Dealing With Evil & Wickedness
Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:
INDEX:
Introduction:
I created this page to document what Scripture has to say about dealing with evil or wickedness.
On one hand, I see so many people today trying to 'understand' wicked people. They seem to believe that it is important that we understand WHY someone did something wicked. Curiously, they are not concerned with why that person didn't do something right thing. It seems to me they are looking for a way to excuse the behavior and take the blame upon themselves. It is as if they are trying to say if they had done something different, that person would not have done what they did.
I do not hold to that philosophy. I believe that selfishness and self-centeredness is the root of the problem. If you do not have a belief in a beneign God Almighty, they it really is 'every man for himself' and 'anything goes'.
On the other hand, there are evil spirits and dealing with them is on an entirely different level. I added a section on necromancy which is the practice of communication with the spirits of the dead and using magic or sorcery.
Good And Rotten:
His sun shines over the good and the ROTTEN... (Matthew 5:45, ARTB Draft)
This quotation of Yeshua (Jesus) from the Sermon on the Mount highlights one of the more difficult word problems of the New Testament which has truly revolutionized my understanding of what Jesus and John the baptist were saying.
Why is this a difficult word problem? In most bible translations, the Greek word PONEROS (G4190) is translated EVIL. But you will also find that two other Greek words are also usually translated EVIL, WICKED or BAD: KAKOS (G2556) and PHAULOS (G5337). We are well trained that the opposite of GOOD is EVIL. The second opposite we use in English is GOOD and BAD. But both Greek and Aramaic show us that there is a third word pair in existence in the New Testament that shows the opposite of GOOD, which is rendered ROTTEN in the ARTB. You will see it over and over again.
Because we no longer store food in the cellar all winter, and the grocery stores pick out the rotten fruit for us, we don't encounter rotten produce very often in our lives. The best place at my house is with a bag of onions or potatoes. But if we had bushels of apples in the basement that needed to last all winter, we'd be very attune to watching out for ROT. If one apple has rot, that apple would be extracted immediately, because the whole bushel basket of apples would quickly become to a smelly, gooey mess. All the labor put into growing those apples would be lost, and perhaps I would not have food to feed the family. If caught early enough, the extracted apple could still be used if the ROTTED spot is cut out.
Thus, the concept of being vigilant about ROT would be an everyday concern prior to refrigeration. So why is this word pair of GOOD and ROTTEN so important?
Have you ever noticed when the evening news interviews someone who has lost a relative or friend, we usually use the word GOOD? I heard one mother talking about how her son was basically a GOOD fellow, even though he died as the drunk driver in an accident. Yesterday, a dear friend reported about her daughter's relationship outside of marriage with another man. She was quick to point out that her daughter was basically GOOD. Listen this week. I'm betting you'll hear this type of discussion more than once.
Why are we so desparate to label our loved ones and ourselves as GOOD? Because the only two opposite words we have in our heads is EVIL and BAD. Very few people are EVIL and BAD. The crimes committed in concentrations camps in Germany during World War II were EVIL and BAD. My personal experience is that the presence of the EVIL-ONE, the devil himself, is palpable in EVIL situations, or with people that you sense are EVIL.
My friends, we may be basically GOOD people, but the son driving drunk made a ROTTEN choice. My friend's daughter made a ROTTEN choice in her relationship. Sin is ALWAYS a signal of ROT, but it is not always EVIL. For example, adultery is a sin, but it is not usually EVIL. We tolerate a lot of sin in our lives because we've convinced ourselves that it cannot be BAD or EVIL to seek satisfaction outside of marriage when we LOVE the other person. Violating most of the 10 commandments is not be regarded as something BAD or EVIL in today's culture, with the exception of KILLING. But every violation is a signal of ROT.
So what was the message of John the baptist? Get every speck of ROT out of your life. Confess it to God and be baptized. Don't wait until the sin is serious enough that you will have to go to Jerusalem and offer a sacrifice to the priest. Jesus said similar things. If your eye causes you to stumble, cut it out, it's a signal of ROT. If you are angry with your brother or you look with lust at a woman, run to get rid of the ROT. Otherwise you won't have fruit that remains--it will be a smelly, gooey mess. I found that if I asked myself what are my SINS to confess to God Almighty, the list is short. But when I asked where I had ROTTEN "soft spots" in my thinking, my habits, and my words the list was MUCH larger. The word ROTTEN is also a wonderful word to use when sharing the faith. If you ask someone if they are a sinner with sins to confess, the normal response is "I'm basically a GOOD person". But if you say, Have you done anything ROTTEN in your life, you get an entirely different response.
From: Ancient Roots
Date: Mon, May 16, 2011 at 11:55 AM
Subject: ARTB Bible Blog
Scripture References:
1'Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.'
2'Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:'
Do NOT follow the crowd if they are wrong or doing evil. This is a perversion of justice.
3'Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.'
4'If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.'
5'If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.'
6'Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.'
7'Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.'
YHWH will not justify the wicked!
9'Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.'
5And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death; because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee. (KJV)
The way to get rid of the evil in the midst of the people.
20But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. (KJV)
The penalty for prophets lying.
23Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land. (KJV)
'11When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour.' (KJV)
'20But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. ' (KJV)
'21There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.' (KJV)
15Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph. (KJV)
'17Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?' (KJV)
2"For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart." (KJV)
5I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked." (KJV)
3Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts." (KJV)
4Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert." (KJV)
5Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up." (KJV)
4Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties." (KJV)
14'Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.' (KJV)
15'Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.' (KJV)
13"Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house." (KJV)
15"He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD." (KJV)
"6Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:" (KJV)
17'Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.' (KJV)
18'For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.' (KJV)
15'Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.' (KJV)
This applies to everyone.
17Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.(KJV)
18For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.(KJV)
We are supposed to avoid wicked people.
9Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
10If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
11For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. (KJV)
9I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
10Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
11But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
12For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
13But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.(KJV)
6Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
7Be not ye therefore partakers with them.(KJV)
This applies to everyone.
11'And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.'
13But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
14And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
15Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
13This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
14Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
15Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
16They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
He is NOT saying we need to try and understand them, he is saying we should rebuke them.
Necromancy:
- The practice of supposedly communicating with the spirits of the dead in order to predict the future.
- Black magic; sorcery.
- Magic qualities.
7Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
8And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.
9And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?
10And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.
11Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
13And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
14And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
15And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
16Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
17And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:
18Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.
19Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
20Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.
13So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;