Deuteronomy 13: 6-11; 14: 29
If [anyone, even] your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or your wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, ... do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. You must certainly put him to death. ... Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.
...So that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.
God left no doubt or ambiguity as to what His laws were, and He required that they be enforced with a strong hand. Why?
God instituted Capital Punishment for Capital offences. When sentences are carried out in a timely fashion, then the rest of society will know where the boundaries are and the consequences for overstepping them, and will comply. That brings order to the society. And He can give us His abundant blessings.
When we are in tune with God and His ways, then we are available to receive from His hand all the good He wants to give us. When we rebel against Him and chase after other, worldly pursuits, we cut off that connection to God, and can receive nothing from Him.
That's why our Nations have such troubles: We have turned away from God as a Nation, and are therefore under His curse!
You must certainly put to the sword all who live in that town. Destroy it completely, both its people and its livestock. Gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the Lord your God. It is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt (13: 15-16).
God is deadly serious in what He says. When we listen to what He says, believe that He means it, and obey Him in following His ways; then He shows Himself to be very kind and generous and showers upon us abundant blessings.
But if we decide we know better, or have a better idea than His command, that shows that we have listened to the lies of the enemy and been deceived, to our own destruction.
O my Father, Thank You for Your faithfulness to Your Word. Thank You that we can depend on You to do exactly what You have said You would do, for good and also for bad.
You have given us a free choice to decide what we want, but we don't have a choice when it comes to the consequences of our decisions. Father, lead us, teach us Your wisdom to research the consequences of our possible choices and decide on what You would have us do, to get the very best outcome. And then we will get the benefits and You will get the glory.
And Father, protect Your own. Bring us out of the "city" that is ready to be destroyed, that we not be partakers of her sins or receive any of her plagues (Revelation 18:4).
Bring us out and bring us in, Father, into Your glorious Kingdom.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
