Devotions

celebrating provision

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 23:14-19

¹⁴ “Each year, three times you should keep a feast to me.¹⁵ You should keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Just as I commanded you, you should eat only unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, because in it you came out of Egypt. No one should appear before me empty-handed.¹⁶ You should keep the Feast of Harvest, of the first picking of your crops, of what you sow in the field. You should keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in from the field the fruit of your work.¹⁷ Three times in the year all your males should appear before the Lord GOD.¹⁸ “You should not offer the blood of my sacrifice along with anything leavened, or let any fat of my feast be left over in the morning.¹⁹ ” You should bring The best of the first picking of your ground crops into the house of the LORD your God. “You should not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

celebrating provision

The community was responsible to celebrate God’s provision regularly. These regular feasts were means of testifying to the way the LORD took care of his people. They were opportunities to witness about God’s miraculous deliverance in Egypt, and his ongoing promise to keep providing for his people – celebrated twice a year. The firstfruits feast celebrated the promise in faith, and the ingathering feast celebrated the fulfillment of the promise.

All of the males in Israel were required to attend these regular celebrations. No one was to stay home because this way no one would be considered too important to take time off for celebration. The LORD was teaching his people that he was the indispensable element for the provision of all things.

Pagan practices were also particularly prohibited – of these, three are mentioned specifically as examples. No leaven is allowed, because it symbolizes the old ways in Egypt. No keeping of leftovers until the next day, because – after all – the people are celebrating God’s trustworthiness in providing for their needs. The practice of boiling a goat kid in it’s mother’s milk was (in addition top being cruel) practiced by the pagans as a means of manipulating the gods to ensure a fertile flock. The LORD will not be manipulated. Unlike the pagan gods, the LORD is willing and eager to provide – as long as he gets the credit for the provision.

LORD, thank you for faithfully providing for us. You are our deliverer and our sustainer.

Posted in dependence upon God, faithfulness, witness | Tagged Exodus 23 | 1 Comment

the land Sabbath

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 23:10-13

¹⁰ ” You shall plant on your land for six years and collect what it produces,¹¹ but the seventh year you shall let it stop producing, lying fallow, so that the poor of your people may eat; and so that the animals of the field may eat what they leave. You should do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard.¹² “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall stop; so that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the visiting foreigner, may be refreshed.¹³ “Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips.

the land Sabbath

If I were ever tempted to add a ritual Sabbath to my spiritual routine, the temptation would come from passages like this one. Here the LORD instructs his people – once they get to the promised land – to let their crops on their land lie fallow one year out of seven. He does not specify the particular year, only it had to be the seventh year from the first harvest. Theoretically, that instruction should have resulted in every community in every location having fields where the poor or visiting foreigners could scrape up food – from the volunteer crops that came up during the Sabbath year.

This regulation tells us a great deal about the LORD. It shows how concerned he is for the poor and marginalized. It also shows that when good is done for anyone, it should be associated with his name. The only people capable of obeying this instruction would be the land owners – those who had enough property to plant several crops. Coming from slavery in Egypt, the Israelites thought of such a situation only happening to the wealthy, but in the promised land, this was to be the norm. And these rich landowners were not to take the credit for this generosity themselves, nor to let it be associated with any of the local pagan deities. The LORD alone was to get the credit for this kindness, as a witness to who he is. He is father to the fatherless, companion to the widow, defender of the downtrodden.

Unfortunately, I own no land. In fact, I own almost nothing. I cannot obey this instruction literally. But I can go out of my way to routinely help the needy. I can give to the person who asks for my help. I can set aside a portion of my income – and fellowship with others who do the same – to help the less fortunate. That is the kind of Sabbath ritual that I can keep in the LORD’s name.

LORD, show us how to demonstrate your compassion to the needy, and to do so in such a way that it testifies of your compassion.

