The Strong Statement

The Strong Statement
Words of Faith 1-3-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Exodus 21
[12] "Anyone who strikes a man and kills him shall surely be put to death. [13] However, if he does not do it intentionally, but God lets it happen, he is to flee to a place I will designate. [14] But if a man schemes and kills another man deliberately, take him away from my altar and put him to death.
[15] "Anyone who attacks his father or his mother must be put to death.
[16] "Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells him or still has him when he is caught must be put to death.
[17] "Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.

Wow. Harsh stuff. But these laws make a strong statement. The use of capital punishment as an "ultimate penalty" reveals the values of a culture by declaring particular crimes either extremely heinous or so destructive to the society that a culprit must forgo even the right to be a slave or prisoner.
The Scripture here and elsewhere declares an interesting list of infractions that deserve death. Murder, disrespect for parents (abuse), adultery, false worship, and kidnapping are capital crimes. These are sins that injure persons and corrupt the fabric of society so severely that the ultimate penalty is applied.
The principle assumes that leniency would encourage others to commit these crimes. Stoning was the usual form of execution. In this way, no one person is responsible for the culprit's death, but the entire community has participated in the elimination of evil.
There was a provision for a situation in which an unintentional homicide was committed. This is the foundation for the manslaughter laws. In those instances where unintentional homicide is committed, the person involved is given a chance to claim sanctuary in an appointed place, usually an altar or a shrine. This protects them from the deceased's family and gives the authorities time to hear witnesses and make a judgment. The continued grant of sanctuary would then depend on whether the killing was judged a murder or an accidental death. Eventually, the number of places of sanctuary increased as the size of the nation grew.
It is surprising to the modern mind that disrespect toward parents would be such a serious offense. The language translated here indicates a physical attack or "treating them with contempt." This was a capital crime!
Striking a parent or treating them in a way that is the opposite of honor was a terrible crime in the ancient world. Sumerian laws allowed a son who "disowns" his parents to be sold as a slave. The Mesopotamian law required the amputation of the hand of a man who struck his father.
God's law interpreted such extreme disrespect to be so destructive to the fabric of society that it could cost a person their life. There are no records of this penalty being carried out, but perhaps it served as a deterrent.
What do we gather from this? Clearly, certain things are precious and valuable to God. Human life is such a thing. The selfish and intentional taking of human life is a huge offense to God and terribly destructive to society. The Lord values life and freedom, so stealing a person by kidnapping is a heinous offense against God and community. Attacking parents is enormously offensive to God and terribly destructive to the community. God clearly values life, liberty, right worship, and family honor.
What shall we do with this? Perhaps the message is as simple as valuing the same things that God values so much-- life, liberty, right worship and family honor.

Lord God, I often take for granted the most precious gifts. I give thanks to you for the gift of life. I celebrate the gift of liberty. I rejoice in the relationship of worship that nourishes my soul. I commit to family honor. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.