Matthew 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
This first passage tells us in no uncertain terms that there are times when it is appropriate to say yes in some matters, and there are times when we should say no. But to always say yes, with no reference to principle, or right or wrong, will put the yes man on a collision course with God, sooner or later. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, a Yes- man is a person who agrees with everything that is said, especially one who endorses, or supports without criticism every opinion or proposal of an associate or superior.
Yes-men have historically been some of the most dangerous human beings to live on this planet, for they are primarily driven by self-preservation, or are otherwise afraid to stand up for the right, if doing so will have negative consequences to themselves, and thus, they tend to agree blind-foldedly to any and everything that is required by their superiors.
Any, and every other worthy consideration is borne down by them in preserving self and favor, and they generally do not consult God, nor their consciences when making decisions. Even when loss of human life may be involved yes men would still be found in agreement with their masters, if they are ordered to do or say that which is wrong. Yes-men can be found in all walks of life, from the upper echelons of society where kings and princes reign to your everyday John Doe who will blindly do and say whatever their bosses bid them, regardless of compunctions of conscience, or consequences.
Yes-men are also to be found in political circles, in the judiciary, in churches, in those higher and lower branches of governments, and in many families, the parents have also succumbed to the phenomena of always saying yes to their children, allowing them to do and say anything, and everything, because they are afraid they will be viewed as not being “cool”.
Many individuals who have gone on later in life to wreak havoc on communities, families and nations, and many of the mass-shootings that have plagued our generation, can be traced back to homes where parents did not say no, when it was appropriate to do so.
Some left their children to do as they pleased with the vain hope that somehow they will outgrow evil tendencies in later years. The Bible furnishes many examples of yes-men and the trail of collateral damage and carnage that was left behind after they refused to do the right thing, for fear of being looked upon as being odd, out of the norm, not cool, or unpopular.
Eli was a yes-man who looked the other way when his sons were doing wrong, because he was afraid of crossing their paths in correcting them. Thus, he left them to their own pernicious ways, and even when the nation complained openly to him about the problem, he still continued to let his sons do as they pleased.
This is not to say that Eli didn’t make any efforts to correct the evils his sons were indulging in; he did, but his remonstrances were never followed up with definitive, concrete actions, and thus, his evil sons viewed his efforts as empty threats. That’s typical of yes men for at times they may actually make efforts to do something right that needs to be done.
But in most instances they would not follow up with remedial actions, and by doing so over an extended period, they weaken their own resolve, to the point where an angel from heaven could be barking aloud at them, but under one pretext or another they will not stand up for right. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 2:22 Now Eli was very old and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. 24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress. 25 If one man sins against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father.
God does not judge us on what we say, or what we intend to do. Good intentions are good, but they are just intentions, unless followed up by concrete actions. Therefore, after the dust has settled in the investigative judgement, many souls will be booked on that train headed for never-land, even though it was observed that their intentions were upright.
Thus, because Eli would not say nay, but only yea to his sons, Israel was defeated by her mortal enemies, the Philistines, and thirty thousand bodies of those who were slain lay strewn across that battlefield. The reason for this catastrophic loss of life in Israel is because collateral damage to nations and families and individuals always occurs wherever yes-men are to be found. Always! Let’s read:
1st Samuel 3:11 And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone that heareth it shall tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. 13 For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. 14 And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever.
Those sexual scandals that have rocked some of the more prominent churches in recent years are in part due to yes-men who looked the other way, turned a blind eye or covered up those evil deeds that were done by those who had betrayed sacred trusts. Thus, instead of bringing the matters to the relevant authorities for redress, yes men were found to be countenancing evils that caused nations to shudder.
