The Heart of the Law

                                             Sunday School Lesson
                                                    June 24,2012

Lesson Focus:

A Humble and loving

Heart practices justice

Lesson Scripture:

Deuteronomy 10:12-22,16:18-20                                 

 

INTRODUCTION. In this week’s lesson we come to the heart of the law which is really the heart of God Himself.  It reveals God’s character and the character of His justice, which are worthy of our imitation.Moses had recounted the historical events of Israel’s time since the Exodus from Egypt.The nation now stood ready to enter Canaan, after spending forty years in the wilderness due to their initial refusal to enter the land.Moses wouldn’t enter Canaan with them so he gave them addition instructions that would prepare them to enter Canaan and prosper there.The nation of Israel had wandered in the wilderness for almost forty years and during that time all the adults of that generation had died.Their children were now camped on the Plains of Moab east of the Jordan where Moses once again instructed them in the law that God gave at Mount Sinai.

(vs. 12).  Moses began by asking the people a rhetorical question “And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”  Moses went on to tell the people what God required of them.First they were “to fear the Lord thy God.”The Hebrew word for “fear” can mean to be frightened or to show respect or reverence. It can also mean to stand on awe.  When it comes to one’s relationship to God, “fear” is an appropriate ingredient.This leads to the second requirement, “to walk in all his ways.”This refers to one’s conduct.Israel was expected to conduct themselves according to God’s will.The third requirement was “to love him.”The motivation for all of Israel’s actions was to be a genuine love for the Lord.The fourth requirement for Israel was “to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”God’s people are to serve Him with wholehearted service in actions and worship.It calls for complete commitment.

(vs. 13).The fifth requirement for Israel was“To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes,which I command thee this day for thy good?”Israel was to keep and practice the commandments and regulations that God had specifically revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai.God expects His people to honor His will as revealed in His Word.  Keeping God’s laws had benefits for the nation.God said that it was“for thy good.”Obeying God’s commandments and statues would benefit His people by promoting health, prosperity, peace and longevity in the land (see Deuteronomy 4:40; 5:33; 6:24)

(.vs. 14).  Moses now says “Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.”  Human beings have all kinds of gods of their own and even some that they say have dominion over certain parts of nature.  But the one true God of Israel presides over all things heavenly and earthly, and He won’t share His authority with anyone (see Isaiah 42:8).

(vs. 15).As the Almighty God, He could favor and exalt whoever He wants, but Moses here said that “Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.”God in His favor chose Israel’s “fathers” and “their seed” over all other peoples to be His own.The word “fathers” refers to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.The words “their seed” refers to the nation of Israel that Moses was now addressing.God didn’t choose Israel because they were great in numbers for they began as a small family in Egypt.He chose them simply because He loved them and to keep the promise He made to Israel’s forefathers (see Deuteronomy 7:7-8).

(10:16).Moses then directed God’s chosen people to“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.”From the days of Abraham, physical circumcision had been the sign of Israel’s covenant with God (see Genesis 17:9-14).But now Moses called for a spiritual circumcision causing them to cut away al the stubbornness of their hearts (see Jeremiah 4:4).Spiritual circumcision was necessary because Israel had been“stiffnecked”or disobedient.The fact that Moses exhorted the people to “be no more stiffnecked” indicates that disobedience and stubbornness had been their normal behavior.The previous generation who died in the wilderness was guilty of this same behavior (see Exodus 32:9; 33:3, 5; 34:9), and now their children were acting the same way (see Deuteronomy 6:6; 31:27).

(vs. 17).The people needed to change their behavior by spiritually circumcising their hearts because Moses said “For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward.”Unlike the false pagan gods in Canaan, Israel’s “God is God of gods, and Lord of lords.”In addition,He is“great,”mghty,”and“terrible.” he word “terrible” means “awesome.”The phrase“which regardeth not persons” means that God does not show any partiality.The phrase “nor taketh reward” means that He cannot be bought or bribed.  As the Giver of gifts, He needs absolutely nothing from man.

