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CRIMES AND THEIR PUNISHMENT
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21
Deuteronomy 19:1-14

Philippians 4:8-9

 

“Those things, which ye have both
learned, and received, and heard,

and seen in me, do…”

 

CRIMES AND THEIR PUNISHMENT
 
Common crimes have to be dealt with so that people may live in peace. Murder is a common crime today as it was in the old days. Deuteronomy 19:1-14 gives provision for those who may be guilty of manslaughter by setting aside cities of refuge so that the actions of these people may be judged justly. The witnesses in any case must be reliable and must be more than one. Punishment for the crime of shedding innocent blood is also given. Law and order are necessary in the new land.
 
One of the administrative requirements in the new land was the assigning of each tribe their settlement with clearly demarcated boundaries. The existing cities in the land that fell within a tribe’s boundaries would be given to that tribe. On the western side of Jordan, Moses commanded that they set aside three cities of refuge. The land was thus sub-divided into three portions with the jurisdiction of each area linked to a particular city of refuge.
 
The main purpose of these cities of refuge was to secure the lives of people who might be guilty of manslaughter (i.e. killing without intention). Such a person could flee to any of these cities and the elders of the city would secure his life until his guilt or innocence was proven. The implementation of this scheme fell to Joshua who succeeded Moses as the leader of Israel. Moses knew that he was not going to cross River Jordan with Israel into the land of Canaan, but he had the responsibility of putting in order the governing of the new land. God did not give them instructions for every detail in their administrative work, but when the need arose directions would be given.
 
We recall that in Exodus 18, Jethro (Moses’ father-in-law) helped Moses to set up an easy administrative system. That did not come from Jethro per se, but it was from God Himself. Moses saw the sense and embraced it.
 
THOUGHT: Common sense is always acceptable before God.

PRAYER: Father, grant me wisdom in time of need.

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