Mon.’s Devo - Laws of Warfare and Hospitality

Read Ex. 22:1-21 I am going to scan this chapter and pick out the things that catch my eye. These laws have to do with practical spiritual warfare. If the devil steals leaders from us through deceit or death then we can demand 5 leaders for the one he stole. We can demand 4 people for one. Let me give you an example of this. Stephen was a zealous Christian. He was reeking havoc in the devil’s kingdom, so he was stoned. The devil stole an ox. Paul was at the stoning of Stephen and watched Stephen die praising God. Paul was being used by Satan to kill many Christians. Satan took Stephen; God took Paul. Paul in turn, lead more Christians to the Lord than he killed during his killing days. Many “oxen” were raised up under Paul’s ministry like Timothy, Silvanus, Onesimus, Mark, and Barnabus. If the devil steals anything from you, you have the right to demand it back and more. The thing is: you have to identify him as being the thief. Many times we don’t understand that it is the devil who is stealing from us so we don’t demand he return it with interest. If you aren’t sure if its the devil or not then do what verse 9 says: bring it before the judges. In other words, bring it before God and ask him to show you. Verse 21 says that we are not to mistreat a stranger, nor oppress him because you were once strangers in Egypt. I think this has to do with non-Christians of any ethnicity. Once, we were not in Christ so we need to have patience and mercy for those who don’t know the truth yet. We need to treat them as we would want to be treated so that God’s kindness can bring them to repentance. Lord, help us to recognize our enemy and plunder his spoil. Restore back to us everything he has stolen from us with interest. You are our deliverer and strong tower!

Fri.’s Devo - Empty Wells

Read Ex. 21:33-36 Today’s reading is a lot like yesterday’s only they are talking about an open pit left unmarked which is the cause of injury. I think of an open pit as being like an empty well. Empty cisterns were sometimes used as prisons back then. Joseph was thrown into one by his brothers. A cistern is suppose to be filled with water. I would think of opening a pit to be like opening a door to something evil. Left uncovered it becomes a place of harm for others and possibly a prison. If filled with clean water it can be redeemed as something useful and a source of life. Jesus can always redeem our mistakes and deliver us from evil. These laws, though technical, seem to all point to the same thing: you are responsible for your mess. Asking forgiveness doesn’t get you off the hook. You must own up to your mistake and make retribution. Even though God forgives our sins, we still reap the fruit of our deeds. These laws are great practical advise as well as spiritual. The last two verses have to do with someone who owns an ox that kills his neighbor’s ox. They are to sell the live ox and divide the money and the carcass of the dead ox. Very fair. Then, if the ox has a reputation of goring and the owner doesn’t pen him in and he kills his neighbors ox, he is to pay for the ox and his neighbor gets the dead ox. It is all about taking responsibility. Lord, help us to take responsibility for our words, our possessions, our children, and ourselves in every way. Discipline us by your merciful kindness and lead us to righteousness.

Thurs.’s Devo - The Ox

Read Ex. 21:28-32 The laws for an ox are this: if an ox gores a person, then he will be stoned and the owner is not at fault unless the owner has been told that his ox is known for using his horn to hurt another person. If the ox has a history of being violent and the ox kills a person then the owner and the ox are put to death. If the injured party’s family allows him to buy back his life then he can. The same judgment is required if it is done to a child. I found an interesting verse in Is. 66:3 “He that kills an ox is as if he slew a man.” So Isaiah is comparing an ox at the same level as a man.” Horns have to do with power as in authority. When Nebucadnezer had his dream about the horns they stood for kings of kingdoms. I think this has to do with leaders once again. This time it has to do with piercing them to death. If the word of God has the power to pierce to the marrow, our words have the ability to gore. Notice that the ox is responsible himself if it is the first time, but after that it is the owner’s responsibility also. If you have someone in authority under you and he hurts another person by wielding his power or by his words, then he is responsible for the mess he made; but if you are his overseer, and you know he has done this in the past it is your job to make sure it doesn’t happen again. If it does then you are just as responsible as him. 1 Peter 5:1 says it like this: 1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Lord, whether we are in authority or under authority, help us to humble ourselves and do all for your glory.

Wed.’s Devo - Eyes and Teeth

Read Ex. 21:26-27 Today we read that if a man strikes one of his servants and destroys an eye or a tooth, then he must set that servant free. Symbolically , your eye is how you see and understand spiritually and you use your teeth to grind the truth down so you can “swallow it” or understand it and apply it. So if the one over you hinders that process, he needs to set you free to find someone else to follow. If an ox gores a person to death, then the ox must be stoned and its flesh not eaten for the owner to be acquitted. Isaiah 66:3 compares an ox to a man (“He who kills an ox is as if he slew a man.”) I think symbolically an ox stands for a spiritual leader. I think that this passage means that if a spiritual leader teaches doctrine that causes the spirit of one to die then he must be severely reprimanded (stoned) so that no one else will eat his doctrine and die by it. Then the owner, whoever is his spiritual leader or association, will not be held responsible for his teachings. But, if the man was known for teaching false doctrine and the association he is a member of doesn’t reprimand him then, they are responsible before God. If this “ox” has received money for his teachings, he should pay them back. If this same leader “pushes” a servant or deceives them, then he must pay a price. Lord, help us to take our responsibilities serious especially when it comes to leading other Christians.

