Wood Gatherer

Numbers 15:35 Then the LORD said to Moses, "The man must die. The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp."

It’s one of the hardest passages to understand in scripture (Numbers 15:32-41), and it’s equally hard to believe that God would call for the execution of one of His people just for picking up sticks.

I can remember when I first read this passage. It shocked me and I felt it was so unjust of God. It also made me afraid to do anything wrong on Sundays and, for a long time, I feared God’s retribution. The whole incident made me feel that instead of being a loving father, God actually was a supreme tyrant, whose darkest wishes and oppressive whims could never be challenged nor changed.

As the years have gone by and my knowledge of scripture has increased, I now understand that the man was defying God and causing the whole community to be tainted with sin. The act of gathering sticks on the Sabbath was a violation of the covenant God had made with the whole Israelite people. By collecting wood, the unfortunate man was publicly declaring that he was above God’s laws, God’s people, and God Himself. It was a simple act, but a terrible mistake, so the consequences were severe.

Sometimes, we all take God for granted and we are in danger of treating Him with familiarity and contempt. Through our own choices, we place ourselves in harms’ way by challenging God’s ways. That’s when the grace of Jesus Christ protects us, and shields us from God’s wrath. Without Jesus, we would be as guilty and as unfortunate as the Sabbath-breaking wood gatherer. Without Christ, we would be utterly destroyed by God.

It’s a hard lesson to face first thing on a Monday morning, but it should help us make better choices. And not because we fear God, but because we are truly thankful for Christ’s mercy and grace. We may make mistakes this week and face the consequences of our actions, but at least with Jesus as our Savior we will be forgiven, and we can be restored to God’s favor.

Prayer: Lord God, we confess that we fail to fulfill our faith-based obligations and our Christian responsibilities. We know that we are going to make mistakes every day, and that we will challenge Your ways by ignoring or disrespecting Your commands. We are sorry for being so human and weak at times. Forgive us through the power and authority of Your Son Jesus Christ, who carried wood on His back and turned it into a Cross of mercy and grace. In His Holy Name, we pray. Amen.