Ex 22-24 Widows, Orphans, Strangers, Poor

January 25th, Exodus 22-24

       The heading for the blog I type in has a setting for normal. A drop down list has it as one of several options. Today's text could be a list of the same. Prior to this point in history God never laid out his expectations in such a full manner for all of society. Two things I see as the rules of society are unfolded by God...1. How concerned God is about matters of justice. 2. How often people say God is unjust.
       It's clear from these chapters that our interactions with one another matter to God and when one wrongs another there is a price to be paid. Many of the laws revolve around stealing property, other gods, and social justice. In the week of honoring Dr Martin Luther King, it seems fitting. It becomes evident that God is looking out for those who could be lost and abused in society. The widows, orphans, strangers, and the poor are even spoken of as the people God defends. Oppressing them puts one in a position of God standing against you.
       In any group of people (nations, families, business, social groups) there are people who exert power in those systems, and people who have that power enacted upon them. When things go wrong in those systems people in power use their power for their own end. People without power are forced to grovel, complain or be beaten down, living in a world of injustice. When things go right, people in power are willing to give up some of their strength for the benefit of those who need help(communisim forces it, a  right heart offers it willingly thus the drastic difference). An interesting insight into systems is that people in power are generally delusional about how just things are in the system. People without power are keenly aware of justice issues, their awareness means survival.
       This justice issue will come up many times as we move into the prophets later. The ways that powerful people abuse their power is astounding, but not surprising. How about you and I. Like Bruce Almighty do we use our strength just for ourselves, or are we choosing the way expressed in Exodus?