A Reputation for Restitution

Exodus • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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God calls His people to seek restitution in this world, especially when they are themselves at fault, as a display of God’s own care and fairness.

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Introduction

What is it about the Christian life that sets a believer apart most significantly from others?

What’s the most obvious way someone knows that you are a follower of Christ and not a person of this world?

I think an immediately noticeable characteristic of a Christian is the testimony of a virtuous life… an ethical life… a life of fair and honest dealing. Now, most certainly, non-Christians can be quite virtuous, and Christians can sometimes display public sin and wickedness. But, on the whole, Christian living is virtuous living, and time will tell the tale.

It should also be noted that living a virtuous life is not evangelism. In order to be a witness for Christ in this world, at some point we will have to open our mouths… as Mack Stiles said in his little book on evangelism, we must tell someone the gospel with the aim to persuade them to repent and to believe.

And yet, our lives will either lend credibility to the gospel message, or we will undermine the very gospel we say we believe.

If we’re regularly having gospel conversations with our family, our friends, and our co-workers, but those same people often see us deal dishonestly, or act uncaringly, or skip out on responsibilities, then they are likely to perceive that we don’t really believe the stuff we say about the gospel or our love for Christ.

Surely, you’ve heard non-Christian friends talk about “all those hypocrites” in local churches. What do they mean when they say that?

Well, they mean to say that they’ve seen people who claim to be Christians demonstrate the same kind of partiality, arrogance, and self-interest as everyone else in the world.

When Christians live like non-Christians, it brings shame to themselves, to the local church, and to the name of Christ.

When Christians live like non-Christians, they make it hard to do evangelism, they make it hard for sinners to know what a Christian is, and they make it hard for Christians to know what it looks like to be a Christian in the world.

In our passage today, we are going to read another set of case-laws from the Old Testament. It’s important for us to keep on remembering the context of these laws, so that we’ll keep on remembering what we’re supposed to learn from them.

Remember that these laws we’re reading about this morning are part of the “Book of the Covenant,” which followed the “10 Commandments.” And all of these laws were explaining God’s covenant relationship with His people – Old Testament Israel.

God began His laws with a reminder about what He’d already done and with a statement about the purpose for which these laws were given.

In Exodus 19, when the people of Israel finally made it to Sinai, God told Moses to tell the people about their newly revealed relationship. God said, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation’” (Ex. 19:3-6).

From this passage, we learn that God’s laws were meant to mark His people off in the world as a “kingdom of priests.” They were to reflect God’s own character by being a “holy nation,” so that the watching world might know what God is like and what God requires of humanity.

Brothers and sisters, this is exactly what God calls Christians to be and do as well!

God says the exact same thing to NT Christians in 1 Peter 2:9–10. The Scripture says, “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God’s] own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

Friends, Christians are saved from sin in order to live in the world as witnesses of God’s power and grace! And, what does the Bible say Christians must do as citizens of God’s kingdom? How are they to live as a royal priesthood in the present world?

Well, the next verses tell us… “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable…” Why? “so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God…” (1 Pet. 2:11-12).

So, let us read and consider today… What does God reveal about His own character in these laws? And, how might we – as God’s New Testament people… as God’s New Testament “holy nation” and “royal priesthood” – how might we reflect God’s character through our dealings with others?

How might we do this, especially when we have been at fault in some way, causing someone else to take a loss?

Let’s turn now to the end of Exodus 21 and the beginning of Exodus 22, and let’s see how these laws might help us answer such questions.

Scripture reading

Exodus 21:33–22:15 (ESV)

33 “When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34 the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his.

35 “When one man’s ox butts another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share. 36 Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his.

1 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.

2 If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, 3 but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 4 If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.

5 “If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard.

6 “If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire shall make full restitution.

7 “If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man’s house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. 8 If the thief is not found, the owner of the house shall come near to God to show whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor’s property. 9 For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties shall come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.

10 “If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it, 11 an oath by the LORD shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor’s property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not make restitution. 12 But if it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner. 13 If it is torn by beasts, let him bring it as evidence. He shall not make restitution for what has been torn.

14 “If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, he shall make full restitution. 15 If the owner was with it, he shall not make restitution; if it was hired, it came for its hiring fee.

Main point

God calls His people to seek restitution in this world, especially when they are themselves at fault, as a display of God’s own care and fairness.

