Introduction: In addition to the moral law (also known as the Decalogue, or God’s Ten Promises, which are traditionally called the Ten Commandments), the Lord also gave to Moses the mishpatim—literally judgments—also translated as ordinances, rules, laws, or regulations. These laws practically applied the principles of the Decalogue to the Israelites’ daily life. This section of laws, written on a scroll by Moses, was called “the Book of the Covenant” (Exod. 24:7), and this “Covenant Code” is enlarged upon in Exodus 20:22–23:19. Following is God’s sermonette on how, and upon what conditions, He will lead His people to the Promised Land (Exod. 23:20–33).
Lesson Themes
Lesson Themes
God is expanding and explaining the Ten Promises, or the Ten Words, to His people in the Covenant Code. This amplification of specific commandments can be directly detected in the following passages:
The first promise about the unique and living God is in Exodus 20:23a and Exodus 23:13.
2. The second promise about true worship and saying no to idols is in Exodus 20:23b; Exodus 22:20; and Exodus 23:24, 32b, 33.
3. The third promise about reverence to God and what He represents is in Exodus 22:28a.
4. The fourth promise about Sabbath rest is in Exodus 23:10–12.
5. The fifth promise about honoring parents is in Exodus 21:15, 17.
6. The sixth promise about respecting life is in Exodus 21:12–14, 23, 29.
7. The seventh promise about respecting marriage is in Exodus 22:16, 17.
8. The eighth promise about respecting property is in Exodus 22:1–4.
9. The ninth promise about respecting the reputations of people and the truth is in Exodus 22:11 and Exodus 23:1–9.
10. The tenth promise about respecting self by being pure in mind and not coveting permeates the entire Covenant Code.
These specific laws (casuistic or apodictic) reflect the Decalogue in the broader sense; for example, all prescriptions regarding injuries or harm point to the sixth promise, and regulations regarding theft to the eighth promise. The goal of these “judgments” is to help believers to be men and women of integrity.
Part II: Commentary
Part II: Commentary
Exodus 19–24 deals with the establishment (Exod. 19:3–8) and renewal, or confirmation, of God’s covenant with His people in a solemn ceremony involving the sprinkling of blood, indicating the sealing of that covenant (Exod. 24:3–8). In between, like two bookends, are presented the foundational principles of God’s character in relation to humanity. These universal and eternal values, having no cultural or temporal limits, are expressed in the moral laws, the Decalogue or the Ten Promises (Exod. 20:1–17), and afterward explained in more detail in the Code of the Covenant (Exod. 20:22–23:33). The application and extension of the Decalogue in the form of the Covenant Code, for practical reasons, may be structured in the following way:
The Prologue (Exod. 20:22–21:1)
Cases involving Hebrew slaves (Exod. 21:2–11)
Cases involving death penalties (Exod. 21:12–17)
Cases involving personal injuries (Exod. 21:18–32)
Cases involving property damage, protection, and stealing (Exod. 21:33–22:15)
Cases involving life in society (Exod. 22:16–31)
Cases involving justice and neighborhood (Exod. 23:1–9)
Laws related to sacred seasons (Exod. 23:10–19)
The Epilogue (Exod. 23:20–33)
The principles behind these Covenant Code regulations may be applied even today; however, we must do so without implementing the penalties or punishments attached to them, because they were given for, and limited to, Israel’s theocratic system. The theocracy ended, together with the sacrificial laws, with the death of Jesus on the cross (Dan. 9:25–27, Matt. 27:51, Col. 2:14) and with the stoning of deacon Stephen, in a.d. 34 (Acts 7:54–60). Stephen’s death marked the end of the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9:24–27, fulfilling the Jews’ dispensation of time and marking the beginning of the gospel being proclaimed to the whole world, to both Jews and Gentiles (Matt. 28:18–20, Acts 1:8).
