Evangelism Part 14: The Woes Series
Evangelism Part 14: The Woes: to those without fear of God
There is a saying that when there is joy, there is sadness; when there is blessedness, there are also Woes; there are rich and poor, sinners and saints, enslavers and enslaved people, righteous and wicked. But why is that? It exists at the same time on one earth. Do heaven and hell exist on the same earth but in a different dimensions? Is the kingdom then the same kingdom we have now? Why does everything change, the moods of the people, from honest to corrupt or devious living, fear of God – to love of God, from being jealous to trustworthy? God is in control, so all these things happen for a reason. We must submit to Him all the consequences after trying to use them positively for His glory, and we must also submit to Him the unbearable, and He will take care of the rest.
Sorrow, misery, misfortune, hindrances to moving forward, climate change, famine, the threat of another world war, false prophets robbing people’s money to support their lifestyle, buildings collapsing, floods destroying livelihood, volcanic eruption, and many more catastrophes. They are signs of God’s punishment for disobeying the laws He gave us, showing an explicit submission to the ruler of the earth, the prince of the air. The Pharisees and Scribes were the woes at that time for their hypocrisy and willfully offending God.
Suppose a woe means punishments exclusively for the Jews (Pharisees and Scribes) who offended God thousands’ of years ago because of their disobedience and rejection of the Anointed One. Why do the woes continue to this day? Why do the woes of the offenders of yesteryears still haunt their descendants today? Why do the non-Jewish (Gentile) people will take part in the punishment? Is it because the non-Jewish (Gentile) people are predestined to be part of the punishments since no human meets the standard of God when it comes to sin? Non-Jewish (Gentile) are connected to Jewish people regarding world salvation.
Jesus answered, “I was commissioned by God and sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:24 (Amplified Bible) and Matthew 10:5-7, Jesus sent the twelve disciples with the following instructions: “Do not go onto the road of the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.”
Jesus, in his speech in Matthew 5, said: “For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20 (Berean Study Bible). Jesus’ mission on earth is to save the Israelites, John 3:17, ESV: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through him.”
The Israelites rejected the Son, but it doesn’t mean that Jesus’ mission was a failure but instead proved the power of free will. The Israelites had their choice, and their choice’s consequences removed the effectiveness of their relationship with the Father. This opened up salvation to the Gentiles. John 3:16 said: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” The “whoever” in the scripture means whoever; Jews and Gentiles will be saved, and all it needs is to believe.
Woe is so essential that the Bible discussed this topic in a few ways, either by individual confession or group declaration. King David said Woe is me! “Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!” While Isaiah said: Woe is me! “For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell amid a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Job said: If I am wicked, Woe unto me; if I am righteous, I will not lift my head. I am full of confusion; therefore, see thou mine affliction;
The group said: 1 Samuel 4:7-And the Philistines were afraid, for they said; God has come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us, for there hath not been such a thing. 1 Samuel 4:8 Woe unto us, who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? Woe unto us! We are all spoiled to sin over doing good works because we can abuse the freedom of will.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees. Woe to you, blind guides! Why are these woes so many pointing their established hypocrisy directly to the group of Israelites, especially the Pharisees and Scribes? Woe unto me, Woe unto us, and Woe unto you; three types of woes addressed to three kinds of people at that time; The Jews, the Gentiles, and both believers; the Jews and the Gentiles.
Woes Teachers of the Laws and the Pharisees was a direct charge to groups of hypocritical, such as Scribes and the Pharisees.
God is all in all.