Exodus | Chapter 21 – Scripture Supply

Exodus 21:1-36 – “House Rules Part 1”

I.) Intro.

After the Lord gave the “Ten Commandments,” which made up the moral law and God’s claim upon the nation, the people asked Moses to be the “go-between” in verse 19. The words recorded in this chapter through chapter 23 are given to Moses, not directly to the people. These make up the civil law, which would be their social legislation. The elders would use these laws to establish legal precedents that set them apart from other nations. These laws have become a standard for most judicial systems in the world today. They are, if you will, God’s “house rules” for social order within society.

I know of no home that does not have certain “house rules.” For example, one of ours is that when you enter the house, you take off your shoes. The rule was put in place to save the carpets. So, if you violate this “house rule,” you are sternly warned to take them off. However, if you are a guest in our house, you can still wear your shoes on the carpet without any repercussions.

I have heard people say that you cannot legislate morality or social behavior, but the fact is that laws—or the absence of them—are legislating morality. There have to be laws in place to equitably govern our social behavior; to not do so is to guarantee social immorality and total chaos. This week we’ve had hearings on media marketing violent material to minors, one in which the media executives didn’t even show up. That is clearly our society trying to legislate morality for the betterment of all. Though not all of these laws apply to us today, they are nonetheless valuable for us to look at. Today, God has given us His Word so that we Christians can behave in a way that will impact our society as well. I’m all for voting on candidates and propositions, but I am convinced that the quickest way to effect change in our society is for me to live as Jesus did!

II.) Vs. 1-11 Set Apart Servants

Vs. 1: Right here, Moses, at God’s instruction, establishes a standard of behavior so that when people appear before the elders, there will be consistent judgment. All of us have, at times, been on the wrong end of a judgment. People set rules and then bend the rules for some and not others. It frustrates us all, does it not? When Carlos, Tom, and I appeared before our engineer about water runoff, we were told that we had to take care of Merced Manor’s water runoff problems as well because someone at the city let them get away with not having to deal with it. They even told us it was not fair. So, God sets out to establish a civil or social code to handle the everyday concerns that would come up. The word “judgments” here is “ordinances.”

Vs. 2-6: Here we are given the general laws concerning slaves. The first set of ordinances that God lays before them regulates indentured servants. How interesting this is, in light of the fact that the nation had been slaves for 400 years. So, the first rights that God wanted to establish were the rights of servants. To get a better picture of slavery within the nation of Israel, it is important to realize how a person became a slave to another Jew. There were six ways a person could find themselves a slave:

Extreme poverty: If a person found themselves in such a condition that they could not fend for themselves, they would sell their freedom to another and become their hired hand. Remember, this was an agrarian society, and if your crops did not come in, you would hire out to another. In a sense, most of us work for someone else, thus we would be considered a servant of the company we work for; they tell us the hours we work, the amount of compensation we get, etc.
A father would sell his children: Now, this might seem harsh at first, although I’m sure we’ve all contemplated selling our kids, only we were sure we couldn’t get enough to pay for what they’ve already cost us! But the idea is more like that of apprenticeships. A father might sell his child to a man who was a goldsmith or something so that they could learn the trade. This is still done in some countries today, as trades are passed down from generation to generation.
A person who could not pay their debt: If a person had accumulated a debt, they would have to work for the person they owed until the debt was paid off. This could even happen if, say, the husband died and could not pay off his bills; the wife would then be obligated.
A thief: If a person stole something and caused a loss, they would have to pay a fine. If they were unable to pay the fine, they would be sold, and the amount from their purchase was to be paid to the victim.
A prisoner of war: If, during a battle, they were taken as part of the spoils, they would find themselves a slave.
A prisoner of war who has been ransomed: In this case, they were liable to pay back the price it took to purchase their freedom.

So, God establishes these standards for treating people who find themselves in such situations:

Vs. 2: Servitude was never lifelong. The max they could be forced to work was six years. At the end of six years, they were set free. Even if the person had gotten themselves into the situation because of a foolish act, they were only in it for a maximum of six years and were to be released in the year of jubilee.
Vs. 3-4: Whatever you brought into slavery, you took it with you. In other words, there was to be no extortion. You could not set a person free but keep their wife or property. However, if the man had gotten married and had children while in slavery, they stayed. He could redeem them or work for their release as well.
Vs. 5-6: Servitude could be your life’s choice. This is one of those “what if” clauses. There were several reasons why a person might choose to stay a servant, but notice the order:

I love my master: That was the primary reason—love of the master, even before love of the family. The servant recognized that he had it better under the master than he did in the world.
I love my wife and children: It was in the best interest of the family that they stayed in servitude.
I will not go free: Obedience to the master was better than freedom in the world.

It’s no stretch to see how this relates to our lives as Christians. Eight times in the New Testament, Christians are referred to as “bondservants,” and that is what Moses is describing here. A bondservant is one who recognizes that servitude to a loving master is better than slavery to the world. The servant’s decision had to be made out of love, based on the master’s love and goodness toward them.

