Page 5 - lesson22.vp

Lesson 22 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course 5

would be reduced to a minimum. A driver of a Specific Judgments
car would be as careful of the life of another’s
husband, wife, daughter and son as he would be Certain cases would be difficult to decide
of his own loved ones, for none would want to so judgments were rendered.
forfeit his freedom. 1. Notice Exodus 21:12-14.
2. What about if two men fight each other
Swiftness of Justice and one is injured and bedridden while the other
man is uninjured? Exodus 21:18-19.
It has been a fact of American history 3. What happens if a domestic animal
that when crime becomes intolerable the injures a man or woman? Exodus 21:28-31.
Anglo-Saxon mind unconsciously reverts to the COMMENT: This judgment can be
ancient Israelite laws of administration. This applied to the situation today where vicious dogs
was evident in the early days of the West, in the such as pit bulls attack and kill people. If this
organization of vigilante committees to deal judgment was in effect today you would see the
with crime. The SWIFTNESS with which ownership of vicious dogs drop dramatically!
justice was executed soon restored law and order 4. Notice what YEHOVAH’s judgment
to a troubled community. This SWIFTNESS OF is in the case of home invasion robberies that
JUSTICE was the method YEHOVAH God plague our nations today. Exodus 22:2.
initiated in the handling and punishment of the COMMENT: If the home invasion
criminal. robbery takes place during the day the thief can
1. How quick was YEHOVAH’s method redeem his blood and if he has nothing, then he
of justice? Read Ecclesiastes 8:11 and can be sold for stealing. These and sundry other
Deuteronomy 21:22-23. judgments were passed by YEHOVAH God to
COMMENT: Justice was administered guide us in the matter of administration.
SPEEDILY. The only instances where a person 5. Notice what happens if a murder has
was held for a time was when a matter was been committed and the perpetrator of the crime
difficult and the judgment had to be received is not detected. Deuteronomy 21:1-9.
from YEHOVAH God. The Law did not provide COMMENT: In such cases the CITY in
for imprisonment. which the crime was committed, or if in the
According to the Talmud (Tosefta, country the NEAREST CITY is to make atone-
Sanhedrin 7:1) capital cases during the time of ment. Here we have COMMUNITY GUILT
the Messiah were tried during the daytime, and established when the individual responsible for
the verdict had to be reached during the daytime. the crime is not detected and punished.
If there was a verdict of conviction, it had to be 6. We cannot leave this subject without
issued ON THE FOLLOWING DAY. Before referring to the New Testament. Notice what the
the sunset of the day following the verdict the Messiah said. Matthew 5:21-22.
murderer was dead. The man or woman who COMMENT: Yeshua made hatred of a
feels such swiftness of justice will not have a brother without cause the equivalent to murder.
law-abiding effect FAILS to understand human Thus the inward desire to destroy another is
nature. A man desires to live -- not die! MURDER in the sight of YEHOVAH God.
YEHOVAH knows this and therefore gave laws 7. Also notice what Revelation 21:8
and judgments which would DETER men from says.
committing crimes. COMMENT: Exclusion from the holy
2. What is the result of YEHOVAH’s city, which is symbolic of the World Tomorrow,
speedy form of justice? Deuteronomy 13: 11. is pronounced upon these people.

YEHOVAH’s Law and Our Neighbor