Surprising Ideas in the Torah (#2)

And the Revolutionary. Wonderful thing is it was saying things that was teaching him and kind that had never been taught before revolutionary things. There are a lot of revolutionary things. I have a long list, this position might go long, but I think the last session isn't very long, so that it doesn't go to the next one. Will try not to. We'll see what we can do. I hope you will enjoy this, but this is incredible. So, incredible things, the Torah was teaching and some of the most basic things that it starts out with Weaver. Every mentioned, a few things, but we're going to look at what surprising and revolutionary. Wonderful things God was teaching humankind. The trainers are not known outside of the judeo-christian tradition. Well, yes. Actually they've kind of filtered out through our tradition, but there are many people and societies that have not necessarily embrace them.

But I need to start with another interesting book. That been out for a few years. It is called the book that major world by Vishal mangalwadi this fellow the show, that is a Indian name, he is an Indian Christian. And if so he comes at it from a non-western perspective and his own Society in his Hindu background. So I, I think Rob was saying, we have some folks of Indian background. I can only call him and I try not to over speak cuz I do not know what I should know about all of those things, but he had some and he's a Christian. and he tells stories about how the Bible changed his understanding, and He says let's see here. The Bible is the only Force known to history that has freed entire nations. Going to see this just a second. I got to tell his story. He has written several books season in National speaker. So he travels around and he was in the Netherlands and fellow who I think he was a farmer. He said, I'll come and visit my farm, and then they sell these big beautiful Fields, lots of colors. And then the guy came into this big room that had a pink with a spigot that was available. Anybody can walk in and and bring their jug, and fill it up. And then there is a basket or you to put your money in and everything was on the honor System. And so the guy put his money in and took some

And Vishal, just dropped his jaw. What on Earth was that? The honor System but you trust people so much that you would leave a basket of money there and you let people pay because they are honest, they pay you for the milk. And they don't pick the basket full of money, and they don't take the jug of milk. He said, this is Unthinkable where I come from. And so, once again, I don't want to sound anti-india, saying in my culture, we do not have

Honor System stands. I drove past a bunch of them on my way down. I was going to come to my think I found at 4 and I was on major highways. So it was just before I got on the major highways that you can see on our system because I don't change. It says, this one's kind of amazing. I don't think they're all like that and

what he said was he started thinking about The difference in India, versus in the Netherlands, where he was at the radical honesty was expected. In India. You would you had to absolutely have somebody sitting there next to the milk selling it? You cannot just have it sitting there. So you're going to have to pay that person. You're going to have you going to have to pay that person and you know what? people who sell milk often water it down to make more money and so people who insist that there is an inspector that the government and so either taxes or the milk, producers will have to pay for inspectors and then Inspectors, usually won't come unless you bribe them so you have to pay for bribes. and then,

the total sum of that means that Even the simplest things that are so basic needs is milk for my children. The cost is really high. And that just kind of broke my heart. I have a wonderful friend in Uganda. I had a lovely vacation vacation, this past spring. I went to Uganda to see my good friends there and it's kind of the same way there, but my friend Millie. She says, all the food is so cheap. Here, food is very expensive where I come from. It means, it means that people versus Power T. People are stuck in poverty because of this corruption, the everything has to be girded and paid for, and, and something has to be watched over bribes. And it's the text for send that, which really is just, I think that's just sad is a whole country is trapped in an ending poverty. Because everybody has to steal a little bit here and here, and here is so we always have to guard this and what a wonderful thing it is. In the Netherlands where people are so honest that they don't need all of that. And actually kind of us have figured out that that's incredibly important in an economy's places that have corruption people won't. They don't start businesses, they hide their money and they don't do anything because people are going to steal it no matter what. And so that's a lot of what keeps the places. Poor is corruption.