(vs. 18).As the sovereign God Moses continued to say that “He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow,and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.”The phrase “He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow” means that God defends the rights of the fatherless and widows.He also “loveth the stranger” or the alien resident in the land.

(vs. 19).Moses exhorted the people to “Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.”Since God loved strangers, or non-Israelites as illustrated by giving them food and clothing (see vs. 18), He expected His people to love them as well.The Israelites were obligated to treat strangers or foreigners well because they too had lived as strangers in Egypt.While in Egyptian slavery, God provided for them and eventually delivered them.  Shouldn’t the Israelites sympathize with the strangers who lived among them and treat them kindly as well (see Leviticus 19:34)?

(vs. 20).Moses commanded the Israelites to “fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shn this verse alt thou cleave, and swear by his name.”As mentioned earlier “fear the Lord thy God” means to have the utmost awe and reverence for Him.This leads to serving Him with our deeds, clinging to Him in heart, and swearing by His name in all oaths taken.The command to“swear by His name” ruled out swearing by any other god (see Exodus 23:13; Joshua 23:7). Note: Swearing oaths was common in the Old Testament. It was an appeal to God to confirm the truth of a statement that was made.Oaths were considered serious and swearing falsely was condemned by the law (see Exodus 20:7).

(vs. 21).Moses here tells the people that their Lawgiver “He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.”The phrase “He is thy praise” means that Jehovah was the object of their praise.The great and awesome things He had done for them should bring forth praise from His people.Moses told the people “thine eyes have seen” His “great and terrible (awesome) things.”Many of those present as Moses spoke had been children when Israel left Egypt so they had witnessed many divine acts during their lifetimes.They saw the sea parted, water flow from a rock, food supplied, enemies defeated, and rebellious Israelites destroyed.

(vs. 22).Through all the works that the nation had witnessed, God’s grace was evident.  Moses here said,"Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the Lord thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.”God’s grace was seen in the fact that when Joseph was in Egypt, his extended family of seventy members, including his father Jacob, came to Egypt to be with him.While in Egypt, the Lord enabled them to multiply rapidly and now they were as numerous “as the stars of heaven for multitude.”In likening Israel’s numbers to the stars of heaven, the Israelites were reminded of God’s promise to Abraham centuries earlier (see Genesis 15:5).  Note: The population of Israel at this time was over six hundred thousand men twenty years of age and older not counting women and children (see Exodus 12:37; 38:26; Numbers 26:51).  Thus the total population was probably two million or more.

(vs. 18).After reminding the Israelites of their duties to God and man, Moses instructed them in setting up permanent governments once they settled in Canaan.In this verse Moses said “Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.”They were to appoint “judges and officers… in all thy gates.”The word “gates” is used to identify the centers for judicial decisions.  Judicial decisions were usually done at the entrance to each city, or the “gates” (see Ruth 4:1).The “judges” were the chief rulers, and the “officers” were probably those who kept a record and carried out the judicial decisions.Together they were to provide “just judgment” or fair justice with integrity.

(vs. 19).Moses further explained the duty of these judges and officers.He said “Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.”The phrase “Thou shalt not wrest judgment” means that they were not to distort justice.More specifically, they were not to “respect persons” by showing favoritism on the basis of family, friendship or wealth.  Neither were these judges and officers to “take a gift” meaning a bribe.Nothing distorts justice like bribery and Moses made this plain when he said “for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.”Accepting a bribe can cause a wise man to make unwise decisions and twist the words of a righteous person. God didn’t then and will not today tolerate such practices.

(16:20).  In our last verse Moses said “That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”  Israel was commanded to do “That which is altogether just.” In other words, there was to be no compromising the principles guiding God’s people.  If Israel obeyed God’s laws, Moses said they would live and inherit, or fully possess the land that God would give to them. The nation’s life, prosperity, and continuance in the land of Canaan depended on their obedience to God’s revealed standards of justice.                

