So ... you're saying it had nothing to do with disobeying one of the 10 Commandments? But instead with not "faithing"?
The Pentateuch's prime example of unbelief was at Kadeshbarnea where the people believed the 10 spies rather than Caleb and Joshua. If failure of faith was a capital offense, why were the people not stoned en masse there? Or at least the 10 spies who led the rebellion?
You certainly need some friends who will bear some of your burden with you. We all do, but if self-harm has been in your past the need is a little more obvious.
Tiffany's husband may be ignorant of the very real issues involved with depression and related things. He may be overprotective of his wife. He may know things from her past ... that though she'd like to share strength with you she might not have it to share. We all have our weaknesses and frailties ... and often very few people know what our most serious ones are.
So whether Tiffany's husband is rightfully protecting her from something you don't understand ... or wrongfully reacting to something he doesn't understand ... or maybe some of both ... reach out to someone a little stronger from whom you can draw strength. Perhaps ... a lady a few years older who's already weathered a few more storms.
30 But the soul that doeth ought *presumptuously*, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
31 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.
I'm emphasizing "presumptuously" and "despised" because I understand those to be the difference between the violations of the seemingly minor parts of the Law that called for the death penalty and those that incurred much lower penalties, e.g. 4-fold restoration.
Now, the commandment on the sabbath was pretty clear:
Ex 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Before the 10 Commandments were given, Moses taught the people not even to cook or gather on the sabbath. So this was something the people knew very well.
Gathering the sticks on the sabbath seems to be a matter of open defiance of God. And it is given as an example of implementing the penalty prescribed in Numbers 15:30-31.
I believe verses 30 and 31 give the answer. It may even be that the incident in verses 32 - 36 is put in that location to serve as an example of carrying out the commandment in 30-31.
The man violated the sabbath -- knowingly, rebelliously.
Sabbath 12/20/14 Alfred Station SDB Pastor Ken sermon Taking the Light Into the World
Posted : 20 Dec, 2014 07:02 PM
Waiting,
I'm not 100% sure I follow some of your metaphors.
If you're saying that salvation requires continuing to follow, obey, and have fellowship with Jesus, then I agree completely. The Bible teaches all that.
Is it wrong to tell someone you aren't attracted to them?
Posted : 20 Dec, 2014 08:45 AM
I wouldn't "practice date" a woman I knew I could not marry. I would date a woman I knew little about besides the fact she called herself a Christian. When I was dating in college I considered that the first date was good for determining whether a second was in order. Little more than that. Being at a Christian college, most people called themselves Christian and most were about my own age and most were single.
Now I'm starting online ... narrowing again to eligible Christians ... of similar age and commitment. I'm not on a campus with them, so the geography is a challenge. So I talk more before ever actually meeting them.
Keeping the reason in control rather than the emotions is a challenge. I do think that 2 years of "friends" before dating is rather much. Most guys are going to see that friendship stagnating in a few months if it doesn't take a romantic step.
But let your conversations, at least some of them, be purposeful. Talk about the things that are important to you and find out what things are important to him. Not just "what are your top 5 important things", but discuss them at length. If it's important to both of you, you'll have plenty to discuss.
There are characteristics and beliefs and values that a future wife of mine MUST have ... and characteristics and beliefs and values she MUST NOT have ... or we will not be good partners. Then there are the things we would need to compromise about. Presumably, any lady with whom I start a discussion will have some of those MUST / MUST NOT criteria too. Presumably you do too ... and that oh-so-cute guy may or may not match them. And some of the less cute ones may or may not.
Is it wrong to tell someone you aren't attracted to them?
Posted : 17 Dec, 2014 06:06 PM
Finding a tactful way of saying "we don't match" can be a trick. But if somebody with whom you've talked only 15 minutes gets upset at being told you're not attracted ... there's more reason for the lack of attraction than appearance.