so, what there are, they there are economic Organizations that measure these things around the planet, may they find that there's incredible difference between countries. And here's a map for you, Dina nerds who will be some answers from a few years ago. But Yeah, you can you noticed that in Scandinavia northern Europe, America, Australia? People's General sense of the corruption of government in the people around them is quite low, especially in Scandinavia, and Northern Europe. Of course, it's changed a little bit. Since then this is maybe 10 years ago or more whereas in unfortunately, the heart of Africa, the corruption is very high and people are, you know, it just keeps people crushed in priority when I was in Uganda this friend of mine. Has built a school for Orphans from northern Uganda, which is one of the most war-ravaged places on the planet. This is where she comes from. And she herself is caring for the absolute bottom of society in and giving them. Hope it's incredible. But the fact that everything is so expensive. It just breaks my heart and these kids in her classes. They wake up it, she rings the bell at 4 in the morning and they quick, hurry up, and I have to study for an hour or so. And then they have their lessons classes, all morning to have a cup of tea. And then in the evening, they have a big meal, one meal a day. Only one meals a cup of tea is what they have for breakfast in the morning. That's all I got and be more than one of them asked me. Why is it? We work so hard. We study. So so hard. We wake up so early and we study all day long with work so hard and it seems like you and you don't work so hard. And yet you are much. Do work, Rich, then we are. Well, I didn't actually say Well ruption and is not quite such a problem for us and you say, what was that a consequence of your riches will open? I don't really, I feel like I'm making it sound like we're heroes somehow. And you guys all know that what this is, I think her grandparents. Came from places. I should say what? V show. My Maloney says he says that the reason for the change was actually probably the Great Awakening and some of the religious revivals in the 17 and 18 is that absolutely blew the, the these cultures from one end to the other in, in England, John Wesley, he caused massive amounts of repentance so that incredible. So, instead of big factories abusing their workers and you hear about all these awful, Charles Dickinson tales about the oppressed people. Incredible change in in Europe and I have to say, I come from Dutchland, I don't know anybody's from Michigan. I come from Holland. Michigan is where are Norwegian? I'm not one of them. But they're nice but they have accepted me in my ethnic diversity. And I used to in my, my book, my list away into the Bible book, a talk about the word fear, which also has the same word for reverence and for all and I talked about how do we think of God with. Do we fear Him, or do we have? Reverence and awe? And I had a big class. I was doing with all these older ladies at my church, traditional, when I said. So do you think in terms of all her fear forgot until one of them all these old ladies, fear fear, fear fear, fear fear that the Dutch people put the fear of God in their children. That's what I can tell from my data set there and I think that's the reason why Dutch people Do not there, more rest at least in past decades, and I'm not sure that that's so true. I feel a little bit odd talking about this, but yet, It's really there. And in a way that's one of the most basic things. There's been there, been other studies. This is another Grampy. Probably can't read any of the data on, but the top one appear is this is the measure of trust in a society and this is an economic indicator that they used to. That is a very strong indicator of whether the company will expand or whether it will be stuck. And, of course, we're talking about the places with corruption and people, don't trust each other. And in the areas with this is religion and highly religious areas, have a very high trust factor and Protestant and Catholic shorter and shorter. I'm sorry. I hate to say Hinduism is actually goes backwards. There's not a lot of trust in among the religions. So I just miss. And whether you believe that God is watching, you is a big factor in its okay. And so the fear of the Lord, You're probably saying all this isn't very pleasant Louis, but actually when you read, in Proverbs, the fear of the Lord, is the beginning of wisdom and it is not just just terrified and having nightmares, it's but it's also, it's a sense that a righteous God knows our actions. You know, it especially as Christians, we understand, we can seek forgiveness, we understand and we do have an even the Jews. God said, you can repent. There's a tournament, but he makes it clear. I love you. Your precious. Stop doing that. Quit that. And I'm watching. And a lot of and Hinduism does not think like that he said that, there isn't a sense of sinfulness and there's something wrong with me and there aren't even, I would say liberal Jews, you know, who are kind of not practicing safe, no human kind, that's not a problem. That's really the way that Christianity is said, it's the problem is me And that, you know, it's in the Torah and Jesus, preaches it. And that's the profits are preaching that, and that's kind of it. It's what the Lord is saying. And what I've just said is, Victor gives you an inner conscience, right? You'll find the fear of the Lord, like they Gyptian with midwives fear, the lord, and did not kill the Israelite children, they feared God. More than they feared the Pharaoh. And so, when you hear and Abraham, when he goes into these territories, where he gives up Sarah, he said they have no fear of God, hear me, no kill me as soon as they see me. So the fear of God means, it will stop you from killing somebody. Cuz they know that God said murderers, I will hold you to account. So it was supposed to basic way and if you just realized this fear can be a great blessing, I just told you that whole societies are stuck in poverty because people don't believe anybody's watching. Rate. Now, I'm struggling it. Some of you guys maybe can chew it over with me. It's like we've come up with ways to Be secular. Believe, we don't believe in God, but now we have our little systems. Now, we have

