Stoning in the Bible

If God is so loving and kind then why did people get stoned?

I hear this question a lot when I talk about my faith with others. I'll share about Sabbath keeping or the Biblical holidays, and then people will ask if I'm for stoning people. If we honor the instructions given in the Old Testament then doesn't that mean we would have to go around stoning people?

Stoning comes up in both the Old and New Testaments, and was a prescribed punishment for the following sins:

Idolatry (Deuteronomy 12:2-5)
Practicing necromancy and other occult practices (Leviticus 20:27)
Murder (Leviticus 24:17)
Saying evil against the name of YHWH (Leviticus 24:16)
Approaching Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:12-13)
Certain sexual sins (Deuteronomy 22:21)

(Other sins were punishable by death, but of a different means. In this post we are just going to look at stoning.)

In order for someone to be stoned for one of these sins there first needed to be a trial, and at least two witnesses needed to testify against the accused. Interestingly, those who witnessed against someone were required to be the first to throw stones (Deuteronomy 17:7).

Did you know that very few people were actually stoned in Scripture? The mainstream viewpoint nowadays tends to be that the God of the Old Testament was so cruel or demanding that people got stoned for any little thing, but that is seriously not the case. We see very few people get stoned in the Bible.

People stoned in Scripture:

-Stephen (Acts 7:58)
-Paul (Acts 14:19 - though he didn't die)
-Naboth (1 Kings 21:13)
-Adoniram - The man King Rehoboam put in charge of forced labor (1 Kings 12:18)
-Zechariah the priest for prophesying against those breaking the commandments (2 Chronicles 24:21)
-Achan - The man who took things from Jericho (Joshua 7
-Shelomith's son - A man who blasphemed the name of YHWH - (Leviticus 24:10-16)
-The man who picked up sticks on the Sabbath (Numbers 15:32-36)

Stephen, Paul, Zechariah, and Naboth, and Adoniram were all wrongfully stoned. They had not committed the sins that lead to death by stoning, and they certainly weren't given fair trials. Stephen and Paul were stoned for sharing the Gospel; in Stephen's case he was likely stoned for using and speaking highly of the name YHWH - which of course is the opposite of speaking evil against the name of YHWH, a valid reason for stoning. The people were angry when Zechariah asked them why they weren't obeying Scripture's instructions, and they stoned him. Naboth was stoned by two of the Kingdom of Israel's most evil leaders - Ahab and Jezebel - for not selling his family inheritance to them. Adoniram was stoned as part of the Israelite revolt against forced labor under Solomon's son King Rehoboam. The stoning of these men were not ordained by YHWH.

But what about the others? We are left with only three people:

1. Shelomith's son was stoned for blaspheming and cursing the name of YHWH.

2. Achan was stoned for taking gold and silver from Jericho that was to be set apart for YHWH.

3. The man who gathered wood on the Sabbath day was stoned for not guarding the Sabbath.

What do these men have in common? They all intentionally despised the word of YHWH! It's crucial to understand they did these things on purpose. They were not in ignorance of the commands they violated. They didn't misunderstand or didn't hear an instruction. They willingly chose to be disobedient.

Let's take a look at what happened to each.

1. Shelomith, an Israelite woman, had a son with an Egyptian and this son blasphemed and cursed the name of YHWH. The Israelites put him under guard, and waited to hear directly from YHWH what was to be done with him (Leviticus 24:12). Please note that they were waiting to hear from YHWH because of the graveness of this offense. Blaspheming and cursing the name is something that Scripture warns against repeatedly, and it's even included in the ten commandments. The rest of the people took these commandments very seriously and knew that something needed to be done because of this. 

2. Achan was stoned for taking gold, silver, and garments from Jericho after the walls of Jericho came down. He took these things knowingly and intentionally, after repeated warnings such as,

"The city shall be put under the ban, and all that is in it belongs to YHWH...and by all means guard yourselves from that which is under the ban, lest you come under the ban when you take of that which is banned from you, and make the camp of Israel a curse and shall trouble it. The silver, gold, bronze, and iron are to be set apart to YHWH, and go into the treasury of YHWH." -Joshua 6:17-19

Did you catch the last part? Achan wasn't just taking things he was told not to, he was taking thing that he knew belonged to YHWH. No one else in Israel did this. The only things that came out of Jericho were Rahab and her family, and the silver, gold, bronze, and iron which were to go the treasury of YHWH. Everything else was burned (Joshua 6:24).

