(Exodus) Exodus 22:3-25

Now, let me keep reading, and I must just lift out certain things. It says, "...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." In other words, if a man steals, he has to make up that which he's stolen, even to the place of selling him as a slave. Verse 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 the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution." In other words, if a man has a cow or a sheep, and they break through into another man's field, then he's to make restitution. "...and if fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn or the standing corn of the field be consumed therewith, he that kindled a fire shall surely make restitution." You see how practical this is, friends, and actually how right it is, by the way.

This is God putting down certain great basic principles for the will and welfare of mankind here on this earth. And He's giving it. This is the Mosaic system given to His people, and they were to be an example to the nations of the world.

And then if you read on, you find many of these laws. Now, I'm not wanting to lift out all of them. I'm trying to let us see a great principle here.

And it's very important, I think, to see that. Now, I drop down to verse 16, and this is actually crimes against persons. Verse 16, "...if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife." In other words, if a man rape a girl, he's forced to marry her.

That's the way we put it today. At least it was formal. It's not quite like that today.

"...but suppose if a father utterly refused to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins." In other words, he shall pay a penalty for what is done. "...thou shall not suffer a witch to live." Now, I'll be coming back to that when we get to Deuteronomy. And I can only make this suggestion that today we are seeing a resurgence of Satan worship and of the supernatural that is appearing again in the world.

And it's potent, friends. There's no question about that. And this is connected with it.

Don't think this is superstition. We're not back in New England in colonial days now. We're in the 20th century, and we're seeing this appear today, and it happens to be a reality.

I'll be dealing with that when we get over in the 18th chapter of Deuteronomy. Now, "...whoso lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death." And this shows how low man can go. He can sink down until he's as low as the beast of the field.

And this is an evidence of it. And God made a law. Why did he make a law? Well, because this was being done, friends.

Verse 20, "...he that sacrifice unto any god save unto the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed." Now, this was the severest penalty of all. And had it been followed to the very letter, why we would have today a much better society than we have. I recognize this is harsh.

But after all, when you've got a cancer or a tumor, you want to cut it out, friends. And you want to get rid of it. And this is what this happens to be.

Now, it says here, verse 21, "...thou shall neither vex a stranger nor oppress him, for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt." This is the good neighbor policy, you see. "...ye shall not afflict any widder a fatherless child." Do you know what got rid of this child labor? And where the child labor laws came from? Came from the Wesley Revival, friends. The Word of God has been basic to all of these great movements that have brought blessing to mankind.

And the fatherless child, where did orphans' homes start? Did they begin them in communist China or under Christian auspices? Verse 23, "...if thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry it all unto me, I'll surely hear their cry." And I believe that God protects these that are helpless today. I tell you, there's a great day of judgment coming for those that have mistreated folk in conditions like this. And he says here, "...and my wrath shall wax hot, and I'll kill you with a sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless." God's very severe when he's talking about law, friends.

It's very severe here. Now he says, "...if thou lend money to any of my people that's poor by thee, thou shall not be to him as a usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury." In other words, excessive interest. You don't take advantage of it.

And yet we find that has taken place today.