We have the internet, we have passwords, we have all sorts of things that are watching over us until there's lots of security around us that will we know somebody's watching. So we can't get away with things and it allows us to not have this Consciousness that God is watching.

Some shooting up that over, it's a great blessing. And you realized that in the New Testament, the Believers that are Gentiles who have kind of decided that they don't really, like their culture so much as they like, the Jewish understanding of God, that come to the synagogue are called God's ears. They worship in Revere and love this God, and they do one other. Meaning that fear your at convenient obey, that I say off, in the mommy's to listen. But in Hebrew dolphin means obey, but the word fear, Also means they respect so much what you say. Like I figured. And I don't fear you dug, but whatever Doug says, I will go do that because I respect him greatly. And so to fear the lord is to do and worship him greatly. That is it's so basic and it's before you get to anything else. I'm going to allow a better. Hurry up to get two. Lots of the rest of the Torah but as Christians we have and fear of Christ. We, we are thinking that he would be kind of disappointed in us, you know, if you work for a great boss, if you were a budding artists and mikelangelo says, I'm going to hire you to help me out and I'll let you help me know. I hope I don't do anything wrong. I really want to please my boss that is the odd. We need to have, and it creates and you this in your sincerity Paul says Bond servants obeying. Everything those who are your Earthly Masters not by way of, I servants, as people Pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, hearing the Lord, whatever you do work with all your heart, is for the Lord, and not for knowing that the Lord From The Lord, you will receive inheritance as your word, you are serving the lord Christ, and so the fear of the Lord. So that's kind of a bigger thing, then specifically, in the Torah, what it's teaching, but overall, that's I think the most important thing. I'm okay. So now let's look for specifically at some of the unique ideas that the Torah was teaching, obviously about God. I think I've already told you most of those slavery, equality. Women. And the sanctity of human life. And how was the Torah teaching? And how was it? Breaking new? Ground type.

There are things that are not unique in the Torah and I think they kind of catch her attention and people who get passed me with a Torah kind of get over Bethany, because they're the things that are novel. And those are things like, well, they got peace. Everybody celebrates the Harvest of people say, I don't want anything to do with Pagan things that have a pagan back. Guess what? Her celebrations have pig in Macon God transforms it and tells us something new. They Purity laws food laws. I don't want to do anyting Pagan. Yeah, every Pagan had food laws. Okay. Sacrifices, everybody keep sacrifices. So the things that people get into, sometimes they're all went to you. No food laws in 3D and all those things, that's what Snapple to us. That's not what was mavil to them. But there are things that are free and we struggle. With the sacrifices which we're not novel. And you see here. What's interesting parts of our Bible? That's cause us to struggle. I find It's actually modernity and the fact that you have a refrigerator in your house and you buy meat in little plastic wrapped things and you don't realize that once came from a cow. That was a live. That was killed. And then you got the meat from that children. I don't know what are your parents taught you that but some some princess like we think there's a meat fiery and so, but in Uganda I told you it my, when I came to visit, she had a flock of goats and I did know where they form after they pets. No, there for Christmas and Easter. We don't eat meat more than once or twice a year cuz it's too expensive and we have to kill him and eat him. That's where meat comes from. We don't understand that. And so, when we read sacrifices, we just are so caught up in the fact of all of the horrible Bloodshed. We don't say, you know what, what's in your refrigerator has been hitting the weights, you just don't see that and so we know a nice steak dinner is incredible celebration. And many of the feasts. Were, we're going to bring your family were going to celebrate together. those are wonderful, Feast those are the happy ones but then there's also some of them but can be a

End.

