EXPLORE THE TEXT
Believers are to care for vulnerable people.
21 “You must not exploit a resident alien or oppress him,
since you were resident aliens in the land of Egypt.22 You must not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.
23 If you do mistreat them, they will no doubt cry to me,
and I will certainly hear their cry.
24 My anger will burn, and I will kill you with the sword;
then your wives will be widows and your children fatherless.”
Walking in the ways of the Lord
The Lord provides careful instructions that direct us on a path that reflects His character.
The Bible refers to this many times as walking in His ways (Deut. 10:12; 11:22; 19:9; 28:9; Isa. 2:3).
We reflect His character only by loving Him and others and by obeying His commands.
This includes being His hands and feet by standing up for those who are defenseless
because we recognize their value as people created in God’s image.
summarize Exodus 22:1-27 and the book of Leviticus.
this session represents an annual focus on the sanctity of human life.
(Poster: The Sanctity of Human Life).
Emphasize that God has created all life, from conception to the grave,
and we should reflect His character by defending the defenseless in every stage of life.
The covenant ratification ceremony is recounted in Exodus 24,
Moses read “the covenant scroll” to the people
followed by the Lord’s promises and warnings regarding their journey and conquest of Canaan
Exodus 22 focuses on
cases of theft (vv. 1-4),
crop protection (vv. 5-6),
personal property (vv. 7-15),
seduction (vv. 16-17),
three capital offenses (vv. 18-20),
protecting the vulnerable (vv. 21-27),
and respect for God (vv. 28-31).
God has already shown how He responds to those who cry out to Him.
He had brought Egypt, the world’s most powerful nation at the time, to its knees because of Israel’s plea for help.
He committed to do the same for anyone abused by the Israelites.
The book of Leviticus opens with instructions on sacrifice, priesthood, and ritual purity (Lev. 1-16).
The remainder of the book outlines instructions on holiness (Lev. 17-27).
This was a key concept for Israel to understand and embrace.
God is holy, and He wants the world to recognize His holiness.
God knows that humans are broken and flawed.
We can never perfectly reflect His holiness through our actions.
But we can give the culture a clearer picture of who He is and what He expects.
Exodus 21:21 (PSG, p. 75)
what is a “resident alien.”
Exodus 21:22-24 (PSG, pp. 75-76)
summarize why widows and fatherless children were vulnerable groups in the ancient world.
reflect on Exodus 22:23-24.
pray this Scripture using the “Praying Scripture” prompts.