4/23 Exodus Devotions

Exodus 22 “Retribution”

“If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.” (v. 4)

God does not condone thievery, of course, He does believe in restitution. I am reminded of a friend at work who had gotten saved, and the very next week he brought back some expensive paint equipment that he had stolen from the factory. I was amazed. He took the small compressor, and paint guns to the superintendent’s office, and told him that he had stolen them, at the risk of his job. The superintendent was so shocked that he did not press the issue, and let my friend go. I had never seen anything like that, and it left an indelible impression on me. That was real Christianity, and I was glad to see that my friend had a real dose of it! Much of this chapter speaks of doing the right thing—restitution. Now that friend did not restore it double, but he took a great risk in returning it, and admitting that he had stolen it. He was willing to pay the consequences. These types of things, varied as they may be, are called “trespasses” (22:9), because they deal with mans relationship to man, and encroaching on another’s’ property. Sometimes, though the sin is forgiven by God, we need to reconcile with our fellow man also. Christ taught this same principle in Mt. 5:23,24, where he tells us to first reconcile with our brother, then come and offer our gift at the altar.

Another verse that I cannot let pass without saying something is, v. 28, where we are told not to “revile” the leader of our people. We need to be careful here. I don’t agree with many of our president’s actions, but I need to be careful about talking evil against him, after all, he is the man in the office that God has ordained! This too would fit under “trespasses” as it again has to do with man’s relationship with his fellow man. I mention this because there is a division in sin, in God’s eyes, and a two-fold judgment will be realized. Christ takes care of one type of judgment, that in which we offended our God, but often relationships here go on without reconciliation, and bitterness between two parties is usually the result of it. At any rate, I am sure this topic will come up again before we are finished.