They're they're kind of overly lump them. All into every Feast is to atone for sin. There are many of them are not. I'm not going to go into all of that but there are things that are going on. Workout is picking what they were doing and then giving them a brand new idea that surprising and here's one of them that a little obscure unless you've been studying what are the first things I have to do is purify the area? You know, and during Yom Kippur your purifying The Altar and Everybody in the ancient world new but you must purify your worship space. It was some kind of sacrifice before you even start. And everybody knew the reason why is because unclean spirits might have contaminated it other demons, my grandparents were missionaries in Madagascar. And at the church where they were preaching, my grandpa priest at the, the locals, they would want to go around praying before the thing in order to cleanse it of unclean, spirits and you know, we can have that discussion what Jacob milgrom. The great Jewish Gallery says, that's not what God. Cares about cleaning the Temple of the things that they say these unclean spirits, repel the gods from coming, they will not come to worship if we have unclean spirits. He says, you know what, repels me and keeps me away from your temple. It's your sins that have contaminated, your sanctuaries and so Yom Kippur your you are confessing your sins and their cleanse to wait, that's what is needs to be cleaned away. And so what Grieves and repeal the tolls God is human sinfulness. You see how he changing their thinking pushing back on what we've always done purification, but God wants us to purify for a different reason. He wants us to have clean hurts. God is richest. He loves you mad at me but he hates you trying to teach Israelites a different thing picks up while it's slow and it takes centuries to try to change their thinking so but it's interesting how it's not that he overrides. He says no I don't need no sacrifices anymore. He says okay but I want to tell you a different thing through this and he's telling us that very basic and there are many ways that the Torah actually is pushing back on the ancient near East. Yeah, we talked about how the patriarchy owns the lives of their family and this my friend Millie in Uganda. She says, this is very true. A man owns the waves of his children when God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. That's because he owns the life of Isaac, he can kill his children. If he wants to And a horrifying. So there is a, a lot of it. When we read it in numbers, it's about the, the stubborn and rebellious, son, the Glutton and the drunkard, right? And then his parents, say our son, it says that the man, if you have a glutton and a rebellious son, the man and his wife will bring him to the Village elders and they will hear the case. And if he's guilty The Village, the men of the village will Stone him to death. That's horrible. We hate that, right? Of course I understand. You know what? My friend Millie. And Uganda says, This law is so Progressive and so liberal. Ugandan absolutely refused it. They hate it. It's to blankety Liberal. The reason why does men own their children? And if you got a stubborn and rebellious, son, you can beat The Living Daylights out of him, you might kill him. And that's what a man can do. And this is taking that right away from them. At the same time as it's saying, the can't. It's not that the kid is a good kid. The kid is a, he's a stanchion. They're his parents. You know, the parents are so upset and frustrated, what are they going to do? But the man has to ask his wife, that's another thing Millie said, many men and you guys still are polygamous more than one wife. They have sets of children. One wife, complain about the other ones kids and the dad will beat the kids. And then the wife, who knows? Them better. She can't see a thing. Can't see a thing. You can imagine. This is a problem that causes incredible amounts of pain in these families. Because a wife has no say in a man's disciplining of his children. That's worth what she comes from, says African still. Think exactly like this? I'm an old old, is the wife of his children but in Israel, in order for a man to Greek. We punish his son, he must ask his wife who will take it to the building, Village elders and on the village Elders, will decide whether this was such a big thing. Personally, I think, when they say he's a glutton and a drunkard, you know, those aren't really big since they're just you eat too much and drink too much. It sounds more like what I call it is a mad dad, the dad is angry. You such a you make me nut. So I can't stand you and I think and God is seeing what's diffuse the situation and let the village Elders. Rob talks about being an elder his like let's have the wise people with stand back and have a A discussion about this and then you do as punishment needs to be done. It'll happen. But this please be happened, but we're going to take it away from this angry situation. And so God, is is trying to establish justice. Justice. He taking the idea of Justice out of the hands of angry people and bring you into courts where True Justice can be done. And if you think there's another situation that parallels, this, that God makes a big deal out of and it is the case of manslaughter. He makes cities of Refuge that push back on this kinsman-redeemer thing as you know, if you killed one of my family members, I will come after you. That's what a kinsman redeemer. Does he? Well, what if is an accident? You know what? The kinsman-redeemer does not care. If you were working on a house and you dropped your axe on my brother and you killed him, my kids were ready, able to come and kill you. That's how we know these poor children or just bring the four children. Oh my goodness. But that's and they did not care about your motives, whether it was an accident or whether you hated him and we're trying to kill him and God says, no, no no. how to setup multiple Cities of Refuge so that the Amanda, but a person who accidentally causes the death of another can have a fair trial, Dispassionate people priests that were not personally involved to say, was this actually an act of violence, or was it an accident? And this is the first time in history, that motive is really important. I have some books by the Christians are saying all Christianity, change the world. Look how English Court came up with this idea of motive being important. Yeah. When she read your Bible, it was a few thousand years ago is God was saying no and you know, when Jesus talked about he who hates his brother. The murderer is I wonder if he's not even looking at some of the places where God saying, what's in your heart is going to decide whether innocent or guilty, but that's what God is teaching, okay? so, you noticed that he's He didn't just out walking, the kinsman-redeemer system. They've been doing this a long time. That's how they do justice but yet he is Keith mitigating A system that at times can be terribly unfair, you know, and he's trying to find ways to, to bring Justice. Where Vengeance was, what was the main way of changing the responding to a situation, okay? And the same with slavery, is that what you think that God could just say, okay, was just be done with slavery? No, no, no. He This world has slavery. You can't change everything. And I'm going to talk about Sam but house. And within itself is, you have to release your slaves. One day out, every 7th will get the text about a minute, but then some of these laws for sleeves are so shocking unheard of in any other code and they almost to undermine the whole institution. Like, when a man strikes, the eye of a slave and destroys it. I shall let the slave Go free because of his eye and if he knocks out a tooth, she'll let the slaves. Go free because of his tooth. Holy cow.

How can I have a sleep if I can't?

Harsens Island to them. Got to be really careful or you have some free. You can feel how this is kind of undermining the whole institution. Here's another one. This one is another shocking. You shall not. Give up to his master. A slave. Who is escaped from his master to you. In the American South. you know, before the Civil War before

Lincoln it was a I'm sure a felony to helping escaped slaves so they when they read all of your Bible about the slave Bible for slavery, they skipped that lane there and how it undermines this. And also says, you shall not rule over your slave Ruth blissfully but fear the lord, I am the Lord, I think he says it noticed you see a lot of places where they say, I am the Lord and it's like a big! And it'll say, fear the lord, I'm watching don't do this but and it's when God wants them to have their conscience. Stop them from beating their slaves. Remember I'm watching write so many, many, many things are pushing back on the ancient world and saying no you got to live a little differently and here's another shocker. There is a lot of things going on in the Torah that are changing, how they think about women. Of course, we're talking every traditional culture where you need to have

Every woman, pretty much got married and had children, and there was lots of chores to do. I think, sometimes when we are pushing back on, why aren't women out beating the government? Well, there's a lot to be done around the phone and nobody has washing machines and and I can't go down to their quick trip and they don't buy meat little packages. They everything is done by hand and it takes a lot sometimes. It's like I said, the industrialism that gives us refrigerators that makes us so disgusted with sacrifices. We don't realize your refrigerator is your problem. Industrialized, Sacrifice is your problem. You don't understand that, the Bible is describing a reality, that is normal and fifty years ago, very few women worked because there was a lot to do to raise children. And nowadays, many women work because they have more time than more conveniences and sometimes were reading our own industrialism and we don't realize, don't forget the rest of the world doesn't throw history has not had what we have. So, but with that in mind,

Much of the ancient world. Now, we're talking to the other cultures of the world, especially the Greeks, New Testament. Background Greco-Roman world did not think much of women, you know, they were a different species as men and of course but then we get disgusted and frustrated. Why is it that there aren't go to poop in their Bibles that we have priestesses? We don't, we don't have a pre to be a priest, but no priestesses that shows God doesn't look women if they are priestesses And the right goddesses in our Bibles well because the ancient world knew its main concern and what it worshipped as gods for was.

