Relative to religious man’s rejection of God’s Word when formulating truth and error, let us briefly return to Exodus 20:3 in order to judge the Truth-determining process from God’s perspective–the only point of view that counts. The first command He issued to the Israelites (and all future believers) from Mt. Sinai was: “You will have no other gods before Me.” It is vital that we understand the meaning of the word “before.” In the Hebrew language the word is “paneh,” which means “against” in relation to one’s “face.” The Lord is telling all who will believe Him that anything or anyone that worshipers use or recognize in their religious exercises other than the Lord Himself is, in His view, against Him–in His face–His enemy. In the next verse He specifically condemns all hand-made items such as crosses, fish symbols, etc. that are so popular among those who claim to be His people. God’s enemies are also those human luminaries whom the people put forth as religious authorities. This includes such people as popes, priests and the various Protestant leaders to whom the religious masses look for spiritual guidance. Any contrast between what their guru says and what God says invariably results in God’s defeat. But all is well; they know they can get away with rejecting their Maker because He has “saved” them. The obvious irony needs no explanation.

Relative to the current discussion, paneh also includes those committees that take it upon themselves to formulate church policies, doctrines, customs, traditions, rituals, etc. In the eyes of the Lord, such groups are His enemies in that they turn the people’s attention away from Him and toward the leaders themselves. We must realize that man’s attitude or intention means nothing when it comes to right and wrong, Adam and Eve being our prime example. No doubt our original parents believed that they were doing the right thing when they defied their Maker and obeyed His enemy–Satan–His paneh. In ignoring God’s directive, they made themselves His paneh. We must understand: WE ARE EITHER HIS FRIEND OR HIS ENEMY. WE ARE EITHER WITH HIM OR AGAINST HIM. There is no middle ground. He will not share us with the devil. See 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

Relative to  right and wrong, man must not allow his craving for self-governance to take him away from God’s “… you shall surely die” and toward Satan’s “You shall not surely die.” Satan–the Serpent–lied to Adam and Eve in the garden after telling them to ignore God’s Words. In the same way, policy committies are lying to parishioners when they tell them to ignore the Scriptures and to follow their dictates. And should the discrepancies be brought up, the people are assured that all is well, that, because they belong to “the church,” the wages of their sin is not death, but rather eternal life. And Satan smiles (Rev. 12:9). To be continued