Scripture: “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.
“If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.
“You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit. Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.
“You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”
Exodus 23:1-9 ESV [Click here to read the entire chapter.]
Observation: Recapping Friday’s Daily Focus, Moses conveys God’s warning against reviling or cursing God or his appointed leaders. Instead, they should give back to God from the overflow of the harvest and dedicate their newborn oxen and sheep to the Lord on the eighth day. Lastly, and most importantly, each Israelite must consecrate themselves to God, as exemplified by not eating meat mutilated by beasts. They may, however, feed the torn flesh to their dogs.
Today’s reading succinctly outlines eight prohibitions and two proactive commands describing how Israel must righteously conduct themselves in community with one another and sojourners. The prohibitions are:
- Do not spread a false report.
- Do not collaborate with the wicked.
- Do not pervert justice by showing partiality in a lawsuit, whether lodged by the wicked or the poor.
- Do not pervert justice by inhibiting a just outcome due to the poor.
- Do not make false charges against anyone.
- Do not kill the innocent and righteous.
- Do not take a bribe.
- Do not oppress a sojourner (you know what that feels like).
The proactive mandates focus on one’s enemy:
- Do return their ox or donkey that has gone astray.
- Do help them rescue their distressed donkey.
Takeaway: This segment on the law’s expansion primarily concerns the ninth commandment (not to bear false witness against your neighbor) with a brief reiteration of the sixth commandment (You shall not murder) and new elements of caring for enemies and sojourners. But who are the “many” (v.2) that Israel must not side with? Interestingly, the Hebrew for “many” (rabbîm) can also mean the “mighty,” which provides an essential contrast with the “poor man.” Thus, we can understand Yahweh’s intent for justice to apply to all classes of people, whether the influential or the poor. In other words, without exception, Israel must not show favoritism or commit purgery and thus pervert justice, whether for those who wield influence or those who have none.
Several decades ago, a movement emerged in the Roman Catholic Church in South America, led by a few well-meaning but sorely misguided priests who sought preferential treatment for the poor (based on the plethora of Scripture that demonstrates God’s heart for the poor). To redress the balance of scales where the wealthy and powerful pervert justice and oppress the poor (whether directly or indirectly), the movement condones the use of violence when warranted to effect change. This paradigm shift has become known as liberation theology—an attractive name to cover a gross misinterpretation of Scripture regarding care for the poor.
Our takeaway? We must not show favoritism, which would tip the scales of justice toward anyone, regardless of their station or status in society. Still, just as God calls Israel to be mindful of the sojourner and aid their enemies in rescuing their beasts of burden critical to their livelihood, his Son calls us to care for our enemies’ well-being by
- praying for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44),
- loving our enemies (Matthew 5:45),
- doing good to those who hate us (Luke 6:27),
- blessing those who curse us (Luke 6:28), and by
- lending without expecting anything in return (Luke 6:35).
Our part? Indeed, we must stand against injustices inflicted on those who are defenseless, but not by perverting justice. Nor should we engage in physical confrontations (except in those instances when necessary to save a life), “for the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Samuel 17:47). Rather, we possess superior weapons of warfare that confound the enemy: prayer, sacrificial love, good works, blessing, and generosity without expecting a return. When we engage these weapons of spiritual warfare, the enemy will either be attracted to Christ’s light in us or slither away into darkness. Granted, this stance may not provide results soon enough for some, but it will bear the fruit of justice in the Father’s perfect timing.
Prayer: Father God, we thank you for being a just God with a heart for the poor who seeks justice for all, whether resulting in forgiveness received through the substitutionary atonement of your Son or condemnation earned by those who reject your gift of grace. So, for us who love you and seek your will, would you please guide us through your Holy Spirit to join you in upholding justice by godly means of sacrificial love, prayer, good works, blessings, and generosity that moves us to seek the welfare of all who suffer inequities and our enemies to seek your forgiveness and grace? And would you please help us exercise patience while waiting for your results? Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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