Saturday, May 30, 2009

Head knowledge vs heart Knowledge: Truth or fiction?

Growing up in the church I have often heard of this distinction. We are warned about the problems of head knowledge and exhorted to let our head knowledge become heart knowledge. Some have explained it saying that our problems are often a matter of eighteen inches; the distance between our head and our heart. Growing up with this concept I have accepted it as true, but recently I have been having some doubts as to the reality of such a distinction. Is such a distinction a biblical distinction and, if so, how does one move from head knowledge to heart knowledge? Is such a distinction a distinction in reality or a construction of human imagination?

It appears to me that God often uses the mind and the heart interchangeably, often making little distinction between them. For example, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV) Solomon ascribes reasoning and thinking as a faculty of the heart. Jesus also spoke of the heart's as a seat of thought, "But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart." (Like 9:47) Conversely, the mind is describes as having some of the same frailties and iniquities as the heart. "Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind , rejected in regard to the faith." (2 Timothy 3:8) and "To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled." (Titus 1:15) Depravity, unbelief, and defilement are traits we often attribute to the heart but which the Bible also attributes to the mind.

These scriptures, and others, have lead me to conclude that there is no biblical difference between head knowledge and heart knowledge. That being said, it is clear from observation that there is some distinction between different kinds of knowledge. For example, in schools where the scriptures are taught as literature, the students have knowledge of the Word of God but few have any of the power of the Word they have learned. Even the devil has knowledge of God and yet he is eternally damned. Simple knowledge is not enough, so what is the difference between knowledge and knowledge that can change and save us? What does the Bible have to say about this distinction and what is the biblical remedy? The biblical distinction is found in the Book of Hebrews.
"Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. For we who have believed enter that rest." (Hebrews 4:1-3)
The biblical distinction between the different kinds of knowledge is knowledge alone and knowledge with faith. There are many who have a knowledge of the existence of God, and many who even have a knowledge of His word, yet without faith such knowledge is powerless to save us, change us, and lead us in the ways of God. It is one thing to know that Jesus died for us, but it is another to mix that knowledge with faith. So how does one move from knowledge to knowledge with faith? Paul goes on to give us the answer.
"And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief." (Hebrews 3:18-19)
Paul directly links unbelief and disobedience. Knowledge without faith is knowledge without obedience. Jesus warned the Pharisees about the necessity of obedience to the understanding of knowledge. "But when Jesus heard this, He said, 'It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: "I desire compassion, and not sacrifice," for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'" (Matthew 9:12-13) The Pharisees had knowledge but their disobedience kept them from true understanding of that knowledge; they had knowledge but not knowledge mixed with faith. Jesus told them that true knowledge and understanding was learned through obedience, not mere learning. He instructed them to "go and learn" the meaning of knowledge.

The truth is that often obedience precedes knowledge and without that obedience we often forfeit the power of the knowledge we seek. Consider what Isaiah prophesied, "A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks that way, and fools will not wander on it. And the ransomed of the Lord will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away." (Isaiah 35:8, 10) The scripture can equally be translated, "they will overtake gladness and joy." Joy and gladness are in the way of obedience and by walking in obedience we will overtake gladness and joy. Obedience first, joy and gladness second. Paul also taught this, "and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed." (Hebrews 12:13) Notice the order, obedience then healing.

While the Bible does not make a distinction between head and heart knowledge, it does distinguish between knowledge with and without faith. Let us determine not to be unbelieving in our knowledge but, through obedience to the truth, let us mix our knowledge with faith.

David Robison

, , , , , ,

Powered by ScribeFire.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Diplomacy, War, and Victory: Dt 20:10-18

"When you approach a city to fight against it, you shall offer it terms of peace. If it agrees to make peace with you and opens to you, then all the people who are found in it shall become your forced labor and shall serve you. However, if it does not make peace with you, but makes war against you, then you shall besiege it. When the Lord your God gives it into your hand, you shall strike all the men in it with the edge of the sword. Only the women and the children and the animals and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall take as booty for yourself; and you shall use the spoil of your enemies which the Lord your God has given you. Thus you shall do to all the cities that are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations nearby. Only in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes. But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God." (Deuteronomy 20:10-18)
This passage gives us several principles relating to the execution of a war.

