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The Dubious Disciple

Book Reviews and Theological Rants of a Liberal Christian

The Dubious Disciple

Book Reviews and Theological Rants of a Liberal Christian

Numbers 15:35, Fifteen Crimes Requiring the Death Penalty

October 29, 2012December 6, 2012

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.

//Today’s verse refers to a man who was discovered picking up sticks on the Sabbath day. There are actually fifteen crimes worthy of death, according to the Old Testament law:

  1. Premeditated murder
  2. Kidnapping
  3. Rape of woman already betrothed.
  4. Adultery
  5. Homosexuality
  6. Incest
  7. Bestiality
  8. Offering human sacrifices
  9. False prophecy
  10. Blasphemy
  11. Ignoring the Sabbath
  12. Sacrificing to false gods
  13. Disobedience to parents/authority
  14. Striking or cursing parents
  15. Magic and divination

Contrast these to the words of Jesus: β€œ”Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone…”

Bible Commentary

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Comments (7)

  1. John Hanscom says:
    October 30, 2012 at 3:18 pm

    This was so good I put it on my Facebook page.

  2. Lee Harmon says:
    October 30, 2012 at 4:54 pm

    πŸ™‚ Excellent!

    Just a note: You can share on facebook by just clicking the little F facebook logo on the bottom of any post. πŸ˜‰

    –Lee

  3. Sheila Deeth says:
    October 31, 2012 at 12:07 pm

    Excellent contrast. Thanks. I’m enjoying catching up on your posts.

  4. Dave Bleja says:
    November 1, 2012 at 6:41 am

    Gee, looking at that list, i lost count how many times I should have been put to death already! (incidentally, would my executioner be required to kill me in a non-premeditated way? As an act of spontaneous murderous rage, perhaps?)

  5. Dave Bleja says:
    November 1, 2012 at 6:42 am

    Gee, looking at that list, i lost count how many times I should have been put to death already! (incidentally, would my executioner be required to kill me in a non-premeditated way? As an act of spontaneous murderous rage, perhaps?)

  6. Lee Harmon says:
    November 1, 2012 at 9:45 am

    well, your “executioner” would be many stone-throwers, so perhaps no one person would carry the blame.

    We’d all be put to death, of course, which may be the whole point. Did these laws actually exist during the time period in which the Bible is writing about (dating back to Moses but recorded much later), and if so, were they actually enforced?

    I don’t get too up in arms about it, lol.

  7. Dave Bleja says:
    November 1, 2012 at 4:51 pm

    Hmm, never considered that they might not have been enforced. I guess I always just assumed the ancient Hebrews were as savage as the old testament makes them out to be. I guess it would have been a strong detterent even if not.

    I jaywalk all the time – sometimes even if the cops are around – because I know that jaywalking laws aren’t particularly enforced. But I doubt I’d ever jaywalk if there was a law – no matter how unenforced – that said I could technically be murdered for it!

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