Act of God - Part 7

Crime and Punishment

The Bible is very clear on it's morals and laws. But it is also clear on God's mercy and purposes. When the nation of Israel was miraculously delivered from slavery, they were promised protection, prosperity and peace. However, this promises was not based on any ethnic favouritism, or national preference on God's part. The reason for God's dealings with ancient Israel was the faithfulness and courage of certain individuals, beginning with Abraham – still widely called the “Father of the nation.” Abraham, and others like him had proven loyal, trusting in God, even to death, or at the possibility of losing his own son. Because of his faith, God made a promise to Abraham, saying - “By myself I do swear,’ is the utterance of Jehovah, ‘that by reason of the fact that you have done this thing and you have not withheld your son, your only one, I shall surely bless you and I shall surely multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and like the grains of sand that are on the seashore; and your seed will take possession of the gate of his enemies. And by means of your seed all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves due to the fact that you have listened to my voice.’ - (Genesis 22.15-18). One of the elements of that divine promise was to bring about the Messiah – or “Anointed” one of God. That person would become a saviour to the world, bringing blessings and peace to the whole of mankind. However, God realistically warned that - mankind in general would oppose that arrangement, often with violence. And so it has proved to be throughout history. First the Jewish nation have been mercilessly persecuted down through the ages – even by religious people claiming to serve God. The one identified in scripture as the foretold Messiah, and by his outstanding actions and teachings – Jesus Christ – was rejected, beaten and executed by the very nation that had sworn to obey God, and had been waiting for the Messiah since the time of their forefather – Abraham. This resistance to God's representatives continued with the early Christians, and continues today, with those who try to uphold Gods standards often ridiculed, abused, imprisoned, and even murdered. But neither warring pagan nations, nor official banning of religion can stop God's purpose for mankind. This is demonstrated by the ability of ancient Israel to survive and flourish among hostile nations that outnumbered them greatly. God even promised that – when they obeyed his command to go to Jerusalem for the Passover, and other important festivals, their properties, land, and families would be kept safe by God himself. It is a remarkable fact of history that ancient Israel survived, despite being defenceless on every Sabbath (Israelites were forbidden to do anything on the Sabbath), and with most males traveling to Jerusalem for the Passover, and holy assemblies throughout the year. Any enemy could have invaded at these times - yet, through all the centuries that God was protecting the nation, no nation invaded on a Sabbath, a Passover, or any other festival. This was because of a remarkable promise made by God himself when he declared “Nobody will desire your land while you are going up to see the face of God three times a year.” (Exodus 34.24) Ironically, many years after God disowned the nation of Israel – as warned by the prophets, and confirmed by Jesus Christ – the Macabean rebellion was finally defeated when the invading armies deliberately attacked them on a Sabbath – knowing that the Israelites were forbidden to fight back.

As part of God's promise to Abraham, and his descendants, God had chosen a land for the people of Israel, a land then inhabited by evil, violent people. But to benefit from God's favour, blessing and protection, the whole nation of Israel had to make a legal agreement with God, a “Covenant.” When God gave his laws to them he asked them if they wanted to abide by his laws. The entire population of Israel at that time agreed wholeheartedly to obey God's laws, and swore to abide by his legal covenant. Every member of that nation had the opportunity to refuse and to walk away and either join the nations around them, or start their own community elsewhere. When the Israelites made that oath, they were very aware of the consequences of breaking God's laws. It was a ritual of the nation to read, and have the law read on a regular basis in fact, every day. Even the children of that nation were taught God's commandments from infancy. There could be no excuse for not knowing what was forbidden under God's laws. Even today, in many modern lands such as Britain and the USA, citizens are not able to be excused from breaking the nation's laws - due to not knowing them. The legal term is “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.” Now that may seem a bit harsh from a human standpoint because usually, only lawyers and solicitors have studied the laws of the land they live in, yet, we are all expected to be familiar with the laws of the land.

All kingdoms, or governments, have standards and laws. If someone wanted to become a citizen of the USA they would have to agree to abide by the laws and morals of that nation, otherwise, they would not be permitted entry. If they became an American citizen and then broke those laws they would be held accountable, and would incur the legal punishment, whether a fine, imprisonment, or even death. But, who makes those laws, and how are they decided upon? The laws of the US, like many democratic nations, are voted for by the majority of citizens. This is true most, but not all, of the time. But never are laws agreed upon by all members of society, in fact, often, laws that are enforced are opposed by a great many in society, sometimes even the majority. What methods are used for capital punishment - crimes punishable by death? Mankind have invented and administered many gruesome executional methods, such as electrocution, hanging, beheading, and poisoning. So mankind are not in a very good position to judge the creator of the physical universe and the God of our earth.

