Doug Van Pelt

The Great Exodus.21

Moses, Moses, Moses...
In Exodus 21, God gives Moses details about the laws that are to govern His people. A few examples are:

If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you six years, but go free on the seventh. If he brought a wife with him originally, she is to go with him. If the master gives the slave a wife and she bears him children, though, the mother and children stay with the master.

"But if the servant declares, 'I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,' then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life."

This is where the custom of being a "bond servant" comes from. While it has some crazy origins (what kind of tough choice would that be for anyone?), it is a beautiful concept of someone willingly giving their life in service to their master. Some Christians wear an earring, ear sleeve or other such ornament to signify that they have chosen to be God's bond slave.

There's some other interesting laws about a bull that gores people (the owner isn't responsible the first time, but if the bull gets a reputation for goring and killing people, he must keep it penned up or pay with his life. Kidnapping, murder, and even cursing your parents are all capital crimes punishable by death. If one fights and injures another but the wounded person gets up soon, they are not punished; but the hitter is responsible for the lost wages, etc if the recuperation takes time.

These are very interesting and practical guidelines that the Creator of the universe gave to His people on a small part of earth. It's cool that He cared so much that He would give them safety rules to help them live life.

Posted by Doug Van Pelt at July 5, 2007 09:42 AM