Great is thy faithfulness Great
is thy faithfulness Morning by morning new mercies I see ♪ His high faithfulness, Lord,
unto me ♪ Hymn number 118, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.
♪ When I survey the wondrous cross cross on which the Prince of
Glory died. My riches gained, I count but
loss. Oh, my pride. Forbidden, Lord, that I should
boast, save in the death of Christ. ♪ That charm me most ♪ I sacrifice
them to his blood ♪ See from his head, his hands, his feet
♪ Sorrow and love flow merrily ♪ Did e'er such love and sorrow
meet ♪ ♪ Or thorns compose so rich a crown ♪ ♪ Were the whole
realm of nature mine ♪ The present far too small. Love so amazing, so divine, demands
my soul. If you have your Bibles turn
with me to Exodus the 21st chapter, I want to read verses 12 through
25. Exodus 21, verse 12, He that smiteth a man
so that he die, shall be surely put to death. And if a man lie
not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand, then I will
appoint thee a place whither he shall flee. But if a man come
presumptuously upon his neighbor to slay him with guile, thou
shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die. And he that
smiteth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death.
He that stealeth a man and selleth him, or if he be found in his
hand, he shall surely be put to death. He that curseth his
father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death. And if
a man strive together, and one smite another with a stone, and
with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed, if he arise
again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote
him quit. Only he shall pay for the loss
of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.
And if a man smite his servant or his maid with a rod, and he
die under his hand, he shall be surely punished. Notwithstanding,
if he continueth a day or two, he shall not be punished, for
he is his money. If men strive and hurt a woman
with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief
follow, he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband
will lay upon him. And he shall pay, as the judges
determine, And if any mischief follow, then shalt thou give
life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot
for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. Let us pray. Our Father in heaven,
we bless you and thank you for great mercy for sinners. Great
indeed is thy faithfulness. Even when we don't believe, you
have declared that you abide of the faithful and you cannot
deny yourself. We sway when we stray. You may
visit our transgression with stripes, but nevertheless, you
will not allow your faithfulness nor fail, nor allow your covenant
to be disemboweled. We thank you, Father, that our
salvation has never been conditioned upon our faithfulness, but entirely
upon yours. Faithful is he who calleth thee,
who will also do it, saith your word. We are thankful. We thank you for the shed blood
of Jesus Christ that put away our sin by the sacrifice of himself,
that satisfied your law and justice, redeemed us, cleansed us, forgave us, and was made to be
our righteousness, wherein your children stand before you not
guilty, and you remember their sin no more. We thank you, Father, that we
can come into your presence and call you our Father, for you
have birthed us into your kingdom, and we praise you for it. We
pray for those who are sick, those who are on the prayer list,
we ask Lord your help for them. We pray that Fred got some good
news on his biopsy today. Continue to pray for Rain and
for Melvin, that you bring them back to a good measure of health.
Miss Sherry Husky also, pray for the others who requested
prayer. Father, we pray tonight that you might be pleased to
open up your word to us, teach us what we need to know, help
us to bow before you in awe and reverence and worship, knowing
that thou art God, there is none like unto thee, there is none
beside thee. You do your will in the armies of heaven and among
the inhabitants of the earth. and none can stay your hand,
and none can ask you what you're doing. You are God, great, majestic,
and holy, and we bow before you in thanksgiving that you have
considered us in that number that you chose from the foundation
of the world to redeem by the blood of Christ. We bless your
holy name, in Christ's name, amen. Now these verses, these commandments
that are given here in this portion of the scripture are given from
God and are about establishing and causing a civil society in
which people are able to live and also how justice to be administered
upon those who interrupt the civil peace and transgress the
law of God. Now, these are legal matters.
These are legal matters that are to be adjudicated by magistrates
and judges, and they rest entirely in the realm of civil authority.
This is the language that God gives here. They cover a multitude
of transgressions, as we will see in weeks to come, both accidental
and premeditated, and the concept of let the punishment fit the
crime is clearly declared in the words of verses 23 through
25 when he says this in the latter part of verse 23, Give life for
life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for
foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, and stripe for stripe.
