Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20120909.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Numbers: Lessons From Spiritual Casualties And Conquerors
Part LII: Aligning With God's Righteousness On The Issue Of Murder
(Numbers 35:9-34 with Romans 13:4)
    Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

    Though God in Genesis 9:6 KJV commanded that "(w)hoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed," many secular and religious groups today strongly oppose capital punishment:

    (1) The State of Connecticut earlier this year "abolished the death penalty . . . for future crimes committed on or after April 25," (Dave Collins, "Trial starts this week in death penalty suit," Rep.-Am., 9/3/2012, p. 1A). As a result, a lawsuit by "seven of the 11 men on the state's death row" began Wednesday, alleging "racial and geographic biases in how prosecutors seek the death penalty," and the inmates hope to "have their death sentences overturned" by this case (Ibid.)

    (2) If that occurs, there may be another startling development: Connecticut Governor Malloy, who openly opposes the death penalty, has established an "early release program" to let violent criminals like murderers out of prison early for earning "good behavior' credits." However, two men already released under the program have since then been arrested for subsequent murders. (montville-ct.patch.com/blog, "Coutu calls on Governor to suspend failed early release program," August 30, 2012) Thus, if these death row inmates win their case, it is possible that a man who was once sentenced to die by a jury trial may actually be released under "early release" and murder again!

    (3) Yet, even religious groups keep opposing the death penalty:

    (a) Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington, D. C., reflecting the position of the Church, said, "We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing. We cannot defend life by taking life.'" (usccb.org, "Catholic Bishops Launch Major Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty," March 21, 2005)

    (b) A web site asserting "A Christian Argument Against Capital Punishment" (christopherbaca.wordpress.com, 2/20/12) even takes the Apostle Paul's Romans 13:4 claim that the government does not bear the sword in vain to mean "[Paul's] purpose . . . was to affirm the Christian's responsibility to submit to whatever governing authority he is under except when a state no longer promotes proper Christian ideals. In this case [of capital punishment today], the governing authorities are no longer God's servant, and must not be submitted to by the disciple of Christ." (emphases ours)

    So, we ask, "Amid the ongoing, intense debate over murder and capital punishment, what is God's standard for us today?!"

    Need: "With the continual, strong debate over murder and capital punishment, what is God's standard of righteousness for us today?!"

