Exodus 21:12–36 “By God’s Consideration”

Exodus 21:12-36 NIV

Suggested Praise Songs:

• Crowder – Come As You Are
• Hosanna – Hillsong United
• God of Justice – Tim Hughes

Resources for Family Worship (with Children):

• We Love Because God Loves Us | Bible Story | LifeKids – Lesson for Kids
• EARLY CHILDHOOD WORSHIP (John 13:34) – Song for Kids
• Must Be Done in Love | Hometown Nazareth HLA | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• Deep Deep Deep – Song for Kids
• Discussion Questions for Children & Youth arelocated in the section after Explanation, Meditation, and Prayer (at the end of this email/blog).

Explanation:

If someone commits murder with intent (first-degree murder), they must be sentenced to death (v.12). If someone unintentionally takes another person’s life (second-degree murder or involuntary manslaughter), they may flee to a city of refuge (v.13). A person guilty of involuntary manslaughter who flees to a city of refuge cannot be seized by anyone; however, a person guilty of first-degree murder must be severely punished with the death penalty, even if they flee to the altar of the sanctuary (v.14). The punishment for killing one’s parents (v.15), kidnapping (v.16), or cursing one’s parents (v.17) is also death.

If a person injures another in a fight, they must cover the injured person’s loss and medical expenses until full recovery (vv.18–19). If a master strikes a slave and the slave dies, the master must be punished accordingly (v.20). However, if the slave does not die immediately, the master is not held guilty— “because the slave is his property” (v.21).

If, during a fight, someone causes a pregnant woman to miscarry, they must pay a monetary compensation for the loss (v.22). If the woman also suffers physical injury in addition to the miscarriage, then “life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise” (vv.23–25). This means one must repay only to the extent of the harm done. If a master blinds a slave’s eye or breaks their tooth, the slave must be set free as compensation (vv.26–27).

If an ox injures a person and causes their death, the ox must be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten (v.28). The owner of the ox is not held responsible. However, if the ox had a known tendency to gore people and the owner failed to restrain it, both the ox and its owner must be put to death by stoning (v.29). If the victim’s family agrees, monetary compensation as determined by the court may be paid instead (v.30). The same law applies if the victim is a boy or girl (v.31), because the value of life is equal regardless of age. If the victim is a slave, the ox’s owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the slave’s master. The ox must be put to death (v.32). One shekel was equivalent to about four days’ wages for an adult laborer, so thirty shekels of silver represented the minimal value for a human life.

If livestock falls into a pit dug by someone else and dies, the owner of the pit is liable for financial restitution. In that case, the dead animal becomes the property of the person who dug the pit (vv. 33–34). If one person’s ox goes to another person’s ox and kills it, the live ox must be sold, and its price must be divided evenly. The meat of the dead ox must also be shared (v.35). But if it was known that the ox had a habit of goring and the owner did nothing to prevent it, then the owner must compensate the loss with a live ox, and the dead animal becomes his (v.36).

Meditation:

As mentioned earlier, the laws given in the Old Testament do not represent God’s highest expectations for humanity. Instead, they are minimum safeguards established in light of human sinfulness and the brokenness of human society. The statement “the slave is his property” (v.21) reflects the social norms of that time, not God’s ideal will.

Before the abolition of slavery, slave owners used such verses to justify exploitation, interpreting them as expressions of God’s intent. However, as Jesus taught, such laws existed because of the “hardness of their hearts,” not because “it was that way from the beginning.” According to Genesis 1:26, God created all human beings in His own image. The grading and discrimination of humans came only after the Fall. That is why the Apostle Paul declared that when we are born again in Jesus Christ, all forms of discrimination and prejudice are erased.

There is ongoing heated debate over the death penalty. Among those who support capital punishment, many are Christians. They often cite the Old Testament laws that prescribe the death penalty. However, the command to impose capital punishment for serious crimes was given in the context of Moses’ time, when moral awareness was extremely low. At the early stages of forming a nation, such strict and exemplary punishments were necessary to maintain social order.

Therefore, we cannot claim that executing serious offenders is God’s definitive will. God’s ultimate will for all people is love. Moreover, the only true owner of human life is God Himself. If we remember this, even if the death penalty is permitted, it should be used only in the most limited and cautious manner.

As we read these legal codes, we should be astonished by the many ways human sinfulness manifests itself. At the same time, we should marvel at God’s concern to protect the vulnerable within such an unjust and broken society. When we respond this way, we, too, can begin to look at the world around us with God’s heart, even as we live in a world filled with injustice.

Prayer:

Lord, give us Your heart. Let us see this shadowed world through Your eyes and hear the unheard cries with Your ears. In this age, where “what is vile is honored by the human race and the wicked freely strut about” (Psalm 12:8), help us to live with honesty and truth. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Discussion Questions for Children & Youth:

Key Point: Even in a broken world filled with sin and injustice, God gives us laws to protect the vulnerable and guide us toward fairness and compassion. His ultimate desire is not punishment but love, justice, and care for every human life, because we are all created in His image.

• For Preschool-Elementary
  • Why do you think God gave rules to protect people, especially those who were weaker?
  • Have you ever seen someone being treated unfairly? What did you want to do?
  • What does it mean to see the world through “God’s eyes”?
    
• For Youth
  • Why do you think God allowed laws like “eye for an eye” in the Bible, and how should we understand them today?
  • In what ways do we see injustice in the world around us (school, news, community)? How might God want us to respond?
  • The devotional says God’s heart is for love and justice. What would it look like to live with God’s heart in your everyday life?