This program of daily devotions is designed to take you through the Bible in three years. It is our desire to help you gain a better general understanding of God's Word.

Please understand that in a study this brief, we will be concerned with only the major emphases and context of the Scriptures.

Each day a devotion for one or two chapters is posted, beginning with chapter one of Genesis and going through chapter twenty-two of Revelation. You are free to print each page as it appears. If you miss a day, you may contact us and request that devotion. Please send your request, along with $.50 (p&h) for each page to:

Bruce McGee,Pastor
205 Adams
Columbia, LA 71418

Bro. Bruce's commentary for the book of Genesis is
now available for $7.50.

EXODUS
CHAPTER 22
1 If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. 2 If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. 3 If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4 If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double. 5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution. 6 If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution. 7 If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him pay double. 8 If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour's goods. 9 For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour. 10 If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it: 11 Then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good. 12 And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof. 13 If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn.

These are laws meant to govern restitution for wrongs done.
In verses 1-4, a thief was to restore double. This meant he would make it
right with the owner and suffer for his crime with punishment.
When people sleep, they have a right to be safe. Therefore, if a
thief broke in at night and was killed in the act, no retribution
was taken upon the owner.
But men ought to be wary as well as merciful in the daytime. Therefore,
it was unjustified to KILL the thief during the day, unless it was
self-defense.

In verses 5-6 each person is responsible for keeping his own beasts from
harming his neighbor's crops. If because of negligence your cattle destroy
the crops of a neighbor, you are responsible for the damage done.
And, certainly, if someone puts his cattle in the field of another on purpose
he is responsible for restitution.
Many a person's hay, crops, timber and even HOUSE has been lost by an unintentional
fire. If you are burning leaves or trash, be careful to WATCH over it!
Whatever damage done by it "getting away" from you is your responsibility.

In verses 7-13 a person assumes responsibility for items left in his care.
When a neighbor agrees to keep some of our "stuff" while we are away, he
assumes responsibility for all items. It it is stolen, the thief pays. If
it is missing upon the owner's return, the responsible care-taker must pay.
Keep in mind, "pay" here refers to replace or pay an amount to replace.

14 And if a man borrow ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good. 15 But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire.

Borrowing from someone includes responsibility for return as it was. If
the owner is not present at the time of loss of the item, it must be
fully replaced. If he is present, he should watch after the item.
Be aware of the responsibilities of "borrowing" things.

16 And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. 17 If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. 18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. 19 Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death. 20 He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed. 21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. 22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. 23 If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; 24 And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. 25 If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. 26 If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: 27 For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious. 28 Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.

These laws deal with human relations.
Verses 16-17 -- Fornication is against God's law. Sex is permitted ONLY
within marriage in God's eyes. Therefore, if a man entices a woman to commit
this act, he must marry her. Have you ever heard of "shotgun weddings?" That's
where it came from.
You will note also that the man could never divorce her (Deut. 22:28).
However, if the father refused to allow the marriage, the man must still pay a
price for his sin.
Verse 18 -- Practicing witchcraft is a sin punishable by death! WOW! That oughta
speak to us today!
Witchcraft is the practice of calling upon demons. All demons are only created
beings that ultimately fall under the authority of God. To practice witchcraft
is to break the FIRST COMMANDMENT (see Ex. 20:3).
[[My friend, Pastor Shane Duke, went to New York to preach in a "tent crusade."
Just down the street from the place where the crusade was held was a church of
SATAN! Can you believe that?]]
Verse 19 -- Carnal involvement with animals deserves the death penalty. Would
modern society permit such a sentence? No. There would be a huge cry for mercy.
We do have laws against such acts, but none of them exact the death penalty.
Since God is a God of mercy, why then does this crime demand the death penalty?
Because sex is a very magnetizing thing. If a person cannot withhold from the
practice of such with animals, he/she will not withhold at any time.
Therefore, animal diseases would be spread to humanity. And, in fact, they HAVE!
Verse 21 -- Strangers are those from another place who either come to visit or
perhaps to make a new home. To take advantage of them is a criminal act!
How can we lprofess to be God's people and take advantage of or treat maliciously
a person because they are new? To do this, in effect, breaks the third
commandment: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain."
Verses 22-25 -- Widows and orphans have no human protector assigned to them. Here,
God determines to BE their protector. Notice that the penalty for oppressing them
is DEATH, PLUS the perpretrator's family would be made widow and orphans.
Is that HARSH and UNDUE punishment? Well, I believe, that penalties for crimes
should be harsh enough to be a DETERRENT. Obviously, God shows that to be
true. And, friends, God is much smarter than all the psychiatrists in the world!
We spend billions of dollars on programs to REFORM criminals in the US today.
But, if our PENALTIES for crimes were exacted more properly, perhaps we'd not have
to spend so much on reformation -- or for jails!
Verses 26-27 -- Money borrowed between Israelites was to have NO INTEREST! Kinda
hard to apply that today. But look at the other part. When collateral is used to
secure a loan, the borrower retains possession of and use of the property. That
part of the law is used in our laws today.
Verse 28 -- The word "gods" here is best understood as "judges" or "rulers." The
ruler and/or judge has authority from God. It wouldn't be wise to revile
or curse them! ((See also Rom. 13:3-4))

29 Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. 30 Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me.

God wants tithes of ALL our increase. In any way that we have received
increase, we should be more than willing to pay God at least one tenth. And if it
isn't possible to tithe the product (such as sons), we can tithe 10% of
the worth of the product.
By the way, if we TITHE, we are more sure to BUDGET. Taking 10% off the TOP, and
giving it to God causes us to more closely evaluate what we have to spend.

31 And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.

All the above laws apply to "holiness." Holiness is clealiness before God.
No man is ever clean before God except through the blood of Jesus today. But God
counts us as holy when we are OBEDIENT. Hebrews 12:14 declares that we should
"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see God."
From this we see that the truly saved will be as obedient as possible under
the laws of God. These laws are not meant to be a means of salvation.
However, obedience to these laws is a product of being saved!
Willful obedience to God's laws, inasmuch as we possibly can in this world today,
is evidence of God's Holy Spirit working within Christians to be a "separate" and
"different" people for God's Glory.

Please continue to follow along in Bible study with us.