Chruch bulletin:<\/p>\n
There is a man in the Old Testament who was stoned to death for gathering sticks on the Sabbath. Or was he? Num 15:32-36, \u201cNow while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. (33)\u00a0And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. (34)\u00a0They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him. (35)\u00a0Then the LORD said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” (36)\u00a0So, as the LORD commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n It seems clear enough, this individual was executed for defying the Sabbath law (Exodus 35:2-3). Let me suggest there is more to this account than appears at face value. King David also committed sins worthy of death (adultery \u2013 Lev 20:10-12; murder \u2013 Lev 24:17) yet he was spared. Let us bear several things in mind regarding the Sabbath stoning.<\/p>\n * It is important to note where in scripture this account appears. It appears in the context of Moses warning the Children of Israel about sin (Num 15:22-31). In this passage he firstly addresses unintentional sin \u2013 that is, sin committed through weakness. For unintentional sins various offerings were required by the Lord. Moses then addresses presumptuous sin. The word translated \u201cpresumptuous\u201d literally means \u201chigh hand\u201d. The sins of the high hand were sins committed as acts of deliberate, open rebellion against God. We could liken them to someone shaking their first at God in defiance, \u201cyou will not control me.\u201d For presumptuous sins, God did not require any offerings because forgiveness was not on offer. The offender was to be put to death. It would seem that this Sabbath violation was the first public sin of its kind. This man was making a statement \u2013 He rejected God\u2019s covenant which means His salvation. God in response found it necessary to make a statement. The Sabbath breaker was not put to death simply on the basis of the fourth commandment (other Sabbath breakers were spared \u2013 Isaiah 58), but because he committed the sin of the high hand.<\/p>\n * There is no indication that the man repented when he was taken into custody. David, however, deeply regretted his transgression. It was terrible wickedness to commit adultery and destroy the marriage of Uriah and Bathsheba, furthermore, to have Uriah murdered. As bad as it was and worthy of capital punishment, it was not a sin of the high hand. David fell through weakness. When exposed, he broke down before the Lord in anguish of heart. He offered what is ultimately the only true sacrifice \u201c<\/em>a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart\u201d<\/em> (Psalm 51:17). God forgave David, nevertheless, there were significant consequences for his sin.<\/p>\n * God is both merciful and just. To those who humble themselves, seek His forgiveness, He promises abundant mercy. The worst of sinners can receive full and free pardon and restoration \u2013 as was the case with David and the apostle Paul and every other person justified by grace through faith. To those who are determined to reject God, trample His laws underfoot, shake their fist at Him in defiance, He promises judgment. This is what the sin known as the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is \u2013 the deliberate, continual, rejection of God and His salvation. God gives such people over to their sins from which they will not recover. It is not that He cannot save them, rather they are determined not to be saved.<\/p>\n The lesson of the Sabbath stoning is this \u2013 we all have a choice to make \u2013 mercy or judgement. If you want to shake your fist at God and reject His overtures of grace, in the end it will catch up with you. The wages of sin is death \u2013 eternal death. To choose mercy is to choose life. It is to discover the delight and freedom that comes through obedience to a loving God. It is to enjoy blessings now and for evermore.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Chruch bulletin: There is a man in the Old Testament who was stoned to death for gathering sticks on the Sabbath. Or was he? 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