NowTHINK!AboutIt

Avoiding Hackneyed...Making Sense

Spend Sabbaths – Save Money – Live Longer

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There are several events in the Bible that critics love to focus on, one of which is the stoning of a Sabbath-breaker (Numbers 15:32-36). The event occurred about a year and a half after the Exodus and within a few months of leaving Mt. Sinai. Unfortunately, it is one story that is easily construed to impugn God’s benevolence. Following are the facts:

A man was found picking up “sticks” on the Sabbath and immediately taken to Moses. This was a no-no. Work on the Sabbath was not allowed. It was declared a day of rest in perpetuity and the penalty for breaking this law was death (Exodus 31:13-17). Sounds a bit severe. Even the Israelites hesitated. Before acting on what the law clearly stated they put the man in hold while Moses consulted with God.

And the answer?

Execute the man publicly. All Israel was to stone him to death which means everyone, young and old alike, were aware of this stoning, and the reason for it, in real-time. They not only witnessed it they participated. Seems gruesome! Glad I wasn’t there. [Read more…] about Spend Sabbaths – Save Money – Live Longer

OT Law – Restrictive Not Prescriptive

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The prominent use of the death penalty reflects poorly on society.

Commands And Laws
Never Change
Statutes Always Do

Exodus through Deuteronomy are the four books of the Old Testament that contain what is called the Law of Moses and these laws are the topic of many discussions.

Some people misguidedly attempt to superimpose these laws on today’s cultures, a hopeless and useless endeavor. 

Refrigeration and modern farming methods have made Old Testament dietary restrictions obsolete.  We eat pork today with no nutritive repercussions.  Even in Jesus’ day improved food handling had overcome the obvious dangers of eating “unclean” animals.

Of course, Old Testament laws are not all given an equal hearing. Some people attempt to uphold certain laws while completely ignoring others.  We love the laws relating to monogamous marriage but are a bit embarrassed to admit polygamy was regulated rather than run out of town. Regulation, however, wasn’t meant to endorse polygamy but was rather a way of controlling it or keeping it from getting out of control. The plan worked. You rarely hear of polygamous marriages in most Bible-influenced societies today.

Moralists today are adamant about one and embarrassed by the other. It’s difficult to argue loudly for monogamy from an Old Testament perspective without getting tripped up by the likes of Jacob, David, and Solomon to name a few. It raises additional questions also: Why wasn’t polyandry regulated? And a question like that opens the door for discussions about chauvinistic tendencies in OT history. [Read more…] about OT Law – Restrictive Not Prescriptive