Kidnapping Is A Capital Crime (Ex. 21:16)

6/24/2008 6:38 AM

My Worship Time           Focus:  Kidnapping is punishable by death

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference:  Exodus 21:16; Deu. 24:7

          Message of the verses:  “16  "He who kidnaps a man, whether he sells him or he is found in his possession, shall surely be put to death.”

            “7  "If a man is caught kidnapping any of his countrymen of the sons of Israel, and he deals with him violently or sells him, then that thief shall die; so you shall purge the evil from among you.”

            Again this is a repeat of verse sixteen in this SD as it was already used in an earlier SD, but this is the way that Dr. Wiersbe is doing it in his book that I am using.

            In Exodus 20:15, which is one of the Ten Commandments it states that stealing is wrong, so if stealing someone’s property is wrong then stealing a person who is made in the image of God is wrong too, probably even a worse crime.

            There are several possible reasons as to why one would kidnap another person and one of those reasons is to get money from the kidnapped person’s family or friends, and another possible reason is to sell the kidnapped person as a slave.  This type of sin was committed in the early times of the United States when slave traders would go to Africa and kidnap Africans to bring them back to the US in order to sell them as a slave.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  The statement at the end of Deuteronomy which says, “so you shall purge the evil from among you,” reminds me of how I am to deal with sin in my life.  As I ask the Lord to search my heart for any sin that I may not have confessed or even remember doing or sinning and not realizing that what I did was sin, then I need to purge this evil from myself by confessing and repenting of this sin in order to have wonderful fellowship with the Lord.  David writes about this in Psalm 32 saying that he even became physically ill because of his unconfessed sin.  “3  When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long.  4  For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.  5  I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.”

My Steps of Faith for Today: 

1. As God to search my heart for unconfessed sin in order to receive cleansing from the Lord.
2. Yoke up with the Lord Jesus Christ this day.
3. Give myself to the Lord for worship and service today.
4. Seek the Lord to guide my path today.
5. Seek the Lord to make a way of escape from the temptations and testings that have become too difficult for me to handle at this time.

Memory verses for the week:                      Colossians 4:12-13

12.    Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, send you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.

13.    For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

6/24/2008 7:12 AM