Exodus 23 This chapter finishes up a five chapter (Exodus 19–23) section on various laws for the Israelites. In the study of this chapter we will group the laws according to subject matter. Thus Exodus 23 can be divided into four major parts as follows: A. The Courts of Israel (Exodus 23:1–3; 6–8) B. The Country of Israel (Exodus 23:10–12; 20–23; 27–31) C. The Consecration of Israel (23:13–19; 24, 25, 32, 33) D. The Charity of Israel (Exodus 23:4, 5, 9, 19) a. the courts of israel Exodus 23:1–3; 6–8 Throughout the laws of Israel, God had much to say about the justice that was to occur in Israel’s courts. In this chapter the laws address four areas. 1. Prevarication in the Courts (Exodus 23:1, 7) “Thou shalt not raise a false report … Keep thee far from a false matter” (Exodus 23:1, 7). Integrity as a witness is the primary application here. But integrity of speech is the general application. God has no time for liars. And those who lie to hurt somebody else (as a false witness does in court) or to advance his cause is totally unacceptable to God. Jesus said He was the truth (John 14:6) and any who follow Him ought to be truthful. “Buy the truth and sell it not” (Proverbs 23:23) is the principle. 2. Popularity in the Courts (Exodus 23:2) “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment.” A court application is for judges to make their decisions according to what is right, not what is popular in society. We have a lot of that problem in our land today. The general application is to do right even if it means to stand alone. Just because something is popular does not justify it. Popularity is not the rule that determines right from wrong. 3. Prejudice in the Courts (Exodus 23:3, 6) “Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause … Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause” (Exodus 23:3, 6). These two verses are so needed in our courts. The first verse says we should not be prejudiced in helping the poor, the second verse says we should not be prejudiced against the poor. We understand the second verse more than the first, for it is easy to take advantage of the poor. But the first exhortation is needed, too; for in our land, as an example, we are seeing an undue emphasis upon the poor, the handicapped, and others who are disadvantaged that actually causes injustice to many people. It is possible to favor the poor or handicapped to the extent of being unjust to the regular people. As an example, in our land some of the handicap laws have brought injustice and hardship to many people who are not handicapped. 4. Perverting in the Courts (Exodus 23:8) “Thou shalt take no gift; for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous” (Exodus 23:8). Bribing officials is as common as a 24-hour day. Every age has examples of judges being bribed to make a decision in the favor of the one doing the bribing. But way back in Moses’ day, God said such conduct was wrong and unacceptable to Him. 5. The Punishment by the Courts (Exodus 23:7) “The innocent and righteous slay thou not; for I will not justify the wicked” (Exodus 23:7). Courts were to punish the criminal and the evil people, not the innocent and righteous. Yet, even in our day, we see the innocent being punished—and often by leniency to the criminal in the court punishment. Or the judge gives the policeman who arrested the criminal the sharpest condemnation instead of the criminal. Punishment by the courts is to punish the wrong-doer, not the innocent. b. the country for israel Exodus 23:10–12; 20–23; 27–31 Three different sections of this chapter deal with laws regarding the the conduct of the Israelites in the country to which the Israelites were going, namely, the land of Canaan. 1. The Observance in the Country (Exodus 23:10–12) “Six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof; but the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat … Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed” (Exodus 23:10–12). The observance in the country was the sabbath observance. • Land and the Sabbath observance. “Six years thou shalt sow … seventh year thou shalt let it rest” (Exodus 23:10, 11). Here the stress is on the Sabbath year, not the Sabbath day. Every seventh year the Israelites were to let the land rest. The benefit was not only for the land but also for the poor who could glean from the crops that grew of themselves, and the beasts could forage without harassment. • Labor and the Sabbath observance. “Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest” (Exodus 23:12). The emphasis here is on the Sabbath day, not the Sabbath year. This is a repeat of the fourth of the ten commandments. The command contains both an order to work as well as rest. The rest here was to benefit the working beasts and the servants. The Sabbath year was also to benefit both people and beasts. 