"He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death." : Exo 21:15, 17

The Mosaic code given to the nation of Israel was built on the foundation of the 10 commandments given to all humanity. Last week we saw how the 6th commandment ( thou shalt not murder ) was amplified in the Mosaic Code by mandating the death penalty for one who willfully committed this crime, and also, softened or tempered by extending mercy to the one who was the inadvertent cause of someones demise by providing cities of refuge that he/she could flee to for sanctuary.

The Law extends and amplifies the 10 commandments by providing us a zoom lens or higher magnification into the mind and heart of God. The 10 commandments are like a 10,000 foot perspective ( :-) ) of a city where only the prominent landmarks are seen, and the Mosaic law brings it down to the city block level - where we live! Just like the landmarks don't move, but we see more detail, the details of the Mosaic code don't change the principles of the 10, but give us a fascinating insight into the details of what our Creator considers non-negotiable to begin with.

The 5th commandment says honor your father and mother ( positive ). This weeks text makes that building really jump out in 3D, by painting the shadow ( cursing/striking - negative ) in really high contrast. You may think the death penalty for cursing or striking your parents is harsh in the extreme ( and it is! ) but it is entirely consistent with the 6th commandment to not murder, and so carries the same penalty. Murder is marring the image of God (man), and disrespect towards parents - who are the image of God both as humans but who also represent Him as givers of life, care and nurturing - is the same sin! In fact, if you realize that we refer to God as our Abba-Heavenly Father you will get that He sanctifies the parental relationship by inhabiting it. We have dealt thoroughly with this point in our post on the 5th commandment and so will not dwell on it here.

This week we will look at the non-negotiable city blocks in the Law - sins deserving of capital punishment. In the Mosaic law the death penalty was inflicted for:

murder, Gen. 9:5, 6; Num. 35:16–21, 30–33; Deut. 17:6; adultery, Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:24; 
incest, Lev. 20:11, 12, 14; 
bestiality, Ex. 22:19; Lev. 20:15, 16; 
sodomy, Lev. 18:22; 20:13; 
sex outside of marriage Deut. 22:21–24; 
rape of a betrothed virgin, Deut. 22:25; 
kidnapping, Ex. 21:16; Deut. 24:7; 
upon a priest’s daughter, who committed fornication, Lev. 21:9; 
for witchcraft, Ex. 22:18; 
offering human sacrifice, Lev. 20:2–5; 
for striking or cursing father or mother, Ex. 21:15, 17; Lev. 20:9; 
disobedience to parents, Deut. 21:18–21; 
blasphemy, Lev. 24:11–14, 16, 23; 
for Sabbath desecration, Ex. 35:2; Num. 15:32–36; 
for prophesying falsely, or propagating false doctrines,
Deut. 13:1–10; 
sacrificing to false gods, Ex. 22:20; 
refusing to abide by the decision of court, Deut. 17:12;

Those who have been following along with us in our study of the Law will readily recognize the distinctive outlines of the 10 commandments here.

They are all categories of : Choosing other Gods or having fellowship with evil spirits ( same thing ), desecrating the image of God by killing human beings, showing disrespect to parents or dishonoring the human body ( through sodomy, bestiality, sexual immorality ), dishonoring His name ( blasphemy, perjury ) , dishonoring a covenant promise ( adultery ), bearing false witness ( perjury, false witness ), Sabbath breaking, and in general - overall disobedience to divinely appointed authority ( parents, priests, judges ). These are the 10 commandments in more detail folks! We strongly recommend you take the time to read the references for yourself to get a sense of the heart and mind of God in much more detail.

The Mosaic Law really emphasizes that the 10 commandments are non negotiable and the penalty for transgressing them is literally death! It should make us sit up and take notice of the severe view and extreme jealousy God has for His Name, Image/Representation and Nature as expressed through His moral Law. We break these laws at our peril, and if we break them after we say we have been saved through Grace, we are heaping up larger condemnation on ourselves. How should we live with this terrible knowledge?

The Apostle Paul paints a picture of this in Romans 6, and 7. He tells us that we have died to sin in the spiritual sense, through Christ's work on the cross, and the gift of divine grace. (Hallelujah!) In the practical sense however, we will struggle with our sinful tendencies on a daily basis - winning some battles and losing others. Our spirit goes one way, our flesh the other! Sin delights in disobeying God.

We will struggle with this all our life ( sorry I don't have better news but it's the truth ! ) but our goal should be to ABSOLUTELY steer clear of the non-negotiable issues. As we spend more and more time in the Word and grow up in the knowledge of Him who saved us, Holy Fear will keep our feet on the straight and narrow path that leads to life. Disregarding the counsel of God may not cause you to lose your salvation - but He might leave you alone to suffer the consequences of your actions.

God speaking through Solomon has this to say ( Prov 1:23-33) :

"Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, When your dread comes like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. “They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way
And be satiated with their own devices. For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them.

But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”

Let us pay sober attention to the non-negotiable commands of our most Holy God!