GUIDELINES FOR HOW TO TREAT PEOPLE
Proclamation
“He
that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.” Exodus 21:12 (KJV)
Explanation
These
are the words of God which were revealed to and written by Moses under the
influence of The Holy Spirit of God. After the Israelites had crossed the
wilderness and come to Mount Sinai, the mountain of God, they
camped near it. (Exodus 18:5 and 19:1) Moses went up into
the mountain of God and came back down with messages for
the people several times (Exodus 19:3-7, 19:8, 19:14, and 19:20-22) before
coming down with the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20:1-18) The Lord God
gave Moses instructions and laws for the Israelites regarding how they should
treat Hebrew servants (Exodus 21:1-11) and regarding personal injuries to one
another. (Exodus 21:12-36)
Application
The
Holy Bible provides us with a set of instructions regarding how we ought to
treat one another. This verse, Exodus
21:12, is the basis for the death penalty in our current legal system. It is also supported by Exodus 21:14 which
deals with premeditated taking of a life.
We are not to curse or strike our mother or father. (Exodus
21:15-17) If we injure someone, then we
are responsible for their medical bills and for the income which they lost
while they recovered. (Exodus 21:18-19) There
are also guidelines for punishment of anyone who causes a pregnant woman to be
injured and to lose her unborn child. (Exodus 21:22-25) There are consequences for our actions,
especially if they cause someone to be injured or killed. We need to be careful about how we treat
people and how we behave around other, especially while driving as we are more
likely to injure someone in a motor vehicle accident.
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