Conclusion.  At the heart of the law given to Israel is a loving God who calls us to complete devotion to Him as He did the ancient Israelites.  Israel had grown to be a nation of great size while in bondage in Egypt.  Now, as they were about to possess their own land, they needed to apply the laws of God in order to set up an organized and orderly society.  God promised that if the Israelites practiced heartfelt obedience to His ways, he would bless them abundantly. Sadly, Israel would eventually forsake the Lord and fall into God’s judgments.  Their basic problem would not be the breaking of specific commands, but failing to love the God who gave the commands.

               

                                

Making A fresh Start

                                                                  Sunday School Lesson
                                                                  Sunday June 17, 2012
Lesson Focus:
Manage Your resources
Using God's economics
Lesson Scripture:
Leviticus 25:8-12,25
35-36,39-40,47-48,55

INTRODUCTION.In this week’s lesson, we will see how God put in place laws to help those who had fallen on hard times get a fresh start.Old Testament Israel, unlike most modern societies, had a simple agricultural, pastoral, and commercial economy.But even such a simple economy could suffer from inefficiency and unfairness. God therefore included in Israel’s law certain mechanisms to give a series of fresh starts to individuals, families, and the nation.Just as the Israelites were to observe the weekly Sabbath every seven days, they were also to set aside Sabbath years.Every seventh year was a Sabbath Year (see Leviticus 25:1-7), and every fiftieth year after those seven Sabbath years (49 years) was to be a Year of Jubilee (see Leviticus 25:8-10).In general, the Year of Jubilee was meant to be the occasion of a fresh start particularly for those Israelites who had been reduced to poverty.

(vs. 8).  Our lesson begins with “And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.”  God gave Israel a specific formula for calculating the periodic observance of Jubilee.  Forty-nine years, or seven Sabbaths of years, were to be counted from the previous Day of Atonement (the tenth day of the seventh month).  The next year or the fiftieth year was to be set aside and designated as a time of restoration.

(vs. 9).  After telling Israel how to calculate the Year of Jubilee, God said “Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.”On the Day of Atonement which was the tenth day of the seventh month in the Jewish civil calendar, the trumpet was to be blown announcing the year of Jubilee.The term “Jubilee”comes from the Hebrew word for the blowing of the ram’s horn or “shofar.”

(vs.10). “And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.”  The term “hallow” means to “consecrate” or “set aside.”  The “fiftieth year” was to be set aside and with the blowing of the trumpet, “proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants therof.”  The word “liberty” here refers to the release and return of “every man unto his possession.”  The term “possession” refers to the land.  Based on the truth that the land belonged to the Lord and that families held it only as tenants, it was not to change hands, or be sold permanently.  Land that had been sold was to be restored without cost to the original family in the Jubilee Year (see Leviticus 25: 23-28).  In addition God said “ye shall return every man unto his family.” This referred to situations in which Israelites had become slaves because of debt.  If they were not able to gain their freedom sooner, they were to be freed in the Year of Jubilee and returned to their families.

(vs. 11).This verse gives one rule or regulation of the Year of Jubilee.It says “A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed.”  Just as the weekly Sabbath Day was a time of rest for humans and animals, so the Jubilee was a time of rest for the land.  God said farmers could not “sow” or plant; “reap” or gather anything that grew by itself; nor could they work the fields or vineyards gathering grapes.  The whole year was considered holy.  Actually this rest for the land did not have to wait until the Jubilee.  It was commanded for each Sabbatical Year (see Leviticus 25:1-7).

(vs. 12).  Here God said “For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field.”The phrase “ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field” would answer any questions a farmer may have about what they would eat if they allowed the land to go un-worked for a whole year (or two years when the Jubilee arrived).This question was asked in Leviticus 25:20, “What shall we eat the seventh year?”God’s answer was “Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years” (see Leviticus 25:21).If Israel would trust Him for their needs and be obedient and let the land rest, God would provide enough crops in the sixth year of the seven year period to cover the next three years.  God would show His love and grace but only if they demonstrated their faith and obedience.

