TYPES OF PUNISHMENT

Tomorrow, in our state, Timothy Mcveih is scheduled to die by lethal injection.

Last Thursday it was announced that Mr. Mcveigh’s execution will be televised.

Victims of the bombing will be able to watch this man put to death on closed circuit t.v..

During a time such as this many ask or wonder about capital punishment.

I have never seen someone put to death by lethal injection.

I have, however, read an article on how the procedure operates.

From what has been described the process is usually painless.

Two i.v. lines are put into the person’s body.

The person who is on the gurney has their wrists and ankles secured.

The first drug that is administered is designed to relax the inmate.

The other two drugs are designed to stop the breathing process and end the heartbeat.

Most of this process is hidden by sheets that cover the one who is dying.

Some call this process inhumane. Protests are launched to object to this process or stop it.

Though the process is discreet and covered up by sheets, many consider it to be cruel (barbaric).

What should our response, as Christians, be to this situation?

WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY THAT SEEMS TO PRIDE ITSELF SO MUCH ON ITS ADVANCEMENTS THAT MANY BELIEVE THEY ARE WISER THAN GOD.

a) It appears that many have become so enlightened God’s word is obsolete.

b) The modern ways of man are right and the ways of scripture are too antiquated to use.

c) Tonight I want to set forth some information about God and punishment.

d) If people broke God’s law (and this included civil law), there were punishments to be borne.

e) Punishments were inflicted to insure that justice was served.

f) We are going to start with Ex. 19:13.

i) The information in Ex. 19 is also in other parts of the old law.

ii) Similar material can be found in Lev. 20:27 and Josh. 7:25.

iii) Even in the New Testament similar references are found (Acts 7:59; Jn. 10:31).

iv) Ex. 19:13 is all we need for tonight’s material. READ.

v) Under the Old Testament some were punished by stoning.

vi) This was an unpleasant way to die, but this was a method approved of by God.

vii) People would throw rocks at a criminal until he or she died.

viii) This punishment was authorized by God because some crimes were very serious.

g) Other terrible crimes also justified punishment by death.

i) Many of us have read about the Salem witch trials.

ii) The people who were convinced of witchcraft were burned.

iii) Under the law of Moses there were some sins and crimes that justified burning.

iv) Achan and his family were both stoned and burned (Josh. 7:25).

v) At least twice in the book of Leviticus this punishment is found in the Old Law.

vi) The references for this are Lev. 20:14 and 21:9.

vii) Even in eternity God will use some form of “burning” as punishment for the wicked.

viii) The law of Moses is one of the greatest laws ever given to man.

ix) Even now we may look back at the law and see how it reflects God’s wisdom.

x) This law, again and again, prescribes punishment for wrongdoing.

xi) Yet, in our day and time, many think we know more than God.

xii) It is though that punishment has lost its usefulness.

xiii) Our ancient relatives may have used punishment but we have advanced beyond that.

xiv) Some are not quite as smart as they think

2) The great law give through Moses had a lot to say about punishing people who committed crimes.

a) In rare cases wrongdoers could be shot with an arrow (Ex. 19:13).

b) Beheading was a process that was occasionally used (2 Kgs. 10:6-8).

c) None of these punishments are pleasant, but they were effective.

d) Punishment insured that justice was served.

e) Punishment allowed the Hebrew society to be a place of integrity and fairness.

f) When people committed capital crimes fairness meant they had to suffer the death penalty.

g) To us some of the means for the death penalty may seem grisly.

3) At a minimum we may say that some of the punishments used by non-Hebrews were gruesome.

a) The Gentiles used tactics that were appalling.

b) Dan. 2:5 refers to the pagan punishment of dismemberment.

c) There were some people who were cut into pieces.

d) Heb. 11:37 refers to those who were “sawn asunder.”

e) Most of us have seen a magician pretend to saw someone in half.

f) My faith in those fellows is not strong enough for me to get into one of the boxes.

g) The Bible affirms some have been saw in half.

h) The Hebrew writer shows that this punishment was not based upon justice.

i) This punishment was based upon meanness.

ii) God’s people have not always been liked by the world and the world has punished them.

iii) Heb. 11:38 says the “world was not worthy” of those who were sawn in half.

iv) That is, God’s people have been punished unjustly.

i) Several punishments are listed in the Bible and scripture even lists punishment by drowning.

i) Remember Mt. 18:6?

ii) Jesus spoke of causing “little ones” to stumble.

iii) He said it would better for such a person to have a giant stone placed on their neck and drown.

iv) This was a type of punishment for bad behavior.

v) Other people were put to death by using wild animals.

vi) Who has not heard of how Daniel was cast into the lion’s den (Dan. 6)?

vii) The intention was for the lions to destroy and kill this young man.

viii) All here also know that many have been punished by crucifixion.

