Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.
Numbers 15:31 KJV. https://bible.com/bible/1/num.15.31.KJV
Interesting, God continued to give them Laws and to instruct them though they had been rejected and would not inherit the promise land.
But atleast their children would so it was important to drum home the point. https://bible.com/bible/1/num.15.31.KJV
And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the LORD commanded Moses.
Numbers 15:36 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/num.15.36.KJV
Hmmm… Looks very harsh… Just for gathering sticks.
But if you look at the context it was to set a precedence and leave no room for insolence.
These were a people who saw God visibly, it was not some make believe.
The saw the cloud 🌥 by day and fire 🔥 night.
And now this visible obvious God says not to do something, and you blatantly go ahead whiles his divine presence blazed visibly and break his laws.
Aside this, the man was not killed immediately, but rather brought before the lord who is just.
He knows the heart and seeing the heart of this man and passes justice. We believe his judgements to be right and deserving.
https://bible.com/bible/1/num.15.36.KJV
and it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:
Numbers 15:39 KJV https://bible.com/bible/1/num.15.39.KJV
The people were to keep the law of God constantly before their eyes 👀 so they obey it.
God recognizes that what is before a man’s eyes and within this environment tends to influence him. Whether he likes it or not.
1 Corinthians 15:33 NASB
Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
That is why we must use this principle and create the right environment and block out the negatives to enable us obey the lord.
It is also one of the reasons we struggle so much. The enemies of God have worked their way and dominated the environment.
Thus we are often led to do the works of the devil 👿, the system of this world 🗺 though it’s in heart we do not want to.
And we continue to fruitlessly fight sins and battle our weaknesses whiles yet remaining in the same environment.
We won’t win that way… It’s ignorance and self delusion.
The portrayal of strength is not being in the wrong environment and forcing to over come it…
But garnishing the strength 💪 and discipline to leave the worng environment and establish oneself deep in the right environment.
It’s all about what we put befoe out eyes 👀