We all know the story of the adulteress who Jesus rescued from stoning. The gang dragged her out into public, ready to hurl rocks at her. Jesus wrote something on the ground, they dropped their stones and walked away. But then Jesus told her, “Go and sin no more.” He gave her forgiveness and mercy.
While strolling through the Old Testament I found this:
Deuteronomy Chapter 13
6 “If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife [c]of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, 7 of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, 8 you shall not [d]consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; 9 but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. 10 And you shall stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to entice you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 11 So all Israel shall hear and fear, and not again do such wickedness as this among you.
Whoever was closest in the family to the one who enticed people to follow after other gods had the responsibility of throwing the first stone. This was done so that the people would fear the Lord and stop the wickedness.
Jesus brought us forgiveness and grace.
SueAnn Porter 