2. The Overseer to the Country (Exodus 23:20–23) “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not … if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries” (Exodus 23:20, 21). This is not so much a statute for Israel to keep in the country, but a statute to keep on the way to the country. It was a moving law although the principle of following Divine leadership is always applicable. • The Angel. “I send an Angel before thee” (Exodus 23:20). This is not Moses but the Second Person of the Trinity, for “my name is in him” (Exodus 23:21). God provides Israel the Angel of Redemption for a redeemed people. • The attitude. “Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions” (Exodus 23:21). Israel was to respect and honor Jehovah. The “he will not pardon your transgressions” must be understood in the context. It is simply talking of punishment for disobedience and disrespect of the Angel; not of the fact that God will not forgive mankind their sins. • The award. “If thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries” (Exodus 23:22). It pays to obey. Obedience has the promise of God providing protection for the Israelites. When God says to obey, the devil argues and says it will create a hardship upon you. But the Bible carries different promises for obedience than hardship. Any hardship you get from obedience will be more than compensated for by later blessings from God. • The area. “For mine Angel shall go before thee and bring thee in unto the Amorites … Hittites … Perizzites … Canaanites … Hivites, … Jebusites; and I will cut them off” (Exodus 23:23). God’s Angel will lead the Israelites to the Promised Land and defeat the inhabitants of the Promised Land so Israel can possess that land. 3. The Obtaining of the Country (Exodus 23:28–31) Here we learn about the obtaining of the country. We have previously learned about the Overseer Who would lead to the country and “cut off” the inhabitants of the land. • The persuasion in the obtaining. “I will send my fear before thee … I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee … I will send hornets before thee which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee” (Exodus 23:28). Fear and the fly (hornet fly) are the means God will use to help Israel obtain the land. God can use the smallest of things to accomplish His purposes. • The pace in the obtaining. “I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee” (Exodus 23:29, 30). This principle is not popular with the flesh. We want everything right now. This is the credit card syndrome. But little by little is for our own good. It promotes faithfulness, discipline and many other good character traits that getting things quickly does not. • The perimeter in the obtaining. “I will set thy bounds” (Exodus 23:31). God laid out the boundaries of the country the Israelites were to inhabit. We do not like boundaries but they are there for our own good. Furthermore, had Israel complained of not enough land, they learned quickly that they had trouble conquering what land was given them. God knows the boundaries; do not fuss about them. They are big enough for us. • The practice in the obtaining. “I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee” (Exodus 23:31). While God has promised much help in the obtaining of the land, the Israelites were not to sit on their haunches and have the land handed to them on a silver platter. No, they must exercise some responsibilities and do some fighting to drive out the enemy. God’s promises and helps are not to make us slothful or irresponsible. c. the consecration of israel Exodus 23:13–19, 24, 25, 32, 33 A third subject of the laws in this section concern Israel’s worship. We need to remember that one of the main reasons for Israel’s emancipation was for the purpose of worship (Exodus 5:1ff). They were to be led to Canaan and given their own land, but the worship of God is uppermost in the emancipation of Israel. God’s redemption purpose is not primarily for the blessing of the redeemed but primarily for the honor and glory of God. This subject of worship here covers three important matters about worship. 1. The Corruption in the Consecration (Exodus 23:13–33) “Make no mention of the name of other gods … Thou shalt not bow down to their gods nor serve them … Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods … for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee” (Exodus 23:13, 14, 32). God warns the Israelites about the false gods of the heathen who occupied the land of Canaan. • The precepts in the warning. God was so against the false gods that he gave precepts against (1) mentioning their name [Exodus 23:13]; (2) bowing down and worshiping them [Exodus 23:24]; (3) serving them [Exodus 23:25]; (4) making a covenant with them [Exodus 23:32], (5) their dwelling in the land [Exodus 23:33]. Separation from apostasy is to be very strict. This is too much for most folk, but the perils justify the warning. • The perils in the warning. “Lest they make thee sin against me … it will surely be a snare unto thee” (Exodus 23:33). Toleration of false gods and false doctrine will lead to sin and snares (which will trap you in forbidden fellowship and situations). When God says to separate from apostasy, He does so for some very good reasons. • The promises in the warning. “He shall bless thy bread … water … take sickness away from the midst of thee. There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren” (Exodus 23:25, 26). When God commands, He also compensates. God’s precepts often come with encouraging