Blog Post No. 1: Reflecting on the Book of Exodus (Due Oct. 6)
From our discussion in class last week, comment on what you believe is the overall "ethic" of the Book of the Covenant. Cite several examples to substantiate your point.
The overall focus of the Book of Covenants in the communal society that the Israelites find themselves, is to insure justice for all. This is the idea of treating everyone fairly and equally. Social responsibility is discussed in Exodus 22:16-31. Protection for aliens, widows and orphans is found in Ex22:21-23, and regulation of lending to the poor can be founding in verses 24-26.In Ex23:1-9,it is concerning regulations that admonishes against bearing false witness, giving favoritism to the poor man in lawsuits, and oppression of the alien.
The Book of the Covenant is the instructions given to Israel described in Exodus chapters 21, 22 and 23. These chapters spell out for humankind prescriptions of law dealing with legal, moral, religious and civil matters. These instructions spell out how YHWH expects the people of Israel to deal with internal matters that arose between people. In chapter 21 the issue of how to treat male and female slaves, capital offenses, bodily injuries etc is addressed. For example, the chapter suggests specific guidelines of six years for male Hebrew slaves to serve their masters before being set free in the seventh year without debt (v.2). This chapter also provides specific guideline for how to treat slaves who are married or those who decides they love their master to much and do not which to be freed. Chapter 22 of Exodus provides rules governing YHWH’s expectation in matters of theft and how to recompense the wronged party (vs. 1-14). The remaining verses in chapter 22 provide directives for dealing with issues that relate to social and religious laws. As an example, verse 16-17 of chapter 22 spells out what happens when a man has sexual relations with a virgin (an unbetrothed girl), verse 18 talks about the fate of a female sorcerer and verse 19 pronounces death on a person who lies with an animal. Chapter 22 puts into perspective the concerns for issues dealing with idolatry, aliens and strangers, worship to God and respect for the law of the land and the leaders who are in charge of these lands. It is obvious that these social and moral issues where of great concern in ancient Israel that made it necessary for such pronouncements to be established. To be sure that the concerns for everyone and everything in creation was included, chapter 23 clarifies for the reader the prohibitions against making false and malicious reports against others, ones responsibility to return the stray “donkey or ox” of one’s enemy and how the “sabbatical year, Sabbath and annual festivals are to be used as ways of providing and protecting the poor, the slaves and the alien while maintaining ones relationships between God and each other (23:1-33). The unique features of the Book of the Covenant, in my understanding, are the ways in which these laws highlighted the great care and concern for the protection of the slave and the resident alien in a foreign land and how they were to receive protection from physical abuse and be treated with respect and dignity. Concern for economic compensation to the family who was the victim of crime was another important consideration of these laws. Also, offenders were not to gain from the crimes comitted. For example, if someone’s ox causes harm to another and had to be stoned, it was prohibited for the flesh to be consumed (Ex 21:29). The suggestion here is that the life of humans is sacred to God and can only be taken by God (Ex 21:12). It is in this chapter (23) the establishment of the divine promise of protection is given to the Israelites and was to be activated to help them during their capture of Canaan; however, Israel had a responsibility to remain faithful in all things for this to happen. The overall ethic, therefore, of the Book of Covenant is for human, at an individual and corporate level, to understand what is required in their relationship with God and each other.
Between our class discussions and the readings, my understanding of the overall ethic in the Book of the Covenant is moral law. These laws were handed down by God to Moses after Israel ceased to be a nomadic nation and became more settled. Moral law not only consists of what not to do in society, (murder, theft, lying) but what to do and how to treat others. Be generous, forgiving and committed in helping those who are oppressed. These ethics form the basis for human virtue in civilized society. It goes back to the command that the Israelite society should be a model of human decency, not emulating the slave society from which God saved them from. (Magonet, 140).
Ethic of the Book of the Covenant The book of the covenant, in essence is a summary of all the hundreds of laws found in the Old Testament Law and are recorded in Exodus 20: 1-17, Chapters 21, 22 and 23. They offer basic rules of behavior for spiritual and moral living. God chose the Hebrews to become a holy nation of priests for God. All of the people dwelling in the land, whether citizen or stranger, were required to abstain from religious practices that defiled Gods sanctuary and profaned His holy name. The Book of the Covenant includes civil and ceremonial laws for managing the Hebrews’ lives and their worship. It deals with how to be just in all dealing with each other. These laws still instruct us today, for they expose sin and show us God’s standards. Without the sacrifice of Christ, are utterly helpless to live up to God’s holy standard.
