Love Your Enemies Our property is to be used for the purposes of love—even of our enemies. Exodus 23:4, 5 “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, ...

Loving God and Neighbors with Property God is Lord of property, and we are entrusted with it for His and our neighbors’ sake. Deuteronomy 23:24, 25 “‘If you go into your neighbor’s vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, as many as you wish, but you shall not put any in your ...

Damages Damaged property is not to be treated the same as stolen property. Leviticus 24:21a “Whoever kills an animal shall make it good….” Leviticus 24:18 “Whoever takes an animal’s life shall make it good, life for life.” These statutes seem to address a situation in which one person is responsible for the death of another’s animal, ...

Jesus, Justice, and General Equity Jesus commended those who keep the Law. Exodus 22:4 “If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double.” Exodus 22:1 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or ...

Restorative Justice Justice requires retribution at times. Exodus 22:2, 3 “If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. He shall surely pay. If he has nothing, ...

Personal Property God is Lord, but we are stewards of our personal property. Leviticus 19:13  “You shall not oppress your neighbor or rob him.” Robbery is a form of oppression in that it deprives a person of that which God has freely given him for use in seeking the Kingdom of God. To rob ...

Justice for Beasts The Law demanded justice even for the animals that work for us. Deuteronomy 25:4 “‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.’” Matthew 10:10; Luke 10:7; 1 Corinthians 9:8-12 Paul, of course, applied this statute to himself and to the Corinthians’ failure to provide for him during ...

Breach of Trust The Law showed how to resolve disputes. Exodus 22:9 “For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties shall come ...

Provision for Priests Israel was responsible to care for those who ministered spiritually to them. Deuteronomy 12:19 “‘Take care that you do not neglect the Levite as long as you live in your land.’” Deuteronomy 14:27 “‘And you shall not neglect the Levite who is within your towns, for he has no portion or inheritance ...

Pledges and Wages God’s Law preserved the rights of the poor and all workers. Exodus 22:26, 27 “If ever you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what ...