Don't be Led Astray

"If your brother, your mother’s son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your friend who is as your own soul, entice you secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods' (whom neither you nor your fathers have known, of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end), you shall not yield to him or listen to him; and your eye shall not pity him, nor shall you spare or conceal him. But you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people." -Deuteronomy 13.6-9

Moses gives a warning to the people not to be led astray from God. First he mentions a prophet or dreamer who performs signs, and tells the people that if he tries to lead them away from God that they are not to believe it, and stone him. They are not to be led astray by a false prophet. But then Moses gets more personal.

If your brother, or child, or even your wife, or your closest friend try to lead you away from God, don't give in, and kill them. When it comes to family it could get tough. This isn't some stranger who has arisen and started randomly giving some message of another god, this is blood. But Moses says that if they are trying to lead them away from God, not to give in, and to kill them.

I'm not suggesting, and neither is the Bible, that we go around and kill our family members or friends who have different beliefs than we do. But if they continually try to lead us away from God, we need to sever the relationship. If they are trying to pull us from God, we need to pull away from them. Now that being said, this is not grounds for divorce, or child abandonment. We must lead our families, our wives and children, to love and serve God. We must set the example for what is true, and lead them into it.

Men, are you setting the example for your family? Are you leading them into the truth of God? What happens when people try to lead you astray? Do you stand firm in your faith, setting an example of Christlikeness? Or do you cave and give in? If it comes to it, we must be willing to sever friendships to protect our relationship with God, but we must continue to pray for them, trusting God to transform their lives.

Let us stand firm in the truth of God. May we never be led astray, not even by those closest to us.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor