The honor of a higher standard.
Exodus 22:21–31 (ESV)
“You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.
“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. If ever you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.
“You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
“You shall not delay to offer from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me. You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me.
“You shall be consecrated to me. Therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.”
Note that these laws don’t include any schedule of punishment—there’s no “he shall pay double,” no “eye for eye, tooth for tooth.” Suddenly, the law shifts gears, and, for these offenses, God is going to execute judgment when He hears their cry. Why are these laws different?
They aren’t civil laws; they’re rules for godly living. They set a higher standard than what is required for the functioning of a civilized society. While God promises to execute severe penalties for breaking some of these rules, that’s up to Him. And, these rules are strictly for Israelites; foreigners are exempt.
This starts a pattern that will carry through the whole Old Testament, and often seems puzzling—God holds His people to a higher standard. He frequently punishes Israel harshly for minor offenses while letting other nations off (or punishing them similarly but for much greater crimes).
This is actually a blessing, but it sure doesn’t feel like one.
Christians also get this “higher standard” treatment—and can be just as annoyed by it. Unfortunately, there are some preachers who think we aren’t held to a higher standard. They preach “health and wealth.” This contradicts Jesus’s warnings, not to mention Acts, the epistles, and all of church history. We know being a Christian isn’t a picnic, but do we appreciate it? Are trials frustrating or an honor?
They’re both. It’s reasonable to be frustrated by seeing others not held to a high standard. We’re like a child who complains, “Timmy’s parents let him …” We don’t appreciate God’s “parenting.”
Ask God to help you see the struggles we face for what they really are. Ask Him to mature your attitude about the challenges of practicing the kingship of Jesus.
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These weekday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. Saturdays’ by Matt Richardson. Subscribe here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/community
The weekly study guides, which include questions for discussion or meditation, are here: https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NASB stands for the New American Standard Bible. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.
