Exodus!! Lesson*#11* Book*of*the*Covenant,*Part*1 * (Exodus(21:(1( (22:(5)((

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1 Exodus Lesson*#11* Book*of*the*Covenant,*Part*1 * Exodus21:1 22:5)

2 Review InLessons#9and#10,GodreaffirmedwiththeIsraelitesthecovenant hemadewithabraham,isaacandjacob.andwelearnedthatthe covenantfolloweda6jpartstandardizedformcommontomany sovereign/vassalcovenantsintheancientneareast: 1. Preamble,orintroducRonofthespeaker; 2. Historicalprologue; 3. SRpulaRons; 4. Thedocument; 5. Thegodsaswitnesses;and 6. Blessingsandcurses WealsolearnedthattheTorahas*a*whole*Genesisthrough Deuteronomy)isthefullestexpressionofGod scovenantwiththe Israelites.

3 Review,cont. InaddiRon,welearnedthatthecovenantGodmakeswiththeIsraelites ismarkedlydifferentfrompreviousneareasterncovenants: 1. *As*our*narra>ve*presents*it,*thecovenantisnottheresultofculturalnorms inapreliteratesocietybeingcodifiedoverrmeintoawri`enlaw;rather, inexodusgodintrudesdramarcallyintohistory,descendingtothetopof Mt.Sinaiinfireandsmoke,wherehedictatesthesRpulaRonsofthe covenantinavoiceofthunder,accompaniedbyaterrifyingpyrotechnic displayofhispowerandauthority. 2. God scovenantwiththeisraelitesdoesnotreflecttheminuraeof contractual,domesrc,militaryandjudiciallawasdoesthecodeof Hammurabi,forexample);rather,inlapidarystyleGoddictatestenterse srpularonsthatgovernthecovenantcommunity srelaronshipwithgod andwithoneanother. 3. InhiscovenantwiththeIsraelites,Godbecomesthemoral*and*ethical* arbiterofhumanity,thecentralfocusoftherestofscripture.

4 Preview InLesson#11,welearnthatthetencovenantsRpulaRonsdictatedby Godmustbeappliedinspecificcases.Inaveryimportantsense,the TenCommandmentsaretotheirapplicaRonswhattheU.S. ConsRtuRonistomunicipalcaselaw. InLesson#11weexplorehowtheseprinciplesareapplied. SuchapplicaRonsopenthedoortoavastbodyofrabbinicalthinking onthelaw.indeed,asweconrnueourstudythroughthetorah GenesisthroughDeuteronomy)wewillfind613specificlawsto implementthetenprinciplesthelawisfarmorethantheten Commandments;itisGod scomprehensive*teachingonallaspectsof life.

5 The*Code*of*Hammurabi*dioritestele),c.1772B.C. LouvreMuseum,Paris. [Shapedlikeagiantindexfinger,thetopofthe7 5 steleportraysthesungod SamasinstrucRngHammurabiinthelaw.].

6 The BookoftheCovenant TheTenCommandmentsareten principles*bywhichacovenant peopleistolivewithgodand withoneanother.those principlesmustthenbeapplied* tospecificcases. TheBookoftheCovenant illustrateshowtodoso.

7 The BookoftheCovenant InaninsighlularRcle,DavidP. Wright,professorofBibleand AncientNearEasternStudiesat BrandeisUniversityarguesthat thecoreofthebookofthe CovenantExodus20:22 23:19) drawsextensivelyonthecodeof Hammurabiasbothasourceand a controllingtemplate forthe BookoftheCovenant s composiron. DavidP.Wright, TheLawsofHammurabiasaSourcefor thecovenantcollecronexodus20:23 23:19),Maarav* ):11J87.

8 TheBookoftheCovenantspansExodus20:22 23:33, anditmaybedividedintofourparts: 1. CulRcordinances20:22J26); 2. LegalprescripRons21:1 22:16); 3. Religious,moralandculRcinstrucRons22:17 23:19);and 4. Epilogue23:20J33) Exodus24:1J18thenraRfiesthecovenantasawhole.

9 The BookoftheCovenant Ifyoulookvery*closelyyouwill alsofindthatthebookofthe Covenantbegins20:22J26)and ends23:10j19) immediately precedingtheepilogue with instrucronsoncorrectritual procedure. Wewillseethis culrcframing againinthe HolinessCode of LeviRcus17:1J16;26:1J2)and inthelawsofdeuteronomy12: 1J31;26:19).

