2 Thessalonians 1:9-10 They will suffer the punishment of eternal ruin, cut off from the presence of the Lord and the splendor of his might when on the great day he comes to be glorified among his own and adored among all believers; for you did indeed believe the testimony we brought you.
Banishment
Ha, banishment! Be merciful, say “death”;
For exile hath more terror in his look,
Much more than death.
(Romeo and Juliet, Act III, Scene III)
Much more than death.
(Romeo and Juliet, Act III, Scene III)
Well there it is: what's worse than death? Banishment. But 'banishment' from where?
The ancients believed that one's soul was part of the home land. Even the author(s) of Genesis believed that the essence of men was tied to the land and that the land was important in preservation of their descendants.
By the time of Shakespeare, 'banishment' was a bit less specific but just as serious, 'worse than death'.
Do we still go along with this idea? St. Paul did. Speaking to the people of Thesolonica, he said that banishment from the presence of the Lord was indeed the worst punishment imaginable. The Jews of the preceding century had surely seen a great variety of punishments.
Do we agree with Paul that the ultimate punishment is separation from God? And who could bring down that separation upon us?
Think about it.
Prayer: Father God, we pray that we may always crave your presence and never stray far from your care that is always with us. Amen.
Ross Stuntz