Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 19: 1-13

This passage of direct instruction by God should be food for thought for everyone. It is especially useful in having a more sophisticated view of the death penalty, vengeance, and God's mercy.

"When the Lord, your God, removes the nations whose land he is giving you, and you have taken their place and are settled in their cities and houses, you shall set apart three cities in the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you to occupy. You shall thereby divide into three regions the land which the Lord, your God, will give you as a heritage, and so arrange the routes that every homicide will be able to find a refuge.

"It is in the following case that a homicide may take refuge in such a place to save his life: when someone unwittingly kills his neighbor to whom he had previously borne no malice. For example, if he goes with his neighbor to a forest to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, its head flies off the handle and hits his neighbor a mortal blow, he may take refuge in one of these cities to save his life. Should the distance be too great, the avenger of blood may in the heat of his anger pursue the homicide and overtake him and strike him dead, even though he does not merit death since he had previously borne the slain man no malice. This is why I order you to set apart three cities.

"But if the Lord, your God, enlarges your territory, as he swore to your fathers, and gives you all the land he promised your fathers he would give, in the event that you carefully observe all these commandments which I enjoin on you today, loving the Lord, your God, and ever walking in his ways: then add three cities to these three. Thus, in the land which the Lord, your God, is giving you as a heritage, innocent blood will not be shed and you will not become guilty of bloodshed.

"However, if someone lies in wait for his neighbor out of hatred for him, and rising up against him, strikes him mortally, and then takes refuge in one of these cities, the elders of his own city shall send for him and have him taken from there, and shall hand him over to be slain by the avenger of blood. Do not look upon him with pity, but purge from Israel the stain of shedding innocent blood, that you may prosper."

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The Lord, in his wisdom and mercy, taught humans how to recognize the need for and designate refuge cities for correct situations of mercy. Notice, however, that the Lord says grace to prosper and have these cities only comes to those who love him and follow his word. (This is because the Lord is teaching that Israel will add lands to itself only in proportion to their obedience to God and goodness, and that a proportion of these lands shall be added with each acquisition to the number of refuge cities as a type of tithing, where a number is added as new lands are gained).

Further the Lord is very clear that those who stalk and harm neighbors shall receive no mercy and cannot use refuge cities to hide from the consequences of their deliberate and cynical hate and harm of neighbor. Cyberstalkers? Paying attention to this? Who says the Bible is not clear about modern day sins and crimes.