We are moving into chapter twenty-two of Exodus with our word for today. שָׁלֵם be completed, ready, sound, ready, remain healthy, unharmed, keep peace, be whole. It is used 116 times in the Old Testament, 14 times in our chapter. Our word is used in the sense to make a payment to someone for a loss incurred for which one is responsible. The chapter before our chapter and our chapter today use our word the most in the Bible in this sense of the word. Let’s look at them. Exodus 21:33-36 When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit יְשַׁלֵּ֔ם shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his...Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, שַׁלֵּ֨ם יְשַׁלֵּ֥ם [our word is used twice for emphasis so literally to make restitution he will make restitution] he shall repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his. Exodus 22:1-3, 5-7, 11-15 If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, יְשַׁלֵּם֙he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief is found breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there shall be no bloodguilt for him, but if the sun has risen on him, there shall be bloodguilt for him. שַׁלֵּ֣ם יְשַׁלֵּ֔םHe shall surely pay. If he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If the stolen beast is found alive in his possession, whether it is an ox or a donkey or a sheep, יְשַׁלֵּֽם he shall pay double. “If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed over, or lets his beast loose and it feeds in another man's field, יְשַׁלֵּֽםhe shall make restitution from the best in his own field and in his own vineyard. “If fire breaks out and catches in thorns so that the stacked grain or the standing grain or the field is consumed, he who started the fire שַׁלֵּ֣ם יְשַׁלֵּ֔םshall make full restitution. If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man's house, then, if the thief is found, יְשַׁלֵּ֥ם he shall pay double…If a man gives to his neighbor a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep safe, and it dies or is injured or is driven away, without anyone seeing it, an oath by the Lord shall be between them both to see whether or not he has put his hand to his neighbor's property. The owner shall accept the oath, and he shall not יְשַׁלֵּֽםmake restitution. But if it is stolen from him, יְשַׁלֵּ֖םhe shall make restitution to its owner. If it is torn by beasts, let him bring it as evidence. He shall not יְשַׁלֵּֽםmake restitution for what has been torn. “If a man borrows anything of his neighbor, and it is injured or dies, the owner not being with it, שַׁלֵּ֥ם יְשַׁלֵּֽםhe shall make full restitution. If the owner was with it, he shall not יְשַׁלֵּ֑םmake restitution; if it was hired, it came for its hiring fee. This is a lot of rules and details but we have to remember that God is giving them direction on how to be a nation. Before this time period they were just slaves to the Egyptians. They had no experience in governing a huge nation of people.
The wicked are described as those who do not make restoration. Psalm 37:21 The wicked borrow and do not יְשַׁלֵּ֑ם repay, but the righteous give generously. When we strive to make others whole for anything we might have done to cause them harm we are acting like God himself. God loves people and wants us to be made whole to be complete. This is at the heart of the good news of Jesus Christ. He came not just to save us from sin but to make us whole and restore us. I’ll close with this great passage about the work that God is doing in us through Christ. Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