Even when parents of the abused, and other church members would complain of these evils, yes men, in their capacity to say and do something, would just cook the record books in most cases. Ahab, as the king of Israel surrounded himself with yes-men who would only tell him what he wanted to hear. And thus, when he was in grave danger of being killed, they stood idly by, and said yes to all of his suggestions and proposals. That is because they were more concerned about keeping their jobs than seeking the welfare of the nation. Let’s read:
1st Kings 22:3 And the king of Israel said unto his servants, Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria? 4 And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead? 5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord today. 6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear?
And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. 7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him? 8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah. 12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the king's hand. 13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spoke unto him, saying, Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good. 14 And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.
In the days of Hebrew slavery, when that stubborn pharaoh was on the throne of the greatest nation of the then known world, yes men stood by and let the nation of Egypt be brought to ruins. Plague upon plague, and pestilence after pestilence was leveled at the nation, until their firstborns were slain by the destroying-angel. But yet the yes men continued to support pharaoh in his losing strategy against God.
Like Eli they too also had their bouts of conscience pricking when they actually admitted that it was the God of heaven at work, and no capricious outbreak of nature, yet, like Eli, they refused to take concrete steps to stop pharaoh from bringing Egypt to ruins. Let’s read:
Exodus 8:19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.
Exodus 10:7 And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?
Thus, throughout sacred history yes-men have been responsible for the downfall of nations, families and individuals, as they refused to do or say the right at some of the most critical points in their careers. The false prophets that we are often warned about in the scriptures, who are scheduled to proliferate in the last days, are yes-men operating under a veneer of Christianity.
They speak smooth words calculated to soothe the itching ears of their congregations; and to keep the money flowing, many would turn a blind eye to evils that scream for redress. When morality, and God-ordained marriage was dangling on the edge of the cliff, yes men cowered, in fear of the masses, and even though they knew right from wrong, smooth words were made to rule the day.
But like Micaiah, the true servants of God will speak forth the words of truth and soberness, in season or out of season, when it is convenient to do so in the friendly environment, and when it is not convenient to do so in a hostile environment. John the Baptist and Elijah were not yes-men by any means, for they did not water down truth to suit itching ears.
When John saw that Herod had taken his brother’s wife, contrary to law and principle, he did not try to palliate Herod’s conscience by remaining silent, nor did he endorse Herod’s actions in any way, form or fashion with the hope of winning political favors, or getting promotion into Herod’s administration. Instead, John spoke the truth, even though doing so would land him in prison, and awakened the wrath of that maddened woman, who became bent on executing the prophet.
John could have played the role of a yes-man and thereby preserved his life, but he would have betrayed sacred trusts, and possibly lose out on eternal life. That is what the world is in most dire need of right now, not so much a vaccine or a cure, but men who will dare to speak the truth, even though their jobs may be on the line. Men who will stand up for truth and righteousness, regardless of the consequences.
But if yes men continue on the same track like those of old, the collateral damage will culminate in very many dead bodies, guaranteed! Therefore, as we study sacred history, we should all observe the actions and the attitudes of one of the more prominent yes-men who indulged his boss in that which he knew was wrong, and in the process severe collateral damage resulted to the nation of Israel.
Our case study will center around Joab, the military general in charge of David’s army, who at times had compunctions of conscience, goading him to do the right thing, but because his allegiance was given to a mere man, he would do any and everything David would ask, even when it meant that innocent lives would be lost as a result.
For example, when David requested that Joab set up Uriah to be slain, to cover his tracks, Joab basely acquiesced, instead of remonstrating against the evil. The letter sent to Joab by David was written in such plain language that Joab had to have known of David’s clandestine intentions. Yet, instead of saying no, he carried it out, because that is what yes men do. Let’s read:
2nd Samuel 11:14 And it came to pass in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. 16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.
17 And the men of the city went out and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also. 18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war.
Note well the collateral damage that takes place, for it is not only Uriah that perishes in the process, other soldiers who were not related to Bathsheba also died, because a yes-man has no problem with the death of innocents, if it will assure him his job, and favor with the king. That is why we stated up front that yes-men have been some of the most dangerous human beings to have ever walked this earth. That is not to say that they don’t have periods when their own conscience would haunt them to pursue a right course.
