Daily Archives: September 11, 2015

From Abel to John

Sacred history is replete with the accounts of God’s people who would not bow down to the will of men but rather stood stalwartly for the will of God regardless of the consequences. They present for us an enduring and compelling example of courage in the face of the most arduous circumstances and vicious opposition.

Among those examples the Bible records that Abel offered to God a sacrifice that was according to God’s commands, even though his brother, Cain, did not (Rom. 10:17; Heb. 11:4). Consequently, Cain “talked with Abel his brother” (Gen. 4:8). While ancient, Jewish writers speculate as to the substance of that conversation and the manner in which it proceeded, we do not know the details. We only know that Abel payed the ultimate price and suffered death at the hand of his brother because he obeyed the commands of God.

Righteous Lot was vexed by the “filthy conversation of the wicked,” and he did not give in to their sordid demands by delivering the divine personages into their unholy hands. In return, the sinners of Sodom sought to deal worse with Lot than they had planned on dealing with the heavenly visitors. It was only through divine intervention that Lot was saved from that vile fate.

Moses, by faith, “when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible” (Heb. 11:24-27).

The prophet Jeremiah was dauntless in his preaching all the “words of this covenant” to the people of Judah, but their hearts were hardened and they refused to hear the word of the Lord. When Jeremiah pointed out by inspiration that the leaders of the land had become brutish and had not sought the Lord, they sought his death. Even his own relatives conspired against him (Jer. 12:6). When the people refused to hear his warnings about resistance against God’s judgement through Babylon, they threw him into a prison and into a filthy, miry pit in the dungeon of Malchiah (Jer. 38:11). While he was delivered from his fate by more friendly faces, he suffered severely for his stand with God.

During the Babylonian captivity, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah refused to fall down at the appointed time to worship the image of Nebuchadnezzar, neither would they worship the false gods of Babylon (Dan. 3:12). In the typically ignorant manner of self-centered men and in retaliation for their refusal to substitute the will of a man for God’s will, Nebuchadnezzar had them thrown into a fiery furnace made seven times as hot as normal. But the fire of the furnace had no power over those who walked with the Son of God and Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah walked free after they had stood their ground with God.

The native authorities in Babylon, jealous of Daniel’s advancement by Darius over the whole kingdom, sought occasion to destroy him. They could find no occasion nor fault “forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him” (Dan. 6:4). Their only means of attack was to use his faith in God against him. So they wrote a law which, because of his faithfulness to Jehovah, they knew he could not keep. In reality, no one else could keep it either and there was no way to enforce it universally. But they lay in wait to find him breaking the unjust law so that they could pounce. His penalty was to be cast into a den of lions from which the Lord graciously delivered him.

John the Baptizer publicly spoke out against the heinous sins of Herod. As a consequence, Herod had John beheaded (Matt. 14:1-12).

When, in the temple after the Lord’s ascension, Peter and John preached through Jesus the resurrection of the dead, the priests, the captain of the temple and the Sadducees cast them into the hold, grilled them then charged and threatened them that they should not speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:1-22). When the apostles continued to preach and teach in the name of Jesus anyway, they were again thrown into prison and questioned why they had not followed their injunction. They responded simply, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

The apostle Paul suffered greatly for the cause of Christ. He was beaten with stripes above measure, was frequently cast into prison, at the point of death often, of the Jews five times received forty stripes save one, thrice beaten with rods, once stoned, in perils by his own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, and in perils among false brethren (II Corinthians 11:23-26). Finally, he languished in a Roman prison until he was martyred for his Lord (II Tim. 4:1-8).

First century Christians likewise faced great tribulation and persecution for the Cause of Christ (Matt. 24:21; Rev. 7:14). Some would resist the taunts of the world striving against sin, even to the point of drawing blood (Heb. 12:4). For many, it cost them their lives (Rev. 2:10). Paul informed us that all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (II Tim. 3:12).

John was in the isle of Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:9).

Our own sinless Lord, Himself, was cruelly and unjustly beaten and scourged and then hung on a cross to a chorus of taunts from sinful, ignorant and foolish men. The Lord reminded the apostles: “Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20).

While few would have believed it possible that one could suffer persecution in America for practicing the teachings of Christ, it should become increasingly obvious that Christianity is now under open attack by many holding seats of power. Others who may not share the same views are too timid to speak out against such abuses of power. We can expect this madness and insanity to get much worse before it gets better, if it gets better at all. But we should not be discouraged. Faithful followers of God have suffered in the past and we have the assurance of the Lord that they will in the future, as well. But God ultimately rewards the faithful.

The only question that remains for us is where we will stand in all of this? With the Lord, even in the face of dire persecution, or with the world? Will we stand with Abel and Lot and Moses and Jeremiah and Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah and Daniel and John the Baptizer and the apostles of the Lord and faithful first century Christians or will we let the Lord down go away quietly into the night?

Eric L. Padgett