promises. Thus it is here. Separation from apostasy gives rich blessings in every area of life. 2. The Celebrations in the Consecration (Exodus 23:14–17) “Three times … keep a feast unto me in the year … three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord God” (Exodus 23:13, 17). This law included both the commemorations and the crowd at the main religious celebrations. • The commemorations. “Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year … feast of unleavened bread … feast of harvest … feast of ingathering” (Exodus 23:14–16). The three feasts are better known as the Passover (feast of unleavened bread), Pentecost (feast of harvest), and Tabernacles (feast of ingathering). These were not the only religious commemorations for Israel to celebrate, but they were the three major ones. • The crowd. “Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord God” (Exodus 23:17). These three major feasts were to be attended by all the males of Israel. This requirement is repeated in Exodus 34:23 and Deuteronomy 16:16. Furthermore, God promised that when all the men were gone to the feast “neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year” (Exodus 34:23). This would be a concern for the men, for when they left there would be opportunity for evil people to take advantage of the absence of the men and raid the country where the women folk and children would be helpless. God’s protection of the country when the men were worshiping is an early rendition of “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness,; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33). When God commands, God provides. 3. The Contributions in the Consecration (Exodus 23:18, 19) “Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning. The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the Lord thy God” (Exodus 23:18, 19). God had some laws for the contributions or offerings of the Israelites. • The purity of the offerings. “Thou shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread” (Exodus 23:18). In most places in the Bible, leaven speaks of sin and corruption. God does not want gambling money for offerings or any other money that has leaven on it. • The piety of the offerings. “Neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning” (Exodus 23:18). This was to prevent, among other things, the spoiling of the sacrifice which could breed unsavory smells, flies, and other disgusting things, all of which would hinder the holiness of the offering. • The priority of the offerings. “The first of the firstfruits” (Exodus 23:19). God gets the first. Some pay their bills and then if anything is left over from the pay check, give some to God. But God says to write the first check to Him. • The place of the offering. “Bring into the house of the Lord God” (Exodus 23:19). Give your offering where the true God is honored, not where false gods are honored. Do not put your money in an apostate church, put it where the Word of God is upheld faithfully, where doctrine is Biblical. d. the charity of israel Exodus 23:4, 5, 9, 19 God gave some laws concerning everyday life that speak of charitable conduct. God’s people should reflect holy kindness. 1. The Adversaries in the Charity (Exodus 23:4, 5) “If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again … thou shalt surely help with him” (Exodus 23:4, 5). The first charity law concerns our actions towards our enemies, that is, towards those who are hostile towards us. It is easy for us to help our friends, but those who are not friendly towards us, we tend to try to get even rather than be nice to them. God’s rules are different than the natural tendency of the flesh, however. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). This does not say we should not war against belligerent nations; but is speaking about one to one relationships. 2. The Alien in the Charity (Exodus 23:9) “Thou shalt not oppress a stranger” (Exodus 23:9). It is easy to oppress a stranger because he does not know the rules. But God forbade that sort of selfish and cruel conduct. We are to be kind to strangers and newcomers. Freshmen initiation in which freshmen (the newcomers and strangers) in school are belittled at the will of upper classmen is not a practice encouraged by Scripture. 3. The Animals in the Charity (Exodus 23:19) “Thou shalt not seethe [boil] a kid in his mother’s milk” (Exodus 23:19). There have been many perverted applications of this text. As an example, it does not teach that we should not eat milk and meat together. Furthermore, it does not mean to not boil a kid in milk. It only means to not boil a kid in his mother’s milk. “It is a protest against cruelty, and outraging the order of nature, more especially that peculiarly sacred portion of nature’s order, the tender relation between parent and child, mother and suckling … Kids were thought to be most palatable when boiled in milk; and the mother’s milk was frequently the readiest to obtain. But in this way the mother was made a sort of accomplice in the death of her child” (Rawlinson). Butler, J. G. (2008). Analytical Bible Expositor: Exodus. LBC Publications. Exported from Logos Bible Software, 10:46 AM February 4, 2022.