Have you ever been hit by a stone? It hurt, didn’t it? Well, how would you like to be hit by so many stones that you die? In Bible times, that was one way that people were punished for disobeying God. One stone in David’s sling was used of God to slay the giant Goliath. If one of the children of Israel were to serve other gods besides the Lord God, they were to be stoned to death. This was done so that everybody would be afraid to do such a wicked thing. God threw down great stones from heaven upon the Amorites and slew them before the armies of Israel (Joshua 10:1111And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Beth-horon, that the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword. (Joshua 10:11)). In like manner God will soon execute a great judgment upon this world by great hailstones out of heaven upon men that blaspheme God (Revelation 16:2121And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. (Revelation 16:21)).
Let’s find examples of several people in the Bible who were stoned.
1. What happened to Achan and his family because they troubled Israel by taking gold and silver that was forbidden? Joshua 7:___
2. After Stephen gave a faithful witness for the Lord, what did wicked men do after casting him out of the city? Acts 7:___
3. Naboth valued the inheritance of his fathers and would not give it to Ahab. What did they do to him? 1 Kings 21:___
4. Although he didn’t die, what did Jews from Antioch and Iconium do to the Apostle Paul? Acts 14:___
5. What did they do to Zechariah after he delivered God’s message?
2 Chronicles 24:___