4/21 Devotions in Exodus

Exodus 21 Equity

“But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.” (v. 14)

This chapter supports capital punishment, and so do I. God, the great “Law Giver” knows what is best, and He set the precedent. The problem is, that man has interfered with God, as is always a problem. The key word here though is “presumptuously”, today we would call this “premeditated murder” or perhaps murder in the first degree. You see, that is what presumption is, presuming on the law, or another person, or both. Taking advantage of “loopholes” is presumption. Presumption implies planning, scheming, plotting, etc., with evil intent (or “guile”), and deceit. The theme of these, and various other laws throughout this Book, is fairness, or “equity.” The Lord put it this way, “Judge righteous judgment” (Jn. 7:24).

Fairness in judgment (equity) stems from honesty, and the desire to do right whether we understand the rule or not. If we did not use fairness in dealing with the Lord, we would find ourselves in a self made web of deceit and eventual destruction. Presumption takes advantage of, and unfairly uses the victim, and it is deceitful and wrong. David confesses presumptuous sin, and asks God to forgive it (Psa. 19: 13); Peter compares it to speaking evil of “dignities”, and walking after the flesh. (2 Peter 2 :10). Most of our sin is presumptuous sin, we sin willingly, knowing that we are doing wrong, but trying to avoid getting caught. I do not believe that we sin without knowing it, as many teach, because if we don’t know it, there is no deceit, no presumption involved. We know right from wrong. Sin takes planning, and that is a decision we make, and not an “accident.” Our “secret sins” (See Psa. 90:8) that we base this false teaching on, are simply sins we keep hidden in the deep recesses of our minds, secret from any one else, except the Lord. No, we have no need to confess sins that we “may have committed unwittingly” (unknowingly), but must face our sin, and confess, and forsake it. This is only the proper thing to do.