(vs.25). God also gave rules to provide for the poor until the Jubilee arrived.  This verse says “If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.”  If at any time an Israelite had to sell his land to provide for his family, the land could be redeemed or bought back at some point before the Jubilee.  If the man who sold it because of his poverty later regained enough resources, he could buy it back (see Leviticus 25:26-27).  But if he remained too poor, “if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.”The word translated “any of his kin” actually refers to his nearest kin.  The closest relative, if he had sufficient funds, had the responsibility to “redeem” or “buy back” his relative’s possessions.

(vs. 35).  Continuing the command regarding a brother who has become poor, this verse says “And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.”  In this verse “brother” should be understood in the broad sense as any fellow countryman.  The term “decay” speaks of hard times.  Therefore the phrase “if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee” means that a fellow Israelite has fallen on hard financial times and his resources have dried up and he is unable to support himself.  In a case like this, his brethren were to provide relief or help for him.  This same treatment would apply to “a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.”  It made no difference even if the person was a foreigner (stranger) or a temporary resident (sojourner), everyone was to be treated fairly and taken care of.

(vs. 36).  Still referring to the poor brother, this verse says “Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.”The word “usury” means interest. If this poor brother, or stranger had borrowed money, he was not to be charged interest (see Exodus 22:25; Deuteronomy 23:19).  All of this was to be done out of fear, or reverence for God.

(vs. 39). In addition, “if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant.”In this case a poor brother who “be sold unto thee” or sells himself and his labor to another man because of his hopeless financial situation, the one who buys him “shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant.”In other words, the person who buys the poor man’s service could not force him to serve as a slave.

(vs. 40).  The Israelite brother was not to be treated as a slave “But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile.” The Israelite brother was to be treated as a “hired servant” or hired laborer, and as a “sojourner,” or temporary resident. This hired laborer was to serve until the year of Jubilee when he would be released from his agreement.  Here there is a distinction made between an Israelite “brother” and a stranger or foreigner.  Foreigners could be taken as slaves and even left to serve their children (see Leviticus 25:44-46).  But fellow Israelites were to be treated as hired laborers for a temporary period; thus they were to be considered sojourners (temporary residents) by the employer (see Leviticus 25:40). 

(vs. 47).  As an additional help for the poor God commanded “And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family.”  This verse gives a possible situation that could occur. A “sojourner or stranger” (a non-Israelite) in Israel who had become rich may purchase a poor Israelite as a slave in order for the poor Israelite to pay a debt.

(vs. 48).This is a continuation of verse 47 referring to th poor Israelite who was purchased by a rich non-Israelite.The Lord said “After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him.”The law stated that this poor man could be“redeemed”or bought back by “one of his brethren.” The term “brethren” here means any relative.

(vs.55).In our final verse, God tells why He gave the rules regarding redemption.He said “For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”The Lord said that since He and He alone had redeemed or “brought forth”the children of Israel out of Egypt, they were His servants and were not meant to be perpetual servants to others.God finalized His statement with “I am the Lord your God" indicating that Israel belonged to Him and no one else. 

Conclusion. The provisions of the Jubilee Year revealed God’s emphasis on compassion.  As God’s people we must recognize that we are His servants.  He must always be acknowledged as our Master.  The Year of Jubilee reminded the Israelites of this relationship and provided the practical procedures that would enable them to live in hope and keep in focus their role as God’s servants.

  

Acting with Compassion

                                                                  Sunday School Lesson  
                                                                         June 10,2012
Lesson Focus:
Show God in How
you treat others
Lesson Scripture:
Leviticus 19:9-18,33-37

INTRODUCTION.  Nations have always struggled with the same questions and problems. How do we properly help the poor? How do we properly treat the handicapped individual?Should there be consistent standards for business?This week’s lesson is a brief introduction to what the Bible says about these and other issues that are common to humanity.We will explore acting with compassion as we seek to conform our actions to the nature and character of God, even in this dark world.So just what does it mean to act with compassion?Jesus said“For ye have the poor with you always,and whensoever ye will ye may do them good…” (see Mark 14:7).  Israel’s law recognized the continuing presence of poor and needy people in the land, and also provided means for their survival. 