3. Lastly we have the Sabbath breaker, the man who was stoned for gathering wood on the Sabbath day. The people who found him were so dismayed to see him doing this on the Sabbath day that they brought him to Moses and Aaron, and then they waited to hear what YHWH wanted done to this man. YHWH told them to stone him to death (Numbers 15:35).

I think a lot of us read about the man who was stoned for picking up sticks on the Sabbath and kind of feel like we are treading on eggshells...if we do any little thing the slightest bit wrong then we are done for. 

Most people today genuinely don't know about the Sabbath. Maybe they've heard of it, but if they have chances are they don't know that it's the seventh day of the week or what it looks like to honor it. However in Biblical times absolutely everyone knew and was familiar with it. No businesses were open, no one was doing work, there was a culture of preparing extra food the day before to avoid having to gather food on the Sabbath. In this man's time, manna was provided for the Israelites six days a week. It was not provided on the Sabbath and there was no doubt whatsoever what day it was when he made the choice to gather firewood. Not resting on the Sabbath was simply not done. 

All of the people who were rightfully stoned in Scripture knew that what they were doing was wrong and chose to do it anyway, expressly going against the word of YHWH.

Just before this in Numbers 15 Scripture makes a distinction between sinning by mistake, and sinning defiantly. If someone sins on accident, whether through ignorance, or misunderstanding, the punishment for that is not stoning. Rather Numbers 15:25 says we are forgiven for sins we committed by mistake when we repent and bring an offering. We have all sinned by mistake...maybe we didn't realize what the instructions YHWH has for us were, maybe we had been taught poorly, or maybe we were confused. YHWH understands this and offers us mercy and forgiveness.

However when we sin defiantly that is a different story. This makes sense doesn't it? When a student, coworker, child, spouse, or friend does something we don't appreciate accidentally it is much different than if they do something intentionally to spite us. Numbers 15:31, "Because he has despised the word of YHWH and broken his command, he shall certainly be cut off, and his crookedness upon him."

We can't emphasize this enough. YHWH does not punish people for accidental slip ups the same as he does for those who defiantly go against him and despise his word! This sentiment is echoed in the New Testament, by the Messiah himself, "The servant who knew his master's desire, and did not prepare, nor did according to his desire, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet did what deserved flogging, shall be beaten with few." (Luke 12:48)

This examination of Scripture shows that the Living God was not about stoning people for any little thing they did wrong or accidental sin. His law called only for those who intentionally despised his commands to be put to death.

 More posts to help better understand Biblical law:

The Three Types of Law in Scripture
Why We No Longer Sacrifice Animals and How That's Permissible in Biblical Law
Biblical Instructions: Have to or Get To
Understanding Acts 15

Understanding 1 Corinthians 10:27

When I was first getting an understanding of Biblically clean eating and keeping other commandments in Scripture, 1 Corinthians 10:27 kept throwing a wrench in my understanding of the Bible.

This verse often gets translated like this:

"If any unbeliever invites you to a meal, and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience." -1 Corinthians 10:27 NIV

Isn't this giving permission for us to eat anything, including unclean animals? At least when someone serves it to us? And if I shouldn't raise questions of conscience, I guess that means I should disregard any concerns I have over the ethics and decisions of multi-national corporations that are largely in control of the food supply, and not worry about things like supporting local farmers, good growing practices, or fair trade.

While it's hard to understand the above passage as anything but a free pass to do whatever we want, that is incredibly confusing in light of so many other passages from Scripture about clean eating! Why does the Bible share the story of Daniel refusing to eat unclean meat? Why does Peter mention after his vision that he has never eaten anything unclean? Why were Adam and Eve kicked out of the garden because of eating something the Creator told them not to? Why does Leviticus succinctly enumerate which animals should not be eaten? What is the point of all this if we are ultimately allowed to eat anything?

We need to know that the ancient Greek did not have punctuation. It just had words. How you string them together will greatly impact the meaning of the words! Do you remember those illustrations from middle school English on the importance of commas? Words like, "I want to eat, Mother" can mean someone is telling their mom they want to have dinner. But if you remove the comma and are left with, "I want to eat Mother," then the same words take on a cannibalistic meaning! That's a silly example but it demonstrates how punctuation can dramatically change the meaning of a sentence.

