The law in your heart

Welcome to the Daily Bible Chapter. My name is James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as we discover new insights and new perspectives from a very old book.

Exodus 21

I'm reading Young's Literal Translation (YLT) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

In Exodus 18, Jethro counsels Moses to select judges. Judges need statutes. Chapter 21 is the beginning of the statutes.

It's apparent that a form of slavery exists among the Israelites, indicating that even when they were all "slaves" to Pharaoh in Egypt,  slavery was also practiced among them. The indications from this chapter is that the slavery was a form of debt repayment, at least among males, and was  limited in duration (verses 2-6). Female slaves seemed to have been sold into slavery by their fathers, but they are given rights and protections (verses 7-11).

The rest of the chapter suggests fairly sensible laws. Richard J. Maybury identified two laws common to all religions, the second of which is, "do not encroach on other persons or their property." Many of the laws in this chapter seem to be an extrapolation of it: Compensation for victims of injury or property damage, some grace for causing accidental death, but the death penalty to those who deliberately or negligently cause death. 

The way I see it,  no compensation is possible for a murder victim, and who would want a murderer to roam free? Why would a nomadic tribe build prisons? (Note: my theoretical support of the death penalty for murderers does not imply endorsement of it within the modern State.)

What stands out to me most, however, is verse 17:

And he who is reviling his father or his mother is certainly put to death. (YLT)

Or,

Whoever curses father or mother shall be put to death. (NRSV)

We who grew up learning that "sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me" might find this punishment severe. I suspect, however, that this isn't about executing an insolent child. Perhaps it relates more to public actions against a parent such as Ham humiliating his father Noah in Genesis. Something that can't be tolerated if there is to be genuine peace within families and nations.

It seems that the matter is up to the judges.

And that's the point. The judges are to interpret the facts under the law to keep the peace so that open fighting doesn't erupt.

For a nation that recently fled its oppressors, a nation of nomadic refugees, these laws handed down from Moses seem to provide structure. Just as structure is needed when individuals or families have fled a bad situation and are starting a new life.

Does the LORD authorize slavery and sex inequality in this chapter? Perhaps, and that would be a wicked god..

But here's another "perhaps:" the LORD is establishing laws to act justly in a society where these things already exist.

In the United State, we still hold in high regard the 18th century aristocrats who led the country to independence, even though most of them were slaveowners, and their form of chattel slavery was far worse than the slavery that seems to have existed among the Israelites. But they're still venerated. We've been indoctrinated to give the "Founding Fathers" a pass for slavery because it was too complicated to address when they were also fighting for independence.

I think this is a similar dynamic. The LORD, through Moses, wouldn't overthrow the entire social order so soon after the major step of escaping Egypt. 

But the LORD did point the way toward acting justly within that social order.

That said, I know the Bible has a pretty bad reputation for weird, stupid, and unjust laws. We'll cross those bridges when we get to them. But there isn't much of that in Exodus 21.

Nevertheless, perhaps the LORD is establishing the law in your heart. Put to death any thought of murder. Put to death any thought of cursing your parents.

The law to obey is in one's conscience.

James Leroy Wilson writes Daily Miracles, The Daily Bible Chapter, JL Cells, and The MVP Chase. Thanks for your subscriptions and support!

(Photo credit: TyshkunVictor)