In Exodus 18:17-27 Jethro gives advice to Moses about how to rule the people of Israel. In Exodus 12:37 you can easily say that there were at least 2 million men, women, and children. It seems that Exodus 21 and following are laying out how to govern the people of Israel. With such a concentration of people there are bound to be disputes and crimes. The ordinances laid down by God will help the men appointed to judge make correct and fair decisions.
In Exodus 22: 21-24 God tells the people of Israel that he will not tolerate their oppression of any strangers because they were oppressed strangers in Egypt and God delivered them. This idea sounded familiar to me when I read it. In Luke 18:23-35 Jesus is talking to Peter about forgiveness but when the servant doesn’t remember what the king forgave his debt for him and throws another servant in prison because of a debt. When the king heard of the first servants harsh dealing with the other servant he threw the first into prison until all the money could be repaid. How often do we forget the blessings that God has given us? We can be so eager to accept any grace freely but when it comes to extending grace we are found lacking. The season of remembering Christ’s death on the cross and I know that I need to ponder the grace I was given to me. How can I extend that grace? How can you? How can we? Salvation is freely given to us and it does not cost us anything for us to share our faith with our friends, family, and coworkers so that they may know the truth that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins. Happy Palm Sunday.
