SABBATH MESSAGE - GEORGE ZIMMERMAN "On the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.” – Deuteronomy 17:6 (see also Numbers 35:30) Currently a man is on trial in Florida for killing a young man. Although people heard parts of the incident…, no one actually saw anything. So the Prosecutors and the Defense attorneys are trying their best to tell a story…and each hope the 6 Jurors will believe their story. In every country of the world where circumstantial evidence is allowed there are guilty people in jails and prisons…but there are also some innocent people in those jails and prisons and sometimes an innocent person is even executed. The proscriptions in Scripture (even in the “New” Testament) are there to prevent innocent people from being executed (and wrongly imprisoned). In the aviation world, it has been said that the NTSB virtually disregards “eye-witness” testimony of aircraft accidents because almost invariably it is reported that the aircraft was on fire before it crashed. The prevalence of movies that show aircraft on fire has enabled many a minds-eye to fool the brain into thinking that the aircraft was on fire. Hence the Scriptures tell us that ONE eye-witness is not enough. So in ancient Israel…did guilty people, murderers, often go free? Absolutely. Time-and-time again I have been asked this question and people have said, “how did society survive?” Not only did God-Fearing societies thrive but they prospered (Deuteronomy 4:1-8). If we think about it, statistics tell us only about 50% of murders are solved, so even in modern America many murderers walk among us. BEARS IN THE WOODS “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.” – Romans 12:19 (from Deuteronomy 32:35) About 15-years I came up with this idea – after being asked about guilty people being set free. I call it: “God Has Bears In The Woods On Retainer.” Imagine villagers hearing a scream, they run to a house and they find a man standing over his dead wife with a bloody knife in his hand (or a woman standing over the body of her dead husband). He claims that he saw stranger run out the back door, and he picked up the bloody knife while in shock (I am not discussing the Laws of the Cities of Refuge). In most modern countries these events would be enough for a conviction and an execution. But imagine that this happened in ancient Israel, in a period when they obeyed the Word of God (there were several Golden Ages: Joshua 24:31 for example). The man is brought before the Sanhedrin, the priest or presiding judge asks if there are any eye-witnesses? None. But imagine, before they allow the man to go free, they recite Deuteronomy 32:35? What we never have recorded in Scripture is that a person on their way home, thinking and believing they just got away with murder…is killed by a bear coming out of the woods. A bear on retainer for “law enforcement” - by the LORD God of Israel. I can imagine He also has at his beckoning: tigers, lions, falling trees, snakes, scorpions, lightning, and even tainted fruit, vegi’s, meat, and even illness. I imagine that God is also not tied to a timetable, His vengeance could be accomplished on the way home, a day, a week, a year, or even at the end of a lifetime. But here’s the answer to another question: why would God bother clearing a country of evildoers…when that country will not heed Gods Word? If we will NOT trust God to take His vengeance in order to protect us…why should He force it? We as a society don’t ask, and we as a Church…are largely unknowledgeable of His Laws. Several years ago in California a man named Scott Peterson was suspected of killing his pregnant wife. After weeks of being free, authorities finally charged him, there was a trial, and he is presently on Death Row. But there was no direct evidence connecting him to the double murder…but he was convicted in the public’s popular opinion. At the time I was asked by 3 radio stations to be a guest and to talk about this idea of there being “Bears In The Woods.” I mentioned that there are 2 types of praying for a hedge around a person. 1). Job 1:10, a hedge of protection around a person to keep them from evil: and, 2). Hosea 2:6-7, a hedge to keep a person from “finding” evil (their strength). If the Churches/Synagogues in the Central valley were really serious about “pursuing justice and only justice” (Deuteronomy 16:20) – perhaps if we prayed a hedge of thorns around Scott Peterson to keep him from being strengthened by evil powers…perhaps he might weaken and confess to his crimes? Wouldn’t it be better to try it God’s way…instead of praying that Mr. Peterson be convicted based upon circumstantial evidence? And while I believe he is most likely guilty of the double murders…what if he is really just a big jerk (towards his wife: leaving her home while he fished on Christmas Day) and someone else did the crime? Over the last 20-years there have been hundreds of people released from prison on murder, rape, and kidnapping charges that had far more “real evidence” against them…but DNA later confirmed the wrong person had been convicted. GEORGE ZIMMERMAN In his circumstance he would have had to have fled to a City of Refuge, then a trial would have been held. If he was guilty, he would have to live in the City of Refuge until the High Priest in office, passed away. And therein lies a lesson for those who believe that Mr. Zimmerman should not be on trial at all: human life is valuable and if it is lost…there must be an accounting. Several years ago in Santa Monica an elderly driver lost control of his car and accidentally killed several people at a farmer’s Market. The D.A., received a lot of flak for taking the man to trial…but the deaths of those innocent people needed an accounting. We live in a secular society so we are not going to change our practices and institute Scriptural practices and overhaul our system of Justice. A secular society is entitled to have its own legal practices. BUT, the Body of Christ (Ekklesia, Assembly, Church, etc.) can institute Scriptural practices on its own. Shepherds can urge their congregations to pray a hedge of thorns around defendants who are popularly thought to be guilty (Casey Anthony?). Judeo-Christians called to jury duty can inform the court that they will follow the civil laws…but they will also follow Scripture. If a person is found to be guilty and we think they are innocent – we can write to organizations such as “InnocenceProject.org” and ask them to investigate (and fund them). If a person is found innocent but the community feels they are guilty…we can pray Deuteronomy 32:35. But we must have faith in God’s Will, His Providence, and His Sovereignty. These are just 4 examples. When the Sanhedrin was disbanded in the 400’s we lost almost 1800 years of case law and precedent. Imagine if it hadn’t and today we had rulings on fingerprints, blood evidence, DNA, video tape, and other crime investigation techniques? Judeo-Christians today need to know their Scripture, know what Scripture teaches, be in prayer, and be ready to follow their conscience – even if it means reenacting “Twelve Angry men.” Your Servant Rabbi David Miller
Posted on: Sun, 07 Jul 2013 00:56:46 +0000