Here. I hear that sex and fertility. There we go. That's right to fertility and sexuality. So as soon as you put women out there you're going to have this as that's the main function. And so when God takes them out of there, it's not that he doesn't love them, he just doesn't want them focusing. All their worship on. That whichever is what everybody else is doing. One interesting book. It's another, the Jewish woman, she's quite liberal to, she's in a very secular, but she was studying, I believe the akkadians and she was reading all these goddesses and she said, wow looks Wicked, how does that compare with the Hebrew Bible? Jewish Bible? And what she she started reading about how, wow, the god of Israel is wonderful. Compared to the gods, the Acadia their attitude towards women, very different. And she said she would love it and she's not a person. You'd expect to hear that from. And so this is the kind of thing that she pointed out. Is that in these other Pagan, just use it pink and cultures women were considered Like either will the Greeks would say they were defective men there, you know, there are just a different species, women think differently, their crazy, emotional, and men are strong and intelligent and rational and women are emotional and there's a sense of well you have to get married or have children, but who cares about? You don't really care about getting to know your wife, terribly? Well, you're really going to find your Lover's and your companionship from other men, right? And so and you also have a lot of discussions and miss going on among the different species. Women are the species different from them. Were these wars going on? Like the Amazonian women who are warm women men are some of this

And, of course, and because of this, since there's not a sense that in and of course, in the Torah talks about a man that Eve is the Perfect Mate, perfect, helper ezer, kenegdo think, you know, that means, like, God is our helper. She is, she's perfectly made. For she is the most compatible thing. Possible. For an atom that idea is very much opposed to in the Epic of Gilgamesh. The great believe it's murder and key. Do one of those guys that God say we want to send him a, a companion, a partner in a companion to join him. They said another man because partner for a man's another man, and then there's another Hammett that they had where there's this guy. Does, who's amazing? And She needs a partner so they sent her a woman because a woman's the best partner for a woman know, the Taurus has the best partner for a man as a woman and then there's this base very strong laws against sexual Leti outside of marriage, right? And God is trying to reform. His people into a family-centered society where men are faithful to their wife, women are faithful to their husbands. He's changing them from within so that they focus all of their energies into their children and growing up their children and not off on their sexual. Dalliances with other people, it's just night and day different. And you know, this is this very liberal scholar. She says, you know, in the Hebrew Bible Old Testament, you never see a war between the Sexes. You never see women in these other things. It would be that these they would use their winning ways to bring down man. And destroy, man is a common thing in, in the Hebrew Bible even though women are kind of confined to their traditional role. But like, when Abigail comes to David, she's she's on the same. Her goals are the same as any man's is like, Please don't kill us and you're a great king. Only love you, you know, but yet women and men are not opposing each other in on opposite teams, they work together. And so women do not have wars with men in the way that are in tickets. I would say, I hear this kind of in our culture. Now, you know, the the me-too movement on the one hand, I empathize with women who have gone through the terrible experiences and can't say anything, and finally, when they finally stand up and people go, yeah, it happens. And so, in that sense, we're here we are resonating with our Christian idea of the victim is important and we need to have Justice for victims that the free Christian idea. Just as Jesus was a victim. We understand victims are very important, but yet, There can be this tribal aspect where because she's a woman, she must be right. Any woman, who accuses any man must be right? And you change. Justice into tribal will start upon you. The women tribe against the man tribe and we're going to just fight against each other. This there's a very even Even though God has many