Paul Kretzmann Commentary - Numbers 15:32 - 15:36

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Paul Kretzmann Commentary - Numbers 15:32 - 15:36


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

The Sabbath-Breaker Stoned. —

v. 32. And while the children of Israel were in trie wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath-day.
The incident, the exact time of which is not given, took place some time during the long years of the wilderness journey, and is here inserted as an example of a presumptuous sin.

v. 33. And they that found him gathering sticks,
that caught him in the act of openly transgressing the Law of God, brought him unto Moses and Aaron and unto all the congregation. The matter was brought to the official knowledge of the entire assembly, for all the people would be involved in the guilt unless steps were taken to remove it.

v. 34. And they put him in ward,
not as a punishment, but to prevent his escape, because it was not declared what should be done to him, the judges in charge of his case were not altogether clear under the present circumstances whether the offender was to receive capital punishment.

v. 35. 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,
the execution taking place outside, in order not to defile the camp.

v. 36. And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died, as the Lord commanded Moses.
So the guilt was removed from the congregation, and the offender received his just reward. The members of Christian congregations should never forget that they will become partakers of other men's sins if they permit evil-doing to go on in their midst and do not take the steps prescribed by God for the removal of the malicious sinner by excommunication.