DCLM Daily Manna Sunday 19 March 2023
TOPIC: Divine Justice
Text: Deuteronomy 19:11-21 (KJV)
11 But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:
12 Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
13 Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.
14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it.
15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
16 If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;
17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days;
18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother;
19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.
20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.
21 And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
KEY VERSE
“Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.
(Deuteronomy 19:13)
DCLM Daily Manna Sunday 19 March 2023 MESSAGE
In European history, there was this theory of monarchical absolutism which gave kings their authority which they claimed was derived from God. These rulers said no one could question their actions the same way no one could challenge the King of heaven. But liberal theorists disagreed, arguing that only theocratic states could make such assertions.
Biblical Israel was such a nation governed by God. Although the children of Israel had kings and leaders, they were directly chosen by God Himself through His faithful prophets. Regularly, He gave them laws to reflect His own infallible sense of justice and to preserve for them a unique people. In this chapter, as the children of Israel got close to the Promised Land, the Lord issued laws to guide their interpersonal relationships and conduct among the heathen in the land they were going to inherit. This was to distinguish them from the heathen.
God warned them not to condone wilful murder. They must not change their neighbour’s landmarks that bore the imprimatur of approved tradition and history. They must not give final rulings on allegations about offences unless they were proved by not less than two witnesses. Where a false witness was discovered, he would bear the punishment he planned for the accused. The Lord said all these regulations were designed to put “the evil away from among you”.
This same pursuit of justice should be the preoccupation of leaders. At home, in public places, in the church, in politics, in business and in every human institution, using the law to achieve equity for all, especially the vulnerable, should be our watchword. The reign of evil worldwide is the result of the absence of justice, equity and fairness as commanded by God.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: We can put away evil from the world if we follow God’s system of justice.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Numbers 33-34
