James 2:9 But if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
Showing favoritism is a cancer that is eating out the very fabric of society, bringing about imbalances in social order, and it is a serious problem within many churches. In the secular square politicians and those who are well positioned financially are treated quite differently than your ordinary John Doe who might not have such resources.
Special favors are very often shown to those in the higher echelons of society, while the ordinary man on the street is treated as inferior. Just recently the United States Congress issued subpoenas for some former Whitehouse aids, and many defied for a long time the requests that were thus made without any arrests taking place.
But if the same subpoenas were issued to the man on the street and he didn’t readily comply he would certainly be sitting in jail many moons ago. Respect of persons and favoritism can also be found in the courts of law across the land, in which some races are sometimes treated differently than others in the administration of justice.
It is an undisputed fact that throughout society this problem of favoritism is pervasive, and according to the prophet Isaiah, it constitutes one of the signs of the last days, and it is scheduled to cascade into an irreversible fact of life that will call for God’s direct intervention. Let’s read:
Isaiah 59: 4 None calls for justice, nor any pleads for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
8 The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths.
9 Therefore is judgment far from us, neither does justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.
13 In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice stands afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
15 Yea, truth fails; and he that departs from evil makes himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.
In the scriptures, we are counselled never to show favoritism, especially when it comes to issues which pertain to God’s kingdom. When administering that sound judgement which the Bible calls for, we must not manifest preference or bias. In other words, sin is to be treated as such, regardless of who may be involved.
Priests and members of the clergy should not be treated for sexual crimes any differently than the pedophiles who walk our streets. No hush money payments should be allowed to cover any wrongs in those who should be brought to justice.
And when reproof is warranted by God, the laity and a person’s familiar friends or family should be treated with the same measure, as strangers and those who may not be close associates or relatives. In other words the truth must not be watered down for some, and made acute and piercing for others.
Even though wisdom is to be exercised in dealing with transgressions, no bias of any sort should be allowed to taint the work of reformation when it is due, for this would have the undesirable effect of weakening God’s requirements in the minds of the very ones who are in danger of parleying with sin.
Moses, Aaron, David, Abraham and Jacob were men who were close to God, yet whenever they became entangled in sin, God sent reproof and correction to arrest the evils that were being indulged. God didn’t deal differently with those who were in authority as opposed to those who were subordinate.
Grace was never granted to one, and then withheld from another, for wherever the prerequisites of real confession and repentance occurred, the persons in question were forgiven just like anyone else. Folks were never allowed to pay their way to forgiveness, for this would also foster partiality.
Several examples of the exercise of impartiality, or not showing favoritism are given in the scripture for us to study carefully, so that all would be aware of what The Lord expects of those who are to give the final message of mercy to earth’s inhabitants.
Thus, the following story brings into clear focus the issue of not showing favoritism or biases, in cases where corrections are warranted, and in situations where it could be pretty difficult for us refrain from showing respect of persons.
The children of Israel had departed from God in the institution of idolatry, and as a result their defenses were severely weakened, to the point where they became subservient to their enemies. So, God sent an angel to Gideon, with the message that he was chosen as the agent of deliverance for his people.
But before he could be used in such a mighty way, he would have to demonstrate in real time, that he could be trusted to bring about the much-needed reform, and God’s instructions to him would test his mettle, as it pertained to being impartial, for he was not to show favoritism at a time when it could have been very difficult. Let’s read:
Judges 6:11 And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.
13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
14 And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
16 And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
25 And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by It.
26 And build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.
27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.
28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.
29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.
30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.
As Gideon considered the command of God in his mind and as he weighed the terrible ramifications of obeying, he shuddered in his boots, because, for him to obey would almost certainly trigger a bitter family feud that could potentially end in bloodshed.
Worst yet, if his father were to react in a revengeful way by attacking him, Gideon would be forced into the most uncomfortable position of fighting his own dad for the sake of truth and duty, and he being the man of valor that he was, the whole episode could end in a manner that wasn’t cute at all.
Furthermore, The Lord had specified that he use his father’s bullock to do the terrible work. Now, under normal circumstances, any other bullock could have been used, since the first work to be accomplished was to throw down the altar. But God had stipulated that Gideon should use his father’s own bullock, which would cost his dad a lot of money because of its value.
Reformation would have to begin at Gideon’s own house, because the very reason why the Hebrews were being harassed by the Midianites was because the idolatry that had overspread the land was being practiced in his own home.
His own father had instituted a form of idolatry that had led the men of his town into very, gross errors. Therefore, the cancer must be cut out at its roots, and in doing so Gideon would be required to start at his own front door, which would put him in one of the most precarious situations that can arise in families.
