Seriousness of Cursing Yahweh

Scripture: During the fight the Egyptian man’s son cursed God, and was brought to Moses for judgment. (His mother’s name was Shelomith, daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan.) He was put in jail until the Lord would indicate what to do with him. And the Lord said to Moses, "Take him outside the camp and tell all who heard him to lay their hands upon his head; then all the people are to execute him by stoning." Leviticus 24:11-14

Observation: As Moses has gone through the laws given by the Lord, most of them have to do with actions committed by Israelites - the priestly chosen people of God - against others, and resulting punishments. These include disrespect to other people, sexual immorality, and violence.

In this section however, we see a sentence against a foreigner - a young man whose father is Egyptian and mother is of the tribe of Dan - who curses God during a fight with an Israelite. Thus we see that this law is not just about how Israelites behave, but about everyone's relationship with the Lord. Cursing the Lord by anyone means death.

Application: While there are questions about "the unforgivable sin" of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit - and I would wonder if that's effectively what happened here - the fact of the matter is that someone who hold true animosity against the Lord ... will die. This is the basis of all faith in Jesus Christ, that by faith in Jesus and thus by extension belief in and love for the Lord, we have eternal life, but by rejecting the Lord we are left to die.

I know people who adamantly, aggressively, and rudely reject the Lord, to the point that they would declare themselves and personally opposed to the Lord in a confrontational manner. Others I know have actively declared there is no such thing as God. They are under a death sentence, being held in a prison awaiting execution.

The Egyptian man had no means to restoration. However, people today do. I wish we could get them to seek the truth.

Prayer: Lord, may we continue to tell others your good news. It is a serious offense committed by those who actively oppose you. May we find a way to change their hearts. Amen.