Posted in church, compassion, consideration of others, kindness, missions, Sabbath, witness | Tagged Exodus 23 | 1 Comment

laws about conspiracy

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 23:1-9

¹ “You should not extend a false report. You should not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.² You should not follow the majority to do evil, nor should you bear witness in a lawsuit, stretching with the majority, so as to stretch the truth,³ nor should you be favor a poor man in his lawsuit.⁴ “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey getting lost, you should bring it back to him.⁵ If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its burden, you should refrain from leaving him under it; you should rescue it along with him.⁶ “You should not stretch the judgment for your poor in his lawsuit.⁷ Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, because I will not acquit the wicked.⁸ And you should take no bribe, because a bribe blinds the seeing and turns the cause of those who are in the right.⁹ “You should not oppress a temporary resident. You know the heart of a temporary resident, because you were temporary residents in the land of Egypt.

laws about conspiracy

The community was responsible to work together to make sure that justice was experienced by all. But the temptation would be to side with the majority, or to side against one’s enemy, or to allow one’s peers to influence his thinking. The LORD would not have that kind of collusion going on in his community. Unity was not to be gained at someone else’s expense. Justice cannot happen when the majority gangs up on the outsider. Truth cannot prevail when the crowd is more interested in what they can together accomplish.

Believers have a responsibility to proclaim the truth, even when it is not in their advantage to do so. The Israelites were reminded that when they were in Egypt, a ruling majority oppressed them, and they could not get justice. Their rescue had to come from the power of the LORD, because the heart of the Egyptians was set against them. In the new community, justice and truth were to overrule the pressure to conform to the conspiracy of the crowd.

LORD, make us people of integrity, who do not bend to the flow of all the waters around us.

Posted in consideration of others, discernment, divisions, equality, honesty, judgment, unity | Tagged Exous 23 | Leave a comment

laws about giving

Posted on September 28, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 22:25-31

²⁵ “If you lend money to any of my poor people with you, you should not be like a creditor to him; you should not require interest from him.²⁶ If you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you should return it to him before the sun goes down,²⁷ because that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body; in what else would he sleep? Then if he cries out to me, I will respond, because I am compassionate.²⁸ “You should not demean God, nor curse a leader of your people.²⁹ “You should not delay to offer from the fullness of your harvest and from the outpouring of your presses. The firstborn of your sons you should give to me.³⁰ You should do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it should be with its mother; on the eighth day you should give it to me.³¹ “You should be set apart for me. For that reason you should not eat any flesh that is torn by animals in the field; you should throw it to the dogs.

laws about giving

These rules were particularly applicable to the wealthy in the covenant community. Those with a bit more disposable income would be tempted to use it to their advantage, charging their neighbors interest on loans. The rich might also be tempted to think the normal societal rules about religious talk, or respect for leaders, or worship do not apply to them as they do to the little people. These rules were a reminder that the wealthy were definitely a part of the holy community, and it was particularly important for them to demonstrate respect for others and dedication to the LORD. If they did not do so, it would be defiling the whole community. It would be like eating the carcass of an animal that had been killed by other animals in the field.

LORD, the world is watching. May we be people who are beyond reproach, sharing with the less fortunate whenever possible, and so demonstrating our connection to you.

Posted in consideration of others, equality, genuineness, giving, idolatry, money | Tagged Exodus 22 | 1 Comment

taking advantage

Posted on September 27, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 22:16-24

¹⁶ “If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married and has sex with her, he should give the bride-price for her and make her his wife.¹⁷ If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he should still pay money equal to the bride-price for virgins.¹⁸ “You must not allow a sorceress to live.¹⁹ “Whoever has sex with an animal should be put to death.²⁰ “Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the LORD alone, should be set apart for destruction.²¹ “You should not take advantage of a temporary resident or oppress him, because you were temporary residents in the land of Egypt.²² You should 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.

taking advantage

These examples sited are all ways that someone might take advantage of someone else for his own personal gain. The LORD wanted his community to know that he was watching, and that the community was responsible to see to it that the weaker parties were not taken advantage of. If the community did not step in and seek justice for the mistreated, the God himself would break out against his own community.

