Exodus 21

v1-11: Whilst there might be commendable reasons for an Israelite slave to refuse freedom when they might have it, “Christians, being bought with a price… must not be the slaves… of their sinful desires.”

v12-21: Something that seems “to us purely accidental is ordered by divine Providence for wise and holy purposes kept secret from us.”

v22-36: These laws teach us “that we should be very careful to do no wrong, either directly or indirectly.” Not only should we beware “of doing what will be harmful, but also of doing what may be so.”

Exodus 22

v1-6: “We should be more careful not to do wrong than not to suffer wrong, because to suffer wrong is only an affliction, but to do wrong is a sin, and sin is always worse than affliction.”

v7-15: If we have been entrusted with something that belongs to someone else, we should be very careful of it, as careful of it, “as if it were our own.”

v16-24: “People with a sense of justice and honour will take up the cause of the weak, hurting, and helpless; and will not the righteous God do this also?” What a comfort it is for those who are being oppressed by others to know that they have a God who they can go to who will hear their cries and respond.

v25-31: “God is the first and best and so deserves to have the first and best.” Let us not delay in giving God the first and best of our “time and strength.” Let us not promise that we will when a “more convenient time” arrives because rarely does it ever come.