Treatment of slaves

• Exodus 21:1-11
• Hebrew slaves
  • Temporary servitude – Hebrew – six years
  • Other factors
    • Married?
    • Given to marry?
    • Children?
    • Willing to remain?
  • Selling a daughter
  • Method of early redemption
  • Severe treatment

Did God approve of slavery?

• Did not approve of divorce – stated so
  • Malachi 2:16
  • Mark 10:2-12 (Matthew 5:31-32; 19:3-9) – “from the beginning”
• Where it starts
  • Exodus 21:16 – To forcibly take a slave = death
  • Appears forced slavery not allowed
  • No restriction as to nationality or religion
• Fact of slavery

Tortfeasance

• Exodus 21:12-22:31
• Uhhhh… What?
  • Archaic legal term
  • Twisted conduct
  • Modern version: torts
  • Better known as common law
  • Requires both knowledge and wise interpretation
  • Concerns all varieties of harm caused by imprudent conduct
  • Code of Hammurabi?

Code of Hammurabi

• 18th Century BC
• Legal code in Babylon
• Some similarities with Law of Moses

Justice between Israelites

• Exodus 22:16-23:9
• Specifics and principles of justice
  • “What to do if …” statutes
  • Some capital offenses
  • Usury laws
  • First fruits and first born
  • Perjury and suborning perjury
  • Mob activity
  • Partiality
  • Returning lost property
  • Perverting justice
  • Graft
  • Oppression against foreigners

Sabbaths and festivals

• Exodus 23:10-19
• Sabbaths for land
• Sabbaths for animals
• Sabbaths for servants, slaves
• Feats to observe and some rules
• Appearance of all males before God

The promise of victory

• Exodus 23:20-33
• Guardian angel
  • Obey him
  • Bring you to promised land
• Serve God only
  • You’ll be fruitful
  • You’ll be victorious
  • Enemies confounded, scattered
  • No covenant or service to their gods

The blood of the covenant

• Exodus 24
• Moses comes down
  • Recounts to the people
  • They answer
  • Moses records
  • Makes sacrifice
• Moses takes the blood
  • Sprinkles half on the altar
  • Reads the covenant
  • People respond
  • Moses sprinkles the people
  • Declares it the “Blood of the Covenant”
• Hebrews 9:18-28

Moses and others appear before God

• Exodus 24:9-18
• God appears
• Moses moves up
• After six days, He calls Moses
• Moses remains for 40 days and nights

God instructs Moses

• How to build the tabernacle
  • Contributions needed (Exodus 25:1-9)
  • Ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:10-22)
  • Table for Bread of the Presence (Exodus 25:23-30)
  • Golden lampstand (Exodus 25:31-40)
  • The tabernacle structure (Exodus 26:1-37)
  • The bronze altar (Exodus 27:1-8)
• More instructions
  • Tabernacle court (Exodus 27:9-19)
  • The lamp – oil and when to burn (Exodus 27:20-21)
  • Priests’ garments (Exodus 28)
  • Consecrating the priests (Exodus 29)
  • Altar of incense (Exodus 30:1-10)
  • Bronze basin for priestly purification (Exodus 30:17-21)
  • Anointing oil and incense (Exodus 30:22-38)

Filling in the details

• Importance of Oholiab and Bezalel
  • Supply the details
  • Provide excellence in workmanship
  • Put their skill to work
  • Do all under God’s inspiration

Paying the census ransom

• Exodus 30:11-16
• Applied to everyone 20 years and older
• Also called atonement money
• Half a shekel
• Same amount for all
• Went to the service in Tent of Meeting

Introduction

• I Samuel 1:20, 27; 2:11, 26; 3:19-20
• I Samuel 7:15-17 – Samuel served as prophet and judge.
• I Samuel 25:1 – Death of Samuel

He summoned the courage to tell hard truths.

• I Samuel 3:1, 10-14 – Samuel receives a message for Eli from God.
• I Samuel 3:18 – Samuel delivers the message to Eli.
• I Samuel 13 – Samuel rebukes Saul for failing to wait for him.
• I Samuel 15:19, 27-28 – Samuel told Saul his kingdom was being removed.
• I Corinthians 5:1-2
• III John 1:9-10 – John had courage to talk to Diotrephes.
• We must have the courage of Samuel to tell hard truths.
• Proverbs 15:2
• Parents need to have the courage to talk to their children.

He cared.

• I Samuel 8:4-9
• I Samuel 15:10-11
• Amos 6:6
• Psalms 119:136
• Samuel was bothered by sin. Does sin bother us?

He lived with sadness in his life.

• I Samuel 7:3-4
• II Chronicles 35:18
• I Samuel 8:1-3 – Samuel’s sons did evil.
• Hebrews 11:32, 6

“Who is God?”

