Seize the Moment – Day 645

An Unsolved Murder!

Deuteronomy 21

 

Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, December 22.

 

What happens to a community when there is an unsolved murder?

 

Deuteronomy 21:1-9 teaches the Israelite people how to deal with an unsolved murder. The elders of the city were to set apart an unworked heifer and take it to an unplowed valley, with running water, and offer it as a sacrifice. Then, the priests, who were responsible for settling disputes and administering justice, blessed the sacrifice, followed by the elders washing their hands over the dead heifer, saying, “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it. Forgive Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, O Lord, and do not place the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel” (7-8).

 

The conclusion of this section, verses 8-9, explains why they were to do this:
 
“And the bloodguiltiness shall be forgiven them. So you shall remove the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.”

 

This sacrificial rite is for the expiation (or satisfaction) of the pollution to the land caused by the murder. In other words, it was to heal the land of the curse and absolve the people of their bloodguilt for the murder since there was no way to bring the murderer to justice. According to Numbers 25:33,
 
“Blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.”

 

God made a way for the land to be liberated and the community to be set free of their bloodguilt. God did not want His people polluted in their hearts because justice could not be fulfilled.

 

Seize the moment and ask God to cleanse our land and heal out hearts of any bloodguilt caused by unsolved murders or thwarted justice in our communities.

God bless you!
 
 
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YOUTUBE:

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