We are in chapter twenty-one of Exodus with our word for today. מוּת die, dying, to perish, to kill. It is used 844 times in the Old Testament, used 9 times in our chapter. Let’s look at them. Exodus 21:12, 15-17 Whoever strikes a man וָמֵ֖ת מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת so that he dies shall be put to death [our word is used three times but only translated twice. So literally because he died you dying will be put to death. This shows a lot of emphasis on the cause and effect of the person’s actions. In that his own actions caused his own death because he took another’s life. The extra dying before put to death is for emphasis so in others words you’re already a dead man because of your actions] …Whoever strikes his father or his mother מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת shall be put to death [Here we only have our word twice because the parents did not die but because they were stuck this action results in them being put to death with the same emphasis as before dying they will be put to death]. Whoever steals a man and sells him, and anyone found in possession of him, מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת shall be put to death. [Here we have same as the parents with our word used twice so even this action of kidnapping put a person in danger this action results in them being put to death with the same emphasis as before dying they will be put to death]. Whoever curses his father or his mother מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת shall be put to death [Here we have the same as the two earlier verses this action of cursing results in them being put to death with the same emphasis as before dying they will be put to death]. … But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. This last verse is a summary of what the original language has been saying in our chapter. The person is really putting themselves to death because their actions have put them in this situation of requiring their life to be taken because they were the one who caused another’s death. From God’s perspective there is no one else responsible but the person who did the killing. These laws may seem harsh but God is really emphasizing the dangers of sin. The double use of our word in our chapter reminds me of God warning Adam not to sin. We see God uses the double use of our word. Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will מ֥וֹת תָּמֽוּת certainly die.” This is for emphasis literally dying you will die. And God was right because the fallen messed up with corruption place is prof of that. In setting up this nation for God’s people God wants the people to be protected. And God knows what needs to be done by those in leadership, so God is instructing them here at the beginning.  Capital punishment is also seen in the New Testament by the Government that God has established. Romans 13:1-2, 4 They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Did you catch that reference to the sword? This is a way to say the government has the authority to put people to death and that God is the one that has established this. This is not saying that everything the government does is right or God’s will it just says that God has set up government to act as his servant to carryout justice. And sometimes the justice that needs to be done is to put someone to death for their crime. We are instructed to pray for our governmental leaders so that the good news of Jesus Christ can be shared in a stable society. 1 Timothy 2:1-3 Without a stable society the churches work of sharing the gospel can become almost impossible. I’ll close with some good reminders of the need for godly governmental leaders (Proverbs 25:4-5; 29:2, 4, 7, 12, 14, 16, 18). 

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