seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Numbers 15:32 While the Israelites were in the wilderness, a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day. 33 Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, 34 and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him. 35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.” 36 So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him to death, as the Lord commanded Moses.
Here's the link to the commentary.They found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day: This was an immediate example of dealing with someone who sinned presumptuously. All of Israel knew the Sabbath law, and this man no doubt thought himself a courageous social reformer, trying by his example to free the nation from the shackles of heaven’s law.
“It seems likely that the following story of the sabbath breaker illustrates what sinning with a high hand means.” (Wenham)
The man must surely be put to death: Instead, God commanded the execution of this presumptuous sinner, that all might fear. This was so all would know that the social order and law of God are more important than any individual’s “right” to attack or destroy that social order or law of God.
Boy, you read through the Bible enough times and you find all kinds of things. I left out the verses on the Supplemental Offerings and the Offering for the Unintentional Sin. The Supplemental Offering was to celebrate the Promised Land. The Offering for the Unintentional Sin was a sin of ignorance. If the people did something wrong, thinking it was ok, the Offering for Unintentional Sin was there to cover them. Then we come to the intentional sin: the "Oh God didn't mean I couldn't work on Sunday.... He just meant make sure I remember Him once in a while" kind of sin.
So, I think the important word, according to the commentary, is "presumptuously". It's an adjective that means "failing to observe the limits of what is permitted or appropriate".
God wrote the Ten Commandments. Back in Exodus 20:8-11, the fourth commandment was to "Remember the Sabbath".
The guy they caught gathering the wood could not claim Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He couldn't claim he had the "right" to work on the Sabbath.
Jesus was a long way off..... and this guy was breaking a commandment that is on the same list as "thou shalt not kill".
I always wondered why those priests in the New Testament thought they could harass everyone over the Sabbath. I thought they carried it a bit too far.
God took the day off.
Why wouldn't Jesus take the day off?
I think it's because the priests, in the days of Jesus, took it too far. If a man was drowning, they would let him drown. If a man cut himself severely, well he would have to just bleed out. If a man was sick, they would have him wait until the day after the Sabbath, even if the top doc was right there in front of him.
I don't know why the preachers don't teach the Old Testament. Sure, life is new in the New Testament. Jesus turned everything upside down. Jesus would feed, heal, and love seven days a week. It's the right thing to do and Jesus always did the right thing. Jesus always encouraged His followers to do the right thing too.
So, if the preachers would teach "why" the priests were so hot on "remembering the Sabbath", it might make more sense.
God had the priests take the "sinner" who snubbed his nose at the "Sabbath" outside of town and stone him to death.
Capital punishment for gathering wood on the Sabbath???? NO
Capital punishment for snubbing his nose at the fourth commandment??? YEP
Now... Well, some people get upset if we talk about hanging the words of the Ten Commandments in a classroom.
I remember when ALL the stores were closed on Sunday.
I remember when they let the drug stores stay open, but only the drug counter could be open. You couldn't run to Walgreens and pick up a candy bar because the candy section was roped off. You could only pick up your prescriptions... period.
I'm 73 years old. Some people who read these forums are too young to remember when we use to "remember the Sabbath".
What would happen of the priests today decided to execute all the people who went shopping on Sunday? I think there would be a New Law, outlawing the Blue Law.
Should we all be taken outside of town and stoned????
I've titled this just how my Online Bible titled it.
"The Sabbath-Breaker put to death"
