A difficult issue to deal with in Old Testament theology is the alarming frequency with which the death penalty is commanded in the Pentateuchal law.  For instance, in Exodus 21-23, capital punishment is the judgment mandated for crimes like murder, assault & battery on one’s parents, kidnapping, cursing one’s parents, allowing one’s animal to kill a person, bestiality, sorcery, and idolatry.  Other crimes like ordinary assault, involuntary manslaughter, tort, theft, negligence, statutory rape and oppression require financial restitution.

This is not the final answer, but one factor that plays into the severity of punishment is whether or not restitution is possible.  In the case of burnt crops or stolen livestock, it is possible to make restitution (though more costly than the item stolen).  In the case of murder or idolatry, there is no way to assign a dollar (shekel) figure to the crime.

That brings up an important point about sin.  All my sins are, ultimately, crimes against the holy, sovereign Creator.  How can a dollar figure compensate for such infractions?  It can’t.  And consistent with the pattern in the OT law, my judgment is the death penalty.

This, the pow’r of the cross: Christ became sin for us; Took the blame, bore the wrath— We stand forgiven at the cross.

© 2005 Thankyou Music