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Lesson 22 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course 9




make DOUBLE restoration. RESPECTED by man.
6. And if the thief cannot be found? 1. YEHOVAH God now sets forth the
Exodus 22:8. RELATIONSHIP of men towards the good
COMMENT: If the thief CANNOT be name and reputation of their neighbors. Exodus
found then the judges had to decide as to whether 20:16.
the man to whom the goods or money had been COMMENT: There are MANY WAYS
entrusted is himself guilty. If found guilty he in which one can bear false witness regarding his
must make DOUBLE restoration. neighbor. It can be accomplished by WORD,
7. If a man delivers his stock to his ACT or DEED, for often a false report can be
neighbor to keep for him and it dies or is driven started about another by a lift of the eyebrow, the
away (no man seeing what happened), what shake of the head or the shrug of the shoulder at
must the neighbor do? Exodus 22:10-11. the mention of a name. Many times, ACTION
COMMENT: He must take an oath can be a more powerful method of circulating a
before YEHOVAH God that he did not kill the false report than even the spoken word.
animal. The owner must accept this and no 2. Notice Exodus 23:1-2.
restitution is required. COMMENT: The making of FALSE
8. However, what if the stock is stolen OATHS is forbidden as well as committing
from the neighbor’s safekeeping? Exodus ANY fraud.
22:12-13.
COMMENT: In this case the neighbor Examination of Witnesses
must make restitution. If, however, the stock or
animal is found torn to pieces (such as from a 1. False witnessing in court proceedings
wild animal), and he shows it to his neighbor for was more readily detected under the procedures
evidence, then he need not make good. of ancient Israel than it is possible to detect
9. What if a man borrows ANYTHING today. Notice Deuteronomy 19:16-18.
from his neighbor and it is hurt or dies or is COMMENT: Each witness was
damaged while in his safekeeping (the owner examined separately and out of hearing of the
NOT being present at the time)? Exodus 22:14. others. This MINIMIZED the possibilty of
COMMENT: It must be made good. colaboration between witnesses as well as the
10. What if the owner IS present when opportunity to escape detection if testimony is
the loss is incurred? Exodus 22:15. falsified. When the judges detected the
COMMENT: If the OWNER of the possibilty of falsification the case stopped
thing or animal borrowed is PRESENT with it, immediately and the judges made a thorough
the man who borrowed it does NOT need to investigation.
make good for it. Because it is hired and the 2. Notice what happened next if the
owner is present, the OWNER is responsible for testimony was found to be false. Deuteronomy
its care. 19:19.
These judgments establish principles of COMMENT: Whatever the JUDG-
law that are applicable IN EVERY AGE. MENT would have been, had the defendant been
YEHOVAH God said, “You shall not steal, found guilty, the man who testified falsely
neither deal falsely, nor lie to one another.” would have to bear. If it would have been death,
then it meant DEATH for him. If it were to be
The Ninth Commandment restitution, then the witness had to pay the
equivalent of that restitution.
We have seen that the life, the wife and 3. Notice what this would result in.
the possessions of his fellow men are to be Deuteronomy 19:20.




YEHOVAH’s Law and Our Neighbor
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