Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20070110.htm

EXODUS: FUNCTIONING WELL IN A HOPELESS GROUP ASSIGNMENT
Part II: God's Sustainment Of Israel In The Wilderness Amid Humanly Helpless Trials
K. God's Elaboration And Application Of The Ten Commandments
9. God's Elaboration On His Commands Relative To Social Justice
(Exodus 22:18-23:9)
  1. Introduction
    1. One of the great burdens of politicians today is the concern for social justice, that the lower levels of society receive the same protection and liberties under the law as do the upper levels.
    2. God had His own viewpoint on what produces practical social justice, and reviewing it provides great and refreshing insight into the way God wants all of His people to relate in society at large (as follows):
  2. God's Elaboration On His Commands Relative To Social Justice, Exodus 22:18-23:9.
    1. After giving Moses the Ten Commandments, God enlarged and applied them in Israel's life so that there would be no possible misunderstanding as to what He meant by them, and this elaboration is known as the "Book of the Covenant" in Exodus 20:22-24:11, Bible Knowledge Commentary, Old Testament, p. 140.
    2. The ninth part of that "Book of the Covenant", Exodus 22:18-23:9, reveals how God expected His people to apply the Ten Commandments to their relationships with others in society in general:
      1. Concerned that Israel not tolerate the violation of the first three commandments on idolatry and false worship as she entered Canaan, a land of idolatrous people, God called for the death penalty on three sins typical of the false worship of the Canaanites: (a) sorcery (Exodus 22:18); (b) bestiality (Exodus 22:19) and (c) sacrificing to any god besides Israel's One, true God (Exodus 22:20), Ibid., p. 143.
      2. Concerned for the care of people in subnormal social or family structures that left them vulnerable to abuses in society at large, God called His people to avoid oppressing such folk, Exodus 22:21-24:
        1. Foreigners who were not part of a large group that could protect them were not to be oppressed, for Israel was to recall she had been oppressed in Egypt and was thus to empathize with aliens, 22:21.
        2. As widows and orphans were vulnerable to social oppression, God told Israel not to oppress them lest He kill their own men and leave their own wives and sons widowed and orphaned, 22:22-24.
      3. Concerned about the vulnerability of the poor to oppression, God told Israel compassionately to give interest-free loans to fellow Hebrews and return the basic clothing they gave as pledges, Ex. 22:25-27.
      4. Concerned about the need for order to keep the peace, God gave rules on reverence, 22:28-31, Ibid.:
        1. For order to keep the peace, God wanted His name and that of human rulers to be respected, 22:28.
        2. For order to keep the peace, God wanted Israel to recall she owed God the first of her plant, animal and human produce as it came from God, Ex. 22:29-30. This rule countered materialism in society.
        3. For order to keep the peace, God wanted Israel to cultivate an individual intolerance for pollution: as an example, any animal killed by wild beasts was not to be eaten, for its blood was not drained and by it one would thus have indirect contact with the unclean animal that slew it, Ibid.; Ex. 22:31.
      5. Concerned about misapplications of the ninth commandment on bearing false witness as it related to social justice, God called Israel to perform several practical duties to keep order in a courtroom, 23:1-9:
        1. Israel was not to spread a false report that would errantly influence a court case, Exodus 23:1.
        2. Israel was not to follow a crowd to do injustice in legal proceedings, Exodus 23:2.
        3. Israel was not to pervert justice even by unjustly favoring the poor, Exodus 23:3; Ibid.
        4. Israel was to treat all oppressed animals well even if they belonged to an enemy, Exodus 23:4-5.
        5. Israel was not to pervert the justice that was due to the vulnerable poor, Exodus 23:6.
        6. Like today, God's people in court were to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God': they were to avoid giving testimony that resulted in the death of the innocent (Ex. 23:7), that was influenced by bribery (Ex. 23:8) or that oppressed foreigners, Exodus 23:9.
Lesson: For the good of society, God called every Hebrew to cultivate a personal, compassionate, equitable but strict righteousness that affected every part of his relationships with all mankind.

Application: As true social justice starts with a right attitude in EVERY citizen toward every OTHER citizen, to improve the level of justice in our society, may we BEGIN to work on excelling in our OWN attitudes in the realm of a compassionate, fair but strict righteousness toward all mankind!