“Bearing his own back, he commanded the executioner to administer the remainder of the penalty—95 lashes—on himself, which was accordingly done.”
IN the middle of last century there was a renowned military and religious leader in the Caucasus named Schamyl who was fiercely opposed to Russian aggression. At one time bribery was so prevalent among his followers that he determined on taking drastic measures for its suppression. He enacted a law that in every case discovered a penalty of 100 lashes was to be imposed. His own mother was the first convicted offender. On being informed of it Schamyl was overwhelmed with grief. For several days he shut himself up in his tent, and gave himself to fasting and prayer. On emerging from his retirement he assembled his followers, and gave instructions to the executioner to inflict the penalty. The offender was bound, and the lash was applied to the quivering flesh. As the fifth stroke fell Schamyl ordered the executioner to stop, and his mother was released. Baring his own back, he commanded the executioner to administer the remainder of the penalty—95 lashes—on himself, which was accordingly done.
This is a striking, though of course an imperfect, illustration of the substitution of the Lord Jesus Christ. Schamyl's mother broke the law, the penalty for the offense being 100 lashes on the back. The Circassian leader sustained two relations to the offender—those of son and ruler. As a son he was doubtless anxious that his mother be spared the indignity and the suffering; as a law-giver and leader he was bound to see that the claims of justice were fully met. If Schamyl had allowed his mother to escape without any satisfaction being rendered to the broken law, his followers would have had good reason to complain. They would doubtless have said that though a loving son Schamyl was an unrighteous ruler, being partial in his dealings. Through the expedient introduced by Schamyl a fraction of the penalty of the broken law was endured by his mother—five lashes—and the remainder—95 lashes—by himself. One can easily understand how that Schamyl's followers would after this be slow to commit the offense.
In this incident we have a faint and feeble illustration of Christ's atonement for us. All of us had sinned. Times without number we had broken the holy law of God and trampled His commands under our feet. The law declares that death is sin's penalty (Ezekiel 18:4). “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all" (James 2:10). What, then, was to become of us? Was there no way of deliverance? Whilst hating sin with a perfect hatred, God loved, and loves with matchless love, the sinner. It was, and is, His desire that "all men should be saved" (1 Timothy 2:4). How could He righteously pardon those who had broken His laws? "Had sin been pardoned without an atonement (to use the words of another), its exceeding evil would not have been displayed; the law which forbids it would not have been magnified; the holiness of God which abominates it would not have been cleared; the glory of God which has been insulted by it would not have been vindicated.”
“We must needs die, and are as water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person; yet doth He devise means that His banished be not expelled from Him" (2 Samuel 14:14). What were the "means" devised by God for our restoration to His favor? Calvary's Cross answers the question. As we gaze on the form of that holy, spotless One we see the measure of God's righteous displeasure against sin, and the manifestation of His marvelous love to the sinner. Here we see mercy and truth met together, righteousness and peace kissing each other (Psalm 85:10). Calvary is the solving of the problem as to how God can be a just God and a Savior (Isaiah 45:21). In the sacrificial work of Christ we understand how the "sin question" was eternally settled.
For years the Cross was to us a mystery. Thank God, to some extent we understand the meaning of the wondrous words: "But He was wounded for OUR transgressions, He was bruised for OUR iniquities: the chastisement of (with the view to) OUR peace was upon Him, and WITH HIS STRIPES we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). The substitution of Christ for sinners is the ground on which every blessing flows to us. Through that sacrificial death for us God's righteous claims have been met, the law has been magnified, His justice satisfied, and His glory vindicated. Salvation free, full, present, and eternal is proclaimed to all. It is now proclaimed to you. Christ's death was not a commercial transaction—so much blood for so many souls. This is an imperfect and unscriptural view of the atonement. "God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." His death—apart from faith—secures the salvation of none.
Everyone may be saved because of His atoning sacrifice, and saved through simply believing on Him. "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by Him ALL THAT BELIEVE ARE JUSTIFIED from all things" (Acts 13:38, 39)
Since God is satisfied with the death of Christ; since He is waiting to save you from going down to the pit, why not Now believe on Him and obtain everlasting life? "He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18). A. M.