Exodus 22:1-15 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Exodus 22:1-15. Let’s go!
Exodus 22:1-15 (NIV)
1 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.
2 “If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed;
3 but if it happens after sunrise, he is guilty of bloodshed. “A thief must certainly make restitution, but if he has nothing, he must be sold to pay for his theft.
4 “If the stolen animal is found alive in his possession–whether ox or donkey or sheep–he must pay back double.
5 “If a man grazes his livestock in a field or vineyard and lets them stray and they graze in another man’s field, he must make restitution from the best of his own field or vineyard.
6 “If a fire breaks out and spreads into thornbushes so that it burns shocks of grain or standing grain or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution.
7 “If a man gives his neighbor silver or goods for safekeeping and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if he is caught, must pay back double.
8 But if the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges to determine whether he has laid his hands on the other man’s property.
9 In all cases of illegal possession of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any other lost property about which somebody says, ‘This is mine,’ both parties are to bring their cases before the judges. The one whom the judges declare guilty must pay back double to his neighbor.
10 “If a man gives a donkey, an ox, a sheep or any other animal to his neighbor for safekeeping and it dies or is injured or is taken away while no one is looking,
11 the issue between them will be settled by the taking of an oath before the LORD that the neighbor did not lay hands on the other person’s property. The owner is to accept this, and no restitution is required.
12 But if the animal was stolen from the neighbor, he must make restitution to the owner.
13 If it was torn to pieces by a wild animal, he shall bring in the remains as evidence and he will not be required to pay for the torn animal.
14 “If a man borrows an animal from his neighbor and it is injured or dies while the owner is not present, he must make restitution.
15 But if the owner is with the animal, the borrower will not have to pay. If the animal was hired, the money paid for the hire covers the loss.
On verses 1-15: Over and over the word “restitution” comes up. Restitution is a legal term that means restoring to someone something that has been taken away from them. It’s about making a person whole again after they have lost something. That’s what these regulations in verses 1 to 15 are talking about.
How can we apply these regulations from the Law of Moses? First, if we scan the New Testament, we’ll see that the New Testament does not specifically mention these regulations.
Second, we ask: are these regulations more likely announcing moral laws that are for all people and for all times? Or are these regulations more likely cultural laws that were specific to ancient Israelite culture? In this case, it’s most likely the latter, as these regulations were especially important to an ancient Israelite society whose economy centered around owning livestock.
Third, we ask: is there a timeless principle or truth we can learn from these regulations? Here’s one: When we suffer, God’s heart is to restore us and make us whole again. He is a God of restitution.
Now notice the kind of restoration God commands the Israelites to make in these verses: In Exodus 22, God doesn’t just give you back what you lost. Rather, God gives you back much more than you lost – in some cases, a double portion! (See verses 4, 7 and 9); in the case of verse 1, God commands that even more than double be given to the person who suffered. What can we learn from this? When the world restores, it’s about returning you to your original state before the suffering happened. But when God restores, He makes you better than you were before the loss! He makes you whole and then some! So keep that truth in mind when you read verses in the New Testament like 1 Peter 5:10:
1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
Praise God! The biggest way God restored us was through Jesus Christ. We were sinners separated from God, but through Christ’s death and resurrection, God forgave our sins and restored us back to Himself. Because God is your Restorer and He cares for you, don’t hesitate to bring your hurts and burdens to Him. He will restore you in His presence and give you restitution when you let Him have the room to do so.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your heart to restore. Thank You that You restore me not just to where I used to be, but You make me better off than I used to be. Thank You for being the God who restores me. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