When Scripture is translated into English, it's up to the translators to add the grammar and punctuation that make it a lot more readable for us. How could their personal beliefs and the religious tradition they are surrounded with not impact where they choose to put those punctuation marks? While I believe the word of YHWH is perfect, human translations of it are not.

The word for word Greek translation goes like this:

all - the - those being offered - to you - you eat - not any - thoroughly judging - through - the - knowledge

The first time I read this I stopped after, "All being offered to you you eat." But if you keep going you have, "All being offered to you you eat not any." What a difference! This gives us an entirely opposite meaning! In the Greek, there is no punctuation to indicate if the word for 'not any' should be paired with eating or with thoroughly judging. It's up to the reader to understand how these words fit with Scripture. We do that by looking at the context this statement is made in - what's going on in the rest of the chapter? what was being discussed before that? who is the audience? - and what the rest of the Bible says about this subject.

Which translation fits better with the context of this statement?

A few verses prior in 1 Corinthians 10:21, "You cannot drink from the cup of YHWH and the cup of demons." And just a few verses later, 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of YHWH," which illustrates that our decisions around food can glorify YHWH or not. From those verses it wouldn't make sense to say to not raise questions of conscience or use judgment when it comes to food matters.

Which translation fits better with the rest of the Bible?

We have instructions like, "you shall not eat what is unclean," lists explaining what can and cannot be eaten, examples of people like Daniel and Peter, and no indication whatsoever from the Messiah that they food instructions are no longer applicable. He even went out of his way to say, "I did not come to abolish the commandments." Translating the verse as, "Eat whatever is set before you without using your judgment," would be starkly opposed to other things the Bible says about eating.

There isn't anything in the context of this chapter or the rest of the Bible to support the common translation of, "Eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience." That translation is jarring and doesn't fit with the rest of Scripture. A few chapters prior Paul literally tells us not to eat something that would cause someone else to stumble, so it wouldn't make sense for him to say to eat anything now.

Are you a follower of church tradition or YHWH's word? If we call ourselves Bible believers, would it be more fitting to translate this verse in a way that lines up with the rest of Scripture or with church doctrine? For me, that's an easy choice.

I believe a better translation of this part of Scripture would be:

"Whatever is set before you eat nothing, ask questions for conscience's sake."

When we understand the verse this way it fits with the rest of Scripture, and the verse makes more sense itself. Otherwise, why would it throw the bit in there about the conscience or "thoroughly judging through knowledge"? Does that really sound like the Bible, "Go ahead and do whatever - don't worry about your conscience"? This book is filled with commandments on how to live and stories of examples we are to follow - including people literally dying to keep YHWH's instructions - and then suddenly, "Whatever situation you're in, don't worry about turning to Scripture to see what you're supposed to do." (Because 'the knowledge' would be knowledge of what the Bible says.) Not judging if something is acceptable according to Scripture or not would also be a direct contradiction from the Messiah's instruction in John 7:24 to judge righteously!

It's also interesting to look at why this might have been said. We know that many early believers who had been part of Judaism followed an unbiblical rule of not eating with unbelievers. This began to change following Peter's vision, so many former Jews were eating with people who were new to the faith, or unbelievers, for the very first time. Paul is giving practical advice on how you act when you are in that situation, since many people he knew hadn't experienced that before. Also happening at the time was a huge evangelism push, where believers travelled far and wide to share the good news of the Messiah. These people were intentionally going to the homes of unbelievers and needed to know how to conduct themselves in a godly way. Paul is reminding his audience that unbelievers or even new believers are typically not familiar with the Biblical instructions about food, so that they don't accidentally eat something the Bible says not to while dining in someone's home.

This verse is an admonishment to actively work to keep the Bible's instructions about what we eat. It is literally telling us to ask questions before diving into a meal that someone else has prepared. When we have dinner at a family reunion, brunch at a friend's, or go out for a meal it is appropriate to ask questions about the ingredients so that we can maintain a Biblically clean diet. Questions like, "What's in this salad?" or "Is the quiche vegetarian?" or "Is this sausage beef or pork?" are okay to ask so that you can be informed about the decisions you make! Since we are to glorify YHWH with what we eat, that effort is well worth it.

