Daily Manna TOPIC: Shun Blasphemy Friday, December 12, 2014 TEXT: LEVITICUS 24:10-23 Key Verse: “And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death” ( Leviticus 24:16). Some of the most damning words are those we speak when provoked. When spoken against men, the words hurt greatly. They damage relationships, destroy families, and cause division in the church. It is worse when those words are spoken against God. For such is the ultimate expression of bad faith and the Almighty does not take kindly to such conduct. The Lord had been handing down numerous ordinances to the children of Israel, all comprehensively intended to ensure that they maintained the right relationship with Him. It was at such a time that the son of a woman of Israel, whose father was an Egyptian, had a quarrel with another Israelite. In a fit of fury, he unconscionably left the man he had problems with and began swearing and making blasphemous statements against the God of Israel. Such an offence was a novelty among the people, hence they did not know how to handle it. They arrested the man and locked him up until God directed Moses on the sentence to pass on the offender. For blaspheming against God, the man was sentenced to death. And to underscore the seriousness of his offence, the man was to face public execution by stoning. The whole congregation was to participate in the execution. This sentence was decreed not just for the strangers among the Israelites (as this man who had an Egyptian father), but also for all Israelites. God did not discriminate between the Israelites and non-Israelites. Whoever blasphemed against God would face the music. This was intended to drive the fear of the Lord into all the people. Blasphemy is a serious offence because it impugns the integrity and sovereignty of God. It speaks ill of God and reduces Him in the esteem of men. It is a breach of the first commandments of God; it takes His name in vain. God is too great and holy to be toyed with. To curse or joke with the name of God is blasphemy. Those who treat the name of God as they do with men are guilty of blasphemy. And every act of blasphemy will attract the severe judgment of God now in this life, and later in eternity. If you have blasphemed God, you must quickly repent, ask Him for forgiveness, and pledge never to dabble in such a sin again. Thought for the day: It is damning to venture near the border of blasphemy.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 07:37:45 +0000
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