Writing in the Sand
Every week, I ask and seek the Lord on what to write in this blog. This week was tough.
After my prayer time at my office yesterday, I stepped out to retrieve something from my car and didn’t take my coat (I wonder if this winter is ever going to end). I got chilled, and my mind took me to the white sandy beaches of Naples, Fla. You see, Missy and I have had the blessing of taking time for one another the last three years on those warm, beautiful white sand beaches, and my heart was longing for them again. And then God spoke!
God directed me to a familiar story that I have read many times and have even wrote sermons on. And I’ve heard many ideas and suggestions on what Jesus wrote in the sand.
The story can be found in the Gospel of John 8:3-11: “As He was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. ‘Teacher,’ they said to Jesus, ‘this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?’ They were trying to trap Him into saying something they could use against Him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with His finger. They kept demanding an answer, so He stood up again and said, ‘All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!’ Then He stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, ‘Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?’ ‘No, Lord,’ she said. And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I. Go and sin no more.’ ”
What a powerful story — a story of mercy and love, a story of forgiveness and grace. But what was Jesus writing?
We have all heard that maybe it was the hidden sins of the teachers and the Pharisees, or maybe the names of the prostitutes that the teachers and Pharisees had been with themselves. I also have heard it said before that Jesus was just wasting time while He gathered His thoughts. I don’t think so. He was 100% man and 100% God; He always did the will of the Father and was never at a loss for words. So what was He writing?
I dug out my Bible, commentaries, and my book on biblical culture and customs and started searching. I was led to a verse in the Prophet Jeremiah’s writings.
In Jeremiah 17:13, it reads, “O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake You shall be ashamed. ‘Those who depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters.’ ”
Who was the fountain of living water? JESUS!
I believe that day, a prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus stooped down; I believe He was writing the accusers’ names.
Let us look at the biblical customs and culture of that day. The culture and law of that day makes it clear that when adultery took place, both parties involved would be taken to the temple gates and accused, and judgment would be handed down. We see in this story that only the woman was brought before the accusers. They broke the law themselves.
Looking at culture and customs, we cannot ignore that the priest also was required to “stoop down and write the guilty parties’ names and the law or laws that had been broken by them.” Sound familiar?
The priest could write these names anywhere, but it was required that it could not be permanent. The temple floor was the most commonly used place for this. You see, Jesus kept their laws when they didn’t.
Let’s go back to Jeremiah 17:13b: “Because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters.”
Last week I wrote a blog titled “Waters Will Flow.” I used a scripture out of the Gospel of John 7:38 (the chapter before this incident). Jesus speaks these words, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
Another Hebrew custom we cannot ignore is that the priest would be immersed 11 times in what was called a Mikveh (or as we would refer to it, a baptismal tank) on the day of Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, between the daily sacrifices to be ceremonially cleansed. There was a celebration after this event because the sins of everyone had been rolled forward until the day that the Messiah would come.
It was a time of rejoicing were the priest would proclaim — believe it or not (check it out for yourself!) — Jeremiah 17:13: “O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake You shall be ashamed. ‘Those who depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters.’ ”
The scary thing is that day, prophecy was fulfilled; they rejected the source of living water — Jesus Christ.
Jesus had a way of getting to the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Like a hot knife through butter, He would cut to the heart of the matter. He still has a way of doing it to us today.
Listen to Him when He speaks. Please, I beg of you not to reject the source of living water, Jesus Christ!
The beauty of this portion of scripture is that there is a God who is a God of mercy, love and who is long-suffering and patient. His heart is that none should perish. He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to take our punishment so we could have eternal life. Please do not reject Him.
Turn from your sin, and turn to Him. He is the Way, Truth and Light!
Running with You, Pastor Dave