Deuteronomy 17:7 (ESV Strong's)
7 The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
Accusations Must Be Confirmed
In chapter 17 of Deuteronomy, Moses is outlining for this new generation of Israelites what they are to do if someone is caught worshiping false gods. If someone sees someone worshipping false idols or gods or the sun or the moon or the heavens, that person is to be stoned to death by the nation. God does NOT mess around with idol worship (in those days or in our days). However, the only way this act was to be carried out was if there were two or three witnesses to confirm the act of idolatry. No one could simply be accused. They had to have evidence of the fact that this horrible act of false worship had happened. To add to the testimony of two or three witnesses, the person who saw the sinful false worship, was to be the one who threw the first stone at the offending person or persons. You could not make an acquisition and then let others to do the punishment. You had to be the one to both face the person and the one who had to carry out the discipline. Imagine how that would play out today in our Human Resource Departments of organizations. Imagine if a co-work reports a problem they had to not only face the person they saw do the ill and then be part of carrying out the discipline. Imagine in a family if a sibling reports a wrong doing of another sibling if they are not only required to report it, but to confront the other sibling and be part of carrying out the discipline. What would happen to our systems if we did this God’s way?
The truths we need to see in these verses are:
1. God does not tolerate idol worship of any kind in His midst or in the midst of people who are called by His name.
2. God does not put people to disciplinary measures without sound and hard evidence.
3. God demands that those who see the problem are part of correcting the problem.
4. God demands that community police community.
God is serious about sin in our midst. In the book of 1 Corinthians we have the story of a young man who was having an affair with his stepmom. Paul called upon the church to report it, to confront it and be part of the discipline of the young man (1 Cor. 5). We are not exempt from seeing, reporting and correcting sin in our midst. Paul told the Galatian Christians this:
Galatians 6:1-10 (ESV Strong's)
1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load.
6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
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