(vs. 9).With the poor in mind, the law said “And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.”  The owners of grain fields were told not to“reap”or gather grain from the edges of their fields,nor were they to collect the gleanings or the grain that fell to the ground, as they bundled the stalks.  It was to be left for the poor.In addition, according to Deuteronomy 24:19, even if a sheaf, or bundled stalk of grain was left in the field by mistake, the reapers were not allowed to go back later and pick it up.

(vs. 10).Owners of vineyards were also commanded “And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the Lord your God.”Just as those who gathered grain were told to leave some behind, so were those who had vineyards to leave grapes for the “poor and stranger.”The term “stranger” referred to non-Jews.The last part of this verse says, “I am the Lord your God.”  These words reminded the Israel that the Lord demanded this behavior of them and also that compassion is consistent with His nature.

(vs. 11).Here God commands “Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.” The phrase “ye shall not steal” is also the eighth commandment (see Exodus 20:15).But this verse also says“neither deal falsely.”This refers to deceitful dealings which are intended to take advantage of a person to get something that he or she was not entitled to.This is stealing no matter how you look at it.  This verse also adds“neither lie one to another.”This refers to the ninth commandment, which forbids bearing false witness (see Exodus 20:16).Stealing and lying go hand in hand and are both forms of deceit.

(vs. 12).This verse says “And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.”This would remind the Israelites of the third commandment which forbids taking God’s name in vain.Unfortunately there are those who find it easy to use God’s name when cheating one’s neighbor.When this is done, the Lord’s name is profaned.The danger of this verse is seen in God’s words “I am the Lord.”For sure God will not overlook the guilt of whoever takes His name in vain (see Exodus 20:7).

(vs. 13).The next command is"Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.”God’s people were told not to “defraud thy neighbor, neither rob him.”The word “defraud” means to cheat someone.The last part of this verse describes how hired workers are to be treated.Day laborers were hired for many jobs in biblical times.These hired workers were both Jews and foreigners and were usually poor.The common practice was to pay them each day at the end of the day (see Matthew 20:8).The commandment given in this verse forbids one from withholding a worker’s wages even until the next morning.He was to be paid at the end of the work day.Deuteronomy 24:14-15 repeats this command and also emphasizes the fact that the worker was poor and needy.Whether the worker is an Israelite or a foreigner,to withhold wages due him is a sin God takes note of; yet it was a sin that too many in Israel took too lightly (see Jeremiah 22:13-17: Malachi 3:5).

(vs.14).This commandment said “Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the Lord.”This law condemned those who dishonored the disabled.Israel was told first not to “curse the deaf.”Cursing the deaf is a cowardly act since the deaf person cannot hear and respond.  It also reveals a hard and insensitive heart.Equally insensitive is putting “a stumblingblock before the blind.”This should be taken literally as placing an obstacle purposely in front of a blind person to make him stumble and fall.  Such a heartless act is only done for one’s own selfish amusement.This commandment states that instead of cursing the deaf and placing an obstacle before a blind person,God said His people “shalt fear thy God: I am the Lord.”The ultimate issue is not how we treat the disabled but our attitude toward the God who made them (see Exodus 4:11). 

(vs.15).The next commandment says “Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.”This command applies especially to judges and other officials, but can relate to anyone bringing a law suit.This “unrighteousness in judgment” is described as respecting or showing partiality to the poor, or giving unearned honor to the powerful.The idea here is that the economic status of an individual should have no bearing on the outcome of a judicial case.  Each case must be judged on its own merits.  The phrase “but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour” means that we are to judge our neighbors rightly and fairly regardless of whether they are rich or poor.

