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Rev. Ronald C. Purkey, an ordained
Baptist minister, claims no
originality for this Bible study outline.
However,
every Bible study posted on this website has been taught by Rev. Purkey.
To see more Bible study outlines go
to page two: More Bible Study Outlines.
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January 16, 2022
SCRIPTURE: Exodus 23:1-12
KEY VERSES: “Thou
shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to
decline after many to wrest judgment: 3 Neither shalt thou
countenance a poor man in his cause.” (Exodus 23:2-3)
INSIGHT: This section of Exodus is NOT talking about the
forgiveness of sins and salvation. It is talking about basic laws that deal
especially with the protection of human life and property. By accepting “The
Book of the Covenant” (Exodus 24:3-8), the people entered into a special
relationship with Jehovah God and obligated themselves to obey Him. These laws
were not arbitrary; they are based on the character of God and the unchanging
moral principles expressed in the Ten Commandments.
Law is powerless
to change human nature; it can only protect life and property by regulating
human behavior. One of the most dangerous and disastrous periods in Jewish
history was the time of the judges when “every man did that which was right in
his own eyes” (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). The enforcing of good laws does
NOT guarantee a perfect society, but it DOES promote order and prevent anarchy.
INTRODUCTION: Today there are people who raise the question,
“What is right and what is wrong?”
·
Some say that what is right and wrong is “relative.” A college professor, who claims to be an atheist,
was discussing this with a minister. The professor maintained that right and
wrong are “relative,” that what he would think is right, and what the minister
would think is right could be poles apart.
·
Then he asked the minister, “On what do you base
your dogmatic conclusions?” The minister
said, “I base them on the Bible (the
Word of God).” The man of God went on to tell him that his nature was
just like the professor’s nature, and that he would like to give in in certain
places, and he would like to let the bars down here and there, BUT GOD has
given him a standard to follow. The interesting thing is that God’s standard
has produced a society in which there has been a measure of law and justice.
·
The laws presented in Exodus chapters 21 to 24 deal
with everyday nitty-gritty living.
In some ways it is boring reading and like reading a law book. However, most of
our laws are based upon these precepts. I am glad that the Word of God says,
“Thou shalt not kill.” It protects my family and me. I am happy the Bible says,
“Thou shalt not steal.” It protects what little property I have. These and the
other laws are basic to having an orderly society.
I. ORDER IN THE
COURT. (Exodus 23:1-3)
INSIGHT: These Scripture give a “code of conduct” for God’s
people in Moses’ day and in our day.
A. Don’t Give A
False Testimony. (Exodus 23:1)
(Exodus 23:1) “Thou shalt not raise a false report: put
not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.”
INSIGHT: You must not pass along false rumors.
You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand.
Be careful what
you say; this is God’s rule of conduct. A gossiper is as bad as a murderer, a
thief, or an adulterer in your midst, yet in our society a gossiper gets by
easily.
B. Don’t Follow The Crowd To Do Wrong. (Exodus 23:2)
(Exodus 23:2) “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do
evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest
judgment.”
INSIGHT: You must not
follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you are called to testify in a dispute,
do not be swayed by the crowd to twist justice.
If we were to
follow God’s precept, “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil,” it would
put us out of the marching, protesting and rioting business. Also it would rid
our society of the growing menace of gangs.
Freedom is not
Conformity
I talked with a very attractive young fellow in this
category. He said he dressed as he did because he wanted liberty and freedom. I
noticed there were several thousand dressed just like him.
So I asked him, “Would you dare dress differently?
Would they accept you?” He said, “No.” Then I said, “When they protest, you
have to get in line and protest, don’t you?” He said, “Yes, I do.”
“Well,” I replied, “then you really do not have much
freedom, do you? You have to do certain things. When they protest, you have to
protest. When they dress a certain way, you have to dress a certain way. This
is not freedom.” My friend, freedom is not following a multitude to do evil! – From Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee
C. Don’t Show Favoritism To The Rich Or To The Poor.
(Exodus 23:3)
(Exodus 23:3) “Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in
his cause.”
INSIGHT: Do
not slant your testimony in favor of a person just because that person is poor.
Judgment should
not be swayed toward the rich or toward the poor. Judgment and justice should
be applied fairly. The Romans depicted justice as a woman, tender but also
blindfolded. She was no respecter of persons and held a sword in one hand and
scales in the other. The sword meant that when the judgment was handed down,
there would be the execution of the penalty. The scales meant that justice
would be fair. Judgment should be exercised without respect of persons.