Message outline

God’s Character Revealed

Restitution After Theft

Restitution After Negligence

Restitution After Property Loss

Message

1. God’s Character Revealed

The text we’re in this morning comes on the heals of several verses about other laws. We’ve already considered laws dealing with murder and laws dealing with personal injury, and now we’re moving on to laws dealing with the loss or damage of personal property.

This progression itself teaches us something about God’s character.

What does God value more, you or your stuff?

What does God value more, your neighbor’s life or his/her property?

Obviously, God values people over property.

The order of His laws gives priority to the significance of human life and care. It’s no small matter that God cares more about a slave’s tooth than He does about an entire ox!

This should teach us about how we ought to value stuff in our own lives.

Do you tend to give more time and care and attention to stuff, or to people?

Do you aim more often to protect and preserve the stuff you own, or are you more interested in protecting and preserving human life and dignity?

Another something we can learn about God from these laws this morning (as well as those that come before and after them) is that God is utterly impartial.

Gender, age, socioeconomic class, and public status have no bearing whatever on God’s instructions about justice.

In our passage, we don’t read anything about the wealth or status of those who are at fault, or of those who have been wronged. There is absolutely no mention of how much property one owns or the size of anyone’s house.

When God describes justice in any given situation, He is completely impartial. He isn’t lenient toward a poor thief, nor does He give a pass to a rich one.

Let me mention just one more characteristic we should watch out for as we consider our passage this morning. God is quite interested in “restitution” or “restoration” or “repayment” when someone has been wronged.

The word “restitution” is repeated 6 times in our passage today, and the words “restoration” and “pay” or “repay” add another 8 instances. Word-count doesn’t always tell us what’s most important about a passage of Scripture, but in this case, “restitution” is what these 19 verses are all about.

God is not merely interested in punishment… He wants restitution. God wants His people to ensure that wrongs are made right… at least as right as a wrong can be made in this world.

This highlights for us God’s care for the victims of injustice, even when there is only a loss of property, and even when an injustice was unintentional. God not only wants to punish criminals and to minimize accidents, He also wants those who lose to be made whole by those who are at fault.

Friends, is this the way you think and act in your relationships with others?

Are you more interested in reflecting God’s character in the world? Or are you more interested in meeting the minimum requirement of whatever the federal or state law says you must do?

When your negligence has cost someone else… Or when you’ve taken advantage of someone else’s kindness or trust… have you considered what it might look like to make them whole again?

Have you sought their restitution?

What a glorious testimony it would be if Christians across our community would go right to those they’ve wronged in order to confess their guilt and to offer to make full restitution.

Such a gesture might not result in revival, but it would certainly honor God and bring glory to His name.

There is much we can learn from our passage today, but I’ve pointed out three themes which each highlight one or another of God’s characteristics. Like the “divine melody” I tried to explain last week, let’s keep our ears open to these sounds this morning.

Listen for God’s value of people over property.

Listen for God’s total impartiality, His evenhandedness.

And listen for God’s emphasis on restitution, His heart for making victims whole.

Let’s listen for these sounds as we consider the three different kinds of loss and restitution we read about here.

2. Restitution After Theft

The first kind of loss and restitution I want to point out is found in chapter 22, verses 1-4. There will be some small overlap throughout our passage, but on the whole, similar laws are stacked pretty neatly together.

The first four verses of chapter 22 speak directly to the penalty for stealing.

I’ve said it several times during our study through Exodus, but the 10 Commandments are the foundation of the case-laws we’re looking at here, and this is yet another obvious example. The eighth commandment says, “You shall not steal” (Ex. 20:15), and this passage adds details.

The base scenario is a man stealing “an ox or a sheep” (v1), but the principle would apply to virtually any kind of theft. Various penalties are listed according to the heinousness of the crime.

Look at verse 1. If a thief covers his tracks by getting rid of what he has stolen – if he “kills… or sells” it – then “he shall repay five… [or] four” fold.

This sort of penalty was not only meant to be a deterrent for stealing, it was also meant to be a move toward full restoration for anyone who was the victim of such an uncaring crime. The owner of an ox depended on that animal, and to have it missing for even a day would cause great hardship. Therefore, the thief who stole it must make restitution by repaying the victim for the whole cost of his crime, not merely the cost of the animal he stole.

Now, look at verses 2-3. Here we see that God counts it right for a person to defend his or her life with lethal force. A thief who snuck into another person’s house in the dark of night was liable to be killed for doing so, since the owner of the house wouldn’t have time to ask the thief about his intentions… Is he a murderer or merely a thief?

