October 7 – Exodus 22:16-25
October 7 – Exodus 22:16-25
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Exodus 22:16-25
16 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife.
17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.
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.
My first thoughts are that these combined verses seem somewhat random regarding what is morally right, but they are not. God is not a God of randomness, but a God of intent and purpose. These verses share the following: offenses against God and humanity, honoring the Lord and acting in a moral manner. We are made in the image of God, so God takes seriously how we treat each other.
Holiness describes our God. Yet, we are far from holy, and our Holy God loves us beyond measure. How can we strive to become more holy while understanding we will never be perfect? What steps can we take to be more holy?
1 Timothy 1:5 states, “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith.” Jesus came and fulfilled these laws. A pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith; my mind says I am far from this. Perhaps it’s by fixing our eyes on Jesus. But, how do we fix our eyes on Jesus?
How can we work toward inward purity?
Jesus was the perfect example of honoring God and others. Today is a great day to submit yourself to His will and honor the plans He has for your life.
Heavenly Father, Help us to remember we are made in Your image and You want us to act in a way that is worthy of that. We are to treat each other with respect, even when one might not deserve it. I know there have been people in my life that have treated me in a way that the world would say I have the right to take my anger out on them, but that is not Your way, Father. Help me to remember to act according to what You want. Help me to work to please You, not myself or others, but You. I know if I please the world but don’t please You, I have lost myself in the process. You are the one that matters. Thank You for Your love, Your laws, and Your grace.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen!
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