How Long Will We Waver?

Remember the story of Elijah squaring off with Jezebel’s false prophets, the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal {1 Kgs. 18:22}? 1 Kings 18:21 tells us, “Elijah came near to all the people [Meaning he got right down in the midst of them, face to face, muzzle to muzzle:] and said, ‘How long will you hesitate [Or ‘waver,’ NIV] between two opinions?” The Hebrew verb pasach means- ‘pass, spring, or skip over;’ lit., what it says is, “How long will you hop back and forth between the Lord your God and Baal, how long will you skip from one to the other?” You see, the sin of the Northern Kingdom was religious syncretism, an admixture of allegiances, a sometimes subtle but more often not-so-subtle blending of the worship of Baal with the worship of Yahweh, taking a little bit of the true and adding a whole lot of the false!

Now, here comes some very practical advice. Some of us reading this need to see it and hear it— maybe this moment. “If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.’” Whatever your “god” is out here, whatever you’ve made your god and given your heart to, whatever you’ve placed over, in front of or before the Lord Jesus Christ, follow it whole-heartedly. Give everything you’ve got to it, without reserve. If this is your god, then this is what you believe can make you happy, bring you peace, satisfy your soul. Right? Don’t play these foolish little games and turn to one, then back to the other, then back again. If you’re going to worship this false god, give it your undivided attention, affection, and devotion.

As a shepherd of souls, I happen to agree with this approach wholeheartedly. Go grande or go Home, baby... but don’t monkey around with your idol-worship! Give it everything you’ve got. Cause if you don’t, if you’re just toe-tapping on the dance-floor of America’s false gods, there’s always going to be a little voice in the back of your mind saying, “Maybe you ought to give it one more try.” “As a dog returns to its vomit...,” right? So goes the Proverb.

Scripture then says, “But the people,” wisely I might add, “did not answer him a word.” This is at least some measure of wisdom and discernment: “the people did not answer him a single word.” They were going to wait this one out, see for themselves who wins this battle. In the end, they make their choice... the right one. They choose the Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ {Yahweh Elohiym} over the filth and the falsehood of demonic idolatry. How long, my friends, before we do the same?

Ric Webb, Shepherd
Heart's Journey Community
hjcommunity.org