Exo 21:1-22:24
Hebrew paragraph divisions:
21:1-6 {s} Conditions for a Hebrew male slave to go out free
21:7-11 {s} Conditions for a Hebrew female slave to go out free
21:12-13 {s} Manslaughter is not murder
21:14 {s} Murder receives the death penalty
21:15 {s} Striking father or mother receives the death penalty
21:16 {s} Kidnapping receives the death penalty
21:17 {s} Cursing father or mother receives the death penalty
21:18-19 {s} Assault of a neighbor when he does not die
21:20-21 {s} Assault of a male or female slave when he does or does not die
21: 22-25 {s} Assault of a woman with child when the child does or does not die
21:26-27 {p} Conditions for male or female slaves to go out free
21:28-32 {s} Restitution when an ox gores a person to death
21:33-34 {s} Restitution when a pit causes the death of an animal
21:35-36 {s} Restitution when an ox causes the death of an animal
22:1-4 {s} Restitution when a theft is discovered
22:5 {s} Restitution when an animal feeds in another man’s field
22:6 {s} Restitution when fire destroys a harvest
22:7-9 {s} Restitution when goods are lost from a neighbor’s safe- keeping
22:10-13 {p} Restitution when goods are destroyed from a neighbor’s safe- keeping
22:14-15 {s} Restitution when goods are borrowed
22:16-17 {s} Restitution when a virgin is seduced
22:18-19 {s} Sorcery and bestiality receives the death penalty
22:20-24 {p} Idolaters and afflicters of strangers, widows, orphans to be utterly destroyed
The first strong theme of Mishpatim is from Exo 21:1-27 {sx10+p}, Restitution in cases of slavery, or when a person causes injury or death (‘you shall not commit murder’). Its structure:
1A) 21:1-11 CONDITIONS FOR Hebrew MALE OR FEMALE SLAVES TO GO OUT FREE; {s+s}
1B) 21:12-13 JUDGMENT WHEN ASSAULT RESULTS IN DEATH; {s}
CENTRAL AXIS) 21:14-17 THE DEATH PENALTY IS NOT MURDER; {sx4}
2B) 21:18-25 JUDGMENT WHEN ASSAULT DOES NOT RESULT IN DEATH; {sx3}
2A) 21:26-27 CONDITIONS FOR MALE OR FEMALE SLAVES TO GO OUT FREE. {p}
While the majority of the strong theme has to do with what constitutes murder, it opens and closes with conditions in which a slave goes free. But why include something that does not have to do with death, within a strong theme which has to do with death?
It is because slavery is a Torah metaphor for death. When Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt, he was a type of Messiah going to his death, only to be raised up to life again, providing life for everyone else through it. This strong theme which explains murder, and imposes death, is “swallowed up” by its opening and closing paragraphs of slaves going out free. Death swallowed up in life, which only comes through the Victor who defeated death, Yeshua.
Exo 22:25-24:18
22:25-27 {s} Not coveting interest or collateral from your neighbor
22:28-31 {s} Not coveting what belongs to God
23:1-3 {s} Not bearing false witness
23:4 {s} Return your enemy’s ox or donkey
23:5 {s} Relieve your enemy’s donkey’s burden
23:6-19 {p} Not perverting justice nor oppressing strangers/ Sabbath rest/ not naming other gods/ harvest feasts
23:20-25 {s} The Angel of YHVH will go before them to Canaan
23:26-33 {p} What YHVH will do to bring them in
24:1-11 {s} Moses ratified the covenant between God and His people
24:12-18 {p} Moses went into the cloud to receive the Torah
Three is a sign of Messiah in Scripture, and three times per year, Israel was to present themselves before YHVH God.
“Three times you shall keep a feast unto Me in the year. You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread: (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it you came out from Egypt; and none shall appear before Me empty); and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors, which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when you have gathered in your labors out of the field. Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord YHVH.” Exo 23:14-17
These three feasts are harvest festivals of thanksgiving to YHVH.
1) Firstfruits, which falls during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, is a spring festival celebrating the barley harvest, the first crop to be harvested in the agricultural year (Lev 23:9-14); so at the feast of Unleavened Bread, the barley harvest was taken in.
