S) "1 Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them:"
Exodus 21:1 (NASB)
O) There are a lot of death penalties in the Law of Moses. Reading through this chapter, we see a lot of scenarios laid out for the people, with circumstances and consequences described plainly. Many of them end in death. This was a brutal time, and that explains some of the details, but we also have to remember that there was no recourse, no regeneration, no redemption by Jesus. Some of the details of these laws are interesting, if not exactly applicable to my life. But, reading it all in context, that it was thousands of years ago, that the people were working from scratch having no written laws, and most importantly, Jesus had not yet come to take the wrath of God upon Himself. With all of that having been said, despite the brutal lethality of many of these laws, the grace and justice of God are still evident. In this very first sentence of the chapter, God wants to make the rules very clear. He is not trying to surprise or trick anyone. He wants His people to succeed. He tries to be as explicit as He can about those rules, and as vivid as possible about the consequences, because He wants His people to remain holy. He wants them to know ahead of time what is at stake.
A) God does not change. Reading through these laws reminds me of how severely God looks upon my sins. I am thankful that I do not live in such a harsh time, and I am also thankful that I have forgiveness and grace through Jesus Christ. Remembering God's nature, here, I am thankful that He is relational. He desires for me to know His rules, His laws. It takes humility to remember that I don't get to vote about His laws. He is sovereign, the Creator, and if He says things must be a certain way, then I cannot argue or vote, and boycotting won't even delay my own destruction. But, God is exceedingly good. In His grace, He allowed me to live now, and He offers me mercy through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
P) Father, in Your sovereignty and justice, You laid out all of the rules. You are patient and full of lovingkindness, and You desire people to be holy unto You, so we can have relationship with You. This is amazing grace, and I am thankful for it. Help me to view my sins with an appropriate understanding of what's at stake with sin. Help me to remember that Your wrath for sin did not wane over time, but Jesus took the wrath for my sins upon Himself. Let that love change my heart, Father God, to long for obedience and to walk in the holiness You require of me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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