Basic HTML Version
11
this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people
will also go to their places in peace.” So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did
all that he had said. . . .” Deuteronomy 17:8-13.
The Coming Establishment of God’s Righteous Government
Jesus Christ is now schooling His select people as He did His early apostles to aid Him after
having returned to this earth to begin teaching and ruling as Priests and Kings in His coming
Government:
Isaiah 1:26 “I will restore your judges as at the first and your counselors as at the
beginning. Afterward you will be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.”
Restitution
Short of the death penalty in certain theft situations— restitution (
meaning to restore, a giving
back to the rightful owner
) was to be made to the owner over and above what had been stolen
from him:
Exodus 22:1“If a man STEALS an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall
RESTORE five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.”
The application of God’s law of restitution even applied in real life situations such as that of
King David. He is an example of one who was guilty of stealing another man’s wife and then he
brought about the death of her husband to cover up his sin after finding she had been
impregnated by him. Like most people will do in a crisis situation, he justified himself for what
he had done and put it out of his mind.
The merciful and wonderful God that He is gave David about a year to come to see the terrible
thing he did and repent; it did not happen
(II Samuel 11:1-17
).
The LORD then sent His Prophet Nathan to King David with a little parable to try and enable
him to see the awful thing he had done. After hearing from the Prophet Nathan the parable of the
rich man choosing to steal the one lamb from a poor man for his own selfish purpose instead of
one from his own flock (
I Samuel 12:1-14
). King David was incensed, very angry, and applying
God’s law of restitution, said to Nathan:
II Samuel 12:5-7 “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! And he
shall restore 4-fold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”
Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! . . .”
The Painful Penalty Imposed on King David
Samuel speaking for God, made known the sentence King David had decreed for that man would
come to pass in his own family: