Tag Archives: stone her

AND THE WOMAN?…

Bible Study, ,

John 8:3-11 NLT
[3] “As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. [4] “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. [5] The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” [6] They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. [7] They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” [8] Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. [9] When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. [10] Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” [11] “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” ———-

I think that this is one of the most powerful and beautiful stories in the New Testament. Despite the fact that it was not in the original Greek text, God designed it to be a part of His written Word.

This story speaks volumes about many things, an intricately woven tapestry of truth about God and people.

Picture the scene. A group of men, scribes and Pharisees, all clad in their ceremonial robes, complete with prayer shawls adorned with extra-long tassels, all dedicated to the study and practice of their religion, representatives of the God they claimed to worship…. triumphantly dragging a half-naked, guilty woman into the public eye. They dumped her down before Jesus for a verdict. (Was one of them wearing his robes over his street clothes…the man she was with in her sin…?)

For them, this was not a case for judgment to rid society of an evil doer. This was a test to snare Jesus into making a wrong judgment. These men might get her stoned but better still, they might get Jesus to act out of character for the sake of the Law they so vehemently defended. Then they could deal with Him legitimately according to God’s law.

Their challenge was noisy, demanding and insistent. “Come on, Jesus! What do you say!” (Implied…you say you have authority. What does your authority say? Your word or the Law of Moses?)

Jesus said nothing. His silence spoke volumes. Was He confused, undecided, wondering how to answer them? No, not at all!

They knew that He came down heavily on the side of compassion. What would He do in the face of so blatant an infringement of the Law ?

These men forgot or ignored one thing…Jesus was God’s Word incarnate, the Word of God in flesh and blood. So, the most natural thing for Him to do was to BE the word to them.

So, He bent down and wrote in the dust…

Jeremiah 17:13 NIV
[13] “Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be WRITTEN IN THE DUST because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.”

In the context of the story (John 7:37-38), Jesus had just offered “living water” to thirsty people, which the religious leaders had rejected. Instead, they sent soldiers to arrest Him.

They waited impatiently while He carefully traced His words in the dust. Then they melted away….

What caused these “witnesses” to slink away in shame and humiliation when Jesus wrote in the dust? What did He write? Their names! JESUS KNEW THEIR NAMES!

Case dismissed! Gone, the witnesses; gone, the accusers; gone, the trial! Jesus was free to forgive, and send her on her way clean, to start again.

These wily, conniving religious hypocrites could not dodge the truth. Jesus, was who He said He was, God Himself, the Son of God, boref deep into their rotten souls and called their bluff!

And the guilty sinner?…

Forgiven, set free from the guilt of her sin, sent home to begin again!

What was in the mind of woman, now a solitary figure lying in the dust at Jesus’ feet?

Never was she so close to death.
Never was she so close to forgiveness.
Never was she so close to a new life.
Never was she so close to real holiness.
Never was she so close to God.

Everything changed that day for her.

She came out filthy, exposed, and guilty… She went home forgiven, cleansed, and free.

As for her accusers, nothing changed!

WRITTEN IN THE DUST

Christian life, ,

WRITTEN IN THE DUST

“As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.”

John 8:3-6 NLT

I am indebted to Pastor Ken Legg for his teaching on this passage of Scripture.

Jesus and His opponents were locked in a deadly game of cat and mouse. His claim to be the Son of God had sent His enemies into a frenzy of murderous hatred.

On this occasion, recorded in John 7, during the Feast of Tabernacles, the religious leaders instructed the temple guards to arrest Him, but the guards returned empty-handed. Why? The temple guards were overwhelmed by Jesus’ words. “No one ever spoke like this man, ” they responded.

The high priest had concluded the Feast of Tabernacles with the water ceremony, pouring water on the ground from a large pitcher. The water disappeared into the hot soil, never to quench the thirst of any thirsty person – symbolic of the failure of Isreal’s religion to satisfy. Jesus, in response, called thirsty people to come to Him and He would give them living water.

The religious leaders had failed to arrest Jesus, so, incensed by His invitation, and intent on their purpose to silence Him, they set a trap to catch Him out as a law-breaker.

They brought to Jesus a woman caught in the act of adultery. What would He do as a Rabbi with authority? Would He uphold the law or apply His  yoke of mercy in defiance of the law? 

They gathered around Jesus, clamouring for His response. Jesus knew the Scriptures. Silently, He bent down and wrote on the ground. What did He write? Many have guessed, but perhaps God’s Word itself provides the answer.

Look at Jeremiah 17….

“10 “I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”… 13 Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.”

Jeremiah 17:9-10, 13 NIV

Was Jesus acting out Jeremiah’s words by writing their names in the dust?

Why did Jesus write their names in the dust?

“The name of the righteous is used in blessings, but the name of the wicked will rot.“ Proverbs 10:7 NIV

He was warning them of judgment. There are only two places in Scripture where the names of people are written.

The Lamb’s Book of Life – (the palm of God’s hand) is an indelible record of the names of the righteous.

The dust of the earth – is a transient record of the names of the ungodly. Just as their names would disappear from the dust, so these men would perish and be forgotten.

Jesus looked up at them. His action and His gaze said it all. “I know you.” In that moment, their guilt was exposed and they slunk away, mortified and convicted but even more determined to silence Him.

What was the outcome for the woman? With the witnesses gone, Jesus could apply His yoke of mercy.

This story reminds me of another encounter Jesus had with a loose woman. He met her at a well and offered her living water. To her, he was just a man. She was interested and fascinated until He revealed the shocking truth… “I know you.”

Unlike the scribes and Pharisees, who shrank from Jesus’ disclosure, the woman of Samaria, finally convinced and with excited joy, rushed back to the village to share the news with her fellow villagers.

“29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?”

John 4:28-29 NLT

The Scriptures assert,

27 The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.

Proverbs 20:27 NLT

“13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Hebrews 4:13 NIV

David, in Psalm 139, reveals the wonderful purpose of God’s intimate knowledge, to protect, guide and bless.

“You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head…  9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me… 17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!

Psalms 139:5, 9-10, 17-18 NLT

This revelation of God’s knowledge should lead us to pray, with David…

“23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

Psalms 139:23-24 NLT

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.