1. Just and fitting punishment (1-16)

Slavery degrades men and destroys justice. It breeds irresponsibility. These laws seek to restore justice and human dignity and teach responsible living: i) Guilty persons must be punished, but not degraded. ii) The man who does not want to marry his brother's widow is treated with disrespect, for he is selfish and irresponsible [See Ge 38 and Ru 4.]. iii) Even in the heat of anger or passion, men and women must stay within certain limits and preserve human dignity. iv) Cheating and lying are marks of the slave mentality. The Lord detests anyone who deals dishonestly.

2. God's judgment on the Amalekites (17-19)

The Amalekites had no fear of God. They were the desert people who attacked the Israelites when they were most vulnerable--at the time of the Exodus (Ex 17:8-15). At that time, Moses, supported by Aaron and Hur, held up his hands in prayer while Joshua fought. With God's help, Israel won a victory, but the Amalekites were marked for God's judgment, for they respected neither God nor his people (1Sa 15:2).

Application: Lord, help me to love justice and honesty, and to respect people created in your image.
One Word: Justice and respect