In verses 32 through 36 we have the ordinance concerning breaking the Sabbath.
"While the sons of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering wood on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the assembly" (vv. 32-33). The ordinance concerning breaking the Sabbath was given because of what this man was doing on the Sabbath.
The man was put into custody "because it had not been made plain what should be done to him" (v. 34). God spoke to Moses concerning this, saying, "The man shall surely be put to death; all the assembly shall stone him with stones outside the camp" (v. 35).
We may think that gathering wood on the Sabbath was not a serious offense and that the punishment meted out was too severe. We need to understand why this offense was so serious. To break the Sabbath is not merely to do something wrong; to break the Sabbath is to deny God and all that He has done for us. The keeping of the Sabbath by the children of Israel was a great sign that they recognized God and what He had done for them. Anyone who denied God and His work by breaking the Sabbath had to be cut off.
"All the assembly brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones and he died, as Jehovah commanded Moses" (v. 36). This time the people were not disobedient. They might have been somewhat frightened. Without exception, they all did as God commanded Moses.
We need to know the significance of keeping the Sabbath. To keep the Sabbath is to believe in God and obey God to participate in what He has accomplished for us. To break the Sabbath is to break the principle that we should not strive for ourselves. Breaking this principle leads to death.