We are in chapter twenty-one of Exodus with our word for today. נָצָה fight, struggle. It is used 8 times in the Old Testament. We find our word used in the sense of arguing during Korah’s rebellion. Numbers 26:9-10 The same Dathan and Abiram were the community officials who הִצּ֜וּ contended against Moses and Aaron and were among Korah’s followers when they בְּהַצֹּתָ֖ם contended against the Lord. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them along with Korah, whose followers died when the fire devoured the 250 men. And they served as a warning sign. The other six times our word is used it is in the sense to fight. Moses tries to break up two of his fellow Hebrews. Exodus 2:13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews נִצִּ֑ים fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?” A lot of other bad things can happen in the context of a physical altercation like cursing God, inappropriate behavior, and even death. Leviticus 24:10-11, 14-16 Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went out among the Israelites, and a יִנָּצ֨וּ fight broke out in the camp between him and an Israelite...anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they blaspheme the Name they are to be put to death. Deuteronomy 25:11 If two men are יִנָּצ֨וּ fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts. 2 Samuel 14:6 I your servant had two sons. They got into a וַיִּנָּצ֤וּfight with each other in the field, and no one was there to separate them. One struck the other and killed him. This is how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 21:22-25 When men יִנָּצ֣וּstrive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. One of the bad consequences of fighting is the baby inside of the mother could die. Notice right after this example the summary verse that spells out life for life. It is clear that the baby is considered a life even though it hasn’t been delivered from the mother. Another clear teaching about this value of life is seen in Psalm 139:13-16 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. I will close with some sections from Psalm 60 that has our word in the title of the psalm. As you remember we have talked about Psalms are actually songs that were sung in worship to God. It was the worship material for both God’s people in the Old Testament and in the early church. This psalm was a way to worship God for being with the people when they were in a fight. It encouraged them and us to trust God when challenging things can come during a fight. Psalm 60 and verse one in the Hebrew is translated as the title in most English translations then verse 11-12. To the choirmaster: according to Shushan Eduth. A Miktam of David; for instruction; when he בְּהַצּוֹתוֹ֨ strove with Aramnaharaim and with Aram-zobah, and when Joab on his return struck down twelve thousand of Edom in the Valley of Salt. Oh, grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.
