INTRODUCTION
Why Such Harsh Penalties for Altering God's word. The laws first level is honoring God. The second level just below are the laws protecting or honoring people or life. The bottom level or tier of commandments regard honoring or protecting property or things. We are taught to honor God before all else. This should include His inspired messages to mankind. Jesus Himself declares the sanctity of God's word.
John 10:35-36 NKJV 35 "If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 "do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?
The scriptures cannot be broken they are inspired. We can trust what has been canonized. God through His Spirit guarantees this authenticity. The Bible when properly understood is the word of the living sustain-er and creator of the universe.
HARSH CURSES AWAIT THOSE WHO DAMAGE THE WORDS OF GOD
We do not believe this applies to accidental or debatable mistakes in translations etc. John the last Apostle alive, warns those who might purposely distort the last book of the Bile. They would suffer a curse and lose any opportunity for eternal life.
Revelation 22:18-19 NKJV 18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyonetakes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
The very last message in the Bible is to not tamper with His sacred word. The first inspired author used by God to send mankind messages repeats the threat.
Deuteronomy 4:1-4 NKJV 1 "Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe,.. 2 "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. 3 "Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal Peor; for the LORD your God has destroyed...all the men who followed Baal of Peor. 4 "But you who held fast to the LORD your God, are alive today, every one of you.
Death penalty type curses fell on those who dared to distort through omission or false inclusion the sacred words of God. We all must handle the Bible with care and great respect. No human explanation of God's word should be elevated above the text. We may not agree on some issues but all must respect God's inspiration. A nation that intentionally turns it back on the Bible is headed down a dangerous pathway, even more so for a church. Some of the scariest cults have replaced their leaders words for the Bible, leading to disasters like Jim Jones. The same is true of the communist empires of Russia and China.
EXAMPLES OF CURSES DURING THE DAYS OF JEREMIAH
Jeremiah was warning the nation of the need to repent to avoid total disaster but Hananiah a top priest, the establishment priest, blocked the words of God. He told the people what they wanted to hear, good news and stopped Jeremiah's message. He contradicted the truth.
Jeremiah 28:1-2 NKJV 1 And it happened in the same year,... that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, who was from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, 2 "Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: 'I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
Jeremiah explains that it is highly unusual for God to send a Prophet with good news. He said it would be great if true but, captivity and defeat await the nation that does not repent. This false prophet goes to dramatically break the yoke off Jeremiah neck. He then contradicts the words of God from Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 28:13-17 NKJV 13 "Go and tell Hananiah, saying, 'Thus says the LORD: "You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made in their place yokes of iron....." 15 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, "Hear now, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, but you make this people trust in a lie.... This year you shall die, because you have taught rebellion against the LORD.'" 17 So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.
This false prophet died two months later for his undermining God's word. Disaster comes upon those that subvert the words of God. A rebellious king burns the written, inspired words of Jeremiah that he did not want to hear or believe. Jeremiah's written warning words were read in the Temple. When those same strong words were read to the idolatrous king he burned the scroll, section by section. Some aids warned him that he could be burning the very words of God.
Jeremiah 36:23-26 NKJV 23 ….that the king cut it with the scribe's knife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire ...24 Yet they were not afraid,..25 Nevertheless Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah implored the king not to burn the scroll; but he would not listen to them...to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the LORD hid them.
The evil king burned the only existing copy of the book of Jeremiah! His curse for those actions was death by Babylonians shortly thereafter and his body being devoured for days by scavengers. We must respect God's Words.
THOSE WHO SPEAK KNOWINGLY IN CONTRADICTION TO THE BIBLE HAVE NO TRUTH IN THEM
Moses told the people of God that if a prophet comes to them and his predictions are correct yet he teaches contrary to the first and most basic law of God then he is a false prophet. The false teacher contradicting God's sacred laws deserves the death penalty states Moses.
Deuteronomy 13:1-4 DBY 1 If there arise among you a prophet...2 and the sign or the wonder come to pass that he told unto thee, when he said, Let us go after other gods, whom thou hast not known, and let us serve them, 3... for Jehovah your God proveth you, to know whether ye love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Further it is not only a curse for the false teacher but a test for the people of God. Will we follow someone who contradicts the first commandment regarding idolatry? We all must learn that if someone teaches to disregard or disrespect the Bible they have no truth in them. If they dare say parts of the Bible are wrong they are wrong. A nation without Bible knowledge is in trouble.
Hosea 4:1 NKJV 1 Hear the word of the LORD, You children of Israel, For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land.
Isaiah 8:20-22 NKJV 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. 21.... and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king....22 Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.
If someone teaches to abandon parts of the Bible they have no truth in them. Further they and all who follow them are headed for disaster.
