Numbers 15:36

Who consulted the Lord upon this affair, in the tabernacle, even at the most holy place, from above the mercy seat, where he promised to meet him, and commune with him about whatsoever he should consult him, Exodus 25:22; the man shall surely be put to death; for as no fire was to be made throughout their habitations on a sabbath day, gathering sticks for such a purpose was a work that was a violation of the sabbath, punishable with death, Exodus 35:2; and the kind of death follows: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp; as afterwards without the city: of the place and manner of stoning, See Gill on "Acts 7:58". Numbers 15:36 Ver. 36. And all the congregation brought him without the camp,.... What was done by the order of Moses and the seventy elders is said to be done by the whole congregation, though it was by a few persons only the man was actually brought out, who were the proper officers to do such business: and stoned him with stones, and he died: stoned him to death: as the Lord commanded Moses: at the time he consulted him in the sanctuary, which he acquainted the court with, and they immediately ordered the execution, which was accordingly done. Numbers 15:37 Ver. 37. And the Lord spoke unto Moses,....

15:30-36 Those are to be reckoned presumptuous sinners, who sin designedly against God's will and glory. Sins thus committed are exceedingly sinful. He that thus breaks the commandment reproaches the Lord. He also despises the word of the Lord. Presumptuous sinners despise it, thinking themselves too great, too good, and too wise, to be ruled by it. A particular instance of presumption in the sin of sabbath-breaking is related. The offence was gathering sticks on the sabbath day, to make a fire, whereas the people were to bake and seethe what they had occasion for, the day before, Ex 16:23. This was done as an affront both to the law and to the Lawgiver. God is jealous for the honour of his sabbaths, and will not hold him guiltless who profanes them, whatever men may do. God intended this punishment for a warning to all, to make conscience of keeping holy the sabbath. And we may be assured that no command was ever given for the punishment of sin, which, at the judgment day, shall not prove to have come from perfect love and justice. The right of God to a day of devotion to himself, will be disputed and denied only by such as listen to the pride and unbelief of their hearts, rather than to the teaching of the Spirit of truth and life.

Wherein consists the difference between him who was detected gathering sticks in the wilderness on the day of God, and the man who turns his back upon the blessings of sabbath appointments, and the promises of sabbath mercies, to use his time, his cares, and his soul, in heaping up riches; and waste his hours, his property, and his strength in sinful pleasure? Wealth may come by the unhallowed effort, but it will not come alone; it will have its awful reward. Sinful pursuits lead to ruin.

And all the congregation brought him without the camp,.... What was done by the order of Moses and the seventy elders is said to be done by the whole congregation, though it was by a few persons only the man was actually brought out, who were the proper officers to do such business: and stoned him with stones, and he died: stoned him to death: as the Lord commanded Moses: at the time he consulted him in the sanctuary, which he acquainted the court with, and they immediately ordered the execution, which was accordingly done.

Verse 36. - And he died. He was killed not for what he did, but for doing it presumptuously, in deliberate defiance of what he knew to be the will of God. If the covenant relation was to be maintained between God and Israel, the observance of the sabbath, which was an integral part of that covenant, must be enforced, and he who willfully violated it must be cut off; and this consideration was of exceptional force in this case, as the first which had occurred, and as the one, therefore, which would govern all the rest (cf. Acts 5:5, 10 ). On the punishment of stoning see Leviticus 20:2 ; Leviticus 24:14 ; Acts 7:58 . CHAPTER 15:37-41 THE LAW OF TASSELS (verses 37-41). Numbers 15:36

35, 36. The Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death—The Lord was King, as well as God of Israel, and the offense being a violation of the law of the realm, the Sovereign Judge gave orders that this man should be put to death; and, moreover, He required the whole congregation unite in executing the fatal sentence.

The History of the Sabbath-Breaker is no doubt inserted here as a practical illustration of sinning "with a high hand." It shows, too, at the same time, how the nation, as a whole, was impressed with the inviolable sanctity of the Lord's day. From the words with which it is introduced, "and the children of Israel were in the wilderness," all that can be gathered is, that the occurrence took place at the time when Israel was condemned to wander about in the wilderness for forty years. They found a man gathering sticks in the desert on the Sabbath, and brought him as an open transgressor of the law of the Sabbath before Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation, i.e., the college of elders, as the judicial authorities of the congregation ( Exodus 18:25 .). They kept him in custody, like the blasphemer in Leviticus 24:12 , because it had not yet been determined what was to be done to him. It is true that it had already been laid down in Exodus 31:14-15 , and Exodus 35:2 , that any breach of the law of the Sabbath should be punished by death and extermination, but the mode had not yet been prescribed. This was done now, and Jehovah commanded stoning (see Leviticus 20:2 ), which was executed upon the criminal without delay.

[Reformed Biblical] gation, who, as they represented and governed the congregation, are called by the name of the congregation. Numbers 15:34 i.e. Moses and Aaron, and the seventy rulers last mentioned. ## What should be done to him, i.e. in what manner he was to be cut off, or b y what kind of death he was to die, which therefore God here particularly determines; otherwise it was known in general that sabbath-breakers were to be put to death, from Exo_31:14 35:2 . Numbers 15:35 Numbers 15:36 Numbers 15:37 Numbers 15:38 ## Fringes were certain threads or ends of their garments, standing out a little further than the rest of their garments, left there for this use. ## In the borders, i.e. in the four borders or quarters , as it is Deu_22:12. Heb. wings , which is oft used for borders or ends, as Rth_3:9 1Sa_15:27 24:5 , &c. ## Of their garments, i.e. of their upper garment, or that wherewith they covered themselves , as is expressed Deu_22:12. This was practised by the Pharisees in Christ’s time, who are noted for making their borders larger than ordinary, Mat_23:5; and by Christ himself, as may gathered from Luk_8:44. ## A riband, to make it more obvious to the sight, and consequently more serviceable to the use here mentioned. ## Of blue, or, of a purple colour , as the Jewish writers agree, whose opinion is the more considerable, because it was ma tter of consta

Some suddenly died; some were pierced with the sword, Exodus 32:27; Numbers 25:5; some were stoned to death, Numbers 15:36; Joshua 7:25; some were swallowed up by the earth, Numbers 16:32; some were bitten by serpents; Numbers 21:6; some were hanged, Numbers 25:4; some were consumed by the fire, Leviticus 10:2; Saul's kingdom was taken from him, 1 Kings 15:28; and put to death with the sword; the house of Jeroboam and Achab were taken from the earth; the eyes of Zedechias were put out; Manasseh was captured; and all Israel was in exile in foreign countries, as in Assyria, Babylonia, and Egypt as recorded in Chronicles, Kings, and the prophets. I repeat, why was it V Solely because they did not abide in the law of their God, but either by their own choice or else out of disrespect for the law, transgressed it, establishing without the command of God, images, temples and altars, in many countries and cities, Jer. 2; Hosea 10; in many mountains and under large trees, Hosea 4:13; notwithstanding, as may be seen by the writings of many prophets, that Moses so strenuously commanded them as also was commanded their fathers, thus, "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it," Deuteronomy 12:32. At another place, that on all those who do not abide by the works of the covenant, ', which are written in the Book, all the plagues will come, and on the contrary, all the blessings will be to all those who abide thereby, Deuteronomy 28:58, 59