v1-9     God’s justice was to be reflected in the lives of His people.

v1-3     Lying, false witness, evil scheming, partiality; beware of the crowd set in evil; the command here was to follow the Lord even where it was not popular. We must speak the truth in love.

v4-5            Kindness must also be shown to one’s enemies.

v6-9            Justice for the poor, the innocent, and the righteous. Injustice and false accusations, bribery and oppression, are all here condemned.

            The standard of life set down here is both high and marvellous; a place of justice and kindness.

v10-12            The Sabbath principle was to be applied both one day in seven, and one year in seven. This provided rest for servants and animals, and provided food for the poor, and for wild animals.

v13      Be circumspect. The names of other gods were not even to be mentioned amongst the people of the true God. The Christian should likewise speak much of Christ, and little of the devil. There is also the lesson to avoid speaking much of sins, whether our own or others’; Eph 5.21.

v14      The Israelites had to observe three annual feasts to the Lord.

v15      The first of the feasts was the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which had earlier been commanded, 13.3-10. This Feast was especially linked with the deliverance from Egypt. One aspect of the Feast was that of gratitude, since the people had to appear before the Lord with something in their hands.

v16      The Feasts of Harvest and Ingathering were laid down before they were celebrated, another reminder of the Lord’s promise that the people would indeed enter and live in the promised land. These Feasts related to the harvest, one at the beginning, the time of First Fruits, the other at the end, when all the crops had been gathered in.

v18-19            Laws relating to the Feasts; not to offer blood with a sacrifice containing yeast, and any fat was not to be kept until morning. The best of the first fruits were to be kept for the Lord. Offerings to the Lord must be made His way.

v20      God’s promise of guidance; He will not leave us to find our own way. He will keep us and bring us.

v21-22            God’s guidance was more than just a place to go, but a life to be lived. The choice before the people was simple; obey for blessing, disobey for judgment. The angel could not forgive their sins.

v23      Future victory promised, for there would be those who would fight against the Israelites.

v24      Be ruthless with sins. The commands are clear; do not worship other gods, and do not learn the ways of the ungodly. We should not seek to learn the ways of the world, for God’s people must learn God’s ways.

v25-26            A repeated promise; if the people set their hearts on the true God, then there were real blessings for them.

v27-28            The Canaanite nations were to be driven out of the land. Again this was clearly promised by the Lord, and He was committed to seeing it fulfilled.

v29-30            Gradual driving out of ins; this may be a better way in our lives, since a vacuum may invite “seven worse demons”. Even so, this gives no reason to tolerate sin. We should be gracious and patient with others as they seek to defeat sins in their lives.

v31      The geographic region that was to be occupied, compare 1 Kings 4.20.

v32-33            Peaceful co-existence was a compromise, and had to be avoided. The end result of such ‘tolerance’ would be sin against God. The Israelites had to realise that compromise was the route back to bondage.

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