Many years ago, there was an elderly gentleman who came to church with us occasionally when we lived in Vancouver. He partially believed the Bible. He came more for social reasons. He was alone and lonely. He was a vegetarian and really enjoyed our fellowship lunches. He also appreciated the church services. However, when you spoke to him in depth, he clearly stated that he cannot believe the entire Bible. He believes that the God in heaven is a God of love, and He would never make some of the requests of His people as are recorded in the Bible. He mentioned events such as King Saul being told to go and destroy the Amalekites, killing all—men, women, children, and all animals. That could not have been an order from a loving God. He also liked to mention the time when David was having to pay a dowry for the hand of the king’s daughter, Michal, in marriage. King Saul asked for only 100 Philistine foreskins (1 Samuel 18:25–27). Surely, there was a mistake. A request like this could not have been approved by a loving God.
This is not the kind of God that he envisions as one who is in heaven, overseeing the events on this earth. Therefore, those portions of the Bible do not reflect His character of love. According to this man, although these actions may have been carried out by men on this earth, clearly the order and/or approval did not come from God, as the Bible mentions.
But did directions like this come from God? Yes, they did. God’s ways can be mysterious. Sometimes we do not understand His requests, yet we must never hesitate to obey in the fullest sense. We must put our all into the service of the Lord. “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29. Yes, there are some secrets that God has that may never be revealed to us. Yet, we are not to stop and question—we are to obey.
When Abraham was called to go to a strange land, he did not inquire where this land was, what kind of people lived there, what kind of home he would have, was there enough pastureland for his animals, was the land fertile and would it grow good crops so he could feed his family? No, he went by faith. He left his relatives and friends behind and went into the unknown with God.
As we know, King Saul clearly failed in his duty regarding the Amalekites. He spared the king and the animals. He omitted a vital part of his duty. We have often heard it said that the sins of omission are just as grievous as sins of commission. By omission men have forfeited the greatest blessings that God wishes to bestow. By omission, King Saul lost his kingdom and his favour with God. “The law of God condemns not only what we have done but what we have not done. We will, in the day of final accounts, find a register of the sins of omission as well as the sins of commission. God will bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing. It is not enough that by your own measurement of character you prove you have done no positive wrong. The fact that one has done no positive good will be enough to condemn him as a wicked and slothful servant.” –Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, p. 234
Ellen White was called to be a prophetess because Hazen Foss and William Foy refused to convey the message that the Lord asked them to deliver to His church. They lost much from their omission.
The apostle Paul recognized his responsibility and experienced many trials and difficulties in his life, but he would not hesitate or refuse to follow the directions the Lord gave him. “I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.” Romans 1:14. He also stated, “woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” 1 Corinthians 9:16. And he ends this statement with an exclamation mark, indicating strong emphasis. There is a terrible woe pronounced on all who do not preach the gospel and obey the instructions of the Lord. May God help us to feel this great burden that the apostle Paul felt and not omit our duty.
Doing the work of the Lord sometimes is challenging as many of the faithful men of God in the Bible experienced. Sometimes it is mysterious. When you read through the book of Ezekiel, you find several times when God asked him to do something that we would consider odd behaviour in order to give His people an object lesson, but he faithfully performed the required duty.
For example: “Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.” Ezekiel 4:4–6. I am sure that the lesson the Lord was wanting to teach the Israelites remained with them a lot longer seeing Ezekiel in this condition, rather than a sermon they would have heard one Sabbath.
However, there really and truly are requests that come from above that seem cruel, like the elderly gentleman believed as I mentioned at the beginning. Another example is when the Levites were directed to kill their brethren who were dancing around the golden calf. “And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.” Exodus 32:27
What may seem cruel to us may be mercy in the eyes of God. The people were so rebellious and perhaps the Lord knew that should they live they would only increase their guilt and increase their suffering in the lake of fire. Only God knows. With the destruction of the wicked though, we also see the mercy and love of God.
Deeds of cruelty are not normal for God. “For the LORD shall rise up as in mount Perazim, He shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act.” Isaiah 28:21. The Lord says, “As I live. . . I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” Ezekiel 33:11. It pains Him to even see the wicked die. He created them and wishes to save and redeem all. “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.” Isaiah 59:1–2. Many times, He simply withdraws His protection and the enemy comes in like a flood, wreaking havoc on souls that have severed themselves from the Lord.
I want to focus now on a verse from Jeremiah in this line of thinking, where we find two curses mentioned: “Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.” Jeremiah 48:10
Many commentaries have focused on the first half of this verse—a curse upon those who do the work of the LORD deceitfully. Satan has been using this tactic very successfully for hundreds of years. It was the Jews (who claimed to believe the Bible and be serving God and were His chosen people) who were persecuting the Christians. It was the Papacy (the Catholic Church), who was responsible for the death of millions of Christians whose only crime was to have a Bible. In World War I it was the SDA church leaders who betrayed the faithful souls to the government, causing many faithful young men to lose their lives in prison camp. It will not end here. To do evil in the name of God has been a very successful tool of Satan for many years. It is possible to be working for the devil under a cloak of Christianity.
