The verses below are among of the responses employed by Muslims whenever Christians confront them about the brutal killing of non-Muslims as commanded by their god Allah;
[Deuteronomy 22:22] If a man is found having sex with a woman who is married to someone else, both of them must die—the man who was having sex with the woman and the woman herself. Remove such evil from Israel!
[Leviticus 20:10] “’If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.
ANSWER:
The answer to this issue is found in Deuteronomy 22:22 itself: “Remove such evil from Israel.” Why did the merciful God give this command? Because during that period, God dwelt among the Israelites. He had set the people of Israel apart and commanded them to remain holy.
What does it mean to be “holy”? It means to be set apart for God and to avoid sin. How could Israel remain a holy nation if such immoral acts were tolerated and practiced as a custom?
Why did God set apart a holy nation? Because it was through this nation that the Holy One and Savior, Jesus Christ, would come into the world. Israel was chosen as the people through whom God would fulfill His plan of salvation.
After the Holy One, Jesus Christ, was born and His mission was fulfilled, God no longer commanded Israel to carry out that specific civil punishment. Nevertheless, Scripture teaches that all sinners will ultimately face God’s judgment on the Day of Judgment unless they receive His mercy.
In the case of those who were executed under the Law of Moses, their judgment came earlier because of the sins they committed in God’s very presence. God dwelt among the Israelites, yet despite knowing this, some still committed grievous sins without fear of Him. Their actions were not merely violations of the law; they were direct acts of defiance against God. God does not want killing wicked people as much as possible;
[Deuteronomy 18:23] “Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign LORD. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.
[Ezekiel 33:11] Say to them: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked should turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?’
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