It’s sometimes hard to make sense of the justice of God. But make no mistake: If it’s confusing or seems excessive to us, the problem is with us, not God.
Take the laws in Exodus 21, for instance. Some of them are deliberately intense. The person who “strikes” or “curses” their parent is executed (Exodus 21:15, 17), as is the person who kidnaps someone else (Exodus 21:16). No questions asked.
Lesser punishments are ascribed for people who aren’t permanently injured, such as those who are hurt, but don’t die for another day or two (Exodus 21:21). If two men fight and one is disabled to the point that they’re forced to walk around with a staff, the only punishment is payment for lost time. The one who injured the other is required to take care of him while he recovers.
But what if that same fight happens near a pregnant woman, and she gives birth prematurely? As long as the baby and the mother are fine, the fine will be determined by both the baby’s father and the judge. That makes the sentence fair.
The key to understanding this principle comes in Exodus 21:23-25, which follows a repeating pattern: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.
On the surface, this punishment seems appropriate. After all, it’s fair to everyone involved to do to one what that person did to another. If he chops off your arm, he loses his. It’s a very simple and understandable system for justice.
But that’s never how it really works in our world, is it? If you lose an eye, most people, in their anger, take more than an eye. They may take a foot or a hand along with it: the first to make it “fair,” and the second, third, and fourth as revenge.
Unfortunately, this causes two problems. First, and most importantly, it means that violence escalates. If I hurt someone, then they hurt me more in revenge, I could retaliate with even more force. Before long, what started as a (relatively) tiny crime has escalated into a massive blood feud that claims numerous casualties.
Second, it creates strife between brethren. For example, think about the wisdom involved in forcing a man who hurts another to care for that person during their recovery. What do they talk about? What sacrifices must be made by the perpetrator on behalf of their victim? How does that help heal the situation?
Limiting violence and retribution provides both a fair situation for everyone involved, and also promotes peace between parties. If everyone feels like a victim all the time, then the last thing they’ll want to do is seek harmony. Instead, they’ll choose violence, and when that’s the choice made, it’s nearly impossible to stop.
