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 (22:1)
In this chapter, notice that there are no prisons for the criminal. There is either restitution or death. A thief needs to return what he stole, plus more. I imagine if he was poor, he would have to work to pay back his theft. That makes more sense than simply spending time in prison.
If one commits a more heinous crime such as murder, sorcery, lying with an animal, or sacrificing to a false God, the penalty is death. This would be an effective deterrent against repeating the offence, as well as a deterrent for someone considering any of those acts.
Then there is God’s heart for the foreigner, as well as the widow or fatherless child. In other words, God cares for the vulnerable and expects us to do so and not to take advantage of them in any way. God says, “If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless (22:22-24).
In our day, while there are still widows and fatherless in the classical sense, as in the husband/father died, there are a lot more vulnerable people (women and children) due to abandonment or divorce.
When I was a tired young mom of little children, I thought that when my children were grown, I would like to help out tired young moms, by going over and giving them a bit of a break for a few hours. I thought of this because I would have loved that done for me. Today, as I consider God’s heart for the vulnerable, I realize that a single mom is likely that much more exhausted and needing help. I want to notice those people around me that God would have me care for.
Prayer: I thank You, God, for Your heart for the vulnerable. There are so many vulnerable people in our society. May You guide me to the ones that You would have me help. Amen.