But what was the punishment for breaking the laws in ancient Israel, and what was the method of execution used for capital punishment, where applicable? Before answering that question, and scrutinizing God's laws of crime and punishment, it is worth assessing mankind's history of crime and punishment. All through the ages, in every society, nations have enforced laws, often simply to maintain the status quo, or to protect the interests of the richest and most powerful in society. Men have administered some brutal and torturous methods of inflicting death on the so-called “guilty.” In ancient times, prisoners could be skinned alive, or have their body members removed. In medievil times, even in advanced civilizations such as Europe, many lawbreakers were dealt with in the most severe and barbaric ways. Simple thieves had their hands cut off. Heretics had their tongues ripped out. Some were dragged under ships to drown, while being cut to pieces by barnacles, Witches were often “tried” by ducking them in rivers, half drowning them until they confessed. They were then “cleansed” by being burned alive. Even in relatively modern times, like the nineteenth century, nations such as Japan, Russia, USA and Britain have wielded severe punishments upon those found guilty of breaking their laws. Britain often punished young men, including teenagers, who refused to fight in wars, by hanging them until they suffocated, or fired a dozen bullets into their bodies. The US states have inflicted, and still inflict today, a bizarre selection of death-dealing methods such as burning the lungs with poisonous gas, frying the body with electricity, and injecting lethal chemicals into the body, paralyzing the heart and muscles. And why were the criminals of history punished so? - in ancient times, often for the simplest of “crimes” like stealing a loaf of bread. In more recent times, for disagreeing with the churches, or the state, or for holding different beliefs, or for refusing to take up arms for their country. And even today, citizens can still be executed for treason, blasphemy, desertion, and cowardice.

This brings us to another sad fact about mankind's history of justice. It is impossible to say how many innocent victims have paid with their lives for crimes they did not commit. No judge or jury can read a man's heart or mind. Furthermore, Judges and jury are made up of humans – fallible, prejudiced, emotional humans. In one recent court case, in which the defendant was thankfully not on trial for his life, an investigator asked some members of the jury why they had voted “not guilty” when the evidence strongly pointed to the opposite conclusion. Several members answered that they were not actually paying that much attention to the details of the case because they thought the accused was “very cute.”

There was no such opportunity for prejudice perverting the course of justice in ancient Israel. The law was clear, taught to every person from childhood, non-negotiable, and not subject to human interpretation, or intervention. A person was free to agree to the law, and abide by it – accepting the penalties for breaking it, or leave the community and start a new life elsewhere.

Unlike modern justice, God's law demanded that a person could only be found guilty of a capital offense at the testimony of at least two witnesses. This helped prevent fabricated accusations. The accusers in such a crime would be at risk of death themselves, if it were found that their testimony was false. Again, this was a strong deterrent to lying.

Most crimes were dealt with in a balanced way – like for like. For example, if someone stole something, they had to pay back double what they stole, as a lesson in honesty. However, the Mosaic law listed several acts that were punishable by death - in the nation of Israel only, on a temporary basis, to keep the nation clean from violent acts, gross disrespect, degrading practices, false worship, and the occult. These laws are not binding on Christians, or any other people, but were agreed upon between God and the nation at that time. Apart from murder, other acts which were punishable by death included the following;

Idol worship - unfaithful acts of worship to false gods.

If God exists, and created all things, then He is all-powerful, and has wisdom and power beyond the capability and comprehension of mere humans. As the Bible bluntly reminds us – humans are “breath, grass, dust.” Therefore, to come to know God, to appreciate his deep wisdom and creativity, his generosity and kindness, a person would surely feel a deep sense of gratitude and humility before him. Imagine a benefactor who gives a family a beautiful home, rent free. He furnishes it with everything they could desire, gives them the freedom and means to change it, expand it, and to put their own stamp on it. Furthermore, the benefactor guarantees the necessities of life free, for as long as they wish to remain, and as long as they show respect for that gift, and the owner who gave it. Now imagine, that family allows that home and it's land to fall into neglect and disrepair. They sub-let it out to violent vandals who wreck it. They ignore the wishes of the landlord, and they refuse to tell others about his generosity. In fact, they insult the owner and spread false defamatory accusations against him. They finally start paying rent to another man who has seized the property illegally. What would the benevolent Landlord think and do? Wouldn't he evict them from the home, perhaps sue them for slander? That is similar to false worship – the giving of praise, thanks and worship to fake deities who are violent, perverted, and oppressive, and enemies of God. No wonder God viewed idolatry so seriously. In connection with this, the law also forbade all forms of Spiritism – witchcraft, divination, astrology, communicating with the dead, predicting the future etc. This was because - according to the Bible – such practices re-enforced the unscriptural lie that there are many gods, that humans have immortal souls, and can be contacted after death, and that humans had the power of future sight – without God's help.


