ASK GOD FOR UNDERSTANDING
Lev 24:10-23
PROBLEMS DRAWS US CLOSE TO GOD
V:10 Now the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father went
out among the Israelites, and a fight broke out in the camp between
him and an Israelite. 11 The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed
The Name with a curse; so they brought him to Moses. (His mother\’s
name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri the Danite.) 12 They put
him in custody until the will of the Lord should be made clear to
them.
A. The Israelites were a free people with a slave mentality.
1. They were in the desert looking back at what they had in
Egypt.
2. They had the law but not a full understanding of it.
3. The leaders waited for an understanding from Moses
4. You and I have the Word, but we must study and meditate
on the Word to get an understanding.
5. Moses interceded for the Israelites
6. The Holy Spirit teaches us the Word as we study.
B. God did not tell us what the fight was about.
1. What He does tell us is that the fight was between an Israelite and
a mixed-raced Egyptian/ Israelite son.
2. We have to be careful who we associate with.
3. Not everyone believes in our Lord and Savior.
4. Not everyone follows God’s commands.
5. When a disagreement arises, we must be careful to guard
our tongue so we don\’t curse God.
C. In the course of the fight, the mixed-race son used the name of the
Lord in vain with a curse, in disobedience to His Law.
It was a common practice among the Egyptians to curse their idols
when disappointed in obtaining the object of their petitions. The
Egyptian mind of this youth thought the greatest insult to his
opponent was to blaspheme the object of his religious reverence. He
spoke disrespectfully of One who sustained the double character of
the King as well as the God of the Hebrew people; and as the
offense was a new one, he was put in ward until the mind of the
Lord was ascertained as to his disposal.
(from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database.
The Law that was violated is given in Exodus 20:7
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the
Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
1. Perhaps to this point, the punishment for this crime had not
been given.
2. We should never use our thoughts to judge the sins of others.
Matthew 7:1
\” Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you
judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it
will be measured to you.
3. God is the judge, and we are subject to His judgment.
WAIT ON A WORD FROM THE LORD
V:13 Then the Lord said to Moses: 14 \”Take the blasphemer outside
the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head,
and the entire assembly is to stone him. 15 Say to the Israelites: \’If
anyone curses his God, he will be held responsible; 16 anyone who
blasphemes the name Whether an alien or native-born, when he
blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.
A. The Israelites were to be God’s holy people.
1. Any offender was to be taken outside the camp for
judgment.
2. To keep His nation Holy, God’s judgment was swift to
place fear and reverence in the minds of the people.
B. The placing of hands formed a public and
solemn testimony against the crime, and at
the same time made the punishment legal.
1. This impressive act implied something
more. Those who laid their hands on the
head of the criminal were devolved of the
guilt.
2. This prevented the consequence of his
crime from being attached to them or
to the nation.
3. The guilt was wholly on the offender.
4. This left the blood of the offender on his
own head, and solemnly acknowledged
the justice of the punishment (. Lev 4:24,29; 16:21).
(from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic
Database. )
GOD’S LAW OF RESTITUTION
V:17 \”\’If anyone takes the life of a human being, he must be put to death.
18 Anyone who takes the life of someone\’s animal must make restitution —
life for life.
19 If anyone injures his neighbor, whatever he has done must be done to him: 20 Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he has injured the
other, so he is to be injured.
21 Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man
must be put to death.
A. While God’s Judgment may differ from our current laws, they
Were necessary to establish His sovereignty on this newly formed nation.
1. In Egypt, they had no laws to protect them from the evil of the
Egyptians or from their own people.
2. In Egypt, they were slaves with no rights
3. In Egypt, they were treated as the property of the Pharaoh,
valued only as free labor.
B. Under God’s control they were free people with divine laws of equality
Among themselves.
1. They were subject to the righteousness of God expressed in the
law of the covenant.
2. They had to learn that freedom came with responsible behavior
subject to God’s divine laws.
3. The Israelites had to learn the fear and reverence of God.
4. They had to learn the consequences of disobedience the hard way.
5. The law was given because of their disobedience.
Galatians 3:19
What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of
transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.
The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. 20 A
mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one.
6. God has the same expectations for His Church.
GOD’S LAW EQUALLY APPLIED
V:22 You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born. I am the Lord your God.
A. God is no respecter of person.
Acts 10:34-35
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth, I perceive that
God is no respecter of persons:
But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness,
is accepted with him.
Under God, all who believe in Jesus are one in the body of Christ.
GOD DEMANDS UNITY FOR PUNISHMENT
V:23 Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer
outside the camp and stoned him. The Israelites did as the Lord
commanded Moses.
Matthew Henry wrote this about God’s reason for the execution by
The entire nation:
God put this honor upon the institution of magistracy to make use of it
for the supporting and vindicating of his glory in the world
1. The place of execution appointed: Bring him forth without the camp.
To signify their detestation of the crime, they must thus cast out the
criminal as an abominable branch, and separate him from them as an
unclean thing and unworthy a place in the camp of Israel.
2. The executioners: Let all the congregation do it, to show their zeal
for the honor of God\’s name. Every man should have a stone to
throw at him that blasphemes God, reckoning himself nearly
concerned in the reproaches cast on God, Ps 69:9. Thus also the
greater terror would be cast upon the congregation; those that once
helped to stone a blasphemer would ever after dread everything
that bordered upon blasphemy, that looked like it or looked
towards it.
3. The Solemnity of the execution; before the congregation stoned him,
the witnesses were to lay their hands upon his head. The Jews say
that this was used in the execution of no criminals but blasphemers;
and that it was done with words to this purport, \”Thy blood be upon
laid on the law, judges, juries, or witnesses; if thou scornest, thou
alone shalt bear it.\”
Rev. M. Mitchell
