Worship of God must overflow into our lives. Here, the Lord God gives practical laws. By obedience to them the children of Israel would be seen as the distinctive people of God.

v1-11: The fair treatment of slaves. In the culture of the day, slaves were an everyday reality. However, slaves were not always treated well; the Israelites had been treated badly in Egypt, and they were not to treat their slaves is this way.

Whether these rules indicate that God condones slavery is sometimes asked. In western societies, many work for the benefit of others as employees. Where this provides an income of money or other things, such as food and accommodation, then that is acceptable. What is unacceptable is the abuse or mistreatment of employees (or slaves), by low wages, poor conditions, etc. If God had wanted His people not to have slaves at all, He could easily have prohibited it.

v2-4: Part of the provision for a poor Hebrew was that he could become a slave to another Hebrew. This real situation presents an opportunity for obedience to God. The slave could only be kept for 6 years, and then must be allowed to go free.

v5: The servant was given a choice at the end of the 6 years. He could choose to go out a free man, or he could live forever with his master. He could choose to serve his master out of a motivation of love, not through any obligation imposed upon him by his master.

v6: The arrangement was to be checked by taking both parties to the judges at the gate, see for example, Ruth 4.1-12, where Boaz brought a matter to the judges. This was to ensure proper justice was being exercised.

Having found matters had been done properly, the master would bore the slave's ear to the door post, leaving a permanent sign of the slave's love, and a sign of the master's goodness. The slave would then serve the master for life. The decision could not be reversed.

v7-11: A similar position operated where a man sold his daughter to be slave to another. Whatever his motives, he could not mistreat her. She remained a human being, demanding dignity and honour.

Verse 10 indicates the basic responsibility of a husband to provide for his wife – food, clothing, and marriage rights. This is reflected in Christ’s love for His church, in Eph 5.28-29. It is suggested that failure to fulfil this responsibility would constitute grounds for divorce. This is perhaps what 1 Cor 7.3-5 refers to, However, the NT does not explicitly state that these are grounds for divorce.

v12-14: A distinction is made between murder and manslaughter. There is the provision of safety for the individual guilty of manslaughter, but not for murder. We note that men schemed that Jesus Christ might be put to death. Instead of the penalty laid down here, He prayed that the Father would forgive them (Luke 23.34).

v15-17: Some sins were deemed sufficiently serious that the death penalty applied.

v18-27: The principles of justice and restitution, for the punishment had to fit the crime. The people of Israel were in a 'theocracy'; God's laws included matters of worship, personal godliness, crime, personal hygiene, and other 'civil' matters. The punishment for crimes was delegated to the people (as in Gen 9.6), for the Lord had delegated responsibility and authority to the people.

The level of punishment laid down here was a restriction, which was in contrast to the brutality of the surrounding Gentile peoples.

v28-32: The owner of an animal was responsible for its behaviour. If the animal had attacked people before, then the owner was negligent in not dealing with it, if it attacked another person. There is a principle of responsibility.

The price of 30 shekels, the price of a slave, for which Jesus Christ was sold.

v33-36: See Eccl 10.8-9; life has its risks. This is normal, but the lesson is clear; we must be thoughtful towards others. We may bear risks, but should not bring those risks upon others.