10 Dropthatintothe conversaronat yournextdinner partyandyouwill dazzleyourguests withyourstunning esotericknowledge ofscripture

11 The BookoftheCovenant 1. CulRcordinances20:22J26); 2. LegalprescripRons21:1 22:16); 3. Religious,moralandculRcinstrucRons22:17 23:19);and 4. Epilogue23:20J33)

12 An*altar*of*earth*make*for*me*.*.*. Exodus20:24). SeaofGalilee StoneAltaratMt.Ebal Mt.Ebal Joshua8:30J35) Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas*

13 But*if*you*make*an*altar*of*stone*for*me,*do*not*build*it*of*cut* stone,*for*by*pujng*a*chisel*to*it*you*profane*it. * Exodus20:25) RobertAltercorrectlyobservesthatherev,thewordtradiRonallytranslated chisel, isempharcally sword. ThegreatmedievalrabbiRashiA.D.1040J1105),whowroteanindispensable commentaryonthetorah,catchestheimplicaron,likebillmazeroski snaggingalinedriveat2 nd baserashiwrites: The*altar*was*created*to*lengthen*a*man s*days*and*iron*was*created*to*shorten*a* man s*days;*it*is*not*fijng*that*the*means*of*shortening*should*be*brandished*over*the* means*of*lengthening. * Excellent, Rabbi

14 You*shall*not*ascend*to*my*altar*by*steps,** lest*your*nakedness*be*exposed. * Exodus20:26) DavidDancingbeforetheLord 2Samuel6:16,20)inDavid s*rise*to*power, abridgedandillustratedbybarbaragriffiths.

15 The BookoftheCovenant 1. CulRcordinances20:22J26); 2. LegalprescripRons21:1 22:16); 3. Religious,moralandculRcinstrucRons22:17 23:19);and 4. Epilogue23:20J33)

16 LegalprescripRonsregardingslaves21:2J11) AsweobservedatthestartofourScripturestudy,theworldof thebibleoldtestamentandnew)is:1)patriarchal;2) monarchical;3)polytheisrcand4)slaveholding.unlikein modernrmes,however,slavesintheancientworldweremore akintoindenturedservantsthantocha`el.nevertheless,in biblicalrmesitwouldbeinconceivabletoenvisionaworld withoutslavery. Likeanyworkofart,theBiblemirrorstheRmeandculturefrom whichitemerges.thus,scriptureacceptsslaveryasafactof life,nowherecondemningit;scripturedoes,howeverregulate* it,asdomostotherancientneareasternlegalcodes.

17 LegalprescripRonsregardingslaves21:2J11) IntheCodeofHammurabi,forexample,10ofthe282laws 14J20and117J119)regulateslavery.CompareExodus21:2 withthecodeofhammurabi,#117: When*you*purchase*a*Hebrew* slave,*he*is*to*serve*you*for*six* years,*but*in*the*seventh*year*he* shall*leave*as*a*free*person* without*any*payment.* Exodus21:2) Scripture CodeofHammurabi If*anyone*fail*to*meet*a*claim*for* debt*and*sell*himself,*his*wife,*his*son* or*daughter*for*money,*or*give*them* away*to*forced*labor,*they*shall*work* for*three*years*in*the*house*of*the* man*who*bought*them*.*.*.*and*in*the* fourth*year*they*shall*be*set*free.* CodeofHammurabi,#117)

18 LegalprescripRonsregardingpersonalinjury21:12J32) Inthe SermonontheMount, Jesussays: You*have*heard*that*it*was*said*to*your*ancestors,* You*shall*not*[murder];* and*whoever*[murders]*will*be*liable*to*judgment. **But*I*say*to*you,*whoever* is*angry*with*his*brother*will*be*liable*to*judgment*.*.*.. Ma`hew5:21J22) WelearnedthattheHebrewwordretzach*inthe6 th commandmentrefers specificallyto thepremeditated,unlawfultakingofanotherperson slife. Inthe SermonontheMount Jesusaddressesthe innerdynamics ofthe 6 th commandmentwhenherecognizesthatmurderisthefinalstepina sequenceofacrons,beginningwiththekindofangerthatcongealsinto hatred,thatleadstoploqngrevengeandthatulrmatelyresultsin premeditatedmurder.injesus teachinghesaysthatifyoufeelthatkindof anger,nipitinthebudanddealwithitbeforeitmetastasizes.

