Would I do evil if I knew that I could get away with it? and the Holiness Movement.

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Beholding the evil and the good. (AV)

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch upon the evil and the good. (RV)

Proverbs 15:3.

Shortly after leaving school, I said to an electrician after observing his marked attention to detail; "Why make all the effort to be so tidy? the wires can't be seen-they are hidden under the floor boards!" To which he replied; "Nothing is hidden from the Lord!" His reply somewhat perplexed me, and I didn't ask him to clarify what he meant; I kept quiet for he was a much older man (yes-youngsters did respect their elders back then!), and just took him to be some kind of religious nut case!

Being honest with myself (a good place to start!) even as a true believer, if I thought I could get away scot-free (that is free from eternal punishment from God), would I consciously commit a sin today? I struggle with this, for I believe that I would, wouldn't we all? no judgment, and yet the promise of eternal bliss! but how can I sin? for Jesus said "if you love Me, keep My commandments" John 14:15! To consciously sin is to trample "under foot the Son of God, and count the blood of the covenant ...an unholy thing." Heb.10:29. God's word says there is a judgment coming on this world! So much for the *Wesleyan holiness movement; which teaches that a man can be perfectly holy this side of the first resurrection! How be so? in bodies ravaged with sin about to perish! But, really, my question is not a real one, for it is hypothetical, and such questions are useless. Regardless, even "man at his best state is altogether vanity." Psalm 39:5, for sin is part of our fallen nature, we cannot escape from it, it is the warp and woof of our very being; it permeates our entire structure. David said it all; "I was shapen in iniqity in sin did my mother conceive me." Psalm 51:15. Sin is natural to us, is not a single sinful thought a sin? (no matter how little it is?) and who bar the Holy One hasn't had a single sinful thought? Is not Romans 7 the experience of the true believer? 

The Scripture says; "Be not wise in thine own eyes: Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones." Proverbs 3:7-8.

It is the fear of the LORD that makes one depart from evil, for the true believer's conscience is pricked at every 'little' sin, even 'little' sinful thoughts . Isn't it this fear of the Lord that restrains the true believer? The fact is he knows that All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2 Tim. 3:16. So, when a true believer knows that the eyes of the Lord are in every place, he knows that God is keeping a close watch on him-what greater incentive can there be not to sin? Righteousness is imputed to the true believer, not imparted as the Romanists would have us believe, it is a legal transaction, God in Christ "purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28) His elect. There is no baptismal regeneration; regeneration is God's work alone, His people being "quickened by the Spirit." (1 Pet.3:18). Yet, for all this wonderful work of God's gracious Spirit, while remaining in the flesh there remains two natures in the "born again" believer; hence the admonition in Rom.12:2; "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Sanctification is a life-long process! we are never perfected in the flesh only at the first resurrection, until then we are to "grow in grace" (2 Pet.3:18) and Peter should know! In this life "the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that you would." (Gal.5:17) see Romans 7:23, better still, read the whole chapter.

Of the holiness movement, to say as Robert Pearsall Smith does, that he is "as a dead miser in the presence of a bag of gold" when tempted with sin. B.W. Newton (1807-1899) writes in his Thoughts on Scriptural Subjects (Respecting Sinlessness):

"The writer has drawn no clear distinction between the temptation of Him in whom no sin was, and the temptation of those in whom sin is. Yet, without the the recognition of this distinction between the Holy One and ourselves, it is impossible that any right conclusion can be arrived at on the question
we are considering."
Newton in the preface to his treatise writes of this "modern doctrine" as he called it back then (1871):
"To oppose any who seem desirous of aiding the progress of God's people in the way of holiness, is a painful duty. Yet it is a duty, if in such efforts any deflection from God's revealed Truth be traceable. The Spirit of holiness is also the Spirit of Truth. He cannot swerve from that which He has Himself spoken. The Scripture is His testimony; consequently, the authority of Scripture, and the authority of the Holy Ghost, are co-equal. Every divergence, therefore, from the testimony of the Holy Ghost, must be anxiously withstood.

