Does the Bible distinguish between capital punishment and murder?

The plea may be made that a loving Father would not see His children suffering the punishment of God by fire while He had the power to relieve them. But God would, for the good of His subjects and for their safety, punish the transgressor. God does not work on the plan of man. He can do infinite justice that man has no right to do before his fellow man. Noah would have displeased God to have drowned one of the scoffers and mockers that harassed him, but God drowned the vast world. Lot would have had no right to inflict punishment on his sons-in-law, but God would do it in strict justice. {LDE 241.2}

Numbers
35:15 These six cities shall be a refuge, [both] for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.
35:16 And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he [is] a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
35:17 And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he [is] a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
35:18 Or [if] he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he [is] a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.
35:19 The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.
35:20 But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;
35:21 Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote [him] shall surely be put to death; [for] he [is] a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.
35:22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,
35:23 Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing [him] not, and cast [it] upon him, that he die, and [was] not his enemy, neither sought his harm:
35:24 Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:
35:25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.
35:26 But if the slayer shall at any time come without the border of the city of his refuge, whither he was fled;
35:27 And the revenger of blood find him without the borders of the city of his refuge, and the revenger of blood kill the slayer; he shall not be guilty of blood:
35:28 Because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest: but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.
35:29 So these [things] shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

No one is denying what the OT says. The mistake that is made is making it the gospel rule, God's ideal will, failing to see it is God meeting the people where they were. Jesus in the NT said that we are not to fight was not espousing a new rule, but a revelation of the truth as it was in the beginning. Why do want to stay in darkness? "Oh, that men might open their minds to know God as he is revealed in his Son!"

Christ as manifested to the patriarchs, as symbolized in the sacrificial service, as portrayed in the law, and as revealed by the prophets, is the riches of the Old Testament. Christ in His life, His death, and His resurrection, Christ as He is manifested by the Holy Spirit, is the treasure of the New Testament. Our Saviour, the outshining of the Father's glory, is both the Old and the New. . . . The Old Testament sheds light upon the New, and the New upon the Old. Each is a revelation of the glory of God in Christ. Both present truths that will continually reveal new depths of meaning to the earnest seeker. {FLB 12.5}

Green, when you say, "fear God and give glory to Him", you really mean, "be afraid of God", and "give him glory". If God is going to torture you and kill you, then yes, be afraid of him, but are you going to love and honor and adore Him? No, you are going to be afraid of messing up, because then He is going to wipe you out. That is not the God I know.

It was when the children of Israel sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play, that they threw off the fear of God, which they had felt as they listened to the giving of the law; and, making a golden calf to represent God, they worshiped it. And it was after enjoying a luxurious feast connected with the worship of Baalpeor, that many of the Hebrews fell through licentiousness. The anger of God was aroused, and at His command "three and twenty thousand" were slain by the plague in one day. {AA 315.3}

Yes Green - - put all that she writes on the subject together, leave out nothing, such as when she says, "suffering is inflicted by Satan, and is overruled by God for purposes of mercy". What happened at Baalpeor?

saw the mercy and compassion of God in giving his Son to die for guilty man. Those who will not choose to accept salvation which has been so dearly purchased for them, must be punished. Beings whom God created have chosen to rebel against his government; but I saw that God did not shut them up in hell to endure endless misery. He could not take them to heaven; for to bring them into the company of the pure and holy would make them perfectly miserable. God will not take them to heaven, neither will he cause them to suffer eternally. He will destroy them utterly, and cause them to be as though they had not been, and then his justice will be satisfied. He formed man out of the dust of the earth, and the disobedient and unholy will be consumed by fire, and return to dust again. I saw that the benevolence and compassion of God in this, should lead all to admire his character, and to adore him; and after the wicked shall be destroyed from off the earth, all the heavenly host will say, Amen! {1SG 118.1}

God protects His people.

Murder is unlawful. Whereas killing the murderer is lawful - it is not considered murder. "He shall not be guilty."

My study on this topic can be found HERE.

You are saying that God is a murderer and commanded Moses to murder people. For you say God will set people on fire in the future, people who have not killed anyone. And Moses killed people who did not kill anyone.

Thank you for confirming your distinction between killing and murder:

Murder is when someone kills someone else who hasn't killed someone.

Killing is when someone kills someone else who has killed someone.

Therefore: You are saying that God is a murderer and commanded Moses to murder people. For you say God will set people on fire in the future, people who have not killed anyone. And Moses killed people who did not kill anyone.

So, yes, the Bible does distinguish between capital punishment and murder.

Now - what are you going to do with your new found information? Is that it? Go and do likewise? Is there more to the story? What does God REALLY want? What it God REALLY like?

God please forgive him for he does not know what he is doing...

You just called God a murderer. Shame on you. You think you just won a victory here, but you have just committed a terrible sin against God and you think you are suited to be the one to tell the world these things. Go right ahead, you have already cut yourself off. Now you will continue to heap coals on yourself.

What would happen to those who had never committed murder, who would TOUCH mount Sinai?

You just called God a murderer for this. What a shame.

Kland; "For you say God will set people on fire in the future, people who have not killed anyone."

Did Nadab and Abihu kill anyone? God already burned them up, So God was wicked for doing this? JUST BECAUSE THEY GOT DRUNK? Oh my?

So, yes, the Bible does distinguish between capital punishment and murder.

Murder is unlawful. Whereas killing the murderer is lawful - it is not considered murder. "He shall not be guilty."

APL,

The question for this thread is a simple one:

"Does the Bible distinguish between capital punishment and murder?"

The answer is either it does or it does not: i.e. "yes" or "no."

I say "yes." Do you agree? Am I choosing the correct answer? Is this truth?

M: So, yes, the Bible does distinguish between capital punishment and murder.

A: Now - what are you going to do with your new found information? Is that it?

Yes, that's it for this thread. Capital punishment is lawful. Murder is unlawful. Simple. To the point. If you wish to build upon this biblical truth then by all means please start a new thread. However, you haven't said whether you believe it or not. It is obvious Kland does not.

Yes, that's it for this thread. Capital punishment is lawful. Murder is unlawful. Simple. To the point.