Law of Moses — Exodus 22:16-31

A major concept in Biblical Law is defilement. There are certain things that make individuals defiled, but there are other things that make the whole community defiled. The secret sin of Achan in hiding plunder in his tent defiled the whole nation and removed their divine covering (Joshua 7). Without that covering mercy from God, the full weight of our fallen nature falls upon us. In a covenant community, it afflicts everyone. There are things the community of faith must not tolerate, lest it destroy their peace with God (shalom).

Casual sex is forbidden. In this case, if a man seduces any woman who isn’t already engaged to another man, her consent does not make it okay. He must pay the bridal dowry and give her the status as his wife. If the father of the girl refuses to give her up, the man still must pay the bride price. Granted, this complicates things for that girl’s future, but you have to realize that seduction is a threat to the moral fabric of the community. This man is a sexual predator.

You’ll hear hundreds of disputes about what the Hebrew term translated as “sorceress” refers to here. It does matter that the Greek translation is the root of our term “pharmacy” — it has to do with herbs and chemicals. There are all sorts of proper use for herbal remedies in Scripture, so that’s not the point here. It’s that murky combination of idolatry and seeking powers not granted by God. The simplest meaning of this word is someone who abuses herbs and chemicals, and in those ancient times, it was typically believed that getting high was a means of contacting spirits. In our terms today, it’s related to breaching your internal moral boundaries and messing with demons; it’s a form of psychic burglary. You are touching a part of yourself only God can reveal when He’s ready. Someone in that ancient covenant community who sought out spirits by any means was in reality conjuring demons, regardless of what they may have thought they were doing.

Bestiality was frequently associated with idolatry, as well. It doesn’t matter what the rituals are; messing around with pagan deities is de facto provoking demons and bringing their perverting and defiling influence into the covenant community.

Looking for an excuse to oppress someone was a defiling predation. If they weren’t covenant family, you didn’t have to offer them privileges, but neither could you harass them. As long as they are peaceful within the covenant community, treat them as visitors. The same goes with widows and orphans who didn’t have a patron to protect them. These folks are your covenant family; don’t make their lives any harder than it already is. God will hear their cry and punish your whole community, so it’s on the community to reach out and protect them.

You cannot charge interest on survival loans. Elsewhere God says you shall lend to your poverty stricken kinfolk, so get used to taking small losses like that. God will prosper you and more than make up for it; this is implied. Even during the summer season, nights can be pretty cool in Palestine, so you can’t take someone’s cloak as loan collateral and keep it overnight. The implication is that you let them sleep in it and then return it the next day back into collateral holding.

You shall never allow people in your covenant community to treat Jehovah as if He didn’t matter, and don’t even try calling down curses on those whom God puts in authority over you. Is it any wonder so many nations today are under God’s wrath? These things provoke nature itself to reject you.

The First Fruits belong to God; He is your sovereign and this is the tax He collects. He makes life possible, so everything comes from His hand. It won’t kill you to surrender that first usable tenth to Him. In the case of animals, let them nurse seven days, and on the eighth offer them up. If nothing else, this makes it easier to milk the mother.

Don’t snack on carrion, even if it was one of your prized herd animals. Move the carcass to a place where carrion eaters will take care of it. Leave it for the wild dogs to clean up. This is part of what makes dogs defiling and repulsive to the community, so don’t join them.