When God calls upon one person in a household to take a definite stand for the right, those who live in the same house could become riled up against such a person, especially if they are of different religious persuasions.
The problem can also affect churches in the same way for there are times when some are tempted to show bias or favoritism when there’s inconvenient truth to be delivered. There are times when the performance of Christian duty may put us at odds with those whom we love, and if our immediate family members are involved, it could be quite difficult, because of the potential pushback and opposition that we might encounter.
Christians who are called by God to do any specific work are never to show any favoritism or bias when carrying out God’s commands, for when this is done the work of God is compromised, and great evils do often result.
Especially is this the case when elders are called to deal with some difficult church matter involving one of their own. In such instances, The Lord may give a certain elder a specific message to correct some evil that has occurred.
But because he sits on the board, and he might be privy to some sensitive, inside information, he may be tempted to alter, or to water down the message God gave him, in order not to make it appear that he is targeting the individual in question, based on what he knows. Thus, favoritism can become a problem if and when it is allowed to change God’s message into one that savors of smooth words, such as are currently used by the myriad of Sooth-Sayers in our day.
At this juncture, it is in order that we rehearse the words of Paul, because, as the scripture rightly says knowledge increases sorrow. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
Thus, the method which God commanded Gideon to employ should be of grave concern to us because Gideon would be dealing with his family, especially his father who is the head of the household.
Question: Couldn’t entreaty be used?
Couldn’t persuasion, or reasoning be employed, as when, in times past, Gideon would sit, and talk and deliberate with his father over some pressing issue? Why would The Lord choose such a seemingly harsh method, that could potentially ignite a firestorm in Gideon’s family? Let’s read again:
Judges 6:25 Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by It.
The fact is that all of the previously mentioned ways and means had been used by God in times past with Gideon’s father but none of them worked. God had used entreaty, He had used loving-kindness, He had employed long-suffering, and He had used grace for grace but for some unknown reason, idolatry wasn’t purged from Israel.
And thus, after none of those measures had worked God is left no choice but to use a blunt method that will bring the issue to a head. This method, chosen by God, as a last resort, to bring about reform, leads us to a fundamental problem with human nature: As a general rule of thumb, human beings do not listen!
Parents can speak to their children over and over again about some addiction or other vice that they are indulging. Then they might use entreaties, and loving-kindness in various ways, praying, hoping and supplicating for change. And the problem does not only pertain to the youth, for it also affects the old.
There are times when a cellphone would ring during Divine hour and the sound may distract the speaker and the congregants. Now, even though the notice is put up on the screen, and some elders may make an announcement from week to week, that phones should be silenced during service, the fact is that it continues ever so often, for one reason or another. That’s because of the basic fact that in a majority of cases human beings whether young or old, do not listen. Let’s read:
2nd Chronicles 36:15 And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place.
16 But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.
17 Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand.
19 And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.
20 And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia.
As a general rule of thumb, human beings do not listen!
2nd Chronicles 33:9 So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.
10 And the Lord spoke to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken.
11 Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.
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.
The same problem of whether or not to indulge in favoritism, arose after God revealed to Samuel that Eli’s probation was permanently closed, without any possibility of repentance or pardon. At that time Eli was like a father to young Samuel; he was his only mentor, and being a child, he looked up to the prophet and priest as the one person with whom his life was entrusted.
Now, even though God did not command Samuel to deliver the terrible message, the fact is that Eli must have sensed that something had gone very wrong. Therefore, because of the voice Samuel had heard in his bed, it would mean that no sooner than the morning comes, he would obviously be pressed by Eli for the information given him by God.
Thus, as Samuel arose from his bed that morning, he would do all he can to avoid Eli, for he would be tempted sorely, to show favoritism and thus dilute the info God gave him. He takes out the garbage, he mows the lawn, he trims the trees, and every other outside duty that he could or couldn’t find, he did.
But sooner or later Eli would confront him, and then it would be made manifest if God could trust him to deliver the goods, or whether he would allow bias and favoritism to cause him to buckle under a load of pressure, and thereby water down the truth and speak smooth words that will palliate itching ears.
Would Samuel, like the 400 hundred prophets who were on Ahab’s payroll, speak what Eli preferred to hear or would he like Micaiah, speak forth the word of truth and soberness, even if he would be fed with bread of affliction. Indeed, it was the most terrible ordeal to date that Samuel had to endure. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 3:10 And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
11 And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of everyone that hears 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 knows of; 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.
15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.
[Patriarchs And Prophets pp 582] Samuel was filled with fear and amazement at the thought of having so terrible a message committed to him. In the morning he went about his duties as usual, but with a heavy burden upon his young heart.