• Exodus 5:2
• All men need to learn about God.
• We live in an ever-changing world … but God never changes.
  • God’s basic character never changes.
  • You can use the word “always” to express this truth.
  • Malachi 3:6
  • Psalms 102:25-27
  • Hebrews 13:8
  • “He is the still point in a turning world.”
  • God’s purposes do not change.
    • Isaiah 14:23-27
• The God who sent His Son to die on the cross and raised Him from the dead IS THE SAME GOD …
  • Who created the universe
  • Who walked in the garden and talked to Adam and Eve
  • Etc.
• Remember He said what He purposed would be done, therefore God’s promises do not change or fail.
  • II Peter 3:3-10
• But what about those verses that say God changed His mind or that God repented?
  • Genesis 6:6; Jonah 3:10
  • This expresses God’s grief over sin. It doesn’t mean He made a mistake.
• What difference does this make in practical terms?
  • First consider God’s immutability as it applies to the lost.
    • This is very bad news for those living in sin.
      • Psalms 139
    • This is very good news to those who want to be saved.
    • God’s attitude toward obedience and disobedience has never changed!
      • Deuteronomy 6:5-6; 5:10
• So what’s the difference in the Old and New Testaments?
  • Matthew 22:37; Romans 6:17
  • Romans 8:2; Hebrews 8:9-10
  • The Old Covenant did not offer a means of forgiveness. The New Covenant does offer forgiveness through grace and forgiveness in Jesus.
  • In both the Old and New Testament, God expected faith and obedience.
• When faced with requirements and restrictions in God’s word, some reject it by saying God is just not that “picky.”
  • Well, He’s as picky now as He’s always been.
  • Adam and Eve – ate a fruit.
  • Nadab and Abihu – used the wrong fire.
  • Ananias and Sapphira – lied about what they gave.
  • Paul blinded a man who perverted the right way of the Lord!
  • He wants man to love and obey Him!
• God is still the same.
  • His expectations concerning man haven’t changed since creation.

Introduction

• We are an example to everyone around us.
• Do we understand how influential we are?

How are Christians commanded to act?

• As “salt of the earth” and “light of the world”
  • Matthew 5:13-16; Philippians 4:14-15
• Having honorable conduct and good works
  • I Peter 2:11-12
• Striving to win souls with our conduct
  • I Peter 3:1-2 – You can speak without saying a word!
• Walking worthily and being fruitful
  • Colossians 1:9-12

What might they know about us?

• Lessons from a letter.

What our example shows

• Diligence and work ethic
  • II Thessalonians 3:10; I Timothy 5:8; Galatians 6:4-5; Colossians 3:23
• Care and concern for family
  • Proverbs 31:27, 15; 13:24; 19:18; Ephesians 6:1-2, 4; Proverbs 22:6
• Care and concern for others
  • Proverbs 31:20; Acts 2:44-45; James 1:27
• A friendly nature despite unpleasant circumstances
  • Acts 26:2; James 1:2-3; Acts 16:22-25; James 5:13; Philippians 4:11-13
• A family attending every assembly
  • Acts 8:4; Hebrews 10:24-25
• Love and faith in God
  • Philemon 1:4-7; James 2:18

Conclusion

• Romans 1:16-17; I Peter 4:11

But first …

• Manna – where did its name come from?
• What is it?
• Exodus 16:15, 31

Battle at Rephidim

• Exodus 17:8-16
• Amalek picks a fight with Israel
  • Moses’ arms up – Israel prevails
  • Arms down – Amalek prevails
  • Aaron and Hur support Moses

Jethro’s management philosophy

• Exodus 18
• Jethro saw Moses’ burden
  • Micromanaging Israel
  • Took more time than he had
• Jethro – “this is not good”
  • Yes, you be the leader
  • Teach them God’s word
  • His statutes and laws
  • How to walk and work

The solution

• Exodus 18
• Vertical lines of authority
  • Leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, tens
  • They judge the easy, pass the difficult upstream
  • You get the hardest cases
• Two things, though …
  • Who to choose – honorable, honest men
  • You must choose to do it and God must command it

What Moses said later

• Deuteronomy 1:9-18
• Moses’ recounting of leadership plan
  • Why he did it
  • Gave instruction to tribes
  • Tribes responded
  • Moses appointed the leaders
  • Gave them instructions

Israel comes to Sinai

• Exodus 19
• Three months to the day after leaving Egypt
  • Camped in front of Sinai
  • Met with Moses on the mountain

The holy mountain

• Exodus 19
• Mountain was holy – why?
• God to come in a thick cloud
  • The people would hear
  • They’d believe in Moses forever
  • Consecrate and purify
  • Day three, they will see
  • Set boundaries – for good reason
  • “Don’t go near a woman” (Exodus 19:15)
• Happened as promised on third day
  • Warnings reiterated
  • Moses went down to remind them

The commandments given

• No other gods
• No idols
• Revere His name
• Keep Sabbath holy
• Honor parents
• Do not murder
• Do not commit adultery
• Do not steal
• No false witness
• Do not covet
• Matthew 7:12; 22:37-40; Romans 13:8-10

Concerning idols and altars

• Exodus 20:22-26
• God as His own witness
• Restates first two commandments
• Making an altar
  • Altar of earth
  • No cut stones
  • No steps