Infanticide

Bible Questions Answered:

“...I want nothing to do with a religion that is a child killing religion such as your Old Testament customs. What kind of god is that?...”

Winsley/ Andover, England (United Kingdom)

Bible Answer:

Bible Text:

Deuteronomy 21:18-21 NLT

18 “Suppose a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey his father or mother, even though they discipline him.

19 In such a case, the father and mother must take the son to the elders as they hold court at the town gate.

20 The parents must say to the elders, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious and refuses to obey. He is a glutton and a drunkard.’

21 Then all the men of his town must stone him to death. In this way, you will purge this evil from among you, and all Israel will hear about it and be afraid.

James 3:1 NLT

Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.

How very careful we must be when interpreting The Word Of God. We may not exegetically, remove a verse or verses from their full context, to derive any one point or doctrine.

1) The first thing we may note of this scripture, judgment was not left up to the parents alone!

No far from it, the problem child was taken to be examined by the elders who sat at the gate, and they would in turn hold court to determine their position. If the parents had not done this they would have been in complicity!

2. This rebellious son, had broken God's law. To rebel against this command, was to rebel against God Himself.

Exodus 20:12 KJV

Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which The Lord

thy God giveth thee.

Deuteronomy 27:16 NLT (Real all of Deuteronomy 27 & 28.)

11 That same day Moses also gave this charge to the people:

16 Cursed is anyone who dishonors father or mother. And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’

No doubt the court themselves, knew well about the situation, making it a community complaint.

3. A son's rebellion (or daughters), falsely spoke of his parents and their faithfulness to God, in the raising of their son!

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NLT

4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, The Lord alone.

5 And you must love The Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.

7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.

9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Proverbs 22:6 KJV

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Where young offenders, guilty of Capital Offense, killed?

Capital Offense: Any criminal charge which is punishable by the death penalty, called "capital" since the defendant could lose his/her head.

(The Free Dictionary.Com)

More than likely “not!”

Why?

Because there was offered for every offender, except “pre-meditated murder,” the option of a ransom.

(Some 16 times the word ransom appears in our Bible.)

 Exodus 21:28-30 NLT28 “If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must be stoned, and its flesh may not be eaten. In such a case, however, the owner will not be held liable.
29 But suppose the ox had a reputation for goring, and the owner had been informed but failed to keep it under control. If the ox then kills someone, it must be stoned, and the owner must also be put to death.
30 However, the dead person’s relatives may accept payment (ransom) to compensate for the loss of life. The owner of the ox may redeem his life by paying whatever is demanded.

Numbers 35:30,31 NLT

30 “All murderers must be put to death, but only if evidence is presented by more than one witness. No one may be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.

31 Also, you must never accept a ransom payment for the life of someone judged guilty of murder and subject to execution; murderers must always be put to death.

In America, if a juvenile is involved in an offense, he is more than likely sentenced by a judge to hours of community service.

This process is for the “restoring,” an individual to his or her community!

It may involve their work in public parks (clean up, tree, or flower plantings), or work programs ( for city needs, such as city roads, buildings etc.), all while under the guidance and supervision of leading citizens of the community, who, themselves are good role models.

Yes, sin, must be stopped before it damns an individual or community, and restoration, was always God's plan! God was guiding a nation, and what would be allowed in the tender plant would one day be seed spread abroad by the old. Sin and its curse, must be stopped.

And there is a way out, there is ransom. Ransom, makes you think of someone special, doesn't it!

Matthew 20:28 KJV

Even as The Son Of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45 KJV

For even The Son Of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.

I Timothy 2:6 KJV

6 Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.(NLT)

You and I had committed the Capital Offense of sin!

All of heaven has been witness.

Hebrews 12:1 KJV

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses..."

The Judgment:

Ezekiel 18:4 KJV

Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Romans 3:23 KJV

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Ephesians 2:12 KJV

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

Oh, but if there were only a “ransom!”

Thank God, there is!

Ransom:

The redemption of: a prisoner, slave, or kidnapped person, or captured goods, etc., for a price.

(Dictionary.Com)

Romans 6:23 KJV

For the wages of sin is death; but The Gift Of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

II Corinthians 5:17-21 KJV

21 For He (God The Father) hath made Him (Jesus Christ His son) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

21 For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Only Trust Him

1. Come, every soul by sin oppressed,

there's mercy with The Lord;

and He will surely give you rest,

by trusting in His Word.

Refrain:

Only trust Him, only trust Him,

only trust Him now.

He will save you, He will save you,

He will save you now.

2. For Jesus shed His precious blood

rich blessings to bestow;

plunge now into the crimson flood

that washes bright as snow.

(Refrain)

3. Yes, Jesus is The Truth The Way

that leads you into rest;

believe in Him without delay,

and you are fully blest.

(Refrain)

4. Come then and join this holy band,

and on to glory go,

to dwell in that celestial land

where joys immortal flow.

(Refrain)

Text: John H. Stockton Sal­va­tion Mel­o­dies No. 1 (Phil­a­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: Perk­in­pine & Hig­gins, 1874).

Music: John H. Stockton 1869; re­frain by Ira D. Sank­ey, 1873

• Salvation Prayer