Reading Exodus 20 -23 can be a little boring, let’s admit it. There are alot of instructions for everything from what to do when your ox gores someone to when to return your neighbor’s cloak.
I think it’s all more interesting if we read it remembering that the Israelites had been slaves for hundreds of years. They were used to having their masters tell them what to do, when to do it and how to do it.
We remember in Exodus 17 where people were waiting in line all day to talk with Moses about all of their issues. Luckily Jethro stepped in and suggested that Moses teach some of the other honest men how to help people with all of these decisions that they didn’t know how to handle. Now we see in Exodus 21 -22 where God is bringing the teaching of right and wrong down to the level of all of the people.
From my perspective, this is much like the process of parenting. Af first, the parents tell the little kids what to do and when to do it. Gradually, the parents move into helping their children make good decisions. Maturity grows when the children internalize what is right and wrong and start to make good decisions on their own, with little help from the parents (except when asked…but that’s a whole different subject : )
As we read on we will be able to see if the Israelites decide to grow up, learn and mature or if they close their ears to the teaching and experience the consequences.