4: It must be said that there can be confessions without repentance. Confessing one’s feeling of guilt does little but to salve one’s conscience. Many have admitted to their guilt, but have failed to confess it to God and repent. Judas hoped to repair his mistake, not to be forgiven for his sin. He knew that only God can forgive sin, yet he went to man to confess. The Jewish leaders, however, were more shrewd than this thief. They realized the full weight of his sin, and left him to it.
5: Under the weight of guilt, Judas cast down the money. This always happens with sin. The slave to sin develops a hate for that which they love most. Judas still loved money more than God after he cast it down, but he was mad about what it had done to him. This is quite common. We love sin, and hate the consequences.
That the money was cast into the temple was a fulfillment of prophecy. Of course, Judas was in no state of mind to think of this. Instead, he now turned his mind to the solution to his problem.
Unfortunately, he came to the wrong conclusion about that. Suicide is often the means mankind will use to solve the problem of sin. Animals do not commit suicide out of guilt. Man, made in the image of God, is born with a sense of right and wrong, which, if not guided by God’s Word, can bring one to a place of lunacy.
There has been some debate over the exact mode of Judas’ death. However, it seems best to say that he hanged himself outdoors in an area where the landscape, as is common in Israel, was treacherous. Thus, either before or after he hung, he fell (the rope must have been weak) and burst upon the rocks of the place.
Personal Journal Entry #12022
Prayer Journal Entry #12022
Daily Bible Reading: Exodus 8:1-10:29