Exodus 22:1: “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.”

February 27th, 2026 by Pastor Ed in devotional

The law given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai was for a brand new nation that His hand had brought into existence just a few weeks earlier. Jacob’s family of 70 people had gone to Egypt during a drought and 400 years later had grown into 600,000 males (some estimate more that 2 million men, women, and children). They struggled to become free, and then suddenly, by God’s power, they found themselves traveling as a new nation across the desert without any form of government. They had no laws, no judges, no police, no constitution. Nothing. They had left a country where they had been slaves for centuries and now the only social pattern they knew was what they had observed in Egypt, which wasn’t what God wanted. So into this vacuum God spoke His law from heaven’s throne room to His leader Moses.

Laws are necessary for humans to live at peace with each other. And God’s laws have forever marked Israel as unique, establishing laws that have for the last 3000 years affected one of the most productive civilizations on earth. For example, this law of God found in verse 22 makes good sense. It deals with a problem that is still present in cattle raising parts of the United States. Even as recently as the early 1900s, cattle thieves were being hung in the old West. In contrast to that, God’s law concerning personal property requires restitution by the thief. Recently, experts in criminal justice recommended that America change its laws to require the same thing. Requiring a convicted criminal to pay restitution creates a roadblock to future sin. It does this by making the long-term consequences of stealing much more expensive. If God’s law concerning stealing makes good sense, then no doubt other areas of His law would be helpful if applied to our lives as well. What does God the Son say is the summary requirement of God’s law? His answer is for us to love God supremely and love others as ourselves.

“Help us, LORD, to walk in the law of love this day. You first, others second, and ourselves last.”

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Exodus 22 KJV

¹ If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. ² If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. ³ If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. ⁴ If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double. ⁵ If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man’s field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution. ⁶ If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution. ⁷ If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man’s house; if the thief be found, let him pay double. ⁸ If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods. ⁹ For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour. ¹⁰ If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it: ¹¹ Then shall an oath of the Lord be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good. ¹² And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof. ¹³ If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn. ¹⁴ 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. ¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. ¹⁷ If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. ¹⁸ Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. ¹⁹ Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death. ²⁰ He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed. ²¹ Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. ²² Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. ²³ If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; ²⁴ And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. ²⁵ If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as a usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. ²⁶ If thou at all take thy neighbour’s raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: ²⁷ For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious. ²⁸ Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people. ²⁹ Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. ³⁰ Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me. ³¹ And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.