"...but my point was that regardless of what we might believe. In this book that man saw all of those things, was given 10 rules by the being who did those things for him and he agreed to follow them."
What do you believe?
"Then he didn't. And he died, which he was told would happen if he broke them."
To my knowledge not all of the Ten Commandments were enforced with the death penalty. Was the Tenth Commandment, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17 NIV) , enforced with the death penalty?
And no, he and those who arrested him were not told that breaking the Sabbath would lead to death as is clearly stated in the previously cited scripture:
"...and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him." Numbers 15:34 NIV
My beliefs are irrelevant. Either you believe the bible, and thus understand why he was killed. Or you don't, and its a story of a man snubbing an all powerful being and being killed for it.
Also, yes, the penalty was proscribed prior to his error.
Numbers 15:30, 31:
" 'But anyone who sins defiantly,whether native-born or alien, blasphemes the LORD, and that person must be cut off from his people. Because he has despised the LORD's word and broken his commands, that person must surely be cut off; his guilt remains on him.' "Btw, if you want to get real technical about this im willing, because the scripture I've just quoted explains why they didn't know what to do with him.