Sunday Sermonette: Us and Them

As I have said many times, the chapter divisions were added by medieval scribes and often don ' t seem to make a lot of sense. Exodus 23 is obviously three different segments which may well come from entirely different original sources. It starts out ascribing moral principles which, in contrast to much of what we have seen so far, are largely consistent with what we think of as virtuous today. Then it prescribes some religious practices which include some of God ' s odd obsessions but whatever. Then it turns really, really ugly. (I ' ve gone back to the New International Version for this one, it seems clearer in some places.) Here goes.“Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.2 “Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd,3 and do not show favoritism to a poor person in a lawsuit.4 “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it.5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.6 “Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits.7 Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.8 “Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.9 “Do not oppress a foreign...
Source: Stayin' Alive - Category: American Health Source Type: blogs