Jeremiah 51:17-18
Everyone is stupid and ignorant.
Every goldsmith is put to shame by his carved image, for his cast images are a lie; there is no breath in them.
They are worthless, a work to be mocked.
In the gospel of John, chapter eight, verses one through eleven; we read about the so called "adulterous women". And we have a crowd of accusing men demanding a reply from Jesus regarding the fate of this sinful woman. Jesus responds by writing in the dirt. No one knows what he wrote. I imagine Jesus goes from one man to another and writes in the earth a word for the corresponding sins of each in front of each of them. For one he writes ADULTERY. Another he writes LIAR. And yet another he writes MURDERER. And so on. Then he says, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.”
I find it interesting that as each man decides to leave, the first that left were the older men. One by one they left. Each falls under conviction and they leave.
Jesus exposed their sins before all the accusers. Just as they exposed this adulterous woman publicly. These were all men who lived by the law of Moses. They lived as if they kept the law of Moses. And yet Jesus found them out for their secret sins. Just as The Lord exposes the lies and deception of the children of God in the prophecy of Jeremiah 51:17-18. God calls them stupid, shameful, and their false idols are worthless. It's the same with these men accusing the adulterous woman. Their faith walk is a lie. Their piety is an idol. Their relationship with The Law of God is corruption. And God ain't buying it. Grace will not cover it if they continue to use his name in vain, if they do not repent. The Lord declares a false faith is no faith at all. He calls it worthless.
One last comment on Jesus and the encounter with the vain men and the adulterous woman. In that moment Jesus said, "The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her." Fact of the matter is, there was one man there who was without sin. One man who could throw the first stone. And this sinless man who kept all of God's law said, "Neither do I condemn you." "Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”
He had the right to execute her. He had the right to take her life from her. Instead he chose to say, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”
You gotta walk the talk. Same goes for Jesus. He had the right to condemn, but he chose mercy and grace. And he offered forgiveness and sanctification (restoration) in a life of walking in the light with him.