(vs.16).This verse says “Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I am the Lord.”Israelites were not to go around slandering their neighbors.This is the meaning of “talebearer.”There is nothing more harmful to a peaceful community than the spreading of unfounded rumors and charges.This command also says “neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor.”This means that by spreading gossip or being a false witness one can actually endanger another’s life.This is especially true in a court of law for when a false charge is upheld, the accused may be executed.To prevent this, God reminded Israel again that “I am the Lord” indicating that such behavior prohibited in this verse totally contradicts God’s nature and He will not tolerate it.

(vs. 17).The Lord next commanded,“Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.”This command deals with the root cause of the external acts already prohibited---the heart.God’s people are commanded not to hate their neighbors.  Until hatred is removed from our hearts, all kinds of injustices will continue (I John 3:15).  Out of the heart come actions both good and evil (see Matthew 12:35; 15:18-19) so it needs to be cleansed.Of course this does not mean we should overlook a brother’s faults, because this verse goes on to say“thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.”In other words, we should rebuke our brother when he is wrong.  If we don’t, we share in his guilt.  By remaining silent about his sin, we become partners in it.

(Vs.18).If we have a compassionate attitude or heart we will follow the next command,“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.”Vengeance is the outward demonstration of a grudge held in the heart.  Here, both the grudge and vengeance,or gaining revenge, are prohibited.Only God has the right of revenge (see Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19).We must deal with the grudges that lead to the desire for vengeance (see Ephesians 4:31).Instead of holding grudges that lead to vengeance, we are commanded to“love thy neighbour as thyself.”This means showing the same care and concern for others that you would show for yourself.This command is quoted several times in the New Testament and Jesus called it the second great commandment (see Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31).It sums up all the other commands regarding how we should treat our neighbor (see Romans 13:9; Galatians 5:14).God then placed His authority on this command by saying again “I am the Lord.”

(vs. 33).Compassion is to be demonstrated in our personal dealings. This verse says"And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land,ye shall not vex him.”God’s people were to treat strangers or resident Gentiles fairly.The word “sojourn” means to temporarily reside.Since many people who were not Jews lived in Israel, there may have been the tendency among God’s people to discriminate against them.But this law strictly commanded them not to “vex” or do them wrong. 

(vs. 34). Instead of mistreating strangers, God said to His people “But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”  Strangers or foreigners were to be shown the same care as one would show to a countryman, with the same love they had for each other.  The reason God’s people were supposed to treat strangers as one of their own was because the Israelites “were strangers in the land of Egypt.”  Since the Jews had been strangers and slaves in Egypt, they should know first hand how it felt to be strangers.  Therefore, they should empathize with the stranger or sojourner and demonstrate God’s love to them.  And again, the Lord placed His stamp of authority on this command with “I am the Lord your God.”

(vs. 35).This verse says “Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.”This command deals with being just and fair in business situations.Unjust dealings are more common in business transactions than in anything else.The term “meteyard” refers to a measuring stick or a measurement of length.This law therefore, commands God’s people to show integrity when using measurements of length, weights, and capacity when conducting business in the market place.

(vs. 36).Continuing the command regarding fairness in business transactions, this verse says merchants were to have “Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.”An “ephah” was a dry measurement almost equal to our bushel.A “hin” was a liquid measurement which was about a gallon.Deuteronomy 25:13-15 also forbids the deceitful practice of using two different sets of weights and measures to fit the circumstances (see Proverbs 16:11; 20:10).The Lord’s reason for having just and fair standards was again because of His nature.He said “I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.”God was reminding Israel that when He brought them out of Egypt they were to be a people who mirrored His likeness and would not conform to the practices of the surrounding nations.

(vs.37).Our final verse is a conclusion to all the commands God had given.This verse says “Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the Lord.”God repeated again that “I am the Lord (or Yahweh)” and for that reason alone Israel must be obedient to His laws and ordinances.Their behavior must be like His nature and lift up His name (see Exodus 19:5-6).

                         

   

 Conclusion. All of the commands and precepts given in our lesson are supported by the powerful statement repeated several times in the text,“I am the Lord.”Our compassion flows from God’s compassion.Our concern, love, and empathy for others come from our experience of a merciful God, who deserves to be obeyed. 

