Sh'mot 22:14-15 "And if a man borrows anything from his neighbor, and it is injured or dies while its owner is not with it, he shall make full restitution. If its owner is with it, he shall not make restitution; if it is hired, it came for its hire.
We learn here that we are to take care of the things we borrow and replace anything that gets lost or broken while in our use. There should be consequences in how we treat our fellow man and how we treat his possessions.
Sh'mot 22:16-17 "And if a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry for her to be his wife. If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the dowry for virgins.
This law places the responsibility for pre-marital sex on the man. The woman is considered to be the victim. This discouraged "playing the field". The man knew that he would be expected to marry the woman. If her father refused he was still going to pay for his actions. This would act as a deterrent to any pre-marital sexual relations.
Sh'mot 22:18 "You shall not allow a sorceress to live.
Sorceress - (witch) - In our day witchcraft is glamorized. Even young children are reading books and going to movies, like Harry Potter, that glamorize witchcraft. G-d's view of witchcraft is quite different. We learn from this law how serious it is to dabble in witchcraft and the occult. Some may consider it just a show and fantasy but we should realize that this stuff is actually real and there are real forces behind witchcraft.
Sh'mot 22:19 "Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death.
Some may feel that this is an alternative life style, a personal choice. But G-d thinks other wise. Remember that the relationship between the husband (man) and wife (woman) is a picture of the relationship between Yeshua and the believers. So engaging in any sexual relationship outside of marriage is an attack (a slam) on the relationship between Yeshua and His bride, the believers.
Man is made to have a spiritual relationship with HaShem. Any sin, even if it does not seem to hurt another person, will still affect our spiritual relationship. If you have accepted Yeshua as your Messiah, your body is now the temple for the Shekinah glory. Our goal is to follow Yeshua through the Spirit who is and always will be "PERFECTION" & "TRUTH".
Sh'mot 22:20 "He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the L-RD alone, shall be utterly destroyed.
If this law where enforced, whole nations, and some continents would be practically wiped out. Idolatry is a serious matter in the eyes of G-d. When you reject HaShem you only hurt yourself. You are then enslaved by powers of darkness that will only use you and then ultimately destroy your life. Your life could be physically destroyed as a result. Those who do not turn from their sin will eventually have their spiritual life destroyed and face eternal separation from HaShem. The Torah tells us what sin is and it is our schoolmaster to point to our Savior.
Romans 9:22-24 What if G-d, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.
Until we come to realize the truth about the Son we are slaves to our sin. Sin keeps us from being set free and obtaining the resurrection to life and not eternal disgrace and everlasting contempt. I would not only want my sins covered but would want them totally taken away. At the time of Moshe, the animal sacrifices needed to be made again and again. The sins of the people were only covered by the animal sacrifices. They were not totally taken away. Now, through the death of Yeshua, our sins are totally taken away and we have the assurance of eternal life if we trust in Him as our Mashiach. HaShem is patient with the lost and wants none to come to destruction. The wages of sin is death but the gift of G-d is eternal life through Yeshua HaMashiach. Nothing we have done can keep us from eternal forgiveness if we are willing to t'shuvah (repent, turn to Him) and trust in what the Messiah offered - Himself. He took away our ugliness forever so we can be resurrected in the presence of HaShem for eternity and glorify the Messiah.
2 Peter 3:8-13 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the L-rd one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The L-rd is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (t'shuvah). But the day of the L-rd will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of G-d, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
We are now considered dead to sin and alive to the Messiah. We will be resurrected into a glorified body. Those who have already physically died are present now with the L-rd without their glorified body.
2 Corinthians 5:1-8 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from G-d, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is G-d, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the L-rd-- for we walk by faith, not by sight-- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the L-rd.
Luke 20:34-39 And Yeshua said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage; for neither can they die anymore, for they are like angels, and are sons of G-d, being sons of the resurrection. "But that the dead are raised, even Moshe showed, in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the L-rd the G-d of Avraham, and the G-d of Yitz'chak, and the G-d of Ya'akov. "Now He is not the G-d of the dead, but of the living; for all live to Him."
Sh'mot 22:21 And you shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Those who have come to know Yeshua HaMashiach are also strangers in this world. Our home is not a home made with human hands and our city is not here but above.
Hebrews 11:8-10 By faith Avraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Yitz'chak and Ya'akov, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is G-d.
Hebrews 11:11-16 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised; therefore, also, there was born of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore G-d is not ashamed to be called their G-d; for He has prepared a city for them.
Hebrews 11:38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because G-d had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
Sh'mot 22:22-24 You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.
Who is more helpless than a little child? There is nothing sadder than those that exploit orphans for their own financial gain. Someday they will stand before G-d and answer for their actions.
Ya'akov (James) 1:27 This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our G-d and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. NAS
Yeshua said that even some teachers of the Torah where guilty of taking advantage of widows.
Luke 20:46-47 "Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."
There are many today that do the same thing, those who claim to be followers of Yeshua and prey on the elderly for financial support. As an example, we received a letter recently from a ministry that wanted us to will our house to them when we die. We did not even know them and we don't even have a house! What chutzpah! Another e-mailed us asking us for our house too. There is nothing wrong with giving a house to someone if that is something you want to do on your own and G-d places it on your heart to do. However, an e-mail asking for our house is going overboard and really gives believers a bad name and tacky impression. Their hearts seems to be only concerned with money. There are many elderly people who are really taken advantage of by these ministries. They are always pressuring people to give. If one has a need is fine to ask, but don't be constantly begging and pressuring others. They will have to stand before HaShem someday and answer for their actions.
Sh'mot 22:25 "If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest.
Don't take advantage of the poor.
Sh'mot 22:26-27 If you ever take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets, for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear him, for I am gracious.
Here we learn to be considerate of others and not just look at a situation as a business deal but to consider the welfare of the whole person.
Sh'mot 22:28-31 "You shall not curse G-d, nor curse a ruler of your people. You shall not delay the offering from your harvest and your vintage. The first-born of your sons you shall give to Me. You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me. And you shall be holy men to Me, therefore you shall not eat any flesh torn to pieces in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.
Again we see the first-born sons were to be set apart for the L-rd's service. His first born too, Yeshua, "the Real Deal", whom all the types follow after, was set apart.
Hebrews 11:17-20 By faith Avraham, when he was tested, offered up Yitz'chak; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, "In Yitz'chak your descendants shall be called." He considered that G-d is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type.