Justice is a matter that is very hard to administer. Simply because we are people with diverse opinions. This, plus the fact that we do not have the full scope of every event to fully comprehend the whole matter. The only one who can perfectly administer justice is God. Not only is He just and perfect, but He is also all knowing and has perfect knowledge and understanding of every situation. Every given situation has many variations and angles which we can look at. It is often made harder because the person making the judgment call has to depend on the facts given to him. Facts could be distorted to protect the accused or fabricated to get the victim. The judge who was not at the scene of the crime would have a hard time processing all the facts given by the witnesses. He also will have to decipher the intentionality of a defendant or suspect. There are many aspects to consider. God knows how flawed we can be because we all come to every given situation with a certain bias.
The issue that confronts any wrong is: how do we begin to administer justice? And to administer it fairly? God’s primary concern is to ensure that any punishment dispensed fits the crime or wrong committed. He does not want undue punishment imposed because of personal preferences or prejudice. There must always be a sense of proportion between the crime committed and punishment meted out. Here in Exodus 21:12-36, God gave instructions on how to deal with three kinds of crime. Verses 12-17 deal with capital crimes; verses 18-27 deal with scuffles where injuries were inflicted; and verses 28-36 are instructions dealing with criminal negligence.
God appreciates the sanctity of life. So, in verses 12-17 He prescribes punishment for crime where life had been taken wrongfully and death penalty warranted. Three crimes are mentioned based on the different aspects of the Ten Commandments. Verse 12 dealt with murder. It straightforwardly says, “He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.” Strict justice must be administered. A person who takes another person out in cold blood no longer deserves to live. That murderer must be put to death in an act of public justice. The instruction of God here does not violate the sixth commandment that says, “Thou shall not kill.” The better translation of the sixth commandment is, “Thou shall not commit murder.” God does not permit homicide. But He permits death as a form of execution for taking away the life of another wilfully. The death sentence is appropriate when one wilfully takes away the life of another. Right from the onset, God requires that we seriously account for the life of fellow men. In Genesis 9:5-6 God said, “…And from every man, from every man’s brother, I will require the life of man. ‘Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man.’” To attack another man is an attack against God because man is made in the image of God.
God is aware that sometimes accidents do happen. Sometimes, in the heat of an argument, someone may accidentally take the life of another. In such a time when a person is killed unintentionally, in an unpremeditated situation, God provided a way of escape. He would eventually appoint refuge cities where a person could go to seek shelter until his case could be heard. But the cities of refuge could not shield anyone who had committed a murder intentionally. If he is deemed to have willfully committed a murder, that person would still face a death sentence.
God wants parents to be honoured so He gave the fifth commandment in Exodus 20:12. He said, “Honour your father and your mother….” Hence anyone who “strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.” God would not even allow parents to be cursed by their children. Verse 17 clearly states, “He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.” This shows us how much God is for respecting parental authority. Hence parents’ authority ought not to be ignored and renounced. Thus, it behoves us to treat our parents kindly and rightly.
And the third capital offence, punishable by death sentence, was kidnapping. God wanted to ensure that His people do not exploit each other for personal gain. It states that “He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.” God would not allow free men to be sold into slavery against their will. This was demeaning to Him. Hence it was a crime punishable by death. The bottom line is this: God has a high view of life. It is He who has made every life and He wants us to uphold the sanctity of life. Praise God!
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