“Wherever I Cause My Name to Be Honored” (Exod. 20:24, NIV)
“Wherever I Cause My Name to Be Honored” (Exod. 20:24, NIV)
In the prologue to the Ten Commandments, which sets the tone for what follows, God declares: “I have talked with you from heaven [referring to the recent majestic, oral, and public pronunciation of the Ten Promises; see Exod. 20:1; Deut. 5:24]. . . . In all places where I record [Hebr. zakar “to remember”] my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee” (Exod. 20:22–24). This quadruple emphasis on the divine “I,” regarding what God did, and will do, is crucial. The grammatical form “ ‘ “I cause my name to be remembered” ’ ” (Exod. 20:24, ESV) has the Lord as its subject only in this verse. The Lord Himself wants to assure His people that He will be with them. God promises that He will be present with them in the places where He establishes His name and causes it to be honored; there He will bless them.
These locations include numerous temporary places as well, and especially later the temple in Jerusalem, where He will be genuinely worshiped. The statement implies that people should respond properly and cultivate a relationship with Him. His presence and blessing are not automatic. He will be where His name will be remembered. This connects us with God’s revelation of His name to Moses and, through him, to the Israelites by which He must “be remembered from generation to generation” (Exod. 3:15, ISV). Thus, in the theological center of the altar laws of Exodus 20:24–26, God’s presence and blessing are underlined. God had already demonstrated that He was in the midst of Egypt, even though He was not acknowledged as such by the Egyptians (Exod. 8:22). But now He proclaims that He will be in the midst of Israel.
The Middle Verse of Exodus
The Middle Verse of Exodus
According to the Masoretic marginal comments to the Hebrew text, the middle verse of the book of Exodus is Exodus 22:27. This verse focuses on one of the Lord’s fundamental attributes, namely God’s grace, which He gives freely and defines as unmerited favor offered to humans. The context speaks about God’s care for the poor, and the reason is given: “For I am gracious.” Notice that this is the Lord’s only attribute in the whole of Scripture that is framed within the self-identification formula “I am.” It is what He is: the Lord is gracious. This essential truth about God is mentioned four times in Exodus: twice as an adjective (Exod. 22:27, Exod. 34:6), and twice in verb form (Exod. 33:19). God’s people should be as gracious as God is gracious, unselfishly helping those in need.
The Law of Retaliation (Exod. 21:23–25)
The Law of Retaliation (Exod. 21:23–25)
The so-called lex talionis (the law of retaliation) is often misunderstood and used to discredit God’s character and the teachings of the Old Testament in an attempt to “prove” that the God of the Old Testament is a vengeful God. This notion is far from the truth and understanding of the meaning and intention of this law. The purpose was to limit personal retaliation or revenge, thereby deterring an individual or family from taking justice into their own hands. It was a humane law intended for judges dealing with different cases when injuries or harm had occurred. The law was to ensure the application of appropriate (not exaggerated) compensation. Financial recompense was primarily behind these regulations (see, for example, Exod. 21:19, 22, 30, 32, 34–36) or offers of freedom from slavery (Exod. 21:26, 27), so that the Israelite community would be protected and evil would be restricted.
The Conquest of Canaan
The Conquest of Canaan
God assures the Israelites that just as He fought for them in the Red Sea experience (Exod. 14:13, 14, 26–31), He will do so again when they enter the Promised Land. He Himself will go ahead of them and defeat their enemies (Exod. 23:20–31). The divine “I” appears 13 times in the NIV translation of this passage, where God declares what He will do for Israel, enabling them to inherit the new territory: (1) “ ‘I am sending an angel ahead of you’ ” (Exod. 23:20, NIV); (2) “ ‘I will be an enemy to your enemies’ ” (Exod. 23:22a, NIV); (3) “ ‘[I] . . . will oppose those who oppose you’ ” (Exod. 23:22b, NIV); (4) “ ‘I will wipe them out’ ” (Exod. 23:23, NIV); (5) “ ‘I will take away sickness from among you’ ” (Exod. 23:25, NIV); (6) “ ‘I will give you a full life span’ ” (Exod. 23:26, NIV); (7) “ ‘I will send my terror ahead of you’ ” (Exod. 23:27a, NIV); (8) “ ‘I will . . . throw into confusion every nation you encounter’ ” (Exod. 23:27b, NIV); (9) “ ‘I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run’ ” (Exod. 23:27c, NIV); (10) “ ‘I will send the hornet ahead of you’ ” (Exod. 23:28, NIV); (11) “ ‘Little by little I will drive them out before you’ ” (Exod. 23:30, NIV); (12) “ ‘I will establish your borders’ ” (Exod. 23:31a, NIV); and (13) “ ‘I will give into your hands the people’ ” (Exod. 23:31b, NIV).