 

Justice For All

                                                                    Sunday School Lesson
                                                                            June 3,2012
Lesson Scripture:
Exodus 23:1-9
Lesson Focus:
Practice God's
Justice and Mercy

INTRODUCTION.God requires justice and compassion.When we interact with others we are to be honest, avoid showing favoritism, and we are to treat our enemies fairly.By living this way, we will stand out in society. Imagine our society without any rules.Yes, we have failed to enforce many of our existing laws, but a system of law and justice is vital if we are to have order in the world. In this week’s lesson we are given a few simple principles of just living, along with powerful motives that   encourage the fulfillment of these principles in our lives.At Mount Sinai God gave Israel a set of laws and regulations they were to live by once they entered the Promised Land.  These laws concerning testimonies and speech reveal the need for honesty and compassion. Even though Christians are not under the law God gave to Israel (see Romans 6:14), God still intends that we uphold the principles on which those laws were based because they reflect His own nature.

(vs. 1).Our text begins with the command“Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.”The words“raise a false report”refer to receiving a false report or a lie and spreading it further.The phrase “put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness”means that we are not to join others in spreading false reports.Making up,or spreading false reports was strictly forbidden by God.This commandment referred primarily to lawsuits.Being an “unrighteous witness” actually involves lying in court against one’s neighbor.  One of the worst examples of such injustice was when the Bible tells of two worthless men who lied against Naboth so that Ahab could take his vineyard (see I Kings 21:1-15). This also led to Naboth’s death.  

(vs2) The next command was “ Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment.”  This command forbids following a crowd to do wrong.  The word “decline” here means to “lean toward,” thus the phrase “neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment” means that we are not to pervert justice by taking sides with the crowd or the majority.  In other words, don’t give in to peer pressure.  People of any age can be tempted to give in to peer pressure. It becomes easy to justify our wrong decisions by accepting what everybody else is saying or doing.  Only those who have the inner fortitude and have mastered the divine standards to do what’s right can resist the pressure to go along with the crowd to do unjust things (see Proverbs 1:10-19; Romans 12:1-2).

(vs.3).“Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.”  The word “countenance” here means “approval” or “support.”  Therefore we are commanded not to support or show favoritism to a poor man in a lawsuit just because he is poor.  In legal matters the social class of the people involved should not have any bearing on the verdict.  More often than not it is tempting to favor the rich in court cases since they have the power to harm those who oppose them (see James 2:1-9).  However, out of compassion, it is also possible to show favoritism to the poor in a court case even if they are wrong.  God’s law is clear: justice must be blind to every social class whether rich or poor (see Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 1:17).

(vs4).Compassion plays a part in justice also.tThis verse says “If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.”  The word “enemy” speaks of a broken relationship that may have been caused by any number of things. Regardless of what caused the people to be at odds, God said that if we come across our enemy’s ox or donkey straying away, out of compassion we should catch the animal and return him to his owner.  It would be very tempting for a person not to return his enemy’s animal thinking that he deserved to lose his animal because of his mean behavior towards that person.  But this is not God’s way of dealing with enemies.  Believers are commanded to love our enemies, to live peaceably with them, and even provide for their daily needs (see Matthew 5:44; Romans 12:17-21) 

(vs:5).Still dealing with one’s enemies, God says “If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.”  The Israelites were also commanded not only to return lost property to an enemy, but they were to help him free his donkey from a large burden that caused the animal to collapse under the weight.  Again, there may be a strong temptation not to help and to turn away from the problem.  This is the meaning of the phrase “and wouldest forbear to help him.”  One might reason that it was the owner’s fault due to mistreating the animal by putting too heavy a load on it.  But the law didn’t support this attitude because the last part of this verse says “thou shalt surely help with him.”  This means that the person who sees his enemy struggling to get his donkey up should assist in helping to release the animal from his burden.  This would demonstrate compassion for both the animal and its owner.  It would also help erase any bad feelings the other man has toward the one who helped.  Kindness and compassion have a way of removing anger and enmity.

