23 Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him. The Israelites did as the Lord commanded Moses.
This is a tough one for me. I like to think of God as a loving and forgiving entity. Seeing through our propensity to turn to our own perspective. And giving us many opportunities to choose him. This feels like the opposite. It feels harsh and final. And its not a compassionate ending. Stoning sounds terrible! Not only for the person being hit....but, also for the ones throwing the stones. I can't imagine being in either place.
3 For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops.4 But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.
And every 49 years, a jubilee celebration....
Lots of numerology in these chapters. All the numbers are related and multiple factors of each other. The number 7 is obviously huge. Max and I were just talking about how the construction of things is basically the same if you go microscopic as well as telescopic....things are very similar small and large. Here's another case where its all related. God rested on the 7th day. We are directed to rest on the 7th day. The land needs to rest on the 7th year....and so it goes.
tp
16 anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they blaspheme the Name they are to be put to death.
ReplyDeleteIt goes on to give the eye for an eye type of rules. It seems blaspheme of God himself is as bad as killing someone given the result is death. This does seem very harsh. But as I'm writing a thought has come to me. If someones words against God are heard and absorbed by someone who doesn't yet know God is it possible it would prevent them from every knowing God? If so this would prevent saving and eternal life, which would be even worse than murder of someone who already knows God. therefore the penalty was extreme?
just a thought
knut