Who is it that speaks for the abused and mistreated today? God’s people still have this role. If we are too busy doing our religious thing that we don’t not stop and seek justice for the mistreated, we should not be surprised when the LORD lashes out against the land. We have a responsibility to protect the weak and innocent from those who take advantage of them.

LORD, make us protectors of the unprotected, defenders of the defenseless.

Posted in church, consideration of others, responsibility | Tagged Exodus 22 | 1 Comment

covenant household property loss liability rights

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 22:1-15

¹ “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he should repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.² “If a thief is found breaking in and is attacked and dies as a result, there should be no bloodguilt for him,³ but if the sun has risen on him, there should be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he should be sold for his theft.⁴ If the stolen animal is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he should pay double.⁵ “If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his animal loose and it feeds in another man’s field, he should recompense the man from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard.⁶ “If fire breaks out and catches in weeds so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire should fully recompense for the loss.⁷ “If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man’s house, then, if the thief is found, he should pay double.⁸ If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor’s property.⁹ For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties should come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.¹⁰ “If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any animal to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it,¹¹ an oath by the LORD should be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor’s property. The owner should accept the oath, and he should not seek recompense.¹² But if it is stolen from him, he should seek recompense from its owner.¹³ If it is torn by animals, let him bring it as evidence. He should not seek recompense for what has been torn.¹⁴ “If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he should full recompense the loss.¹⁵ If the owner was with it, he should not seek recompense; if it was rented, only the rental fee is due.

covenant household property loss liability rights

These legal rules helped the judges determine who was responsible in case items of property were lost or stolen, and how those liable were to compensate for the loss. Some general thoughts are helpful:

The rules applied to more than just animals. They were to be applied for any loss, indicating that the LORD took property loss seriously.
None of the rules suggested incarceration as the appropriate penalty. The goal was restitution of both parties and restoration of the peace in the community. By contrast, imprisonment forces isolation and segregation.
In some cases, liability could not be established. In such cases, the accused and accuser were both to make an oath before God, and leave the matter in his hands. This implies a belief in divine justice, even if the courts cannot establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. God was the supreme court.
People were to be held responsible for neglect resulting in damage or loss of property. This taught the principle that other people’s property is to be respected as much as one’s own. Again, the community as a whole is in view. There is no place in God’s community for those who are only willing to look out for number one.

LORD, restore us – not just to yourself, but also to one another. Help us to function as the divine community, and so model your plan for our future.

Posted in church, consideration of others, fellowship, judgment | Tagged Exodus 22 | 1 Comment

covenant household property loss compensation rights

Posted on September 25, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 21:28-36

²⁸ “When an ox gores a man or a woman, and death occurs, the ox should be stoned, and its meat should not be eaten, but the owner of the ox will not be liable.²⁹ But if the ox has been given to goring in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept watch over it, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox should be stoned, and its owner also should be put to death.³⁰ If a redemption price is set for him, then he should give for the redemption of his life whatever is set for him.³¹ If it gores a man’s son or daughter, he should be dealt with according to this same rule.³² If the ox gores a servant, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox should be stoned.³³ “When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit but does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,³⁴ the owner of the pit should make restoration. He should give money to its owner, and the dead animal will be his.³⁵ “When one man’s ox butts another’s, so that it dies, then they should sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share.³⁶ Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept watch over it, he should repay ox for ox, and the dead animal will be his.

covenant household property loss compensation rights

Work animals were essential in the agrarian society of the Hebrews. These rules gave instruction to the judges who had to decide what was proper compensation for the injury or loss of someone’s work animal. These rules came from the heart of a God who cared about the everyday lives of his people. He was not just concerned about their worship, or even their interpersonal relationships. He spoke into their everyday lives. He met them where they were. There was nothing more practical for a wandering Israelite than the protection of his animals. One of the lies that the Israelites would hear over and over in Canaan was that the LORD was not interested in their everyday life, so that is why they needed to worship Baal – because he promised fertile animals and full crops! The book of the covenant was the LORD’s answer to that lie. He cares about every aspect of our lives.