Not only in open cruelty against faithful souls but the work of the Lord is done deceitfully if it is not done thoroughly, earnestly, and sincerely. Any work that is done in a quick and sloppy manner, when one’s heart is not in it, is deceitful to the Lord. Doing the work only for personal gain or fear of reproach, not from the love of Christ is dishonest. The work may get done, but the Lord reads the heart, and these persons are deceitful and are hypocrites.
But what about the second half of the verse? Literally, it was a punishment against Moab. “Cursed is He that keepeth back his sword from blood.” As mentioned, King Saul was cursed because he was told to use his sword to shed blood, but he did not complete the work and he was thus cursed. In this verse in Jeremiah, a curse a is pronounced on a soldier that failed to do his duty in the most thorough and terrible manner. No pity, no motive of any kind was an excuse for sparing the doomed nation. “‘Cursed is he who doth not execute with fidelity and the greatest exactness the orders of the Lord; cursed will ye be, O Chaldeans, if you spare Moab, if you treat her not with the utmost severity, since God hath appointed her to destruction, and you are only the executors of His just vengeance.’ Calmet.”
https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/tcc/jeremiah-48.html#verse-10
A curse was pronounced if they did not use their sword to kill and shed blood. What a terrible work the Lord seems to be asking. They were not to spare any, as Saul was commanded to do to the Amalekites. There is a time to withhold our hands from shedding blood, and there is a time when God will curse those that do withhold their hands from shedding blood when God requires the shedding of it.
What about today? Can we apply some principles from this verse today? Yes, we can. Is God asking us to take our sword and kill—shed blood? Not literally, but spiritually, yes. There is a curse for those who do the work of the Lord deceitfully, but also a curse pronounced upon those who do not do the work of the Lord correctly and exactly—sins of commission and sins of omission.
Jesus has a two-edged sword. “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith He which hath the sharp sword with two edges.” Revelation 2:12. “And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.” Revelation 1:16
It is a spiritual sword, and this sword is to pierce the soul and spirit of man and discern his thoughts and motives. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
Jesus tells us to take up this sword and use it also. “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17. Clearly, our sword is the Bible, the Word of God.
A sword is a symbol of death. It is often used to shed blood and kill. The only hope for the sinner is to have sin cut out of his life. This can be a painful process. Sometimes when we have moments alone with Jesus in prayer and study, He uses the spiritual sword to get at our hearts to cut away at our sinful habits. Other times, he asks someone else to use the sword to come and reveal to us the plague spots in our characters. This is very humiliating sometimes, but we all need to have our pride cut away and to humble ourselves before Jesus.
In reading the writings of Ellen G. White, you can find many instances where she was called to use the sword of the spirit to reveal plague spots and hidden sins in the lives of members who were making a pretence of piety. It was not an easy task, but she was called to use the sword, or then be punished by the sword. “We are answerable to God for the souls of those with whom we are brought in contact, and the closer our connections with our fellow men, the greater our responsibility. We are one great brotherhood, and the welfare of our fellow men should be our great interest. We have not one moment to lose. If we have been careless in this matter, it is high time we were now in earnest to redeem the time, lest the blood of souls be found on our garments. As children of God, none of us are excused from taking a part in the great work of Christ in the salvation of our fellow men.” –Christian Experience and Teachings, p. 214
The sword must be used. If it is not used in the church, we have the problem of Achan at hand. An “Achan” left in the church can cause the blessing to be lost to the entire church. Here is where some refuse to use the sword to shed blood and are guilty of the sins of omission. It is not easy to separate from the church those whom we have grown to love, but who are straying away from the truth. We think we are doing them a
great kindness by being patient and merciful and leaving their names on the church books, hoping they will change one day even though they have been openly living out of harmony with the Bible, with God, and with the church for many years. Some feel as though they would be killing the person if they separate them from membership. However, the curse is pronounced if we do not take the sword and shed blood and separate them.
“The history of Achan teaches the solemn lesson that for one man’s sin the displeasure of God will rest upon a people or a nation till the transgression is searched out and punished. Sin is corrupting in its nature. One man infected with its deadly leprosy may communicate the taint to thousands. Those who occupy responsible positions as guardians of the people are false to their trust if they do not faithfully search out and reprove sin. Many dare not condemn iniquity, lest they shall thereby sacrifice position or popularity. And by some it is considered uncharitable to rebuke sin. The servant of God should never allow his own spirit to be mingled with the reproof which he is required to give; but he is under the most solemn obligation to present the Word of God, without fear or favor. He must call sin by its right name. Those who by their carelessness or indifference permit God’s name to be dishonored by His professed people, are numbered with the transgressor,–registered in the record of heaven as partakers in their evil deeds.” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 996. This is a serious thought.
