Exodus 22 - The people of God should ever be ready to show kindness and mercy, according to the spirit of these laws. We answer to God, not only for what we do maliciously, but for what we do heedlessly. Therefore, when we have done harm to our neighbour, we should graciously make restitution, though we might not be compelled by law to do so.

These scriptures lead us to remember, that if the grace of God has indeed appeared to us, then it has taught us, "that denying ungodliness and wordly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world," - Titus 2:12. The grace of God teaches us, that as the Lord is our portion, there is enough in Him to satisfy all our desires.

Exodus 22:2-4 - If a thief, in breaking into a dwelling in the night, was slain, the person who slew him did not incur the guilt of blood; but if the same occurred in daylight, the slayer was guilty in accordance with Exo 21:12. The distinction appears to be based on the fact that in the light of day there was a fair opportunity of identifying and apprehending the thief.

Exodus 22:22 - "Afflict" - 6031 Heb. 'to browbeat' - A word including all cold and contemptuous treatment. See how the Father feels Deut 10:18. Contrast the blessing in Deut 14:29.

Exodus 22:21-28  In this section, the Father reveals His abhorrence of abuse... in any form. And when His Son, the Lord Jesus walked among men, He too, took the leaders of His day to task over the abuse that they were perpetrating in the name of religion - cp Zech 7:9-10; Matthew 23.

God's laws for Israel of old, were written to instruct His children in all ages. The duties required are, not the keeping of fasts and feasts and the offering of sacrifices, but doing justly and loving mercy, which tend to the public welfare and peace. The law of God lays this restraint upon our heart, so that before thinking of ourselves, we might think on others.

These laws were designed to promote good societal order.
They were based on the underpinnings of respect for life and property.  The ethic of personal responsibility for individual action is paramount.  Restitution is a key ingredient in justice and equity.  Contrast western society today whose laws claim this Judeo basis.  Lawyers, in an adversarial system, clamor to win cases as a matter of argument not truth.
There is a direct correlation between the price of legal representation and success. Throw in plea bargaining and such legislation as Human Rights, and the justice system scarcely resembles its origin.
The decay of societal standards as described in 2Tim 3:1-4 is aided and abetted by modern jurisprudence.  The return to Godly justice will only occur when the Lord Jesus returns to set up his Kingdom (Psa 89:14, Rev 19:15).

22:22    There were going to be many widows and fatherless children by the end of the wilderness journey – though Israel were not to know this when the law of Moses was given. Israel wandered in the wilderness until the ‘men of war’ died off. Deut 2:14

22:31   The holiness that required an Israelite not to eat ‘that which dieth of itself’ but give it to the gods is the basis for Jesus’ teaching in Matt 7:6

V.25 Today, Jewish communities give interest-free loans to their members.

22:5 This injunction about not lending money out on usury is seen to be violated in Israel’s history, for example in the days when Israel returned from Babylon – Neh 5:7

Consider the importance of this chapter in terms of the Israelite nation. It is only the second chapter of commandments after they have been made a new nation by God at Sinai. So they are listening carefully to Moses as he expounds God's laws to them. Laws to govern their new nation in their new land of promise.

We read in v22-24 and v25-27 that God will personally protect widows, the fatherless and the poor, and they should have taken great notice of this. Note the stark warning: "my wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword".

So when God's righteous laws were cast aside, the widow, poor and fatherless would suffer. That's because much of this law exists to protect this group in particular. As you read on in the old testament account of Israel, notice how often God makes good on His promise to punish them when His laws are cast aside, and the poor suffer as a result (e.g. Eze 22:6-8). So God does not punish because He is vindictive, but because He is protecting the needy.

76 v.12 Whilst we recognise that 'the most high ruleth in the kingdom of Men' Daniel 4:17 it is worth noting that this teaching is found elsewhere in Scripture.

75:7 In telling us that God 'putteth down one and setteth up another' The Psalmist is stating what God himself says (Daniel 2:21)

76:1 We are so used to talking of Judah - the two tribes and Israel - the ten tribes - that we pass over this distinction in the Psalm without thinking that the Psalm was written before the division! But actually the split was already appearing before David was on the throne in Jerusalem. (1 Samuel 11:8, 17:52 18:16,)

75:10 Whilst in the Psalm David has been stressing that promotion and judgement is from God he now says that he will ‘cut off’ the wicked. So David must have seen that he was doing the work for God.

76 - The way in which this Psalm speaks of the majesty of God and the way that both Israel and Judah worship and know God indicates that the Psalm speaks of the kingdom when Christ will reign from Jerusalem.

Psalm 75   A song which expresses thanks for God's Power and Authority in the earth. Confidence is expressed in God's Judgement to come.

Psalm 76  This song extols the strength of Israel's God. It speaks of a time when God will be feared among all nations.

The word congregation (75:2) is from the Hebrew word mo'ed which we saw translated yesterday as synagogues (74:8).
 