LORD, thank you for caring about our practical needs. We come to you today sharing the needs we have, trusting you to give us that daily bread.

Posted in consideration of others, idolatry, relationship with God | Tagged Exodus 21 | 1 Comment

covenant household injury compensation rights

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 21:12-27

¹² “Whoever hits a man so hard that he dies should be put to death.¹³ But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint for you a location to which he may escape.¹⁴ But if a man willfully attacks another to kill him deliberately, you should take him even from my altar, so that he may die.¹⁵ “Whoever hits his father or his mother should be put to death.¹⁶ “Whoever kidnaps a man and sells him into slavery, and anyone found in possession of him, should be put to death.¹⁷ “Whoever curses his father or his mother should be put to death.¹⁸ “When men quarrel and one hits the other with a stone or with his fist and the man does not die but takes to his bed,¹⁹ then if the man rises again and walks outdoors with his staff, he who struck him will be clear; only he should pay for the loss of his time, and should make sure he is thoroughly healed.²⁰ “When a man hits his servant, male or female, with a rod and the servant dies under his hand, he should be avenged.²¹ But if the servant recovers after a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the servant is his silver.²² “When men fight together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no lasting harm to them, the one who hit her should surely be fined, whatever the woman’s husband will impose on him, and he should pay as the judges determine.²³ But if there is lasting harm, then you shall pay life for life,²⁴ eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,²⁵ burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.²⁶ “When a man hits the eye of his servant, male or female, and destroys it, he should let the servant go free because of his eye.²⁷ If he knocks out the tooth of his servant, male or female, he should let the servant go free because of his tooth.

covenant household injury compensation rights

The LORD spelled out the details as to how the judges in Israel should rule to protect people from intentional violence, and protect those who caused injury unintentionally. Specifically, these legal rules covered:

violence resulting in homicide (12-14),
violence in conjunction with breaking other commandments (15-17)
violence resulting in injury to others (18-27).

These rules allowed for a society which took personal harm seriously, but allowed for justice to be served without it simply turning into a matter of family blood feuds. They showed something about the LORD. They demonstrated his compassion for those who are hurt and victimized. They also reflected the reality that the very nation called on to reflect God’s holiness and lead others to him would itself be plagued by anger and violence. The fact that these laws were in place showed our LORD’s distaste for that kind of double-mindedness. He calls his people to peace among themselves so as to reflect the peace he has bought for them

LORD, make us a church who loves, restores, forgives, and lives at peace with the world around us.

Posted in consideration of others, depravity, self-control | Tagged Exodus 21 | 1 Comment

covenant household employment rights

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 21:1-11

21:1 “These are the legal rules that you should explain to them.² When you contract with a Hebrew servant, he should serve six years, and in the seventh he should go out free, for nothing.³ If he comes in single, he should go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife should go out with him.⁴ If his employer gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her employer’s, and he should go out alone.⁵ But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’⁶ then his employer should bring him to God, and he should bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his employer should bore his ear through with an awl, and he will be his slave forever.⁷ “When a man contracts out his daughter as a servant, she should not go out as the male slaves do.⁸ If she does not please her employer, who has designated her for himself, then he should let her be redeemed. He will have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has broken faith with her.⁹ If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter.¹⁰ If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, or her marital rights.¹¹ And if he does not do these three things for her, she will go out for nothing, without payment of money.

covenant household employment rights

The “book of the covenant”[1] apparently begins here. It was a set of legal descriptions and elaborations which explained how the ten words (commandments) applied to the covenant community. Judges would use this book as they tried individual cases to see whether a crime against the covenant had been committed, and how to respond to the crime if it had been committed.

Since the entire nation had been subjected to forced slavery by the Egyptians, it makes sense that the instructions on how to judge human rights violations would begin here. Contractual obligations for those who decide to employ contract workers is the issue at hand. The reason it was so important is that the entire generation had no experience doing anything but serving in Egypt. To those with little or no possessions to trade, contractual service would seem a logical option.

