17.

A blasphemer is stoned to death

Remember the stoning scene from Monty Python's The Life of Brian? A man (Matthias, Son of Deuteronomy of Gath) is about to be stoned to death for blasphemy. Here's what he says in his own defense:

I had a lovely supper and all I said to my wife was, "That piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah."

Whereupon all the people begin throwing stones at him for saying the name, "Jehovah."

Well, this story from Leviticus is pretty much the same, except here two guys are fighting and one of them blasphemes.

The son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp; And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed. Leviticus 24:10-11a

So they brought him to Moses so he could ask God what to do about it.

They brought him unto Moses ... that the mind of the LORD might be shewed them. 24:11b-12

God tells Moses that everyone must stone the blasphemer to death.

The LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him. ... He that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death. 24:13-16

Then Moses tells the people what God told him to tell the people (to stone the blasphemer to death).

Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. 24:23a

And that's what they did.

And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses. 24:23b

As Matthias, Son of Deuteronomy of Gath would have said, "Jehovah, Jehovah, Jehovah, Jehovah!"

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