“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.
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.”
Exodus 22:14-15
The Old Testament law protected personal property with great detail. As slaves recently emancipated from 400 years of Egyptian bondage, God had to teach and instill the right principles for loving their neighbours and respecting what they owned. The Lord had to teach them new responsibility to go with their new freedom.
More than that, the dusty old Law is “perfect, converting the soul.” (Psalm 19:7) It is our “schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.” (Galatians 3:24). God used this subsection of His civil code to help me understand a heavy question.
Why do things go wrong when I’m trying to do right? Why does it cost me more in effort, reputation, and stress to live for God? Why does my heart hurt, when I’m trying to do good?
I doubt there is a Christian who has not struggled with these type of questions. The doling of pain, the degradation, the lack of healing– it’s not a doubting of our deserving of hard times– but if the Lord is the LORD, is there not power available to overcome, or better yet avoid these troubles?
The Lord is likened to a husbandman1, a shepherd2, and even a master.3 The Bible has much to say on each, but ‘master’ is a synonym of ‘owner.’ As master, the Lord owns us and deserves our loyalty. In the Old Testament: “A servant [honoureth] his master:… if I be a master, where is my fear?” (Malachi 1:6) And in the New: “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
As our Master, God employs us for His service. A servant of Christ is likened to an ox, and Paul brings the law4 to bear on a minister of the Gospel: “For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth not God take care for oxen?” And then he adds, “For our sakes, no doubt, this is written.” (1 Corinthians 9:9-10) In context, the property referred to is “an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast.“5
In the passage, both a right and a responsibility of the owner are codified. In the event of a tragic loss or crippling injury, we must remember two qualifiers for our service. First, see the Right of Ownership:
“He came for his hire.”
I may not like the conditions God has me to serve in, or the people I have to work with. But I know this: I’m working for a reward. It will be a worthwhile reward, because it will come from Jesus Himself. According to Colossians 3:24, “Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”
That’s the only time Jesus is called, “The Lord Christ.” And it’s because Paul is declaring Him to be the Master of the purchased possession. And He is such a good Master. My reward is tied to my service. It’s why I’m here. If it costs my health, wealth, family, reputation, or my “sacred Honor.”6 He came for his hire. I’m getting a crown for this!
Secondly, see the Responsibility of Ownership: if the owner is not with his ox, it must be restored. But what is true here, is true in my life:
“If the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good:”
This leverages one great truth from the New Testament that makes Gospel salvation so different from every other religion. That truth is: “For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)
Has the Lord ever left me alone? Has He ever failed to answer when I called? Hasn’t He given me His Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart? I have never had to cry out in vain to a Heavenly Father who had forsaken me. Christ only was ever abandoned that way!7
I am not alone. He is always with me.
Now the troubles start to make sense. Job’s destitution. Paul’s degradation. Barnabas’ sell-out. David’s long suffering. Timothy’s prolonged illness. Epaphras’ near fatal sickness.
They came for His hire. And their Master was present the whole time.
And though much in this world will never be made good, we are girded with a reassuring truth: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Not good now, but worked together for it. Because my Master is with me.
God’s rights as the owner should be obvious. But His presence is a blessing I never quite expect. I’ve never gotten used to it… and I hope I never will.
He's never failed me, never left me
Not one time have I cried out, and my voice He has not heard
Never failed me! He won't start today;
He will make a way.
He's never failed me.
-New Manna Youth Choir, He's Never Failed Me
- John 15:1 ↩︎
- John 10:11 ↩︎
- John 13:13 ↩︎
- Deuteronomy 25:4 Quote ↩︎
- Exodus 22:10 ↩︎
- Declaration of Independence ↩︎
- Psalm 22:1, Matthew 27:46 ↩︎
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