Author: Ash Clarkson

Not many of us are called to the mission field or the pastorate, but all of us are called to put God first. In this section of the divine laws given at Mount Sinai, God circles back to where he began: a focus on worshiping him. Here, God commands Israel to show reliance on him…

True Justice and Mercy were goals of the Israelite system of justice as well. Both Justice and Mercy reflect God’s character, and should radiate in the lives of God’s people. False witness, mercy to our enemies and to strangers, and ensuring the fair administration of justice were vital parts of the Israelite’s life under the…

True social justice is about protecting a just social order, based on a sacred order. God’s laws given to Israel were focused on precisely that. In this passage, God provides rules which protect the social order, the social fabric, and those who exercised different roles in society. Those principles should continue to motivate us, God’s…

Because theft is a perpetual problem, in addition to laws which punished harm against people and sought to protect their essential dignity, the Law also contained various laws to protect the property of people. These laws covered payments to replace the harm caused by theft, negligent acts, and when borrowing was involved.

While some societies could be very cruel, God’s laws were not. In this passage, God addresses a variety of crimes of different severity, and the penalties for each.This passage not only helps us understand the way our own legal system is structured, but how we think about the value of life and justice in a…

In this section of Exodus, we are seeing practical advice from God on how to live in the ordinary. While some of it is culturally distant and distasteful to us, like this section on servanthood (Exodus 21:1-11), the general principles have relevance to us today.

After the people appointed Moses as their intermediary, God spoke to the people through Moses to remind them to worship him only. They had seen and heard God directly; in their worship, they were only to do so as he required, not as the surrounding nations worshiped.

When Israel gathered at Sinai to hear God’s Law, they came to God’s presence, demonstrated to them by a booming voice, thunder and lightning, trumpets, and smoke. It was too much to bear. Confronted by God’s holiness and their unworthiness, the people sought refuge in a mediator between them and God. Ultimately, only Jesus can…

In this spirit of consumerism and desiring what others have that we do not, the Tenth Commandment hits like a hammer. Instead of sinfully desiring in our hearts what God has not given to us, we are called to contentment with the possessions we have, and instead to seek God’s Kingdom and righteousness over the…

We all lie, deceive, gossip and slander, and fail to stand up for the truth. The Ninth Commandment condemns us. Deceitful words destroy trust in society, in relationships, and offend God. Using the capstone of truthfulness in court, the Ninth Commandment commands us not to lie and deceive, and to stand for the truth.