Don't Get Caught Up In Earthly Law!

There are few places in Scripture that mention the need in law for two or three witnesses.  Deuteronomy 19:15 states, "A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed."  This is part of that descriptive law for the courts required in Israel before Christ's death and resurrection.  We have a similar principle for the Church in Matthew 18:15-20.  Now I bring this up because very often we see on the news criminals who get away with things.  They go to court and the jury doesn't convict them.  They murder someone and they get 20 years in jail.  Doesn't seem like a very good punishment, does it?  In today's society, you don't even need two or three witnesses to convict a man.  But think of that need in the time of Israel.  If a man raped a woman or someone murdered someone, there had to be witnesses. Think of how many times a murderer is going to allow for witnesses to be around or in the other case, if someone is raped, there has to be a witness besides the victim.  Tell me how many times that happens.  Not very often.  It was hard in Israel to determine if someone is guilty of a crime.

I know you see people go free all the time when they shouldn't or at least when it seems like they shouldn't.  You become frustrated at our court system.  Think about Israel's.  You'd be frustrated, probably much more than that as well, if your daughter was raped and there was only one witness, your daughter.  The man would go free.  Don't get caught up  in earthly law!  Think of the second to last verse in all of Scripture, Revelation 22:20, "Come, Lord Jesus!" This is our prayer.  O that Christ would come and rescue us from this present evil age.  But think about the application of this prayer.  "Come, Lord Jesus!" is not only for our good to save us, but it also implies that judgment has come when He returns.  

Revelation 20:12, "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done."  They will be judged according to what they do.  Brethren, don't get caught up in this world and earthly law, the Lord will judge all mankind.  And those who are not in Christ will be condemned to eternal death.  Find comfort that even though our civil courts are imperfect, our church courts are imperfect, the court of the eternal God, Maker of heaven and earth, the eternal Judge is perfect.  

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!