In the religious community, some wonder aloud "is God really that strict?" Let's allow His book to answer for itself!
"And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." {Genesis 2:16,17} Did He really mean they would die on "that day"? "So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life." {Genesis 3:24} On the day sin came into their lives, they were separated from God.
"Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals." {Numbers 20:8} Did He really mean for Moses to just speak to the rock? Moses hit the rock, and water did come out -- but at a high price. "Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." {Numbers 20:12} Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.
"But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you." {Deuteronomy 28:15} God gave His people the land, rest from their enemies, and blessed them greatly. Yet, if you read the curses listed in the remainder of the chapter, you see that each of these curses did come upon them. Why? They disobeyed God and went out after false gods.
What do these examples have in common? God gave a commandment, and He expected it to be obeyed. When His people disobeyed, the consequences were strong, sure, and swift. Does that sound strict to you? God's commandments are not up for debate or seeing if they can be reduced. Today's religious community depicts God's book as merely a book of suggestions and good moral teaching. In other words, "a take it or leave it proposition." Man is free to choose -- but God has made His choice!