Jehovah Considers Life to Be Precious (Modified Talk)

When something is precious to us, it's valuable and not to be treated lightly or carelessly. The Bible often teaches us that human life is precious to Jehovah: he is the source of life, breath, and all things (Psalm 36:9; Revelation 4:11). He is the reason we're alive.

Another way that we know human life is precious to Jehovah is by studying the ancient cities of refuge in Israel. If we turn to Deuteronomy 19:2-3, notice what Moses wrote under inspiration about the accessibility of these ancient cities.

The Israelites had to set up three cities to the west of the Jordan and three cities of refuge to the east: notice that these cities also had to be easily accessible to an unintentional manslayer in order that he could arrive safely to the city.

The roads to the city of refuge were kept in good repair and Jewish tradition even states that signposts were erected to help fugitives reach the cities. In this way, Jehovah illustrated how precious life is to him and it prevented the unintentional manslayer from going to a foreign land that would be filled with idolatry.

In addition, ordained cities of refuge protected the Israelites from bloodguilt. Deuteronomy 19:10 demonstrates this point. Read Deuteronomy 19:10.

No bloodguilt would come upon Israel if the nation adhered to Jehovah's commands regarding the cities of refuge. This arrangement permitted Jehovah to show mercy to an unintentional manslayer, but it did not mean that God merely overlooked killing that happened through negligence. The Israelites were supposed to take steps to prevent such killing. Furthermore, the manslayer needed to present his case before the elders of the city, then if they judged his case to be accidental, the one found to have committed the act unintentionally had to remain in the city of refuge until the death of the current high priest. So he might spend his whole life there, depending on the age and service of the high priest.

These consequences emphasized how precious and sacred that life is: Jehovah does not take illegitimate killing lightly, even if it's unintentional.

Another lesson we learn from the cities of refuge is found in Deuteronomy 19:11-13 (read). The cities of refuge were not meant to protect willful murderers. If an Israelite hated his brother or slandered him, it was comparable to murdering him. Yes, anyone hating his brother or willfully taking a fellow believer's life would be accountable to Jehovah, the supreme life-giver (1 John 3:14-16); and since Jehovah has not changed today, in what ways does he expect us to treat human life with care? See Malachi 3:6.

A) driving while texting; B) speeding or careless driving C) avoid working unsafely