Diplomacy before war: Conflicts are bound to arise between nations, but the first response should never be war but rather diplomacy. The nation of Israel was to first offer terms of peace to those nations that stood before them. This was an attempt to achieve a negotiated peace and to avoid the blood shed of war. This principle is consistent with God's dealings with mankind. When God was ready to judge the city of Nineveh He first sent a prophet to warn them of their sins, proclaim God's impending judgment, and call them to repentance. The Ninevites repented in dust and ashes and God also repented of the harm He had purposed on Nineveh. "When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it." (Jonah 3:10) Diplomacy should come first, but if diplomacy fails, then war may be the only option.

A measured response: Israel's ferociousness in battle was determined by the degree to which her opponent posed a threat to her way of life. For remote nations, God allowed them to keep the women, children, animals, and spoils or war, but for the nations that made up the land they went to possess, they were to destroy everything in which was the breath of life. Their response in war was a measured response based on the specific dangers posed by their enemies. In this case, remote nations posed a reduced threat to the nation of Israel while the nations of the land of Canaan posed a direct and immediate threat. "So that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God." (Deuteronomy 20:18) In war, our response should be measured and appropriate to the perceived threat.

Peace through victory: The goal of war is victory. Israel was to pursue here enemies until they were either destroyed or were subjugated to their control. "Then all the people who are found in it shall become your forced labor and shall serve you." (Deuteronomy 20:11) Sometimes peace is only achieve through victory. For over four thousand years there has been waring in the middle east between the Jews and the decedents of Ishmael. While much effort has been exerted to achieve a negotiated peace, I wonder if peace will only come to that region through victory; one side reigning victorious over the other. In victory there is a winner and a looser, a dictator and a dictated, an imposer and an acceptor and so it should be. We should not fear victory nor stop short of its full realization for, without victory, peace is unsure.

David Robison

, , , , , ,

Powered by ScribeFire.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Calling out the militia (Part 2): Dt 20:5-9

"The officers also shall speak to the people, saying, 'Who is the man that has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would dedicate it. Who is the man that has planted a vineyard and has not begun to use its fruit? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would begin to use its fruit. And who is the man that is engaged to a woman and has not married her? Let him depart and return to his house, otherwise he might die in the battle and another man would marry her.' Then the officers shall speak further to the people and say, 'Who is the man that is afraid and fainthearted? Let him depart and return to his house, so that he might not make his brothers' hearts melt like his heart.' When the officers have finished speaking to the people, they shall appoint commanders of armies at the head of the people." (Deuteronomy 20:5-9)
Militia participation should be voluntary. This scripture presents two key exemptions from military service. First, those for whom service would present a significant hardship were to be excused. This would include those who recently moved to a new home, those who's job and livelihood would be disproportionately adversely affected, and those who had recent status changes within the nuclear family. These were to tend to the pressing issues of life before engaging in military service. The second exemption was for the fearful. Many are the terrors of war. All entering into battle must be ready and willing to die for the cause for which they fight. Courage and bravery are required in military service and, especially in a militia, panic and disorder birthed out of fear can endanger many warriors and can place victory at risk. For these reasons, the fearful were to be sent home and the brave into battle.

Leadership within the militia should be appointed not elected. Discipline and order are essential in military ranks and campaigns. The appointment of qualified and tested leaders contributes much to the discipline and order amongst the troupes. In the Revolutionary and Civil wars in our country, they at time allowed the men of a military unit to elect their own leader. Unfortunately, the men would elect leaders who would indulge their undisciplined lifestyle and cater their particular wants. While this was done in hopes of cajoling people to volunteer for service, the end result was a group of undisciplined and unprepared men unfit for military service.

David Robison

, , , , ,

Powered by ScribeFire.

Monday, May 25, 2009

Calling out the militia (Part 1): Dt 20:1-4

"When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you. When you are approaching the battle, the priest shall come near and speak to the people. He shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, you are approaching the battle against your enemies today. Do not be fainthearted. Do not be afraid, or panic, or tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.'" (Deuteronomy 20:1-4)
While a biblical case can be made for a separation between the church and state, God never intended there to be a separation between God and state. In the formation of a militia there were two groups of people who were to address those assembled, the priests and the officers of the people. While the priests job was not the establishment of an official religion among the ranks, they were to inspire, encourage, and exhort the people as to the morality of their fight and to direct their faith to the God who would give them victory and success.

