Deuteronomy 19

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Deuteronomy 19:4-7, This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety—anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought.  For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life. Otherwise, the avenger of blood might pursue him in a rage, overtake him if the distance is too great, and kill him even though he is not deserving of death, since he did it to his neighbor without malice aforethought. This is why I command you to set aside for yourselves three cities.

The first part of this chapter deals with what we would call manslaughter.  Obviously, manslaughter, along with capital punishment and killing in wars, doesn't fall under the commandment, "Thou shall not kill."  Only murder, when someone kills with deliberate malice, is covered under the commandment.  In fact, special provisions are put in place for other kinds of life lost.  Moses tells them to choose three cities which would be "cities of refuge."  If someone killed another by accident, then they could flee to one of these cities and be granted protection until they came to trial.  The priests were to establish and maintain these cities.  Eventually, there ended up being six cities of refuge in total.

God knew the hearts of his people.  He knew (knows) that we are vengeful people.  In the case of manslaughter, God even made provisions for the safety of the offender so that no avenging family member would kill them before they could explain their case to the courts. 

Let's pray...God, Forgive us for our hard and vengeful hearts.  Help us to be more loving, more grace-filled, more kind.  More of you, Jesus, and less of me.  In Your Name, Amen.