Exodus 22:16-31 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Exodus 22:16-31. Let’s go!
Exodus 22:16-17 (NIV)
16 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price, and she shall be his wife.
17 If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins.
On verses 16-17: People today might read about the bride price and think it is degrading that a monetary value could be placed on a woman. Isn’t that treating her like property? But in ancient Israel the bride price was not understood that way. In ancient Israel the bride price was seen as something that brought honour to a woman. It meant that if you want to be with her, you have to pay the price. You can’t have her for nothing.
I believe one timeless principle we can learn from these verses is that we are not to treat people merely as sexual objects that we can use and discard without any responsibility or commitment. God’s intention is that sex and lifelong love would go together.
So single ladies, when you’re looking for someone to love, don’t settle for someone who will not pay the price for you, who simply wants to use you but not treasure you.
Single guys, whenever you decide to be in a relationship with any girl, consider the price. Are you willing to pay the highest price to be with her?
Remember Jesus Christ. So that He could be with us, Jesus paid the highest bride price: He paid with His own life. So if you ever question your worth, remember that you have incredible worth to God because God paid the highest price to have a relationship with you.
Exodus 22:18-20 (NIV)
18 “Do not allow a sorceress to live.
19 “Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal must be put to death.
20 “Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the LORD must be destroyed.
On verses 18-20: In ancient Israelite society, witchcraft, bestiality and idolatry were expressly banned such that anyone who practices these was to be put to death. What are we to do with these verses today? In the New Testament, Christians are warned against witchcraft, bestiality and idolatry, but there is no accompanying command to put Christians to death for these sins. That is because, though we all deserve to die and be separated from God because of our sin, out of incredible love for us, Jesus Christ paid the price for all of our sins on the cross. The death we should have died for our sins Jesus assumed in our place.
So when you meet someone who has a history of practicing witchcraft, bestiality, idolatry or other sins, instead of coming to them with condemnation and judgment, remember the mercy God showed you at the cross and show that person similar mercy and compassion, hating the way that sin has messed with their lives, but loving them as people who are precious to God (see Jude 1:23, for example).
Exodus 22:21-24 (NIV)
21 “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.
22 “Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan.
23 If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry.
24 My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.
On verses 21-24: Foreigners, widows and orphans have a special place in God’s heart (see Matthew 25:43 and James 1:27). To this day, we as the church are to have a heart to defend, protect and serve them as well.
Exodus 22:25-27 (NIV)
25 “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender; charge him no interest.
26 If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it to him by sunset,
27 because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
On verses 25-27: As part of ensuring that the Israelites would not take advantage of the poor, God commands the Israelites not to charge interest on loans to the needy. God also commands the Israelites that if they take a fellow Israelite’s cloak as security to pay back the debt, they were to return the cloak by sunset so that the owner of that cloak wouldn’t freeze at night.
What is the timeless principle we can learn from? Don’t take advantage of the poor. Be compassionate and kind in your dealings with them, because God is kind and compassionate toward us.
Exodus 22:28 (NIV)
28 “Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
On verse 28: To blaspheme God means to make disrespectful statements about God. When it comes to authority, whether it’s God Himself or human leaders, we are to speak about them respectfully.
Exodus 22:29a (NIV)
29 “Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats.
On verse 29a: What’s the timeless principle here? Avoid the temptation to keep for yourself what you should be offering to God.
Exodus 22:29b-30 (NIV)
“…You must give me the firstborn of your sons.
30 Do the same with your cattle and your sheep. Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but give them to me on the eighth day.
On verses 29b-30: Earlier in Exodus we learned that the firstborn of every family and of livestock belongs to God (Exodus 13:12), and that if you wanted to keep that firstborn you had to redeem that firstborn by making a sacrifice. Let these verses remind us that every good thing we have is ultimately from God and belongs to Him, and that we are stewards, not owners, of what He has given to us.
Exodus 22:31 (NIV)
31 “You are to be my holy people. So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts; throw it to the dogs.
On verse 31: God commands them not to eat the decaying flesh of an animal that has already been eaten by other wild animals. I believe here we see God’s concern for the healthy and safety of His people.
Heavenly Father, thank You for every lesson we can learn from Your law. Thank You that You are not the type to use me and discard me. Rather, so that You could be with me forever, You paid the highest price for me by giving up Your Son Jesus to the cross. Since You showed me such love, may I place my hope in You alone and give You the worship You deserve, including through my words, my wallet and the ways I treat others. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
