After Noah, his family, and the animals exited the ark, God gave a new command: put to death anyone who murders another person. Genesis 9:6 says, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” The severest of penalties is to follow murder, and God Himself gives the reason for it.
God specified that murder was to be punished by death because of the nature of man. Man is created in God’s own image (Genesis 1:27). As murder destroys an image-bearer, it is a direct affront to God Himself. Humans are unique among God’s creations—none of the animals are created in God’s likeness—and murder is a unique crime.
Another, secondary reason for the mandate is quite practical. The immediate context includes another command given to Noah and his three sons: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1). Murder, of course, would work against humanity’s being fruitful and multiplying. The death penalty for murder thus served as a deterrent to anyone who sought to thwart God’s plan to replenish the earth. This was especially important when Noah’s family first departed from the ark, at which point only eight people were alive.
Before the Flood, Cain had murdered Abel, and, although Cain was judged by God, he was not put to death (Genesis 4). Lamech, a descendant of Cain, also murdered someone (Genesis 4:23-24). By the time of God’s judgment in Genesis 6, it appears that crime was rampant, including the crime of murder. After the Flood, a new standard was raised as part of the recreated earth: God would no longer tolerate murder. Later, murder was condemned in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20). The punishment for premeditated murder was death (Numbers 35:30-34).
In the New Testament, Jesus provided a wider application of the Old Testament command against murder. He taught, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire” (Matthew 5:21-22). Murder is wrong, and the attitude behind the action is just as wrong. God sees the heart and its intentions (1 Samuel 16:7).
Murder is consistently listed as a sin throughout the New Testament (e.g., Revelation 22:15). Man still bears the image of God, and God’s view of murder has remained the same.
Well, I think we have more or less filled the Earth now – so much so that we are in effect murdering future generations
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Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
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I hope you can forgive me for not returning my response earlier – but this year took an extended holiday – and hope by doing so I have not offended anyone by not returning to them sooner, Vincent.
You have become someone whom God and I can depend for helping to get the Word of God out to all of the world. that is greatly appreciated….
May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bless you and your family always.
Yours in Christ;
Michael
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thank you for your kind words Mike, and no worries my friend, we are both in His service, being thankful is inherited along with forgiveness wrapped around His Grace 😎
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You are welcome.
God bless you
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Amen
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One might also remember that the Old Testament laws in question are “Hadd” laws. They are the most that can be sought in reparation and the strictest punishment that can be leveled. This is important because those laws put an end, legally anyway, to family feuds that ended up killing many, many more.
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Hello, jonolan, and thank you for your comment.
I think you refer to the Hadad (hā`dăd) or Adad (ā`dăd). Though Hadad does have it’s origins in Semitic culture it also has origins in Arabic and Aramaic cultures as well. It is hard not to believe the Hebrews and Jews once worshipped Hadad; especially during the capture and enslavement by the Babylonians and Assyrians who, at one time, dominated the Middle East and Hadad, with whom they worshipped, was important through the Middle East as well. But then too the Hebrews and Jews had a history of worshipping idols and false gods. These other gods and idols were not the true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and God often punished them for their practicing idolatry.
As god of the storm, he was, according to one legend, the Epic of Gilgamesh, responsible for the great flood that overwhelmed the world. This is, however, mythology and legend and there is nothing which sustains this belief.
However, you are mistaken in assuming that Hadd (singular) or Hudud (plural &; Arabic) are Old Testament teachings. they are not. They in fact are an Islamic concept (literal meaning “limit”, or “restriction”) and forms punishments which under Islamic law (Shariah) are mandated and fixed by God (Allah).
I hope this has been helpful to you and others.
Thank you again for your comment. It is greatly appreciated.
May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bless you and yours continually.
Yours I Christ;
Michael
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