So we see that he is talking about just dealings that let
the punishment fit the crime. These verses that I just read
to you are often used in the employment of personal vengeance
But though repeated in Scripture, they always fall in the realm
of civil justice or in the realm of the avenging God, one or the
other. Avenges belong to me, saith the
Lord. Over in Romans chapter 12 and
verse 19. The children of God are admonished
concerning this very thing by Paul the apostle. Romans chapter
12 and verse 19. It says, Dearly Beloved, avenge
not yourselves, but rather give peace unto wrath, or give place
unto wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay,
saith the Lord. Now it's important to note that
each of these transgressions mentioned here as civil matters
are worthy of eternal punishment and death before the thrice holy
God. Every sin is against God. and
those accounts will be settled at the final judgment. But here
it talks about a civil society. The soul that sinneth, scripture
says, it shall die. That's the punishment for sin.
That's the payment that is due for sin. Someday there will be
a payday for transgressors. There's no doubt about that.
Death is the primary issue that consumes the world. It is appointed
unto men once to die, and after that, the judgment. Everybody
knows about death. Eternal judgment is coming. We
know that. in this day, in this present
age, it has been forestalled by the death of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Christ died in the room instead of His people. and he
is in the business by his spirit through the preaching of the
gospel bringing everyone of the elect into that fold, that glorious
fold of his where there's one shepherd, a great shepherd and
one foe. Now while that's going on the
judgment of God is forestalled. It's already been exercised on
Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary on behalf of his people. But up until that day of judgment,
until that last sheep is brought into the fold, God's vengeance
against sin is not exercised. It's not exercised. Over in Isaiah
chapter 63, when it talks about the coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and Him suffering in the room instead of His people,
as the one who comes from Bozrah, it says in Isaiah chapter 63,
in verse 4, it says, For the day of vengeance is in my heart. The day of vengeance is in my
heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. There are two separate
issues of time there. There is a day coming when God
will exercise vengeance against transgression of men. He will cast hell and all its
inhabitants into the lake of fire. We know that to be the
case on the great day of judgment. But right now that is not happening.
There are people dying, of course, and in certain occasions, there
is no doubt that God kills people. He killed people in Scripture
in that time, but generally speaking, the Day of Judgment is in the
future. Right now, we live in what is called the Gospel Age,
or here it is called the Year of Our Redeemer, the Year of
His Redeemed has come. That year is the same year that
was spoken of that Christ preached in Luke Chapter 4, taken from
Isaiah 61, when it says part of His coming is to proclaim
the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our
God. So those two things again are set forth. The acceptable
year is the age in which we live. We're living in that now. And
the day of His vengeance is yet to come. It's called the Gospel
Age in which we live. Now until that day, the Lord
has appointed authorities to make laws and to judge society
in matters of breaking the law and in matters of keeping the
law. He says that in Romans chapter 13 when he admonishes the people
of God, the children of God, to obey the authorities that
he has ordained. Now, we know that in the world
in which we live, things aren't quite what they should be, or
don't seem to be quite what they should be. But God has set these
authorities in power. When you see a police officer
down the street, you may not like to see a police officer
down the street. You may despise the government that we have.
You may be displeased with what's going on in the world. Okay.
But you're still, as a child of God, to be subject to those
things. That's just that simple. because God has ordained them.
It says in Romans 13, Let every soul be subject unto the higher
powers. For there is no power but God.
The powers that be are ordained of God. In other words, they
are powers derived from God. God is the true power, whosoever
therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God,
or what God has ordained. And they that resist shall receive
to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to
good works, but to evil. In other words, if you're a good
citizen, you ain't got to worry about the police. You don't have
to worry about them if you're a good citizen. Will thou then
be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou
shalt have praise of the same. For he is a minister, that is,
the powers of thee are a 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 a minister of God,
a revenger, to execute wrath upon them that doeth evil. Wherefore
ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for
conscience' sake. And 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, honor to whom honor. This is the word of God
for the child of God. And this is appointed for a civil
and peaceful society. And history is replete with the
abuses of these offices. We find it throughout scripture.
