This parsha is aptly named. “Mishpatim” (Exodus chapters 21 through 24) contains more mishpatim – judgments, or ordinances, 53 by most counts – than any other portion in the Torah.
Immediately on the heels of the Ten Debarim [Commandments, or even Sayings] the Torah outlines what Mark suggests is an interesting contrast, but hardly a coincidence: After YHVH brought ‘kol Israel’ out of bondage by His mighty hand, and then gives them instruction about how to live FREE, the next item on the agenda is slavery – actually, bondservice; not the kind of slavery they had seen at all. But still, the contrast sends a message.
On Erev Shabbat, Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa goes into that, and more:
This parsha is just simply SO ‘NOT PC’. And the simple fact that SO many things that the Creator of the Universe and Author of Scripture says we should do are now turned on their head and that so many people, even the so-called ‘church,’ won’t honestly even discuss, tells us not only just how SICK this society is, but WHY.
During the Sabbath day ‘in-depth’ study, Mark starts right there. Again, it should be clear that men seem to think they know better than God what He SHOULD have Written instead – indeed, too many people who ‘inherited lies’ in sun-god-day school don’t even KNOW much of what is in this portion! – so there’s a challenge in this one:
Gauge your own emotional reaction. How much ‘anti-YHVH’, anti-Scripture programming can you sense during this presentation?
If this one doesn’t set your hair on fire, you’ll want to download it and listen again. Even dare some friends or relatives still drinkin’ the Whore Church Kool-Aid to. But, most importantly, do as Mark reminds us the Bereans did: search out the Scriptures for yourself, discern, confirm, and “see if these things be True.”
“Mishpatim: Back to Slavery – or Worse – but NOT the Exodus 21 Kind!”
The combined two-part podcast is here:
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