A Life in Exile

Some find it hard to read the Old Testament, especially the books that hold the Law. I’ve actually grown to love the first five books of our Bible in recent years, as sermons and Bible studies at my local church have taken me into deep dives in the Torah. During these deep studies, I’ve seen what I’ve always known but sometimes ignored—the Bible is interconnected. What we hear from God in the Old Testament directly affects the words and actions of Christ in the New. There is nothing too insignificant to miss our notice.

Giving witness to wrongdoing.

I was listening to the book of Deuteronomy, as it came up through the chronological Bible plan I’m following this year, when something caught my ear. The words were from the seventeenth chapter of the book where the Lord was giving directions about judicial procedure for idolatry.

If an Israelite is discovered bowing in worship to what God has forbidden, such as the sun, moon, or stars, the issue is to be investigated thoroughly. See what it says next is to take place:

If the report turns out to be true that this detestable act has been done in Israel, you are to bring out to your city gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing and stone them to death. The one condemned to die is to be executed on the testimony of two or three witnesses. No one is to be executed on the testimony of a single witness. The witnesses’ hands are to be the first in putting him to death, and after that, the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from you. (Deuteronomy 17: 4b-7 CSB, emphasis added)

I took note of several things in this passage:

• A person cannot be condemned without a thorough investigation.
• There must be at least two or three witnesses to the wrongdoing.
• A single witness’s testimony will not suffice.

If that were it, I would be happy. I’m so glad that God’s Law doesn’t accept frivolous accusations, but requires a thorough examination of the facts. But that’s not all that was demanded. No, it becomes much more personal.

The witnesses are the ones who throw the first stones.

Wow, I didn’t see that coming. It wasn’t enough to take a stand before the judge and give witness to having seen a fellow Israelite commit idolatry; that person needed to be prepared to participate—actively participate—in the punishment. What was that punishment in this case? Death by stoning.

That would make a person think twice before making an accusation, now, wouldn’t it? Just another reason why a person couldn’t be condemned on the testimony of just a single witness. More than one person must be willing to pick up a stone. This adds weight (literally and figuratively) to the responsibility a person has in giving testimony against their fellow Israelite.

God was serious in requiring his people to be holy as he is holy. He said it more than once in the books of the Torah. His people had to live set-apart lives and keep the land pure as well if they were to be a blessing to the nations, give glory to God, and be blessed themselves. The worship of created or man-made false deities could not, absolutely could not, be tolerated. Still, in requiring the witnesses to take an active part in the punishment, the Lord was showing his grace to those accused. If they were innocent, then the words of one witness or the thorough investigation would let them go free. If they were innocent, would two or three friends and neighbors really be willing to throw the first stone?

Jesus had something to say about the matter.

By the time Jesus entered into history, it had been well-documented that Israel had failed at being holy. They ignored God’s Law and not just worshiped but threw themselves at the idols of the nations around them. This led to their exile, the lack of blessing on the land of promise, and the destruction of God’s temple. Even after the temple was rebuilt, the Lord refused to let his glory rest there. He could not dwell among a sinful and idolatrous people.

Jesus entered history four hundred years after the words were spoken through the final prophet, ushering in God’s ultimate plan to redeem his people. While they waited for the promised Messiah, the remnant of God’s people in Israel kept trying to keep the law. Religious leaders, in their blind zeal, added even more rules and restrictions, which had nothing to do with God’s grace and love for all nations.  It was into this oppressive environment that Jesus found a woman accused of adultery.

Along with idolatry, another sin that required stoning was adultery. He was teaching the people in the temple courts when the scribes and Pharisees brought the woman before him. There is no mention of two or three witnesses or a thorough investigation, as ordained in Deuteronomy; no, they were just using this woman in hopes of trapping Jesus with his words.

“Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They asked this to trap him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse him.

Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with his finger. When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:4-7, emphasis added)

Ouch. “The one without sin.” Yes, that’s what he said. If you want to condemn this woman, then you need to examine your own heart. Why would he say that? Because he knew, not only were they not following the letter of the Law, but they were accusing her without pure motives. And, perhaps third (though only Jesus knew), they had sinned in ways that deserved the same punishment.

Did they start defending themselves? Get upset? No. What does John tell us?

When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only he was left, with the woman in the center. (John 8:9)

The older men knew he was right. They knew they had no standing to condemn this woman, so they walked away. Then, seeing their elders leave, the younger scribes and Pharisees got the message and slunk off too, leaving Jesus and the woman standing alone.

Though Jesus knew what the woman had done, he tells her to go. It was not for him to condemn her according to the Law. He was not one of the two or three witnesses to the act. But he doesn’t just tell her to go and live her life as before; no, he tells her to go “and from now on do not sin anymore.” He showed her grace while speaking truth.

Throwing stones.

It is so easy for us, today, to accuse others and even throw symbolic stones of gaslighting, cancellation, gossip, and excommunication, when we hide behind a computer or social media post. We might even stand in a demonstration and let others speak for us. But we never hold ourselves responsible for the hurt that comes to a person’s life, especially to those who claim to be our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We don’t ask questions, investigate thoroughly, but act on hearsay and third-hand information.

Where is God’s grace in all that?

Yes, I believe the church and Christians need to be held to a higher standard. We are to be holy, as he is holy. But I do not believe we are living by the spirit of the Law in throwing stones through our words and actions without following the directives given us from the earliest of days in God’s Word.

• Are we the first-hand witness to the sin or transgression?
• Do we have two or three others who are also first-hand witnesses?
• Are we thoroughly investigating the wrong-doing before conviction?
• Are we willing to be the one to stand before the church and condemn the person for their actions?

If we cannot answer yes to the above, then we are worthy of being faced with the ultimate question: Are you without sin? Stop throwing stones.

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Wednesday Wisdom, click HERE, or check out these other posts on judging others: Lessons from the Mountainside 25, When Judgment Comes,  No, I’m the Worst, and Learning from the Past: Twelve.