There is a proper way of using the sword of the Spirit, though. It is not meant to be used as in ancient warfare—with total cruelty. Some have mistakenly taken this sword of the Spirit with vengeance and made sure not to hold back. They have gone and used the sword to shed blood, and kill and wound the sinner in a most cruel manner. Many have gone away from the Lord into despair when the sword of the Spirit was used incorrectly.
“And yet, with the lessons of Christ’s life before them, how many who claim to be His followers, fail to be tender-hearted, forgiving, and full of love and compassion. In the hardness of their own hearts, in the iron-like stubbornness of their own will, they wound and bruise the souls for whom Christ has died. If they think a brother has erred, they are severe toward him, not remembering that they themselves are in constant need of God’s mercy. They pass lightly over things in themselves that are grievous in the sight of God, but censure without mercy those whom they think blamable. How differently does God deal with the sinner; He forgives transgression and sin. He loved us, and gave Himself for us. What does it mean that such hardness of heart is manifested among the professed children of God? It is an offense to God; for it misrepresents His character.” –The Review and Herald, June 30, 1891
Using the sword of the Spirit to reprove those who have made mistakes must be used, but must be used gently. It must be used in the same manner as a surgeon performing a delicate surgery carefully cutting away the cancer while preserving the good flesh. Matthew 18:15–17 tells us how gently it must be done. We are to go quietly to the sinner alone. If the sinner refuses to listen, then the steps to be followed are carefully outlined. All must be done in a spirit of meekness and love.
Going back in history, how did the Lord reprove Adam and Eve? (Genesis 3:8–15). He simply asked them questions. He came walking in the Garden looking for them and asks, “Where are you?” They answer, “We hid because we were naked.” The Lord responds by saying, “Who told you that you were naked?” Then He asks, “Did you eat from the tree which I told you not to eat of?” We know the rest of the story—the excuses they made; the beautiful promise that the Lord made to bear their penalty. However, the point is, how did the Lord reprove them? He politely asked them questions and drew them out. They made the confession themselves. There was no frustration, anger, or reproach.
How did Isaiah reprove Hezekiah after the Babylonians visited him and he failed to tell them about the Lord but rather showed off his wealth? (2 Kings 20:15–17; Isaiah 39:3–6). Isaiah also simply asked questions. “Who were these men? Where did they come from? What have they seen in your house?” The questions were leading Hezekiah to verbalize his error. Then Isaiah pronounced the Judgment of the Lord. Again, no reproach or anger.
And King David? The prophet Nathan simply came and told him a parable. David said that the rich man in the parable deserves to die. And Nathan states, “that man is you.” Nathan could have walked into the king’s palace and started to censure and reproach the king and tell him what a grave sin he did, but this parable did its work of cutting into David’s heart with the knowledge of his guilt better than any reproach would have (2 Samuel 12:1–8). It led him to confess his sin and desire cleansing of his heart. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit.” Psalm 51:10–12
These methods worked well in the past. This is how we are to shed blood using the sword of the Spirit. Adam and Eve, and Hezekiah, were very likely cut in their hearts when they realized what they had done and what the consequences were. Yet, it was necessary for them to be told that what they did was wrong, but they were told in as calm and loving manner as possible.
Although she was a sinner, we see how gently Jesus dealt with Mary Magdalene. Her accusers wanted to stone her. Jesus did not even rebuke her accusers. He silently began writing in the sand and her accusers left one by one. After they left Jesus stood up and, seeing they were gone, He forgave her sins and said, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” John 8:10
To hold back from reproving someone or putting them on church discipline if needed is a sin of omission, and God will hold the entire church accountable. We will be considered as partaking in their sin. “Members of the church may commit errors, and often make mistakes; but they are to be dealt with kindly, tenderly, as Christ has dealt with us.” –Testimonies to Ministers, p. 274
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1
Cursed is he that does the Lord’s work in the wrong way and cursed is he who refused to do it in the right way, as painful and unpleasant as it may seem.
“In the work of soul-winning, great tact and wisdom are needed. The Saviour never suppressed the truth, but He uttered it always in love. In His intercourse with others, He exercised the greatest tact, and He was always kind and thoughtful. He was never rude, never needlessly spoke a severe word, never gave unnecessary pain to a sensitive soul. He did not censure human weakness. He fearlessly denounced hypocrisy, unbelief, and iniquity, but tears were in His voice as He uttered His scathing rebukes. He never made truth cruel, but ever manifested a deep tenderness for humanity. Every soul was precious in His sight. He bore Himself with divine dignity; yet He bowed with the tenderest compassion and regard to every member of the family of God. He saw in all, souls whom it was His mission to save.” –Christian Service, p. 231
We all have a work to do for Jesus. “Every soul is to minister. He is to use every physical, moral, and mental power, through sanctification of the Spirit, that he may be a laborer together with God. All are bound to devote themselves actively and unreservedly to God’s service. They are to cooperate with Jesus Christ in the great work of helping others.” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1159. May God help you to cooperate with the Lord and do the work He has given to you with diligence and exactness. He will be our helper and guide if you willingly submit to His leading. Amen
Wendy Eaton