Exodus 22 – More laws are
presented that give us a perspective on how the Mosaic law dealt with morally
complex cases: thefts of animals by those who can pay fines and by those who
can’t; cattle that “wander” away from grazing lands and into crop-lands where
they do damage to others; fires that are started for proper reasons but that
get out of control; injuries to animals in the custody of people who are not
their owners; seduction of virgin girls who are engaged to someone and those
who are not engaged; sorcery practiced by women – especially worrisome, I
guess; cases of bestiality; mistreatment of sojourners, widows, orphans; money
lending; cursing leaders and speaking evil of God; etc. One of the crimes
mentioned caught my interest – “If a thief is caught breaking into a house at
night and is killed, the one who killed him is not guilty of murder. But if it
happens during the day, he is guilty of murder” (22:4).
It reminded me of the Florida case in the early to mid-2000s where
a man who shot an invader of his home was convicted of murder or manslaughter
because the law at that time forbade people from using deadly force unless the
invader had a weapon. I think the case angered people and had a role in passage
of the now controversial “Stand Your Ground” law that is involved in the case
of Trayvon Martin. I can’t find the case, but it deals with some of the very
complicated legal situations that can arise – similar to the ones described in
Exodus.
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