1. The arrangement is contractual, so the term of employment is for only six years, after which the single worker must be set free (2). This arrangement parallels the rules about Sabbath observance, and reminds both parties that God is the author of the rest that comes at the seventh period of time. It also provides for the person employed a way of legally walking away from the arrangement, by setting a time limit to the contract – something the Hebrews never had under the Egyptians.

2. Children born to the contract worker must be protected (3-4). A child born to parents under contractual obligation is to remain under the protection of the worker’s employer even when one of the parents has served his time limit, and is no longer under the employer’s supervision.

3. A contract worker may voluntarily choose to make his situation permanent (5-6). In such cases, a separate contract for lifetime service can be arrange, attested to by the priests. This arrangement had to be signified by making a hole in the worker’s ear, a sign of the permanence of the new contractual arrangement.

4. Certain restrictions applied in the contractual arrangement between an employer and a woman who would serve in his household (7-11). These restrictions protected the rights of both the woman and her employer.

Anyone who has ever been unemployed, or faced the threat of unemployment – knows how depressing and disheartening it feels. The LORD wanted his people to know that he cared for them. His laws protected them, and showed that he loved them.

LORD, we pray for those trapped in unemployment and discouraged today. Help them out of that trap. But until they are free, remind them that you love them and value them.

[1] 24:7.

Posted in dependence upon God, employment, encouragement, judgment | Tagged Exodus 21 | 1 Comment

monotheistic worship

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 20:22-26

²² And the LORD told Moses, “This is what you should say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have communicated with you from the sky.²³ Do not make gods of silver to represent me, nor make for yourselves gods of gold.²⁴ You should make for me an earthen altar and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. I will come to you and bless you in each place where I cause my name to be remembered.²⁵ If you make me an altar of stone, you should not build it out of carved stones, because if you use your tool on it you defile it.²⁶ And do not go up by steps to my altar, so that your nakedness is not exposed on it.’

monotheistic worship

As soon as the ten words from God had been pronounced, the LORD himself provided a few exegetical explanations of them. This showed how important it was for the covenant keepers to understand clearly what the LORD wanted, so that their practices met up with his expectations.

The first thing to be explained was monotheistic worship. It was to be done with a whole new set of rules – opposite those of polytheistic worship.

1. The fallen spirits who demanded worship from their people had also demanded that those people make representational images to depict them. These images had to be made of something intrinsically valuable, like silver or gold, or at least stone carved by an artisan. The more valuable the representation, the more power the adherent possessed. But the LORD would not follow that convention. He demanded that worshippers come to him with nothing to commend themselves. In other words, the relationship was to be one based on the grace of the LORD, not the wealth or wisdom or strength of the worshipper.

2. Those fallen spirits also required that certain places be adorned with elaborate costly altars, also to make a distinction between the haves and the have-nots. The wealthy or skillful or powerful who could afford to appease the gods would (it was suggested) be treated with deference by those gods. It preserved a class system that favored the rich and kept the poor in their place. The LORD would have none of that. His altar would be made of dirt, or untouched stones. Anyone could make such an altar. It was particularly important at this juncture for the LORD to make such a rule, because it reinforced the new concept of salvation by grace.

3. The fallen spirits had also taken advantage of the unbridled lusts of their adherents, requiring altars with steps that exposed the genitals of their priests. Their “worship” services involved all sorts of sexual acts and pornographic depictions. The LORD was rewriting the rules for worship, demanding modesty and refocusing on the spiritual realities rather than the physical. The sexual urges are a powerful force. Rather that adopting that force as the unclean spirits had done, the LORD demanded that his followers stay focused on him, not each other. He knew that one of the easiest things for the human being to idolize – and be distracted by — is someone else’s body.

LORD, help us to rediscover your way of worship. We want to approach you on the basis of your love and grace. We reject any worship which takes our focus off you.

Posted in dependence upon God, grace, idolatry, worship | Tagged Exodus 20 | 1 Comment