There is a principle which runs through the entire Scriptures, which is but little heeded and followed in these days of abounding evil-days when we find the name of Jesus attached to the grossest worldliness, evil practice, and corruption of the truth, and used as a covering to almost every device of the enemy of souls, who cordially hates the name of Jesus, and who, when he could not succeed, as at first he attempted, to blot out that name from the world, successfully carries out his purposes and designs under its shelter and apparent sanction. Satan, when he finds it does not answer his ends to be a roaring lion, does not cease his endeavors to delude and destroy. But he takes another form-that of a serpent, wily and subtle. This is far more to be feared than his open power. The believer, when in the midst of trial and persecution, finds God near, and looks up to Him out of the trial and never is so happy. But by and bye, when Satan finds that his persecutions only produce a brighter testimony, and fuller confidence in God, he changes his tactics and becomes a seducer, cleverest and most successful when he brings his seductions under the name of Jesus, and more likely to succeed.
Would that there was more familiar hearkening to the voice of the Good Shepherd, a deeper acquaintance with the tones of His voice! If there were, there would be less power in the seductions of the enemy; his wiles and his seductions would be detected and exposed, and the heart kept steady and at rest.
The desire of unity in the heart of the Lord’s people has been always a dear one. It was dear to the heart of Jesus when He prayed “that they all may be one.” But we must always remember that His name cannot be identified with evil and falsehood. Such a thought is horrible. “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth.” We bless His name for it that He saves His people out of the midst of all the corruptions in the world; His grace is infinite in this. It is His prerogative—He is sovereign in this, and He does it in the display of His grace. But the thought that because He does this, that He thereby sanctions the evil in which He finds them, is revolting to the spiritual mind. But while He is sovereign in all this, and goes where He pleases, His servants must be obedient to His mind as revealed. ‘Tis then they find themselves in a position in which He can bless them and be with them, where nothing is allowed and sanctioned dishonoring to His name, or contrary to His truth.
The principle of which we speak is that of Separation from evil, to God. It is one largely dwelt upon in the Word of God in all dispensations. We will look at some of the instances.
1. When the world had gone into idolatry and the worship of demons (as we learn from Josh. 24:22And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. (Joshua 24:2); Deut. 32:1717They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not. (Deuteronomy 32:17); 1 Cor. 10:2020But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. (1 Corinthians 10:20))—even the family of him of whom it was said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Shem.”—God separated to Himself one man, Abraham, who was descended from the family, and whose ancestors were idolaters (Josh. 24:22And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods. (Joshua 24:2))— “Get thee out from thy country, “and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house” (Gen. 12:11Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: (Genesis 12:1)); and Abraham, thus separated to God, becomes His witness in the world, and is in a position to know his mind—and the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do” (Gen. 18:1717And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; (Genesis 18:17)), and he was called the “friend of God.”
2. The nation of Israel, when slaves in Egypt, were redeemed out of it and separated to God, that He might dwell among them (Ex. 29:4646And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the Lord their God. (Exodus 29:46),) and that they may be His witnesses in the world that He was the one true God. “Ye are my witnesses... that I (Jehovah) am God.” (Isa. 43:1212I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God. (Isaiah 43:12).)
When that nation made the golden calf and worshipped it as the god which brought them up out of the land of Egypt (Ex. 32:1-61And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 2And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. 3And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. 4And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 5And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord. 6And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. (Exodus 32:1‑6),) Moses came down from the mountain, where he had been with God, and said, “Who is on the Lord’s side I let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor. And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.” (Ex. 32:26-2826Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. 27And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor. 28And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. (Exodus 32:26‑28)) Faithfulness to God was in separating themselves to Him, when the evil was there: and we find how He owned their faithfulness, in Deut. 33:8-108And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one, whom thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah; 9Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant. 10They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar. (Deuteronomy 33:8‑10),— “And of Levi he said,... Who said to his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor know his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant. They shall teach Jacob thy judgments, and Israel thy law: they shall put incense before Thee, and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine altar.”
Moses, too, conscious that God could not. identify Himself with the evil of the people, took the Tent or Tabernacle and pitched it outside the camp of Israel; and “everyone which sought the Lord went out unto the Tabernacle of the Congregation which was without the camp:” and the Lord owned the faithfulness of His servant who had thus recognized what was due to Him, thus putting himself in a position to receive the communications of God: and we read, “The Lord spake to Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.” (Ex. 33:7-117And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp. 8And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. 9And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. 10And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door. 11And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. (Exodus 33:7‑11).)
