Num. 35:33
So, you shall not pollute the Land in which you are dwelling. Blood pollutes the Land; and no atonement can be made for the Land that was defiled by blood, except the blood of him who shed it.”
As explained in the first nine verses of Deuteronomy 21, the blood of an unworked red heifer could bring forgiveness for the Land that had been defiled by bloodshed if it was unknown who was responsible.
The point being made in Numbers 35 is that no ransom price could atone for murder. The convicted murderer had to be put to death. This is explained two verses earlier. Num. 35:30-31
Whoever kills any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses. But nobody shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness.
Moreover, you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer that is guilty of death. But he shall surely be put to death.”
It was not simply bloodshed that polluted the promised Land. YHWH declared through His prophet Jeremiah that it was polluted by idolatry and all sorts of wickedness. Jer. 3:2
…. you have polluted the Land with your whoredoms and with your wickedness.”
Moreover, murder was not the only crime that carried the death penalty. Hitting one’s parents, kidnapping, cursing one’s parents, not locking up a dangerous animal, committing any sexually immoral act, working on the Sabbath, sacrificing one’s child to Molech, approaching that which only pertains to the Levites, uttering YHWH’s name while cursing Him, defiantly disobeying Him, or causing others to disobey Him were all capital offenses.
It should also be noted that when the judges sentenced someone to death at the mouth of two or three eyewitnesses, only the criminal would be punished for his/her transgression. Deu. 24:16
The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers. One according to his sin will be put to death”
When Jeremiah prophesied the New Covenant, he confirmed these words. Jer. 31:30, 31
But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eats the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.
Behold, the days come, says YHWH, that I will renew a covenant with the house of Israel and Judah”
Ezekiel also confirmed these words when speaking of the Good News. Eze. 18:20, 23
The soul that sins [a sin worthy of death], shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son:
Righteousness cannot be transferred to another person, and sin cannot be transferred to another person.
“Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?” says the Master YHWH: “and not that he should return from his ways, and live?”
When we compare Jeremiah 31:29-30 with Ezekiel 18:2-4, we can see that the same message is being given.
Jeremiah 31:31 (the next verse) is quoted by the apostle Shaul (aka Paul) in Hebrews 8:8 as the basis for his teaching in chapters 8-10. In his understanding, the person who sins with disregard for YHWH’s clear instructions is excluded from this Covenant. Heb. 10:26-27.
When he said “There remains no more sacrifice for sins” for the person who continues sinning defiantly, he was talking about the Messiah’s sacrifice . Such a person has “counted the blood of the Covenant” as profane (10:29). That person is cut off from the people of YHWH.
Shaul’s teaching here cannot be discarded as it is not isolated. In Romans 11:22, he used clear language:
The apostle taught this throughout his letters. Rom. 2:6-9; 1 Co. 6:9-10; Gal. 6:7-9; Eph. 5:5-6; Heb. 2:1; 3:6, 14; 4:11; 6:4-6, 11-12; 10:35-36, 38; 12:15-17. He taught the same thing as the prophets Jeremiah (30:29-30, for example) and Ezekiel (18:2-4, for example).
The Good News (or the “Gospel”) is NOT what the majority teach. YHWH’s Messiah did not lay down His life so that those who believe in Him can continue sinning.
What then, is the true “Gospel”?
Eze. 33:10-11
This is the essence of the New Covenant made with the house of Israel.
Rom. 2:5, 8
Day of wrath (Rom. 2:5)
The apostle said that the day of wrath is reserved for those who do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness. Some seven hundred years before Shaul wrote these words, the prophet Zephaniah had spoken of this day.
Zep. 1:15
Zephaniah also called this day the “Day of YHWH” (1:14, 7) and said that it would be reserved for “the remnant of B–l” and all who practice idolatry (1:4, 5).
In the days of ancient Israel, all other nations of the known world had pagan deities. From the deities of Egypt (Exo. 12:12; Num. 33:4) to B–l Peor of the Moabites and Midianites (Num. 25:3, 5; Deu. 4;3; Psa. 106:28; Hos. 9:10), there were a multitude of deities among the surrounding nations. Deu. 6:14; 13:17; 29:18; Jdg. 10:6.
In modern times, bowing down and offering animals and people to false deities are not common practices. Serving money and what money can buy are more widespread forms of idolatry today. Some Biblical references that address this form of idolatry include Mat. 6:19-34; Luk. 12:33-34 &1 Ti. 6:6-11.
Pro. 11:4 (cf. Zep. 1:18)
Obey the truth (Rom. 2:8)
The apostle Shaul spoke of the people of Eliyahu’s day not obeying the “Gospel” (Rom. 10:16). He clarified that the same “Gospel” that was preached to the Israelites was also preached to him and his contemporaries (Heb. 4:2). He said that when Yeshua returns, He will take vengeance on all those who do not obey His “Gospel” (2 Th. 1:8).
He exhorted the Hebrews to avoid the Israelite’s mistakes (Heb. 3:12-4:11). He also did the same with the Corinthians (10:1-11). Most of the Israelites did not accept the “Gospel” because they did not trust and obey YHWH with all their hearts. Num. 14:28-30; 26:65; 32:11-12.
Contrary to what is commonly taught about the apostle, Shaul stressed obedience on several occasions throughout his letter to the Romans (1:5; 2:13; 3:31; 6:6-22; 8:6-9; 15:18; etc.). He also taught this to the Hebrews. According to him, the Good News (that is, the “Gospel”) did not change. Heb. 5:9