Waiting for the Sentence.
IT was a solemn day for that prisoner as he waited for the verdict. A plainly-declared law had been broken, and they had “found him” in the transgression. Moreover, the penalty also had been pronounced, and that penalty death. Thus the statute ran, “The soul that doeth aught presumptuously” (marginal reading, “with a high hand”), “whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken His commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him” (Num. 15:30-3330But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 31Because he hath despised the word of the Lord, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him. 32And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. 33And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation. (Numbers 15:30‑33)).
The commandment had forbidden “any work” being done on the Sabbath day (Exod. 20:1010But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: (Exodus 20:10)), and witnesses had found this man gathering sticks on that day. Notice the account of what followed. “And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him” (vs. 34). There was a double inquiry.
First. Had he sinned against light and knowledge, i.e. “with a high hand”?
Second. In case he had, how should the, loath sentence be carried out?
The first was known to the man himself, his own conscience bearing witness. The second was distinctly pronounced by God: “The man shall surely be put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp” (vs. 35). Here was judgment without mercy, and carried out to its extremity.
Execution Stayed.
More than fifteen hundred years after the event just referred to, another culprit is brought before us on the page of sacred history. This time it is a woman, but, no less than the man just referred to, she is verily guilty―guilty of a deliberate breach of a known law. Like the first case, there is not a breath of excuse from the culprit’s lips, while denial would only add iniquity to iniquity. They had each been “taken in the very act.”
Up to this point, therefore, the two cases run pretty much together. But what a contrast follows! Her sinful act had in itself “reproached” the Lord, though such may not have been the intent of her act (Num. 15:3030But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. (Numbers 15:30)). But there was at that very spot, in the very bosom of her accusers, a wickedness still more deeply seated, notwithstanding that it came in the garb of a repute for scriptural knowledge, in the Scribes, or of a pretentious zeal for religious ceremonial in the Pharisees. For they would, if they could, use one form of reproach to entangle Him in another. If the sin of the law-breaker was a reproach to the holy Law-giver, it was because “He loved righteousness and hated iniquity.” But if they could only press Him to make light of the sin in His kindness to the sinner, it would be a greater reproach still. So we read they say unto Him, “Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest Thou? This they said tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him” (John 8:5, 65Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? 6This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. (John 8:5‑6)). No doubt they reasoned thus: If He shall say, “Put her to death,” what will become of His reputation for grace and kindness? If He shall say, “Let her go free,” He will be in conflict with Moses and the law!
Poor blinded ones! They had no eyes to see that the Lawgiver Himself was there, and that He who passed sentence on the law-breaker (Num. 15) decided also who should be his executioners, and where the place of his execution. “All the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.”
The god of this world was blinding these caviling Pharisees as to the holy dignity of Him whom by craft they sought to catch. But He stands upon His sovereign right notwithstanding, and says, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her”! As though He had said, “If you take the place of Moses and put this woman in ward till you inquire what shall be done to her, you shall have an answer so divinely righteous that the law-giver himself could find no fault with it.”
Instantly a faithful witness rises up and effectually disqualifies every one of them, a witness who was privy to their own dark deeds. “Conscience” drags them to the bar, and summarily convicts every one of them. Stripping off their cloak of self-righteousness, and covering them with shame and confusion, he made them glad to hurry away from the presence of Him who could read them through and through.
This holy, blessed Son of God was now left “alone.” Yes, as the Executor of God’s judgment, how absolutely He must stand “alone”! No one but He is equal to that solemn office, for none but He is absolutely without sin.
But now comes a very serious question. Can sin escape without righteous judgment? To this there is only one answer: IMPOSSIBLE. How, then, is it to be carried out and sinners be saved?
The Sentence Executed.
Here we come to that which must ever be, the wonder of all created intelligences—how the execution of the sentence and the deliverance of the sentenced can be rightly reconciled. “These things,” we are told, “the angels desire to look into”; and well they may, for the only solution of this “mystery of love” is in the fact that the only executor of God’s judgment on man’s sin has been to the spot where judgment was demanded and has answered for him by laying down His own precious life-blood in his stead.
But tidings have reached me―tidings from God Himself― “tidings of peace.” What is this news? It is this: the holy soul of the Sinless One has been made “an offering for sin” (Isa. 53:1010Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. (Isaiah 53:10)). It declares that Jehovah hath laid on Him my iniquities (vs. 6), that He was “cut off out of the land of the living,” and that God has had it thus recorded: “For the transgression of My people was He stricken” (vs. 8); that “He was wounded for our transgressions,” that He was “bruised for our iniquities,” that “the chastisement of our peace was upon Him,” and that “with His stripes we are healed.”
“He took the guilty culprit’s place,
And suffered in his stead.
For man―oh, miracle of grace!
For man the Savior bled.”
The Sabbath-breaker was “cut off” with his own iniquities upon Him. Jesus was “cut off” with my iniquities upon Him. But death could not hold Him; that was impossible. He is risen. He left the grave as the witness that the whole question of sin had been settled, and the power of death forever broken for all who believe in Him. “HE WENT INTO DEATH AS AN INVADER AND CAME OUT OF IT AS CONQUEROR.” He brought, as the Risen One, the “tidings of peace” to His followers.
More than this, He has gone up to heaven and sent down the Holy Ghost to assure them that there is now “no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:11There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)); that, as another has aptly put it, “He who loved righteousness and hated iniquity” has “died for the iniquity He hated, that He might establish the righteousness He loved.” So that if He could say of Himself personally, “Which of you convinceth Me of sin” (John 8:4646Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? (John 8:46)), the Holy Spirit can say of His people, “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Rom. 8:33, 3433Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (Romans 8:33‑34)).
What think ye of such a Savior, my reader? If He is worthy of your confidence, make His acquaintance early, and be at rest.