Exodus 22:16-31

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Ethics for the Lord’s Bride

An Outline of Exodus 22:16-31

1. The Marriage’s Rocky Start (vv. 16–17)

2. Obvious Spiritual Adultery (vv. 18–20)

3. Treatment of the Helpless Bride (vv. 21–27)

4. The Bride’s Loyalty (vv. 28–31)

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Vv. 16-17 What It’s Not

• Rape - Deuteronomy 22:25–27 “But if in the field the man finds the girl who is engaged, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lies with her shall die. 26 “But you shall do nothing to the girl; there is no sin in the girl worthy of death…”
• Indentured - Exodus 21:7-11 “If a man sells his daughter as a female slave…”

An Outline of Exodus 22:16-31

1. The Marriage’s Rocky Start (vv. 16–17)

2. Obvious Spiritual Adultery (vv. 18–20)

3. Treatment of the Helpless Bride (vv. 21–27)

4. The Bride’s Loyalty (vv. 28–31)

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“Bride’s Price”, “Dowry” (Mohar)

• Not a purchase of a woman
• Compensation to the family for a lost resource.
• Protection for the woman if the marriage is disrupted.
• The gift was significant – Gen 24:53; Deut. 22:29; Gen. 29

An Outline of Exodus 22:16-31

1. The Marriage’s Rocky Start (vv. 16–17)

2. Obvious Spiritual Adultery (vv. 18–20)

3. Treatment of the Helpless Bride (vv. 21–27)

4. The Bride’s Loyalty (vv. 28–31)

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Deuteronomy 18:10–12

“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 “For whoever does these things is detestable to the LORD; and because of these detestable things the LORD your God will drive them out before you.”

Sorcery

Widely condemned in Scripture - Lev 19:26; Deut. 18:9–14; 2 Kgs 9:21–26; 17:17; Jer. 27:8–11; Mic 5:10–15; Nah 3:1–4; Mal 3:5; Acts 8:9ff; 13:6–8; 19:19.

2 Corinthians 11:2–3

“For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. 3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”

Philippians 4:6

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Leviticus 18:23–24

‘Also you shall not have intercourse with any animal to be defiled with it, nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it; it is a perversion. 24 ‘Do not defile yourselves by any of these things; for by all these the nations which I am casting out before you have become defiled.”

The Only God

• Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
• Isaiah 42:8 “I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.
• Isaiah 45:22 “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.
• John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

The Only God

• Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
• Isaiah 44:7 ‘Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, From the time that I established the ancient nation. And let them declare to them the things that are coming And the events that are going to take place.

An Outline of Exodus 22:16-31

1. The Marriage’s Rocky Start (vv. 16–17)

2. Obvious Spiritual Adultery (vv. 18–20)

3. Treatment of the Helpless Bride (vv. 21–27)

4. The Bride’s Loyalty (vv. 28–31)

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Leviticus 19:34

‘The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.

The Lord and the Underclass

‘Psalm 146:9 - “The Lord protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, But He thwarts the way of the wicked.”

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Deuteronomy 10:18 - “He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.”

Amos 2:8

“On garments taken as pledges they stretch out beside every altar, And in the house of their God they drink the wine of those who have been fined.”

Luke 6:34-36

“If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. 35 “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. 36 “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

An Outline of Exodus 22:16-31

1. The Marriage’s Rocky Start (vv. 16–17)

2. Obvious Spiritual Adultery (vv. 18–20)

3. Treatment of the Helpless Bride (vv. 21–27)

4. The Bride’s Loyalty (vv. 28–31)

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Romans 13:2 “Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.”

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Acts 23:2–5 “The high priest Ananias commanded those standing beside him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to try me according to the Law, and in violation of the Law order me to be struck?” 4 But the bystanders said, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” 5 And Paul said, “I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’ ”

An Outline of Exodus 22:16-31

1. The Marriage’s Rocky Start (vv. 16–17)

2. Obvious Spiritual Adultery (vv. 18–20)

3. Treatment of the Helpless Bride (vv. 21–27)

4. The Bride’s Loyalty (vv. 28–31)

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Three Observations

• God is interested in all of life - 1 Corinthians 10:31
• Being God’s people is high-stakes – Exodus 22:18-20
• God’s people follow a holy God