Chapter 11: God’s Eternal Character

Page 38

Hill also used Numbers 35:33 to justify spilling the abortion doctor’s blood. In his eyes, killing the abortion doctor would be atonement to God of the prior blood that was shed by the doctor’s actions.

“So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood

defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.” Numbers 35:33

However, Hill ignored the verse that immediately follows:

“Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.’ ” Numbers 35:34

Verse 34 is the “because” verse that qualifies verse 33. The why of

verse 33 is because God dwells “in the midst of the land.” Paul Hill doesn’t just lift verse 33 out of its immediate context, which is the place where God dwells; he lifts it out of the context of the entire chapter of Numbers 35. This is where God teaches the Israelites how to make the distinction between

manslaughter [accidental killing] and murder [premeditated killing]. Verses 22-24 are God’s criteria for sorting out the difference. In these verses, God explains how to discern “intent.”

“However, if he pushes him suddenly without enmity, or

throws anything at him without lying in wait, or uses a stone, by which a man could die, throwing it at him without seeing him, so that he dies, while he was not his enemy or seeking his harm, then the congregation shall judge between

the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments.” Numbers 35:22-24

God Examines Your Intentions!

Numbers 35 is the instruction from God to establish safe cities for those who accidentally kill someone [manslaughter]. Paul Hill also ignores