The Lord had not commanded him to reveal the fearful denunciation, hence he remained silent, avoiding, as far as possible, the presence of Eli. He trembled, lest some question should compel him to declare the divine judgments against one whom he loved and reverenced.
Eli was confident that the message foretold some great calamity to him and his house. He called Samuel, and charged him to relate faithfully what the Lord had revealed. The youth obeyed, and the aged man bowed in humble submission to the appalling sentence. “It is the Lord,” he said: “let Him do what seems good to Him.”
Let us just say here that the messages that Samuel was given by God were very bad news for Eli and his household, for there is nothing worse than for one to know that his or her probation is permanently closed. The work of the 144,000 is similar in nature in some respects to the messages God revealed to Samuel.
The 144,000 would have to inform the world that the judgement in heaven will be closing shortly, and any person who has not received the seal of God would forever be debarred from heaven, with no chance of recourse, repentance, or change, once Jesus has declared “It is done”.
Therefore, like Samuel, and any other prophet who God had called in times past, the 144,000 must not be in the habit of showing favoritism. Practice often makes perfect, and therefore, to whomever it may concern, if The Lord gives you a specific message to deliver, let him or her be found faithful in doing so.
Very few persons have any correct concept of the nature of the work of reformation to be done in our day. It is spoken about, referenced in sermons, and in Bible studies, but the seriousness of the message and its import has not yet fully dawned on most minds. For years God has been using entreaties, and He has used grace for grace hoping that earth’s inhabitants would listen. But as a general rule of thumb, human beings do not listen.
God has sent His prophets in different ways and on different occasions to speak against the false forms of worship that have overspread the land. Again, He has sent others to speak up against philosophies on gender neutrality and alternative marriages that are eating at the fabric of society, from the inside out. But, as a general rule of thumb, human beings do not listen!
Therefore, those who are called to deliver the three angel’s messages of Revelation 14, and those who will comprise the 144,000 will, like Gideon, be given a terrible message to deliver and very difficult work to do, which would certainly put them at great odds with friends, families, and close associates.
Hence, the reason why the following inclusion was made by Christ as He described, and warned of the terrors of the last days. Jesus discerned in prophetic vision that the preaching of the straight truth, when delivered without bias and favoritism, would cause divisions to spring up, and in lieu of this fact He put us on notice. Let’s read:
Matthew 10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
It is worthy of note that Gideon was commanded to not only throw down the altar of Baal, he was also instructed to restore the true worship of Jehovah, a work very similar in nature, to what Brother Elijah did back in the days of yore, for after he had utterly demolished, by exposure, the false worship of Baal, the Bible says he then repaired the altar of God. Let’s read:
1st Kings 18: 27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he is sleeping, and must be awaked.
28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.
Thus, the work of reformation to be done in our day must be entirely free from the shackles of respect of persons, favoritism, or bias. According to what is written God is scheduled to destroy by exposure the false systems of worship in our day. The things that are written in Revelation chapters 13 and 14 would also be made plain.
And like it was with all true reformers, like Gideon, Elijah, and John the Baptist, the 144,000 will go in the strength and power of The Holy Ghost to speak forth the word of truth without fear or favor, even if some family members, and friends might be irked at their course of action. Let’s read:
[The great controversy pp 606] Thus, the message of the third angel will be proclaimed. As the time comes for it to be given with greatest power, the Lord will work through humble instruments, leading the minds of those who consecrate themselves to his service.
The laborers will be qualified by the unction of His Spirit rather than the training of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them. The sins of Babylon will be laid open. The fearful results of enforcing observances of the church by civil authority, the inroads of Spiritualism, the stealthy but rapid progress of the papal power; all will be unmasked.
By these solemn warnings the people will be stirred. Thousands upon thousands will listen who have never heard words like these. In amazement they hear the testimony that Babylon is the church, fallen because of her errors and sins, because of her rejection of the truth sent to her from Heaven. As the people go to their former teachers with the eager inquiry, Are these things so? the ministers present fables, prophesy smooth things, to soothe their fears, and quiet the awakened conscience.
But since many refuse to be satisfied with the mere authority of men, and demand a plain “Thus saith the Lord,” the popular ministry, like the Pharisees of old, filled with anger as their authority is questioned will denounce the message as of Satan, and stir up the sin-loving multitudes to revile and persecute those who proclaim it.
Thus, we must reiterate again as we close, let none whom God has called to preach, or speak be found using favoritism, but let them be found as faithful stewards of the riches of His grace, for error never saved anyone, but the truth shall make you free. We will end with a passage of scripture that should encourage us to be faithful to truth and duty, thus avoiding the deadly snare of favoritism. Let’s read:
Ezekiel 2:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.
4 For they are impudent children and stiff-hearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus, says the Lord God.
5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
6 And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear.
God Bless!