The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Exodus 22:18,
"Do not allow a sorceress to live."
In this chapter of sundry laws given by God for Israel, the death penalty was required for a variety of things. Here in this verse, if a woman is found engaging in sorcery she was to be put to death. A sorcerer or sorceress was one who used the power gained from the help or control of evil spirits.
And, no, I'm sure the same applied to men who engaged in the same. I assume the female practitioner was the more common gender which probably is why the prohibition references "sorceress" instead of "sorcerer". We can find the prohibition for any and all who engaged in divination, sorcery, interpreting omens and witchcraft in Deuteronomy 18:9-13.
In addition to sorcery, in this chapter we find the death penalty prescribed for bestiality and idolatry. In the case of taking advantage of widows or the fatherless, God says he himself will have the perpetrator killed by the sword, verse 24.
God chose Israel as a people for himself with a purpose. That purpose was to provide for the redemption of all mankind from their sins. He chose Abraham's offspring as a vehicle to accomplishing this by communicating through Israel's prophets his intentions and to provide many types and examples that would point us to Jesus Christ. And, of course, the biggest use of his people was to bring his Son into the world through them to be the atoning sacrifice to provide that redemption.
These laws, in addition to defining for sinful man what God finds repugnant and worthy of damnation, was to provide for Israel's development as an appropriate people to pursue his agenda of redemption. The law God gave Israel and his handling of Israel over the centuries was to pursue this purpose.
A part of God's activity in this pursuit included capital punishment where he deems it needful. We say that human life is sacred. By that we mean that life is to be protected because all life comes from God and our lives belong to him. We are not to take human life. Human life is only God's to take. Here in the these laws, God delegates to appropriate human authorities he has established to take human life as he prescribes it.
There are many today with good intention who oppose capital punishment. Whether they deem it unjust or unfair, whether they feel capital punishment is not ours to exercise because we might make a mistake or for whatever reason, I would point them back to the Scriptures.
Many, myself included, feel the law God gave Israel has application for all human authority. We are told that all governing authority has been established by God (yes, including your favorites to hate on), Romans 13:1. The laws God gave Israel lay a firm foundation for systems of justice in all nations. Obviously some of the laws pertained only to Israel in her role as God's chosen people for rolling out his agenda of redemption, but much of the law God gave Israel provides a blueprint for the rest of our nations.
When it comes to capital punishment, it is God who determines what is right, just and fair. Not us sinful human beings.
Here is a fascinating passage on God's reasoning in mandating capital punishment for murder, a seeming paradox: "And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind."
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know. A blog with all my posts can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
"Do not allow a sorceress to live."
In this chapter of sundry laws given by God for Israel, the death penalty was required for a variety of things. Here in this verse, if a woman is found engaging in sorcery she was to be put to death. A sorcerer or sorceress was one who used the power gained from the help or control of evil spirits.
And, no, I'm sure the same applied to men who engaged in the same. I assume the female practitioner was the more common gender which probably is why the prohibition references "sorceress" instead of "sorcerer". We can find the prohibition for any and all who engaged in divination, sorcery, interpreting omens and witchcraft in Deuteronomy 18:9-13.
In addition to sorcery, in this chapter we find the death penalty prescribed for bestiality and idolatry. In the case of taking advantage of widows or the fatherless, God says he himself will have the perpetrator killed by the sword, verse 24.
God chose Israel as a people for himself with a purpose. That purpose was to provide for the redemption of all mankind from their sins. He chose Abraham's offspring as a vehicle to accomplishing this by communicating through Israel's prophets his intentions and to provide many types and examples that would point us to Jesus Christ. And, of course, the biggest use of his people was to bring his Son into the world through them to be the atoning sacrifice to provide that redemption.
These laws, in addition to defining for sinful man what God finds repugnant and worthy of damnation, was to provide for Israel's development as an appropriate people to pursue his agenda of redemption. The law God gave Israel and his handling of Israel over the centuries was to pursue this purpose.
A part of God's activity in this pursuit included capital punishment where he deems it needful. We say that human life is sacred. By that we mean that life is to be protected because all life comes from God and our lives belong to him. We are not to take human life. Human life is only God's to take. Here in the these laws, God delegates to appropriate human authorities he has established to take human life as he prescribes it.
There are many today with good intention who oppose capital punishment. Whether they deem it unjust or unfair, whether they feel capital punishment is not ours to exercise because we might make a mistake or for whatever reason, I would point them back to the Scriptures.
Many, myself included, feel the law God gave Israel has application for all human authority. We are told that all governing authority has been established by God (yes, including your favorites to hate on), Romans 13:1. The laws God gave Israel lay a firm foundation for systems of justice in all nations. Obviously some of the laws pertained only to Israel in her role as God's chosen people for rolling out his agenda of redemption, but much of the law God gave Israel provides a blueprint for the rest of our nations.
When it comes to capital punishment, it is God who determines what is right, just and fair. Not us sinful human beings.
Here is a fascinating passage on God's reasoning in mandating capital punishment for murder, a seeming paradox: "And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind."
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know. A blog with all my posts can be found here: http://worshipfortoday.blogspot.com/
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