Recently, I was reminded how hard it can be to be first at something.  If the actions bring goodwill and success than the measures are worthwhile, but if you find failure and shame in the actions you carry regret.  You really don’t know until you take the first step.

 As you read the Leviticus 24 account of Israel you have a sense of rule and command, but also a sense of a God way ahead of culture.  A loving God who is calling for His people to be better then themselves and their surroundings finds an object lesson among His people.  Right in the middle of perpetual decrees about feasts, light, and bread you find God’s object lesson.  Someone always has to go first and for this son of an Israelite woman and Egyptian man you find God’s example.

 We don’t know his name but we know he blasphemed The Name.  His Name carried much reverence and pride in the people of Israel.  We know today that His Name was so reverence that they used a sub-name to protect themselves from abusing The Name.  So this day when this son of an Israelite woman and Egyptian man with no name broke out in fighting between him and an Israelite it was serious.  See the son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name of God and cursed.  They brought him to Moses.  We don’t know the son’s name but we know his mother’s name was Shelomith. 

 So what does a man like Moses do with a son of an Israelite woman and an Egyptian father?  This son has the blood of the oppressed and the oppressor running through his veins.  He is both native and foreigner so do the rules still apply.  This son will be our first so how do we treat him?  Do we treat him different?  This will affect Israel and how they treat others forever. So the scripture says Moses put the son in custody waiting for God’s will to be revealed to them.

 God says take the son outside the camp and everyone who heard him blasphemes must put their hands on his head, and then the entire congregations stone him.  God says tell everyone there must be accountability for anyone who blasphemes the Name of God.  It makes no difference whether he is a foreigner or a native, if he blasphemes the Name, he will be put to death.

 What follows is the instructions how to treat those who kill, mistreat, or hurts others.  It’s here the famous words ring, “life for a life…eye for eye, tooth for tooth.”  You know “do unto others as they have done unto you”…or at least that is how we remember it. 

 This act of blasphemes is strong words and disrespect of God.  The act of blaspheming goes much deeper than words and deeds to the root of man’s heart and lack of regard for God.  We would hear again in Numbers 15.30 that blasphemes leads to being cut off from a person’s community.  Mark 3.29 that blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can not be forgiven.  And last Luke 12.10 that everyone who speaks words against Jesus as Man (his acts on earth) will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

 In spite of the gravity of the sin God didn’t just have him stoned; he had the community get involved.  It was that heavy and serious to God.  He called to everyone to participate, to remember and respect.  I guess the moral of the story is being careful of your regard of God. Last, if you’re going to be the first at something, and be the class example, try to avoid the unforgivable.