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Numbers 15 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Nestled in the middle of this chapter is a bizarre story for our modern society. A man is caught collecting sticks on the Sabbath and he is brought before Moses and Aaron. God commands Moses to stone the man for breaking the law. Though it sounds excessively harsh, there was a point to be made.
I think the first point we can reflect on is the seriousness of sin in our life. God hates sin. Period. He is the same today as He was back then and His thoughts about sin have not changed. God still hates sin, and really, we should too.
For some of us, this can trigger a wound. Maybe it’s a borderline abusive parent who held strict control over you and brought horrific punishment over any mistake. Possibly it’s a wound from poor leadership where you were manipulated and controlled by an individual who wanted power over you. Or, it could simply be that you were brought up in a legalistic household.
Whatever the case, we don’t like this response from God because we are not used to it. This story reminds us of negative experiences and we equate what God is doing here with the abuse or mistreatment we have received from others. Because we weren’t raised under the Old Covenant and under the Law of Moses as a guide for our life, it feels completely foreign. However, even under the New Covenant God still hates sin. We only need to look at the brutal beating and painful execution of Jesus to see that.
So why is there such a harsh response here in Numbers? The key is digging deeper. Look at the verse just before this passage.
But any who sin deliberately, whether they are natives or foreigners, are guilty of treating the LORD with contempt, and they shall be put to death, [31] because they have rejected what the LORD said and have deliberately broken one of his commands. They are responsible for their own death.
Numbers 15:30-31 GNB
When we picture this man innocently walking through the forest gathering sticks for his fire and then read of his stoning, it feels as if the punishment doesn’t match the crime. The problem is that there was nothing innocent about it. God had made it clear that in His covenant agreement with Israel, deliberately sinning against that covenant would lead to death. God is fair and just. He doesn’t put to death those who are innocent or misinformed. When this man picked up that first stick, he knew what he was doing and he knew it was wrong. Apparently, he didn’t care.
This was the point being made; God has no tolerance for deliberate sin. It is one thing to sin unintentionally and then realize it and ask for forgiveness. God outlines this scenario in the verses prior. That individual would offer a sacrifice and be forgiven. However, the person who knew the law and chose to deliberately sin against God drew their own death sentence. There was no sacrifice or covering for deliberate sin.
The fact for us is that Jesus has paid our death sentence, however, that doesn’t change how God feels about deliberate sin. This is such a sobering reminder for those of us who are walking in a secret sin that we know is completely wrong. God is loving and forgiving for all those who come in humility and turn from their sin. He does not tolerate games and lip service. He never has.