II. YOUR ENEMY’S
PROPERTY. (Exodus 23:4-7)
A. Show Compassion. (Exodus 23:4-5)
(Exodus 23:4-5)
“If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring
it back to him again. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under
his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.”
INSIGHT: If you come upon your enemy’s ox or
donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner. If you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed
under its load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and help.
1. We are to save our enemy’s property.
Teachings about
coming across our adversary’s animal are an expansion of the 10th commandment
against coveting, and are similar to the instructions Moses gives in
Deuteronomy 2:1-3. In both of these cases, Moses forbids a sin of omission
along these lines: if we see something injurious is about to happen, and we do
nothing, it is a sin. Of course, in this verse, Moses is talking about any
adversary's animal. In such a case should we just sit on our hands and let
things take its course? No. We are to save our adversary's property, if it is
in peril.
2. We are to overcome evil with good.
God’s command to
love our enemies was developed by Solomon in Proverbs 25:21-22. If our enemy is
thirsty or hungry, we are to give him what he needs. In doing so, we pile
burning coals on his head, and God will reward us. Of course, the Apostle Paul
quoted these verses in Romans 12:20, and stated that this is the way to
overcome evil with good.
B. Practice Justice. (Exodus 23:6-7)
(Exodus 23:6-7)
“Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. Keep thee far from
a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not
justify the wicked.”
INSIGHT: In a lawsuit, you must not deny justice to the poor.
Be sure never to charge anyone falsely with evil. Never sentence an innocent or
blameless person to death, for God never declares a guilty person to be
innocent.
1. No respecter of persons.
Moses reverses
the situation again, and warns people to not deny justice to the poor, simply
because of their place on the economic scale. Each case must be decided on its
merits and on its facts.
2. No false accusations.
Also, Moses
commanded God’s people, Israel, to separate themselves from any accusation or
charge that they know to be untrue, especially when innocent lives are at
stake. Probably the worst scriptural example of this happening is Jezebel's
actions in the acquisition of Naboth's vineyard (see1 Kings 21). Everybody will
be held accountable by the Lord for his or her thoughts, actions, and words. No
exemptions!
III. TREAT
FOREIGNERS KINDLY. (Exodus 23:8-9)
A. Judge Others Honestly. (Exodus 23:8)
(Exodus 23:8) “And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift
blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.”
INSIGHT: Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore
something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the
truth.
1. No bribe accepted.
Exodus 23:8 is
nearly quoted verbatim in Deuteronomy 16:19. In the Deuteronomy passage, the
context is one of partiality and perverted justice. Evidently bribery was a
common problem because there are so many warnings against it in an assortment
of settings. Bribery displays partiality; love displays justice.
INSIGHT: The taking of a gift (as a bribe), and the
oppression of a stranger are forbidden. Though these are common moral precepts,
they have been readily violated from generation to generation. God help those
who transgress them!
2. No spin zone.
In this verse,
Moses also highlights the “spin” required to justify using it. Some accusers
deliberately misrepresent the words of innocent people. Almost any quote may be
used against a person if it is taken out of context and placed in a made-up
context. Don’t do it!
B. Treat Others Kindly. (Exodus 23:9)
(Exodus 23:9) “Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a
stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
INSIGHT: You
must not oppress foreigners. You know what it’s like to be a foreigner, for you
yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.
1. Do show compassion.
The wording of
the warning about “strangers” in Exodus 23:9 was given earlier in Exodus 22:21.
Here Moses appeals to the sympathy of the Jews, a compassionate trait that
should be there because of their cruel experience in Egypt. Actually, Moses was
reminding the people of God to "Remember how hard it was for you to be a
foreigner in Egypt? Do you really want to repeat that experience to the
stranger among you?"
2. Do not seek revenge.
Unfortunately,
some people (even today) want others to suffer in the ways they have suffered,
either as a projected act of revenge against a now-untouchable oppressor or for
a distorted need for sympathy. Moses urges
us to defeat that temptation, and show kindness to others instead.
REVENGE
Leonardo Da Vinci, just before he commenced work on
his "Last Supper" had a violent argument with a fellow painter.
Leonardo was so bitter that he determined to paint the face of his enemy, the
other artist, into the face of Judas, and thus take his revenge by handing the
man down in infamy and scorn to succeeding generations. The face of Judas was,
therefore, one of the first he finished. And everyone could easily recognize it
as the face of the painter with whom he had quarreled.
