God's Laws: Those who manipulate

Exodus Chapter 22

18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

Witchcraft is simply using manipulation of any kind to get what you want. A woman who uses her sexual wiles to manipulate a man to do something he knows is not right or doesn't initially want to do is using witchcraft. It doesn't stop there...bribery is witchcraft. It does the same thing. Placing objects in strategic places to make someone question the motives or loyalty of someone is using manipulative tactics - witchcraft. There is more, but I think you get the picture.

In other words, doing anything to make something happen outside of it's natural course is witchcraft.

Anyone suffering from a sins such as envy or anger is subject to be tempted to use witchcraft. This is why God teaches us to be in control of our emotions such as anger and resentment, and to be content with what He gives us.

God's Laws: Seducing Women

Exodus Chapter 22

16 And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.

17 If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.

Men, Men, Men...

You cannot entice a woman to leave a bar with you unless you intend on marrying her. Unless, of course, you are simply being a gentleman and taking her to her home -- to drop her off.

If you have sex with a woman, you must marry her. Simple as that.

Why do you think there used to be shot gun weddings back in the day?

And fathers, if a man is interested in your daughter, it is best to go ahead and give her to him to wife. Two people in love will find a way to be with each other, married or not.

If you don't give her to him, then you owe him her dowry, anyway.

God's Laws: Injury to Animals

Exodus Chapter 22

10 If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it:
11 Then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good.
12 And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof.
13 If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn.
14 And if a man borrow ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good.
15 But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire.

Let's pretend that I need to go out of town for a couple of weeks. Obviously, I can't take my dogs with me because it is a business trip. So, you agree to keep my dogs for me.

While I was away, and while you had my dogs, they got sick and died. If you swear an oath that you did everything like I told you to, and had nothing to do with their being sick and dying, then there is nothing you need to do to repay me for my loss.

But, if someone came and stole my dogs from you while they were in your care, you would owe me restitution (twice the worth of my dogs).

If another dog attacked and killed my dogs, and you showed me satisfactory proof of it, then you would not owe me.

If you came to me and asked me if you could "borrow" my dogs so they could play with your niece and nephew who were visiting and had never seen a dog before, and if I let you take them, and if while they were with you they run out in front of a car and get killed, then you owe me restitution.

But, if I was there with you when the dogs got loose and ran in front of a car and got killed, then you don't owe me anything.

God's Laws: Property Damage and Theft

Exodus Chapter 22

5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.
6 If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.
7 If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house; if the thief be found, let him pay double.
8 If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour's goods.
9 For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour.

Let's say you are a farmer and you have a goat. Your goat gets loose and goes over to your neighbor's house and eats up all the tomato plants your neighbor spent so much time planting and taking care of. Or maybe you have a dog and it goes over and digs up all the flowers in your neighbor's flower garden around the house. You will be responsible for replacing all of the lost crop with the best you have to give.

You know those teenagers who wanted to smoke in an overgrown California field and caught the field on fire, and the fire burned out of control until it burned forests and houses...you get the picture. They are responsible for all the homes that are destroyed, according to God.

And, remember when you loaned your friend that barbie to play with and some mean girl stole it? That mean girl should give you TWO Barbies...or maybe a Barbie and Ken doll, too, to pay for it. But, if that mean girl didn't steal it, and it still came up missing, you could take her to court to decide if she was just hiding it because she wanted to keep it.

Regardless, whatever is lost or stolen has to be repayed double.

God's Laws: Theft of Animals

Exodus Chapter 22

1 If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.
2 If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.
3 If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.
4 If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.

Oxen are beasts of burden, or work animals. They have a myriad of uses for mankind, from ploughing fields to pulling carts and treading meal. Sheep are used for making coverings and clothings, for warmth and body protection. Both animals were used in sacrifice and meals. Oxen are worth more, in God's eyes, therefore God wants thieves to pay more for stealing them.

So, you can safely say that any animal used as a beast of burden or work animal is worth 5 times it's market value, and any animal used for only their skins and fur mainly is only worth four times it's market value, but either way a thief has to pay the fine if found stealing them.

If a thief is in the process of stealing and someone kills him, then the man who kills a thief is not subject to the law of life for life. He was protecting his property and livelihood. But, if the thief is only injured, then the thief shall pay full restitution, and if he can't, he is sold into servanthood for his theft. He's going to work it off, and then some.

And, if a thief is caught in the act with a live animal, then he should pay double for whatever was in his hand at the time.

God's Laws: Dangerous Animals

Exodus Chapter 21

28 If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.
29 But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.
30 If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.
31 Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.
32 If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
33 And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein;
34 The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.
35 And if one man's ox hurt another's, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide.
36 Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.

Everyone has heard stories of animals attacking people. In these verses, you can substitute the word "ox" for any animal a human being owns. Just because it was a horse or a pitt bull dog and not an ox doesn't make the punishment any different.

So, to put this in perspective: If your pitt bull dog attacks a little girl and kills her, then the dog should be stoned to death (or shot).

If the dog has a history of attacking people in the past and the owner ignored it, then the dog should be shot and the owner should also receive the death sentence. If the owner is given mercy for his own life, and is asked to pay a settlement, then whatever they decide he should pay (it doesn't matter the amount) then he should pay it.

There is no limit as to how much a human life is worth.

If an animal attacks a servant or employee, then the owner of the animal should give the employer about $600. (30 shekels of silver) and the animal should be shot.

But, if a man sets a trap or digs a hole and an animal that belongs to someone else falls into it by accident, the man who set the trap or dug the hole has to pay whatever the animal's market value is and then he owns the dead animal -- to bury it, eat it, or any other purpose.

If one man's animal kills another man's animal, then the man who's animal did the killing owes the man who's animal was killed another animal of like nature.

God's Laws: Injury to Employees

Exodus Chapter 21

26 And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye's sake.
27 And if he smite out his manservant's tooth, or his maidservant's tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.

God values all life. He values His creation. He is no respector of anyone above another.

While God encourages paying consequences for actions, a servant is just as precious as his master to God.

So, If a man abuses one of his servants and injures him, then, in God's eyes, that servant has paid his debt to the master, or employer.

In today's language it would look like this:

If an employer asks an employee to do anything that causes him to fall and break a tooth, or go permanently blind, then the employer owes the employee living wages. An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.

God's Laws: Hurting a Pregnant Woman

Exodus Chapter 21

22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

God does not see human life, even in the womb, as worthless. This is why an unborn child is protected in these verses. If two men get into an argument, or are rough-housing playfully, and they accidently hurt a woman who is nearby who is pregnant, and then they stop to see to the woman and her child out of concern, being repentent of their behavior, they still have to pay for the loss of the child at the father's mercy. God lets the father of the child determine the worth of his progeny to him at this point.

However, if they don't care who they hurt in their fighting, God demands the same punishment as if they had murdered someone in cold blood.