Praying Constantly

These are the laws you are to set before them: – Exodus 21:1 (NIV)

But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. – Exodus 21:23-25 (NIV)

This is one of those chapters that makes you say “Hmm.”  First you have the issue of slavery.  There is an augment that slavery in the time before and around Christ was not the image of slavery we have in the west.  It was indentured servitude.  There were specific rules, one being that after seven years a servant was free to take his wife and go.  The problem is that if they had children they were not free to go.  Who is going to leave children under seven years old?  Of course they will stay, and it says if they stay, they are servants for life.  I guess the rule of thumb was to not have kids if you are a servant.  I especially was struck by verses 20, 21. 

If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property. – Exodus 21:20-21 (NIV)

It seems to be saying that if you beat your slaves, don’t hurt them so bad they can’t get out of bed for a day or two.

The eye for an eye verse is the one that is best known.  It seems to go against everything we believe as Christians.  But that is actually the point.  Christ was the new law, the new covenant.  Love one another, and turn the other cheek are the new laws.

Tags: Exodus, Forgiveness, Law, Love, Slavery
Filed under: Bible Reading