(vs.6).The command in this verse is “Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.”  The word “wrest” means to “pervert.”  This verse commands that in hearing a dispute involving a poor person, the judge or magistrate must not be bias against his cause.  In verse 3, the warning was against supporting a poor man in a legal case just because he is poor resulting in the poor man being treated too leniently.  But here, the opposite is commanded.  The judge is not to rule against the poor man because he is poor.

(vs7).God also commanded His people to“Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.”The words “false matter”refers to a false charge against an innocent person that could lead to an unjust execution.Officials are ordered to keep themselves away from such accusations.In fact, they shouldn’t even think about such false charges.The phrase “and the innocent and righteous slay thou not” is a reference to condemning someone to death through an unjust sentence.Capital punishment has its place (see Genesis 9:5-6), but those who have the power to exercise it must be very careful to inflict it justly and fairly.Otherwise, the innocent perish while the guilty go free.We can be assured that the guilty will not go unpunished for God says in the last part of this verse,“for I will not justify the wicked.”God judges perfectly and He won’t allow the wicked to escape justice no matter what man’s decision may be.The crooked politician often ignores this fact.  Some have deceived their constituents and preserved their reputations and have forgotten their guilt before God.He will surely repay(see Romans12:19).

(vs8). In this verse God says “And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.”This is a command not to take bribes,the corrupt practice of receiving gifts for favors rendered.This command is directed particularly to government officials who are in a position to give in to this powerful temptation.Bribery is one of the most common forms of political corruption (see Numbers 22:7, 16-17; I Samuel 8:1-3; Amos 5:12).The Scriptures repeatedly condemns bribery because it makes a mockery of justice (see Deuteronomy 16:19; I Samuel 12:3; Proverbs 17:23).This is because as God says “for the gift (or bribe) blindeth the wise.”Taking a bribe blinds even wise leaders.The judge who normally judges fairly and wisely can be dazzled by money dangled before him and can no longer see the issues fairly.God said that bribes “perverteth the words of the righteous.”In other words, bribes can affect the verdicts of normally righteous judges that result in decisions denying justice due to those who are in the right.God is a righteous judge and is absolutely just and fair (see Genesis 18:25; II Timothy 4:8).No wonder taking “gifts” or bribes is an abomination to Him.

(vs9). “Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.”In Jesus’day the Jews practiced prejudice and discrimination against Gentiles, but God had commanded in the law that Jews “shalt not oppress a stranger.”The Gentiles, or strangers in Canaan had no inherited rights but they were to be treated with hospitality and fairness (see Exodus 22:21).Strangers in Israel were to be treated fairly in court (see Deuteronomy 1:16; 24:17) and cared for in their poverty (see Leviticus 25:35).  They were to have access to the cities of refuge (see Numbers 35:10-15) and were to be included in the celebration of festivals (see Deuteronomy 16:11, 14).In addition, at harvest time, grain was to be left for strangers in the corners of the fields (see Leviticus 19:10; 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19).Strangers were also to be loved (see Deuteronomy 10:18-19).  The reason that Israel was to treat strangers kindly was because God said “for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.”  Of all people, Israel should have understood what it meant to be a stranger because they had been strangers and slaves in Egypt for over 400 years.  It was not a pleasant experience for Israel in Egypt since they were sorely mistreated by the Egyptians. From that experience the Jews should’ve learned to treat the stranger as they would’ve wanted to be treated.

Conclusion.  God’s instructions are clear: His people are to practice truth, justice and mercy.  In order to practice justice, a person must not only avoid wrong actions but also show compassion upon those who genuinely need it.  This lesson, taken from Israel’s law, teaches us some wonderful principles for just living: impartiality in court proceedings, compassion in our daily conduct, and integrity in all human relationships.  Since these principles are embedded in the very nature of God, they are repeated for us in the New Testament.  If we want to please God, we must practice these principles.