33. Laws for Justice and Grace in Society (Ex 22:16-31)

This passage lists the crimes against society.

πŸ‘‰ Read Exodus 22:16-31

Find three verses that state the death penalty for the violators.

 

Find three verses that tell why the Lord is commanding these laws.

 

Fill the blank with proper words (might not be from the Bible). God provides (               ) for the weak in society (21-25). God is (            ) to the needy (25-27). They were God’s (            ) people to reveal who God was (28-31).

 

Answers and Meditation

If a man sleeps with a virgin, he must pay the bridal price, even when he is refused to marry her. He should be responsible for what he has done, in fairness.

 

18, 19,20

These three are related to idolatry. These verses are short in length but demand capital punishment for violators. No further explanation is given here.

 

23-24, 27, 31

All these laws reflect God’s character.

“I will surely hear their cry” “I will hear, for I am gracious” “You will be holy people to me”

It is difficult to say ‘how much’ is allowed and ‘how much’ is forbidden. However, the Bible gives us a clear guideline for this. You should treat others well enough in their viewpoints. Even though you treat your employees fairly in your viewpoint, if they think you are an abusive employer and pray to God for help, God will intervene. It is because you have failed to reflect God’s goodness on them. Therefore, don’t justify yourself by saying, ‘everyone does this way,’ or ‘I don’t violate any of the labor laws.’

 

Justice, gracious (merciful), holy(chosen)

Keeping the law of God is to reveal who God is, not to show how good you are, nor to make a perfect world. They are related, but not the ultimate goal of keeping the law.

Following Jesus is to reveal Jesus to the world.

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