Jul 22
10
Old Testament Reading: Exodus 21:12–22:20
“Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die. Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death. Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death. Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death. When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but takes to his bed, then if the man rises again and walks outdoors with his staff, he who struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed. When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged. But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money. When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye. If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth. When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable. But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him. If it gores a man’s son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule. If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his. When one man’s ox butts another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share. Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his. If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double. If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard. If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution. If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man’s house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor’s property. For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties shall come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor. If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it, an oath by the LORD shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor’s property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution. But if it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner. If it is torn by beasts, let him bring it as evidence. He shall not make restitution for what has been torn. If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution. If the owner was with it, he shall not make restitution; if it was hired, it came for its hiring fee. If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife. If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins. You shall not permit a sorceress to live. Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death. Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the LORD alone, shall be devoted to destruction.” (Exodus 21:12–22:20, ESV)
New Testament Reading: Matthew 5:38–42
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:38–42, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
Perhaps you will remember this from previous sermons. In Exodus 21:1 through 22:27 we find civil laws for the Old Covenant nation of Israel. God gave these civil (or judicial) laws to Israel through Moses as he entered into a covenant with them at Sinai. These civil laws were added to the moral law. And they were needed because God did not merely redeem individual persons from Egypt, but a people whom he had promised to make into a great nation. Nations need civil (or judicial) laws if they are to function. And here in Exodus 21:1-22:27, we find the first collection of civil laws which God gave to Israel. These are case laws, remember? Case laws prove examples of what is to be done in certain cases. Wise judges were then expected to rule on particular cases with wisdom and in light of the cases provided. It is true that more civil laws for Israel are found in the rest of the writings of Moses, but these are the first. The civil laws that come later will build upon and clarify these.
Perhaps you will also remember that these case laws are presented to us in a highly structured way. The case laws are divided into ten parts (matching the Ten Commandments of the moral law) , and these ten parts are presented to us in a chiastic structure, meaning that the first part mirrors the last, the second part mirrors the second to last, and so on. The literary structure brings both order and emphasis.
Last Sunday I preached a sermon on the first and the last portion of this section, both of which contain laws pertaining to the just treatment of the weak and vulnerable within society. Salves (or indentured servants) were to be treated justly, and so too aliens, orphans, widows, and the poor.
Today we will consider the middle portion of the chiasm. Here in sections 2 through 9 (or b through b’) it becomes very that Moses presented the most serious (or weighty) matters in the first and last place. The order is this. First, Moses deals with crimes deserving the death penalty. Next. he addresses bodily assaults that require restitution. After that, he describes what should be done in cases where a person is killed by an animal belonging to another. Finally, in section 5 (or “e”) we find law pertaining to the loss of property due to an accident. Section 6 (or e’) corresponds to this and addresses the loss of property due to theft. And then everything descends down the backside of the chiasm (the backside corresponding to the front side) making its way back to crimes deserving the death penalty in Israel.
a Kindness to servants (21:2-11)
b Capital offenses: “he shall be put to death” (21:12-17)
c Noncapital bodily assaults requiring restitution (21:18-27)
d Death or injury of a person by an animal (21:28-32)
e Loss of property due to an accident (21:33-36)
e’ Loss of property due to theft (22:1-9)
d’ Death, injury, or loss of animal by a person (22:10-15)
c’ Noncapital bodily offense: the seduction of a virgin (22:16-17)
b’ Capital offenses: “shall be put to death” (22:18-20)
a’ Kindness to aliens, widows, orphans, poor (22:21-27)
As you know, in the previous two sermons I made much of the movement in this chiastic structure from the more serious (or weighty) matters to the less serious matters, and then back down again. I made much of this movement in an attempt to convince you that this collection of civil laws stresses the importance of treating the weak and vulnerable in society in a way that is just. Laws pertaining to the just and kind treatment of servants, aliens, orphans, widows, and the poor were placed first and last in this section where the weightiest matters are clearly addressed at the beginning and end. We considered the first and last portion of this section last Sunday. Today we will consider everything in between.
I’ve divided this sermon into two parts. First, we will ask the question, what did these civil laws require of Old Covenant Israel? After that, we will ask, what do these civil laws require of us?
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What Did These Civil Laws Require Of Israel?
So let us begin with the question, what did these laws require of Old Covenant Israel?
