God’s Law, Property Rights
Property damaged by negligence
Property rights against theft
Property rights against bringing harm
Exodus 21:33-22:15
DBF, Sunday Sermon, 12/29/02
In today’s society we do hear a lot bantered about regarding rights.
Of course properly stated most of the arguments are towards an individuals rights to do, say, or feel anything that they feel to be beneficial to them.
Someone might say that if I want to shoot my rifle on my own property that is my right as guaranteed by the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution.
Hear what I am saying here as personally, I enjoy the right to bear arms but understand the reason that I am given this right is to ensure that we as a nation will always be defended…I see it as a right with a responsibility instead of a right for a right.
In the above instance, what if someone is walking are driving around your house and your shot cause death, harm, or damage.
Doesn’t the individual harmed are damaged have a right to peace and tranquility?
I am in court often, and the individual’s rights to freedom from others practicing irresponsible citizenship is continually denied them, yet the absolute freedom of individuals even when totally irresponsible is continually espoused by the court and other institutions within our land.
Just as in God’s word there are blessings for doing God’s will and curses if we choose to walk in a manner contrary to the will of God. Our rights come with similar requirements.
For me to be able to exercise freedom of speech, I need to understand that I owe others the rights of not being harassed or being placed in a position of harm by what I say.
Our rights “necessarily” come with responsibilities, and even if in this current age you are not held accountable for transgressions against another, before God each and every “knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”. We will all come to the righteous JUDGE, and HIS ruling in TRUTH will have no end.
Let’s walk with the nation of Israel and gain wisdom in what God’s Theocratic Law stipulated regarding property rights of HIS nation. Remember God calls us to equal justice for all, making people whole is what HE is all about.
Property damaged by negligence
Exodus 21:33-36 (KJV)
And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein; [34] The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.
[35] And if one man’s ox hurt another’s, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide. [36] Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.
And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein; [34] The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his…Who’s fault is it?
What would we here today?
Well I dug my pit, it was my property, I had the right, and if your silly animal came over here and fell into it, sorry…it’s my property and my rights.
All very interesting arguments for this day and age, yet does it change the intent and meaning of God’s law? Absolutely not.
You see, God’s regulations are as remarkable for their justice and prudence as for their humanity. Their great tendency is to show the value of human life, and the necessity of having peace and good understanding in every neighborhood.
Most communities in this nation that was formed “Under God” knew these things, it is just recently that we have strayed so very far from this requirement of God’s law given over 3500 years ago, and it is plain what our walking away from God’s good law has gotten our nation and our people.
What quality did God’s law possess…that quality which should be the object of all good and wholesome laws—the prevention of crimes.
Most criminal codes today seem more intent on the punishment of crimes than on preventing the commission of them.
The law of God has always taught and continues to teach and warn, that HIS creatures may not fall into condemnation; for judgment is HIS and HIS alone.
Also with the mention of the pit, my mind necessarily goes to the thought of the very many pits of sin that lie open surrounding us, our villages, and our nation. These pits all lead to the same place, the place of fire and damnation. It is our calling to lead people to Christ and away from the pit. That is God’s ultimate calling to all who profess to be the born again Children of Christ.
[35] And if one man’s ox hurt another’s, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide. [36] Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own…We see as we stated last week, equal justice. It doesn’t say that we pay the harmed 6,000000 ox for the one that was harmed to settle the damages done to his ego and for any future loss because of this guys unwillingness to take his ox out of his pen.
Again, it would be funny if it weren’t such a sad commentary on our nation and the things we have chosen to magnify.
A person spilling coffee on themselves is awarded millions, while the babies yet to be born or being slaughtered by the millions in this supposedly enlightened society.
One day, I pray that we will look back on this time as a dark age of mankind in relation to the ways that God has truly called us to be.
Again notice that if one person’s animal kills the animal of the other, the live animal was sold and the money split between the two and the dead animal also split between the two. Equal justice for all, what a concept…imagine if it were practiced today.
Property rights against theft
Exodus 22:1-4 (KJV)
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.
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…Some might argue here that this seems unreasonable. If a bull be killed then returning 5 for one seems excessive.