But, verse 3 specifically adds the qualifier, “if the sun has risen… there shall be bloodguilt for him.” I think the meaning is: once the sun is up, the owner of the house should be able to determine the real danger. And a thief does not deserve the death penalty; rather, “he shall surely pay” (v3).

We’ve seen God’s laws reject the idea of vigilante justice already (Ex. 21:13), and here we see another example. God values human life above all else in creation, and even a thief deserved to live and not die for his crime.

One more thing to note about verse 3 is the last statement, “If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.” God’s impartiality is on full display here. Even a poor man has no right to steal. If the thief was unable to pay restitution to his victim, then he was to sell himself into servitude in order to work off the debt.

Such a penalty might send us right back to the laws we first read in Exodus 21 about the treatment and status of slaves. If you’re interested to learn more about that topic, then ask me about it after the service.

Let’s look at just one more verse dealing primarily with theft, verse 4. Unlike the penalty described in verse 1, here the law has in view a thief who still possesses the item he stole. It says, “If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession… he [the thief] shall pay double.”

At first, it may seem like this penalty is more lenient on the thief… and it may have been. But the law was not primarily for the benefit of the thief as much as it was aiming for restitution for the owner of the stolen item.

If an owner was able to get his ox back – presumably with minimal wear and tear – then he would only sustain the loss of his time… the time it took between the theft and the return. In this case, the thief was responsible to repay the victim by returning the stolen property along with a matching gift of equal value.

Before we move on to point 3, let’s just take a moment to notice already two of those “sounds” of God’s character.

In these four verses, which describe a few different kinds of penalties for stealing, we can hear the sound of God’s valuation of people over property. If a would-be murderer wants your life, he has forfeited his own… But, if a thief wants your stuff, he should face a judge and pay for his crime.

Knowing whether we’ve got a thief or a murderer in front of us may be a hard thing to decipher, but once we do, may God help us to value human life far above property… We can know God certainly does!

We can also hear the sound of God’s desire to see victims made whole. God’s laws were not merely designed for punishment; they were intended to foster a genuine resolution.

Imagine a poor thief in Israel… who didn’t go to jail, but instead came to live among the household of the man he once victimized. No doubt, there would be awkward conversations and uncomfortable moments, but the goal was restitution.

The thief was to pay off his debt and the victim was to hold no grudge.

3. Restitution After Negligence

The last four verses of chapter 21 and verses 5 and 6 of chapter 22 all seem to me to deal with the same kind of loss – loss due to negligence. Throughout all 6 of these verses, there are 4 different examples of negligence listed.

First, in Exodus 21:33, “a man opens… or… digs a pit and does not cover it.” If another person’s animal falls in and dies, the negligent man “shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his” (v34).

The scene describes a pure accident, where one man must take responsibility for his carelessness, but he was not penalized like a thief.

Second, in v35-36, “one man’s ox butts another’s, so that it dies.” If it was an unexpected mishap, then they would split the value of both animals. The living ox was sold for money, and the dead ox was divided for meat.

But, if the incident was not uncommon, and the living ox had done something like this before, then the owner would bear the responsibility. He was to replace the dead ox by giving its owner another of equal or greater value, and the negligent man could do what he liked with the dead ox.

Again, a pure accident resulted in no penalty… But a negligent person deserved to bear a greater responsibility than an innocent one.

Third, in Exodus 22:5, “If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over… he shall make restitution from the best in his own…”

The situation described here is one in which a careless shepherd let his animals stray off of his own property and onto someone else’s. Another person’s grass and/or crops were devoured by the roaming animals, and that created an undue cost to the owner of the land.

In such a case, the negligent person would be responsible to replace whatever had been damaged… And he had to replace it from his best, not his leftovers.

Fourth, in verse 6, we read about a nearly identical situation, but this time the culprit is not a roaming herd, it’s a blazing fire.

It was not and is not uncommon for farmers to burn their fields. A prescribed burn can rid a field of unwanted growth and prepare it for planting.

But any fire can get out of hand. And if one man’s controlled burn became out of control, then God’s law demanded that “he who started the fire shall make full restitution” (v6).

In each of these four situations, we again see God’s emphasis on restitution.

If anyone was at fault for accidentally causing harm, due to ignorance or incompetence or some combination of the two, then that person was to restore those who had been harmed.

There was no life-long shame, but there was also no passing the buck… no never-ending feud, and no shirking responsibility.

