DEVARIM 13

Words [of Moses]

5 And that prophet [navi], or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from Yahweh your Elohim, which brought you out of the land of Egypt [Eretz Mitzrayim], and redeemed you out of the house of bondage [bais avadim], to thrust thee out of the way [HaDerech] which Yahweh thy Elohim commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil [harah[ away from the midst of thee.

‭"‬The Lord trieth the righteous‭" (‬Ps.‭ ‬x. 5‭)‬.‭ ‬Let us not forget this.‭ ‬The knowledge will comfort and strengthen us in time of need.‭ ‬God tries in a variety of ways.‭ ‬This is also well to remember.‭ ‬Israel was tried by the plausibility of false teachers‭ (‬Deut.‭ ‬xiii. 3‭)‬.‭ ‬And are not we‭? ‬Israel failed.‭ ‬Shall we‭? ‬Israel failed because they did not‭ "‬carefully hearken‭" ‬unto that testimony which‭ '‬God established,‭ ‬and to that law which he appointed‭ (‬Ps.‭ lxxviii. ‬5‭)‬.‭

That testimony and law—enlarged—speak to us to-day,‭ ‬and it is for us to‭ "‬diligently hearken‭'—"‬to take good heed unto ourselves‭"—‬for they are the voice of God‭! ‬He requires us to try every teacher by it.‭ ‬Israel was told not to allow any good thing that might have been done by a false teacher to blind their eyes‭ (‬Deut.‭ xiii. ‬2‭)‬.‭

All teaching was to be judged by the Word‭; ‬and those who taught falsely were to be‭ "‬cut off‭" (‬5,‭ ‬6.‭ ‬vs.‭) ‬Let us never forget that as error comes to the front,‭ ‬the truth fades away—like the changing scene in a dissolving view. -ATJ

The Christadelphian - June 1887

15 Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.

‭"‬Destroy it utterly‭"

àSuch was the edict of God concerning an Israelitish city that abandoned itself to the sin of idolatry.‭ ‬Some cry‭ "‬shame‭" ‬on reading it,‭ ‬but the wise will take heed‭!

‭ "‬I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right‭"

‭—‬this was the Psalmist's mind‭ ‬and this will be the mind of all who are after God's own heart.‭

God is exceedingly jealous.‭ ‬To divert to another the glory due to him is a terrible sin.‭ ‬In this lies the very essence of idolatry.‭ ‬Let us be on our guard in this matter.‭ ‬There is more idolatry today than many are won't to think.‭

A covetous man is an idolator‭ (‬Ephes.‭ 5. ‬5‭) ‬because he trusts in his riches instead of in God‭ (‬1‭ ‬Tim.‭ 6. ‬17‭)‬.‭ ‬It is idolatry for one who knows the truth to put his‭

‭"‬trust in princes or in the son of man in whom is no help‭" (‬Ps.‭ 146. ‬3‭)‬,‭

for in so doing his heart departs from his Lord‭ (‬Jer.‭ 17. 5)‬.‭

Let us tremble to give God a wrong place.‭ ‬The only safeguard is to cleave to Him by holding fast to the revelation He has given concerning Himself—to stoutly refuse to compromise the truth,‭ ‬whether for friend or foe.‭ ‬Disobedience upon our part will certainly bring death—a cutting off.

Bro A.‭ ‬T.‭ ‬Jannaway

The Christadelphian - June 1887