7. The Protection of Human Life
After the flood the future of the human race depended on one family. Life is precarious. God’s ordinance to avenge murder come then as a “shield to cover the life of people”. Three things had cause death: “predatory animals, murder, and the flood” (62). God, thus, protects them against all three:
“Against the flood by means of his promise, against the predatory animal by means of his ordinance, and against murder by means of his commandment.” (62)
As an aside Kuyper looks at the extent of the flood: “it could well be that in the narrative of the flood, such general expressions are referring only to that part of the world that counted for Noah or where people lived”(63).
Genesis 9:5 is not a command for capital punishment. Mention is only made here as to what God will do. Capital punishment is the subject of the next few chapters.
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