 In recent history the Pentecostal Holiness movement was given something of a "shot in the arm" by Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones (MLJ), for he taught (in his later life) that the so-called spiritual gifts had not ceased, and that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was a distinct experience from conversion, and that you should seek this baptism!* I had always been wary of MLJ for this reason and therefore never read any of his work apart from a small pamphlet. Upon reading an excellent treatise by Paul Fahy (Understanding Ministries) on "Modern Antinomianism" (2nd July 2019) I discovered exactly where MLJ was in error. MLJ did not understand the two conflicting natures that exist in the regenerate man, he gave licence to one naturism and fuelled the Pentecostal error.

*See my post on MLJ; 28th July 2018.

Hath God said?

Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,
Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, Until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies.
Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.

Joshua 10:12-14 KJV.

Did the sun and the moon stand still in the above narrative, or did the earth stop spinning and stand still-which is it?

Lets read what Dr John Gill writes on these verses:

"How this is to be reconciled to the Copernican system, or that with this, I shall not inquire."

Well, I do inquire! the theories of men have put obstacles in the way of believing exactly* what God has said. Is it so difficult to believe that God could make the sun and the moon stop in their tracks? for He put them up there on the fourth day (or should I say down there?), Genesis 1:14-16, though some of the Bible commentators here mentioned tell us that the sun was always there on the first day, but the veil was lifted off it on the fourth day, or words to this effect.

Matthew's Henry & Poole, and Jamieson, Fausset & Brown's Bible commentaries on these verses offer some very strained interpretations, due to their believing the heliocentric theory that the earth is spinning around the sun. Also their earth is infinitely smaller than the sun, whereas it is the reverse that is true!
Now, if God stopped the earth from spinning and kept the inhabitants of the earth from flying off into space by His great power, I would believe it, but the only problem with this thesis, is that there are some seventy odd verses in the Bible that speak of the motion of the sun and moon, but you will search its sacred pages in vain to find even one minute suggestion anywhere, that the earth moves!
Dr Edward Young in his "Studies in Genesis One" (Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co.) writes on page 95:

 "It should be noted, however, that the work of the fourth day is not a creatio ex nihilo, but simply a making of the heavenly bodies. The material from which the sun, moon and stars were made was created, i.e., brought into existence, at the absolute beginning**. On the fourth day God made of this primary material the sun and moon and stars, so that we may correctly assert that the creation of these heavenly bodies was completed on this day. In similar vein we may also say that on the third day the creation of our globe was completed, although the primal material of the globe was first brought into existence at the absolute beginning. If we were to employ the language of day four with respect to the first work of day three we might then say that although the earth (i.e., in its original form) was created in the beginning, nevertheless, on day three God made the earth."

What are we to make of this nonsense? Dr Young has contradicted what God has said! What saith the Scriptures? "And God made (ex nihilo) two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: He made the stars also....And the evening and the morning were the fourth day." Genesis 1:16-19 (my emphasis). With this sort of 'exegesis' or should I say eisegesis, is it any wonder that the book of Genesis (origins) has come under such fierce attack when God's people write in this way? Sadly, many Christians sound in the Faith would agree with Dr Young's convoluted mishmash, but more to the point, what does God think of this? And reader what do you believe?

Truly, the Roman Catholic Church kept the masses steeped in ignorance, idolatry, and superstition. Little wonder the era just before that great move of God (the Reformation) was called the "The Dark Ages"! Sadly the Copernican system stuck with us; it became the 'scientific' explanation of the heavens above, nevertheless the Saviour said "Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences must come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!" Matthew 18:7. How many people have been caused to stumble as a direct result of the Copernican system? Many errantly think that modern science/astronomy has proved the Bible wrong! The 'vast' distances in the cosmos became the springboard for vast ages from whence sprang Darwinism (evolution). Without billions of miles (or light years) billions of years would have had no foundation in man's theorizing of how the origins of the universe came to be; evolution could not have gained a foothold. Not that there is a universe per se, only the heavens: the Bible speaks of a "third heaven" 2 Cor.12:2, so there is a heaven far above the firmament where the Almighty resides (Isaiah 66:1, Acts 7:49).