They do, but at the end of the day after the dust has settled, they often revert back to doing, and saying yes to their bosses, because, with every departure from truth and duty, with every instance of burying their heads in the sand, when their gut feelings tell them that wrong is being done, their will power to stand up for right becomes weaker and benumbed.
Thus, it was with Joab, whose allegiance was given to David instead of to God, and thus he could not be a check and balance to David when he knew that sin was being committed. In fact, in one instance Joab actually stood up to David and rebuked him for the blatant suggestion of evil, that was directly opposed to God’s revealed will.
But having closed his eyes in times past, his current remonstrance was too weak to go against the king’s word, and David prevailed over him. Thus, even if he was upset at David, even though he was vexed in his spirit at the proposal, and even if his conscience bothered him, at the end of the day, yes-men will say yes, because that’s what they do. Let’s read:
1st Chronicles 21:1 And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. 2 And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it. 3 And Joab answered, The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?
4 Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. 5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David.
Thus, just as it was with Eli, who caused collateral damage on account of the yes-man mentality, just so, Joab’s habit of always saying yes to his superior would now cost the lives of thousands in Israel who would perish as a direct result of Joab not standing up to David, by saying no, when he should have said so. Let’s read:
1st Chronicles 21:7 And God was displeased with this thing; therefore, he smote Israel. 8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. 9 And the Lord spoke unto Gad, David's seer, saying, 10 Go and tell David, saying, Thus, saith the Lord, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.
11 So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Choose thee. 12 Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtakes thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.
13 And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the Lord; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man. 14 So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men. And David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
Thus, throughout the annals of history, men who were entrusted as the guardians of nations have betrayed their sacred trust, by saying yes, when they should be saying no. Soothe-sayers are still alive today, who would stand by with their mouths shut, as nations go over the cliff, just so that, like Joab, they may retain their jobs and good standing with their superiors. It takes a person of sterling character to stand up for right in the midst of criticism, heckling, and hostility on every side, yet God commands those who are in authority, who are given sacred trusts, to stand for the right though the heavens fall.
A person’s job security, hefty retirement, approval and praise from his superiors, popularity with the masses, not one, or all of the above, should cause anyone to depart from truth and principle for any reason. There are times when we should say yes, but there are times when we must say no, for the mark of the beast will draw a distinct line between those who would succumb to monetary, political, and religious pressure and those who won’t budge one iota when it comes to truth and duty.
Yet, there is still hope for the yes-man in our day, but he must begin reforming his ways by saying no when it is appropriate and right to do so. God is now speaking to all parents, preachers, politicians and clergy, and every other person, who may have in times past said yes, when no was in order. The time has fully come for us to take a rigid stand for truth and righteousness.
When we see our duty clearly, and when our consciences call us to action, let us not like Eli settle for good intentions, neither let us not be found going with the flow, to please superiors, bosses, or the masses. Instead, with the word of God in hand, and the two-edged sword of the Spirit on our lips, let us stand up for right, even if doing so may cost us, because, as the saying goes, if we can’t stand for something, we will eventually fall for everything.
God will grant grace, forgiveness, pardon, and the will to do and dare for the truth’s sake, but we must individually decide that with us, truth will triumph over falsehood, and principle will take precedence over policy. Those who make a big difference in the world, for the better, are those who will not be in anywise swayed by anything other than truth and duty. Let us then, with renewed energy, individually and as a nation, do the right thing, and God will be pleased to bless our efforts in the right direction.
We therefore close with a passage of scripture that will remind us of our sacred duty to say yea or nay when it is right to do so, and we hope and pray that profession and intention will be synchronized with positive action, so that good may triumph over evil in our neck of the woods. Let’s read:
Proverbs 1:10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause. 14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse. 15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path. 16 For their feet run to evil and make haste to shed blood.
God Bless!