Journal Through the Bible: Week 14 Friday

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Exodus 22:16-23:19

Does God make any promises in this passage?

• Not directly, but proper conduct always provides better relationships between a man and his neighbors and between him and his God.

Are there any references to Jesus?

• Jesus fulfilled all of these commands. He never was guilty of untoward motives toward women, never worshiped anyone but God, never harassed foreigners, widows, orphans, the poor, or His neighbors, never delayed doing the will of His Father, never lied or gave false testimony, was never swayed in His opinions of someone based upon their financial status, believed in personal ownership (I imagine that the donkey foal was returned to its owner after the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem because it was used only with the owner's permission), He kept the Sabbath days by giving rest to others, and He kept the feasts, including presenting Himself at Jerusalem for them.
• Speaking of the feasts, they were all pictures of Him given to the people of Israel as a sign of the Messiah much as communion and baptism are signs of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus that churches observe today. Jesus was without sin (unleavened bread), conquered death (firstfruits), and is Lord of the spiritual harvest promising the resurrection of believers (ingathering).
• Even the firstborn baby animal was to be left with its mother and then taken on the eighth day as a symbol of the giving of God's firstborn Son, the One circumcised as a rite of the Covenant when He was eight days old.

Are there any references to yet-future events?

• The Feast of Unleavened Bread (part of Passover) was celebrated by Jesus prior to the crucifixion. It was also at the time that He instituted the Lord's Supper (communion) and said that He would not partake again until He celebrated anew with believers in His Father's Kingdom. Personally, I do not think we will celebrate Passover when we are together with Jesus because the Passover required the sacrifice of a lamb and the Perfect Lamb of God has already been sacrificed for us, once for all, and done! As an outsider (the Jewish line of my family did not hand down these traditions), I see the biggest difference between the Passover and communion to be the absence of an animal sacrifice! Jesus was the atonement! Bread and fruit of the vine will be the symbols used in our joint communion service because the Lamb (with His clothing dipped in blood) will be physically present with us at that service. The Feast of Unleavened Bread was not only a celebration of their hurried exit from Egypt, when the bread had no chance to rise, but it is also a reminder that sin causes death and decay, which happens to be one of the processes of yeast interacting with the dough. We might eat unleavened bread in Heaven but sin and death will no longer be part our life when we reach there!
• The Feast of Firstfruits is a picture of the resurrection. Jesus was the firstfruit of the harvest, the one who conquered death, hell, and the grave! Because He did this for us, we will also be resurrected! Hallelujah!
• The Feast of Ingathering (Tabernacles) was first to commemorate the exodus out of Egypt. The people lived in tents during their years of travel so to celebrate this they would build temporary huts or shelters and camp out for a week. After the Hebrews settled into their land the feast was a harvest festival of thanksgiving to God. Will we celebrate this feast in eternity? . Yes, Zechariah 14:16 says that all nations will come to Jerusalem to celebrate this joyful feast which is only right because WE ARE THE HARVEST of resurrected individuals that will make up the Kingdom of the Messiah. Jesus told His followers to look out into the fields that are white unto harvest and He said in at least one parable that the angels would gather the believers as a harvest into God's barn. We will also not stop giving thanks to the God who provided THE Way for us to be there with Him. Thanksgiving will never be far from our lips!

Does God issue any commands?

• 22:16-17 God gave commands concerning the man who seduces an unmarried young woman
• 22:18 God forbade witchcraft
• 22:19 God forbade bestiality
• 22:20 God forbade sacrifices made to any god
• 22:21-27 God forbade harassing foreigners, widows, orphans, the destitute, or neighbors
• 22:28-31 God required proper signs of worship done without delay or deceit
• 23:1-3, 6-9 God required proper justice in court by a jurist and states that he must judge without being swayed by the opinion of other witnesses, financial sympathy for either the defendant or plaintiff, or the nationality of same. 
• 23:4-5 God required someone finding a lost animal to return it to its owner whether the owner is a friend or an enemy
• 23:10-13 God required a Sabbath Year rest for the land as well as a Sabbath day rest for all workers
• 23:14-19 God required three feasts to be celebrated each year: Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Firstfruits, and Feast of Ingathering (Feast of Tabernacles or Booths)