On the bright side, the above named theologians, believed and taught salvation by God's free sovereign electing grace through Christ's blood alone. Which is what I believe and teach, nevertheless, let us believe what God has said-and not twist His words? Why is it that God's word must bend to the theories of men rather than believe what is plainly written; so much so that a child of ten could understand? Likewise Dispensationalism bends "what is written" to the machinations of men, teaching two or more Second Comings of Christ, albeit one to the air and one to the earth separated by some seven years or more.

I must update and edit my online book soon "Antarctica, Does it End? Hast thou comprehended the breadth of the earth? Declare if thou knowest it all."

*Men often stumble when interpreting Scripture because of symbolic language in various places (but even here-symbols represent literal realities), but where are the difficulties in understanding the creation narrative? it is written in plain speech that a child can understand it!

**On this reasoning, we may say "Although man was created on the sixth day, he was really made in the beginning on the first day, because the primal material was all there for God to complete His work on the sixth day!"

Ephesians 6:24

Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. (AV)
Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in uncorruptness. (RV)
Ephesians 6:24.

Many Christians don't tend to dwell on the apostle's sign-offs, they appear to be nothing more than a "cheerio", "cheers", or "God bless" and the like. I have also been guilty of such, for we tend to dwell on, and study what we consider to be the more 'weightier' verses, forgetting that there is much instruction in these parting salutations, for they are all inspired words.
From this verse alone it doesn't take too much straining of the grey matter as it were to understand that it is possible to love the Lord in insincerity, or corruptness.

Among the most frightening verses in the Bible are the Lord's words in Matt.7:21-23, where those whom owned Him as Lord hear those awful words, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. They were never His! yet for all their 'good' works which they thought they had done in their various ministries, healing, deliverance, prophesying etc, were all in vain! Let us not think that it is only the Word of Faith charlatans He is addressing here, the parallel verses in Matt.25:41-46, contain the same scolding words to those who claimed prison visiting among their 'good' works!

I know of some Christians who have visited prisoners in their 'prisons' (hotels!) in our day, I believe just to tick that particular box off! Now, as for prison visiting back in the the bygone ages when prisons were prisons....

Self Fulfilling Prophecies...

Doing some research on the occult, I came across an interesting story about the late Willie Rushton (co-founder of the satirical magazine Private Eye).

"Rushton died of a heart attack at Cromwell Hospital, Kensington, in 1996, aged 59. Remarkably, he had predicted this ten years earlier, presumably in jest, on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. In the first episode of series 13, which aired on July 26th, 1986, Chairman Humphrey Littleton asked the panelists to"gaze into their crystal balls" and make predictions for 1996. Rushton said, "I'm sorry you introduced this round, because I just spotted a memorial service for myself in Westminster Abbey."

Source Wikipedia.

Ten years can seem like an eternity when speaking as Rushton did, be it in 'jest' or no. Back in July 1995 the writer's mother was very ill, and I remember being upset and helpless in her hospital room. Though not yet a believer, I obviously had a notion that there is a God, and from memory prayed something like this: "God, if you are up there and can hear me, please give my mother another ten years..please!" This was a real heartfelt prayer. Several weeks later, mother made a good recovery and was soon back to normal life, but yes, you've probably guessed it, and to cut the story short, she died exactly ten years later.

The two cases above are obviously very different; what Rushton uttered that day in 'jest' pronouncing on himself a public curse, was just plain stupid; and that only to draw a few cheap laughs from the audience! In my case, thinking mother was about to die, I thanked God for those extra years. After her death that prayer came to my mind, and I thought maybe if I'd asked for fifteen or twenty years-but where does it end? Back in 1995 in that hospital room, ten years hence seemed like an eternity!

Truly a man's life "is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." James 4:14.

Did Satan want Jesus to be crucified? A brief Bible study.

