Is your preacher a false teacher? Part 8

“…that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine…which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.” - 1 Timothy 1:3, 6-7

The Bible “character profiles” a false teacher...Jeroboam

A false teacher behaves as did Jeroboam.  He follows the same progression in departing from the pattern that God has authorized.  Let us notice again the characteristics of Jeroboam that resulted in changes in the worship of the nation of Israel.  These characteristics are unique to all false teachers!  They are the criteria whereby we can identify false teachers today!  Notice in regard to a false teacher:

He has hidden motives: 1 Kings 12:26-27 - And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.  

He surrounds himself with ungodly people: 2 Chron. 13:7-“And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.”

He makes decisions to accomplish his own motives which ALWAYS necessitate a change from the standard or pattern that God had revealed in the Bible. These changes are ALWAYS issues of convenience, so as to attract large numbers:  1 Kings 12:28 – “…the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, ‘It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem’…

Then, the false teacher takes confidence in these large numbers, feeling invincible because of his large following: 2 Chron. 13:8 – “And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with your golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.”

The changes made by the false teacher are similar to what is authorized by God, but there are differences –

Jeroboam changed the place of worship, the month and day of worship, and he made changes within the priesthood. 

Lev. 23:34 and Num. 29:12 show that the feast was the Feast of Tabernacles, commanded by Moses and the month of observance was to be the 7^th month; Jeroboam “...ordained a feast in the 8^th month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah...”.

1 Kings 12:32 - ^“And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.”

2 Chronicles 11:14-15 - For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office unto the LORD: And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made...

2 Chron. 13:9 - Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands?

The tribe of Levi was chosen from the twelve tribes to be priests and offer the animal sacrifices for the rest of the nation back at Mt. Sinai.  The story is found in Ex. 32:26-29, and occurred when the sons of Levi showed zeal for God in the matter of the golden calf that Aaron had made while Moses was upon the Mount.  Read also in Numbers 3:9, 11-13, 40-41, 45; and 8:14-19 to see that ONLY those from the tribe of Levi were authorized to be priests.

How important were the place and time of worship, and the proper priests?

Notice from 1 Kings 12:30, “And this thing became a sin...”.  Why were these changes in worship sinful?  Because God had commanded thru Moses years earlier on Mt. Sinai how to worship Him; when to worship as well as who were to be priests!

God had given warning against changing His commandments.  Moses warned in Deut. 4:2, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”

He again warned in Deut. 12:32, "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.”

Joshua warned in Josh. 1:7, “Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.”

Solomon warned in Prov. 30:6, “Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”

The apostle John also warned in Rev. 22:18-19, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

God has always told man how to worship Him in the Bible.  Any worship which varies from God’s commandments, cause that worship to be sheer idolatry and is a dishonor to God! 

to be continued...

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copyright 2011

The Prophets- Their Lives & Their Missions

Prophets have played a key role in God’s eternal plan to save man.  God has always spoken to prophets and used prophets to relay that message to others.  What is/was a prophet?

A prophet was one who foretold, but prophecy is not to be thought of as merely the telling of future events.  It was the “forth-telling” God’s will, because a prophet spoke for God.  We can see this from what was said to Moses: “And the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.” (Ex. 7:1)

Again, of Aaron, Moses was told in Ex. 4:15-16, “You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do.  He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him.”

Thus a prophet is one who relayed God’s will to others.  Prophets & prophecy are inseparable.  We see this from 2 Peter 1:20-21 – “…no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.  For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from.. God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 

In every dispensation of time, there have been prophets.