In the ceremony to show this, the servant was brought to the door of the house, and their ear was pierced or opened with an awl in the presence of witnesses, signifying that they would serve the master forever. Symbolically:

By going to the door of the house, the servant showed that they were attached to the master and his family, committing themselves for life. This was a once-and-for-all act, not something they could change their mind about later.
By having their ear pierced, the servant declared that their ears were always open to the master’s words, not just to hear but to obey.

Having made this commitment, the servant was no longer treated as a slave but as a member of the family. This is what we, as believers, have done with Jesus, and this is what Jesus did for us to win our freedom. Jesus, we are told in Philippians 2:7, made Himself of no reputation and took on the form of a servant. In Psalm 40:6, speaking of the conversation between Jesus and the Father, we read, “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened.” Jesus could have gone home to the Father, but instead, He went through the doorway of death for us to purchase us back to the Father.

Vs. 7-11: Here we are given the rights of female servants. This was very rare but could happen in certain instances:

In the case of extreme poverty, the daughter would be better off in a home that could provide for her. This was only allowed in cases where she and her family were starving, and only if she was unmarriageable. This servitude was limited to no more than six years, after which she would be set free.
Apprenticeship: This was another reason for female servitude. She would serve a master to learn a trade, and again, she would be set free after six years. Unlike male servants, female servants had additional protections, as “she shall not go out as the menservants.” Her parents were compensated for her labor, and she could be bought out of her contract earlier.
Vs. 8: If the master intended to marry her, she had to be treated as a wife, without any of the privileges of marriage. He could not use her as he pleased. He either had to marry her or set her free; he could not sell her to someone else who would just use her. If another man took a fancy to her, she could be redeemed.
Vs. 9-10: If the master intended to marry her to his son, she had to be treated as a daughter. If the son backed out of the deal, the master was still obligated to provide for her and ensure she had every opportunity to marry.
Vs. 10-11: The master had to take care of three areas:

Her food: She was not to be fed slop but the same food as the rest of the family.
Her clothing: She was to receive the same rights as the rest of the family, no hand-me-downs.
Her marriage: She was to be given the full rights of any other married woman if she was married to the master, his son, or anyone else. If these conditions were met, no monetary compensation was required; otherwise, she had to be paid at the end of her six years.

Such rules in society were radical and truly set Israel apart from other nations.

III.) Vs. 12-27 Human Rights

Vs. 12-14: God made a distinction between manslaughter and premeditated murder. The issue was premeditation and treachery. Crimes of passion were not on the same level as first-degree murder. In cases of unintentional death, there were cities of refuge where the killer could flee for protection from vengeance. The community was responsible for justice, not the victim’s family. There was no mercy for first-degree murderers—they were to be taken out and dealt with the same day as their sentence. The cities of refuge were built later, during the time of Joshua.

Vs. 15-17: A child who murders or attempts to murder their parents was to be put to death. This applied to adults as well. Though it might seem harsh, God sanctified the home, and He knew that allowing anarchy in the home would lead to societal decay. Generational respect was critical for passing down the knowledge of God. Paul describes people who reject this as those “without natural affection.” Furthermore, kidnapping, which involves stealing another person’s freedom, was a capital offense as well. The Bible never condones kidnapping-based slavery as practiced in many parts of the world. Our country fought a civil war over slavery, but much of it involved kidnapping, which the Bible strictly prohibits.

Vs. 18-19: These verses deal with personal injury and compensation for lost wages and medical bills, but not for “pain and suffering.” If our legal system followed these principles, we would have fewer lawsuits and less need for lawyers!

Vs. 20-21: This addresses “workman’s compensation.” Servants were considered valuable, not just property, so if a master caused the servant’s death, the master was punished. If the servant survived for a few days, the master was not held responsible, as it would be seen as accidental. A master wouldn’t want to destroy their workforce, so this law served as a safeguard.

Vs. 22-25: These verses describe laws of retribution. The scenario involves a pregnant woman. If both mother and child were unharmed after an altercation, a fine would be imposed. However, if death or injury occurred, it would require equal retribution. The “eye for an eye” principle was a maximum punishment, not a requirement for private revenge, and was meant to ensure that punishment fit the crime and to prevent escalating retaliation.

Vs. 26-27: If a master caused a servant to lose an eye or tooth, the servant was to be set free. This law was meant to ensure fair treatment of servants. Loss of temper could result in the loss of a servant, so it discouraged mistreatment.

IV.) Vs. 28-36 Animal Rights

Vs. 28-32: God establishes negligence laws regarding animals, specifically a bull that gores someone. If it was the bull’s first offense, the owner wasn’t held responsible, but if the bull had a history of goring and the owner hadn’t taken precautions, the owner was subject to punishment, including potential death or a ransom payment to redeem their life. The price for a servant gored by a bull was set at 30 pieces of silver—the same amount paid to Judas for betraying Jesus, who was “gored” for our sins on the cross.

Vs. 33-36: These verses establish the principle that negligence resulting in property loss required full compensation. Personal responsibility was emphasized, ensuring that people were held accountable for their actions.