The Laws at Mt. Sinai

In Exodus 21 – 23, Moses received the laws on Mt. Sinai. At first, some of these laws seem irrelevant to multicultural and modern societies, but there are timeless questions, such as how to determine justice, mercy, and restitution during times of crisis? As I was reading, I tried to recognize the nature of God and the moral lesson or parameter to follow for each (rather than focus on what law was broken).

The categories of law deal with the topics of servants, personal injury, negligence, theft, property damage, dishonesty, immorality, civil and religious obligations, and Sabbaths and feasts.

Servants (Ex. 21:1-12)

1. If you have a servant, he should work 6 years and then go free on the 7^th year without having to pay. If the servant was married when he arrived, then he and his wife can both go free together. If children were born during the years of servanthood, then the wife and children stay with the master, since they are his property, but if the man chooses to stay with them, then he can declare his love to the master, wife, and children. The master will pierce his ear and claim him for the rest of his life (to own him, but also to pledge protection and loyalty to him and his family).
2. If a man sells his daughter into servanthood, she is not to go free on the 7^th year as men do. Her relatives can redeem her. If the master wants her to be with his son, then he must grant her the full rights of a daughter. She must never be sold to foreigners.
3. If a master takes a servant as his wife, he is required to provide her with food, clothing, and marital rights for her entire life, even if he is not pleased with her and takes a second wife. If he doesn’t provide her with all three of these things, she is free to leave without paying any money.

Personal Injury (Ex. 21:12-36)

1. A murderer is to be put to death unless the act was not intentional.
2. If a man kills and it was an accident, he should flee to a designated place, but if he “schemes and plots to kill” then “take him away from my [the Lord’s] altar” and put him to death.
3. To protect the family, these people are in error and should be put to death: Anyone who attacks his father and mother; anyone who kidnaps and sells the victim; anyone who curses his father or mother.
4. If men quarrel and one is injured to the point he can’t get up and walk, the one who injured him must pay the injured man for his time and see that he is completely healed.
5. If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and he or she dies as a result, he must be punished.
6. If men are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely, then the offender is fined whatever the husband demands and the court allows!
7. If there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise. (The idea here, I believe, is to show remorse and restitution for the offense.)
8. If a man hits a servant and destroys an eye or tooth then the servant goes free to compensate for it.
9. If a bull gores a man to death, then it should be stoned to death and its meat not eaten, but the owner of the bull is not held responsible. If the owner has been warned and there is a habitual problem of the bull killing people, then the bull and the owner are to be put to death (!). However, is payment is demanded (by the judges or family) then the owner can redeem his life by paying.

Negligence

1. If a man uncovers a pit or fails to cover a pit back up and an ox or donkey (for example) falls into it, then the owner pays for the loss. He pays the owner and the dead animal becomes his.
2. If a man’s bull injures the bull of another man and it dies, they are to sell the living one and divide the money and dead animal equally. But, if the bull had the habit of injuring, then the owner must pay animal for animal, and the dead animal will be his.

Theft (Ex. 22)

1. Theft of an ox or sheep requires the thief to pay back 5 head of cattle for the ox and 4 sheep for the sheep.
2. If a thief is caught breaking in and struck and he dies, then the defender is not guilty of bloodshed. But, if it happens after sunrise, he is guilty of bloodshed.
3. A thief must make restitution, and if he has nothing to give, then he must be “sold” to pay for the theft (work off debt). It he stole an animal, then he must pay back double.

Property Damage

The guilty party pays restitution: a reparation made by giving an equivalent or compensation for loss, damage or injury caused; indemnification.

Synonyms: recompense, amends, compensation, requital, satisfaction, repayment; redress--the setting right of what is wrong, relief from wrong or injury, to correct or reform; atonement.

Dishonesty

1. If borrowed goods are stolen, the thief pays back double.
2. If a man takes a virgin, he must pay the “bride price.” If the father refuses to give her to the man, then he still must pay the bride price.

Civil & Religious Obligations

1. Do not allow a sorceress to live.
2. If a person has sexual relations with an animal, put the person to death.
3. Whoever sacrifices to any other “god” other than the Lord, “must be destroyed.”
4. Do not mistreat aliens/foreigners or oppress them, for you were aliens/foreigners in Egypt.
5. Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do, they will cry out to Me [the Lord]. I will hear their cry and become angry. I will kill you with the sword. Your wives will become widows and children orphans.

  Laws of Justice & Mercy (Ex. 23:1-9)

1. Do not spread false reports.
2. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness.
3. Do not follow the crowd by doing wrong.
4. Do not side with a poor man in his lawsuit by showing favoritism.
5. If your enemy's ox or donkey is wandering off and you see it, take it back to him.
6. Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.
7. Do not have a false charge or put an innocent or honest person to death. God says, "I will not acquit the guilty."
8. Do not accept a bribe--it blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.
9. Do not oppress an alien/foreigner because you were once an alien/foreigner in Egypt. This is the 3rd time the Lord has given this instruction about being kind to aliens/foreigners.

 Sabbaths & Feasts (Ex. 23:14-19)

1. Sow your land and gather its yield for 6 years, but during the 7th year, let it rest and lie fallow so the poor of your people may eat. 
2. Work for 6 days, but on the 7th day, you need to rest, as well as your ox and donkey, servants, and any foreigners who are guests, so they can be refreshed. 
3. Pay attention to all of the instructions I [the Lord] have given; make no mention of names of other gods. 
4. Three times a year, hold feasts that are dedicated to the Lord: The Feast of Unleavened Bread (eat bread with no yeast for 7 days), the Feast of Harvest (bring the firstfruits of your labor), and the Feast if Ingathering (at the end of the year to celebrate the harvest).

MICAH 6:8