Never go against your pastor, or you'll be guilty of witchcraft!

Years ago when my family and I made the change to move from an orthodox Afrikaans church to a more evangelical, Pentecostal church, we were often told and kept in check by the pastor telling us that we must never rebel against him (or her - his mother was the other pastor), because that would constitute witchcraft and we wouldn't want to make ourselves guilty of that! 

 

Witchcraft carries the death sentence as an ultimate punishable sin (sic).

 
How?

The passage that he used to strike fear in our hearts, was this one: For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected ... 1Sa 15:23

The MO

Off cause, it was taken totally out of context and perverted to suit the pastor's own cause. It was all about control. But we did not know it at the time. So, we were ever so mindful not to say anything against our pastor or anything he said ... for fear of rebellion.

Also, at the time we did not know how to distinguish between the old and the new covenants and to rightly divide the word of God. So, we were totally controlled by our church-leaders. God was far ... and the pastor was near and he was the one who heard from God ...

The truth matters

Remember our post on Saul and what his name and tenure signified? (Check it out here)

Saul was the first, self-righteous king of all Israel, chosen by the people and he was the man after the people's heart. He was their idea of how a king should look like.

In contrast, Saul stands directly apposed to God's idea of how a king should look like and behave. That is why God chose David (His beloved) to show us exactly what his idea of a king is. Some time later, He came in the likeliness of human flesh to be establish in our hearts, His Spirit as the servant-king, the exact and precise Person-King that abides in us.

Rightly divided

The context of the misguided word that pierced our hearts back then, is vastly different from what the pastor conveyed.

Saul deliberately went against God, just like Satan, for his own gain and power.

And the prophet Samuel told him exactly what he did wrong.

Let's read within proper context

1Sa 15:16-26 KJV 

 

Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

 

And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

 

And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.

 

Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?

 

And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

 

But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

 

And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

 

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

 

And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.

 

Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD.

 

And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

Rejecting the Word of God is rejecting Jesus

... so, the context and the lesson is somewhat different than what we we made to believe ...

It is all about Yah'shua, instead!