When a policeman arrests a person for murder, a judge condemns him to death, and a special group straps him to a death chair and kills him, none of them are saying, “Do as I do.” None of them are saying, “As I do to him, do to me.” The reason is that criminals deserve the sentence they get. The law enforcement personnel are carrying out their orders to uphold law and order.
God is the ultimate law enforcement officer. He is officer, judge, jury and executioner all rolled up into one. He is better than all these men because He has perfect knowledge of every circumstance and the hearts of men.
Murder is what persons does to others when they have no authority to take life. Law enforcement officers, CIA, FBI, SWAT, the military, guards, certain spies, etc., fall under a different heading of people who are authorized to use force to kill when necessary. It is not murder in those instances, and it isn’t murder when God carries out the death penalty.
Let’s look further into the instance of the Flood deaths, shall we?
1. According to Genesis 6:5-8, God did not kill nice people like your next-door neighbors. He killed people who were so sinful that a man boasted to his wives that he killed a man for hurting him (Genesis 4:23b).
2. The passage also says that God was not vengeful or angry, but sorrowful for what He had to do.
3. God did not wipe out everyone at the first murder, of Cain and Abel. He patiently waited for men to change their ways, but they got worse and worse until there was only one righteous man left: Noah. I’d say that God patiently gave man every chance He could. He saved the last righteous man standing! God did not kill Noah, did He?
4. God did not sit idly by while the world went down the toilet. He sent prophet after prophet to warn men of coming judgment, but none listened except Noah (2 Peter 2:5, Jude 14-15a).
People are upset over the Flood deaths, but few know the circumstances. I hope the above helps you to see the story in a new light. God is still warning of coming judgment. I hope you will join Noah and stand for God, rather than join those who reject His salvation.
What Do You Think?
a. Our nation’s laws forbid murder, yet the armed forces are allowed to kill in certain circumstances. Is that a contradiction? What keeps it from being hypocrisy?
b. God is in the place of authority, having the decision of life and death. Would his “do as I do” apply to normal citizens, or to other people who have authority to use deadly force?
c. If I use the weed-trimmer in the back yard, then tell my five-year-old boy not to touch it, am I being hypocritical? If a police officer kills in the line of duty, but tells his children not to kill anyone, is the officer being hypocritical? Why or why not?
