Exodus chapter 21 continues elaborating on the laws concerning personal injury. It is easy to see the source of the laws governing our country. Verse 12 begins, “Anyone who strikes a man and kills him shall surely be put to death. However if he does not do it intentionally… he is to flee to a place I will designate. But if a man schemes and kills another man deliberately take him away from My alter and put him to death.” Notice God distinguishes between manslaughter and premeditated murder. God will later set up cities of refuge where the accused will be protected until the case is heard. But the first-degree murderer has no protection even at the alter of the temple. In Numbers chapter 35, God explains that not punishing a murderer defiles the whole nation; “Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death. . . So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.” Being pro-life, according to God, is to protect the life of the innocent; there is no such protection for those guilty of murder.
Verse 13 reads, “Anyone who strikes his father or mother must be put to death. And he who kidnaps a man… shall surely be put to death. Anyone that curses his father or mother must be put to death“. Wow and we think “time out” is appropriate! It is clear that the requirement to respect the father and mother has slipped a bit in recent years. Why are the punishments so severe? Perhaps because God understands any child that would attempt to kill his parents would attempt to kill anyone. There seems to be a general lack of respect for life among young people today. And why not? They have been raised in a nation where abortion is birth control, euthanizing the old or sick is a good thing and murderers go unpunished. Parents, if you don’t teach your babies respect, don’t be surprised if your teens don’t act respectfully. That is why Proverbs 19:18 tells us, “Discipline your son while there is hope, and do not desire his death“. Proverbs 13:24 goes even further, “He who spares the rod hates his son; but he who loves him disciplines him diligently“. Loving discipline implies consistency. Regular gentle discipline, rather than sudden and severe punishment.
Why is it so important that a child honor his father and mother? Because a child must first learn submission to his earthly father before he will submit to his Heavenly Father. Proverbs 3:11-12 reminds us, “My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord, or loathe his reproof. For whom the Lord loves, He reproves, even as a father, the son in whom he delights“. You are a DELIGHT to God! Hebrews 12:7 reminds us, “God deals with you as with sons, for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? We had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; how much more shall we be subject to the Father of Spirits and live?” Spiritually, leading our children to honor God is a life or death decision. But praise God if you are being disciplined, because, “He disciplines us for our own good, that we may share in His holiness” (Hebrews 12:10). May you share in His holiness today.