We find it in our own lifetime. Governments generally, generally
speaking, no matter how they started and how good it might
have been when they started, governments, regardless of where
they are, have little to do with the people they govern. That
is just a fact of life. They are usually more involved
in perpetuating their power and prestige and keeping their jobs
rather than really caring for the people. Now they will give
symbolic things. They will send up symbolic balloons
for the people to look at and see that they really care about
us. But they really do not. They care about themselves even
though they are set up. Nonetheless, God has said you
have to obey Him. You have to obey Him. Only under
the theocracy of Christ are his people at peace. Under his kingdom,
his theocracy, it says his people are at peace and they are interested
in the welfare of his household and he does everything he's ever
done for that household. That's the pure government. That's
the best government, the government of the Lord Jesus Christ. And
we're talking about his church. As is often the case, God appoints
men in places of authority to reveal that the sinful subjects
of sinful men in authority never fare well. And that's true throughout
Scripture. This world in all its wisdom
is doomed to destruction. God will destroy man's wisdom,
and the best men are but maggots in fine attire, and their plans
and their purposes and proposals will come to nothing. Our Lord
says that. But this is God's doing, and
for the most part, these laws that He has given, these magistrates
and governments that He has set up, is to keep a civil society. And it lasts for a while, generally.
But it is going downhill. Things are not getting better,
and they will not get better. Things will wax worse and worse.
Now in the economy of Israel, there was a liberal use, as we
just read, of capital punishment. a liberal use of capital punishment.
In the verses that we will consider tonight, all can result in a
perpetual perpetrator being put to death. Every one of them. This punishment is to be executed
for numerous crimes against Israel's society, and if employed in our
society, would both eliminate and save many lives. But it's
not employed in our society. The first mention is life for
life. In other words, you take a life,
your life is taken. We see that in verse 12 and verse
14 of our text. It says, It is he that smiteth
a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death. Then
in verse 14, But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor
to slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from mine altar,
that he may die. So here our Lord says if one
person kills another person, he is to be put to death. Now
this punishment was first mentioned right after the flood. It wasn't
mentioned when Cain killed Abel. Chapter punishment was not mentioned.
Cain was not destroyed. He was sent out to a place of
wilderness, whatever the land of Nod was, was a place of wilderness. And I think that's just representative
of the fact that he was sent to a place where there was no
hope for him. There was no hope, just like God reprobated him
as such. But in Genesis chapter 9 and
verse 6, if you want to turn there, right after the flood,
now remember at this time there are 8 people in the world, Noah,
his wife, his sons and their wives. That is the only people
that reside in this world. This is a new world. The ark
has landed. They have gone out on dry land
to possess the world. And in Genesis chapter 9 and
verse 6 it says, Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his
blood be shed. And here is the reason why. For
in the image of God made he man. Also it says in the New Testament
not to kill a man because he bears the image of God. bears
the image of God. You say, well, I don't think,
I don't see how that's possible. I don't, it's a wonder and a
strange thing. You know, man has fallen and
ruined and full of sin and hateful. He still is made in the image
of God. In the image of God. This punishment
was first mentioned here, right after the flood, when only eight
people existed. Though many believe that the
judgment would prove a deterrent to crime, that is not its intent. Its intent is to punish. Its
intent is the punishment for murder, because the murdered
one bears the image of God. That's what it says. If it's
an accidental slaying, God will not require death for the slayer,
but rather provide a place of refuge. That's what he says in
verse 13 of our text, over in Exodus chapter 21. In verse 13
He said, If a man lie not and wait, in other words, if it is
not a premeditated act, if he is not designing to kill someone,
and God deliver him into His hand, then I will appoint a place
whither he shall flee. Now this is the first mention
of an idea that will culminate in Joshua in the book of Joshua
called the Cities of Refuge. the cities of Reshuz, when a
person kills a person ACCIDENTALLY, but the family of the person
who has been slain wants to KILL the guy who accidentally killed
the person, and they go after him. He is called the Avenger
of Blood if you turn over to Joshua, Joshua chapter 20. In Joshua chapter 20, verse 1
says, ìThe Lord also spake to Joshua, saying, ìSpeak to the
children of Israel, saying, ìAppoint out for you cities of refuge.îî
There were six of them. whereof I spake unto you by the
hand of Moses, that the slayer that killeth any person unawares,
and unwittingly may flee thither, and they shall be your refuge
from the avenger of blood. And when he that doth flee unto
one of these cities shall stand in the entering of the gates
of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the
elders of that city, they shall take him into that city, and
give him a place that he may dwell among them. And if the
avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver
the slayer into his hand, because he smote his neighbor unwillingly,
and hated him not before time." In other words, not a premeditated
act, it was an accident. He would stay there until the
priest died, and so forth, and then he would go out a free man.
