Tag: Exodus 24

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Discussions Torah

Torah answers for modern life: A call to justice and mercy (Exodus 21–24)

Torah answers for modern life: A call to justice and mercy (Exodus 21-24). Lady Justice holding scales stands opposite a dove in flight.

Despite its ancient origins, the Torah’s guidance on ethics, justice, and compassion remains pertinent today. Faith must be wedded to obedience in applying Heaven’s teachings to contemporary life. This study of Torah reading מִּשְׁפָּטִים Mishpatim (“judgments,” Exodus 21–24) delves into legal interpretations of the Ten Commandments, stressing fairness and impartiality in legal proceedings. The Torah’s stance on issues like slavery underscores principles of compassion and equitable treatment. Drawing from biblical and historical contexts (Paul’s letter to Philemon, Messiah Yeshua (Christ Jesus) in Matthew 20), we advocate for justice, mercy, and societal transformation guided by Torah’s timeless wisdom.

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Torah readings

Torah reading Mishpatim (משפטים): Exodus 21:1–24:18

Studies in Torah

Yeshua the Mashiakh (Jesus the Christ) told us the two greatest commandments were to love God unreservedly and to love other people unselfishly (Matt. 22:34–40; Mark 12:28–31; Deut. 6:4–6; Lev. 19:18). Learning what the LORD would do in a situation — to walk as He walked (1Jn. 2:6) — is at the heart of this week’s Torah reading Mishpatim (“judgements,” Ex. 21:1-24:18).

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Discussions Torah

How to live with as much grace as the Torah commands (Exodus 21:1–24:18)

Does the Torah promote vigilantism (taking the law into your own hands)? Some years ago, those who were against Torah would ask facetious questions like, “If I see my neighbor mowing the lawn on the Shabbat, do I have permission to kill him?” This ridiculous line of argument even ended up as an episode plot for a popular show (“The Midterms,” The West Wing, October 2000). 

Are these judgments ignorant and obsolete? For example, in this section of the Torah refers to daughter literally as their father’s silver. Are daughter just the property of their fathers freely passed around and bought and sold?

We just read the “Big 10,” the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). Torah reading מִּשְׁפָּטִים Mishpatim (“judgments,” Ex. 21:1–24:18) covers case law results from the Ten Commandments. It covers how to live them out in a world of idolatry (yes, it’s even a modern problem), cruelty, oppression, selfishness, disrespect for authority, apathy and envy.

Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ) taught that God’s second-greatest commandment is “love your neighbor as [you love] yourself” (Matt. 22:39; Mark 12:31; quoting Lev. 19:18).

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Discussions Torah

Exodus 21–24: 13 hues of the Creator’s justice and mercy

Cyrus interrogates the King of Armenia. Painting by Noël Coypel from the Château de Versailles currently housed at the Musée de Grenoble. Photo by Wikimedia Commons.

Does the Torah promote vigilantism? Are its instructions backward and obsolete? If not, what do these instructions mean to me today?

In the Torah reading מִּשְׁפָּטִים Mishpatim (“Judgments,” Exodus 21–24), we see an explanation of each of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5). By keeping the words of Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ) in our minds (Matthew 22:36–40) while reading the Torah, we can start to understand how the instructions teach us as much about the character of the Father as they do about Heaven’s goal for our treatment of other people.

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Discussions Torah

Exodus 24: Moshe and elders dine with God

In Exodus 24, we read that after the revelation of the 10 Commandments, God wanted to reveal more information to Moshe (Moses) but for part of that journey, he brought an entourage. God told Moshe to appear before Him but God also called for Aharon (Aaron), Nadab ben Aharon, Abihu ben Aharon, and 70 of the elders of Israel to meet with Him on the mountain first for a seven-day feast, and they did meet Him. They saw Yeshua (Jesus), the Word, the Logos of the Father. That’s why Abraham as well as Moshe, Aharon, Aharon’s two oldest sons and the 70 elders could see God, eat a meal with Him, yet live to talk about it.