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They Did It Anyway!
“And Jehovah said unto Moses, ‘Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and play the harlot after the strange gods of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them. Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall come upon them, so that they will say in that day, “Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?” And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evil which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned into other gods. Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach thou it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel. For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxed fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant. And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are come upon them, that this song shall testify before them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they frame this day, before I have brought them into the land which I sware.’ So Moese wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel. And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, ‘Be strong and of good courage; for though shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.’ And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites, that bare the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, saying, ‘Take this book of the law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee. For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against Jehovah; and how much more after my death? Assemble unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to witness against them. For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands’” (Deuteronomy 3.16-29).
In this text, Moses foretold and forewarned of the apostasy of the children of Israel. An apostasy is a departure from something. They would turn from serving God to serving other gods. Despite Moses’ warning, they did it anyway!
The apostle Paul likewise warned the elders of the church of Christ at Ephesus of an apostasy in the message of the gospel. Paul cautioned, “Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to fee dthe church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood. I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20.28-30). Despite this warning, it has happened anyway!
Paul explained how apostasy in the gospel message results in apostasy in worship and godly living: “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires” (2 Timothy 4.3-4). It has happened!
This apostasy in the gospel message has resulted in the numerous denominational bodies with their “statements of faith” that declare their “interpretation” of the gospel of Christ as we see today. The remedy for apostasy is seen from God’s words as he spoke through Malachi: “Return unto me, and I will return unto you” (Malachi 3.7).
This is why the “apostles’ doctrine” has relevance (Acts 2.42). Disciples enjoyed unity, love, and peace until there was a departure (apostasy) in the gospel message (Acts 20.28-30).
The lesson for us is clear: “God has spoken…through his Son…therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed…lest haply we drift away from them” (Hebrews 1.2; 2.1). “Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God: but exhort one another day by day, so long as it is called today; lest anyone of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin: for we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end” (Hebrews 3.12-14).
In view of these warnings, will we do it anyway?