When calling out the militia for battle it is important that the objectives, purposes, and, most importantly, the morality of the war to have been clearly established. Before engaging in battle, it is important that the moral narrative for the reasons and objective of the war to have been communicated and understood by the nation as a whole and by those who would fight in particular. We should never expect people to fight in a war that is for the mere purpose of personal aggrandizement or empire building, the moral foundations for the war must be clearly identified and spelled out.

This is not to say that just because we can construe a moral explanation for our chosen war that our battle is in fact moral. This was made abundantly clear during our Civil War when both sides believed that they had a moral imperative for engaging in war with their brothers. It is obvious that one side (or both sides) failed to comprehend the full morality of their actions. However, what I am saying is that, right or wrong, before sending men (and/or women) into battle, we must understand what it is we are fighting for. If a clear moral imperative for war cannot be given, or concurred by the people, then perhaps other actions short of war should be taken.

The role of the church in war is more than a co-opting of the church by the state but is rather a co-opting of the hearts of the people by God. During the Civil War, in the winter of 1864 to 1865, revival broke out amongst the ranks of the confederate army. It is reported that 15,000 confederate troupes were saved and gave their hearts to the Lord that winter, many who would die in the upcoming battles that spring. It was not the state that was using the ministers and revivalists who traveled with the troupes, it was God who was using them to secure the hearts and soles of the people for His eternal kingdom.

David Robison

, , , , ,

Powered by ScribeFire.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Do not pity in Judgment (Part 2): Dt 19:21

"Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." (Deuteronomy 19:21)
In the previous post we looked at one purpose of punishment, here are three more.

Purging evil: Throughout the Book of Deuteronomy we read this phrase: "Thus you shall purge the evil from among you." (Deuteronomy 19:19) Some offenses can be settled by fines and other forms of restoration. However, for some crimes -especially violent crimes - and for habitual offenders, there is a need to remove the offender from society. This can be done via incarceration, exile, or even execution. The goal is to remove the violent or habitual offender so they can no longer harm or hurt others within society. This purpose of punishment is to provide for the safety of society as a whole.

Restitution: For some crimes, the purpose of punishment is to restore what was taken or to compensate for a wrong inflicted on another. For example, consider the following rules for punishing thieves. "If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he shall pay five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep. If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguiltiness on his account. But if the sun has risen on him, there will be bloodguiltiness on his account. He shall surely make restitution; if he owns nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. If what he stole is actually found alive in his possession, whether an ox or a donkey or a sheep, he shall pay double." (Exodus 22:1-4) As part of the restitution, there is a punitive amount that is added to the sum and the restitution is paid to the one who was wronged. In my country, most crimes are punished with incarceration, including some non-violent crimes. However, for some crimes restitution, and a punitive fine, paid to the victim can better provide for justice then just locking up the criminal.

Deterrence: In several places we read this statement, "Then all Israel will hear and be afraid." (Deuteronomy 13:11) Another purpose of punishment is to be a deterrent for others who might consider committing the same offence. We have looked at punishment as a deterrent in a previous post. Suffice it to say, punishment is not just for the punishing of the one who committed the crime but also acts as a warning for the rest of society; to warn them of the consequences of committing criminal acts.

David Robison

, , , , , ,

Powered by ScribeFire.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Do not pity in Judgment (Part 1): Dt 19:21

"Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." (Deuteronomy 19:21)
Judgment for offenses was to be judgment in kind; a hand for a hand, an eye for an eye. One of the primary requirements of a judicial system in its dispensation of justice is that judgment must be without pity. This is not to say that the judicial process is to be harsh and without compassion, mercy, and dignity. Rather that judgment must not be set aside for the purpose of assuaging our feelings of the reality of judgment. The Hebrew word used here for "Pity" is the same word God uses when He speaks of his sparing Nineveh of her impending destruction. "Then said the Lord, 'Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night: and should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?'" (Jonah 4:10-11 KJV)

In my country, all too often the defense of the guilty includes a graphic description of the pitiful conditions and circumstances that lead to their life of crime. We are treated to a recitation of their terrible family life, the abuse they experienced as they grew up, and the deplorable economic situation in which they live. While these things are horrible and, it is certain, serve to shape a person's life and character, we must never let our feelings of pity for ones life and condition dissuade us of the necessity of justice and judgment. Justice must be with dignity, but it must not be denied because of our feelings of pity.

