Life Capsule for Today Date: 8th April, 2024
Theme: Bible Restitution (2)
Memory Verse: Matt 5:16
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. NKJV
Topic: Restitution During the Law
Today’s Reading: Ex 22:7-9
7 “If a man gives his neighbor silver or goods for safekeeping and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if he is caught, must pay back double. 8 But if the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges to determine whether he has laid his hands on the other man’s property. 9 In all cases of illegal possession of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any other lost property about which somebody says, ‘This is mine,’ both parties are to bring their cases before the judges. The one whom the judges declare guilty must pay back double to his neighbor. NIV
Words of the Ministry:
Yesterday we began a study on bible restitution, and we learnt that restitution is restoring something to its original state” and “returning something to its rightful owner. We saw two examples of restitution before the Law, we considered the cases of Abraham and Abimelech and Jacob, Joseph and his other sons, we learnt that though the law was not in effect then, God ministered the need for restitution to Abimelech and through the conscience ministered same to Jacob and his sons. Today we would be looking into how restitution was made in the old testament under the law of Moses, I like us to pay good attention to it as we would see a major shift from this principle in the new testament. I would again cite a few examples and reference some certain commandments relating to restitution.
Under the Law of Moses, the children of Israel were expected to obey the 10 commandments and the ordinances of Moses. They were given specific instruction on how to relate with their fellow men and how to ensure they had a pure conscience towards God. We must keep in mind that up to this point, man has fallen and had a dead conscience, we see that God had to constrain Abimelech from evil before the Law and God again using the conscience of Jacob and his sons had to correct them towards restitution, in other words, man needed human or divine guidance after the fall to make his wrongs right as the thought of man has since then been evil continually. God describing the state of man’s heart said the heart of man was Stoney (Eze 36.26) and the thought of man’s heart has been evil continually (Gen 6.5).
Some teachings in the Old Testament concerning restitution includes Exo 22,1,7,14. Another is Lev 6.1-4. We would note that God spoke in the forgoing passages and the consequence of such was to make the society free of certain evil and animosity. We see also in the book of Judges an example of a judge called Samuel who was also a priest (1 Sam 12.1-3), he asked the children of Israel if he had in anyway cheated them, he wanted them to come out and speak up so that he could restitute before he goes to be with his God. Another is the case of David 2sam 16.5-8, a certain man, Shimei, son of Gera, accused him wrongly, flattered him and even pelted him but later came to restitute in 2 Sam 19-16-20. So we see restitution under the law of Moses of items, animals and even apology when necessary. Join us tomorrow as we again progress to restitution after the Law, under the new covenant noting the progression of truth and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Bible in one year: 1 Sam 22-24. For further fellowship send us an email on godmanvideos@gmail.comor visit our youtube channel: @godmanmedia. You can also interact with us by dropping your comments on our facebook page. Our physical meeting, Word feast comes up every Wednesday by 5pm and Prayer Gym every Saturday by 7am while PENIEL comes up once a month, every last Sunday of the month from 4pm to 6.30pm at Suite A10, Ahser Office Complex, beside Living Faith Church, Opposite Hassan Stores, Arab Road, Kubwa Abuja.