Whitewashed

 Gtcotr/ss121320

Isaiah 5:20  Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 

It is my hope today to discover how to tell if something is really the truth or if it is just whitewashed to look like the truth. Not everything that looks good and strong and protective and secure actually is. However, sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between a whitewashed lie and the truth. Perhaps God’s Word gives some critical insight that will help.

In the year AD57 the Apostle Paul was at the end of his third missionary journey when the Holy Spirit told him that he must go to Jerusalem without delay. This was Paul’s fifth visit to Jerusalem since becoming a Believer in Jesus as Messiah on the Damascus Road about 25 years earlier. Many friends attempted to discourage Paul from going back to Jerusalem concerned he would be arrested and perhaps even executed for his beliefs.

Paul was known as on outspoken man and he was acquainted with the persecutions which come along with telling the truth to people in power whose power, position, or perspectives are threatened by the truth. Nonetheless Paul and his supporters were well known throughout the empire for speaking out about their beliefs. 

When Paul arrived in Jerusalem, his friends there told him that his reputation preceded him, and that people were calling him a law breaker and a troublemaker. Paul did not wish to cause problems, and he did everything he could to avoid making things worse however the Pharisees and the Sadducees and those in Jewish political power could not stand him. They were Paul-haters. Really, they were Jesus-haters … truth-haters … they hated anything and everything that did not favor them being in total control with power and privilege over every other person.

These groups of Paul-haters had made up their own version of the truth and were using their positions to shape the narrative, influence the courts, and control the people. Just like they had done to Jesus a little over 25 years earlier, they did to Paul. These truth-haters, (ie. those who do not accept Jesus and His Lordship over their lives), lodged a false accusation and launched a public smear campaign, created a plausible narrative around their fake news and had Paul arrested and put into jail awaiting his day in court.

Of course, they all knew the court proceedings were going to be filled with lying witnesses, false evidence, and perjured testimonies. On top of that the judge and jury were leaders of the Jesus-hater’s group. It was all a big political setup right from the start. These people didn’t care about getting to the truth … they only cared about staying in power so they could continue to enjoy their high and lofty, better-than-others, glad-I’m-not-you, “it doesn’t apply to me,” positions.

When the court convened Paul was brought up on charges of breaking the law. Now these were the kind of people who were willing to do anything to get their way. If you continue reading the story, God miraculously delivered Paul from their evil intent and left these whitewashers in power for a short season. However, those truth-haters weren’t satisfied with the outcome. They formed a league of 40 men who made a vow to not eat or drink anything until they assassinated Paul. Then they put their plan into action. Once again God miraculously delivered Paul and uncovered the evil plot.

Back to the court proceedings in Jerusalem. Whitewashers verses the Apostle Paul, AD57, the dishonorable High Priest Ananias presiding. 

Opening Statement by the accused:

Acts 23:1 ¶  Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” 

Objection by the High Priest:

Acts 23:2  And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by Paul to strike him on the mouth.

Presentation of evidence by the accused:

Acts 23:3  Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?” 

Whitewashed wall! That’s what Paul called those who are in leadership who say one thing and do something else … those who judge and punish the common person for doing something that they themselves do without hesitation. Whitewashed walls … This is a Jesus problem … Truth issues …

I have been flabbergasted during the past few months at the number of high profile leaders in our state and nation who hold positions of great authority, not unlike the High Priest Ananias in the time of Paul, who enact laws, sign executive orders, hold press conferences, cast votes, close businesses, restrict meetings, limit personal freedoms, cancel family celebrations, and forbid church gatherings, while all along they are going to get their hair done at closed beauty salons, attending birthday parties for friends and families, jetting off to foreign get-a-ways with large groups of privileged people, joining mass riots and looting, celebrating political party victories, and showing up in the thousands at funerals of people who they say are more important that the rest of us, as though the rules that are supposed to apply to everyone else just don’t apply to them for some reason. Are these people lying or do they really think they are exempt? 