Looking at the accounts of Judas and Peter there are interesting observations to be made. "Satan entered into Judas.." (Luke 22:3) and as a result of Judas's betrayal the Lord was crucified. Yet, a little earlier in time when Peter tried to keep the Lord from the cross (Matt.16:22), Jesus said to him "Get thee behind me, Satan." Matt.16:23. On this verse Dr Gill writes; "it seems rather to mean the devil, who took advantage of Peter's weakness and ignorance.." That is, Satan was actually 'physically' present (or should I say spiritually?), though Peter could see him not. The Lord in no uncertain terms clearly informs us that it was Satan who was trying to take possession of Peter (as he eventually succeeded with Judas) in order to prevent His crucifixion. Subsequently Jesus told Peter "Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat." Luke 22:31. Of Satan, Peter writes in his epistle "your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Pet.5:8. What Satan tried to accomplish through Peter happened before what he eventually 'achieved' through Judas, and obviously if his mission through Peter had succeeded then God's plan of salvation for His elect would have failed miserably (an unthinkable thought!) thereby Satan would have dragged the whole of humankind into hell with him! (where we all deserve to be without God's free saving grace). We know that the Lord kept Peter on course; "I have prayed for thee, that thou faith fail not." Luke 22:32 Why couldn't have He prayed for Judas in like manner? But then Judas was chosen by God in Christ to perform his wicked act through satanic agency (John 6:70), yet it was done entirely of his own volition-his own 'free-will'!  how can this be? How do we reconcile all of this? Jesus "knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray Him." John 6:64, so how could He possibly pray against a predetermined decree from His Father?

It is interesting that Satan tried to stop the crucifixion through Peter, yet 'achieved' it through Judas, and Judas was the chosen instrument to bring the crucifixion to pass! Was the episode in Matt.16:21 ff, the precise point in time that Satan learned of the cross? For, at this juncture was the first time the Lord places before His disciples a great and startling announcement that "He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer...and be killed." He had not then come to reign (see Acts 1:7), but to die; to save all those whom "the Father giveth Me" John 6:37-39. In the words of J.C.Ryle; "It is almost impossible for us to conceive how strange and incomprehensible these tidings must have seemed to His disciples. Like most Jews, they could form no idea of a suffering Messiah. They did not understand that the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah must be literally fulfilled; they did not see that the sacrifices of the law were all meant to point them to the death of the true Lamb of God." (page 199 Expository thoughts on Matthew).
I would think it inconceivable that Satan didn't understand from Isaiah 53 that the seed of the woman (Gen.3:15), the Lord Jesus Christ, didn't come to die to save His elect people! but, he didn't know exactly how this event of all events must take place. From Satan's vantage point, he was correct to move Peter the way he did, but Judas? Why then did he move Judas to bring about the crucifixion? It is said that after the Passover supper Satan put it "into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him." John 13:2. Satan, of course would use all humankind "to betray Him", but this dastardly deed fulfilled the prophecy in Zech.11:12(RV); "So they weighed for my hire thirty pieces of silver." Satan acting with all his masterful guile was fulfilling what was written in the OT prophets, but did he know that the chief priests would give Judas "thirty pieces of silver" for he didn't ask for that amount?
It is said that God "moved David ...to number Israel." 2 Sam. 24:1, and the parallel passage in 1 Chron. 21:1 reads "Satan... provoked David to number Israel." There is no conflict here, as some think, likewise in the case of Judas, Satan is merely an instrument (albeit a very significant one!) that God uses to bring His purposes to pass. Satan couldn't have the other eleven apostles for the Lord Jesus prayed for Peter and his brethren, but not Judas (Luke 22:32).

it was impossible that Satan could out-thwart God's eternal counsels, nevertheless, it is a worthwhile study to dig into "the deep things of God." 1 Cor.2:10.
To those that know the truth (to whom the arm of the Lord is revealed-Isaiah 53:1) the crucifixion is the greatest victory that has, or will ever happen in the annals of time-yet, how some think otherwise! (Matt. 27:42, Mark 15:31, Luke 23:35).

Should a Christian study prophecy?

Stupid question; if ever I heard one!