Patriarchal Age:

Abel – Luke 11:50-51

Enoch - Jude 14; Genesis 5:21

Abraham - Genesis 20:7

Mosaic Age:

Moses/Aaron/Miriam - Exodus 15:20

Deborah – Judges 4:4

Samuel & the prophets – Hebrews 11:32

Huldah – 2 Kings 22:14 (reign of Josiah, king of Judah)

Noadiah – Nehemiah 6:14 (Nehemiah’s time, after the return from captivity)

Zacharias – Luke 11:50-51

During Jesus’ lifetime:

Anna – Luke 2:36

Church Age:

Acts 21:9 – Philip’s daughters

Prophets in the church:

Acts 11:27-28; 13:10 – Agabus (after est. of church)

Acts 13:1 – there were prophets in the church at Antioch

Acts 15:32 Judas & Silas

Acts 19:6 – those on whom the apostles laid hands

Communication to prophets:

We learn another important fact regarding HOW a prophet received his message from Num. 12:6-8, “…if there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream.  Not so with…Moses…with him I speak…clearly, and not in riddles…”

We see something very significant from this passage: God, not man, initiates the contact!

Their Mission:

God’s use of prophets was in accordance with His eternal plan for saving man.  This plan was to be carried out in Christ.  It did not occur immediately after the fall of man.  It was described occurring in:

the “fulness” of time – Gal. 4:4

“due (proper) time” – 1 Tim. 2:6

This is explained in Galatians 3:8, 14 as follows: “And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, ‘In thee shall all nations be blessed’…that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might received the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

Prior to this point in history (fulness of time), prophets were used.  They did not have the entire plan made known to them: their understanding/message was limited.

1 Peter 1:10-12 – “Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you; searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the suffering of Christ, and the glory that should follow.  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”

They ‘forth-told’ of the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow; they were not serving themselves, but those who would live after the ‘fulness of time’, after Christ’s sufferings of Christ, and the glory that followed (justification by faith – Galatians 3:8)

We read these words in Hebrews 11:32, 39-40 – “…the prophets…did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”

During the time prior to the “fulness” of time, we find that the physical seed of Abraham was placed under a guardian:

Galatians 3:19 – The Law of Moses was added “…till the seed should come to whom the promise was made.”

The role of all prophets prior to this “fulness of time” was for a specific purpose; their message was with a view for the era of time in which we now live…after the cross.

The prophets’ lives:

Their life was a sacrifice that we benefit from:

Hebrews 11:32-38 – “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”

Jesus made reference to their harsh treatment from beginning to end in Luke 11:50-51 –

“…so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary…”. (Abel’s death is recorded in Genesis 4;  Zechariah’s in 2 Chronicles 24:20-21)

The Law & the Prophets:

We read in Matthew 11:13 – “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” 

John was prophesied to be a forerunner of the Messiah, which would be an indication that the “fulness” of time was nigh.

With this, we see a transition from the prophets to Christ.  Their work was coming to an end, in accordance with God’s eternal purpose.  This is verified by the transfiguration.  We read this statement from God as to the purpose of the transfiguration in Matt. 17:5 – “This is my beloved Son…hear ye him…”

We are forever indebted to the prophets for their faithfulness and endurance under severe persecution.  We also read in Heb. 1:1-3 – “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son…”.

To truly benefit from the prophets’ lives and mission is to “hear” and “obey” His Son, of whom they believed in.

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copyright 2011

Is your preacher a false teacher? Part 7

“…that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine…which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.” - 1 Timothy 1:3, 6-7

The Bible “character profiles” a false teacher...Jeroboam

In the previous article, we noticed from 1 Kings 11 the background circumstances as to why Jeroboam acted as he did.  We noticed his real motivation for changing the worship and the effects of his actions upon future generations.  From this study of Jeroboam, we will see that modern-day false teachers follow the same tactics as Jeroboam, which is to conceal their real motives.

We also noticed both Solomon’s sins and the reason why God punished him for his sin from verse 33.  In verses 37-38, God told Jeroboam that if he would obey Him that God would be with him, and build him a sure house, as he did for David, and would give Israel unto him.  The significance of this promise from God is that IF Jeroboam had followed God, he would have ruled over Israel, AND pleased God by his obedience.  But, as we shall see, he went against God and lost both the kingdom and his life.

