If Anyone Curses His God

Leviticus 24:12-20 – They put him in custody until the will of the Lord should be made clear to them. Then the Lord said to Moses: “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. Say to the Israelites: ‘Anyone who curses their God will be held responsible; anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they blaspheme the Name they are to be put to death. “‘Anyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death. Anyone who takes the life of someone’s animal must make restitution—life for life. Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury.

Exodus 22:28 – “Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.

Mark 14:64 – “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death.

Application:

• ·         A ruler is God’s representative; a ruler is not to be insulted.
• ·         The sin of blasphemy not only involved reviling the name of God but also included any affront to His majesty or authority. Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah and, in fact, to have majesty and authority belonging only to God was therefore regarded by Caiaphas as blasphemy, for which the mosaic law prescribed death by stoning.
• ·         An eye for an eye….represents a statement of principle: The penalty is to fit the crime, not exceed it.

All Scripture verses taken from ESV