Tues.’s Devo - The Glory of God

Read Ex. 24:1-18 God called the leaders of Israel to come close to the mountain, but told them that only Moses could come near to God. Moses spoke before all the people and gave them all the laws and judgments of God and they agreed to follow them. Moses wrote them all down and built an altar to the Lord where he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord. He erected 12 pillars to stand for each of the tribes Moses took half of the blood of the slain oxen and put them on the basons and the altar then he took the book that he had written God’s words in and read it again and once again the people said they would obey it. Then he sprinkled the people with the rest of the blood to seal the covenant between God and them. (He probably sprinkled the 12 pillars which represented all the people.) Then Moses took Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu and the 70 elders up on the mountain and they got to see God from afar. He was standing on a pavement of sapphire that was clear because of its pureness. A few select other people got to see God and live. This time they weren’t scared to death… maybe it was because of the peace offering they had offered first. Then God called Moses up to the mountain to receive more tablets of stone where God had written laws and commandments. Joshua got to go half way up with him to wait for 6 days until God called him up to his presence. Notice the three places. The people were in the outer court (the furthest out), Joshua was in the inner court, and Moses was in the Holy of Holies where he stayed 40 days and 40 nights. Many people come to the outer courts and receive forgiveness of sins and receive salvation. Fewer come closer and offer up praise and worship before God and spend time to dine with him. Even fewer enter into the Holy of Holies and have an encounter with him where they see his manifested glory. Lord, we want to be the Moseses of our generation that draw near and see your glory.

Tues.’s Devo - Premature Births

Read Ex. 21:22-25 The laws God set up show the depravity of man and what was going on in the land. God is a parent with many children that need laws to live by. All I can say is, I’m glad I’m not God! Today’s law reads: if there is a quarrel between men and a pregnant woman gets hurt and gives birth prematurely, the man who is responsible must pay. The father of the child determines a punishment and the judge decides if it is fair. If there continues to be trouble, then whatever one does to the other the same will be done to him. How do we relate this to today? Every time there is strife between groups of people there is collateral damage. When a church splits over man’s opinions then many people are hurt. We are all pregnant with vision, hope, spiritual babies, etc. If we are in the midst of a conflict and someone else causes us to get ahead of God’s plan and give birth prematurely, the responsibility is on him. This might play out as a person who puts a new believer in a place he or she is not mature enough to handle. The mistakes that new believer does are the responsibility of the leader who put him there. The “father of the child” could be the actual father, a pastor, or a mentor. He is the one who covers the “pregnant woman” and decides what should be done to restore restitution but God is the judge who ultimately decides what will happen. Any thing after that is evenly decided: if you take a life, yours will be taken; if you gossip about another person, they will gossip about you, etc. Lord, I admit I don’t totally understand all you are saying in these verses. This is a stab, but I pray that you will lead us into greater truth.

Mon.’s Devo - Under, Equal, Over

Read Ex. 21:17-21 Today we will read about 3 types of people that God set up laws for: the one under authority, the ones equal in authority, and the one in authority. The first on is for those under authority. God is serious about honoring authority, especially our parents. The word “curse” in the Hebrew means to “make light of”. That would be to make light of God’s set-up line of authority - otherwise called rebellion. God said in 1 Sam 15:23 that “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” Ouch! So in the Old Testament to curse either of your parents was punishable by death which is why they had few rebellious teenagers. Verses 18 and 19 are interesting: if you are fighting with someone who is your equal and you hurt them with a stone or your fist, then you have to pay them for their days they can’t work and for any medical bills they may have. As long as you pay, you are not punished. (Old Testament Workman’s Comp!) We don’t tend to go around with a purse full of stones to throw, or swinging our fists, but we may go around throwing hurtful words and swinging our power and influence to hurt another’s reputation. When we realize we have actually injured someone we are suppose to do what it takes to make things right and heal the injured party. James put it like this: “With our tongue we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.” So, when we hurt others, we are hurting God. The third type of person God deals with is the person who is over other people… the boss. If he kills one of his employees, then he will be punished. If he just wounds the worker then his punishment is the man’s lack of work he can do. So God takes care of us when we are being abused by someone over us. A disgruntled worker can cause all kinds of injury to a business. A boss can literally shoot himself in the foot by being unjust to a worker. Lord, we fill all of these rolls as a mother, father, wife, husband, and employee. Help us to honor you and those around us and be a blessing instead of a curse.