"And such as violate the covenant he shall pervert and seduce with flatteries, but the people who know their God shall prove themselves strong and shall stand firm and do exploits [for God]." Dan 11:32. Amplified Version.
Brethren, the above culled scripture from the book of Daniel is brief, yet pungent with meaning beyond the ones that can be easily deduced and obvious. I am going to attenuate my understanding of it without boring you in the process. We are going to examine certain words used and decipher what they could portend.
We start with the words from the first sentence " VIOLATE THE COVENANT " and the first question would then be what covenant is being violated ? And what does it mean to violate something? Wikipedia dictionary defines to "violate" something or someone as 1. " To break, disregard, disagree or not act according to (rules, conventions, etc.). Second definition says " To Rape"
So these folks that the Bible speaks about above, are busy, nay preoccupied with breaking, disregarding, disagreeing, and not acting in accordance with the set rules and conventions of the Covenant.
"The Covenant" take note of the determinant 'THE' here which is simply telling us that the author is referring to a certain covenant that embodies rules and conventions that are being violated. What then is a covenant and which covenant is referred to here because since the creation of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, almighty God has at diverse and sundry times related with Man via a covenant. We've had the Adamic, Noahic, Abrahamic, Davidic, and Messianic covenants etc, and all these above, men have had the penchant of Violating by disregarding and not measuring up to the terms of agreement.
However before we proceed any further, let's define what a covenant is, a covenant is defined by the same Wikipedia dictionary as " 1. An agreement to do or not do a particular thing.
(legal) 2. A promise, incidental to a deed or contract, either express or implied. 3.
A pact or binding agreement between two or more parties.
4. An incidental clause in an agreement.
By the above definitions, I believe it should now be copiously clear to all, what a covenant is. And the last and subsisting one God enacted with Man is the messianic covenant. This is the covenant that men have now made a preoccupation of violating again. How do I know that? If you read the whole of Chapter 11, you will see that it was all about prophecies of the end times the age we currently live in.
Now, that men are violating God's covenant by not living by its rules, is not a good thing worthy of commendation, however, God Is merciful and would always cleanse us of all unrighteousness once we come back to our senses and repent of any untoward behavior or misdemeanor. 1 John 1: 9 says " If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]". Amplified Version.
I have always fervently believed and teach when opportune that the difference between a believer in Jesus and an unbeliever, isn't necessarily that a believer can't stumble into sinful situations either by acts of omission or commission. Albeit, no true believer can sin and sleep easy. The Spirit of God in that fellow would keep convicting him/her of wrong doing until he goes on his knees to repent and ask God for forgiveness.
However, an unbeliever has no conscience pangs. He lives and revel in sins and doesn't care. They add Sin to Sin and careless whether God Is pleased with them or not. The book of Isaiah 30:1 says " WOE TO the rebellious children, says the Lord, who take counsel and carry out a plan, but not Mine, and who make a league and pour out a drink offering, but not of My Spirit, thus adding sin to sin;" Amplified version. Did you see that last clause? "This adding sin to sin" That is the big difference between a Christian and an unbeliever. A Christian doesn't cultivate the habit of sinning nor is he a practitioner of sin.
But their is an evil in the Land, and this evil is being perpetrated by believers against one another. The clergy against the laity and laity against the clergy that is what it means when he said that those who do violence or violate the covenant shall be corrupted by FLATTERIES. flatteries my people is one of the most potent weapon in the hands of the enemy against the Church To day. If a person falls into error and sees someone to gently and honestly point to him/her to the right path, the propensity is there that such a person might repent but how shall a person repent when instead of pointing out via scripture the error of their ways, you hail them and pretend that you do not see for either pecuniary or whatever reason.
Preachers are caught up in this web for fear of losing membership so people that are violently, blatantly doing violence against the agreement and covenant of Christ are given front seat. We flatter them and that the Bible says is CORRUPTION. We don't preach and expect that people would be convicted of sin anymore, so we don't make alter calls again. We don't want to put influential people on the spot less they leave and don't come back. We are afraid and fear causes a snare.
While on the side of the laity, they have coined every kind of prefixes and titles for man of God. From Dr, Archbishop, Most reverend, Senior Apostle, Daddy, My Father, flattering the men of God into believing themselves to be Demi gods that do no wrong. A preacher can't carry his Bible to his seat or the alter again and when he prays, even before he touches you, you're already falling under the anointing, flattering them into believing they are more than they actually are and suddenly we are now confronted with the abomination that makes desolate sitting in holy places: the Alter of God. Beware oh! you man of God, these are agents of the devil put in place to flatter you into error, pervert and seduce to the gates of hell. King Herod was killed through flatteries by the people. When he spake, Acts 12: 22-23 " And the assembled people shouted, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man!
23. And at once an angel of the Lord smote him and cut him down, because he did not give God the glory (the preeminence and kingly majesty that belong to Him as the supreme Ruler); and he was eaten by worms and died." Moses, could not enter the promise land because of the people. Numbers 20:9-13 Verse 12 says "And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Because you did not believe in (rely on, cling to) Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the Israelites, you therefore [b]shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." and King Saul would rather commit abomination than have the people disperse from him. 1Samuel 13:11-13. " Samuel said, What have you done? Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines were assembled at Michmash
12. I thought, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord. So I forced myself to offer a burnt offering." THE PEOPLE, OH MY PEOPLE, BEWARE OF THE PEOPLE !
In conclusion however, they that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits. Cultivate an experiential relationship with God, people of God know God for yourselves. Only those who know their God shall be strong and do exploits. Follow the scripture and the pattern that have been laid down in it. It is the only way to keep yourselves from the error that already is and those that are still coming. Shalom.
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