Passage: Exodus 22

The Big Idea

In Exodus 22, God teaches a newly freed people what love looks like in everyday life: restitution, fairness, protecting the vulnerable, generosity and honesty. But there’s a difference between acting loving and being loving. You can give everything away and still lack love. Every command to love reveals our hearts: pride says, “I can do this,” and God resists it; humility says, “I don’t love like this, and I need help,” and God pours out grace. Real love comes from abiding in Jesus.

They Didn’t Know How to Love

In this part of Exodus, God is giving laws to teach His people what love is.

Laws are given to people who don’t yet know God’s heart. Israel didn’t know how to love each other. They barely knew how to tolerate each other.

They were one big family. But families can be where we feel the least love, full of anger, bitterness and strife.
So God had to teach them, and He was willing to. These laws show what real love looks like.
God requires His people to be loving because He is love. If He’s our God, we should reflect Him.
But as we’ll see, they wouldn’t keep this requirement. They’d fail at every point.
The law shows what is good, and we fail because we aren’t really good. The law shows what is loving, and we fail because we aren’t really loving.

Acting Loving vs. Being Loving

What’s the difference?

One knows in the mind what love looks like and tries to imitate it.
The other knows love in the heart and simply acts from it.

They can look identical from the outside, but they couldn’t be more different.

Paul says that if he gave away everything he owned to feed the poor, and even gave his body to be burned, but didn’t have love, it would profit him nothing (1 Corinthians 13:3).

Those sound loving!
“Aren’t I loving if I do those things? If I tithe? Give more than you? Give my whole life?”
No. If it isn’t really love, it’s wasted.

That’s our problem. We’ve known so many rules for so long that we know how to act loving, but few of us are truly loving from the heart. And it’s hard to tell from the outside, though there are a few giveaways.

Pride and humility reveal how we understand love.

The Test

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Let’s test ourselves with what Scripture says about love.

The law: Don’t take revenge or bear a grudge, but love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18).
Jesus: You’ve heard, “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you and pray for those who mistreat you, so you’ll be children of your Father in heaven. He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good. If you only love those who love you, what reward is that? (Matthew 5:43-46).
The greatest commands: Love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and Prophets hang on these two (Matthew 22:35-40).
Paul: Owe no one anything except love, because whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. Every command is summed up in “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Romans 13:8-10).
Paul again: You were called to freedom, but don’t use it to indulge the flesh; instead, serve one another in love, for the whole law is fulfilled in one command: love your neighbor as yourself (Galatians 5:13-14).
James: If you really keep the royal law, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you’re doing well (James 2:8).
Jesus again: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes your cheek, offer the other. If someone takes your coat, don’t withhold your shirt. Give to everyone who asks (Luke 6:27-30).

Who loves people who are cruel to them? That’s impossible. So why does Jesus ask the impossible?

Every one of these commands is a test, and there are only two responses:

Pride says: “Yes! I can do that. I agree it’s right, and I’ll give it my best.” God resists that effort. No reward, no help, no favor.
Humility says: “Honestly, I don’t love my neighbor as myself. But I agree that I should. I need help to ever love the way God deserves.”

The law reveals the heart: pride or humility. What did it reveal about you?

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. His power invades the humble heart and remakes it into a fountain of real love. Will you reject the work of Jesus in pride, or receive everything He did for you and be changed into a truly loving person?

What Love Looks Like (Exodus 22)

Here are the laws God gave, each showing a facet of love.

Restitution for theft (22:1-4)

If someone stole an ox or sheep and slaughtered or sold it, he repaid five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief was caught breaking in at night and was killed, the defender wasn’t guilty of bloodshed; but if it happened after sunrise, he was. The thief had to make full restitution, and if he had nothing, he was sold to pay for what he stole. If the stolen animal was found alive in his possession, he repaid double.

