High Handed Sinners

Numbers 15:30–31 (ESV) But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the Lord, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken his commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him.”

This is now the second time we hear about the stipulations for those who sin in "high handed" ways. There is to be no reconciliation, no forgiveness, and no chance at right standing with God for these people. The word in Hebrew for "high hand" literally means to raise a fist up to heaven. It would seem that natural tendency to pose in such a way when men hate God has been around for thousands of years. 

But what do we learn from this strange stipulation? I learn most of all this fact: God knows there will always be those who completely and utterly disregard Him. We should not be surprised when they appear in our lives as well. You may have a few relatives or friends who blatantly and arrogantly act as if there is no God, deny God exists or vehemently oppose Him. This is nothing new.

Secondly I learn that no manner of the miraculous is able to change the human heart. We think, "If only God would do something miraculous, they would believe!" Really? Israel is following the cloud of smoke and fire. They are getting manna delivered every day, they have seen the plagues on Egypt. Still among them would be high handed sinners who rejected God's authority. It is not the miraculous event that changes a human heart. They will always find some way to reject it. 

What comes next in Numbers 15 is a visible picture of a high handed sinner. 

Numbers 15:32–36 (ESV) While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. 34 They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him. 35 And the LORD said to Moses, “The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses.

It seems like a harsh moment for the people and God. After all, we see the Sabbath disregarded all the time. And there would be more of them beyond this event. But this man was defiant. He had witnessed all the miracles and heard from Moses all the Words of the law. On top of this, the 6-day manna supply cycle was instructing Israel every week to rest on day seven. On top of that the Sabbath law has been mentioned and reiterated to Israel more than any other of the ten commandments. This man had every opportunity to heed God's law and he rejected it outright. 

God will hold accountable those who reject Him. 

Ultimately, Jesus is our Sabbath rest (see Hebrews 4). He is the one who earned our rest in God through the execution of the cross. How ironic that the man in Numbers 15 was gathering sticks. Christ would be put to death for our sins on intersecting beams of wood. We stand forgiven, because Christ bore our sin and took our punishment upon Himself.