Ethics of the Book of Covenant
ReplyDeleteThe overall focus of the Book of Covenants in the communal society that the Israelites find themselves, is to insure justice for all. This is the idea of treating everyone fairly and equally. Social responsibility is discussed in Exodus 22:16-31. Protection for aliens, widows and orphans is found in Ex22:21-23, and regulation of lending to the poor can be founding in verses 24-26.In Ex23:1-9,it is concerning regulations that admonishes against bearing false witness, giving favoritism to the poor man in lawsuits, and oppression of the alien.
The Book of the Covenant is the instructions given to Israel described in Exodus chapters 21, 22 and 23. These chapters spell out for humankind prescriptions of law dealing with legal, moral, religious and civil matters. These instructions spell out how YHWH expects the people of Israel to deal with internal matters that arose between people. In chapter 21 the issue of how to treat male and female slaves, capital offenses, bodily injuries etc is addressed. For example, the chapter suggests specific guidelines of six years for male Hebrew slaves to serve their masters before being set free in the seventh year without debt (v.2). This chapter also provides specific guideline for how to treat slaves who are married or those who decides they love their master to much and do not which to be freed. Chapter 22 of Exodus provides rules governing YHWH’s expectation in matters of theft and how to recompense the wronged party (vs. 1-14). The remaining verses in chapter 22 provide directives for dealing with issues that relate to social and religious laws. As an example, verse 16-17 of chapter 22 spells out what happens when a man has sexual relations with a virgin (an unbetrothed girl), verse 18 talks about the fate of a female sorcerer and verse 19 pronounces death on a person who lies with an animal. Chapter 22 puts into perspective the concerns for issues dealing with idolatry, aliens and strangers, worship to God and respect for the law of the land and the leaders who are in charge of these lands. It is obvious that these social and moral issues where of great concern in ancient Israel that made it necessary for such pronouncements to be established. To be sure that the concerns for everyone and everything in creation was included, chapter 23 clarifies for the reader the prohibitions against making false and malicious reports against others, ones responsibility to return the stray “donkey or ox” of one’s enemy and how the “sabbatical year, Sabbath and annual festivals are to be used as ways of providing and protecting the poor, the slaves and the alien while maintaining ones relationships between God and each other (23:1-33).
ReplyDeleteThe unique features of the Book of the Covenant, in my understanding, are the ways in which these laws highlighted the great care and concern for the protection of the slave and the resident alien in a foreign land and how they were to receive protection from physical abuse and be treated with respect and dignity. Concern for economic compensation to the family who was the victim of crime was another important consideration of these laws. Also, offenders were not to gain from the crimes comitted. For example, if someone’s ox causes harm to another and had to be stoned, it was prohibited for the flesh to be consumed (Ex 21:29). The suggestion here is that the life of humans is sacred to God and can only be taken by God (Ex 21:12). It is in this chapter (23) the establishment of the divine promise of protection is given to the Israelites and was to be activated to help them during their capture of Canaan; however, Israel had a responsibility to remain faithful in all things for this to happen. The overall ethic, therefore, of the Book of Covenant is for human, at an individual and corporate level, to understand what is required in their relationship with God and each other.
Between our class discussions and the readings, my understanding of the overall ethic in the Book of the Covenant is moral law. These laws were handed down by God to Moses after Israel ceased to be a nomadic nation and became more settled. Moral law not only consists of what not to do in society, (murder, theft, lying) but what to do and how to treat others. Be generous, forgiving and committed in helping those who are oppressed.
ReplyDeleteThese ethics form the basis for human virtue in civilized society. It goes back to the command that the Israelite society should be a model of human decency, not emulating the slave society from which God saved them from. (Magonet, 140).
Ethic of the Book of the Covenant
ReplyDeleteThe book of the covenant, in essence is a summary of all the hundreds of laws found in the Old Testament Law and are recorded in Exodus 20: 1-17, Chapters 21, 22 and 23. They offer basic rules of behavior for spiritual and moral living. God chose the Hebrews to become a holy nation of priests for God. All of the people dwelling in the land, whether citizen or stranger, were required to abstain from religious practices that defiled Gods sanctuary and profaned His holy name.
The Book of the Covenant includes civil and ceremonial laws for managing the Hebrews’ lives and their worship. It deals with how to be just in all dealing with each other. These laws still instruct us today, for they expose sin and show us God’s standards. Without the sacrifice of Christ, are utterly helpless to live up to God’s holy standard.