HOLINESS REVIVAL MOVEMENT WORLDWIDE
DAILY DEVOTIONAL: EVERY WORD OF GOD FOR DAILY LIVING
BY PASTOR PAUL RIKA
Intl Director, HOREMOW
DATE: Saturday May 16
TOPIC: THE CHRISTIAN APPROACH TO RESTITUTION
TEXT: Exodus 22:1-15
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.
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.
KEY VERSE: James 1: 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Though restitution is a general practice around the world, there is a Christian approach to it – the godly or Biblical approach. The way the society goes about restitution may not be exactly the way the Bible wants it done. The way the courts of law instruct or compel it may not be the way the Bible directs that you do it. As a matter of fact, Christian Restitution may go beyond the demands of the court.
For example, if you embezzled Government money and you are taken to the court of law and convicted, but you claim you do not have the money to pay back, the court may sentence you to jail. When you get out of prison, you may go back and get the money from wherever you hid it and continue to enjoy yourself without further harassment on the same matter. But in Christian restitution, you must restore that money notwithstanding that you have already been jailed for it.
When you get out of prison, you must go back and confess that you lied. Did you build houses with the money? Is the money hidden in your bank account? Christian restitution demands that after you have finished your jail term, you must go and sell those houses, go and empty your bank account and restore the embezzled money. That is Christian restitution. You are dealing with the God of societies, the God of your soul and the God of holiness and righteousness who desires that you should be perfect in your life.
From today’s reading text you can see that God who brought human beings to stay together knows the sensitivity of the hearts of men. God knows the sensitivity of the hearts of your brethren, and the hearts of your neighbours. You don’t just step on them and go your own way. Some people just stepped on somebody and moved on as if nothing happened. God does not like that.
You cannot step on your neighbour and go on as if nothing is at stake; God will not take that from you. He wants diligence and carefulness in living and in relationship with others. He wants you to know that you are dealing with a soul that can be damaged, a soul that can be lost, a soul that can be hurt eternally. The Lord says you should be careful how you relate with others.
Thought for the day: Be conscious of how you relate with men that you don’t create offences.
Song for the day: I am a blessed child; I am a blessed child….
Bible reading for the day: 2 Kings 15-17; John 6:1-21
©elijahben
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