Yet there are a great many who profess to be Christians that frown on those who take up the study of prophecy; most especially unfulfilled. There are three millennial positions; a-millennial (no coming millennium-all millennial prophecies have been spiritualized away), post-millennial (Christ comes after His church have gained the victory through preaching the Gospel!), and pre-millennial (Christ comes to destroy the Antichrist and set up His kingdom on earth ruling from Mt Zion (heavenly and earthly). Obviously, only one of these millennial positions must be correct, or no?
God's written word says "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Rev.19:10, so should we not study prophecy and learn to understand what the Lord has to say on the coming climax of the age?
There is a spirit of ignorance that powerfully prevails in Christendom on the subject of unfulfilled prophecy, yet God has clearly revealed what will happen! I don't say that He has joined all the dots together in their minutiae, but certainly we know that wickedness will increase exponentially in these last days culminating in the appearing of the coming Antichrist who will rule for some three and a half years (Dan.7:25, Rev.12:6,14, 13:5) before the Lord "shall destroy him with the brightness of His Coming." 2 Thess.2:8.
I have personally listened to Christians fervently praying to God asking Him to stop this or that disaster, to halt a 'gay' pride march, stop the rise of Islam, and many other similar requests. Is it right to pray in such a way? this is the grand question. Turn the clock back to when the children of Judah went into captivity under the hand of Nebuchadnezzar for seventy years. Would God have listened to any prayer asking Him to stop the coming and certain captivity after Jeremiah His own ordained prophet had already prophesied such a judgment must surely come to pass? Lets hear Daniel on this matter; "I Daniel understood by the books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem." Dan.9:2; cf Jer.25:11-12; "And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon..." Likewise with Israel and Egypt in the time of Moses, God had "said unto Abram, know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years..." Gen.15:13. And we know that this came to pass for it is recorded in Acts 7:6; "And God spake on this wise, that His seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years." The first Christian martyr (Stephen) then goes on to describe the great deliverance God  wrought through His servant Moses in the Exodus narrative. It is universally agreed upon by all serious students of prophecy that Nebuchadnezzar (Babylon) and Pharaoh (Egypt) are types of Antichrist; that is they fulfilled past roles of the future coming Antichrist, the "man of sin" himself will perform (2 Thess.2:3); yet with infinitely far greater vigour! Of this prophesied time it is written; "Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble.." Jer.30:7. (my emphasis). See also Dan.12:1 which describes the very same future event; "...there shall be be a time of trouble, such as never was..." Matt.24:21 and Mark 13:19 describe this coming hour-please read!

Therefore, written in God's Book are the Babylonian captivity of Judah and the Egyptian bondage of Israel; two major prophecies depicted in their unrealized and realized forms fulfilled-right down to their last jot and tittle!
Now, as regards the yet future and therefore unrealized prophecy in 2 Thess.2:8 regarding the coming Antichrist at the end of our present age, can Christians pray against his coming (and all his evil works that accompany it thereof?) if God has said that Antichrist will surely come? Such a suggestion is seemingly and simply insane-yet that is what many do! In our day there are professing Christians campaigning with great zeal against the building of mosques (take for example, Christian Voice and the proposed mega mosque at West Ham, London); they blindly cannot see that these mosques, have been, and will be built as a testimony against our nation for rejecting God in Christ and His Commandments!
To pray against what God has written and therefore ordained must come to pass must surely be a grievous sin? Especially from those who would have us believe that they are faithful stewards of God's word, such as Christian Voice, and indeed a whole host of ministries that also claim to be doing God's will. To those that pray against what God is bringing to pass in our day, the Lord's words to Peter in Matt.16:23 are surely appropriate here? "Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

It is incumbent on all true Christians to pray intelligently to God in Christ! Pray according to His will! "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." Matt.6:10. The Bible teaches that increasing wickedness will be the hallmark of the last days and all true Christians can do is pray to God as Christ our Saviour did for us in His great intercessory prayer in John 17:15 (RV); "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil one."

God is calling His elect out of this world,and we must "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." 1 Pet.3:15. We should witness when the opportunity arises. True believers will suffer just for trying to live righteous and godly lives! "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse." 2 Tim.3:12-13! In the context Paul is talking about what it will be like in "the last days." 2 Tim.3:1 ff. See also Acts 14:22, Titus 2.12-13.

The apostle tells us "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." 2 Tim.4:3. We are now in a day when many think the old truth that "He which made them at the beginning made them male and female." (Matt.19:4) no longer applies-for we are now in a non-binary age! rubber stamped by those in power through the social re-engineering of that wicked and unstoppable LGBT* juggernaut! now approved by the police, the state education system, the monarchy, universities et al! When people accept this damnable lie, as many now do; witnessing the truth as it is in Christ seems an almost insurmountable task!

