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BEFRIENDING THE ENEMIES OF GOD
Moses wrote in the fifth book of the Old Testament these words: Deut 13:6 “If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;” In this verse almost [if not everyone we have ever known is included]. Regardless of whom it may be we are not to allow anyone to entice us to serve other gods. Then in verse eight Moses wrote: Deut 13:8 “Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:” This message is pretty loud and clear; we are not to allow anyone to entice us to give consent nor are we to hearken to their request to serve other gods.
Earlier in the book of Exodus we can see what it was that prompted Moses to write what he wrote in Deuteronomy: Ex 20:3 - 5 “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;” Of course if we were to bow down to any sort of an idol that would be bowing down to other gods. From Exodus we learn that Jehovah God is a jealous god, therefore Moses was inspired to write in Deuteronomy don’t even think about giving consent or hearken to anyone.
In the book of Proverbs we read: Prov 1:10 “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” The message here is not to “consent to sinners.” A sinner might be someone other than a family member; a sinner just might be someone whom you had never met before. Just because it is someone other than those who were name by Moses does not give us the liberty to allow him or her to entice us to bow down or to serve other gods.
If you were to turn to the New Testament you will find much the same message: 2 Cor 6:14 - 17 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” Paul wrote “come out from among them” [don’t be found in their company]. He also wrote “be ye separate” [don’t associate with them]. Paul wants us to understand that this is not just his command; he wants us to know that this commandment is from the Lord; so he added the words “saith the Lord.” If you don’t want to heed the words of Moses or Paul, would you not be willing to heed the words of God, Himself?
Yielding to sinners or heathen can even lead to human sacrifices or murder: Psa 106:35 – 36 “But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. 36 And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.” In verses 37 and 38 we see what the results of mingling with the heathen results in: Psa 106:37 - 38 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, 38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
In closing I give a word of sound advice; “choose carefully who you will have as a friend!”
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