288. Double-Minded People

There are people who participate in our prayer and testimony meetings as though they were genuine through-and-through. However, when we see their other side, we see that they do all they can to draw attention to themselves. When it comes to the crunch and their faith is being tested, they fail. Yet, immediately after, they radiate like God’s angels, like glittering soap bubbles catching the sunlight. They had only made a “little slip-up,” and the next minute they are just as pious as they appeared before. If you confront them or stop accepting their self-induced imaginations, their bubble bursts. They cannot bear anything that requires self-denial. Many others can be deceived by their religious charm, because in the inner chambers of their heart they worship both God and idols. Ezekiel saw twenty-five men between the porch and the altar, who turned their backs toward the temple and their faces toward the east, worshipping the sun toward the east. Ezek. 8:16. When their life must be offered, they turn away from the temple of the Lord toward the sun in the east. That is to say, they love this life, with all its pleasures. The altar stands there, but nothing is offered upon it. It is the double-minded man who seeks to save his own life. Yet, at the same time, the better half of their heart wants to attain to spiritual glory; but since this glory can only be obtained through sufferings, they come no further than “between the porch and the altar.” When Jesus turned His face toward Jerusalem in order to suffer, everyone forsook Him. The same applies here. As they approach the altar, they turn their back both to it and the temple. They do just what Lot’s wife did: She looked back toward the glory of Sodom and became a pillar of salt. The sun in the east entices them, and so they never lose their life.

Balaam was double-minded. He blessed Israel and at the same time paid homage to the princes of Moab and Midian. The honor and payment he could receive from them were valuable to him. But if we look at Balaam’s end, he served a hard master: he was slain together with the kings of Midian. Num. 31:8.

Ahithophel was a notable counselor to David and to Absalom. To ask his advice was almost equivalent to inquiring of the Lord. 2 Sam. 16:23. However, he was double-minded. He could give good counsel, but he could also give ungodly advice. As long as he thought it served his own purpose to follow David, he remained with him as counselor. But, when he thought the tide was turning toward Absalom, Ahithophel did not think twice about forsaking David. He advised Absalom to go in to David’s concubines before the eyes of all Israel, in order to stir up hatred between father and son. 2 Sam. 16:20, ff.

When we see Ahithophel’s end, it is written: “Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice [in regard to killing David] was not followed, he saddled a donkey, and arose and went home to his house, to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died.” 2 Sam. 17:23.

King Saul inquired of the Lord through the prophet Samuel as long as he lived; but when Samuel died, he went to the medium of En Dor and heard that the following day would see his own death and the death of his sons, and that the camp of Israel would be given over into the hands of the Philistines. 1 Sam. 28:7, ff. Saul was double-minded and paid the price.

King Joash did what was right in the sight of the Lord at all times, as long as the priest Jehoiada instructed him. However, the high places were not taken away. 2 Kings 12:2-3. Joash’s heart was divided, and he had to pay for that. “Now after the death of Jehoiada the leaders of Judah came and bowed down to the king [to request permission to worship idols]. And the king listened to them.” 2 Chr. 24:17. Of course, these leaders had been worshipping idols on the high places throughout the years; but now they wanted this apostasy to be acceptable to all Israel. If Joash had destroyed the high places in the days of the priest Jehoiada, then these leaders probably would not have had the boldness to approach the king with such a request. But a little indulgence invites more of the same.

So, Israel began worshipping wooden images and idols, and they forsook the house of God. When the Spirit of God came over Zechariah, the son of the priest Jehoiada, he stood forth and rebuked the people’s ungodliness. But the people stoned him at the king’s order. King Joash did not remember the love he had received from his father, Jehoiada the priest.

From this we can see that idolatry makes one blind, and God did not fail to punish King Joash. It came to pass that when that year had gone, the Lord sent a small army of Syrians against Israel. Even though they were so few, the Lord delivered a very great army into their hand, because Israel had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. So they executed God’s judgment against Joash. King Joash was killed on his bed, because he had killed the sons of the priest Jehoiada.

A divided mind is a weak mind. A divided heart goes before a fall. A man who walks on two ways will fall on one of them.

Idolatry on the high places was especially alluring for Israel. It is the same today: People worship worldly glory and wisdom at the same time as they worship God. His knowledge and wisdom are not enough. They bow deeply to the sun in the east, when no one seems to be watching, particularly between the porch and the altar. That is a double-minded person who cannot say as Jesus, “For this cause I was born . . . that I should bear witness to the truth.” They are not kings of the truth. On the contrary, most of them become very offended when they are told the truth, even when it is wrapped in love and grace.

True prophets of God can also make mistakes, but if you pay attention, you will see that none of them are double-minded.