TEXT:

DEUTERONOMY 19:11-21.

🔑KEY VERSE* *"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: 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" (DEUTERONOMY 19:11, 12).*

The twin sins of hatred and dishonesty constitute high percentage of evil befalling the world today. While hatred is responsible for huge death records, dishonesty accounts for collateral damage to individuals, organisations and states. Considering the destruction of lives and properties that hatred has caused in one of the countries in Africa, the parliament of that country, in 2018, proposed a hate speech bill with death penalty for its offenders. This was done to reduce the menace of hatred in that country. Hatred is dangerous!

In our text, God reveals murder as a product of hatred and prescribes death as penalty. Although God instructed Israel to separate some cities for refuge into which slayers were permitted to flee, willful murderers were precluded from that privilege. Also, removal of another person's landmark in order to make fraudulent gain was forbidden. Such an act was a product of dishonesty. Bearing false witness was also forbidden.

To this extent, God required that every accusation be thoroughly investigated before an accused person could be condemned. Where an accusation was found to be baseless and malicious, however, God demanded that the false accuser be punished. In fact, He demanded that the punishment that should have been meted to the accused would be passed on to the false witness.

Murder, from God's perspective, is not restricted to physical killings: "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him" (1 John 3:15). We should endeavour to have genuine love for others. We must not allow the pains of offence to drag on in us as that will lead to hatred. We are instructed to love our enemies, bless those that curse us and pray for them that despitefully use and persecute us (Matthew 5:44).

*MEDITATION*

*MURDER-HATRED AND ITS IMPLICATIONS*

*1. Murder in the Old Testament - Judicial perspective*

a. Premeditated murder, including abortion, deserves a capital punishment, vv11,12.

b. Intentional but not premeditated murder. This is also a murder that attracts capital punishment, Exodus 20:13.

d. Accidental murders need not attract capital punishment if the murderer can run to the city of refuge, vv4,5.

e. Murders that are not motivated by hatred may not attract capital punishment, v11. An example is when that is the only way to save the life of another person like the pregnant mother.

f. Concealing helpful information or having a nonchalant attitude towards prosecuting a murder suspect is sin, vv12,13.

g. There must be convincing evidence before any is convicted, v15.

*2. Murder in the New Testament - spiritual perspective*

a. Hatred and unimplemented evil intentions against a neighbour, I John 3:15.

b. Hate speech, inciting messages at rallies, calling out for mob actions and Character assassination, Psalm 15:3.

c. "Snuffing out" the spiritual life of someone through false teachings and prophecies, evil counsellings, temptations or casting a stumbling block before a saint, Matthew 18:6, 5:32. It is tantamount to taking "the righteousness of the righteous from him" through deceit, subtility, force etc. Isaiah 5:23.

d. Observe that all those guilty of spiritual murder cannot enter heaven without repentance, restitution and forgiveness.

*PRAYER POINTS*

1. *Lord,* search me out and purge me of all hatred and evil intentions in the heart🙏

2. *Lord,* give me grace to practice practical Christianity that is characterized by love and forgiveness to all🙏

3. *Ask* that the grace of God that cancels hatred and unforgiveness be multiplied in the life of all members in the Church🙏

4. *Pray* out your desires for the Sunday service🙏