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Advent Productions

Benjamin Ng

An Eye for an Eye

Father in heaven, thank you so much for this past week.

And Lord, the fact that we can study together and listen to a study together, We are so thankful because you've preserved our life.

And we also want to thank you for the Sabbath hours that are upon us.

I pray that you would please draw close to us in this time.

And especially as we open your Bible to read and study.

May you lead us and guide us with your Holy Spirit, Lord, and help us to take away from this lessons that would speak to each of our hearts and give us the wisdom to know how to apply it today as well, for we pray in Jesus' name, amen.

So in our care group, we have been studying Matthew chapter 5.

And last week we looked at our communication, how we should communicate.

And we looked at how our communication, when we say yea and then nay, It's like lying.

Matthew chapter 5, we're going to start in verse 38.

Matthew 5, 38, please follow along in your Bible.

Make sure you have your Bible open and if you're using your phone to watch video, then go grab your physical Bible.

Want to make sure that you see the words for yourself.

The more points of learning we can have, not just through hearing, but seeing and reading for ourselves, the more we will retain.

You have heard that it has been said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

"'But I say unto you that ye resist not evil, "'but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, "'turn to him the other also.

"'And if any man will sue thee at the law, take away thy coat, and let him have thy cloak also.

And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain, give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away Matthew 5 38 to 42 is what we'll be studying today and Really?

What is Jesus talking about here when he says an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

You know so when someone plucks out your eye, you pluck out theirs.

If they hit out your tooth, you hit out theirs.

Do unto others what you want them to do unto you.

Something that I repeat a lot to my children.

If you want to be treated a certain way, then make sure you treat others a certain way.

So, this study, it seems like Jesus is talking about revenge or justice.

But, you know, Jesus was actually quoting from the Old Testament.

Moses was the 1 that gave this law at the very beginning.

Let's go over to Leviticus chapter 14 and we're going to read from verse 17.

Leviticus chapter 14 and we're reading from verse 17.

The Bible says this, and the rest of the oil that is in thine hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon, it seems like I have typed out the wrong Bible text.

I'm pretty sure that that is not what it's referring to there.

Leviticus chapter 24, I'm sorry, Leviticus 24 and verse 17.

Now I need to turn there in my own Bible.

Leviticus 24, not 14, Leviticus 24 and starting in verse 17.

This is what the Bible says and this is how you know it's live, okay?

Leviticus 24 verse 17, and he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.

And he that killeth a beast shall make it good, beast for beast.

And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbor, as he hath done, so shall it be done to him.

Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.

As he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.

And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it, and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.

He shall have 1 manner of law as well for the stranger as for 1 of your own country, for I am the Lord your God." So when Jesus was talking, you have heard it had been said of all time, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

But what was he really talking about here when Moses gave this law in Leviticus 24.

But everything that Moses taught the children of Israel, really it was from God.

So what was he referring to here in Leviticus 24?

You see, how is this different to what Jesus is talking about in Matthew chapter 5 where it seems like Jesus is throwing away what Moses taught the children of Israel?

In the Old Testament, God's people were a nation.

It was 1 nation, 1 religion, and their leader was God.

So God was the 1 in charge, he was the 1 that was leading the nation and Moses was his spokesperson.

And so when Moses quoted this and gave the laws, what he was doing was giving laws in how to govern a nation.

And that is, I think, how nations are still run today.

If someone does an offense, they go to prison.

Not many countries nowadays have death penalties, but Some still do.

So if you kill a person, maybe you'll be put to death.

You're found with drugs, you're put to death.

At least I know that that happens here in Malaysia, right?

But look, the laws that were given in Leviticus were for the running of a nation.

When Jesus was speaking in Matthew chapter 5, God's people were no longer a nation.

They were scattered all over the place, all the way from Rome, all the way down to Egypt.

And we know this from Acts chapter 2, when they all were coming back, people were different, different languages were hearing Peter preach in their language where they were born.

So the Jews at that time were already scattered everywhere.

They were no longer 1 nation under God and 1 religion.

And so in Matthew chapter 5, they could not, at least Jesus was saying, you can't treat the person the same way that you're wishing to be treated in a sense from a civil standpoint.

And so civil laws were okay to be like that.

However in your treatment of your friends, in your treatment of your neighbor, in the treatment of your enemy who hasn't killed you, he hasn't even stolen anything from you, you should treat them differently.

So here's the thing, when you look at Leviticus, what offenses are these talking about?

A person that killed another person, a person that damaged another person's goods like a cow.

So those are pretty serious offenses it seems, right?

But what was Jesus dealing with in Leviticus?

I mean in Matthew chapter 5, he was talking about 1, what?

Another person that sued you or borrowed from you.

So When it came to the offenses that Jesus was talking about, it wasn't even the same level to what Moses was referring to.

Yes, an eye for an eye, someone kills, maybe death penalty, or at least they should go to prison.

So even The offenses were on a different level.

Remember, God's people in the Old Testament, they were a nation.

In Matthew chapter 5, they were no longer a nation.

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An Eye for an Eye

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