More on Biblically clean eating:
Understanding Peter's Vision
Understanding the Messiah Declaring All Foods Clean
Five Reasons Believers Should Keep the Bible's Dietary Commandments

The Biblical Holiday of Tabernacles for Beginners

Here's a simple guide to the Biblical holiday of the Feast of Tabernacles for beginners.

The Feast of Tabernacles, also known as Sukkot, is the very last Biblical holiday of the year. It happens in the early fall.

Celebrating Tabernacles is a commandment found in Scripture. Leviticus 23:41 says this festival is a lasting ordinance and not just for people in Bible times.

The Feast of Tabernacles is an eight day holiday! Since Leviticus 23:43 says we should live in temporary dwelling places during the holiday many people go camping, or eat outside in their backyard under a 'sukkah' which is similar to a canopy.

The Bible says that dwelling in temporary shelters is to remind us that that children of Israel did the same thing when God set them free from slavery and they left Egypt. Celebrating Tabernacles helps us to better understand Scripture.

When we remember that he sets slaves free we get a better understanding of who he is! He is the God who can set us free from slavery, fear, addiction, heartbreak, or any other bad thing. At Tabernacles we celebrate that nothing is too hard for him!

Tabernacles also reminds us that one day the Messiah will return and dwell with us!

The Messiah celebrated Tabernacles in John 7, and Zechariah 14:16 says it will be celebrated when he rules the world. Why not join in and celebrate our Messiah's special time?

More on the Feast of Tabernacles:
Should Believers Keep the Biblical Holidays?
The Feast of Tabernacles: What it Means and Why You Should Celebrate It
Eight Things Scripture Says About the Feast of Tabernacles

Questions and Answers About the Biblical Holidays of Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Tabernacles

These are questions I frequently am asked about the Biblical holidays of the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles. These are also known as the fall feasts because they happen in early autumn in the northern parts of the world. I am a believer in Messiah and do my best to answer questions based on what the Bible says and not man's traditions.

I'm getting a good understanding of Yom Teruah, but Sukkot still confuses me a bit.Keep learning! During Sukkot/Tabernacles we set up tents or traditional sukkahs as a reminder that one day the Messiah will return and tabernacle with us once again!See this post about what Sukkot is and why we should celebrate it.

Simple beginner ways to acknowledge and celebrate?

Start with putting these holidays on your calendar. Host a dinner party or Bible study to discuss and celebrate these special times. Don't worry about man's traditions - read through Scripture and see what it says.

How do I start? I have never done this and the rest of my family celebrates traditional holidays.

Start with what's doable for you. How about making a plan for a special dinner on the feast days? Make it festive with decorations and music. Light candles or get out your fancy dishes. Talk about the significance of these holidays and what they mean.

What do we eat?

Make things that you enjoy and will look forward to. If there's a time to pull out the stops, and make great food it's during YHWH's feasts!

Apples and honey are traditionally eaten at Yom Teruah and stuffed foods at Sukkot. But these are just traditional and are completely optional. I find myself eating a lot of campfire foods and grilled things during Sukkot. It also makes sense to take advantage of what's in season for you as Sukkot is a harvest festival. Garden vegetables like tomatoes, squash, aubergines, and peppers are great at this time of year.

When you first started celebrating the feasts did you make it grandiose?

Not at all. The first time I celebrated each I felt like I was struggling to get through the basics. I didn't know a single person who kept these holidays and couldn't find so much as a picture online of what these days were supposed to look like. So if that's where you're at know that you aren't alone and that it really does become sooo much easier each year!

What are the traditional fast days?

Yom Kippur is the set apart time where believers traditionally fast.

If you have never fasted before, set yourself up for success with a little practice beforehand. Skip breakfast and see how that goes. Try it a few times to get used to it. It will be significantly easier to fast for a day if you're used to fasting a meal here and there!

What does Yom Kippur look like with three young kids?

Get them involved! Read Bible stories and do crafts together. Talk about the special times and what they mean. Kids are not expected to fast. If you're fasting plan a special meal with them to break your fast with. They will see what you're doing and learn from your example.

How do you celebrate this day in your church?

My church has a potluck dinner for most of the feast days.