75:8 The cup of mixed (spiced) wine given by Yahweh is a figure of retribution meted out to the wicked (cf. Jer 25:15-16).

It is interesting to note that mixed (spiced) wine was refused by Christ on the cross (Mark 15:23).  Did He refuse this symbolic cup of wrath as a sign of His Father's acceptance?

75:8      The cup which God holds contains both blessing and cursings. Blessings for the faithful and cursings – the dregs – for the wicked.

76:10 The Psalmist is saying that God will not execute His full anger – He will be restrained. An example of similar language can be found in 2Chron 12:7

Jesus' healing of the blind man is curious (v.22-25).

Jesus had healed people by touching or just by pronouncement, in either proximity to or at a distance from the recipient.  And healing had been precise and complete.
This example looks like a bungling attempt and yet we know that could not be.  And so, what could it all mean.

Let's look at the components:
The act of spitting was an act of contempt.  The man who would not raise seed to his dead brother was denounced publicly by his sister-in-law who spit in his face (Deut 25:9); the contempt that Job felt (Job 30:10); the contempt Jesus would experience at the hands of the Romans (Matt 26:67).

And so, what was Jesus showing contempt for when he spit in the eyes of the blind man?  I think he was showing contempt for blindness - spiritual blindness.

But why two attempts before He got it right?

The first attempt brought partial sight and the second attempt brought full sight.  I think he was referencing the Law in the first attempt which brought partial light to the Gospel (Heb 10:1); and Himself in the second attempt which brought complete light (2Tim 1:10).

V.3 It is difficult for us today, to be able to relate to the fact that this multitude of people (4000) have followed the Lord for three days and have not eaten. We do well to ask ourselves, under the same circumstances would have we remained with Christ for a similar length of time with out providing the natural man some food?

8:12      The people wanted a sign, they were not happy with the evidence of their own eyes. The things we see - for example the existence of the nation of Israel - is something we might take for granted and yet this is a most powerful evidence that God is at work. What other sign do we need?

Jesus went to the area of Caesarea Philippi. This was the most northerly point of His journeyings, and here, in Gentile territory He asked His disciples who people were saying He was (Mark 8:27-33). “But whom say ye that I am?” he then asked them, and Peter pronounced the wonderful statement of faith that Matthew tells us Jesus said was of God, and not of men (Matt 16:17-19). Peter became one of the prophets whose words were inspired by God (Mark 8:28).  But all human people are subject to sin and indiscretions.  Peter tried to say that surely Jesus did not have to suffer and die before He was glorified. This didn’t help Jesus at all, and despite Peter’s earlier pronouncement, he was rebuked. With disciples like this, Jesus would find His sacrifice even harder to bear, and so Peter was an adversary to Jesus at this time, and was told to walk behind Him and not along side.

8:4In telling the disciples that he had compassion on the people and would not send them away hungry Jesus was ‘proving’ them as he had asked Philip a similar question - John 6:5-6 - at the time of the feeding of the 5,000. On neither occasion did the disciples rise to the occasion. They could not see beyond the physical to the spiritual. How often do we struggle with a difficulty because we cannot see a spiritual dimension?

8:8     In feeding the multitudes in ‘the wilderness’ Jesus fulfilled Psa 23:5.

Bread is symbolic of Jesus (John 6:33).  Just as bread gives life to the body, Jesus gives eternal life to those who are His (John 6:35).  Seven loaves fed 4000+ people.  That is a miracle in itself.  But, seven baskets of leftovers were also collected - another miracle.  By the way, these were large baskets (Gr. spuris), the same type in which Paul escaped (Acts 9:25).  And so, from the original seven loaves, a great amount of bread had accrued.  This episode is telling us that from Jesus Himself would grow an enormous quantity of believers from all nations who hear and believe the gospel (Matt 28:19, Rev 5:9).  Jesus predicted this growth in His parable of the mustard seed (Matt 13:31,32).

8:2 Jesus’ ‘compassion’ for the people marks him out as being of the quality required of the priest – Heb 5:2 – Jesus saw a need and it moved him. How do we fare on this point? Do we see the need of our brethren and sisters and others and automatically seek to meet them?

By asking them "do you not see?" and "do you not hear?" even though they had eyes and ears, Jesus was leading them to understand that they needed something more than physical sight and hearing. By healing a deaf man (7:32-35) and a blind man (8:22-25) he was showing them that he could provide what they still lacked.

None of use can see or hear unless it is given us to do so. This is confirmed in John 15:3-7. Remember the fruit relates to the fruit from the parable in Mark 4 i.e. understanding the words of Jesus. Notice the context is his spoken word (John 15:3) but that it will not help them unless they remain in Jesus (John 15:4) for without him they can do nothing (John 15:5). So the lesson for us is that we should always pray for understanding, having already listened to the word, and it will be given (John 15:7).

8:4 The response of the disciples here is rather like that of Moses – Num 11:22 – when God says He will feed Israel with meat in the wilderness.