Exodus 23:10 and 11 say, “And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof: but the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.” Here we read that there was to be a sabbatical year for the sake of the poor. In the seventh year, the children of Israel were not to work the land. They were not to plow, sow, or reap. Nevertheless, the land would still bear fruit. The produce, however, had to be for the poor. No doubt, the poor among God’s people must have been deeply touched by this ordinance, perhaps touched to the point of weeping over the tenderness and sweetness of God’s law.
The ordinance concerning a sabbatical year for the land was a test to many Israelites. First, it was a test to those who ordinarily worked the land. Furthermore, it was a test to one’s neighbors. Perhaps if one allowed his land to rest, his neighbor would take of the produce of the land. In his greed, the neighbor may not allow the produce to go to those who are truly poor.
In the book of Ruth we see that, according to the ordinance of the law, the poor were allowed to gather the gleanings. God commanded His people to leave the gleanings in the field at harvest time for the benefit of the poor. These gleanings are the same in principle as the crumbs under the table in Matthew 15 and the produce of the seventh year in Exodus 23. Both the crumbs and produce of the seventh year typify Christ for poor sinners.
According to the first and second commandments, man must not have other gods and must not serve images. In 22:18 and 20 and 23:13 details are added to these commandments. According to 22:18, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” There was to be no practice of witchcraft for contact with demons. Verse 20 continues, “He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto Jehovah only, he shall be utterly destroyed” (lit.). Sacrifices to idols were strictly forbidden. Furthermore, according to 23:13, there was not even to be the mention of the names of other gods: “And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.”
The first supplement to the law concerning man’s relationship with God is that man must submit to God and to His authority. God’s people must submit to His deputy authority, the rulers of the people. Exodus 22:28 says, “Thou shalt not revile God, nor curse the ruler of thy people” (lit.).
According to 22:29 and 30, all the firstfruits and all the firstborn were the Lord’s: “Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep.”
Exodus 23:18 says, “Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.” Blood here signifies redemption. No blood was to be offered to God with leavened bread. This indicates that as redeemed ones, we should be unleavened. We should not mix Christ’s redemption with leaven, with anything sinful.
Furthermore, the fat of the sacrifice was not to remain until morning. This indicates that we should not try to preserve today’s spiritual enjoyment. It cannot be kept until the next day.
In 23:19 we read this commandment: “Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.” This ordinance shows that God is tender and kind. To seethe a kid in its mother’s milk is cruel. God’s law forbids this. This indicates that as the Law-giver God is tender, kind, and loving.
Exodus 22:31 says, “Ye shall be holy men unto me.” A holy man is one who is like God. God is holy, and we as His people should also be holy.
In 23:14-17 there are ordinances concerning keeping feasts unto God. The best and highest relationship man can have with God is to feast unto God and with God.