But for accidents, God covered that. So when he's talking about
killing someone for killing someone, he's talking about murder. He
is talking about murder. The next three crimes mentioned
in our text are surely worthy of capital punishment. If a child
beat either or both or one of his parents, as the Jewish writing
says, leaving a mark, a scar or a bruise, the child was to
be put to death. You say, that is pretty harsh.
Well, this is God's making for this nation to have a civil society. Verse 15, And he that smiteth
his father, or his mother shall surely be put to death. Now there
is no mitigation or occasion or circumstance that can alter
this judgment. If a child smites his mother
or his father, he is to be put to death. The next crime is kidnapping. For man stealeth a man, in order
to sell him or keep them that is also worthy of death. That is spoken of in verse sixteen.
He that stealeth a man and selleth him, or if he be found in his
hand, he shall be put to death. This is mentioned by Paul as
one of the things that denied the efficacy of Christ in his
salvation when he was talking to Timothy in 1st Timothy when
he talked about those who want to bring the believer back under
the law. He said they are saying something, they don't know what
they're saying, but they're saying something that's pretty bad.
He says in 1st Timothy chapter one, In verse six, he says, from
which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling,
desiring to be teachers of the law. In other words, now here
they are, they say they believe that Jesus Christ has paid the
sin debt, that these people are saved, but they must also keep
the law. They're bringing people back
under the law. Now, the law operates in one realm. What is the law? What does it operate in? Does
it operate in the realm of righteousness? It operates in the realm of transgression. It was added because of transgression. That's what the scripture says.
It entered that sin may abound, it says in Romans Chapter 5.
The law operates in the realm of sin and transgression. It
doesn't operate outside. It doesn't operate in grace.
It doesn't operate in mercy. It doesn't operate in substitution.
It operates only in sin. So if you as a believer, if someone
wants to bring you back under the law, they're saying you're
still under sin. That Christ's death was not effectual
to you. That's what he says. They're
desiring to be teachers of the law. They don't understand neither
what they say nor what they affirm. They don't have any idea what
they're saying. He says, But we know that the law is good
if a man use it lawfully, knowing this, that the law is not for
the righteous man. In other words, if you're not
breaking the law, the law has nothing to do with you. If you
are not guilty before the law, the law has nothing to do with
you. It can't have anything to do with you because it operates
in guilt. It operates in sin. The law is for the lawless and
the disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for unholy and profane,
for murderers of mothers and fathers, for manslayers, for
whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for
men-stealers, that's the kidnapping that is spoken of back here,
for men-stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, if there
be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine. What he's
saying here is this, what they don't understand And what they
canít imagine what theyíre affirming when they try to bring a believer
back under the law is simply this. Theyíre saying that theyíre
still sinners before God. Theyíre still man-slayers. Theyíre
still man-stealers. Theyíre still whoremongers. Theyíre
saying Christ did not forgive their sin. Theyíre saying, ìWe
know Christ died for your sin, but I have something else to
say about that.î And God says, ìNo way.î They donít understand
what theyíre saying or affirming. and they are affirming. Our Lord
uses men-stealers as part of that, and that is taken from
our text back here in the Law of Moses. Now, the next crime
worthy of death is found in verse 17 of our text. It says, ìHe
that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to
death.î First, if he smites his father or mother, he is put to
death. Now, if he curses his mother or father, what is cursing? in scripture, it could be cussing. It could be that. It could be
uttering some type of oath, sort of a curse against someone. But what is this cursing a mother
and father? What this is, is praying that
God will curse them. They're praying that God will
curse them. Don't curse your mother and father. Don't curse
your mother and father. If you do, you are going to have
to die if you do that. They are praying that God will
curse them. It reveals what? It reveals hatred. Hatred for
the parents. Now what did our Lord say about
hatred? He said the law says that you shall not hate, but
what does that mean? It means to hate someone is to
be a murderer. That is what John said in 1 John
chapter 3. To hate your brother is to be a murderer. be a murderer,
so he wishes his parents dead if he curses them. Now this idea
of mother and father, they place more than just the parental units
that we have when we are born. We have a heavenly father. So
to curse an earthly father is the same as cursing a heavenly
father. And to curse an earthly mother, who is our mother? Galatians
chapter 4 said the church is. She is the mother of us all.
the New Jerusalem is the mother of us all, Galatians Chapter
4. So to curse your mother is to curse the Body of Christ.
So that carries over. We must look at how it relates
to the New Testament. This is considered a most heinous
crime, and the punishment was repeated in Scripture. Don't
smite your mother and father, you'll be put to death. But don't
curse them. And this is illuminated in other places. Look at a few.
