Demonstrating Respect For God

God had declared they were not to worship anything besides God.   Exodus 22:18 commanded, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live,” while Exodus 22:20 warns, “He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.”  The various spells and potions used in different forms of the occult are essentially acknowledging various spirits and deities as having supernatural power, and thus are a form of worship, whether people realize t or not. 

  

All humans were created in the image of God and are equal before him   As slaves in Egypt, Israel had experienced what it felt like to be treated as an inferior race    They were not to take treat others as inferior or use their inexperience or lack of support to take advantage of them.  Exodus 22:21-24 warned, “Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.  Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.  If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.”  Failure to treat them properly would result in their being treated the way they treated the others. 

They were not to take advantage of a person’s time of need.  While they were free to charge those who could afford it interest, they were not to charge the poor interest(usury), according to Exodus 22:25-27.  “If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.  If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.”    Even if they took something for pawn, such as a person’s coat, they were to allow him to have the use of it when he needed it.    God would intervene if they ignored these instructions. 

A study of Israel’s history shows numerous times when God has intervened on behalf of those who were being taken advantage of.  Unfortunately history is replete with instances of the same thing in other countries, because the same principles apply to every nation, not just to the Jews.  We do not need to repeat the mistakes of the past because as I Corinthians 10:11 tells us, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”  Those who refuse to learn from the past are destined to repeat it.

God is creator of the world and everything in it, and he controls its workings.  Colossians 1:16-17 tells us, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”  According to Romans 13:1, “…there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”   When we begin to complain about our circumstances or curse the government or other powers we are in effect cursing God.  Exodus 22:28-31 commands, “Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.  Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me.  Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me.  And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.”

Instead of complaining about their lot, they were to recognize that everything they had was from God, and not hesitate to thank him for blessing them with what they had.  They were to dedicate their children to the Lord, as well as the firstborn of their livestock.  In keeping with that, they were to be holy to God, maintaining a healthy diet and avoiding foods that were likely to be infected.  Since predators tend to attack the weak and sickly, they were to avoid eating those which the animals had attacked.  They could depend on God to supply what they needed and did not need to endanger their health to survive.