WOE TO THAT MAN
Matthew 18:7 ¶ Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
As we stated in our last lesson concerning this verse, (“It Must Needs Be” dated February 11, 2024), there are two “woes” found therein. And we have yet to consider the second one, which we hope to do in this article. For we see both God’s absolute predestination and man’s responsibility set forth in these. And it is under the subject of offenses in which they are presented.
The Apostle Peter addresses these both in his glorious Pentecostal message. Acts 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
For after he clearly identifies that Jesus of Bethlehem is very God, unmistakably shown as being “approved of God among you,” he states that His crucifixion was accomplished both by God’s “determinate counsel and foreknowledge,” and by man’s “wicked hands.”
And that same type of predicament is set forth in our verse. For the glorious wisdom of God is displayed in what seems to be, by man’s ‘logical’ thinking, a contradiction. For in human logic it would seem to be impossible for a just God to punish those for their offenses which he has sovereignly ordained! Yet the problem lies with our inability to discern God’s thoughts. Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
John 1:5 ¶ And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. That is, the darkness was “unreceptive to it.” And this was the plight of every true believer before they received spiritual life. For they were not just ‘in’ darkness; but the Scriptures affirm that they ‘were’ darkness! Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Therefore we must seek to the Lord for his Spirit to resurrect our hearts and minds in order that we might be enable to perceive his thoughts with good understanding. 1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
God’s wisdom is a grace which can be bestowed upon God’s people. James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth (that is, ‘without fault finding’ – Amplified Bible) not; and it shall be given him. Therefore let us seek to the Holy Spirit for guidance into the Scriptures for a clearer understanding of this matter.
And for that clearer understanding it would seem to be good to look to an example of one whose life reflects this truth. Judas was essential in providing some of those ‘wicked hands’ to fulfill God’s ‘determinate counsel’ in the sacrifice of the Lamb of God on Calvary! There was no ‘picture identity’ in those days. We are so use to showing our driver’s license, or just giving forth our date of birth for immediate identification, that we hardly realize how different it was in those times.
Yet it was so essential that someone identify the Lord Jesus that the Jews were willing to pay the sum of thirty pieces of silver for that service. Matthew 26:15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. {Zechariah calls this amount, “a goodly price that I was prised at.” Zechariah 11:12,13}
And as we see that Judas’ betrayal was an essential part of the crucifixion of the Lord, we seek to know how our second “woe” can be assessed upon him. For woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
An understanding glimpse into this is seen in an earlier event which reveals Judas’ heart. John 12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. 4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, which should betray him, 5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? 6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
Judas did not betray the Lord for either God’s glory, nor in order to provide us with salvation! He did it strictly due to his love of money, which is the very root of all evil! 1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Also, whatsoever is not of faith is sin. (Romans 14:23) And Judas was not led by faith, but by greed and lust!
And lest we fall into another error concerning Judas’ repentance, let us consider this passage. Matthew 27:3 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
It does state that he “repented himself.” But we must ask what kind of repentance that was. And we must ask what was the result of that kind of repentance? Peter’s repentance caused him to bitterly weep! Matthew 26:75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly. But Judas’ so-called repentance caused him to commit self murder! Peter came back among the disciples, facing the shame of his denial, and was chosen by the Holy Spirit to be the spokes-person for the first gospel message on Pentecost.
But Judas’ excluded himself from the disciples’ gaze due to his not wanting to face the shame of his sin. He also got rid of the evidence by casting down the money.
Therefore we correctly conclude that his, like Esau’s, was not a godly sorrow! Theirs was but a worldly sorrow! 2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. And worldly sorrow is just sorry that you got caught. It is not a sorrow from a truly repentant heart.
And this was the glorious benefit of the Lord’s prayers for Peter that when he was sifted by Satan he would not experienced ‘shipwreck of faith’ like Judas! Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. 1 Timothy 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
For Esau’s tears were just his regret for losing the benefits of his firstborn birth! The scriptures state that he just wanted to ‘inherit the blessing.’ He was not sorry for committing the sin, just that he lost his privilege of birth! And that kind of sorrow ‘worketh death.’ Therefore, according to God he ‘found no place of repentance.’
Hebrews 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
Let us now look at a passage in Isaiah wherein is another example of this second ‘woe’. Isaiah 10:5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. 6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. 7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.
The Lord God raises up the Assyrians to come against Israel for her sins. They are spoken of as “ the rod of mine anger.” Yet then we read that after he is satisfied with this punishment, he then turns to punish the Assyrians. And he does so in knowing their hearts. 1 Samuel 16:7 … for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
Isaiah 10:12 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. 13 For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man: 14 And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped. 15 Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.
Like as Judas did not determine to betray Jesus in order to accomplish God’s salvation, the Assyrians did not attack Israel in order to preform God’s chastisement of correction upon them. Therefore the second “woe” falls upon them. gb
