall not take interest and the taking of a pledge had to be reasonable. Charging interest was allowed but not against those who would be left in a perilous state. They were not to take a person’s coat and leave him cold.
God stated that He would hear the cry of the poor and destitute.
Finally, in this chapter, we see God’s laws regarding holiness (v28-31). “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.” This begins with what we say especially about God and those in authority over us. It is interesting that God and our rulers are mentioned together. We must not forget that rulers are placed there by God and, therefore, if we do not respect them, we are not respecting God. It can be difficult especially if those in authority are Godless.
One thing we must do is to pray for them – “Therefore Iexhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.” (1 Timothy 2:1-3).
Remember that God can work through heathen rulers. He did it in Bible times e.g., King Cyrus.
It can be difficult to obey them if they tell us to do something contrary to the Word of God and those circumstances are the only occasion when we are told we obey God rather than man. Daniel did not obey the edict of King Darius, Peter and John said that they obeyed God rather than man, but generally we should respect their office.
Daniel’s disobedience to the order displayed his holiness to God.
God’s law moves on to their offerings to God. They must not delay to first offer their ripe produce and juices. It was honouring to God to give Him His due. The firstborn of their sons was to be given to God, also their oxen and sheep. They were to be given to God on the eighth day. It seems that this accords with boys being circumcised on the eighth day. It was to remind them that God had spared their firstborn at the Passover in Egypt.
They were to be holy men, and they were not allowed to eat meat torn by beasts in the field, it was to be thrown to the dogs. Meat torn by animals was considered to be unclean.