God also plainly states what His people need to do in response so that they may experience this divine blessing to its fullest: (1) “Pay attention” and “listen” (Exod. 23:21, NIV) to my Angel (this is the Angel of the Lord, the pre-incarnate Messenger, Jesus Christ (see Gen. 16:7; Exod. 3:2, 4, 7; Exod. 14:19); (2) “Do not rebel against him” (Exod. 23:21, NIV); (3) “Do not bow down before their [the pagans’] gods or worship them or follow their practices” (Exod. 23:24, NIV); (4) “You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces” (Exod. 23:24, NIV); (5) “Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods” (Exod. 23:32, NIV); (6) “Do not let them live in your land” for “they will cause you to sin against me” because their idolatrous worship “will certainly be a snare to you” (Exod. 23:33, NIV).
Thus, The Lord emphatically warns them not to enter into a covenant relationship with neighboring nations or follow their idolatrous practices by worshiping their gods. Such relationships and practices will disassociate the Israelites from their relationship with the living God, their Creator and Redeemer, causing their ruin.
Part III: Life Application
Part III: Life Application
God’s original plan was that, at the sound of the ram’s horn, His people would “come up to the mountain” (Exod. 19:13, ESV). What actually happened, and why did the Israelites miss this great invitation that God offered them (discuss with the class texts such as Exodus 19:16b; Exodus 20:19; and Deuteronomy 5:5, 25)?
On the basis of the story (Exodus 19), the Israelites were afraid when God spoke to them directly. What is the difference between a right fear and a wrong fear (Exod. 20:19-21)? What does the biblical teaching to “fear God” mean?
Why is it important that our vertical relationship with the Lord always be transmitted into the horizontal dimension of our work and care for people who need our help and respect?
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Part I: Overview
Key Text: Exodus 20:22–24
Study Focus: Exod. 20:21–23:33
Introduction: In addition to the moral law (also known as the Decalogue, or God’s Ten Promises, which are traditionally called the Ten Commandments), the Lord also gave to Moses the mishpatim—literally judgments—also translated as ordinances, rules, laws, or regulations. These laws practically applied the principles of the Decalogue to the Israelites’ daily life. This section of laws, written on a scroll by Moses, was called “the Book of the Covenant” (Exod. 24:7), and this “Covenant Code” is enlarged upon in Exodus 20:22–23:19. Following is God’s sermonette on how, and upon what conditions, He will lead His people to the Promised Land (Exod. 23:20–33).
Lesson Themes
Lesson Themes
God is expanding and explaining the Ten Promises, or the Ten Words, to His people in the Covenant Code. This amplification of specific commandments can be directly detected in the following passages:
2. The second promise about true worship and saying no to idols is in Exodus 20:23b; Exodus 22:20; and Exodus 23:24, 32b, 33.
3. The third promise about reverence to God and what He represents is in Exodus 22:28a.
4. The fourth promise about Sabbath rest is in Exodus 23:10–12.
5. The fifth promise about honoring parents is in Exodus 21:15, 17.
6. The sixth promise about respecting life is in Exodus 21:12–14, 23, 29.
7. The seventh promise about respecting marriage is in Exodus 22:16, 17.
8. The eighth promise about respecting property is in Exodus 22:1–4.
9. The ninth promise about respecting the reputations of people and the truth is in Exodus 22:11 and Exodus 23:1–9.
10. The tenth promise about respecting self by being pure in mind and not coveting permeates the entire Covenant Code.
These specific laws (casuistic or apodictic) reflect the Decalogue in the broader sense; for example, all prescriptions regarding injuries or harm point to the sixth promise, and regulations regarding theft to the eighth promise. The goal of these “judgments” is to help believers to be men and women of integrity.
