Numbers 15:32-36 records a man who was put to death for gathering wood on the Sabbath and is the focus of this chapter in Shocked by the Bible. In this chapter, Kovacs wrote, “The loving God of all eternity, Jesus Christ, had no problem killing a man simply for picking up sticks on the day of rest, and He had everyone take part in the execution.” I have several problems with this statement by Joe Kovacs.

Kovacs’ statement contains the implication that God is not really a loving God if he executed this guy just for picking up sticks on the Sabbath day. The issue is not about God’s love, the issue was about God’s command. God entered into a covenant agreement with the Israelites, which means this guy knew the rules and still broke them. This guy knew what the punishment was to be, yet he still disobeyed. It is no different than Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God gave them one rule. They knew the rule, they knew the consequences of breaking the rule, and they still chose to break the only rule they were given. God is a God of love, but he is also a God of justice. His love does not require that he no longer dispense justice or that he consistently show mercy. If mercy is all that is given, then where is justice? There has to be a measure of justice before mercy can be appreciated or understood.