Adultery – the unfaithful act of sex with someone else's husband or wife.

The act of marriage – initiated by God himself in the beginning – is a sacred institution, a profound vow and covenant, whereby a man and woman become - “One flesh”, and a “Compliment” of each other – as the Bible puts it. This oneness is true in every sense – physical, emotional, spiritual, and social, and it is meant to last indefinitely – till death seperates them. The level of intimacy between husband and wife is unique and complex, and is the cornerstone of human relationships. Unfortunately, over time, and with changing attitudes – especially towards God and the Bible – marriage has lost it's authority, its mystique, and it's appeal. In our modern world, marriage has been relegated to a disposable relationship, whereby the couple can leave for any mundane reason, if the relationship does not live up to their expectations or desires. Such self-centered, disrespectful attitudes have eroded the sanctity and meaning of marriage. Such trivial words as “Affair” and “Fling” are used to describe the desecrating act of sexual interaction with a person outside of the marriage. But these words do not reflect the devastating damage – physical, emotional, and social that such illicit actions bring. Many hurt marriage partners – husbands and wives – have been devastated, and have lost their self-esteem, their purpose, and their stability in life, due to the deceitful and callous disregard for the sanctity of marriage, by their unfaithful partner. Suicide rates are high in those whose marriages breakdown against their will. On rare occasions, spurned spouses have attacked, and even murdered their spouses, because of unfaithfulness in a marriage relationship - such is the intensity of the bond between a man and woman in matrimony.

And then there is the devastation wreaked upon children within a marriage. The trauma of separation of their parents can have a profound effect on the mental well-being of children, often leaving them feeling as if they are to blame, and with feelings of low self-worth. Such children from broken homes often have trust issues themselves, and find relationships difficult to cope with. I myself come from a broken family where one of my parents cheated on the other. I witnessed the the agony and slow demise of my hurt parent, and I myself found it very hard to trust people in relationships after.

Contrary to the modern human, flippant attitude to marriage and families, God – Jehovah – the originator of marriage sees things very differently. To him marriage is sacred – for life. To him, adultery - a word avoided by society today because of it's severity - is not only a crime against a person's chosen husband or wife, and their children, but it is a crime against God himself. It is gross disrespect to the giver of life, and the founder of relationships. The Bible tells us that “God hates a divorcing.” It further describes marriage as “Honourable” and calls any illicit relationship with a married person - “Defilement.” Even though Jesus – God's representative, and the perfect representation of God on earth – confirmed how his Father felt about marriage, he did go on to reveal that, Adultery is the only grounds for a legitimate divorce, in the eyes of God. This is because God recognises the pain and trauma inflicted upon an injured spouse, and He releases them from their oath of marriage – if they cannot forgive the offending spouse. However, even in such situations, God encourages married couples to try and find a way to salvage their marriage – in forgiveness and change.

Striking, or grossly disrespecting parents.

Parenting has undergone massive transformations in our modern times. New philosophies and trends on raising children have challenged the Biblical authority. Today's generation – particularly in the Western world - is not taught respect or consideration for parents or the elderly. Modern societies – especially in the west – look down on age, and show gross disrespect for the elderly in society. Old people are collectively blamed for all the ills of the world, and are ridiculed, caricatured, and ignored. The World Health Organization reports that - “1 in 6 people – 60 years and over – experienced some form of community abuse in the last year.” Many of these crimes were committed by the children of the elderly.

How does God view this development? The Mosaic law taught people to show particular respect and reverence for the elderly, and parents – because of their experience, wisdom, and faithful service. “Before gray hair you should rise up, and you must show consideration for the person of an old man” (Le 19:32).

In fact, one of the ten commandments was regarding respect for older people - “Honor your father and your mother in order that your days may prove long upon the ground that Jehovah your God is giving you.” (Ex. 20:12)

The Mosaic law was very clear and specific on this matter - “And one who strikes his father and his mother is to be put to death without fail. And one who calls down evil upon his father and his mother is to be put to death without fail.”—Ex. 21:15, 17.

“He that is maltreating a father and that chases a mother away is a son acting shamefully and disgracefully.” - Proverbs. 19:26.

