Day 23 -- Exodus 21-23

In the reading for today it is difficult to put your finger on just why exactly these laws seem so unlike our modern laws.
Of course, we realize immediately that the laws found in Exodus reflect the social realities of a far distant time. Slavery is firmly in place. The liberties we take for granted—speech and religious expression--are unheard of. No one—male, female, slave or free--has the freedoms we regard as rights.
And yet, for its time, this law code was very advanced, not to say radical in its treatment of the most vulnerable. Slaves have rights—see Exodus 21:26-27—even if they are not the same rights as free citizens. The law even reflects a concern for animals. The Sabbath is provided for their rest—chapter 23:12—and grotesque cruelty against them is prohibited—23:19b.
Yet the fundamental difference between this law and our own goes much deeper than culture. Here in Exodus it is the LORD who is the guarantor of human rights and the protector of the weak, not the secular government. It is he protects the rights of those who would otherwise be most in danger of exploitation.
In 22:21-24 God speaks—“You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. You shall abuse any widow or orphan. If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry; my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children orphans.”
It is God and not the government who stands behind the law—he is the father who protects and punishes. This is sacred law, even when it deals with the most mundane realities of daily life, founded upon the character of Creator, who is not only just but merciful. The Bible knows no such thing as secular law—all law is sacred and arises from the character of the God who is just and merciful in perfect balance.
And God’s mercy calls for practical kindness in us.
According to this code of law, if you take your neighbor’s cloak in pawn, you must restore it before the sun goes down or he will be too cold to sleep. It is simply practical kindness—but the LORD stands behind that demand for everyday mercy with his justice. If you are callous, he says, and “your neighbor cries out to me, I will listen, for I am compassionate” (22:25-27).
Many modern Americans wish that there was less government control of their daily lives. It has become a mantra among certain political groups—less government, more individual rights. But someone has to step in to protect us all from our human nature, in which self-interest is a more powerful motive than compassion. If the secular government does not legislate to protect the weak, a pseudo-divine authority will do so—a fascist dictator or a council of ayatollahs. And that authority will undoubtedly take away the very freedoms and privileges we consider our created rights.
In a secular society, the state is the guarantor of justice. The government is our father, whether we like it or not. This is by no means an ideal situation. But in our world, it would not be a just and loving God who would step in if there were less government control, but a cruel dictator who has clothed himself in the robes of divine power.
The best way to look at the laws we find in Exodus is to think about their original intent, and let them judge our personal conduct. Do our lives reflect that balance of mercy and justice we find in the character of the God? Are our actions governed by practical kindness or practical indifference?