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E-pistle

                                         Dr. Curt Scarborough, President       FreeWay Foundation             July 27, 2007

Murder And The Death Penalty

(Numbers 35:1-34)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I.  Concentration:  on the contents of this chapter

        1.   The Lord, through Moses, gave instructions about the 48 cities in

      Canaan which were to be given to the Levites, including the

      common land surrounding the walls of those cities; six of these 48

      Levite cities were to be designated as "cities of refuge," vv. 1-8.

The other verses of Numbers 35 regulate the function of the cities of

refuge, and include specific regulations about the distinction between

murder and manslaughter, and the punishment to be meted out to

those found guilty, vv. 9-34.

II.  Meditation:  on the regulations concerning homicide

An individual who killed another person was entitled to a trial to

determine whether it was murder or accidental death, v. 11.

2.      The accused person was allowed to take asylum from retaliation

by a victim's family until a trial was held, v.12.

3.      The "congregation" (probably appointed representatives from

among the Israelites who formed a "jury") were the official legal

authority to decide the case.

4.      "Murder" was defined by these specific examples:

(1)     Striking and killing a person with an iron implement, v. 16.
(2)     Striking and killing a person with a stone in the hand, v. 17.
(3)     Striking and killing a person with a wooden club, v. 18.
(4)     "Hate" crimes, including pushing, ambushing, throwing or

shooting a weapon, or striking with bare hands, which

caused a personal death, vv. 20-21.

5.      "Manslaughter" was defined by these specific examples:

(1)     Pushing someone to his death without enmity (malice, hatred,

or hostility), v. 22.

(2)     Throwing a weapon without premeditation, v. 22.

(3)     Throwing a stone which accidentally killed someone, v. 23.

6.      The accused killer remained in "protective custody" in a city of refuge;

he was taken to the place where the crime had been committed for trial;

and he was returned to the city of refuge if the verdict rendered was

manslaughter, vv. 24-25. 

7.      The "avenger of blood" was the official, legal executioner chosen by

and from the family of the victim to kill the person convicted of murder

(or to execute the person convicted of manslaughter if that person left

the sanctuary of the city of refuge), vv. 19, 25-28.

8.      The death sentence for murder only could be pronounced upon the

testimony of at least two eye-witnesses; one witness was not considered

sufficient for the death penalty, v. 20.

9.      Ransom money was inadequate payment for the death of a person; neither

a murderer nor a manslayer could "buy off" his sentence, vv. 31-32.

        10.  The length of "jail time' the person convicted of manslaughter spent in a

               city of refuge was in God's hands . . . determined by the length of life of the

               High Priest, vv. 28, 33-34.

               Death had to be atoned for by death; the High Priest's death apparently was

               a substitutionary atonement for the life of the manslayer.

III.  Revelation and Applications:

A land (or a nation) can be polluted (spiritually defiled) by all the killings of

human beings which are not appropriately prosecuted and justly punished,

vv. 33-34.

2.      The death penalty for murder (both premeditated killings and those committed

in angry passion) is the one and only penalty which fits the seriousness of the

crime, which emphasized properly the value society places upon a human life

. . . the life of the victim.

3.      Justice in a murder case is more than merely a legal mater of concern to the

state; it is a spiritual matter, and the laws of God should and must take

precedence.

4.      No"loop-holes" exist in God's righteous system of justice; guilty persons must

receive their proper sentence and endure their just penalty . . . no paying of a

"fine" to be released, and no being "paroled" earlier than serving the full term

of their sentence.

Jonah Preaches God's Message

(Jonah 3:1-10)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I.  Concentration:  on the events of this chapter

        1.   Jonah's call from the Lord to preach to Nineveh was issued a

      second time, vv. 1-2.

Jonah obeyed, entered Nineveh, and began to preach:

"Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown," vv. 3-4.

3.      The people of Nineveh believed God and proclaimed a fast; the

king issued a proclamation calling the nation to repentance, vv. 5-9.

4.      God saw their repentance and withheld His judgment from falling

upon them, v. 10.

II.  Meditation:  on how God deals with sinful mankind

God sends His messenger to preach a message of coming judgment

because of sin and to call for repentance.

2.      The people hear the message and believe that it is a true message from

God and that HE WILL DO WHAT HE SAYS.

3.      The people repent in godly sorrow and turn from their wicked practices

. . . in this case, the particular sin most prevalent in Assyria was "violence,"

v. 8.

        4.  God sees the sincere repentance of their hearts, and in mercy He forgives,

             rather than administering the just punishment which is deserved.

III.  Revelation:  on the spiritual implications seen here

Before the Lord punishes sin, He gives warnings.
The proper response of faith . . . believing that there is a God and that what

He says, HE WILL DO.

3.      Repentance . . . a change of the mind which results in a change of the heart

and of the conduct . . . is the necessary companion of faith.

              Repentance is turning FROM sin; faith is turning TOWARD God.

4.      When God sees true repentance and sincere faith in a person, He extends

mercy (taking away the deserved penalty of a guilty sinner) and grace

(giving the undeserved blessing of forgiveness and cleansing).

IV.  Applications:  as a Christian, I need to . . .

Listen to the Holy Spirit, Who convicts me of my sins.
Live and walk daily by faith in the Living God.
Remain in a constant state of repentance, confessing and forsaking my

sins as soon as the Holy Spirit convicts me.

4.      Receive with praise and thanksgiving God's twin gifts of mercy and grace,

extended to me through His Son, Jesus Christ.

"A son returns from borrowing the car and tells his father "There's trouble with the car,

it has water in the carburetor."  His father says, "Water in the carburetor?  That's

ridiculous."  "I'm telling you, Dad, the car has water in the carburetor."  The father

says, "You don't even know what a carburetor is.  I'll check it out.  Where's the car?"

The son says, "In the pool!"  Copied from the St. Louis Fax Daily

I thought a "little" joke might brighten your day!

       

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