  1. As we before learned, the cities of refuge God had Israel establish were meant for practicing GOD'S JUSTICE OPPOSITE MAN'S INJUSTICE in cases involving the TAKING of HUMAN LIFE:
    1. Many ancient Near Eastern pagans had long set up "specified shrines" where "criminals could seek safety, and could not be apprehended for their crimes," Zondervan Pictorial Ency. of the Bible , v. One, p. 869.
    2. In contrast, Israel's cities of refuge were set up to administer God's justice relative to the taking of human life: one who accidentally slew another was to stay safe in such a city from his victim's avenging kin while those guilty of murder were to be slain, Numbers 35:24-25, 30.
  2. Thus, Numbers 35:9-34 directed Israel HOW to administer God's justice in cases dealing with the taking of human life (as follows):
    1. God had Israel set aside six cities of refuge, three on each side of the geographically restrictive Jordan River, so anyone who slew another might have ready access to a haven from the victims' avenging next of kin until a fair trial determined his innocence or guilt, Num. 35:9-14.
    2. Protecting the rights of all men, these cities were to be as available for foreigners and transients as they were for Israel's people, Num. 35:15.
    3. Numbers 35:16-24 gave the rules for the jury to discern murder from manslaughter, Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, ftn. to Num. 35:16-32:
      1. If a party struck and killed another with an object in hand that was lethal, he was a murderer, and was to be executed, Num. 35:16-18.
      2. The victim's avenging next of kin, an agent of society in that era, was the party responsible to execute the guilty, Numbers 35:19.
      3. If anyone killed another with premeditation, he was a murderer, and had to be slain by the avenging next of kin, Numbers 35:20-21.
      4. Yet, if one killed another without hatred or premeditation, he was innocent and given shelter in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. He could then safely return home, Num. 35:22-25.
      5. If the manslayer ever left the city of refuge in his waiting period, the avenger could kill him and be guiltless, Numbers 35:26-28.
      6. These rules were to apply always and nationwide, Numbers 35:29.
      7. To convict a man of murder required two witnesses, Num. 35:30.
      8. If one was convicted of murder, no amount of ransom could buy his release from punishment: he had to die, Numbers 35:31.
      9. When a manslayer fled to a city of refuge, no amount of ransom could buy his liberty: a manslayer had to stay in the city of refuge for the rest of the life of the current high priest , Numbers 25:32.
  3. In GOD'S view, then, capital punishment is JUST, Num. 35:33-34:
    1. Capital punishment is just via a Sovereign Creator's righteousness:
      1. The reason for these rules for the cities of refuge was that murder "pollutes the land" in the Sovereign Creator God's view, and HE asserts that the only "cleansing' agent was the blood of the murderer himself," Num. 35:33; Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 257.
      2. As this Sovereign Creator God dwelt among Israel's people, HE would not tolerate its defilement by murder, Numbers 35:34.
      3. Thus, a Sovereign Creator's justice required that he who debased God's image in another by murdering him must have his own access to God's image removed by his execution, Genesis 9:6a,b!
    2. Capital punishment is just because of its Biblical context:
      1. Israel's cities of refuge were set up in contrast to the pagan shrines of refuge where criminals could avoid punishment, "I, A" above.
      2. Since today's world, acting like these pagan shrines that shield the guilty, often opposes capital punishment and lets murderers avoid death, capital punishment is just , for it punishes murderers!
  4. Some say the NEW Testament DIFFERS from the OLD Testament on capital punishment, BUT Romans 13:4 shows THEY AGREE:
    1. Romans 13:4 claims the king "beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God . . . to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil."
    2. The "sword" in this verse is a lethal weapon, so Romans 13:4 directs secular governments NOW to practice capital punishment.
  5. Some claim Romans 13:4 applies only if the government has Christian principles, but Rome did not have them: it crucified Jesus and promoted emperor worship (Ibid., Z. P. E. B., v. Two, p. 301), so even a godless government must now practice capital punishment.
Application: May we (1) trust in Christ to receive eternal life, John 1:11-12. (2) May we heed God regarding capital punishment, and (3) respect the image of God in man by never committing murder!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the message . . . )

 When I was a young teen, I was riding in the back seat of my Uncle's station wagon, my Dad was on the passenger side in the front, I was with some cousins and brothers in the back seat, and another, younger cousin was riding in the compartment at the back of the car.

My Uncle began to get irritated at this younger cousin's noisy chatter and rolling around in the back compartment, so he ordered him to "Settle down!" However, since my Uncle was a long ways away, the call for his son to settle down was soon ignored, and my cousin returned to rolling around and making noise in the back of the car.

Suddenly, my Uncle looked at me in the driver's mirror and said, "Don, reach back there and swat him!"

I was shocked! My Uncle had just told me to swat my cousin, something for which I would normally get severely punished! Yet, my Dad up front was neither saying nor doing anything to counter my Uncle's directive, so, I turned around, and gingerly swatted my cousin on the rump! It had to have been the lightest spanking he ever got!

However, my cousin gave me a horrified look that amounted to the words, "Don, I can't believe that you did that to me!"

I turned back and rode the rest of the way silently, wondering if I had done that which was right. After the trip ended, I rushed over to my Dad to ask him about my action, and he said, "Don, you did the right thing! Your Uncle told you to swat your cousin, so it was your Uncle who was punishing him through you. In fact, since you were the one who swatted him, it probably made a far greater impression!"

This event illustrates the righteousness of capital punishment. The State is an agent of God in administering it, so all arguments pro or con as to whether human beings in the State have the right to take the life of another in capital punishment totally disappears. Just as I could not be guilty of sin for swatting my cousin since I acted in behalf of my Uncle at his order, neither can the State be guilty of murder for exercising capital punishment in behalf of God at His Biblical order.



May we thus hold to GOD'S view on capital punishment out of reverence for GOD. May we also love our neighbor as ourselves like God commands that we never commit murder, a sin against GOD in that it demeans the IMAGE of GOD in man!