Firstly, notice that some crimes in Old Covenant Israel were to be punished with death.
The death penalty was not to be administered by individual persons, mind you, but through the established judicial system. Old Covenant Israel would have to establish a judicial system, and as you probably know, the system would change with the passing of time. First, Moses would judge them alone. After that, the elders of the tribes of Israel would help with judgments. Later, judges would rule over Israel. And finally, Israel would be given a King. I find it interesting that Israel did not have one particular form of government, nor did she have one particular system of justice. These would change with the passing of time and with the development of the nation. But Israel was given particular civil laws, and they were to see to it that these laws were enforced justly. This required the development of judicial systems so that justice was upheld, not by individuals acting as individuals, but by society in a collective way, with elders, judges, and eventually kings in the lead.
I’ll return now to the first observation about the civil law code of Israel: some crimes were punishable by death. Let us now consider these. They are found in 21:12-17 and again in 22:18-20.
In 21:12-14 we read, “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies shall be put to death. But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place to which he may flee. But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him by cunning, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die. Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death. Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, shall be put to death. Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.” Look now at 22:18-20: “You shall not permit a sorceress to live. Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death. Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the LORD alone, shall be devoted to destruction.”
So there are seven things mentioned here that were punishable by death. This list is not exhaustive, mind you. The law of Moses mentions other crimes deserving of capital punishment. These are case laws, remember. These are examples of crimes deserving the death penalty in Old Covenant Israel.
One, those who murder willfully and with premeditation were to be put to death. You should notice the little remark in verse 13 about what the Lord would do for Israel once they took possession of the land. He would establish cities of refuge for Israel where those who killed accidentally could run to be protected from those who wished to avenge the life of their friend or family member. In these cities of refuge, the accused were to receive a fair trial. If it was proven that the person killed willfully or with premeditation, they were to be put to death. But if by accident, their life was to be spared.
Two, those who strike their father or mother were to be put to death. The Hebrew word translated as “strike” here is a strong word. It means to “beat” or to “wound”. And I think that is the meaning. Those who assault their father and mother were to be put to death in Old Covenant Israel.
Three, manstealers (or kidnappers) and those in possession of those who have been stolen were to be put to death.
Four, those who curse their parents were to be put to death. Some have argued that a better translation would be “treat with contempt” or “treat disgracefully.” Whoever treats his father or mother with contempt or disgracefully shall be put to death.
In 22:18 we learn that sorcerers were to be put to death.
In 22:19 we learn that those who committed bestiality were to be put to death.
And lastly, in 22:20 we learn that idolaters were to be put to death.
I have warned you in previous sermons that these civil laws were in some ways unique to Old Covenant Israel and are not binding on us today. We may learn about matters of morality and justice from these laws, but they are not meant to be taken up by any other nation and enforced without alteration. Here you can see why.
In the Noahic Covenant is was established that murders are to receive the death pentalty. That was true, not for Israel only, but for all nations. And that did also establish this standard for justice: life for a life, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. But there in the civil laws which God gave to Israel, it is not only premeditated murder that is punishable by death, but other heinous violations of God’s moral law. Israel was set apart as a holy people, remember? This does not mean they were pure, but that they were unique, for God dwelt in the midst of them, his kingdom was prefigured amongst them, and he was working his redemptive purposes through them to bring the Messiah into the world. For this reason, heinous violations of the moral law were also punishable by death.
Those who practiced sorcery and sacrificed to other god’s undermined the whole of the first table of the moral law in an extreme and blatant way. These were to be put to death in OC Israel lest they undermine the fabric of their holy society.
Premeditated murder was a violation of the sixth commandment as was to be punished by death. That is not surprising, given that this is God’s standard for all societies.
To assault one’s parents, to curse them, or treat them with contempt, is an extreme violation of the fifth commandment, which is “you shall honor your father and mother.”
Manstealing (kidnapping and forced slavery) is an extreme violation of the eighth commandment and was punishable by death.
And bestiality is an extreme violation of the seventh commandment, which is, “you shall not commit adultery.” This requires sexual purity according to God’s design. Bestiality, along with homosexuality, are perversions of God’s design and were punishable by death in Old Covenant Israel.