19 LegalprescripRonsregardingpersonalinjury21:12J32) Inasimilarwaythelawsregardingpersonalinjuryemergefromthe6 th commandment, Youshallnotmurder. Clearly, Whoeverstrikessomeone amortalblowmustbeputtodeath Exodus21:12),refersspecificallyto thepremeditatedtakingofanotherperson slife. Butthenthepersonalinjurylawsgoontoaddressdegreesofculpability: accidentswithvaryingdegreesofnegligence);assaultandba`ery;injuryto innocentbystanders;andsoon.theexamplesaddresshowtoapplythe6 th commandmenttoawidespectrumofhomicidesandassociatedbehaviors: Premeditated Accidents Murder

20 I*will*set*apart*for*you*a*place*to*which*that*one*may*flee. * Exodus21:13). Hebron Kedesh Shechem "Golan "Ramoth "Bosor Now*these*are*the*ci>es* you*will*give*to*the* Levites:***the*six*ci>es*of* asylum*which*you*must* establish*for*the*homicide* to*run*to,*and*in*addi>on* forty[two*other*ci>es a* total*of*forty[eight*ci>es* with*their*pasture*lands* which*you*will*assign*to* the*levites. * Numbers35:6J7)

21 CiResofrefugearenotplacestoescape*jusRce, butplacestoensure*jusrce. The*Lord*spoke*to*Moses:**Speak*to*the*Israelites*and*say*to* them:**when*you*go*across*the*jordan*into*the*land*of*canaan,* select*for*yourselves*ci>es*to*serve*as*ci>es*of*asylum,*where*a* homicide*who*has*killed*someone*inadvertently*may*flee.**these* ci>es*will*serve*you*as*places*of*asylum*from*the*avenger*of* blood,*so*that*a*homicide*will*not*be*put*to*death*un>l*tried* before*the*community. * Numbers35:9J12)

22 But*when*someone*kills*a*neighbor*a_er*maliciously*scheming*to*do* so,*you*must*take*him*even*from*my*altar*and*put*him*to*death. * Exodus21:14). Dr.*Creasy*being*dragged*from*the*horns*of*the*altar* at*beersheva.* Photography*by*Ana*Maria*Vargas* When*the*news*came*to*Joab,* since*he*had*sided*with* Adonijah,*though*not*with* Absalom,*he*fled*to*the*tent*of* the*lord*and*clung*to*the*horns* of*the*altar.**king*solomon*was* told,* Joab*has*fled*to*the*tent* of*the*lord*and*is*by*the*altar. ** He*sent*Benaiah,*son*of* Jehoiada,*with*the*order,* Go,* strike*him*down. ** 1Kings2:28J29)

23 LegalprescripRonsregardingpropertydamage21:33 22:5)

24 LegalprescripRonsregardingpropertydamage21:33 22:5)

25 QuesRonsfordiscussionandthought ** 1. HowdothelawsintheBookoftheCovenantdifferfromthe TenCommandments? 2. ArethelawsintheBookoftheCovenantuniquetoScripture? 3. IftherearecloseparallelsbetweenthelawsintheBookofthe CovenantandotherancientNearEasternlegalcodes,what doesthatsayaboutscripture? 4. SlaveryiscommonplacethroughouttheBible.Whydoes Scripturenotcondemnslaveryoutright? 5. InExodus21:33J34weread: When*someone*uncovers*or*digs* a*cistern*and*does*not*cover*it*over*again,*should*an*ox*or*a* donkey*fall*into*it,*the*owner*of*the*cistern*must*make* good*.*.*.. *Howmightthislawapplytodayinanurban residenralenvironment?

26 Copyright 2014byWilliamC.Creasy All rights reserved. No part of this course audio, video, photography, maps, Rmelines or other media may be reproducedortransmi`edinanyformbyanymeans,electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any informaron storage or retrieval devices without permission in wrirngoralicensingagreementfromthecopyrightholder.