Laws Against Not Loving One's Neighbor and Laws Requiring Respect for God's Holiness (Exodus

21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 22 You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, 24 and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword [via an invading army], and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless. [Sojourners, widows, and orphans were all vulnerable to being abused and taken advantage of by others as the Israelites once were. What happened to Israel’s abuser?]

25 “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. 26 If ever you take your neighbor's cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, 27 for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate. [These laws reflect the compassion of God, and he calls his people to his level of compassion.]

28 “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people. [God’s people could not curse him or their leaders.]

29 “You shall not delay to offer from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to me. 30 You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep: seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day you shall give it to me. [Tithing and the firstborn offering are automatically God’s. Withholding these represents a direct act of defiance.]

31 “You shall be consecrated [set apart] to me. Therefore you shall not eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs. [The family of God was to reflect him in their eating practices. This law also protected them from any contamination of the dead animal.]