So you can see that it was not only the murderer who was to be but to death in Isarel but also those who were immoral in an extremely perverse way. Why? Because Israel was set apart as a holy nation. There in that nation, sin was magnified. There in that nation, the promises of God were preserved and the glory of God was manifest. Through them, the Messiah would be brought into the world. Not every sin was a crime in OC Israel, but heinous sins were considered crimes, and some were even punishable by death. It would be a mistake to pick up this law code as if it were for our common nation. But it would also be a great mistake to ignore this law and to fail to learn from it.
So then, some things were punishable by death. Secondly, some bodily assaults were not punishable by death but required that restitution be paid. These laws requiring restitution (or compensation) in the case of bodily assault are found in Exodus 21:18-27 and 22:16-17.
Look at 21:18: “When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but takes to his bed, then if the man rises again and walks outdoors with his staff, he who struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed.” So here we have a situation where one man injures another man so that the man must lay in bed. In other words, he does not die, but he is injured so that he cannot work. In that situation, the one who injured him was to pay restitution. He was to compensate for the loss of time. He is also to compensate for the person’s medical expenses.
In verses 20-21 the assault of a slave by a master is considered. Verse 20: “When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged.” This means that if a master struck their slave and killed them, they were to be punished according to the same laws which governed free men. It made no difference if the servant was male or female. Here we see yet again that slaves, or servants, were to be honored as human beings with Israel. Masters were not free to do to their slaves as they pleased. These slaves had rights, in other words (if you missed last Sunday’s sermon, you should go back and listen to it. There I dealt with the laws regulating slavery in Israel).
Verse 21 probably sounded strange to you upon first reading (it sounded strange to me). I think it will become clear upon closer examination. Hear it now: “But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money.” I actually prefer the NIV’s translation of this verse. I think it more clearly communicates the meaning. The NIV renders the Hebrew in this way: “but he [the master] is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property.” Though it does not say this, the ESV gives the impression that the slave survives a day or two after being struck by their master and then dies. And then we read that the master “is not to be avenged…” That seems unjust, does it not? Again, the ESV does not explicitly say this, but neither does it answer the question, what happens (in this case) to the slave after a day or two in bed? Does he die, or does he recover. It seems clear from the context that this law is envisioning a situation where a slave is struck, is injured, is bound to his bed for a time, and then recovers. The NIV captures that meaning nicely. Again, it says, “but he [the master] is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property.”
So here is the real question. Must a master pay restitution to a servant whom he strikes and injures to the point of him being unable to work. Answer: no. No restitution is required as would be the case among free men (as stated in verse 19) because the slave or servant is the master’s money or property. This is bound to be misunderstood. Some will object saying, see! Slaves were dehumanized and reduced to property in Israel! Well, you can only think that if you have not been paying attention to the other laws regulating slavery in Israel! The meaning of the verse is really quite simple and reasonable. If a free man strikes a free man so that he is injured and cannot work, the one who struck him must compensate for his loss. But if a master strikes a servant (whom he is contracted with to work for him for a set period of time, and has paid the man upfront, or will pay him in disbursements, or at the end of the contract) then it is not the injured servant who suffers a monetary loss, but the master. And that is what this civil law is addressing – just compensation for the loss of time and income as the result of an injury caused by another. This law is not addressing the question of whether or not it is right for a master to strike his servant so that he or she is injured (indeed, we may say that is morally wrong). Rather, the law is concerned with questions of financial restitution. In this case, the master has already lost something as the result of his harshness, and so no further restitution is required.
By the way, perhaps you are noticing the lack of any mention of “prison” as a pentalty for crimes committed. We have heard about the pentalty of death, and we have heard about restitution, but no mention is made of imprisonment as a punishment for a crime. Now, I am not saying that prison has no place in a judicial system. Indeed, we must ask the question, what is to be done with those who owe restitution but refuse to pay it? It is interesting that Christ spoke of prison in one of his parables as the place where someone is sent “until he should pay the debt” (Matthew 18:30, ESV). So I am not saying that prison has no place. But it is curious that nothing is said about it in Israel’s judicial laws. Why is this?