3. When Israel were apostate in their land, and had openly professed to be worshippers of Baal, and that Elijah was raised up of God to re-establish the worship of Jehovah, there were 7000 souls, unknown and unheeded, faithful to the true God, who had not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. God saw them in their humble testimony: it was nothing striking or outward, such as that of Elijah; no display of power; but what was grateful to God, and what He owned, and could point to, separation in heart to Him, and faithfulness in the midst of corruption. — “They have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal”—the great thing, when everyone else had done so, they had not done it, but in faithfulness had separated themselves to God. (1 Kings 19)
4. When the false prophets and the popular falsehoods had possession of the ear, heart, and the desire of Judah, the words of God were found by Jeremiah (see Jer. 15:15-2115O Lord, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke. 16Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts. 17I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation. 18Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail? 19Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. 20And I will make thee unto this people a fenced brazen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord. 21And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible. (Jeremiah 15:15‑21)), and he did eat them—digested them inwardly—and they became the joy and rejoicing of his heart. The word of God had its own separating power in him, and he sat not in the assembly of the mockers, but sat alone, filled with indignation. The answer of the Lord comes to him, “If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee, but return not thou unto them.
5. Again, in the day when the remnant of Judah and Benjamin returned from the Babylonish captivity to the city of Jerusalem, separating themselves from the Gentiles, (see Ezra and Nehemiah) we find that on this return to a divine position and a divine city, there was,—
1St, Separation from those whose genealogy could not be found or produced. (Ezra 2:59-6359And these were they which went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsa, Cherub, Addan, and Immer: but they could not show their father's house, and their seed, whether they were of Israel: 60The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two. 61And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name: 62These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood. 63And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim. (Ezra 2:59‑63).)
2nd, Separation from those of the world who wanted to rebuild the temple with them. (Ezra 4:1-61Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel; 2Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither. 3But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us. 4Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, 5And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. 6And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. (Ezra 4:1‑6).)
6. Again, when this returned remnant had fallen into corruption after their return from Babylon, when their words were stout against the Lord, and the proud esteemed happy, and those who wrought wickedness set up; when all was ruin and corruption again. (See Mal. 3:13-1713Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? 14Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts? 15And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. 16Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. 17And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. (Malachi 3:13‑17)) We find a little company separating themselves from the abounding evil, to God; a little flock, driven together by their spiritual wants, who feared the Lord, and spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
7. The Good Shepherd Himself separates Himself from the Jewish fold, into which He had entered by the door, and where His words, and His works, and Himself were rejected. And He then becomes the door by which the remnant who had heard His voice might go out of that fold to Him. “He calleth His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out” of that which He could no longer recognize and own. (John 10)
8. The church of God should have maintained her place of separation from evil in the world, and put out from amongst themselves that wicked person. (1 Cor. 5).
Regarding the worship and service of God we are told,—
9. “Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath he that believeth with an infidel (unbeliever)? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore, come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Cor. 6:14-1814Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:14‑18)). Thus separating from the worldly and from unbelievers, we take practically the position in which God can dwell and walk with us; and we enter practically into the relationship which grace has given, that of sons and daughters of the Father, who is Jehovah Almighty.
10. When the house of God, instead of maintaining its position as God’s witness in the world— “The house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:1515But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15))—has been filled with corruptions and iniquity, and has its vessels not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth, some to honor and some to dishonor (2 Tim. 2:19,2019Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. (2 Timothy 2:19‑20)), thus becoming a “great house,” the faithful disciple is not to rest satisfied with its corruptions; nor can he remedy the evil and purge the house, nor can he get out of it; and his resource is the same principle, “separation from evil;” he is to “depart from iniquity.” While it is his joy to know that in such a state of things “The Lord knoweth them that are His,” still the responsibility of each one who names the name of the Lord is to “depart from iniquity,” separating himself thus to God in the midst of the evil, exercising the spirit of the Nazarite, when the enemy is an inward one in the bosom of the church (Samson’s source of strength was his Nazariteship, when the Philistines were in the midst of the people in the land). He is then in the position to be a vessel unto honor, who has purged himself from the vessels to dishonor, separated or sanctified and meet for the Master’s use. His separation is not denying that the others are vessels, but they are vessels identified with that which does dishonor to Christ as the Holy and True, and therefore soiled vessels. “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”
The moment we see a disciple who has thus purged himself, and departed from iniquity, we see one whom we can recognize. God’s eye may discern him when mixed up with the corruption, for He knows them that are His. We can discern him when he has separated himself to God; and with such we can then walk, through grace, following righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Tim. 2:19-2219Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 20But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. 21If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. 22Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:19‑22).)
11. When Israel rejected their Messiah, and the testimony to a risen and exalted Christ, by the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven, the whole system is given up to judgment, and consequently the exhortation to those who had received Him is, “Let us go forth, therefore, unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach” —(Heb. 13:1313Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. (Hebrews 13:13)),—separating thus from a judged system to God, as the Christian is bound to do from any religion which accredits the flesh, and connects itself with the world, and not with that which entereth within the vail.
12. It is impossible that Christ and falsehood can be identified. Fellowship with the Father and His Son must be according to the essential character of God, which is “Light,” and in whom is no darkness at all; and “if we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” (1 John 1:66If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: (1 John 1:6).)
It is true that “he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey” (Isa. 59:1515Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. (Isaiah 59:15)), but the Lord will own his faithfulness when His day comes, as one who, with a little strength, had kept His word, and not denied and falsified His name. (Rev. 3:88I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. (Revelation 3:8).)
Is my Christian reader thus a Nazarite to God?