When we read the law of Moses, from Exodus through Deuteronomy, there are some three dozen sins / crimes that an Israelite might commit against either God or his fellow man that God commanded the death penalty. And this wasn’t an easy death penalty either! It was death by stoning.
Let’s take a look at Leviticus 20… Idolatry (vs 2). Cursing parents (vs 9). Adultery (vs 10). Incest (vs 12). Bestiality (vss 15-16). Witchcraft (vs 27). The verb “to stone” to death is found sixteen times in the OT.
For other examples of the death penalty under the law of Moses, see: Lev. 24:14, 16; Num. 15:35-36; Deut. 21:21; 22:25; Exo. 21:16; Exo. 21:29; Lev. 20:13.
God is love and God commanded a society to kill certain individuals if they have violated their relationship with God through some three dozen specific sins or crimes. Some of those crimes were against their fellow man and some of those crimes were against God Himself.
Of course, it was in the midst of these laws on capital punishment that God also commanded Israel to: “love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18).
In essence, there are several human relationships and marriages which have sildenafil uk buy come to an end due to this condition. The online store delivers the high quality herbal pills to your doorstep without shipping costs. http://mouthsofthesouth.com/locations/the-living-estate-of-jerry-mike-ingram/ buy viagra from india The active ingredient of Kamagra is Sildenafil Citrate that boost blood best buy for viagra flow to genitals and enables stronger erections. Shilajit ES capsule is recommended for purchase cialis the treatment of curvature problem, sexual weakness, male impotence and ED.
So many people have such a false view of the nature of God that they think “love” and killing someone who has committed a serious crime are incompatible. They are not incompatible. First, we have seen that God is love and, sometimes, God kills people. We also see that God required Israel to love their neighbor as themselves but He also commanded them to kill their neighbor if they committed one of those 36 crimes God enumerates in the Scriptures.
One more passage I wish to point out before we move into the NT is Exodus 22:2 where God, through the Law of Moses, says: “If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account.” In other words, God gives an individual the right to protect his own home, even to the point of killing the intruder. “Do not steal” is a commandment of God (Exo. 20:15), two commands after: “Do not kill.” But if a man intends to steal from someone else’s home and he invades that person’s home, God allows the home owner to kill that potential thief and not be innocent of any wrong doing. The thief is violating his relationship with God.
God also had a certain degree of “presumed until innocent” written into the law code of Moses. In Num. 35:30, when God commands the death penalty for murderers, He says that you must two or more witnesses. A man could not be put to death on the testimony of a single witness.
It is easy to say: “That’s the OT and we’re not under the OT any more. Plus, Jesus was a pacifist; therefore, Christians must be pacifists.” Well, let’s examine that for a moment…
Paul Holland
