The Blasphemer Stoned
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
7/18/2010 PM
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Text:
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Leviticus 24:10-16
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Psalters: |
251, 252, 20, 260 |
- The circumstances.
- This young man picked a quarrel with an unnamed Israelite.
- Scripture makes significant that he ?blasphemed the name and cursed? (11).
- ?The name? of God is Jehovah.
- Blaspheme is to pierce or stab and to curse is to revile, to declare someone without significance.
- Scripture notes that the blasphemer was of mixed blood: an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father.
- Scripture identifies a ?mixed multitude? (Ex. 12:37,38; Num. 11:4).
- The O. T. ceremonial law taught a spiritual truth with physical separation from other nations (cf. Dt. 23:1-8).
- Another striking fact is that Scripture gives us the names of the man?s mother and of her father.
- The case came to Moses for adjudication.
- The people and the judges and Moses did not know what penalty or punishment to impose.
- God told Moses of the appropriate punishment (14).
- Take him outside the camp, i.e., Israel was to rid itself of the sin.
- Those who heard the blasphemy were lay their hands on his head, transferring the guilt to the blasphemer.
- Further the whole congregation must share in the judgment (14b) by stoning him to death.
- The blasphemer is stoned to death (23) - a most severe punishment.
- This is a stern warning for the congregation of Israel, i.e., for us.
- God requires death, and nothing less.
- The law was shown to apply to any Israelite and to strangers alike (22).
- God?s people are to be holy, for Jehovah is holy.