Numbers 35:16

Numbers 35:16 says, And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.  Sanctuary cities did not remove the penalty for murder from a person.  If they deliberately killed someone, they were still to be put to death, even if they had fled to a sanctuary city.  Verse seventeen adds, And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.  Verse eighteen continues, Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.  A couple of more ways of deliberately killing someone were listed.  It didn't really matter what method of killing was used, but what mattered was the intent.  Deliberately killing someone by any method brought a death sentence.  Verse nineteen states, The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.  The one who was the blood revenger, the relative of the person murdered was to carry out the death sentence when he met the murderer.  This was only to be done if there was no doubt that the man had committed the murder, and Matthew Henry says some suggest that even then it was to be done only after the man was found guilty in the court of law.  This was not for revenge, but to fulfill the law.  Verse twenty adds, But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;  Verse twenty-one continues, Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.  These verses say that if a person kills another out of hatred or by laying in wait to kill him for whatever reason, he will be put to death by the one who is the blood relative chosen to do so.  Again, this is not to be done for revenge, but is to be done to fulfill the law.  We today as followers of Christ are to act under His law, which is the law of forgiveness.  We are never to act out of hatred for another person, but are always to look for them to be redeemed by Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty-two says, But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,  Verse twenty-three adds, Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm:  There is once again a distinction made between accidentally killing someone and murdering someone deliberately, and the one who accidentally killed another was not to be killed.  Verse twenty-four continues, Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:  The congregation was to judge between the slayer and the revenger in this case.  The law of God was still in effect, just as it is today.