The scripture outlines a few of the manifold purposes and necessities of Judgment.

Social guiltiness: When an offense is committed there is a measure of guilt that is imputed to the society as a whole. We saw this in the previous scriptures that spoke about bloodguiltiness and the need for a nation to cleanse itself from innocent blood. This principle is also illustrated in other places within the scriptures as well. For example, when preparing for the battle of Jericho, God warned the people to completely destroy everything within the city. However, Achan took and hid some of the treasure that God had commanded to be destroyed. Later, when Joshuah sent men to fight against Ai, they were soundly defeated. Josuah prayed and asked God why they had been defeated. God replied that it was because of the contraband that had been taken from Jericho. "Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things. Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed." (Joshuah 7:11-12) The next day a search was made and the contraband was found and Achan confessed. Joshuah and the Israelites executed judgment on Achen and God's wrath against the nation was appeased. "And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. They raised over him a great heap of stones that stands to this day, and the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger." (Joshuah 7:25-26) One purpose of punishment is to cleans a nation of its collective guilt for the evils committed in her land. By punishing the guilty, judgment is satisfied and her guilt cleansed.

More to come... David Robison

, , ,

Powered by ScribeFire.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Witnesses and Perjury: Dt 19:15-20

"A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed. If a malicious witness rises up against a man to accuse him of wrongdoing, then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days. The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you. The rest will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing among you." (Deuteronomy 19:15-20)
This scripture defines three principles relating to witnesses in judicial cases.

Error on the side of the Innocent: While we would like to believe that everyone appearing before the court would discharge their civic duty with fidelity and honor, this is not always the case. We may have originally been made in the image of God, but now it is at best a fallen image. The heart of man is corrupt and wickedness exists in the depths of all of us. For this reason, God instituted safeguards in the laws of justice to protect the innocent. While some might contend that such safeguards may, at times, frustrate justice against the guilty, the principle contained in these safeguards is that it is better to error on the side of the innocent than on the side of the guilty. In other words, it is better that a few guilty should go free than a few innocent be condemned to judgment. Good government will always provide safeguards to protect the innocent from malicious witnesses and abuses of power in the investigation and prosecution of alleged crimes.

Confronting your accusers: God provided for the right of all accused to confront their accusers face-to-face before a court of law. Every accused has the right to defend their case and to examine their accusers before those who are to pass judgment. Solomon understood the importance of cross examining a witness when he said, "The first to plead his case seems right, until another comes and examines him." (Proverbs 18:17)

Punishment for Perjury: The punishment for perjury was punishment in kind. The malicious witness was to receive the punishment they sought to inflict upon the innocent. If they lied about a theft, then they were to receive the punishment of a thief. If they lied about a murder, then they were to receive the punishment of a murder. This was not only to provide justice for the falsely accused but also provide a deterrent to others who would consider a similar act of perjury. If a witness understood that they could face the same judgment that their testimony could bring upon the accused, they might be more likely to refrain from false accusations and to simply tell the truth.

David Robison

, , , , ,

Powered by ScribeFire.

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Real Estate and Inheritance: Dt 19:14

"You shall not move your neighbor's boundary mark, which the ancestors have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the Lord your God gives you to possess." (Deuteronomy 19:14)
God validates man's right to own property in perpetuity and to pass that property onto their heirs. Government has a role to protect and safeguard personal property through the enactment of laws and policies, the execution and enforcement of those laws and policies, and the prosecution and punishment of transgressions against those laws and policies.

As for the right of inheritance, "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, and the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous." (Proverbs 13:22) I believe that it is immoral and contrary to the principals of good government for governments to impose inheritance taxes on personal property. A good man stores up an inheritance for his children and it is not right that the government should seek to take that away and impound it for their own uses.

David Robison

, , , , ,

Powered by ScribeFire.

Sunday, May 03, 2009

Bloodguiltiness: Dt 19:11-13

"But if there is a man who hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and rises up against him and strikes him so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities, then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die. You shall not pity him, but you shall purge the blood of the innocent from Israel, that it may go well with you." (Deuteronomy 19:11-13)
God takes seriously bloodguiltiness. God holds accountable the land upon which innocent blood is shed. The shedding of innocent blood pollutes the land and it is a defilement and a stain that cannot, and must not, be ignored. When bloodguiltiness is not dealt with, it brings down the judgment of God, not just upon the one who shed the blood, but also upon the land that did nothing to expiate its bloodguiltiness.
"If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death at the evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. Moreover, you shall not take ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death. You shall not take ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to live in the land before the death of the priest. So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it." (Numbers 35:30-33)

"The Lord sent against him bands of Chaldeans, bands of Arameans, bands of Moabites, and bands of Ammonites. So He sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken through His servants the prophets. Surely at the command of the Lord it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and the Lord would not forgive." (2 Kings 24:2-4)
When innocent blood is shed, it is the role of the government to execute justice and avenge the innocence of the blood that was shed. For nations that refuse to cleanse their land of innocent blood, the judgment of God is inevitable. The only remedy for innocent blood is the blood of the guilty.
"Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man." (Genesis 9:3-6)
God's word is very clear, life for life, blood for blood. The biblical penalty for murder is death. In capital punishment, justice is secured and the bloodguiltiness of the land is appeased. For some, this sentence of death may seem severely harsh, but God warns us to "not pity" the murderer. While the sentence of death is not something to be handed down lightly, for those who shed innocent blood, there is no other option before God. Justice demands it as does the innocent blood that has been poured out upon the land.

David Robison

, , , ,

Powered by ScribeFire.

Cities of Refuge: Dt 19:1-2

"When the Lord your God cuts off the nations, whose land the Lord your God gives you, and you dispossess them and settle in their cities and in their houses, you shall set aside three cities for yourself in the midst of your land, which the Lord your God gives you to possess." (Deuteronomy 19:1-2)
There are three principles pertaining to good government that we can draw from the laws pertaining to the cities of refuge. The first principle is the importance of the rule of law. God intended that the nation of Israel be a nation ruled by laws rather than a nation ruled by vigilantism. "Otherwise the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in the heat of his anger, and overtake him, because the way is long, and take his life, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously." (Deuteronomy 19:6) God established for Israel a complete system of laws, judges, and courts. It was never His intent that people should take the law into their own hands. Vigilantism is the result of a weak or inaccessible government that is inconsistent with good government.

The second principle is Government's role to protect innocence. "Now this is the case of the manslayer who may flee there and live: when he kills his friend unintentionally, not hating him previously -- as when a man goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the handle and strikes his friend so that he dies -- he may flee to one of these cities and live." (Deuteronomy 19:4-5) Government not only has a responsibility to punish the guilty but also to protect the innocent. It is the necessity of good government to provide the means for the protection of the innocent. This can take various forms; for the nation of Israel it included three cities where the innocent could seek refuge and sanctuary. However, whatever the form, it was important that these means were accessible to the innocent. "because the way is long" (Deuteronomy 19:6) Justice that is out of reach of the innocent is justice denied.

The final principle is that, when government fails to provide for the protection of innocence, then government is at fault. "So innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, and bloodguiltiness be on you." (Deuteronomy 19:10) Should government fail to provide for the protection of innocence, then the blood of the innocent is required of the government, not from the "avenger of blood". I find it curious that God does not impute sin to the avenger of blood but rather applies it to the government that failed to provide the means for the protection of innocence. Even in the case where the innocent failed to take hold of the protections afforded him, the avenger of blood was still not held guilty. "But if the manslayer at any time goes beyond the border of his city of refuge to which he may flee, and the blood avenger finds him outside the border of his city of refuge , and the blood avenger kills the manslayer, he will not be guilty of blood because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest." (Numbers 35:26-28) In my country this is not the case, the blood avenger would be held guilty, at least on some level, for taking the law into their own hands. However, these scriptures make me think that perhaps some exception should be made for blood avengers in the cases where the government system failed either to protect the innocent or to condemn the guilty.

David Robison

, , , , , , ,

Powered by ScribeFire.