In my article, ‘What to do when a crisis overtakes the people of God’ I used the actions of Moses in Exodus 32, as “a prime example of obedience to God” in a day when great sin had broken out amongst God’s people.
Moses sought the Lord that He might not destroy Israel but grant repentance and forgiveness.
God answered His prayer though the ‘ringleaders’ were punished, Exodus 32:26-28. ‘Three thousand men’ were slain and the rest of Israel spared. This amounted to a small percentage of the nation that were deemed guilty of great wickedness. It was for this reason the nation was spared and thus provides us with a basis for believing that sin amongst God’s people does not ALWAYS require us to separate from them.
All sin and wrong-doing amongst professing Christians does not qualify as ‘Apostasy’ and therefore require separation from the guilty by the faithful believer!
There are occasions when we cease shopping in a store because we do not like some of the products on sale, some of the prices charged or the behaviour of the proprietor. We cannot avoid contact with much that is sinful in this world for “then must ye needs go out of the world” (1 Corinthians 5:9-10).
Such withdrawing of contact is not the same, however, as the separation that the Lord commands us to exercise with regards apostasy. That separation is to be complete and public and is usually accompanied by a denouncing of those we have separated from and an explanation of the reasons for our actions. We are not to even ‘touch’ the uncleanness of apostasy, (2 Corinthians 6:17).
But then sensible people readily understand that distinction!
HOW?
Now, lest any misunderstand what it was I was saying and ask how could Moses have separated himself from erring Israel for he could not cease being an Israelite, and maybe even mock me for my use of this Scripture and declare that it shows my ignorance of God’s Word, let me explain!
It is not wrong to use such as an example of how Christians today should act in similar circumstances.
Relatively simple
In this New Testament age it is a relatively simple thing to understand how a Christian is to “come out from amongst” a people who have apostatised from God and His truth. We withdraw from the fellowship of such and withdraw from the erring denomination.
Well, it is clear from God’s Word that in the Old Testament times withdrawing from the fellowship and company of those who apostatised from “the Old paths” was equally straightforward.
1. The Lord Himself withdraws from such. I read this morning these words from Luke 13:34-35. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
Here is a definition of that sin which causes the Lord to withdraw from a people. “How often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!” It is a despising and casting away the gospel of love and grace.
As a result, such a forsaken people cannot “see” the Lord any more. “Verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” This is how it is with the nation of Israel today.
That is, the eyes of their understanding are closed to the things of God and to the person of the Redeemer.
Psalmist’s prayer
Remember the plea of the Psalmist and those oft quoted words! “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law,” Psalms 119:18. Without this gracious action of ‘opening the eyes’ by the Lord a people will remain in ignorance and darkness concerning what they should do and where they should walk.
This then is how apostasy was and is dealt with by the Lord in Old and New Testament times.
2. The faithful believer was also to withdraw from the persistently disobedient by ceasing to pray for them. This entailed a very severe cutting off of fellowship. We are exhorted to “pray one for another” (James 5:16) but that act of fellowship and brotherly affection is to cease when a person apostatises from the Lord.
Proof of this is given in Jeremiah 7:16. “Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.” The command is repeated in Jeremiah 11:14, 14:11. Obviously the Lord would have us note this truth!
Jeremiah, the man leading the opposition to the backsliding and departure from God’s truth by both the civil and the religious leaders, could not stop praying as he was commanded to do, without it being noticed. It would have been a very public disowning of the guilty!
Saviour’s prayers
The Saviour likewise shows this distinction in His prayers. “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine,” John 17:9.
Christ prays ONLY for His elect, those already saved and those who are presently yet unsaved and in their sin. Paul says, Christ presently “maketh intercession for us,” Romans 8:34. He appears “in the presence of God for us,” Hebrews 9:34. We have in Christ, “an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,” 1 John 2:1.
Those who apostatise from the Lord have such a mercy denied them. Ceasing to pray for the Lord’s blessing upon the apostate is a means, both in Old and New Testament times, of separating from such and indicating our severance from them.
3. Again, there was action taken by the faithful believers to separate themselves from the defier of God in Old Testament times. Nicodemus was living in such an era when he spoke out and acted, as recorded in John 7. “Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. And every man went unto his own house,” verses 50-53. I believe this indicates, amongst other things, that Nicodemus demonstrated his disagreement with and separation from his fellow Sanhedrin members.
He is next mentioned in fellowship with Joseph of Arimathaea, acting quite contrary to his former associates who had murdered the Saviour. “And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand,” John 19:38-42.
Yes, he had very decisively changed his company!
My use of Moses as an example of ‘not separating from a people who sin’ when it is seen that they had not sinned a “sin not unto death”, was not a mistake! There are those for whom we are not to pray because their sin is so great. Such were not the general company of Israelites in Exodus 32, for Moses prayed for them and God ANSWERED his prayers.
But for those who abandon their belief in the central doctrines of the gospel we are not to pray. John taught, “There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it,” 1 John 5:16. To apostatise is to sin unto death, for such a person we are commanded not to pray, as was Jeremiah the prophet. Thus we indicate our separation from them.
I hope this is a help to any who were somewhat confused on this matter.
Sincerely in Christ’s name,
Ivan Foster.
28th February 2025