The nation of Israel – including all children, teenagers and younger adults - were painfully aware of this law, and God's requirements of respect and honour for older people, and parents. There is a particular event in the Bible which has drawn severe condemnation form critics – that of the children who were savaged by a bear when they insulted and ridiculed God's prophet – Elijah. But, the Bible makes it clear that – not only were these not young infants, but that they were fully aware of their responsibilities before society and God. In disrespecting the prophet, they were grossly disrespecting God, and they paid a severe penalty for it.

God would not tolerate the abuse and gross disrespect of old people – particularly by their own children. Today's world is rife with abuse and disregard for elderly people, and the world is a more chaotic and selfish place because of it.

Spiritism - astrology, divination, witchcraft etc.

It is probably surprising to most people that the Bible condemns Spiritism – in all it's forms. There were good reasons for this. Contrary to the common perception, taught by almost all religions of the world - that humans have an immortal soul, and that spirits can be contacted after death - the Bible tells us that this is simply not true – that when we die, we do not exist in any form. So, the practice of spiritism - in all it's forms – promoted this lie of after-death existence, which has often led to severe repercussions. My own niece – when faced with the tragedy of her beloved aunt dying suddenly, took her own life. In her thoughts at that time was the lie that her aunt was a spirit in heaven and that they would be together again. Spiritism is responsible for untold traditions, rituals, fear of the dead, fear of dying, and meddling in the occult. That is why God banned it from that ancient nation, and condemns it today.

Working on the Sabbath was forbidden. That day was reserved for rest and worship. It is hard to imagine why any reasonable person would want to endanger their life by breaking such a compassionate law (even slaves and animals were rested). The Sabbath, as a day of rest, has long been abandoned by the modern consumer-driven society, much to the great social and communal cost.

The final acts that were Capital offences under the law were all for unnatural sex acts. Incest – sex with a family member, is still frowned upon by most of today's societies, mainly because of the possible health dangers, and risks of abnormal births. Sodomy (anal sex) – carries multiple medical dangers and disease risks. Bestiality (sex with animals) is not only unnatural and degrading to humans, but is fraught with bacterial and viral dangers, not to mention physical threat from the animals themselves. These last two offences also ignored God's command for the nation to “multiply” - to have children. If all people were to adopt such unnatural sexual habits, the ancient nation of Israel would have been wiped out – along with the direct lineage to the Messiah - and the human race would face extinction.

Contrary to many claims, criminals under the Mosaic law were never burned or tortured. In later history, Jewish leaders added new punishments – including burning alive. In the Mishnah – a collection of writings not inspired by God, and not included in the Bible – we are told of “The ordinance of them that are to be burnt [is this]: they set him in dung up to his knees and put a towel of coarse stuff within one of soft stuff and wrapt it around his neck; one [witness] pulled one end towards him and the other pulled one end towards him until he opened his mouth; a wick [according to the Gemara (52a) it was a strip of lead] was kindled and thrown into his mouth, and it went down to his stomach and burnt his entrails.” This form of punishment stood in direct violation of God's commands. In the Middle ages the nations – under the guidance of the churches - also enforced their version of Christianity with such horrors as burning at the stake, ducking, strangling and torture. God's laws forbade all of these practices, and it is bewildering why anyone who knew God's laws – which were only binding on chosen Israel – not Christians or unbelievers – would invent such sadistic ways to hurt and kill their fellow human beings.

The execution of capital offences, was by stoning, (sometimes though a sword was used) and it was carried out by a select group of the community, usually those older ones having responsibility for presiding over the law. At first glance, stoning seems to be a violent, barbaric practice, The mere mention of such a way of execution makes people think of uncivilized, brutal nations. But is stoning so brutal and cruel, and how does it compare with other methods of execution, particularly modern methods practiced by the so-called “civilized” nations of this world?

In modern day firing squads, there are usually a number of executioners, a line of soldiers. These men are professionals, trained in marksmanship. This is to ensure that the death of the convicted is quick and guaranteed. I am not aware of anyone who ever survived a firing squad. But the question needs to be asked - what is a bullet? It is a projectile, a lump of ore (metal) which is hurled at high speed at the target. This science is known as “Ballistics.” Yet, this is also exactly what stoning involves, the hurling of a solid object. Those selected to carry out the execution, like the soldiers with rifles, would have been practiced in aiming and hurling stones. Those stones would be large, like rocks and possibly sharp. Contrary to western ideas - stoning would be effective, resulting in the person becoming unconscious within minutes and then dying while unconscious. The use of many executioners also helped to avoid guilt and blame, often associated with single executioners. The joint execution by members of the community gave evidence of compliance and acceptance of the sentence, and ensured that no individual would have a disturbed conscience since, just like the firing squad, no-one would know who actually dealt the fatal blow. As a boy, then a man, I have been hit with stones many times, sometimes in fun, between mates but, other times through hostility, by angry people. The strange thing is that, when the stone hits you, it doesn't actually hurt at first. I remember feeling an echo in my head and then being slightly dizzy and seeing stars. It was only much later, when I started to feel the pain of the injury, and the swelling or cuts that resulted. There are far worse ways to die than stoning.

