The value of a Hebrew servant was set at thirty pieces of silver (Exodus 21:3232If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. (Exodus 21:32)), but the price of a freeman was much higher than this. Christ, as we have remarked before, was the true Hebrew Servant, yet the nation of Israel valued Him at this miserable price. Such is the heart of man! The Creator of the universe was sold by Judas for the price of a slave, and they bought Him only to crucify Him! What about you? You cannot be neutral in this matter. “What think ye of Christ?” (Matt. 22:4242Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. (Matthew 22:42)). is still the great question. Remember your eternal destiny depends upon your answer. Have you received Him as your Saviour, or are you still rejecting Him in your heart?
A Gracious God!
Another beautiful link in the chain of grace is found in Exodus 22:11If 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. (Exodus 22:1). If an ox or a sheep were stolen and killed, the one who was guilty must return four in place of the one he killed. Israel has been guilty of taking the Lamb of God, selling Him for a slave, and then killing Him. How can they make such a terrible act right before a holy God? They never can. There is only one Lamb of God, and they have nothing to pay. Surely their case is a hopeless one! But we hear that blessed One saying, “Then I restored that which I took not away” (Psa. 69:44They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away. (Psalm 69:4)). The Israelite was to give four sheep for the one taken and killed, and so the Lord Jesus, because of the infinite value of His person and work, has not only brought salvation to the guilty nation of Israel, but the glorious message of the gospel now goes out to the four corners of the earth. Surely He has restored that which He took not away, and fourfold too!
The children of Israel were reminded that they were not to afflict strangers, widows or fatherless children, nor were they to oppress the poor. If they did, God said that He would hear the cry of the needy, for He said, “I am gracious.” How good to know that He cares for the needy, and how abundantly He has provided for our need as sinners!
Firstfruits
They were also to be careful not to delay the offering of their firstfruits to the Lord. God could not accept the firstfruits of the ground when Cain offered them, but He told the Israelites to bring theirs. This might seem like a contradiction, but there are no contradictions in the Bible. It is God’s Word and God cannot contradict Himself! If there is something we cannot understand in the Bible, let us remember that the fault is with us, not with the Bible. God could not accept Cain’s offering, because he brought it as the ground of his acceptance before God; whereas the Israelites were a redeemed people, sheltered by the blood in Egypt, and now they were to acknowledge God’s claim over what they possessed. If you are unsaved God does not ask you to do something, or to bring something to Him. You must accept His Son as your Saviour first — you must be redeemed with His precious blood — and then you can gladly acknowledge His claims over all you have. Under law they must give a certain amount and they must give promptly, but grace teaches us to give more than they did and to do it joyfully and willingly.
Further Meditation
1. What did a thief need to do if he were caught stealing a lamb?
2. How did David have to repay fourfold for the “lamb” that he stole from Uriah?
3. This chapter briefly mentions the subject of Christian giving. If you would like to know a lot more, and are willing to work at it, you may find the pamphlet Christian Giving: Its Character and Objects by A. P. Cecil and others to be quite helpful.