“And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.” (Exodus 8:28)
Pharaoh was willing to let the Israelites leave Egypt to sacrifice to the Lord God but commanded that they don’t go too far. This is just like the world today. These are the words of the world. The world loves the virtues of Christianity, but “don’t go too far” and preach the Gospel. It loves the character of Christians, but “don’t go too far” and speak about Jesus. It loves the good works Christians do, but “don’t go too far” and say I need to be saved.
At this moment there is a lawsuit against the governor of Louisiana who has signed an edict to have the Ten Commandments displayed in every classroom. Every one of every religion agrees with the Ten Commandments, honor your parents, don’t lie, don’t steal, don’t kill, but “don’t go too far” and display them so that children can read every day that it’s wrong to lie, steal and kill. The world loves the laws Christians live by, but don’t want you to display them publicly.
John the Baptist began his ministry preaching repentance and turning to the Lord. (Matthew 3:1,2) All was fine with the authorities until he pointed out sin in Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee. “For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.” (Matthew 14:3-4) And there you have the reason the world doesn’t want us to go too far. It’s the fear that their sin that will be exposed. It doesn’t want to hear it. And it doesn’t want it known.
The light of the Gospel will dispel the darkness of the kingdom of darkness and death. “NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalms 119:105) It will expose and bring to light what the sinner doesn’t want to hear. That he has sin and that he is a sinner. That what he loves and lives by is death.
Hypocrisy is apparent. The world says, “We love your character, your virtues and good works, but don’t go too far. And pray for me.” Pharoah asked for prayer. The sinner wants prayer. The world wants the favor of God without Him. Jesus confronted the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Scribes many times. The Lord condemned hypocrisy in Isaiah’s prophecy. “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? (Isaiah 29:13-16)
That begs the question. Are there hypocritical Christians in church today? The answer is yes. Church people are the first to criticize the one who is obedient and brave enough to “go too far.” They are the first to please the world and live by their rules and restrictions to show just what good people they are. They are men pleasers who live by manmade rules instead of God’s commandments. “Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12:42-43)
The take of this lesson is to push against the world. Dare to go as far as you can. Let’s take our virtues, character and good works as far as we can to speak about Jesus, to preach the Gospel and to speak against sin. “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” (1Thessalonians 2:4) One side note here. We are not to condemn people, but only sin, remembering that sinners are unable to come against and are helpless against the world, darkness and sin. But it's the Gospel which brings light, life and hope.
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