It’s the Law
Whoever kills any man shall surely be put to death. Whoever kills an animal shall make it good, animal for animal. If a man causes disfigurement of his neighbor, as he has done, so shall it be done to him – fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has caused disfigurement of a man, so shall it be done to him. And whoever kills an animal shall restore it; but whoever kills a man shall be put to death. You shall have the same law for the stranger and for one from your own country; for I am the LORD your God. – Leviticus 24:17-22 NKJV.
A man in Saudi Arabia is facing the implementation of the Islamic law that calls for punishment in accordance with an eye-for-an-eye. In this case the man caused the paralysis of Abdul-Aziz Al-Mutairi during a fight over two years ago. Al-Mutairi was injured during the fight when he was hit in the spine with a meat cleaver. The judge in the case has contacted hospitals to see if it is possible to medically cause the paralysis of the man who injured Al-Mutairi. From reports, it appears that it is rare for these harsh eye-for-an-eye punishments to actually be carried out. The victim or the victim’s family can choose to be compensated monetarily instead of seeking physical punishment. However, Al-Mutairi wants his attacker to be paralyzed the same as he has been.
Justice is defined according to dictionary dot com as: “the maintenance or administration of what is just by law” or as “the administering of deserved punishment or reward.” Islamic law and Mosaic law requires an eye-for-an-eye and a tooth-for-a tooth as being necessary for justice. If you kill someone you will be put to death, if you cut off another person’s arm, according to the law your arm would be cut off. It sounds harsh, but it is justice. I am thankful that in the country that I live that the law of the land is not the Islamic law or the Mosaic law. If, because of an accident, or even in a fight; I cause someone else to lose an eye, it may be just, but I do not want the court to order that one of my eyes be surgically removed. I would want the court to have mercy!
According to Romans 3:23, “all have sinned” and Romans 6:23 tells us that the “wages of sin is death.” How much sin can you sin and avoid the spiritual death penalty? James 2:10 gives the answer, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” Justice requires the spiritual death penalty for one sin, whether it is a lie, or a murder. Thank God for His mercy! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).” “…not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…(Titus 3:5a).”
If you have not yet asked for God’s mercy by believing upon Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, I urge you to do so now, before it is eternally too late.
(Do you want God to give you justice or do you want Him to have mercy?)