2) Shavuot, Weeks, or Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Harvest, is a summer festival celebrating the wheat harvest (Lev 23:15-22); for then the wheat harvest was taken in.
3) Tabernacles, the Feast of Ingathering, is a fall festival celebrating the fruits harvest of grapes, olives, and other fruits, the final crop to be harvested in the agricultural year (Lev 23:33-41).
The firstfruits portion of barley, wheat, and fruits, was to be given to YHVH at these festivals. These festivals prophesy of Messiah.
Barley Harvest (Feast of Firstfruits during Unleavened Bread)
But now is Messiah risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have slept. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Messiah all shall be made alive. But every man in his own order: Messiah the firstfruits, afterward those who are Messiah’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when He shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 1 Cor 15:20-24
The resurrection of Yeshua, at His first advent, is the firstfruits of the resurrections to follow. The resurrection of Yeshua took place on the very day of the Feast of the Firstfruits of Barley as well, and this was not by accident.
Wheat Harvest (Feast of Harvest or Shavuot, Weeks, or Pentecost)
“Do not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest.’ Behold, I say unto you, ‘Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, for they are white already for harvest.’” Joh 4:35
And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle, and reap; for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Rev 14:15
Yeshua compares salvation, being restored to Father God in new life, to a harvest. The Feast of the Wheat Harvest prophesies of salvation and new life in Messiah. The Holy Spirit was given to the body of believers on the very day of the Feast of the Wheat Harvest, which is Pentecost.
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them split tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Act 2:1-4
On the day that we are filled with the Holy Spirit of promise, we are made a new creation, born again with new life.
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Col 2:13
Therefore if any man is in Messiah, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Cor 5:17
The Feast of the Harvest corresponds prophetically to the intervening years between the first and second advents of Messiah, when He is seeking His brothers (Gen 37:16; 45:1), and His brothers are sealed with the Spirit and new life in Him.
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation: in whom also after you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory. Eph 1:13-14
It is Israel who are sealed first.
And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, “Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.” And I heard the number of them which were sealed; and there were sealed a hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Rev 7:2-4
Who is Israel? Those who seek God, who seek His face.
This is the generation of them that seek Him, that seek Your face—even Jacob. Psa 24:6
In other words, we are the wheat fields that are white unto harvest.
Fruits Harvest (Feast of Ingathering or Tabernacles)
I say then, have they [Jews] stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall, salvation is come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy. Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their diminishing the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness? For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my office: if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if their casting away is the reconciling of the world, what shall their acceptance be, but life from the dead? Rom 11:11-15
Messiah will fulfill the Fruits Harvest at His second advent. The casting away of Judah means the reconciling of the world, that is, the harvest of Gentiles, which is happening right now. At the Fruits Harvest, Judah too will come to Messiah Yeshua. At His coming, the final resurrection will take place—the life of the world from the dead.
This is why I believe that an enormous worldwide revival will precede or coincide with His coming at the fulfillment of the fall feasts. The earth is already experiencing a great revival that is sweeping the earth, even in the 10/40 window. This follows the pattern previously established in Scripture, for a great revival of repentance at the preaching of John the Baptist occurred to prepare the way for Yeshua in His first advent, also.
But then on the day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the resurrection of the physical Body of Messiah shall also take place. Those who have fallen asleep (died) in Messiah, will be raised bodily from the dead, as He was. The graves all over the earth will open! Those who are still alive in the body at His coming, shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye, from corruption to incorruption; from mortal to immortal.
Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 1 Cor 15:51-53
But there is at least one other prophetic reference to Messiah, besides the fulfillment of the three harvest feasts.
And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which YHVH has made with you concerning all these words.” Exo 24:8
Moses took the blood of the covenant, and sprinkled it on the people. Moses is a type of Messiah, and the blood of the covenant that has been sprinkled upon us, is the blood of Messiah which He shed for us.
EXODUS 21:1-24:18 ANNUAL MISHPATIM “JUDGMENTS” OUTLINE | EXODUS in CHIASTIC STRUCTURE
FINDING MESSIAH in TORAH: A MESSIANIC DISCOVERY THROUGH the TORAH PORTIONS
THE LAW of LOVE: THE GOSPEL of GRACE REVEALED in the COMMANDMENTS OF GOD
Leave a Reply