But when he came to paint the face of Christ, he
could make no progress. Something seemed to be baffling him, holding him back,
frustrating his best efforts. Finally he came to the conclusion that the thing
that was frustrating him was that he had painted the face of his enemy onto the
face of Judas. He painted out the face of Judas and was then able to resume his
work on the face of Jesus and this time did it with the success that the ages
have acclaimed.
When Da Vinci moved past his right to take revenge
and made the right response instead, he broke the power of hatred and allowed
the love of Christ to have the last word. – Jeeva Sam, SermonCentral.com
IV. REMEMBER THE
SABBATH. (Exodus 23:10-12)
(Exodus 23:10-12) “And six years thou
shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: 11 But
the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy
people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like
manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard. 12 Six
days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine
ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may
be refreshed.”
INSIGHT:
Plant and harvest your crops for six years, but let the land be
renewed and lie uncultivated during the seventh year. Then let the poor among
you harvest whatever grows on its own. Leave the rest for wild animals to eat.
The same applies to your vineyards and olive groves. You have six days each
week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working. This
gives your ox and your donkey a chance to rest. It also allows your workers and
the foreigners living among you to be refreshed.
A. The Sabbath
Was The Lord’s Special Gift To Israel.
It marked the
nation as His holy people (Exodus 31:13-17). It was also God’s gift to mankind
and animals to provide needed rest. The Sabbatical Year showed God’s concern
for the poor and the land.
B. Israel Was To
Observe A Variety Of Sabbaths And Festivals.
The law
regarding a weekly Sabbath of rest for people and animals (Exodus 23:12; see
Exodus 20:8-11) was expanded to Sabbatical years to provide rest for the land
and food for the poor (Exodus 23:10-11). It was a reminder that God owned the
land; they were stewards on his behalf.
CONCLUSION: Notice the teaching of Exodus Chapter 23.
First, We Must
Show Respect To Others (Exodus 23:1-9).
Treating others justly would seem to be an easy thing to do, but the
human heart is sinful and can lead us astray with wealth, crowds, false
witnesses, or rumors (2 Corinthians 13:1). The fact that a person is rich or
poor, a friend or an enemy, must not blind us to the truth. Integrity must not
be for sale.
Second, We Must Rest And Worship Our God (Exodus 23:10-13).
The Sabbath was
the Lord’s special gift to ISRAEL to mark the nation as His holy people (Exodus
31:13-17). It was also God’s gift to mankind and animals to provide needed
rest. The Sabbatical Year showed God’s concern for the poor and the land. It is
sad that people today have forgotten these lessons and are destroying God’s
great creation by their exploitation of resources.
Third, We Must Rejoice In The Lord’s Goodness (Exodus 23:14-19).
The Lord wants
His people to rejoice and celebrate in His goodness. If our celebration ignores
the God of the Bible, we are guilty of idolatry. (See 1 Timothy 6:17.)
Fourth, We Must Reflect God’s Greatness (Exodus 23:20-33).
The nation of
Israel would be entering enemy territory and would be tempted to compromise
with the evil people of the land. God’s people must not even speak about the
false gods (Exodus 23:13) lest they would be led to bow down and serve those
gods (Exodus 23:24) and make agreements with them (Exodus 23:32). Do not talk
yourself into disobeying Jehovah God! May God’s greatness be seen in you and
me.
THOUGHT
TO REMEMBER: “Drawing near to God requires caring for
others.”
REFERENCES: References used in these Bible studies are the Moody Bible Commentary, J. Vernon McGee’s Thru the Bible Commentary: (www.ttb.org), the Scofield Study Bible, the Believer’s Bible Commentary, Dr. Charles
J. Woodbridge Bible Outlines, Dr. Lee Roberson’s Sermons, Dr. Charles Stanley: (http://www.intouch.org/), Don Robinson’s Bible Outlines, Women’s Study Bible, The Bible Reader’s
Companion Ed. 3, The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version, Dr. Tony Evans (https://tonyevans.org/), KJV Bible Commentary, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the New
Testament ed. 4, Dr. David Jeremiah: (http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/), Dr. Cliff Robinson’s Bible Outlines, Dr. Robert Jeffress’ Pathway to
Victory (https://ptv.org/), Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the Old Testament, Dr. Alan Carr’s The Sermon Notebook (www.sermonnotebook.org), With the Word Bible Commentary, Wiersbe’s “Be” Series: Old & New
Testaments, Radio Bible Class Ministries (http://rbc.org/), selected illustrations and other references.
REV. RONALD PURKEY’S OFFICE
E-mail: Ronald Purkey
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