He Hath Spoken Blasphemy

I remember on a BYU scripture discussion I listened to many years ago, one professor quoted some general authority who purportedly said something like this, “When I came to Genesis, I read it. When I came to Exodus, I read it. When I came to Leave It To Cuss, I did. I have been listening to the Old Testament, and I just finished listening to the book of Leviticus, and I think I understand the sentiment there about this challenging book. Its descriptions of sacrifices, immorality, punishments, and very specifical rules has much to leave someone in our day quite uncomfortable. The title, despite the above suggested alteration to it, actually comes from a Greek word which means “things pertaining to the Levites.” So it was meant in large part for the priests, but it also contains general instructions to all of Israel. In the Come, Follow Me program only four chapters are covered (out of 27) and those are in a week that also covers material from Exodus. It summarizes the book of Leviticus this way: “Much of the book of Leviticus may seem strange to us—animal sacrifices, rituals involving blood and water, and laws governing small details of life.” Of the five books of Moses it has by far the fewest number of references in decades of general conference (216; the book of Numbers is next fewest with 435). After going through it again, I am not surprised that it is not a book of scripture that we focus on much in the Church today.

               One of the passages that is particularly hard to swallow for me in the book is found in Leviticus 24. We read this: “And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp; And the Israelitish woman’s son blasphemed the name of the Lord, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:) And they put him in ward, that the mind of the Lord might be shewed them. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him” (Leviticus 24:10-14). It is certainly difficult for us today to understand that such an action—blaspheming against the Lord—would be punishable by death. The Lord’s instructions to Moses discussed it alongside with murder, “And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death. And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 24:16-17). As I read the story, though, I wonder if perhaps there was more going on here, for the man not only blasphemed but he also “strove” with another man, meaning that they fought. Perhaps he also killed the man (before he blasphemed) and we just don’t have that in the text? That would certainly make the punishment more understandable. At any rate, though, one thing does come out in the story: their society was governed by laws and well-defined punishments, though harsh, were exacted not at random but according to what the Lord had decreed and with due process. Gratefully, though, as President Hinckley put it, “That most serious of penalties has long since ceased to be inflicted.”  

               As I consider the story more, though, perhaps there is in it a type of Christ. The text makes a point to explain that this man was the son of an Israelitish woman but a father who was Egyptian. In a parallel way, the Savior was the son of an Israelitish woman but a Father who was from far away. The son of the Israelitish woman strove with “a man of Israel,” and similarly the Savior strove with Israel in the sense that He sought during His ministry (and premortal time as Jehovah) to get them to keep His law and come unto Him. But the people were often stiffnecked and hardhearted. This son of the Israelitish woman was charged with blasphemy, and so was the Savior by Caiphas: “And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.” He, of course, was innocent of the charge, but the wicked Jewish rulers used this to charge Him: “He is guilty of death” (Matthew 26:63-66). And ultimately the Savior was put to death for the sins of all mankind, just as this man in the story was put to death for his own sins. I am grateful that the laws, punishments, and prescriptions of sacrifices described in Leviticus are generally not in force today, but perhaps the book still has some value to point us to the One who became the ultimate sacrifice for all of God’s children.