Don’t steal. Make it right, and then some.
Self-defense in the dark, when you can’t see who or what you’re facing, is allowed. But in daylight, when you have other options, don’t kill. Even thieves are to be treated as people.
Love pays back double.

Grazing and fire (22:5-6)

If someone let his animal graze in another man’s field or vineyard, he paid from the best of his own field and vineyard. If someone started a fire that spread through thorns and burned another’s grain, he paid for it.

Love gives your best when your mistake costs someone else. Go above and beyond.
Love repays loss even when it was an accident.

Entrusted property (22:7-15)

If someone kept money or goods for a neighbor and they were stolen, the thief, if found, paid double. If not, the keeper came before the judges to determine whether he’d taken it himself. In any dispute over property, both parties came before the judges, and whoever was found guilty paid double. If a neighbor’s animal died, was injured or driven off while in your care with no witness, an oath before the Lord settled it. If it was stolen, you repaid; if torn by a wild animal, you brought the remains as evidence. If you borrowed something and it was hurt or died while the owner wasn’t present, you repaid; if the owner was there, you didn’t; if it was rented, the rental fee covered it.

God provides a way to find the truth. You can’t be sneaky with God.
Love each other when you borrow and lend. Whatever happens, keep loving.

Seduction (22:16-17)

If a man seduced an unengaged virgin and slept with her, he had to pay the bride-price and marry her. If her father refused to give her to him, he still had to pay the full bride-price.

Love isn’t driven by lust.
If her father wouldn’t even let you marry her, you still paid, because you damaged her life and future.

Serious offenses (22:18-20)

Sorcery, bestiality and sacrificing to other gods were capital crimes in Israel.

Sorcery often involved serving other spiritual powers through spells and potions.
God was saying, “This is My family. We love each other: you and Me, and you and each other. Other gods aren’t part of this family. Not allowed.”

The vulnerable (22:21-24)

“Don’t mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt. Don’t take advantage of any widow or orphan. If you do and they cry out to Me, I will surely hear their cry. My anger will burn, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children orphans.”

Love the immigrant and the stranger. Treat them kindly. You know what it’s like.
Love people who can’t pay you back. Always.
God is watching how we treat the weak.

Lending to the poor (22:25-27)

“If you lend money to one of My people who is poor, don’t act like a moneylender; charge no interest. If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it by sunset, because it’s his only covering. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to Me, I will hear, for I am gracious.”

Help each other out. That’s love.
Don’t be a stickler about being repaid. Love matters more.
“I’m watching. And I love. I’m gracious.”
Being loving is simply being like God.

Respect and firstfruits (22:28-30)

“Don’t blaspheme God or curse a ruler of your people. Don’t hold back the first of your harvest and your wine. Give Me your firstborn sons. Do the same with your cattle and sheep.”

Respect authority. Don’t be a rebel for the fun of it.
Remember: this nation is all about the Lord. You exist because He saved you, and He redeemed you for Himself.

Holy people (22:31)

“You are to be My holy people. Don’t eat meat torn by wild animals; throw it to the dogs.”

In other words, no roadkill.
“You’re My precious people. I’ll provide something better for you than scraps.”

Doing All the Right Things

So if we do all these things, does that mean we’re loving?

No. “If I give away everything I have… but have not love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:3).

Remember Martha and Mary. Martha was busy serving, distracted and frustrated, doing loving things with a troubled heart. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, listening. Jesus said Mary had chosen the one thing that’s needed (Luke 10:38-42).

Real love doesn’t start with doing. It starts with sitting at His feet.

Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).

Grace Takeaway

God’s laws in Exodus 22 paint a beautiful picture of love in everyday life: making things right, protecting the weak, lending freely, giving your best. But imitating love isn’t the same as having it. When the law shows you how unloving you really are, don’t answer with pride, “I’ll try harder.” Answer with humility: “Lord, I can’t, and I need You.” Then abide in Jesus, the true Vine. His love will flow through you, and the fruit will follow.

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Teaching a New People How to Love