“And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.” (2 Sam. 12:31)
In most nations of the world we have what could best be termed a “hierarchy of crime,” certain crimes, by laws set in those nations, deserve greater punishment, but nearly all are based upon time. Time served for one crime is not the same for another, and it is the ruling force at the time in each nation that determines the specific length that a person should be removed from society. Some who kill another are they themselves killed, with the differentiation of a murder and killing espoused to the general public, others remain in the prison house until they die of natural causes. Rape, extortion, an expression of rage that causes injury to another, even not paying your bills will have behind it a specific time period when completed, will serve as payment for that crime.
Because mankind has decided not to adhere to Ecclesiastes 8:11, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” And because the heart of man is continuously evil from his youth, (Gen. 6:5) crime, which indeed is a sin against God, spreads and spreads rapidly.
“Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12)
If the removal of an individual from society was by the means of the guillotine in the days the Lord Jesus walked amongst men, the crowd would have yelled, “Off with His head,” but it was crucifixion that was the means of showing to the generalized public that if you disobeyed you would be punished with intense agonizing pain before you died on that cross, and then, I cannot say with any surety the length of time, your body would be left to hang there as a sign to others, a warning that disobedience would be met with swift action.
Have you ever wondered, the two malefactors that hung on either side of our Lord (Matt. 27:38), were they sons of Abraham, did they leave them there or also remove them from their crosses?
In most nations today, removing evil men from society does not usually mean removing them permanently, prison houses are an incredible money-making machine, but beyond that, the misinterpretation of Exodus 20:13, “Thou shalt not kill,” has led mankind down a path of the fear of the Lord, whether they will admit it or not, and so “time served,” has replaced removing that individual permanently from society. The recidivism rate for most who spend time in these places is very high indeed.
For what man has determined as “minor infractions,” money is required from them to “pay” for their crimes, community service is sometimes required, and if one is known to be a “man of station,” or perhaps considered wealthy, well that man’s punishment is different than what would be imposed upon the “lower classes.”
None of this is the way of the Lord, those who will not acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord, King of Kings and Lord of Lords will find when they reach the end of their lives here, that time served means forever, and that time will be served in anguish, pain, hopelessness and suffering beyond compare. There will be no appeals court, it will not matter your position or station in this life, no excuses will be accepted, no one will be able to change the mind of the Lord as to their fate that day.
“(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)” (2 Cor. 6:2) “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Heb. 9:27) The judgment, not the hearing court, not the appellate court, no lawyer to defend you, no hopes of reprieve, and all who will find themselves in this place will be shown without question why they are there, and why they will remain there throughout eternity.
There is a crime that all men who have ever been born have committed, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23) and there is only one way to be released from the sure end of all men, “Repent,” (Luke 13:5) The price, the penalty has already been paid, but few will accept this truth, a truth that they will pay for dearly for all eternity. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)