Part II: Commentary
Part II: Commentary
Exodus 19–24 deals with the establishment (Exod. 19:3–8) and renewal, or confirmation, of God’s covenant with His people in a solemn ceremony involving the sprinkling of blood, indicating the sealing of that covenant (Exod. 24:3–8). In between, like two bookends, are presented the foundational principles of God’s character in relation to humanity. These universal and eternal values, having no cultural or temporal limits, are expressed in the moral laws, the Decalogue or the Ten Promises (Exod. 20:1–17), and afterward explained in more detail in the Code of the Covenant (Exod. 20:22–23:33). The application and extension of the Decalogue in the form of the Covenant Code, for practical reasons, may be structured in the following way:
The Prologue (Exod. 20:22–21:1)
Cases involving Hebrew slaves (Exod. 21:2–11)
Cases involving death penalties (Exod. 21:12–17)
Cases involving personal injuries (Exod. 21:18–32)
Cases involving property damage, protection, and stealing (Exod. 21:33–22:15)
Cases involving life in society (Exod. 22:16–31)
Cases involving justice and neighborhood (Exod. 23:1–9)
Laws related to sacred seasons (Exod. 23:10–19)
The Epilogue (Exod. 23:20–33)
The principles behind these Covenant Code regulations may be applied even today; however, we must do so without implementing the penalties or punishments attached to them, because they were given for, and limited to, Israel’s theocratic system. The theocracy ended, together with the sacrificial laws, with the death of Jesus on the cross (Dan. 9:25–27, Matt. 27:51, Col. 2:14) and with the stoning of deacon Stephen, in a.d. 34 (Acts 7:54–60). Stephen’s death marked the end of the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9:24–27, fulfilling the Jews’ dispensation of time and marking the beginning of the gospel being proclaimed to the whole world, to both Jews and Gentiles (Matt. 28:18–20, Acts 1:8).
“Wherever I Cause My Name to Be Honored” (Exod. 20:24, NIV)
“Wherever I Cause My Name to Be Honored” (Exod. 20:24, NIV)
In the prologue to the Ten Commandments, which sets the tone for what follows, God declares: “I have talked with you from heaven [referring to the recent majestic, oral, and public pronunciation of the Ten Promises; see Exod. 20:1; Deut. 5:24]. . . . In all places where I record [Hebr. zakar “to remember”] my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee” (Exod. 20:22–24). This quadruple emphasis on the divine “I,” regarding what God did, and will do, is crucial. The grammatical form “ ‘ “I cause my name to be remembered” ’ ” (Exod. 20:24, ESV) has the Lord as its subject only in this verse. The Lord Himself wants to assure His people that He will be with them. God promises that He will be present with them in the places where He establishes His name and causes it to be honored; there He will bless them.
These locations include numerous temporary places as well, and especially later the temple in Jerusalem, where He will be genuinely worshiped. The statement implies that people should respond properly and cultivate a relationship with Him. His presence and blessing are not automatic. He will be where His name will be remembered. This connects us with God’s revelation of His name to Moses and, through him, to the Israelites by which He must “be remembered from generation to generation” (Exod. 3:15, ISV). Thus, in the theological center of the altar laws of Exodus 20:24–26, God’s presence and blessing are underlined. God had already demonstrated that He was in the midst of Egypt, even though He was not acknowledged as such by the Egyptians (Exod. 8:22). But now He proclaims that He will be in the midst of Israel.
The Middle Verse of Exodus
The Middle Verse of Exodus
According to the Masoretic marginal comments to the Hebrew text, the middle verse of the book of Exodus is Exodus 22:27. This verse focuses on one of the Lord’s fundamental attributes, namely God’s grace, which He gives freely and defines as unmerited favor offered to humans. The context speaks about God’s care for the poor, and the reason is given: “For I am gracious.” Notice that this is the Lord’s only attribute in the whole of Scripture that is framed within the self-identification formula “I am.” It is what He is: the Lord is gracious. This essential truth about God is mentioned four times in Exodus: twice as an adjective (Exod. 22:27, Exod. 34:6), and twice in verb form (Exod. 33:19). God’s people should be as gracious as God is gracious, unselfishly helping those in need.
