The Kidnapper Must Die
24: 7
To kidnap an Israelite was to steal their life away from them; hence, the kidnapper was sentenced to death.
Deuteronomy 19:1 to 26:15 (to see link click Dl – The Social and Family Mitzvot) deals with individual mitzvot, and to today’s readers they might appear irrelevant at first, but the very principles behind these commandments were the ones that have brought dignity to mankind. We need to examine these mitzvot in depth to discover the spirit in which they were given, so that we can still live in obedience to God’s Word today. For example, in Numbers 18, the Israelites were to bring their tithes to the Tabernacle because the priests and Levites had no inheritance. But today we have no Temple and no priesthood; however, we bring our tithes to our place of worship. That is the spirit of the mitzvah.
From 23:15 to 26:15, Moses deals with twenty real life situations that the nation would need to function in a godly manner, and valuable lessons for us today as well: number nine.
Kidnapping was prohibited, and it was a capital crime. Anyone who steals (Hebrew: gonev) a person and sells him, or is found with him under his hand, must surely be put to death (Exodus 21:16). To kidnap someone and sell them into slavery, was to treat them like property and not people created in the image of God. Apparently the crime of kidnapping was common in the ancient Near East for it was also mentioned in the law codes of Mesopotamia and Hittite Empire.520
If a man is caught kidnapping (Hebrew: gonev, meaning to steal) any of his brothers from Bnei-Yisrael, whether he treats him like property or sells him, then that kidnapper must die. The Jews were not to enslave one another or sell one another to be enslaved by Gentiles. The crime was, in effect, social murder, the stealing of a life, for though the victim did not literally die, by being sold into slavery, he or she was effectively cut off from the covenant family of God.521 To cut an Israelite off from the covenant community was to cut them off from sharing in the blessing of God for His people in the Land. Without the support of the Jewish community, their life as a Jew would be over. ADONAI had delivered His people from Egypt so they could be free, and kidnapping was contrary to God’s purpose.522 Hence, the penalty for the crime was severe – death.
So, you are to purge the evil from your midst (24:7). We hear this phrase many times in the study of the Torah. One that is repeated seven times from Chapters 13 to 24, “You will purge the evil from your midst” (13:6, 17:7, 19:19, 21:21, 22:21, 22:24, 24:7).
Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for being one-hundred percent pure and holy. Often someone looks good, but upon closer investigation we find out that their motives are not entirely pure; but You have never done anything wrong, never made a mistake and never will. You only want what is best for Your child, even when You correct him. “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of Adonai or lose heart when you are corrected by Him, because ADONAI disciplines the one He loves and punishes every son He accepts” (Hebrews 12:5-6). You desire evil purged and sin done away with so that there may be fruitful blessing. Now all discipline seems painful at the moment – not joyful. But later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11). We love and worship You. In Yeshua’s holy name and His power of resurrection. Amen
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