This is not just a common brand of hypocrisy; these people were demonically inspired insincere elitist in full array, unafraid of the consequences. They believed they were above the law and that they held all the power. Is anyone big enough to hold them to account? Well … I’m glad you asked … let’s look at where the Apostle Paul got this concept of whitewashed walls. As you know, there was no New Testament at that time. Paul took his truth from the Old Testament writings of Moses, David, and the prophets. Paul’s statement in Acts 23:3 comes from Ezekiel 13. 

This was a time in Israel when the nation was in great conflict and turmoil in about the year 590BC, just 2 years before the third and final Babylonian siege of Jerusalem and 4 years before the final destruction of the Temple.

Ezekiel 13

10 ¶  “This will happen because these evil prophets deceive my people by saying, ‘All is peaceful’ when there is no peace at all! It’s as if the people have built a flimsy wall, and these prophets are trying to reinforce it by covering it with whitewash!

11  Tell these whitewashers that their wall will soon fall down. A heavy rainstorm will undermine it; great hailstones and mighty winds will knock it down.

12  And when  the wall falls, the people will cry out, ‘What happened to your whitewash?’

13  “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will sweep away your whitewashed wall with a storm of indignation, with a great flood of anger, and with hailstones of fury.

14  I will break down your wall right to its foundation, and when it falls, it will crush you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

15  At last my anger against the wall and those who covered it with whitewash will be satisfied. Then I will say to you: ‘The wall and those who whitewashed it are both gone.

16  They were lying prophets who claimed peace would come to Jerusalem when there was no peace. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!’

17 ¶  “Now, son of man, speak out against the women who prophesy from their own imaginations.

18  This is what the Sovereign LORD says: What sorrow awaits you women who are ensnaring the souls of my people, young and old alike. You tie magic charms on their wrists and furnish them with magic veils. Do you think you can trap others without bringing destruction on yourselves?

19  You bring shame on me among my people for a few handfuls of barley or a piece of bread. By lying to my people who love to listen to lies, you kill those who should not die, and you promise life to those who should not live.

20  “This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against all your magic charms, which you use to ensnare my people like birds. I will tear them from your arms, setting my people free like birds set free from a cage.

21  I will tear off the magic veils and save my people from your grasp. They will no longer be your victims. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

22  You have discouraged the righteous with your lies, but I didn’t want them to be sad. And you have encouraged the wicked by promising them life, even though they continue in their sins.

23  Because of all this, you will no longer talk of seeing visions that you never saw, nor will you make predictions. For I will rescue my people from your grasp. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”

Believe me when I tell you that it is never over until God says it is over. God is patient and God is kind but God is not a pushover. Even when it takes time, even years, or decades, God is determined to have the last word. He will not allow deception to prevail and He will allow the wicked to go unpunished or the righteous to go unrewarded.

How can we tell the difference between the Godly and the ungodly … between the wicked and the evil … between the false and the true … between right and wrong … between deception and lies … between the whitewashed walls and a true strong defense? Look at the leaders …

Matthew 23:4  “For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.”

The Godly will not bind heavy burdens on others which they are unwilling to bear themselves. They will not say one thing and do something else. All those hypocrites are surely nothing more than whitewashed tombs. Jesus further said:

Matthew 23

27  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.

33  “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?”

Just as the Apostle Paul said in his presentation before the high court in Acts 23:3: “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?” Don’t be confused … and don’t trust a whitewashed wall.

Two admonitions I find from the message today:

If you are a liar or feel entitled or justified to live above your own dictates:

1.   Repent and embrace the Truth … His name is Jesus … His Word is well-tempered mortar - He will change your life.

If you are saved and living the way you expect or require others to live:

2.    Pray for those who whitewash lies to look like the truth. Pray that they repent before it is too late … Pharisees and Sadducees and High Priests, or Republicans and Democrats and Judges alike.