"But the person, native or foreigner, who sins defiantly, deliberately blaspheming God, must be cut off from his people: He has despised God's word, he has violated God's command; that person must be kicked out of the community, ostracized, left alone in his wrongdoing."
Once, during those wilderness years of the People of Israel, a man was caught gathering wood on the Sabbath. The ones who caught him hauled him before Moses and Aaron and the entire congregation. They put him in custody until it became clear what to do with him. Then God spoke to Moses: "Give the man the death penalty. Yes, kill him, the whole community hurling stones at him outside the camp."
So the whole community took him outside the camp and threw stones at him, an execution commanded by God and given through Moses.
The Message
The people who sinned accidently could be forgiven by offering an "absolution offering". Absolution meaning a freeing from blame or guilt; release from consequences, obligations, or penalties (Dictionary.com) The guy in this story obviously wasn't qualified for this type of offering. His sin was deliberate. And his story immediatly follows the instructions from God to the Israelites about how to handle deliberate sin. So he's an example. An example of how NOT to be intentional.
What is it that he did? He gathered wood on the Sabbath. He set about meeting his needs for a fire (to cook with, to stay warm) by working to gather wood on a day that he was supposed to be keeping holy- a day that he was supposed be resting and contemplating God. Instead, he contemplated his own state of affairs and realized he'd come up short and that needed fixing. He needed to fill his needs; needed to break the rules to take care of himself. Surely God isn't so mean as to say that we should go hungry and cold just because he wants us to sit still and know him. Surely he's not that self-centered. But the judgement he passed on this wood-gathering gentleman wasn't a statement about his need or lack of plannning but the crime of his heart: The intentionality.
This gentleman lived in a close knit community. He needed wood and possibly would be very hungry and very cold if he didn't have wood for a fire. He was poor, in need, and his community failed him. I'll bet you that the guy in the tent next door had wood. And if he didn't have enough wood for this gentleman's entire family, he may have one extra piece. And then the guy in the tent next to his could have given one and so on and so on until this gentleman would have had wood enough. But chances are, he never let anyone know of his need. And wouldn't he have looked silly having not planned to have enough wood to make it through the Sabbath? His sin was pride. He wasn't going to ask because then he'd look silly. He'd have to take a chance on the charity (a.k.a. LOVE) of his community.
But that's the way God wants it to be. We know each other's needs, we reach out in love. There is no pride, no heart sin, no defiance. There is community. There is forgiveness. There is love... and most of all... life.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3 (NIV)
1 comment:
Yet another great blog.Thank you.
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