Exodus 22:21-23:9

This section begins and ends with essentially the same instruction – be kind.

“You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” Exodus 22:21

“You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” Exodus 23:9

It’s this reminder that they were once the sojourners – the oppressed – the least of these. When we remember how far the Lord has brought us, it should alter the way we treat others.

In light of where they were and how far God had brought them, they are told how to treat widows, the fatherless, the poor, their leaders, and even their enemies.

👉Paul references one of these rules (verse 28) in Acts 23:5 when speaking of one of his greatest persecutors.

These laws go beyond mere dos and don’ts and call people to an even higher standard. It’s a shift from actions to attitudes. How we view and treat the poor and oppressed among us says a great deal about our understanding of the grace we ourselves have received.