Today's readings are from Deuteronomy 19 and 20.
The first part of this restates the creation of "Cities of refuge" in the new land. Remember, Deuteronomy means second law and is a re-statement of the principles of the first law. So why do it? The main thing is to reemphasize that capital offenses, such as pre-meditated murder are not to be tolerated; but justice demands fairness in terms of dealing with those offenses. In this way, Israel as a nation was far ahead of the nations of its day.
The second part has some interesting rules connected to who goes to war and what happens when warfare occurs, even down to the trees they could cut to use for part of the warfare.
As we read, it's easy to dismiss the value of this all. We don't have these cities of refuge, and we have a military that fights with technological means, but the principles of justice, mercy, even concern for the environment all stand out and remind us that every generation has to learn how to do these things no matter what they have or don't have.
Peace
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, 4 March 2011
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