Leviticus Chapter 20. under the Levitical Law. In Leviticus Chapter 20, and verse 9 says, For everyone that
curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon
him. He is guilty! He is guilty! Then the writer of the Proverbs
in Proverbs Chapter 20. In Proverbs Chapter 20 and verse
20 it says this, Whoso cursed with
his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure
darkness. That is metaphorical language,
that means kill him. He is laughing. Snuff out that candle. Snuff
out that candle. Then over in chapter 30 of the
same book, in verse 17, it gets even a little more graphic
here. The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to
obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick out that
eye. and the eagles shall eat it. They say it's a very harsh
punishment for that. Don't curse your mother and father.
Then back in our text in verses 18 and 19. It says, And if men
strive together, and one man smite another with a stone, or
with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed, if he rise
again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote
him be quit, or acquitted, only he shall pay for the loss of
his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed. Now this deals with the punishment
of a fist fight or a fist attack or if a rock is used in the attack
and the recipient of said abuse does not die, the perpetrator
will not be slain but he'll be responsible. He'll be responsible
for paying the one he's injured's debts, meeting his salary, taking
care of all his medical bills until the man is back on his
feet again. That's what it's talking about. So if you If a
brother smites a brother with a rock and puts him out of business,
until that fellow is better again, the fellow who smote him has
to take care of him. See, the Lord always deals in
balance of things in judgment. Let the punishment fit the crime,
eye for eye, tooth for tooth, foot for foot, and for hand.
And then in verse 20 and 21, addresses the crime of beating
a servant. says this, And if a man smite his servant, or his
maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand, he shall be surely
punished. Now that word is avenged, and
it means put to death. Notwithstanding, if he continue
a day or two, that is the person who has been smitten, he shall
not be punished, for he is his money. Strange kind of language
here, but this is what it is talking about. That person must
be avenged if he dies, though that is not clearly stated here,
but if however the servant lives, the master's punishment will
be the loss of the master's servant or the servant's service until
the servant is healed. So he is going to lose money. His punishment will be a financial
loss. That is why it says he is his money. The servant is
his money. In other words, if the fellow
lives, he can't be touched, he's got to get completely better,
and all during that time he loses his service, and it's going to
cost him, it's going to cost him. Now in verse 22 it says,
If a man strive and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit
depart from her, and yet no mischief follow, he shall be surely punished,
according to the woman's husband will lay upon him, and he shall
pay as the judge determines. And it says this, And if any
mischief follow, then it shall be life for life." This addresses
a case in which a pregnant woman is hurt in a fight. The Jewish
writings say that she might have got involved between her husband
and a man fighting and got hit and knocked down. It's a fight
between two men, but somehow she gets hurt. One probably was
her husband, and if that hurt causes her to deliver child early,
then punishment must ensue. The words no mischief, if there
be no mischief, means that no death of the mother or the child
occur. She delivers early. She has a
premature baby, a premature birth takes place, but neither the
mother or the child dies. In such a case, the husband is
to set the punishment for the man who caused it, and any financial
remuneration is up to the judge's determination. If finances need
to be met, for her to get well again, for the baby to be cared
for as a premature baby, and so forth. However, if mischief
follows, if the mother or the child or both die, the punishment
is what? Life for life. Death for death. Thou shalt give life for life,
eye for eye, tooth for tooth. This indicates that both mother
and the unborn child are vital beings The word for fruit, if she passes
her fruit early, the word for fruit in the original is son
or daughter. Already a son or a daughter while
it is still in her womb. That is why our Lord says it
is life for life, life for life. These laws were made for the
establishment and peace of a civil society and a just punishment
from transgression. And we know that all transgression
is against God. all transgression, and will be
justly dealt with in due time. But for now, the Lord has fixed
it for the nation Israel, and we know from the teaching of
the New Testaments for pagan lands like us Gentiles, that
laws apply for our good and for God's glory. Father, bless us
to understand and we pray in Christ's name, Amen.