Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

We continue with statutes that are to be observed upon arriving in the Promised Land in Exodus 22.  Each person is expected to obey these laws to create a civilized society.  Basic court procedure is established in this law as well as guidelines dealing with negligence and loss of property and accidental death.

Rape and rights of women, what few they had at this time, are also dealt with.  Sorcery is condemned as are all other types of worship of other gods.  Another area that is dealt with is general hygiene and food preparation.  These rules were for safety even before the FDA, USDA and OSHA.

The statement of the law continues in Exodus 23.  Much of these instructions are common sense and we wonder why God felt it necessary to tell people not to follow the crowd and pervert justice in that way.  Shouldn’t everyone know that if you see livestock that has wandered away from the owner, it should be returned to them?  Is bribery something that we don’t know is wrong?

The Sabbath day and the Sabbath year is also a procedure that should have been learned by every farmer.  As a child, I remember reading that agricultural specialist George Washington Carver teaching crop rotation in the late 1880’s.  Why aren’t these things passed down and continued with each generation?

Every new generation wants to rebel from the old-fashioned ideas.  They also want to come up with something new that they can claim.  These selfish reasons seem to be the answer for many of our mistakes.

God even promises at the end of this chapter to send an angel to drive the other nations from the Promised Land.  He tells them that it will not be all at once.  He warns them that they will be led astray if they do not kill them and remove them completely from the land as He has instructed.  As usual, they will not listen

In Exodus 24 Moses is the only one that is to get close to Jehovah on the mount.  An altar is built, sacrifices travel up to God, and promises are made by the Israelites.  Certain of the elders could come to a certain point and view Yahweh from a distance.  Moses continued with God for over a month.  This was a problem for the people as we will see tomorrow.