#182 Pit Fall

12 “Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death.13 However, if it is not done intentionally, but God lets it happen, they are to flee to a place I will designate. 14 But if anyone schemes and kills someone deliberately, that person is to be taken from my altar and put to death.

15 “Anyone who attacks[c] their father or mother is to be put to death.

16 “Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death, whether the victim has been sold or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.

17 “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.

18 “If people quarrel and one person hits another with a stone or with their fist[d] and the victim does not die but is confined to bed, 19 the one who struck the blow will not be held liable if the other can get up and walk around outside with a staff; however, the guilty party must pay the injured person for any loss of time and see that the victim is completely healed.

20 “Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, 21 but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.

22 “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely[e] but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. 23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

26 “An owner who hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. 27 And an owner who knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.

28 “If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull is to be stoned to death,and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible. 29 If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up and it kills a man or woman, the bull is to be stoned and its owner also is to be put to death. 30 However, if payment is demanded, the owner may redeem his life by the payment of whatever is demanded. 31 This law also applies if the bull gores a son or daughter. 32 If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels[f] of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull is to be stoned to death.

33 “If anyone uncovers a pit or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the one who opened the pit must pay the owner for the loss and take the dead animal in exchange.

35 “If anyone’s bull injures someone else’s bull and it dies, the two parties are to sell the live one and divide both the money and the dead animal equally.36 However, if it was known that the bull had the habit of goring, yet the owner did not keep it penned up, the owner must pay, animal for animal, and take the dead animal in exchange. Exodus 21: 12-35

The wages of sin is death, and I remember the comment of a friend of mine, from not so long ago. He said something to the effect that there was a difference between the God of the Old Testament and the New. He viewed the God of the New Testament as a kinder, gentler God. The wages are still the same and an eternal God does not change. He is still infinitely opposed to sin, and here we see the reward of it mandated. Under these laws, there is a very direct  link between infraction and judgment. The picture is eternal in its reach though, as He is also eternal, and grace cannot be understood outside of justice.

20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 

22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 

24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:20-24

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?…Romans 6:1

There is much to be said on this and the confusion in a lot of the church today, but I should like to move along to another part of this text. The punishment for the sort of slavery, whereby a person is kidnapped and then sold, was death. We were all born slaves, but once I had received the gospel and the truth of my condition, it was at the time a shallow pool, but it was logical. I did not want to leave my master though, and tried to have two. God does not make this option, and so I had really chosen sin and its end, both present and eternal. When my master beat me down, I was angry at God, when my sin hurt someone else, I did not want the responsibility. Everything I condoned was a pit for someone else to fall in to. 

"For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19"Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20"For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:18-20