As ministries have more competitive for the support of the
churches and individuals, the focus of their teaching has changed. Increasingly, the church’s doctrines are
changed to be more appealing to the people.
As we look back at Israel’s history we find the same tendency. After the time of Alexander the Great, one
group of Jews, known as the Sadducees became very liberal, adopting Greek
standards in their efforts to be accepted by the popular culture while clinging
to Jewish rituals to maintain their identity.
A second group, the Pharisees were far more conservative,
clinging to the Jewish traditions and beliefs of their ancestors. Over the next three centuries, they would
hold numerous conferences to discuss how the Old Testament law was to be
applied. As a result, people concluded
that only specially trained rabbis or lawyers were capable of understanding the
scriptures. Although couched in
traditional Jewish terminology, the teachings changed drastically, with some of
the accepted teachings in Jesus’ day being exactly the opposite of what the
scriptures commanded. Both Pharisees and
Sadducees developed highly educated groups of lawyers and Rabbis, the scribes
to try to promote their positions.
Jesus frequently challenged the beliefs of both Pharisees and
Sadducees, making their best educated look foolish, but the problem had not
begun with these two groups. Almost four
hundred years before, Isaiah dealt with the same problems in Isaiah 5:20-24. “Woe
unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and
light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes,
and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto
them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the
righteous from him! Therefore as the
fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root
shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they
have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy
One of Israel.”
Those who have substituted their own standards for God’s would
face God’s judgment, whether they were conservative or liberal. One
of the problems in Isaiah’s day was the acceptance of Homosexuality, as we see
in II Kings 14:24. “And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to
all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children
of Israel.” The problem was that in
Leviticus 20:13, God had commanded, “If a
man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have
committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall
be upon them.” By ignoring the homosexual’s
sin they were violating God’s command. I
Corinthians 5:11-13, Paul instructed the church, “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that
is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer,
or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that
are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth.
Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” Homosexuality is one form of fornication.
Another problem was that parents were sacrificing their
babies to Molech to obtain their own goals, as we see in Jeremiah 32:35. “And
they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of
Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto
Molech…” In those days, there was
no safe way of having an abortion. But a woman could have an unwanted baby
sacrificed to Molech and people looked on the decision as the woman’s right. In Leviticus 20:2-3 God had said, “Again, thou shalt say to the children of
Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that
sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be
put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones. And I will set my face against that man, and
will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto
Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.”
Isaiah 5:23 describes another problem. “Which
justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous
from him!” On the one hand, they
were helping people get by with crimes for their own financial or political
benefit, much like a lawyer trying to get a guilty client off or like a
politician protecting an illegal alien to gain political support. On the other hand they were accusing those who
stood for what was right of being immoral and wiced and immoral, much like we
see the political groups today accusing a person of being racist for demanding
the wicked be held accountable.
By their actions they indicate that they are smarter and mor
e moral that other people and have the ritght to set their own standards. Isaiah 5:21 warns, “Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their
own sight!” Their opinion will not
prevent them facing God’s judgement. In
Romans 12:3 Paul advises, “For I say,
through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think
of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according
as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” We need to take a realistic look at
ourselves, recognizing that our abilities and knowledge all comes from God, and
that we are not better than other people.
Instead of being proud of who we are, II Corinthians 10:17-18 instructs,
“But he that glorieth, let him glory in
the Lord. For not he that commendeth
himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.” God is the judge, not us. When we try to change his standards, we are
usurping his authority.
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