Shall Surely Be Put to Death מֽוֹת־יוּמַ֥ת

We are in chapter twenty of Leviticus with our word for today which is a phrase. מֽוֹת־יוּמַ֥ת will be put to death. Our phrase is the same word next to each other as an infinitive and then as a causative imperfect ongoing tense. So literally to die will be dying or caused to die. This is for emphasis. It is used 29 times in the Old Testament, 8 times in our chapter. Let’s look at all the uses in our chapter since it has the most in the Bible. Exodus chapter 21 also uses our phrase 4 times. Leviticus 20:2, 10-16 Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֑ת shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones … For anyone who curses his father or his mother מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֑ת shall surely be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him. If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress מֽוֹת־יוּמַ֥ת shall surely be put to death. If a man lies with his father's wife, he has uncovered his father's nakedness; both of them מֽוֹת־יוּמְת֥וּ shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them מ֥וֹת יוּמְת֖וּ shall surely be put to death; they have committed perversion; their blood is upon them. If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; מ֥וֹת יוּמָ֖תוּ they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. If a man takes a woman and her mother also, it is depravity; he and they shall be burned with fire, that there may be no depravity among you. If a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. If a woman approaches any animal and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal; מ֥וֹת יוּמָ֖תוּ they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them … A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֑תוּ shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them. Fifteen offenses in Israel were capital crimes: striking or cursing a parent (Exodus 21:15, 17); breaking the Sabbath (Exodus 31:14); blaspheming God (Leviticus 24:10–16); engaging in occult practices (Exodus 22:18); prophesying falsely (Deuteronomy 13:1–5); adultery (Leviticus 20:10); rape (Deuteronomy 22:25); sexual immorality before marriage (Deuteronomy 22:13-21); incest (Leviticus 20:11–12); homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13); bestiality (Leviticus 20:15–16); kidnapping (Exodus 21:16); idolatry (Leviticus 20:1–5); false witness in a case involving a capital crime (Deuteronomy 19:16–21); killing a human intentionally (Exodus 21:12). The people of Israel were the covenant people of God. Therefore, the Law of God was the law of the land. There isn’t a crime in the above list that would merit capital punishment in most nations today, including murder. But the biblical view of law is different from the modern view. God gave His law to restrain sin, not to reform sinners; the penalties He imposed were for the purpose of upholding His law, not improving the offenders. However, this doesn’t mean that Christians today should lobby for the death penalty for all these offenses. While we want to do what we can to see just laws enforced justly, our main task is winning people to Christ and our weapons are spiritual. The good news is that it is God’s spirit that transforms and changes us from the inside out. I’ll close with these great passages. 2 Corinthians 10:1-5 By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Acts 6:4 And will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.