“You must not turn away justice for your poor people in their lawsuits. Keep your distance from a false charge–do not kill the innocent and the righteous, for I will not justify the wicked.”
Into the Text
Exodus 21–24 are some of the chapters that list out the rules and regulations of the Mosaic Law. The Mosaic Law was given by God for three purposes: to reveal the people’s sin and need for rescue, to demonstrate what a life of holiness looks like, and to promote justice and protect the vulnerable from evil.
Each law is to remind the people of who He is and to respect the life given to every image-bearer.
The law gives protection to the vulnerable: to women, foreigners, slaves, those unjustly accused, and even to animals. The Israelites are to live above reproach and to honor God with every aspect of their lives.
Though we do not live according to the Mosaic Law anymore because of Jesus, there are some valuable lessons we can learn from it.
We too are to seek justice and care for the vulnerable. As believers, we are to be marked by humility and kindness, showing others what Christ is like. We sacrificially serve others, knowing that our perfect example, Jesus Christ, was known as a servant leader.
God also gave the people of Israel a set of festivals so that they could worship Him for who He is and what He had done in their lives. We too are called to worship God, but we don’t have to wait for a specific festival to worship God. We can worship Him every day through prayer and thanksgiving and weekly when we gather together corporately with the body of Christ.
What a gift that we can belong to Him and have the opportunity to show others what He is like by the way that we live.
Prayer
God, thank you that we are no longer under the Law but are forgiven and freed through faith in Christ. I pray that my life would be in humble submission to your will and way. Amen.