As øåù shor is used, Job 21:10, for a bull probably it may mean so here. If a man
steal a BULL he shall give five OXEN for him, which we may presume was no more than
his (Bulls) real value, as very few bulls could be kept in a country destitute of horses, where
oxen were so necessary to till the ground. For though some have imagined that there
were no castrated cattle among the Jews, yet this cannot be admitted on the above
reason; for as they had no horses, and bulls would have been unmanageable and
dangerous, they must have had oxen for the purposes of agriculture. Tson ïàö is used
for a flock either of sheep or goats, and seh äù for an individual of either species. For
every seh, four, taken indifferently from the tson or flock must be given; i.e., a sheep
stolen might be recompensed with four out of the flock, whether of sheep or goats: so
that a goat might be compensated with four sheep, or a sheep with four goats. (Adam Clarke’s Commentary)
We must also remember the consequence for sin against another brother or sister.
Theft is an act requiring “intent”. You would have to intend to steal the ox to be able to steal the ox.
As many might hear today, well I was walking by the car and the car started calling for me…It wasn’t my fault that it happened to be stolen. Do you believe that???
Well, God’s law tells us that to steal is a property offense against a brother or a sister and requires compensation and consequence, otherwise what would keep another brother from stumbling in the same manner.
[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…What do you do when you catch a thief???
If a thief be found—If a thief was found breaking into a house in the night season, he might be killed; but not if the sun had risen, for then he might be known and taken, and the restitution made which is mentioned in the succeeding verse. So by the law of England it is a burglary to break and enter a house by night; and “anciently the day was accounted to begin only from sunrising, and to end immediately upon sunset: but it is now generally agreed that if there be daylight enough begun or left, either by the light of the sun or twilight, whereby the countenance of a person may reasonably be discerned, it is no burglary; but that this does not extend to moonlight, for then many midnight burglaries would go unpunished. And besides, the malignity of the offense does not so properly arise, as Mr. Justice Blackstone observes, from its being done in the dark, as at the dead of night when all the creation except beasts of prey are at rest; when sleep has disarmed the owner, and rendered his castle defenceless.”—East’s Pleas of the Crown, vol. ii., p. 509. (Adam Clarke’s Commentary)
What do we do as Christian’s when someone formerly accused of thievery come’s and calls upon the name of “Christ”?
We are not called to mediate the consequences of the breech of law, but we are to love them and edify, exhort and call them as Christ to steal no more.
Remember that we have all come from a path of transgressions some greater and some lesser, yet all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. This is from what we have been redeemed…Amen.
[4] If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double…Again we see the consequence of the transgression against a brother or sister and the requirement of repayment with a consequence.
This is meant to deter the one caught in transgression from future crime but also to be a witness to the people of the community of the consequences of sin.
Just as the consequence of living your life apart from accepting Jesus Christ is hell and damnation as the bible plainly says.
Property rights against bringing harm
Exodus 22:5-15 (KJV)
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.
[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.
[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…This is something that is sadly lacking in what we call a Justice System today.
The lawyers will come in even after the thief has admitted then argue that the property replacement value is not the true value of the property.
This is one of the greatest points of dissatisfaction with our system by people who access our system, the over arching rights of criminals within it…over and above those whom they have unrightfully harmed.
There needs be proper consequences to bring about repentance and reconciliation.
This is true in the life of a criminal and is also true in the life of one who is separated from God.
Do you find yourself seeking truth and justice around you in this crazy old world we live in?
Are you seeking some sanity in and through all of the insanity that surrounds our lives today?
Are you wearied from your labor and asking “Why am I about this or that?”
Are you able to detect and follow the will and commandments of God in your life?
The beginning of all answers is God. God is a righteous God. God tells us that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
If you say “Not me”, God says “you lie and do not the truth.”
You see for God to provide for you, you have to call upon HIM and follow HIS ways.
No one is able to do this apart from HIM.
How do you get HIM into your life you ask?
That process God has directed also. God says you must first admit to HIM that you are a sinner. God says, “All have sinned and fallen short of HIS glory and deserve death.”
We are all, apart from the grace of God, deserving of death and an eternity in Hell.
But God made a provision for all “In that while we were yet sinners, God sent HIS only
begotten son to die for us so that all who call upon HIS name, the name of Jesus Christ, could have salvation and eternal life through the grace of God.
How do you do this?
Simply pray the following prayer: Dearest Father in Heaven, I humbly come before you today. I admit that I am a sinner and I know that I deserve death, yet I ask you Jesus Christ to come into my heart and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I renounce my past practices and commit my life to YOU. Lord may I daily strive to be more like YOU. I ask these things in your precious name, Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
If you prayed this prayer let us or someone in your church or church leadership know so that we can help you in your new life, just as we sought and seek daily the things of Christ.
If you have any prayer needs are concerns please let us know. You can tell us, e-mail us, are phone us with your request and testimonies.
ranger1401@hotmail.com
Dillingham Bible Fellowship
PO Box 1042
Dillingham, AK 99576