During Sukkot we rent a campsite at a state park, etc. We have a message, share a meal, and hangout around the campfire. There's also swimming, hiking, and playgrounds for anyone who wants to enjoy those!

How can I keep them when my husband isn't on board?

Do what YOU can. Take the no-work days off and go somewhere you can pray, worship, and study. See if a friend wants to join in. Look over the instructions for each holiday and incorporate what you can.

Tips for keeping the feast when living at home and parents don't agree?

Invite them to participate with you but don't make it your job to convince them of this. Continue to honor them and be respectful as you set an example of keeping the feasts. Maybe they don't want the living room decorated but can you still decorate in your room? Maybe they wouldn't appreciate a shofar blasting all day long, but can you put on some worship music they like? Focus on what you can do! If you want to invite them to do something with you make sure you are in charge of it (make the food, lead the study, etc.). Make plans for worship, study, and joy during these times. Get out of the house if need be.

Praying they are drawn to more of his truth as they see you honor the Creator in this way!

What's your family doing this year?

Excited for a congregational Yom Teruah celebration at a lake this year! There will be a potluck, message, time to enjoy creation, and discussion of how YHWH is working in everyone's lives right now.

How should I celebrate them if I am alone in my faith?

Find joy in these special times even if it's private. Maybe see about going to a lovely lake or park area for quiet time with YHWH. Have a dance party to worship music by yourself! Make a special meal or dessert. Rest and enjoy this time.

Is the tent on Sukkot optional?

Leviticus 23:42 says that we should dwell in temporary shelters. People handle this verse in a variety of ways. Some go tent camping or stay in an RV or cabin. Others put up some sort of sukkah outside and just eat meals in it.

Pray and see what the Creator is calling you to!

I've always wondered about staying in a camper/RV. It seems a tent may be more appropriate.

I mean a tent is definitely going to be closer to how the Israelites lived in the desert. But I applaud anyone making an effort at a temporary shelter during the Feast of Tabernacles!

Should we still offer sacrifices?

If you are a believer in the Messiah then no animal sacrifice is needed! More on that in this post.

Minimalist supplies on a budget - what can we make or thrift?

Pretty much anything! Greenery from your yard is festive and free. Decorates with apples, pumpkins, etc. and enjoy them later. Thrifted curtains are an inexpensive way to make an unconventional sukkah. Use pretty dishes, candles, and tablecloths that you already have. Inexpensive balloons and streamers add a lot of festivity to a space.

If you have a menorah the feasts are the perfect time to light it up!

Also check out free printables from my blog and Torah Sisters.

Where can I find feast printables?

We fall for the fall feasts.

Happy Yom Teruah!

Yom Teruah printable card.

Ephesians 1:7 Printable for Yom Kippur.

Palm Frond, Myrtle, Citron, and Willow.

Any books you'd recommend for perspectives on how to begin?

Edward Chumney's The Seven Festivals of the Messiah was so eye-opening to me when I was learning about these set apart times. He shares historic and prophetic significance of each feast as well as practical ideas for your celebrations.

Books for kids?

Definitely would recommend The Special Days by Danielle Kerr!

Favorite Messianic resources to teach/involve young kids?

Bible Pathway Adventures has some great stuff for kids!

Do you do traditional prayers and blessings?

I do not. Unfortunately many of the traditional blessings contain Biblical untruths (such as YHWH commanding candles to be lit on the Sabbath and Yom Kippur, no such instruction is found in Scripture). Traditional blessings and prayers can be lovely guidelines, but make sure what you're saying fits with your best understanding of what Scripture says!

I know it's not a feast but do you observe Hanukkah as well?

I personally do not. It's easier for my family and friends to accept that I don't do Christmas because it's not in the Bible, if I'm not doing other holidays that aren't in Scripture. More on that in this post.

How do you share with others about the Biblical holidays?

I find that sharing my experiences with the set apart times and how many faith has grown because of them puts people at ease.

Most people are receptive to the historic and prophetic significance of the feasts, and these topics tend to spark interest rather than debate or offense.

Try starting from these angles, rather than a message of "you're doing faith wrong," or cultural holidays being pagan. Sharing the facts and personal joys offers opportunity for them to learn more, rather than just hearing they are doing something else wrong.

Related posts:
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
Honoring Yom Kippur as a Believer in Messiah
8 Things Scripture Says About the Feast of Tabernacles