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Bible Traffic Violations
Most motorists have had some brush
with the law with respect to traffic violations. It may have
been anything from a parking meter infraction to a charge of
driving too fast through a speed zone. Travel methods have
changed phenomenally since Bible times. The truck has taken
the place of the ox-cart. Tractors do the work formerly done
by the elephant, the ox and the water buffalo. Cars have
displaced the camel and the speedy racehorse. While the mode
of travel has changed drastically, it should be observed that
the principles regulating traffic have not changed basically.
Let us analyze some of the Bible accounts in the light of
present day traffic violations.
One glaring example
concerned a priest who was hurrying down the road from
Jerusalem to Jericho.
In the gathering twilight he noticed a scuffle, taking place,
at the roadside. Some gangsters were beating the life out of a
man, but when they saw the priest coming they fled leaving
their victim in dying agony. Unfortunately the priest was
already late for his appointment in Jericho
so he ignored the man’s plea for help and turning his head the
other way he scurried past. Since his action greatly
endangered a man’s life, the priest was later charged with
“Failing to remain at the scene of an accident.”
A few
minutes later a Levite was caught making “a prohibited left
turn” at the same place. In a sense the Levite was trying to
avoid the scene of the accident but his actions showed callous
criminal neglect. He heard the groans of the dying man and
could even hear the labored breathing as he gasped for breath,
but since he did not want to dirty his hands or soil his
clothes, he glanced quickly to see that no one was looking and
then swerved dangerously to the left and hastily left the
scene. He was so engrossed in making alibis for himself that
he almost got stepped on by a donkey coming towards him.
“Beastly Samaritan,” he growled half under his breath, “I just
cannot stand Samaritans.”
When the Levite arrived
back in Jerusalem a few days later,
he went to call on his brother, but failed to find him home.
He enquired from a neighbor who said, “Oh, didn’t you hear?
Your brother set out for Jericho a few days ago and
hasn’t returned. The word is going around, that he was
savagely attacked by some bandits and would have died if a
kind hearted Samaritan hadn’t come along and rescued him.” The
man failed to notice how the Levite turned "ashen pale" as he
turned quietly muttering, “So my own brother owes his life to
that Samaritan that I despised. I must plead guilty to making
that wrong turn.”
Balaam lost his license to drive
because of his repeated infractions of the law. He was charged
with going the wrong way, in “a one way street,” with
disregarding all the “stop signs,” and with reckless driving.”
His guilt was all the more culpable because he ignored the
warning of the “flag man” who tried to prevent him from
pursuing his misadventure, but Balaam went heedlessly on. One
of Balaam’s feet got badly crushed as he tried to negotiate
his donkey past a roadblock that was erected by the Divine
Department of Highways, since that route was closed to
traffic. The donkey was forced so close to a nearby wall, that
Balaam suffered a nasty fracture, which caused him to limp the
rest of his life.
In fairness to Balaam, it
should be remembered that he had just received an offer of the
most lucrative stipend in all his life to hold a meeting for a
group of enemies of Israel. Doubtless
Balaam reasoned that it would be quite ecumenical to include
these Moabites and Midianites under the blessing of God,
provided they paid him enough for his services. He had no
doubt that he could disguise the perfidy of his ulterior
motives, by claiming it to be a demonstration of tolerance and
brotherly fellowship. But Balaam overlooked the fact that
God’s truth is priceless. To confer God’s blessing on people
who are devoid of God’s grace, is to cheapen, compromise and
pervert the eternal truth. It merits the scorn of men who
stand for principle and brings dishonor on the high calling of
the ministry. In view of the fact that Balaam disregarded the
Judge, he was cited for “contempt of court” and serves as a
universal precedent, that it pays to observe God’s law on the
highway of holiness.
The next man on the docket,
was no less than King Pharaoh, the great Dictator of Egypt. He
was charged for ten infractions of “failing to stop for the
red flasher signal.” The red flashing signals were calculated
to warn him that he was on the wrong track. Among the more
flagrant violations, was one: charged with driving without
lights when all Egypt was engulfed
in darkness. Moses sternly rebuked him and told him his
probation was over, on account of his recklessness. Pharaoh,
not being accustomed to taking orders from anyone, refused to
accept the verdict and decided to appeal to a Higher
Court. This was a fatal blunder,
for the Supreme Court not only upheld the first conviction,
but when Pharaoh could not produce his driver’s license for
crossing the Red Sea, both he and his armies were prohibited
from ever driving in Egypt again.
Many
interesting examples could be cited. Jonah received an unusual
“parking ticket,” that almost caused a marine disaster. Paul
was charged with “Failing to yield the right of way,” several
times. The last time, was on the way to Damascus, but he was placed
on probation, following a final warning from the Judge and he
was never guilty of the offense again as long as he
lived.
Bible traffic violations suggest Bible
highways. Jesus said there are two ways, a broad way and a
narrow way. All traffic fatalities occur on the Broad
Highway. This is because of the
steep incline. Almost imperceptibly, the brakes give out,
causing the driver to lose control and hurtle to destruction.
Many wrecks occur from making a wrong turn or failing to heed
the warning lights.
Isaiah describes God’s highway
thus: “And an highway shall be there, and a way and it shall
be called the way of holiness. The unclean shall not pass over
it, but it shall be for those, the wayfaring men, though fools
shall not err therein.” Isa. 35:8, Habbakuk is quoted as
saying: “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that
he may run that readeth it.”
God’s Highway is so
plain that it doesn’t require extraordinary mental faculties
or a long period of time to discover it. You simply start at
the CROSS, take the first turn to the RIGHT and then keep
going STRAIGHT. Violations have penalties that are evident
that it behooves us all to drive carefully on the highway of
life. The life you save may be your own. Don’t insist on your
“rites.” Above all, “drive
prayerfully.”
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