MISH’PATIYM מִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים (Judgments/Ordinances) EXODUS 21:1-24:18

PROPHETS: JEREMIAH 34:8-22, 33:23-26 | GOSPEL: MATTHEW 26:20-30

by Min. Donald H. Garrett

TORAH:

Chapter 21 starts off dealing with the treatment and purchasing of slaves, more specifically Hebrew slaves. A Hebrew man shall serve only 6 years and go free in the 7th, unless the Hebrew slave chooses to stay. A Hebrew daughter sold as a bondswoman is different. The Hebrew master MUST designate her as his wife or his son’s wife, else allow her to go free (assuming after 6 years as the man). Now, the Hebrew master has the option of taking another wife as well, but must not diminish the bondswoman’s marital relationship, food, or clothing. Note also, that if the master damages his slave (loss of eye or tooth), he must let the slave go free. Chapter 21 also covers ¹ murder, ² disrespecting your mother or father, ³ manslaughter, ⁴ bodily injury, and ⁵ the treatment of animals. Please notice that the penalties for a lot of these judgments are death. For stealing animals, the thief is to repay back to the owner four or five animals. A hefty fine.

Chapter 22 covers a variety of things: ¹ self-defense against burglars, ² destruction of crops by another person’s animals or fire set by another person, ³ repayment for damages done to borrowed items, ⁴ seducing a virgin to have sex (she shall become your wife unless her father refuses), ⁵ not letting sorceress (or sorcerer) live, ⁶ having sex with animals, ⁷ blasphemers, ⁸ sensibility to the weak and abandoned, and ⁹ extending free loans.

Chapter 23 covers ¹ the integrity of judges and courts, ² fair justice, ³ Sabbaths for the land, ⁴ the 3 required Feasts of YaHVaH¹ , and ⁵ the conquest of the land of Canaan. With the Conquest comes three things: 1) a warning to obey the angel being sent to assist them, 2) a command against blasphemy, and 3) a list of blessings. YaHVaH says the angel He is sending with them carries His Name. We believe this is the Archangel of Judgment: YaHphi’el יהפיאל

All of these ordinances/judgments listed in 21, 22, & 23 are put in the Book of the Covenant and read to ALL the Israelites in Chapter 24. Their response is, “Everything that YaHVaH has said, we will do and we will obey!“* Tanach, Exodus 24:7b, emphasis mine and HASHEM replaced with YaHVaH.

*Commentary in Tanach says, “24:7. The Jews [Israelites] declared to ‘do and obey’ whatever God would command . . . This declaration has remained for all time the anthem of Israel’s faith in God and devotion to His Word.”

The commentary may be true for the most part, yet the same Israelites that swore to do and obey would soon ignore their declaration. They built a golden calf and worshipped it in direct violation of YaHVaH’s commands.

Chapter 24 ends with the command, and obedience of Mosheh, to ascend the Mountain to obtain the Tablets of Testimony. Mosheh stays up there for another 40 days and 40 nights.

PROPHETS:

Chapter 33, verses 23 to 26 (official readings only include 25-26, but we add 23 and 24 for context). First see who is speaking: “²³ The Word of YaHVAH came to Jeremiah, saying.” In verse 24, YaHVaH is letting Jeremiah know that HE knows that Jeremiah knows that the people say YaHVaH has abandoned the 2 families HE chose. HE says this is making people renounce being a nation. Only in seeing this context can we understand YaHVaH’s Words in verses 25 and 26. “²⁵ Thus said YaHVaH: If My covenant with the night and with the day would not be [didn’t exist]; had I not set up [created] the laws of heaven and earth, ²⁶ so [then] too would I reject the seed of Jacob and My servant David, from selecting from his descendants rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob [ALL of Israel]; for I will return their captivity and I will show them mercy.” As you can see, verses 25 and 26 are YaHVaH’s response to the people’s words in verse 24. The implication is therefore; that YaHVaH would have to reject HIS creation of day, night, heaven, and earth to be guilty of what the people say of HIS abandonment of Jacob and David’ descendants. Not going to happen.

*Commentary in the Tanach says, “By claiming that God rejected the Davidic and Levitic lines, individuals encourage their fellow Jews [Israelites] not to submit to the leadership of these two families (Radak).”

Note: The Tanach uses the word HaShem, for which we replaced with YaHVaH in verses 23 and 25 above. Also, words in [ ] brackets are alternate interpretations to the words before them. Hope this is not too confusing.

GOSPEL:

This is the Scripture where Yeshua tells His disciples that one of them will deliver him up (betray him). All of them question Him and ask “Is it I?” Yeshua answers “it is the one who dips his hand with Me in the cup” to them, but to Judas He answers, “Thou hast said.” Yet, the other 11 do not catch this response. Yeshua goes on to bless and break the bread, then bless the wine. He says he will not drink of the fruit of the vine again until He drinks it new with them in His Father’s Kingdom.

(c) Copyright February 2021, 2024 Min. Donald H. Garrett and Odon Obadyah Ministries, Inc.

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1. The three Feast of YaHVaH are: 1) Feast of Matzoth [Unleavened bread], 2) Feast of First Fruits, and 3) Feast of Ingathering ↩︎