God’s law demanded fair and impartial restitution as well as a humble and God-fearing application of justice.

4. Restitution After Property Loss

The third kind of loss and restitution in our passage today is property loss, and two scenarios are in view. One scenario deals with lost property that was entrusted to another for safe-keeping, and the other scenario deals with lost property that was borrowed from someone else.

Safe-Keeping. Verses 7-13 describe various aspects of the safe-keeping scenario, but it seems to me that it all boils down to the idea that one person entrusts another with some kind of property.

One man might ask another to keep some of his more valuable stuff while he travels for a long while, or one family might ask another to care for their animals for a time. At any rate, there is a possibility that some damage may come to the entrusted possessions in the owner’s absence.

When something like that happens, the first place anyone looks is to the friend who was left in charge. If the property is gone or if it has suffered harm, then why didn’t the one responsible for it take better care?

However, thieves or wild animals might steal or damage a man’s property in another man’s care just as easily as they might do so in his own possession.

In the event that one person’s property was lost or damaged while in someone else’s care, God’s law demanded that the case be brought before Israel’s judges or elders. These men would investigate the situation, trying to find out if the safe-keeping neighbor was telling the truth, and then they would make a judgment.

If the judges or elders decided that the neighbor was telling the truth, and the property was stolen or damaged due to no fault of his, then the neighbor was required to swear “an oath by the LORD” saying that he had not “put his hand to his neighbor’s property” (v11). And the owner was to accept the oath without expecting any repayment on the part of his neighbor, since the judgment made and there was no blame to be laid upon him.

If, however, the judges or elders decided that the neighbor was not telling the truth… If there was a “breach of trust” (v9), and the neighbor still had the allegedly stolen property in his possession (see “this is it” in v9), then the lying and thieving neighbor was to repay the owner just the same as if he was a common thief – he must return the stolen property and ultimately repay the owner double the cost of what he had stolen (v9, 12).

Borrowing. Verses 14 and 15 deal with one last scenario, the loss or damage of borrowed property. The only distinction here seems to me to be property that was borrowed “on a handshake” (we might say) and property that was rented or hired out for a price.

If a person borrowed anything that became damaged or lost, then the borrower was responsible to make “full restitution” (v14). But if the owner loaned the property out with some kind of condition – like a rental fee – then the owner assumed the risk him or herself.

In either case, yet again, we can see God’s interest in resolving conflict and making restitution. No victim was to bind his or her own wounds, and no thoughtless mistake was to hang over someone’s head for a lifetime. Even a thief was granted the opportunity to restore both property and trust.

Additionally, throughout this whole passage, we can see God’s perfect impartiality in prescribing justice and restoration. Not one word is wasted in these laws on describing the social or economic status of either the victim or the perpetrator. There is no mention of anyone’s life-circumstances, and God’s laws aren’t presented on a sliding scale.

And remember that God’s own character, which is revealed in these laws, was to be echoed and reflected in the world through the lives of God’s people. That was true in OT Israel, and it’s true for NT Christians.

Brothers and sisters, do we treat others with the respect and decency that every human deserves, simply because they are a fellow divine image-bearer?

Do we seek to make full restitution when we’ve wronged or harmed someone – whether on purpose or by accident?

Do we hold a grudge forever against someone because they wronged us (or someone we know) in some small way at some point in the past? Or do we seek reconciliation and move on?

Do we treat others without prejudice or partiality? Or do we pass judgment on a sliding scale, depending on someone’s wealth or poverty… their education or social status or skin color?

May God help us to see ourselves and others as He does. May He help us to care more about His honor and reputation than we do our own. And may God help us to seek restitution and reconciliation – especially in those times when we are at fault.

Bibliography

Alexander, T. Desmond. Exodus. Baker Books, 2016.

Alter, Robert. The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary. W.W. Norton, 2004.

Blackburn, W. Ross. The God Who Makes Himself Known: The Missionary Heart of the Book of Exodus. IVP Academic, 2012.

Dever, Mark. The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made. Crossway, 2006.

Hamilton, James M. God's Glory in Salvation through Judgment: A Biblical Theology. Crossway, 2010.

Henry, Matthew. Commentary: Volume 1: Genesis to Deuteronomy. Hendrickson Publishers, 2006.

Ryken, Philip. Exodus: Saved for God's Glory. Crossway Books, 2015.

Sailhamer, John. The Pentateuch As Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary. Zondervan Publishing House, 1992.

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