quote:
Originally posted by asygo:
Consider the guy caught picking up sticks on the Sabbath. He was obviously doing that which was forbidden. But Moses did not immediately execute him. Instead, they arrested him, then asked God what to do about it. Only after God told them to stone him did they enforce the prescribed punishment.
As I am understanding this - you made the point - which was a beginning point of the command to execute the man who broke the Sabbath in this manner.
God set about creating laws that required death of the sinner. Not that is matters in this particular discussion but what kind of sin was that? Was this man sinning in ignorance or was he in full rebellion? Various penalties for various sins against God and fellow men.
A murderer is obviously in full rebellion - and it appears as if the man who picked up sticks, against the command not to do it, was also in full rebellion and the result was death by stoning.
So after Moses got the command as to what to do regarding this sin, he carried it out and we have no record of his going before the Lord a second time on this offense - or others, for that matter that I can find. There was no doubt about this man's guilt. The command set a precedence, so to speak, giving the remedy of such a person in rebellion.
In our discussion of the death penalty in another forum (Mod 2 - ask for entrance), it has been stated that God wanted purity among His people. Penalties, in their various forms, were meant to either correct bad behavior or to absolutely put to death, cleansing the camp of one in full rebellion. If gone unchecked, it would spread from one individual to another.
It is not my understanding that Moses consulted the Lord every time sin was committed in the camp AFTER he had the statutes and judgments in hand. However, when situations came up and the Lord needed to be consulted, the High Priest did have the Urim and Thummim.
We have a command related to the Sabbath upon which Ellen White further elaborates - and that is cooking on the Sabbath. We have a Preparation Day to ready ourselves, our homes and our food for the Sabbath. It is SO HOLY that cooking as done on other days of the week is not permitted. Manna did not fall on the Sabbath - double portions were given on Friday - no one cooked on the Sabbath while in the wilderness. How much worse is picking up sticks and making a fire on the Sabbath in the eyes of God?
Well, I see I'm getting carried away - and to finish this post, it is evident that it was a serious offense that God gave an order to remedy and Moses and the COI took it from there. It was a law on the books, so to speak.
[This message has been edited by Sybil (edited 06-04-2007).]