laws to protect the rights of the poor, he does also say, but in a court do not favor. The poor over the rich but you shall pursue Justice don't just become tribal. We only victims and we always cast down the rich even if they're in the right and God cares about Justice and it's a big deal. And you can see from the shells book being corrupt, destroy your whole society. That's so important. OK, and the women in the Hebrew Bible, or actually pretty much every one of them as an equal partner with her husband, no service like here, they're not like cowering, they're not just they know these women, Rachel has sometimes there's a key but you don't hear them. You do have a lot where we just had this discussion about a man. Should not kill her children. You know, we had that discussion, there's no laws in the Torah bottom and displaying his wife. There's actually it's not to have Paul where Paul says women submit to your husband. You know. I actually have that dar. But also that because they're he's in a Greek culture where this is a Little Bit Stronger. I'll just, you know, I'm not married. I'm just pushing all your buttons here. I meant, I would say that I resonate with tradition, quite a bit. I'm not trying to, I'm not a big women. Whatever, but I haven't, haven't struggled with all of the woman's things, but it's not my issue. I hope that's you, understand them. None, I love you guys. If anything I think we tried too much on our guys. I love my guy friends and I don't want to sound like I'm making you into the victims of my stomping around on your, you're Depression of us whatever? Okay. One other incredible things that God gave his people, that was unheard of in the ancient world. The Sabbath to me, I see this is the ultimate training ground, you know, they have just been liberated that just out of Egypt there. You know what they still. I'm sure their backs are still covered in welts from the past being mad and they're barely out in the desert. And he says, okay, yeah, there're enough Manna for two days and then don't get any tomorrow and see. So labor for one day, I mean such as one that do simple command. It's so simple to track one day. Every seven days and do one more time, okay? But then look at what it builds into. He says, observe the sabbath to keep it holy as the Lord your God. Commanded you six days, you shall labor and do all your work but the 7th is a Sabbath to the Lord, your God. We all know this. I'm sure you guys have probably had many discussions over Sabbath in the kissing. The one thing People off and we'll split the Commandments between the ones between you and God about not know why tolls in the put the Sabbath command into its holy to God. And that's what we do it for another two other ones are two other people. I would say say a command is to both and we keep forgetting the rest of the Sabbath command. It says On it, you shall not do any work, you your son, your daughter, your manservant your female servant your ax, or your donkey, or your wife stuck or the Sojourner that it's in your Gates, that your male servant your female servant can rest, as well as you never got stuck in the Patriarchs and matriarchs to men and women. He's speaking. They're the ones that are going to say today. We got to go do her math cuz the Harvest is coming in motion, but skip the silly. Sure, my thing, we got to go up there harvesting and this place, they don't have any say. If they send them out, they're going to work really hard and the animals are going to pull the Durham clouds are going to

What God is concerned for? Those who can't ever rest and he institutes this little tiny thing when they're out there, just they barely got out there. They've had their first taste of Mana. Okay, we're going to try to rest and you cannot let anybody work and you and you guys don't just say to your daughters and your servants that they'll go do the work while you sit there resting. No, no, no, they don't work either. It's not just you. It's everybody around you, okay? And then he says, you shall remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt in the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, outstretched arm there for the Lord. Your God commanded you just keep the Sabbath. Do You See the Light lyrics? Because you remember that you were a slave who never got to rest. And you have to set your slaves, free, every seven days to remember how you were set free by me. One thing I really interest when God gives the Ten Commandments. What's the briefers going to? What's the first line of the Ten Commandments? I am the Lord, who

