by Pastor Afolabi Oladele

In John 7, the Jews sought to kill Jesus; for healing a man on the Sabbath day (see John 5), and for asserting His equality with God: not that He was afraid to die, but His time was not come; and He had work to do for the glory of God. For like reasons He advised His disciples, when persecuted in one city, to flee to another: and very lawful and advisable it is for good men, when their lives are in danger, to make use of proper means to preserve them, for further usefulness in the cause of God, and for the benefit of men (Take the principal excerpts from John 7 from beginning to the end).

Note particularly the circumstance or context for the woman presented in John 8:3. The Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand during which the Jews erected tents or booths. They dwelt, and ate their meals during this festival in these booths (John 7:1-2).

Now the Scribes and Pharisees, members of the Sanhedrim, who had been so miserably disappointed the day before, were even more motivated and industrious in their wicked way, seeking all opportunities, and taking all advantages against Christ; and thought they had finally got something to ensnare Him with and bring Him into disgrace or danger by bringing to Him a woman taken in adultery.

Commentaries conjecture, that she was taken on the last day of the great feast, in one of their booths. She had been drawn into it the act through intemperance and carnal mirth, which at this feast they greatly indulged themselves in! Rather than draw the Holy Ghost at this time upon them, they fell into the hands, and under the power of the unclean spirit! One thing is however clear and material, judging from Deuteronomy 22:23-24 (now, this agrees with the traditions of the Jews) “a daughter of Israel must be stoned, who is” betrothed but not married.” And such an one we must believe this woman was; she was betrothed to a man, but not married to him, and therefore to be stoned.

Now consider that the Jews also have a saying, that “if all adulterers were punished with stoning, according to the law, the stones would be consumed; but they would not be consumed; for ”adultery was so common with that people yet they sought from Jesus – what sayest thou? dost thou agree with Moses, or not?

Now the manner of event showed that they brought this woman, and exposed her in this manner not because of their abhorrence and detestation of the sin nor did they put the above question to Christ out of their great respect to the law of Moses which in many instances and so also in this case they had made void by their traditions. From historical records they say that for such an offence as adultery, they did not put to death, nor beat, unless there was a previous admonition. Admonition was used to distinguish between presumptuous sins and wilful ones; but if there was no admonition, and the woman, even a married woman, confessed the crime, all her punishment was to have her dowry taken from her or to go away without it. In this case these masters say nothing about the admonition, nor do they put the question, whether this woman was to be dealt with according to their traditions or according to the law of Moses?

But, what was the sense of asking Christ, what sayest thou, whether Moses’s law was to be attended to, or whether He would propose another rule to go by? Their only objective was to accuse Him:

• that should He agree with Moses, then they would accuse Him to the Roman governor, for taking upon Him to condemn a person to death; only the Roman Governor had that power; or

• they would charge Him with severity, and acting inconsistently with Himself, as one who received such sort of sinners, and ate with them; and had declared, that publicans and harlots would enter into the kingdom of heaven, when the Scribes and Pharisees would not;

• and if He should disagree with Moses, then they would use that as proof to the people, that He was an enemy to Moses and His law, and as a patron of the most scandalous enormities:

But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground; some think He wrote in legible characters the sins of the woman’s accusers. In John 8:7, the silence of the Lord, they took for victory, so when they continued asking Him,observing that He put Himself in such a posture, they concluded that they had puzzled and perplexed Him, and that He did not know what to say; and thought pressing Him for a speedy answer would expose Him as confused to all the people. Rather they were the ones confused. Note verse 7 was not a general answer as we would imagine, He was speaking to the reality of that time – particularly of adultery; which was in this age a prevailing sin, and even among their doctors (Matthew 12:39); and which was literally true of them and also alluded to in Romans 2:22. Adultery increased to such a degree in this age, that they were obliged to leave off the trial suspected wives, because their husbands were generally guilty also this way and the waters would have no effect, if the husband was criminal also (see Numbers 5:12-31).

“When adulterers increased, the bitter waters ceased; and Rabban Jochanan ben Zaccai (who was now living) caused them to cease.” In vindication of which, he cited the passage in Hosea 4:14; and this agrees with their own account of the times of the Messiah, and the signs thereof, among which stands this; “in the age in which the son of David comes, the house of assembly (the gloss interprets it the place where the disciples of the wise men meet to learn the law) shall become, “a brothel house”. ”And that this sin so greatly prevailed, our Lord well knew; and perhaps none of those Scribes and Pharisees were free from it, in one shape or another; and therefore bids him that was, let him first cast a stone at her; alluding to the law in Deuteronomy 17:7, which required the hands of the witnesses to be upon a person first, to put him to death;

The acts of the Lord of giving empowering grace, not condemnation according to the law of Moses, was reflected in the testimony of a redeemed Pharisee who understood it well to write 2 Cor. 5:17-18 (NLT/Mess).

What does this say to you concerning your witness to this generation that is captively powerless to the prince of this age?

Note that all text in italics are quotes from Gill’s Exposition Of the Entire Bible