more than just some sticks
I’m sure we’ve all heard the Bible story of the man who was killed for picking up sticks on the Sabbath. We hear of this gruesome and seemingly over-the-top reaction of the children of Israel and label them and God as evil and heartless. Well, you might say, that was the God of the Old Testament. It’s definitely a story that is hard to come to terms with, but was it really just about some sticks?
Let’s go back to the context of what was happening with the children of Israel at this point. They were freed from years of slavery in Egypt, they’re now in the wilderness, traveling or staying put dependent on a pillar of fire/cloud, and eating food that falls from the sky. Every aspect of their life was completely dependent on the provision of God – their food and water, where and when they traveled, even the fact that they had clothes to wear (Deuteronomy 8:4).
During this time, God was laying out some basics for them – i.e. don’t drink blood, don’t have sexual relations with your mom/sister, etc. – and also some not-so-basic things – i.e. the offerings, Levitical priesthood, etc. We can see offerings taking place prior to Egypt with Cain & Abel, Noah, and Abraham, so we know that this pre-dated the wilderness to at least some degree. Keep in mind, observing the seventh day Sabbath also pre-dates Mt. Sinai. God instructed them to gather twice as much food on the sixth day so that the seventh day they could rest (Exodus 16:11-22). However, with being in captivity in a pagan nation, it would seem that these practices had been forgotten and God was giving them a reminder.
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God set up some simple ground rules, the people agreed, and a covenant was established between God and His people (Exodus 20-24). My theory is that this covenant was with not only the Israelites, but also the mixed multitude who had left Egypt with them (Exodus 12:38, Leviticus 24:10, Numbers 11:4). My reasoning behind this is that God is very clear about the law being for both the foreigner (i.e. a non-Israelite) and a native (i.e. an Israelite) – to list just a few scriptures: Numbers 15:15-16, Leviticus 24:22, Exodus 12:49. They’re both held to the same standard. The mixed multitude would also have been there when the covenant was agreed to, and so it would stand to reason that both the native born Israelites and those who chose to join themselves to God would have accepted the terms.
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When God entered in the covenant, He set up His standards and He also set up the punishments if those standards were not met. Upon breaking these commands, people were tried in a judicial system much like today. Someone brought the issue to light, they were brought before a judge, and then received a sentence. If the issue was too large for a judge, it would move up the “hierarchy” so to say, and eventually ended with Moses who inquired of God for what to do in the biggest of cases (Exodus 18:24-26). There wasn’t a one-size-fits all approach, the punishment was given out depending on circumstance and severity of the sin – just like today.
So what’s the deal with picking up sticks? Why is that something worthy of death?
Is there anything inherently wrong with picking up sticks? No, of course not. Unlike adultery or murder, this action warranted punishment solely due to the heart of the matter and the utter disobedience. Nobody picks up sticks just because they feel like it. I can’t say that I know a single person with a stick collection, and I can’t imagine this man who lived a nomadic life had one either. People pick up sticks for a reason, and generally that reason is to build a fire. Now, reading prior to this incident, we know that the people had been clearly commanded not to start a fire on the Sabbath (Exodus 35:1-3). It was a day of complete rest, they weren’t to cook, make their animals work, nor was anyone among them to work either. Even the land needs a Sabbath rest (Leviticus 26:34-35). By picking up these sticks it’s likely that was his intent – to start a fire. It’s also possible that he may have been going to build something, clearing land, etc., which would constitute a form of work. Are any of these things bad in and of themselves? No, but when God tells you not to do something, you are expected to follow or suffer the consequences. Exactly like us as Christians today.
So, when the man was found picking up sticks on the Sabbath, this was a huge deal. To us it may seem silly, but if holiness comparable to God’s holiness is the goal, this fell far short. The people brought him to Moses and he was put under guard because they didn’t know what to do with him. God told Moses that the man was to be stoned, and so that’s what ended up happening (Numbers 15:32-36).
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The root of the problem was that he wasn’t obedient. God was clear with what He commanded. What God wants from us is a pure heart and obedience. Considering that God is all-knowing, He knew more about that man than we do – being that we’re thousands of years removed, reading about him in a few sentences on a piece of paper. God was there, He knew the man’s intent, and He prescribed a ruling. Knowing who God is, and that He’s not a maniacal dictator who has pleasure in suffering, I have to trust that it was the right ruling.
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God said rest, He said don’t light a fire, and He also said remember. If we go back to what we call the Ten Commandments, the only commandment he says to remember is the Sabbath.
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20:8-11)
The Sabbath day is important to God. All the way back when the world was created, He blessed this day and sanctified it. He set it apart for us and specifically chose the seventh day of the week (i.e. Saturday by our modern calendar), not any day you choose. He expected that man picking up sticks to be having a sacred assembly and a Sabbath to the Lord (Leviticus 23:3), but instead the man was focused on what he wanted to do.
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Something very important to note, there is no “God of the Old Testament”. God loved then and He loves now. He does not change (Malachi 3:6, Numbers 23:19, Psalm 102:27). God was merciful and forgiving in His love then and still is now (Psalm 103:1-14, Nehemiah 9:6, Isaiah 54:10, Lamentations 3:22-23). He is a jealous God and wants us to obey, wants us to love Him, so that we can be forever with Him, not forever separate from Him (2 Peter 3:9, Ezekiel 18:23).
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He’s shown us the way to love Him – by obeying His commandments (1 John 5:2-3). God Himself tells us that His commands are not too hard for us (Deuteronomy 30:11).
There may seem like there’s a lot of them, but I assure you that if you live in the United States, you’re under far more laws here in this country than there are listed in the Bible. Additionally, a lot of God’s commands you’re probably already doing, and a number of them don’t even apply to you anyways. God’s commands are specific to different groups of people – i.e. women, men, farmers, priests, etc.
So that 613 number that’s always thrown around?
It’s not truthfully accurate.