4) THE PASSAGES THAT HAVE BEEN CITED SHOW THAT THOSE UNDER MOSES LAW AND THOSE NOT UNDER MOSES LAW (THE GENTILES) PRACTICED VARIOUS FORMS OF PUNISHMENT, AND SOME OF THESE PUNISHEMNTS RESULTED IN DEATH.

a) While many crimes merited the death sentence other crimes resulted in a different type of punishment.

b) Under Moses’ Law there was corporal punishment (physical punishment that did not result in death).

c) A person could forfeit an eye because of wrongdoing (Ex. 21:23-24).

d) Beatings were a form of punishment, Ex. 21:25.

e) Hair was pulled out of the head.

f) This penalty, in Neh. 13, was for a violation of religious law.

g) This passage gives us some unusual insight concerning Nehemiah’s character.

h) I want to read for you verses 23 & 25 of Neh. 13.

i) This was a form of punishment used by at least one servant of God in the Old Testament.

j) In other circumstances a body part was to be cut off, Deut. 25:11-12.

5) THERE WERE BASICALLY THREE FORMS OF PUNISHMENT UNDER THE OLD TESTAMENT. WE HAVE SEEN THE FIRST TWO (CAPITAL AND CORPORAL PUNISHMENT). THE THIRD TYPE OF PUNISHMENT CAN BE CALLED RESTITUTION.

a) When someone committed a crime they needed to pay the back in full.

b) In some cases the victim was given more than what had been taken from them.

c) A list of crimes and the restitution involved can be found in Ex. 21-22.

6) WHAT DOES ALL THIS INFORMATION ABOUT GOD AND PUNISHMENT HAVE TO DO WITH OUR DAY AND TIME?

a) We live in a time when punishment is considered to be outdated.

b) Modern man says, “We have learned that punishment doesn’t work.”

c) “There are better alternatives.”

d) These assertions are often backed up with stories such as this one.

e) A young mother had a problem with her son.

f) She said, “Go out and get a switch.”

g) For our young folks that meant go to a tree and get a branch.

h) These branches were used to swat misbehaving children.

i) The child was gone for a long time. He returned to the house in tears.

j) He said, “Mamma, I couldn’t find a branch, but here’s a rock you can throw at me.”

k) The mother said to herself, “I understand how my child thinks.”

l) “He thinks I want to hurt him and therefore any object will do.”

7) These stories and others are used to suggest that punishment is wrong and it should be banned.

8) This is not God’s view of the matter.

a) Have we ever considered punishment from the experience of Jesus on the cross?

b) The Lord was between two thieves.

c) One of these makes some interesting statements (Lk. 23:41). He said,

d) “We are here justly. We receive the due reward of our deeds.”

e) This man also said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

f) At a previous time Jesus said He could call down a large number of angels from heaven.

g) The Lord had access to power.

h) Angels could have freed Him or the thieves from the cross.

i) One of thieves with Jesus expresses remorse and the right attitude.

j) Did Jesus free this man from the cross?

k) Did the Lord prevent this man from being punished any more?

l) This man died because Jesus said, “Today thou shall be with me in paradise.”

m) This man was guilty and Jesus did not interfere with this man’s punishment.

i) Our society can shout from the housetops that punishment is outdated and obsolete.

ii) God’s word says and Jesus showed in His death that punishment is right.

iii) The final judgment also shows that punishment is not outdated.

iv) Punishment is right in the workplace, in homes, and in society at large.

v) Suggesting that punishment is antiquated and outdated is to say God’s methods are obsolete.

9) God’s methods are not outdated or improper for modern man.

10) What is wrong and time to get rid of is abuse.

11) Many who object to punishment cannot distinguish between punishment and abuse.

12) The word abuse means treatment that is inappropriate and wrong. Abuse is mistreatment.

13) Punishment is designed to right wrongs, correct behavior, or result in justice.

14) Punishment must exist, and if it is consistent with God’s will, it will be applied in the right way.

a) When Mr. McVeigh is executed tomorrow we should not get any joy from that.

b) Seeing people punished by God in eternity is also not a cause for joy.

c) However, these acts will insure that justice is served.

15) We need to defend punishment in this life and teach about the punishment that will exist for eternity.

16) The thief on the cross needed to die for his crime, but he did not need to be eternally punished.

17) We too can be free from eternal punishment if we are a Christian.