You
shall not plant any tree as a sacred pole beside the altar that you
make for the Lord
your God; nor shall you set up a stone pillar—things that the Lord
your God hates.1
You must not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep that has a defect, anything seriously wrong; for that is abhorrent to the Lord your God.2
If there is found among you, in one of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman3 who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, and transgresses his covenant by going to serve other gods and worshipping them4—whether the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven,5 which I have forbidden— and if it is reported to you or you hear of it, and you make a thorough inquiry,6 and the charge is proved true that such an abhorrent thing has occurred in Israel, then you shall bring out to your gates that man or that woman who has committed this crime and you shall stone the man or woman to death.7 On the evidence of two or three witnesses the death sentence shall be executed; a person must not be put to death on the evidence of only one witness.8 The hands of the witnesses shall be the first raised against the person to execute the death penalty, and afterwards the hands of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.9
1 A couple particular forms of apostasy are established.
You must not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep that has a defect, anything seriously wrong; for that is abhorrent to the Lord your God.2
If there is found among you, in one of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman3 who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, and transgresses his covenant by going to serve other gods and worshipping them4—whether the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven,5 which I have forbidden— and if it is reported to you or you hear of it, and you make a thorough inquiry,6 and the charge is proved true that such an abhorrent thing has occurred in Israel, then you shall bring out to your gates that man or that woman who has committed this crime and you shall stone the man or woman to death.7 On the evidence of two or three witnesses the death sentence shall be executed; a person must not be put to death on the evidence of only one witness.8 The hands of the witnesses shall be the first raised against the person to execute the death penalty, and afterwards the hands of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.9
1 A couple particular forms of apostasy are established.
2
This had already been repeated several times earlier, but is
mentioned again here to set up examples for the following verses.
3
Equal gender opportunity for apostasy
4
“serving other gods” is again a central sin against the true
God.
5
Some examples of the “other gods”.
6
The inquiry has to be thorough, not just something you hear.
7
The strictest punishment possible.
8
Again emphasizing the need for proof, not taking justice lightly.
The need for multiple witnesses is not always followed in our own
courts today, and is never proscribed by Christians that I am aware
of.
9
To kill those who follow other gods is to “purge evil”.
Take-home: The need to worship God alone is emphasized, with fatal consequences for those who transgress. The need for justice in adjudicating such cases is also emphasized.
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