Um. Interesting question. Should we apply Old Testament laws and punishments to the crimes of today such as theft, adultery, or murder? What are acceptable punishments for these crimes?
To many, the Old Testament laws were extremely harsh. There was no mercy in them. Crime committed. Punishment dealt out. Everyone go home. But with the New Testament and with the world the way it is today, should we still be following the same thought process or throw them out the window?
There is no question that the world of the Old Testament is not the world of today. So much has changed. So many cultures have intermingled. Technology has taken where no one could even dream of such things thousands of years ago. But we still have people stealing. Husbands and wives still cheat on each other. One human being still takes the life of another. In that aspect, it has not changed. The way it is carried out might have, and the way culture approaches has for sure.
Let us look at the governing authority in Israel during Old Testament times. Israel was ruled by Judges who settled disputes and led the nation against invaders. These were religious men and women who followed God and were faithful to Him. Eventually, kings appeared on the scene, but the nation still clung to its religious roots. The religion might not always have been Hebrew, but a religion dictated many of the laws of the land. This means that the nation of Israel was a theocracy. The law was governed by the religion.
Look closer at the times when Israel was following God and listening to Him. These religious leaders were not exacting judgment out on people arbitrarily. The innocent were not punished. Why? Because God was directing their judgments. He was imparting wisdom on them. They were listening to Him and not to man-made laws or to their own desires and goals. This is one of the differences from Old Testament times to that of today. Our leaders are not following religious laws and not consulting God. Most rulings are self-serving. If the laws of the Old Testament (OT), were used today, how many innocent people would be killed? Today, God is usually not allowed in the courtroom.
Someone caught in adultery was to be stoned. Today that would take out 99.9% of the entertainment business and 99.99999% of our leaders in the political, social, and even religious worlds. That would take care of the population problem, eh? Seriously, what would be the implications of today if we stoned those caught in adultery?
What was the reason for such a painful way to die? Marriage was a sacred institution. If you would take your body which was God’s and your spouse’s and soil it by giving it away to another, what promise could you really keep? Willing breaking a marriage was horrible. The statistics even today show that if a person commits adultery once, they will more than likely do it again. In the OT, that repeated offense was eliminated by stoning.
Sounds harsh doesn’t it? That was a time when the law had to be laid down and the people of Israel had to know that God would not accept lies and deceit. He wanted purity.
Fast forward to the New Testament (NT) times. Jesus is going about His business of teaching and miracles. Several of the high and mighty religious leaders dragged forth a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. They toss her before Him and asked Him what should be done about her. They picked up their stones to administer the punishment as soon as He gave the word. What did He do? He began scribbling in the sand.
We have no idea what He wrote, but whatever it was made those religious leaders stop and think on what they were doing. They waited with bated breath as He continued writing. Some have proposed that He was writing their sins down. Maybe He was even listing their names. Whatever it was caused the stoning to pause.
He then asked that if any of them could publically say that they had no sin on their hands, then they could begin throwing the stones that would beat the woman into a bloody death. Their hands dropped the stones slowly as what He had written and said sunk in. Yes, the woman was an adulterer. Yes, stoning should have been administered, but by who? These men were not directed by God to punish the guilty. They were doing it out their own selfish hearts to keep their power and prestige.
Did Jesus abolish stoning? Not really. He abolished the act of punishment by those who were unworthy to inflict it. How could those men who probably were guilty of adultery themselves physically and/or spiritually dare to condemn this woman? If the truth be told, they should have been right there with her and awaited their own stoning.
Should the OT punishments be delivered today for crimes? Are we worthy to administer them? Maybe the original question should be asking if we are in a position to biblically deal out the punishment in accordance to God’s will and not our own.
If you hadn’t guessed, I feel like those punishments should not be done in today’s world only because there is too much corruption in our legal systems. There would be no justice, because there is no God in our legal systems.
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