God gave his laws to his people who, unanimously, agreed to abide by them. They were made aware, almost every day of their lives, of the consequences of breaking those laws. In modern times, in lands where the penalty for drug-smuggling is death, we still hear of individuals who are caught trying to smuggle drugs out of that country – despite knowing the penalty. Those laws are harsh because the authorities are trying to prevent the spread of misery inflicted by drugs. In a similar way, God's laws to Israel were designed to protect, to teach, to ensure the growth of the population, to separate from the violent, corrupt, debauched nations around them, and to preserve the lineage of the Messiah to come – a person who would bring freedom and security permanently, to all nations in the world. Sadly, throughout ancient Israel's history – that nation proved unfaithful to God's covenant. Many prophets of the Bible publicly warned and condemned the religious leaders and the public in general. After many warnings, and many saving acts by God, that covenant with the nation of Israel ended, and God chose another group of people to carry his blessing and promises.

Many critics today, and even many believers, consider the God of the “Old Testament” as different from the one in the “New Testament”, and that Jesus was different from his Father – God. But the complete Bible is harmonious and consistent in God's teachings and standards. Jesus “Fulfilled” the Mosaic law – which was designed for ancient Israel alone. Furthermore, Jesus knew all of the Hebrew scriptures, including the divine punishments performed by God, and he approved of them. Jesus taught that “God is love” but also that He has standards, and has the right to punish those who refuse to follow his standards. In fact, in the book of Revelation – which refers to our immediate future, Jesus is actually revealed as the means which God uses to destroy wicked people at Armageddon. In summarizing the nature of God , and his requirements, Jesus said that “‘You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. The second, like it, is this, ‘You must love your neighbour as yourself.’ On these two commandments the whole Law hangs,” To love God, a person would not want to break his commandments, but would recognise the benefits of following them. To illustrate – iron bars can be viewed as a prison – restricting our freedom. But, the same bars can be a barrier from danger, as in an animal enclosure. When Israel followed God's laws, they were kept safe, clean, happy, fertile, and healthy. When a person loves God, and his laws, they also love their neighbours, and would not do anything to harm another person.

The Bible foretold that the coming “Messiah” (Annointed one) - Jesus Christ – would “fulfill the law.” We are further told that Jesus – in fulfilling his role as a redeemer - “Nailed the law to the torture stake” (mistakenly referred to by many as the “Cross”). In other words – Jesus ended the law, and all the penalties that came with it. The Bible explains that the Mosaic law was “A tutor leading to Christ.” Jesus was authorized to offer complete forgiveness – a pardon – for any and all crimes which had been punishable by death under the law. But this was dependent of the attitude of the wrongdoer. A person – even a murderer, or rapist – could receive forgiveness – a pardon – if they were truly sorry, “repentant” and they changed their ways completely. The law had served it's purpose, and brought mankind to the Christ – the ultimate expression of God's love for humans.

According to the Bible - for the time being God does not demand a penalty for wrongdoing, other than a bad conscience, along with the natural consequences of peoples own actions. In the future, when the promised “Kingdom of God” takes over rulership of the earth, there will be a global accounting of human choices and acts. Then – the final penalty - the final act of God - will be that all those who break his commandments, and do not follow his moral standards, will “not inherit God's kingdom.” In other words, they will cease to exist, and will have forfeited the opportunity to live forever, on a renewed, perfect earth, in perfect health, with no problems.

So, if God has the right to decide right and wrong, then he also reserves the right to determine the punishment for the guilty. There are many Biblical examples of God executing judgment on individuals, groups and whole nations for their wrongdoings. Sometimes, God took direct action and simply removed the life from someone's body. On many occasions God used natural forces, such as the plagues on Egypt (yes, there were such events, and archaeology supports this), or the fire and brimstone that destroyed Sodom and Go-mor'rah. But, on other occasions, God chose to use different implements of punishment. One such implement of divine justice was war, using the men of Israel, and, at times, other nations. This use of the nation gave the Israelites the opportunity to demonstrate trust and confidence in God and his power. So let us look at the wars initiated by the God of the Bible, and compare them to human wars. There are profound differences, as we will see.