Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 21-22 NASB, Ch. 23-24 CEV

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Thoughts

In Exodus 21, the Lord had quite a lot to say about how to treat a slave. Many people over the years have misunderstood God’s attitude toward slavery, especially in the light of the modern concept of slavery as it relates to United States history. I talked about this on episode 77 of this podcast, published on September 6, 2020. If you haven’t heard that episode, I very much recommend you listen to it. Since I did address that topic there, I am not going to discuss it today, other than to say that in this chapter, it is obvious that God did not allow any mistreatment of slaves.

The balance of chapter 21, all of chapter 22, and the first part of chapter 23 are laws governing how the people are to deal with one another. The laws given are in many aspects, the model for our own justice system. 

And then in Exodus 24:3, we read, ” Moses gave the Lord’s instructions to the people, and they all promised, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded!” It sounds as if they have wholeheartedly accepted, and agreed to God’s Law, doesn’t it? 

And that’s the way that we humans are. We see what God commands, and in our mind, we say, “This sounds completely fair and right and true. I can live according to these things.” But like Paul said in Romans 4:14-20:

14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. c For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

Romans 4:14-20 NIV

I’m so glad that God has a plan to deal with the problem of my slavery to sin! Aren’t you? The Law exposed our inability to live according to God’s perfection, and Jesus’ death and resurrection provided a way for me and you to be redeemed from a debt that we could never pay. Hallelujah!