Murderous Heart
8 And if the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land that he promised to give to your fathers— 9 provided you are careful to keep all this commandment, which I command you today, by loving the Lord your God and by walking ever in his ways—then you shall add three other cities to these three, 10 lest innocent blood be shed in your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance, and so the guilt of bloodshed be upon you.
Passage
Deuteronomy 18 - Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed
Conditions
Everyone was a little slower out of bed today. It turned out to have snowed quite a bit during the night. But there were no civil wars on the way to the table.
Time
A little pressed. 10-15 minutes was all we had, but it was also enough.
Teaching
We discussed the Lord’s concern for the intentions of the heart. When He provides the cities of refuge for a manslayer he shows that sin is not mere actions, but our sinful actions are the fruit of sin in the heart. This is why Jesus refers people to the heart behind murder in the sermon on the mount. It is a good moment to notice that God’s laws are good and just.
However, in the case of a truly murderous heart (hating his neighbour, lying in wait) the judgement must fall. We lingered over the wider purpose of capital punishment here - the purging of evil for the public good. This challenges the assumption in our time that retribution and deterrence ought not to factor into our pursuit of justice.
At this point one of the children recalled a sad story of a fire starter burning down the corner of a block in a town outside Toronto. The fire was lit in front of a vintage comic and toy store that had been there for decades. The glaring problem? This person was known to the police, and had started a fire just prior to this one. I believe he was incarcerated for 11 months. These crimes ought to be punished in proportion to their impact, in other words: justly. ‘That it may be well with you.’
Song
The Doxology.