Readings:
Exodus 19:16 - 21:21
Matthew 23: 13-39
Psalm 28: 1-9
Proverbs 7: 1-5
Exodus reading: A modern or post-modern reader of ths passage will probably be astounded at how quaint some of the laws are that were given to the children of Israel. Many would even be aghast at the laws concerning slavery. I wonder what the likes of John Wesley and William Wilberforce would have made of these passages?
Yet one needs to understand the context in which these commandments were given. The Israelites had lived under unbelievably harsh conditions in Egypt, but now that they had escaped and obtained their freedom, there could easily have been a temptation to live a completely lawless existence in a situation where no government as such even existed. They only had Moses as their leader, and numerous accounts in Scripture indicated that many were somewhat disinclined to heed Moses' leadership.
Therefore, in constrast to what seems to us as inhumane laws, these laws represented a massive leap forward in an attempt to get people to treat others with dignity and humaneness - even those who were in indentured labour. Today we struggle with a legislative framework that aims to address the scourge of unemployment on the one hand, and the evils of exploitative labour practices on the other - two seemingly conflicting requirements. Given the pestestrian pace at which legislative change takes place even today, whether in the country at large or within organisations such as the Church, perhaps we should not be too harsh in judging the lawmakers of old.
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