Brought you out of Egypt to be your guide. Great, you noticed. You shall have no other gods before me. He doesn't say, I am the Lord your God who created, heaven and earth, you think that would be, what he would know, how you define himself. He defends himself more as the one who liberated his people. I helped you and I brought you out of you. Gypped, they're still like we're so glad you did that. God. When you talk about slavery, God fundamentally sees himself, introduces himself to his people. I know who set you free. Don't forget because I liberated you with my outstretched arm, you must set your sleeves free for a day and let them Get together with their families. And relax and said he not fish. Rabbits touching, this fish fishes. Gina fish means to reinstall themselves to be in fresh in their soul. They says the Sabbath is not. It doesn't say, so that you may be refreshed. It says, so that your servants and that animals in the sojourners, may be refreshed. Wow, what a different understanding the Sabbath. We think only in terms of I need to get have a personal bubble bath, you know, I don't have my quiet time and got like, no, you need to let everybody relax because you're driving them to herd, right? Okay, so you see how I'm very radically egalitarian, this is the guy just starts at first so small, you see he's working at the very beginning, very small. Okay. Just don't pick me up today, but he's going to expand this in two. You know, for one day a week, do slaves that you thought of it as your little peanuts have families, they going to have life's going to see him as people and not just your your servants, are your sleeves and Milly, she is an Old Testament professor. She also knows traditional African ways really well. And so she gives me all these little insights. We were talking about their festivals and what they do on holy days and she says we're comparing and she says, oh, you know holidays and festivals the women work all night long, they don't even sleep at night. And so, the women do the work for women just is through the roof. It's the man that celebrate these rest days in the weird work around the clock. And so the fact that and I know But even preparing for Shabbat is a lot of work, you know? But women were supposed to rest. That's part of it, too. She is aware of it more than I am the UK, and you were, and the rich. And Alice, to remember how horrible it was just a fever and appreciate how wonderful it is, what I've done for you. Remember your own terrible experience and then remember how awful it was to be like that and how you I want you to train into yourself, the joy of liberating and letting someone be released from those terrible times. That's a big. This is a, you're going to find many many laws in the Torah that are based on because I brought you out of Egypt, remember that? And then live accordingly that's what God wants to train into that is to empathize with the vulnerable and, you know, I keep saying it's not because you were so righteous and empathize with the people around you that or that don't are not in power and help them out, okay? And okay, Switching to a few more things.

Human life.

Hell. Yeah, one thing is the overall big difference between the Code of Hammurabi and the code of the Torah in, as we said, the rich people have all of these horrifying cruel punishments, that apply to the Blades in the poor people. In the penalties are severe. If if you do it to a rich man, if you do it for free person, not so big of a deal. The penalties are much greater. The more the higher. The status is of who you are salt and frequently. It's going to be the cost of your own life or sometimes you can't read a child or a slave and you can send them off to get punished for you. Of course, that was another little thing they used to do, but where is To kill a slave might be a fine. You know, pay off the cost of the Lost slave labor, very different than in the trailer where it's upside down and backwards is In the Torah, the penalty actually is the life of the murderer is the only thing that can atone for a murder. It's a do not allow people to try to pay off a murder. Because the murderer himself, he says, Milgram says, it's because property versus humans. Humans are an incident worth property is Tiny and find a comparison three points on all these places. There's this one where, if you have a box that killed somebody so violent acts, they treat that acts as if he's a murderer and you can't eat the axe. Once they break its neck and kill the acts. They Stone it. I believe human murderer and then it is anathema. You can't eat the meat. Like what? It's a huge thing for me. Just like 10 Christmases. I'll get you that all this food. Oh no. No, it's a murderer. Because violence against humans is a terrible crime and that's the point. So okay, what was interesting is that the This the rabbis, this is pretty Jesus. That you can see that by the time the first century comes along, you hear about that, the courts of the first-century, the Jewish courts really didn't even want to Even a murderer. They didn't want to put them to death. Not because they were going to just pay off his life but they really fit. Even the Brewers life is precious to God. And so there's this in word struggle, you can see we struggle with it now and so, but they realizing all these laws are pointing at that. Fundamental incredible truth, that is novel and shocking, okay? And they also They also realized. This ancient version of abortion called infanticide. They were very strongly against that and you see that very strongly in their mx-15 member, there are the four prohibitions. There are three sins that are the greatest sins that they worth purple sins. That the Gentiles were typical to commit idolatry, sexual immorality and bloodshed murder. Those are the things that those Gentiles. And so they really don't like those and I mean, those are really things that in Acts 15 is that permit them? And then there's just one other one strangling, you know, it's being strangled with things that are not to sacrifice correctly. I think there's a very good argument from David instone-brewer scholar that when he says strangling he's actually talking about infanticide. Because that's how it was done and I'm sorry.