“… you shall break its neck.” (Ex 13:13, Unless otherwise stated: Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Used by permission. All rights reserved)
God delivered Abraham’s descendants from Egyptian bondage, and He mandated the redemption of the firstborn. He commanded that, when His people were asked what the redemption practice was, they should say, “By strength of hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem” (Ex 13:14, 15).
All firstborn males of God’s people were owed to Him, but not all firstborn could be sacrificed. Some were unclean (Num 18:15) and some were human. Neither was acceptable as an offering, so they had to be paid for by another sacrifice or destroyed. In the case of sons, God required that they be paid for. This was called redemption. On the other hand, if an unclean animal was not paid for with a sacrifice, it was committed to destruction without redemption. It was still owed to God, but there was no provision made to take its place.
For instance, if a donkey would not be redeemed by the sacrifice of a lamb no person was permitted to keep it. Its neck was to be broken.
This was the way of every “devoted’ thing of Israel (Num 18:14).
When the Jews took over Jericho, we find a record of a similar concept. In keeping with His instruction to destroy those who were corrupted by idolatry (Deut 13:12-18), God instructed His people that the city of Jericho was “doomed by the LORD” (Josh 6:17). “Doomed” comes from the same word as “devoted” from Numbers 18:14. Jericho was committed to destruction without redemption. Even the metal that would not be burned but submitted to the treasury, could not be redeemed by any person. It was consecrated to God so that He could “turn from the fierceness of His anger” and show mercy (Deut 13:17).
When Achan coveted, stole, and hid the items, he was holding onto things that God had marked for His righteous judgment. This made Achan subject to the same judgment. In turn, it affected the whole nation. Look at God’s words in Joshua 7:11-13, and keep in mind that the words “doomed” and “accursed things” are from the same word as “devoted.”
“Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you. Get up, sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the Lord God of Israel: “There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.”’”
Now we are ready to examine the word “accursed” in Galatians 1:6-9.
“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.”
The Septuagint (LXX, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament) uses the word translated “accursed” regarding the people and things that were devoted to fulfilling God’s righteousness through being the receivers of His wrath. This is a vivid picture of the promised destruction of false teachers, and it is consistent with similar warnings.
“… the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment…” (2 Pet 2:9)
“For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turned the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude 4)
If God reserves and marks such people, we must be careful not to support them or take part in their deeds.
“For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.
Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.” (2 John 7-11)
What do we do? Paul said, “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed” (2 Thess 3:14). The shame is not an unkind attempt to injure anyone, but that we can be living “in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will” (2 Tim 2:25-26).
Let us heed Jude’s exhortation:
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” (Jude 20-23)
Van
