See how God Himself guards against hastily taking the life of one who is responsible for the death of another. Prosecutors must be able to prove that hate was present, and that the attacker deliberately planned to strike his neighbor down.

In this passage it appears as though the “avenger of blood” – a relative of the deceased – has the right to take matters into his own hands. However, that’s not the case, as the first part of the text indicates. A judgment has to be rendered by proper authorities, and only after careful deliberation and consideration of the facts.

However, when the death penalty is appropriate, it must be applied without hesitation or pity. It may grieve us to have to put a murderer to death, but the wellbeing of the community is at stake in magistrates acting swiftly and appropriately against all murder.

T. M. Moore

The Law of God is the soil which, fertilized by the rest of God’s Word and watered by His Spirit, brings forth the fruit of Christian life. If you’d like to understand this process better, and how to make best use of the Law in your walk with and work for the Lord, order the book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, from our online store.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.