Eye

Deuteronomy 19:21 “Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”

I hate it when my words get taken out of context and used against me. This hasn’t happened too many times in my life, thankfully. But we see it all the time if we listen to the news. A few words are grabbed and used as a weapon to destroy.

Couples sometimes get into a negative cycle with each other because words are partially heard, or the intent of the words is misunderstood. Voice tone and the context of the words can change their meaning completely. Anyone who has been in a relationship for more than a few months can attest to this.

It can take real effort to pause and allow a correction of a misheard and misunderstood statement. But the effort is worth it. A quick fix in the moment can prevent hours or even months of hurt feelings.

But this requires giving the other person some grace in that moment, the benefit of the doubt. We choose to believe the best in them and about them, rather than what would reinforce our negative feelings in that moment. This takes emotional maturity, a commodity greatly lacking in our society.

But there are those who purposefully take words and twist them. They take part and try to force that part to invalidate the whole. Let me give you an example.

Our text is often quoted in a way to demonstrate that the God of the Old Testament is a cruel and unjust God. What tyrant would demand a punitive set of rules like this! What ever happened to the compassionate God? See the contradictions!

But the context shapes the meaning of this verse. The preceding verses have been about when a person lies about another person with the intent of getting them punished. When the lie is discovered, the outcome the lying person wanted for their enemy is the outcome that is to come to them.

If they wanted bankruptcy, then they would suffer bankruptcy. If they wanted some physical harm, then that harm would come to them. And all this is done as a deterrent for others, to warn them about doing such things themselves.

So our verse is setting limits, outlining the connection between offense and punishment. You can’t take their car if they simply wanted you to loose your bicycle. If their intent was for you to loose your bike, then when the lie is discovered, the liar looses their bike instead.

Right now, this would deter those who are claiming crimes against them, but have invented them. If the punishment came back on them, they would think twice before they claimed to be a victim. Just an idea!