I can almost hear Antichrist's footsteps!


*We really are coming up on the down-train in this evil age. Regarding the recent successful prosecution of the serial paedophile Bob Higgins, Hampshire police said "This case shows just how important it is that complaints are taken seriously and allegations are thoroughly investigated when they are made. Unfortunately, complaints made by some victims in the 1990s weren't treated in the same way as they would be today," added Assistant Chief Constable Ben Snuggs. (BBC News 13/06/2019).
And this is good news! what true Christian wouldn't say a hearty "Amen!" to this?
Yet, for all this, we now find ourselves in a day when men are invited into primary school classrooms dressed in drag promoting the perversions of transsexualism, transvestism, sodomy, alternative lifestyles, self gender identification, and all their wicked  associations via the LGBT movement through their "history month" and "pride month", and other initiatives to children as young as nine and less! Of this wicked predatory sexualization  of minors; these sexual deviants would lower the age of consent-and where exactly would they stop? What is the ultimate goal of the LGBT movement other than a total degradation of what were normal family values based on biblical principles? It seems anything and everything is on their agenda, provided it is antagonistic to God's word.
You really couldn't make all this up! schools should be a safe haven for impressionable youngsters, yet they are being taught to accept the vilest of perversions as normal. Really, what hope have they? Many schools today have high security fences and even security guards patrolling the outer perimeter yet they invite the Trojan Horse in unaware of the dangerous subterfuge! Back in 2002 after receiving the revelation that Noah's flood was a true and literal event; I took my daughter out of the state primary school and put her into a Christian school that taught creation as fact. But what we are faced with today makes that dilemma almost pale into insignificance!

How bad things must have been in "the days of Noah"?
"As the days of Noah were, so shall also the days of the coming of the Son of man be." Matt.24:37.

The Curse of Meroz. Judges 5:23-24.

Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD,
Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof;
Because they came not to the help of the LORD,
To the help of the LORD against the mighty.
Blessed above women shall Jael
The wife of Heber the Kenite be,
Blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

Judges 5:23-24.

Notice here the "curse" of Meroz and the "blessing" of Jael; they contain lessons for all time. No place can now be identified as Meroz. That is unnecessary; but when its people were called to help towards God's cause they refused! It was a negative rather than a positive sin. Some now who are unconverted boast and delight in neutrality. It gives less trouble and they call it their religion. They are not atheists, but like Meroz, they do nothing. They do not want to know the Truth; arguing, that "as one says one thing and another another, how are they to know what is right?" instead of taking the trouble to find out from Scripture. It is a despicable thing to say "I don't join anyone;" so remember the curse of Meroz. You must either love or hate Christ, for not to love is to hate. Ponder on 1 Cor. xvi. 22, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be accursed when the Lord cometh!" The curse of Meroz lies on such, and it stretches on to the coming of the Lord and to Eternity!

Among Christians too, are some who confuse earnestness with fanaticism; but read Christ's words to the Laodiceans . Does He like lukewarmness? Why do you go on without making sure what is right? Being a resolute follower of Christ is not being a fanatic. Each one should ask himself whether he is with God's people or with the world. The people of Meroz were not in earnest. They only begged to be let alone; but if these truths are from God, they do concern one and all. Some are like Meroz as regards work for the Lord while there is much around waiting to be done. All God's servants are called to serve now. Have you a work for God every day like you have in earthly things? You know what your work in life is; so you should your work for God. All are called to do something and not be idle. There is a curse on spiritual inactivity which brings spiritual disease. The soul gets dulled and all interest in Divine things dies out. So be earnest and active; not neutral and selfish. You must be either with Christ or against Him.

Jael was not like Meroz, yet not perfect. She had no right to tell a lie but she was right to kill Sisera, though she should have done it in a right way.

Studies in the Book of Judges.

From pages 16-17 HARD WORDS FOR HARD TIMES. JUDGES.
By Dr C.Y. Biss.