Exodus 22:1

The Bible says in Exodus 22:1-4, “If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.” The eighth of the Ten Commandments says, “Thou shalt not steal.” The passage in Exodus chapter twenty-two tells the children of Israel what to do to someone when they break this commandment and steal from their neighbor. Exodus 22:1 says that there should be restitution. The thief should return even more than he has taken. Our court system does the same thing today with punitive damages. Exodus 22:2 gives us another exception to the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.” If someone is killed while they are stealing, then whoever caused the death of the thief will not be punished for causing that death. That principle is generally true in our laws today also.

What is interesting about these punishments for stealing is that there is an emphasis on making restitution, and not on locking someone up in an institution. Today we have a prison system where we lock people up, and the system is very expensive to maintain, and often people are worse when they come out of it than when they went in. Notice that in Exodus 22:3 if the thief cannot pay the restitution, then the thief is to be sold as a servant. Of course, like any other servant, he would be free after six years because that is the law of servitude that had just recently been given. Exodus 21: 2 says, “If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.” One of the lessons that a thief needs to learn is the importance of working. Being a servant for six years will allow the thief to make restitution and to learn the value of working. The Bible says in Second Thessalonians 3:10, “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” Jesus said in John 9:4, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”

The Bible says in Exodus 22:5-9, “If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution. If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution. If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him pay double. If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour's goods. For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour.” There is an important phrase in verse nine of this passage. It says, “the cause of both parties shall come before the judges.” The judges make the decision, but they do not make a decision until they hear both sides of the case. There are always two sides to every issue, and unless you have heard both sides, you cannot make an accurate or fair decision. That is one reason not to be too hasty in any judgment. It takes some time and some investigation for all information to come out. This is the principle that “innocent until proven guilty” is based upon. Ask questions, find out what you can find out, be fair; and then maybe you are ready to make a conclusion about something.

The Bible says in Exodus 22:10-15, “If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it: Then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good. And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof. If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn. And if a man borrow ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good. But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire.” Sometimes things go wrong and no one knows why. That is what is being talked about in Exodus 22:10-11. If an animal went astray, and no one knows why it went astray, then it is no one’s fault: no one should be held responsible. Basically what verse eleven is saying is that a neighbor just takes the other neighbor’s word for it. That why it speaks about an “oath.” There is no evidence of what happened, so you must rely on what the other party tells you. Of course, this will only work if everyone tells the truth. Once people start lying, relationships and communities start breaking down.

The next two verses emphasize the fact that God intended sex for marriage. God did not intend people to have sex with each other when they are not married. The Bible says in Exodus 22:16-17, “And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.” Sex is the most intimate of all physical contact between a man and a woman, and it is meant to be for the most intimate of all relationships: the marital relationship.

The Bible in Exodus 22:18-20 gives three more sins for which the death penalty should have been given in the Old Testament. It says, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death. He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.” The word that is translated “witch” literally means “one who practices sorcery,” and refers to a man or a woman involved in such practices. It is easy to see why sorcery is considered to be so evil. It is a clear violation of one of the Ten Commandments that says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” A definition of sorcery defines it as “the belief in magical spells that harness occult forces or evil spirits to produce unnatural effects in the world.” Sorcery is a form of idolatry because those who practice sorcery are looking to evil spirits for help instead of looking to Jesus Christ. The spiritual lesson about all of these death penalties being handed out is that the Old Testament brings death for failure; but the New Testament brings life through faith in Jesus Christ. Law vs. grace, punishment vs. forgiveness: these are the differences between the old covenant found in the law and the new covenant found in the blood of Christ.

Believers are told to be compassionate towards those who are weak or who are vulnerable. Exodus 22:21-27, “Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.” There are four groups of people listed here who are especially vulnerable: strangers, widows, orphans, and poor people. A stranger is someone who has left his or her homeland, and therefore they are more apt to be alone without the support of friends and family. Looking out for the needs of widows and orphans is expressly mentioned in the New Testament as an important evidence of the true worship of God. It says in James 1:27, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” It says in First Timothy 5:3-4, “Honour widows that are widows indeed. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.” Jesus honored a widow for being the best example possible of how to give and how much to give. Jesus said in Mark 12:42-43, “And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury.” Jesus condemned the religious leaders of His day for how they oppressed widows and stole from them. Jesus said in Mark 12:38-40, “Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.”

The Bible says in Exodus 22:28, “Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.” The word that is translated “gods” is the Hebrew word “Elohim.” It is the same word that is used in Genesis 1:1 that says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and thus the first part of Exodus 22:28 means, “Thou shalt not revile God.” It is important to notice tat one’s attitude towards God is closely related to one’s attitude to those in authority. Of course, God is in authority over all. If you do not learn to be respectful to those who have the least power, how can you be respectful to Him who has the most power: Jesus? One of the Ten Commandments is: “Honour thy father and thy mother.” Those are the first authorities under whom each person lives. You will always have authorities over you. Everyone does. This includes the police and governmental authorities. It is very important for a Christian to realize this. Jesus is Lord of lords. Jesus has put every other authority in place. It says in Romans 13:1-7, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.”

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