In this article, we will notice how the selfish behavior of Rehoboam further contributed to Rehoboam’s decision to make perversions in worship.  But as was pointed out in the previous article, two wrongs never make one right.  1 Kings 11 closed with these words, “And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.”  We now take up with the story in 1 Kings 12:

¹And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.  ²And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)  ³That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, ⁴Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.  ⁵And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.  ⁶And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?  ⁷And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.  ⁸But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:  ⁹And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?  ¹⁰And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. ¹¹And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. ¹²So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.  ¹³And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;  ¹⁴And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.  ¹⁵Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.  ¹⁶So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

 ¹⁹So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.  ²⁰And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

(This is how the kingdom over which Saul, David, and Solomon had ruled, came to be divided.)

²⁶And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: ²⁷If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.  ²⁸Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.  ²⁹And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.  ³⁰And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.  ³¹And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.  ³²And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.  ³³So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.

Notice from verse 30, “And this thing became a sin...”. 

Why were these changes in worship sinful?  Because God had commanded thru Moses years earlier on Mt. Sinai how that the children of Israel were to worship; and when to offer worship as well as who were to be priests!  Notice:

In the Ten Commandments, (listed in Ex. 20 and Deut. 5), the second commandment was: “Thou shalt NOT make unto thee any graven image.”

Lev. 23:34 and Num. 29:12 both show that this feast was the Feast of Tabernacles, also commanded by Moses and the month of observance was to be the 7^th month; Jeroboam “...ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah...”.

The tribe of Levi was chosen from the twelve tribes to be priests and offer the animal sacrifices for the rest of the nation back at Mt. Sinai.  The story is found in Ex. 32:26-29, and occurred when the sons of Levi showed zeal for God in the matter of the golden calf that Aaron had made while Moses was upon the Mount.  Read also in Numbers 3:9, 11-13, 40-41, 45; and 8:14-19 to see that ONLY those from the tribe of Levi were authorized to be priests.

Eighteen years into Jeroboam’s reign, Abijah came to the throne in the southern kingdom of Judah.  There was war between Jeroboam and Abijah and when Abijah went out to the battle, he spoke these words to Jeroboam, recorded in 2 Chron. 13:5-9: “Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt? Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord. And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them. And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with your golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods. Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands?”

to be continued...

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copyright 2011

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith..."

In chapter 14:1-14 of his book, Ezekiel addressed God’s people of his day. The words he spake to them are relevant to Christians today.  After reading it, consider a comparable rendering of today’s situation and the religious climate in general.  Ezekiel wrote:

“Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. Then the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the LORD will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’ “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices! “‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing in Israel separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet to inquire of me, I the LORD will answer them myself. I will set my face against them and make them an example and a byword. I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD. “‘And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the LORD have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel.  They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him.  Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign LORD.’” The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD.”

The prophet Jeremiah had stated it in a similar way in chapter 15:1 of his book: "Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth."

We could therefore make an accurate application of the words of Ezekiel which would have applied to Peter and Paul’s day, as well as today.  Consider the words of Ezekiel in the following ‘modern-day’ rendering:

               
“Some of the elders of Israel [false pastors] came to me: Then the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, these men [false pastors] have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When any of the Israelites [Christians] set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, [false pastor], I the LORD will answer them [false pastors/Christians] myself in keeping with their great idolatry. I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, [Christians] who have all deserted me for their idols.’ “Therefore say to the people of Israel, [Christians] ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices! “‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing in Israel [Christians or any foreigner residing in the church] separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet [false pastor] to inquire of me, I the LORD will answer them myself. I will set my face against them and make them an example and a byword. I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD. “‘And if the prophet [false pastor] is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the LORD have enticed that prophet, [false pastor], and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. [the church] They will bear their guilt—the prophet [false pastor] will be as guilty as the one [the Christian] who consults him. Then the people of Israel [the church] will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign LORD.’”  The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, if a country [America] sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, even if these three men—Noah, Daniel and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD.”

               
The apostles Peter and Paul reminded the Christians of his day of these false prophets of old, and stated that there would be false teachers in the Lord’s church who would follow the pattern of these false prophets in their preaching.  Notice, two such warnings:                                                                          

2 Peter 2:1 – “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”

2 Corinthians 11:3-4, 13-15 – “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him...For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”

2 Timothy 4:1-4  – “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

               
Thus, each saint has the personal obligation to, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

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