The Law of Retaliation (Exod. 21:23–25)
The Law of Retaliation (Exod. 21:23–25)
The so-called lex talionis (the law of retaliation) is often misunderstood and used to discredit God’s character and the teachings of the Old Testament in an attempt to “prove” that the God of the Old Testament is a vengeful God. This notion is far from the truth and understanding of the meaning and intention of this law. The purpose was to limit personal retaliation or revenge, thereby deterring an individual or family from taking justice into their own hands. It was a humane law intended for judges dealing with different cases when injuries or harm had occurred. The law was to ensure the application of appropriate (not exaggerated) compensation. Financial recompense was primarily behind these regulations (see, for example, Exod. 21:19, 22, 30, 32, 34–36) or offers of freedom from slavery (Exod. 21:26, 27), so that the Israelite community would be protected and evil would be restricted.
The Conquest of Canaan
The Conquest of Canaan
God assures the Israelites that just as He fought for them in the Red Sea experience (Exod. 14:13, 14, 26–31), He will do so again when they enter the Promised Land. He Himself will go ahead of them and defeat their enemies (Exod. 23:20–31). The divine “I” appears 13 times in the NIV translation of this passage, where God declares what He will do for Israel, enabling them to inherit the new territory: (1) “ ‘I am sending an angel ahead of you’ ” (Exod. 23:20, NIV); (2) “ ‘I will be an enemy to your enemies’ ” (Exod. 23:22a, NIV); (3) “ ‘[I] . . . will oppose those who oppose you’ ” (Exod. 23:22b, NIV); (4) “ ‘I will wipe them out’ ” (Exod. 23:23, NIV); (5) “ ‘I will take away sickness from among you’ ” (Exod. 23:25, NIV); (6) “ ‘I will give you a full life span’ ” (Exod. 23:26, NIV); (7) “ ‘I will send my terror ahead of you’ ” (Exod. 23:27a, NIV); (8) “ ‘I will . . . throw into confusion every nation you encounter’ ” (Exod. 23:27b, NIV); (9) “ ‘I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run’ ” (Exod. 23:27c, NIV); (10) “ ‘I will send the hornet ahead of you’ ” (Exod. 23:28, NIV); (11) “ ‘Little by little I will drive them out before you’ ” (Exod. 23:30, NIV); (12) “ ‘I will establish your borders’ ” (Exod. 23:31a, NIV); and (13) “ ‘I will give into your hands the people’ ” (Exod. 23:31b, NIV).
God also plainly states what His people need to do in response so that they may experience this divine blessing to its fullest: (1) “Pay attention” and “listen” (Exod. 23:21, NIV) to my Angel (this is the Angel of the Lord, the pre-incarnate Messenger, Jesus Christ (see Gen. 16:7; Exod. 3:2, 4, 7; Exod. 14:19); (2) “Do not rebel against him” (Exod. 23:21, NIV); (3) “Do not bow down before their [the pagans’] gods or worship them or follow their practices” (Exod. 23:24, NIV); (4) “You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces” (Exod. 23:24, NIV); (5) “Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods” (Exod. 23:32, NIV); (6) “Do not let them live in your land” for “they will cause you to sin against me” because their idolatrous worship “will certainly be a snare to you” (Exod. 23:33, NIV).
Thus, The Lord emphatically warns them not to enter into a covenant relationship with neighboring nations or follow their idolatrous practices by worshiping their gods. Such relationships and practices will disassociate the Israelites from their relationship with the living God, their Creator and Redeemer, causing their ruin.
Part III: Life Application
Part III: Life Application
God’s original plan was that, at the sound of the ram’s horn, His people would “come up to the mountain” (Exod. 19:13, ESV). What actually happened, and why did the Israelites miss this great invitation that God offered them (discuss with the class texts such as Exodus 19:16b; Exodus 20:19; and Deuteronomy 5:5, 25)?
On the basis of the story (Exodus 19), the Israelites were afraid when God spoke to them directly. What is the difference between a right fear and a wrong fear (Exod. 20:19-21)? What does the biblical teaching to “fear God” mean?
Why is it important that our vertical relationship with the Lord always be transmitted into the horizontal dimension of our work and care for people who need our help and respect?