EXODUS LESSON 38

     This lesson, today, is a detailed examination of theft and the
degree of wickedness. The degree of the evil in the person's heart
should determine the severity of the penalty of the crime. If all the
law books in the country were thrown away, the Bible would be
sufficient to judge all crimes.

     We will begin this lesson in Exodus 22:1 "If a man shall steal an
ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen
for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep."

     Here, we see someone who had not just stolen, but also, had done away
with the stolen merchandise. The punishment fits the crime. this thief,
here, would feel the pain of the theft by restoring four and five times as
much as he stole.

     Exodus 22:2  "If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten
that he die, [there shall] no blood [be shed] for him."

     If a person was breaking and entering to steal, and was killed in
the process, the person who did the killing was not to be prosecuted,
because he was doing this in self-defense.

     Exodus 22:3 "If the sun be risen upon him, [there shall be] blood
[shed] for him; [for] he should make full restitution; if he have
nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft."

     This person caught stealing, should completely restore what was
taken. If he had nothing that he could restore with,  then he would be a
slave, until it was paid. If we had carried this out in our country, the
jails would not be so full today.

     Exodus 22:4 "If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive,
whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double."

     Here, again, just giving the stolen goods back was not enough. He had to
be punished. Paying back twice as much hurts someone, who was greedy
enough to steal, very badly.

     Exodus 22:5  "If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be
eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's
field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own
vineyard, shall he make restitution."

     In all of the instances of these thefts, the person stealing was
caught up in greed, and the punishment should fit the crime. the
punishment hits at their greed, because they lost some of their
personal worth.

     Exodus 22:6  "If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the
stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed
[therewith]; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution."

     There were never more fire bugs around than now. If the
punishment allotted was the same as in the Bible. the fires that are
set on purpose would stop.

     Exodus 22:7  "If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or
stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief
be found, let him pay double." Exodus 22:8 "If the thief be not found,
then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, [to
see] whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour's goods."

     It seems that, God did not always believe that something had been
stolen, just because the person it was entrusted to, said it was stolen,
Today. I guess it could be proven by giving a lie detector test, God
always knows who is lying. He doesn't need a lie detector test. These
judges were endued with a discerning spirit from God. They too, knew
when someone was lying. We can see again, here, that the penalty to be
paid was twice what was taken.

     Exodus 22:9 "For all manner of trespass, [whether it be] for ox,
for ass, for sheep, for raiment, [or] for any manner of lost thing,
which [another] challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall
come before the judges; [and] whom the judges shall condemn, he shall
pay double unto his neighbour."

     This was just explaining, that it didn't make any difference what
the article stolen was, the penalty was the same. Twice the stolen
article would be restored.

     Exodus 22:10 "If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an
ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or
driven away, no man seeing [it]:" Exodus 22:11 "[Then] shall an oath
of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto
his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept [thereof], and
he shall not make [it] good."

     The friend, who had tried to do a favor for his neighbor, should
not have to pay, if something beyond his control happened to the animal.

     Exodus 22:12 "And if it be stolen from him, he shall make
restitution unto the owner thereof."

     This was within the realm of carelessness and responsibility.

     Exodus 22:13 "If it be torn in pieces, [then] let him bring it
[for] witness, [and] he shall not make good that which was torn."

     Here, again, this was beyond his control, and not from negligence.

     Exodus 22:14  "And if a man borrow [ought] of his neighbour, and
it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof [being] not with it, he shall
surely make [it] good."

     Here, again, this was speaking of negligence on the part of the
borrower.

     Exodus 22:15 "[But] if the owner thereof [be] with it, he shall
not make [it] good: if it [be] an hired [thing], it came for his
hire."

     Here, we see the responsibility for the borrowed item was reversed
to the owner, because he was with the borrowed item.

     The scene changes from property to human relationship, beginning
in the sixteenth verse.

     Exodus 22:16  "And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed,
and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife."

     This, in God's sight, was a very serious offense. The dowry to be
paid for a wife, ordinarily, was fifty shekels of silver. This sum was
to be paid to her father. To lie with a woman makes the two of you one
in God's sight. This was completely against the custom of the Hebrews.
the two fathers, ordinarily, made the marriage contract.

     Exodus 22:17 "If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him,
he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins."

     We see, here, that even if the father did not allow his daughter
to marry this man, the man, who commited the offense, still had to
pay for her. The father, probably, would not make this decision, unless
there was some serious reason why the man would not be suitable for
marriage.

     Exodus 22:18  "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."

     It would be a very serious crime to be a witch. witches have
power, but their power comes from the evil one. In the early days of
the United States, witches were burned at the stake. The bad thing
about this was who was to decide whether she was a witch, or not. Joan of
Ark was killed, because, people classified her as a witch. After she was
killed, these very same people who had condemned her, declared her as
a saint. It was too late, after they had taken her life. We must
be very careful who we declare a witch. In our day, some people admit
to being witches and warlocks. "Those" you could safely say were
witches.

     Exodus 22:19  "Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put
to death.

     Satan worshippers, today, are heavily involved with beastiality
(or having sex with animals). Chickens, dogs, sheep, cows, monkeys,
and many more varieties of animals are involved. This sort of thing is
an abomination to God. The animal and the person should be destroyed,
was what God's Word said. God doesn't want any mixtures of half people-
like animals.

     Exodus 22:20  "He that sacrificeth unto [any] god, save unto the
LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed."

     To sacrifice to a false god would, in essence, deny the one true
God. Satan worshippers in the United States have been cutting cows and
draining their blood. Many believe there have been human sacrifices
made to these false gods. Some reports have come from people, who have
come out of Satan worship, that sacrifices have been made. Since I
have never attended such a meeting, I have no first-hand knowledge of
what goes on. We do know that television news was full of accounts of
cows being cut in some sort of ritualistic services. Whatever is the
case, we are not to worship anything, or anyone, except God.  God,
Himself,  will destroy us, if we worship other gods.












































                          Exodus 38 Questions

1.  What should determine the penalty for steeling?
2.  If all the law books were thrown away, what could be used to judge
    the people?
3.  in verse 22. how many sheep were to be paid for one stolen?
4.  If a man was killed while breaking and entering. What would be done
    to the one who killed him?
5.  If a person was convicted of stealing and had nothing to pay
    restitution. What would happen to him?
6.  If the stolen animal was still with the person caught with it. what
    was the penalty?
7.  What was the penalty for feeding your animal in another man's field
    without permission?
8.  If you burned another man's field, what would be the punishment?
9.  If a neighbor loses material he was holding for you, what happened?
10. What determines whether, or not, the holder paid for an animal, that
    died while in their care?
11. If you borrowed something and it broke, what was the correct thing
    to do?
12. If a man seduced a maid, what was required of him?
13. If her father did not want him for a son-in-law, could he get out
    of paying the dowry?
14. What was the penalty for being a witch?
15. Who was a woman killed as a witch, who was later declared a saint?
16. What would happen to anyone who had sex relations with an animal?
17. What would happen to anyone who sacrificed to a false god?
18. Tell in your own words, what you know to be going on in Satan
    worship today.