In anguish he withdrew to his tent for three days and nights. What should he do? What would be the right thing to do? Should he spare his mother, all could rightly claim that justice was distorted by his love for his mother. Were he to punish her, however, all would say: “Look at that merciless and cruel man! He does not even show pity for his own mother!” At last he appeared. His men gathered around him curiously. Then he addressed them: “We lost two battles because of treason. We lost many a man as a result of this. I find no excuse for the traitor. The crime was committed, and so punishment shall be executed according to my law with 100 lashes! Righteousness and justice must be upheld!”
His mother was led into the circle. She was pale, trembling with fear. The executioner lifted his whip – but before the first lash came down on her, Shamuel cried: “Hang on! This is my mother; I am of her flesh and blood. I will take the punishment for her!” He went into the circle, took off his garment and commanded: “Executioner, dare not strike more lightly than with the last prisoner. Do your duty!” Lash after lash came down, until he broke down unconscious. Against expectation Shamuel did survive his ordeal. Will we ever know how his mother felt about what she had caused to her son? Shame, wonder and love at the behaviour of her son must have overcome her.
This event, perhaps more than any other in history, illustrates the way Jesus stepped in for us to take our place:
“He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree (cross), by His wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).
It was not only the physical pain, bad as it was, that caused the suffering of Jesus, the only ever sinless and pure person. It was that He took on Himself the ugly filth of our sin. One cannot help feeling as Shamuel’s mother must have felt.
God’s righteousness and love met at the cross of Jesus.
“God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them” (2 Corinthians 5:19).
This happened once and for all. This sacrifice for sin is sufficient for all men at all times and therefore never needs to be repeated. It is God’s grace in action. It is God’s gift to us. A gift, however, becomes mine only when I stretch out my hand to accept it. Allow me to use another illustration:
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