“I will cut him off…”
Question: What is the meaning of God’s warning that He would “cut off” the Israelites that disobey His Law?
Answer: The Lord uses that particular phrase in the Old Testament Law with reference to the punishment of sinners. The words “cut off” are employed many times. For example, in Leviticus 17:10, God says, “Whatever man…who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person…and will cut him off from among his people.”
The phrase is a warning of judgment or punishment to come, but exactly what does it mean? There is uncertainty about that. Possibly there were several options and alternatives, depending on the particular case. As to whether the cutting off invariably took place following sinful behaviour, and whether it was permanent and irrevocable, are further issues. This too seems to have depended somewhat on the situation.
In some instances the “cutting off” involved physical death (Exod. 9:15; 31:14; cf. Gen. 9:11). In Leviticus 20:2-3, for the terrible sin of child sacrifice, the guilty one was to be stoned, and the Lord says “I will…cut him off from his people.” Some suggest that implies eternal punishment following his execution. But that need not be so.
Such a step (i.e. a cutting off) is also involved in what would seem to be a much lesser offense: A man having physical relations with a woman during her menstrual period (Lev. 20:18), which surely did not result in eternal damnation. It more likely has to do with ceremonial uncleanness which rendered them temporarily unable to participate in religious activities.
Another possibility, depending on the situation, is that the cutting off referred to the ending of the family line. In such cases, it would mean that the individual would have no descendants, and his name and memorial would be cut off from Israel (Ruth 4:10; I Sam. 24:21).
Other times, what is implied seems to be ostracism and excommunication– that the one who is “cut off” would be excluded from the community, at least for a period of time, and be unable to worship and fellowship there. Note the wording in Leviticus 22:3. The Lord says, “…that person shall be cut off from My presence.” Under the Law, the camp of Israel was uniquely the place of the manifest presence of God. To be cut off from Israel was to be excluded from the one place on earth which God had ordained for sacrifices to be made. This punishment might also imply the removal of the person from under the protecting umbrella of God’s covenants with Israel. In such a state, he faced continuing peril (Lev. 22:3; Num. 19:13, 20).
Compare David’s plea, “Do not cast me away from Your presence” (Ps. 51:11). There is no exact equivalent of this under Grace. God’s presence is not localized in a temple, and every true believer is indwelt by the Spirit of God forever. Also, there are no continuing sacrifices to be made for sin at some central altar. But a partial parallel might be the breakdown of fellowship with God when a Christian sins, which is to be remedied by confession of that sin (I Jn. 1:5-10).
Perhaps ostracism and loss of fellowship in the community of Israel is similar to what Christ describes in Matthew 18:17, “If he [the unrepentant sinner] refuses to hear the church [the assembly of believers] let him be to you like a heathen [a Gentile] and a tax collector [men viewed as traitors to their nation]” (cf. I Cor. 5:9-13). And there may be a parallel to Paul’s reference to delivering an individual to Satan that he may be prompted and prodded to change his ways (I Cor. 5:5; I Tim. 1:20). The umbrella of blessing and protection is removed. There is danger of temporal chastisement as a result, but it is not a hopeless situation if there is repentance and an appeal is made to the grace and mercy of God.