A Holy People, Part 2

Sermon 62 in Series

Exodus 22:18-23:9
[18] “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.

[19] “Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death.

[20] “Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the LORD alone, shall be devoted to destruction.

[21] “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. [22] You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. [23] If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, [24] and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

[25] “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. [26] If ever you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, [27] for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

[28] “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

[29] “You shall not delay to offer from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me. [30] You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me.

[31] “You shall be consecrated to me. Therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

[1] “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. [2] You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, [3] nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.

[4] “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. [5] If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.

[6] “You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit. [7] Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. [8] And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.

[9] “You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.   How do we live out (rather than merely affirm) the truth that God is holy? In what ways do these various laws hang on this theme?
2.   How does perjury pervert justice? Where does this sin show up in our interpersonal relationships as well?
3.   How does this passage relate justice to truth? How have you seen injustice prevail through lies?
4.   What are the different forms of partiality described in this passage? How have you seen these show up in your life, and what is the alternative?
5.   How is treatment of enemies the best test case for justice? How are we tempted to treat others based on feelings rather than truth?
6.   How does Jesus teach and model love for enemies? Why is this a key part of having a cross-centered / Christ-centered life?

References: 1 Pet 1:14-16; 1 John 1:5-6; Ex 20:16; Lev 19:16; Deut 19:15-21; 1 Tim 6:10; Matt 5:43-48; Luke 23:34.