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Awesome Hands – part 71

“The judgments” part B

December 3rd, 2014

We are continuing this week to cover “the judgments” as laid out to us in Exodus 21.

Last study we covered the “intents of the heart” concerning slavery and murder, and in this study we are going to cover the judgments given to us in the Old Testament concerning assaults and injuries that do not result in death, as well as those same types of injuries that happen from masters and their beasts as well as “free men”.

Exo 21:20   And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.

Exo 21:21   Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.

Like many things that came before the law of Moses, there were many things that were given more consideration and judgment on how the Lord laid out His laws to His people.

Much like women were not treated very well in marriage before the law of Moses and then were given a bill of divorcement with the law, so, too, did things change a bit with slavery.

Before the law, there were almost no laws that gave slaves any sorts of rights if they were treated brutally by their masters. However, the Lord gave slaves a way to be somewhat protected from outright savagery. The law did a lot to ameliorate the slaves that were slaves under the law of Moses.

As we just read, if a master smote his slaves and they died, they were to be punished. Some translations say the masters were also put to death, but I do not think this was the action that was taken most of the time given what we will read in a few minutes.

The spiritual significance of the lessons of smiting our servants is that we do not intend to cause death but to give life. Even if death occurs, spiritually speaking it would only be the death of the old man, and it is a good thing for the new man to be born.

If you look at verse 19 again, you will notice that any hurt that is NOT a slave was to be repaid for his time loss because of the injury. Likewise, nothing is paid to a slave that is hurt because the owner’s punishment itself is that “his money” is producing nothing while being injuried. So, this is enough under the law for a master to be reprimanded with.

As I mentioned last week, the law really emphasizes intent of the heart. Take for example these next verses:

Exo 21:22   If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

Exo 21:23   And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

Exo 21:24   Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

Exo 21:25   Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

In verses 22 we are clearly being told that if men are fighting and a woman intervenes, is with child, and is then hurt, then there are two courses of action in this matter.

1. If the baby dies but the woman doesn’t, the husband can determine the compensation that will then be determined to be proper in the sight of the judges.


2. If they woman dies too, then equal payment would be paid for whatever the loss was that happened.

This is where we clearly see the concept of eye for and eye and tooth for a tooth coming from. There are many commentaries on “eye for and eye, tooth for a tooth”, as you can imagine, but I honestly believe most are rubbish.

Most contend that eye for an eye can’t possible mean what it says. Many of these commentaries give the example of a one-eyed man having to pay the penalty of becoming completely blind if he had to actually follow through with obeying this law if he caused injury to the eye of a two-eyed man. Most contend that this just wouldn’t be fair, and this is not what the law intended.

However, as can be seen when you just read what is said and written, a lot of situations allow the person being wronged to determine the course of action including compensation.

What is not written is that a one-eyed man can determine his own punishment if he broke the law concerning “eye for an eye”. Simply stated, most people do not want to take the Lord at what He says and instead want to interpret what is said to mean something else “more fair”.

If the Lord did not intend “eye for an eye” for example, then He would not have restated it in Leviticus.

Lev 24:17   And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.

Lev 24:18   And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast.

Lev 24:19   And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;

Lev 24:20   Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.

Lev 24:21   And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.

Lev 24:22   Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your God.

Another example and witness of this is when Jesus Himself said that the Pharisees and scribes were hypocrites because they DID NOT follow the law but instead created their own “traditions of men” to make themselves feel better about disobeying the law they were given.

I read this before, but it is an important point to get across.

Mat 15:1  Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

Mat 15:2  Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

Mat 15:3  But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

Mat 15:4  For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

Mat 15:5  But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;

Mat 15:6  And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Mat 15:7  Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,

Mat 15:8  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Mat 15:9  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

In other words, the lesson we are take from these judgments given to us in Exodus 21 is that we all are guilty of taking what the Lord tells us to do, twisting it to be our own better version of that law/judgment, and then claim we are serving the Lord by doing so instead of DOING WHAT HE SAYS TO DO.

Jesus calls this VANITY.

If you think I am preaching something that is too harsh on those who have committed these vain actions, then you aren’t realizing that I am speaking about myself when I say we ALL have participated in this VANITY and are GUILTY before the law which is “a law unto ourselves”.

I’ll prove this with Jesus’ own words, which are about this very “eye for an eye” doctrine. Now, which doctrine are you believing whole-heartedly? Is it a doctrine of “the commandments of men” i.e. what you have learned to be “FAIR” and “JUST” in your life and upbringing or is it according to what Jesus told us to do? Are we being DOERS of the Word?

Mat 5:38   Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

Mat 5:39   But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Mat 5:40   And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

Mat 5:41   And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.

Mat 5:42   Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

I know and I feel naturally just how UNJUST and UNFAIR these “but I say unto you” Laws of Liberty feel and sound to my heart and mind. Likewise I know this is the same for you naturally.

However, we are now SLAVES buried in baptism with Christ Jesus and BORN into the Life He would have us represent Him in as His ambassadors. After all, what is a coat or cloak that I have on and someone else wants if not the cloak the Lord put on my back to be given to that person who is in the position to ask it of me?

Do we truly believe the Lord works all things after His own counsel, and if so, what is our REACTION to that?

I’ve said many times that Jesus’ walk on this earth was t