We don't live in a
time when we are killed for not keeping the Sabbath holy, but there was a time
this happened--
Exo_31:14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it
is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for
whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his
people.
Exo_35:2 Six days shall work be done, but on the
seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD:
whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.
Num 15:32 And while the children of Israel were in the
wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.
Num 15:33 And they that found him gathering sticks
brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.
Num 15:34 And they put him in ward, because it was not
declared what should be done to him.
Num 15:35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall
be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones
without the camp.
Num 15:36 And all the congregation brought him without
the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Neh_13:15 In those days saw I in Judah some treading
wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also
wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into
Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein
they sold victuals.
Neh_13:16 There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, which
brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children
of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
Neh_13:17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah,
and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath
day?
Neh_13:18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our
God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath
upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.
Neh_13:19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of
Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates
should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the
sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no
burden be brought in on the sabbath day.
Neh_13:21 Then I testified against them, and said unto
them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you.
From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.
Why? Why was death
warranted for the breaking of the Sabbath commandment? What other commandments warranted death?
Lev_24:16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD,
he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone
him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the
name of the LORD, shall be put to death.
Lev_20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with
another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife,
the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
Deu 17:2 If there be found among you, within any of
thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought
wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God, in transgressing his covenant,
Deu 17:3 And hath gone and served other gods, and
worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I
have not commanded;
Deu 17:4 And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of
it, and enquired diligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain,
that such abomination is wrought in Israel:
Deu 17:5 Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that
woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or
that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die.
Deu 21:18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son,
which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and
that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
Deu 21:19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold
on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his
place;
Deu 21:20 And they shall say unto the elders of his
city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he
is a glutton, and a drunkard.
Deu 21:21 And all the men of his city shall stone him
with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all
Israel shall hear, and fear.
Reading this we know
that the commandments given that warranted death if broken were more than just the Sabbath
commandment.
Murder, Adultery,
Disobedience to Parents, Blasphemy of God,
Serving other gods… when these commandments were broken and there were
witnesses to the truth of this then death was required. It sounds so incredibly severe and wrong.
Today some religions in countries other than America still uphold death for
blasphemy, death for adultery, death for disobedience to parents, and even in
America we uphold death for murder in a lot of our states.
'Federal
law provides the death penalty for many homicide-related crimes, espionage,
terrorism, treason, and drug trafficking. 32 of the 50 states currently have the death penalty.
Of the non-state territories, American Samoa still has capital punishment as a
local statute, and the others have abolished it.
Thirty-two states
have the death penalty in America- murder for murder.
Is it too extreme to
put people to death for their crimes? As
the law was written by God's finger, and to be upheld He had His reasons for
that exactness of the law.
However, when our
Savior came He did NOT do away with the laws but magnified them- expounding on
the reason for their existence. He did NOT tell a single person to stop keeping
any one of the moral ten commandments, not one!
He did however do this--
Joh 8:4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was
taken in adultery, in the very act.
Joh 8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such
should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
Joh 8:6 This they said, tempting him, that they might
have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the
ground, as though he heard them not.
Joh 8:7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted
up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first
cast a stone at her.
Joh 8:8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the
ground.
Joh 8:9 And they which heard it, being convicted by
their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto
the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
Joh 8:10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw
none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers?
hath no man condemned thee?
Joh 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto
her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Joh 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I
am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but
shall have the light of life.
The woman was caught
in the act of adultery which was punishable by death and Jesus convinced those
who wanted her stoned NOT to stone her because He revealed to them their OWN
sins punishable by death, sins they weren't convicted of by others but their own
conscience made them know they were GUILTY, all of them! They couldn't stone this woman when they were
guilty too. Jesus was revealing just how
many people would have to die under the punishments given prior to HIS
ministry, prior to the LIGHT He was bringing to the world!
The light HE was
bringing to the world said this--
Mat 5:38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye
for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Mat 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil:
but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Mat 5:40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and
take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
Mat 5:41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile,
go with him twain.
Mat 5:42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him
that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
Mat 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou
shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Mat 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless
them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which
despitefully use you, and persecute you
LOVE OUR ENEMIES!
BLESS THEM THAT
CURSE YOU!
DO GOOD TO THEM THAT
HATE YOU!
PRAY FOR THEM WHICH DISPITEFULLY USE YOU AND PERSECUTE YOU!
Jesus was a LIGHT!
Jesus wants us to GO
AND SIN NO MORE!
And to sin means we
break the moral law given, you can't sin without breaking that moral law. You sin when you do not LOVE GOD and you do
not LOVE YOUR FELLOW MAN- this is what the MORAL LAW IS!
More on this
tomorrow, by the grace of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!
AMEN.
