An Eye for an Eye

How many of us have heard of the vengeful God of the Old Testament, as opposed to the new, kindly, God of the New? And how many have believed it? At least as many as those who never read the Book of Revelation.

Part of the proof offered is that God demanded an "eye for an eye." He demanded vengence of His people, who were noted for their non violence and forgiveness. Not!

This is right up there with the all-time misunderstood quotes in the whole Bible, and that is saying something. Let me use a silly story, to make my point.

A man has a drunken fight with a friend over who will win the upcoming Super Bowl. The fight got rough and he had his tooth knocked out. Maybe his jaw hit the table. Now that he has sobered up he doesn't remember.

He gets up and goes to the refrigerator for a glass of milk and sees a Post 'Em note on the door. It says, "Be sure to go over to Fred's and knock his tooth out. God has commanded it, and we don't want to make Him mad."

Let's look at the kind of people to whom the eye for an eye admonition was given. Quakers, they were not.

And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zilla, Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, , hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. Gen. 4:23.

You get the picture. Though this happened much earlier, this spirit had not gone away.

When God commanded an eye for an eye, it was Take no more than a tooth for a tooth. If a man takes your cow, get one of his cows to replace it. Don't sue him for the whole farm.