Well, here is the principle at the core of Israel’s judicial system (verse 23): “But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe” (Exodus 21:23–25, ESV). This principle of retributive justice was not unique to Israel, but is for all nations, for it was first established, not in the Old Mosaic Covenant, but in the Noahic Covenant which God entered into with all of creation. It was then that God said, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (Genesis 9:6, ESV). This is the standard of retributive justice that all of the nations of the earth are called to uphold. Premeditated murder is to be punished by death. And where an injury is done to another’s perosn or property, restitution is to be made. And please understand this: it is the standard of an “eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe”, which makes it possible to calculate what the proper amount of restitution is in the case where one man does injury to another. If one person was negligent and brought about an accident that took the eye or the hand of another, restitution would need to be paid by the negligent party. But how does one determine the value of an eye or a hand? Well, if the law says an eye for an eye, hand for a hand, then there is a way to determine the value. The victim may say to the guilty party, you owe me your eye. Or you owe me your hand. What is your hand or eye worth to you? And from there the negotiation may begin.
I asked the question, why no mention of prison? And I think the answer is this: in most cases, justice is really not served in prison unless it is for the purpose of paying restitution. Have you heard it said of a person who goes to prison, they are paying their debt to society? Sometimes we say things and do not even think about what they mean. What debt to society? I mean, I can see it if a man is a menace to society. Perhaps a man drinks and drives or does some other thing to put society at risk, but does not harm anyone. Perhaps then there is a kind of debt to pay to society. But in these cases where a man steals from another man, or assaults another man, or does some other injury to them, the debt is not owed to society, but to the victim. And time in jail does not pay that debt. Some form of monetary compensation must be determined so that restitution can be paid. The principle at the core of our judicial system should be this: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (Genesis 9:6, ESV). And stated even more specifically: “if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe” (Exodus 21:23–25, ESV).
You will notice that this protection was applied to all human beings in OC Israel, even to those who were still in their mother’s womb. Verse 22: “When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand…”, etc.
In verse 26 we find that these protections were also applied to slaves. “When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye. If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth” (Exodus 21:26–27, ESV). Earlier, the law addressed the question, what should the master owe if he strikes his slave so that he cannot work for a day or two. Answer: nothing, for it is the master who has lost out on his investment. But here the question is, what should the penalty be if the mater strikes his slave and does permanent harm to him or to her. Answer: the slave shall be set free, that is to say, released from his or her contract early, as payment for the injury. Surely this would deter masters from treating their servants in a harsh way.
I am quickly running out of space, so I will briefly draw your attention to the backside of the chiasm and the corresponding laws pertaining to bodily assault. Look at 22:16-17: “If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife. If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins” (Exodus 22:16–17, ESV). In the ancient world, a bride price would be paid by the family of the groom to the family of the bride before marriage. This would function as a kind of insurance. If the man was unfaithful, the woman would have something to fall back on. She would not be trapped in the marriage or left destitute if she left. In the case where a man seduced a virgin not betrothed (engaged) into premarital sex, the couple was either to enter into marriage, or the bride price was to be paid without marriage. This was not rape, mind you. But it was still considered to be a kind of assault upon the woman by the man. Again I say, restitution was to be paid.
Thirdly, as we draw nearer now to the center of this chiasm, we find case laws addressing situations involving animals. In 21:28-32 situations where a person is injured or killed by an animal are addressed. And in 22:10-15 situations involving the death or loss of an animal are addressed. I will not spend much time on this section. I’ll say only a little about the first section wherein we find cases where a person is injured or killed by an animal belonging to another. If the animal has not be accustomed to attack or gore in the past, the owner was to be considered innocent and the animal was to be killed. But if the animal was accustomed to gore or attack in the past, and the owner failed to fence it in, the owner was to be considered guilty and liable to death, though in this case, unlike in the case of premeditated murder, the owner may have been allowed to pay a ransom for his life, if it was agreed upon.
Fourthly, in the center portion of this chiasm, we find case laws pertaining to the loss of personal property. Exodus 21:33-36 deals with the loss of property due to accident or negligence, and Exodus 22:1-9 addresses the loss of property due to theft. In brief, restitution was to be made. In the case of the loss of property due to an accident, the restitution was to be equal to the value. In the case of negligence, the restitution was to be greater than the value. And in the case of theft, the amount of restitution was in some instances to be four or five times greater than the value.
Here in this section we also find laws about the right to protect one’s property. 22:2: “If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him…” (Exodus 22:2, ESV). Seeking vengeance was forbidden, though. 22:3: “but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him.” The thief was not to pay for his theft with his life. Rather, he was to make appropriate restitution. And, if “he [had] nothing, then he [was to] be sold for his theft” (Exodus 22:3, ESV).
