Exodus 21 Devotional
by Pastor Lawrence Bowlin

In this chapter, Moses delves into what is normally considered to be judicial or civil law as opposed to pure moral law.  God’s moral law such as is codified in the Ten Commandments is a set of laws that are universal and unchanging based on the very character of God and are the basis of morality for men and women in every culture.  Israel’s civil laws, on the other hand, were laws given specifically to the nation of Israel for use in carrying out a theocratic rule in society.  Although these laws are still inspired by God and useful as guides in passing good legislation and determining wise jurisprudence in any country, they are not binding upon the individual in the same way that moral laws are today, unless, of course, the state mandates that they are to be followed.

For example, in ancient times throughout the world, slavery was an acceptable form of punishment for those caught committing a crime, or for those who could not pay off their debts or at times it was used as a mean to keep a family out of poverty by selling a son or even a daughter into slavery in order that the rest might have something to eat.  The one sold into slavery also would be well fed by this new scenario.  Foreigners who had lost in battle also could be sold as slaves to pay off the costs of war.  It’s not that God was encouraging the Hebrews to continue the act of slavery, but He did seek to regulate it from greater abuses by wicked men.

For example, in v.16, the law makes it plain that kidnapping a man and forcing him into slavery is never acceptable in God’s sight, and that both the kidnapper as well as the purchaser of that slave ought to be put to death for such a heinous deed.  The Lord also assures that slaves are cared for, have the opportunity to obtain freedom at some point, and have access to justice.  All of these matters were ignored with the justification of slavery in the United States in the south.

In like manner, the Lord also provided justice for the unborn.  In vv.22-24, the example is given of two men fighting one another when one of them hits a pregnant woman causing harm to her child.  In this case, if the baby died, the life of the man should also be required.  If the baby loses an eye, so he must lose an eye, a tooth for a tooth, hand for hand and foot for foot.

Finally, the Lord also provided justice for those who suffered from neighbors who were negligent in their duties to respect their lives and property, whether through not covering open pits or not restraining their vicious animals.  Most of our laws in the United States were at one time based upon these simple judicial principles before the latest generations have tried to sever civic law from God’s law altogether.  Let us pray that our current leaders don’t continue to make the same mistakes.