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What Do These Civil Laws Require Of Us?
I have provided you with an overview of what these civil case laws required of Old Covenant Israel. Now I wish to ask, what do they require of us? I’ll answer in two parts: first politically, then personally.
Politically
Politically, I must warn you not to forget about the uniqueness of OC Israel and to remember what our confession rightly says: These “judicial laws… expired together with the state of that people, not obliging any now by virtue of that institution; their general equity only being of moral use.”
Secondly, I urge you, brothers and sisters, to have a strong and deeply biblical political theology. I think this is only going to become more important in the future. We must understand God’s purpose for common civil governments like ours. God is sovereign over those who govern, and he has given them certain responsibilities and powers. But those responsibilities and powers are limited. To help you understand God’s design for civil governments, I would refer you back to that Sunday School class called Politics After Christendom.
Three, I would exhort you to love our nation and to seek its well-being while also desiring to see other nations flourish too. If you love people, you will love nations. For it is in and through nations and their citizens that justice is able to be upheld. There are bad kinds of nationalism, brothers, and sisters. National pride that is centered upon ethnicity, military might, or economic prosperity is to be rejected. But national pride centered upon matters of morality, freedom, and justice for all is to be celebrated. And it is quite possible for us to love our nation and to seek its flourishing in this way while also seeking the prosperity of other nations too because we love people and wish to see peace in the world.
Four, if we agree that justice will only be upheld within nations, then we ought to also appreciate citizenship. It is not difficult to see that without citizenship, chaos will ensue.
Five, let us pray for and work towards (so long as we are able) the implementation of just laws and a just judicial system. I’m afraid we have some very big problems in our nation and in our state, brothers and sisters. How do I state the matter succinctly? Leaving the issue of corruption aside, it seems to me that our government (State and Federal) is big where it should be small and small where it should be big. Stated differently, our government does seem to be negligent in the few things that it has been called by God to do, and ambitious to do many things that it has no business doing.
I’m not sure what the solution is. But I know we must pray. We must be transformed by the renewal of our minds. We must be responsible where we are able to act. And we can deal with what is right in front of us. All the while we must trust that the Lord is sovereign.
Personally, Morally
Now, for a few suggestions for personal application.
One, see what your sins deserve. Not every sin was a crime in OC Israel, but the civil laws of OC Israel did magnify sin by showing what violations of God’s moral law deserve. Prefigurement of the final judgment.
Two, Consider the death that Christ died. Though he was without sin, he died the death of a sinner.
Three, long for the new heavens and earth in which righteousness dwells.
Four, until then, be willing to suffer in this world. Turn the other cheek. Go the way of the cross.
You know, at the beginning of this sermon I read from Matthew 5:38 which is a portion of Jesus’ sermon on the mount. This portion of scripture is often misunderstood because people fail to notice who it was that Jesus was preaching to.
Who was Jesus preaching to when he said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:38–42, ESV)
Was he preaching to the world?
Was he preaching to civil governments as if they are no longer called to be concerned with matters of retributive justice (some actually believe this)?
No, he called his disciples to himself and said these things.
Brothers and sisters, in the kingdom of Israel and under the Old Covenant which governed it, the citizens of that kingdom along with their magistrates were to be concerned with matters of retributive justice – an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, life for a life. But in the kingdom of Christ and under the New Covenant which governs this kingdom, there is no such union of church and state. The church is to concern herself with spiritual things under this New Covenant. She is to advance a spiritual kingdom and fight a spiritual war, while matters of retributive justice are to be left to the civil magistrate. And this is why Christ spoke to his disciples, saying, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Christians may serve in the civil realm, this is true. But the church as an institution is not to concern herself with these matters. Instead, the church is called to endure suffering for the sake of Christ.
While I am happy to have you think about matters of social justice, brothers and sisters. And while I am happy to encourage you to pray and to work for justice in our society. I must also ask you, are you willing to suffer in this world for the sake of Christ as we keep our eyes fixed upon the mission of the church, which is to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that [Christ has] commanded…” with the confidence that he is with us “always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV)? It seems to me that we are called to do both, brothers and sisters, for we have a dual citizenship. We are citizens here of this nation, but this world is not our home. We are citizens of the kingdom of Christ too, and his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
