To Exploit Or Not To Exploit

1. Distorted Spirituality (v.18): Spiritual power apart from God is deadly.

Sorcerers basically exploit superstitious beliefs of fearful weak people. E.g. my own mom paid out countless dollars to mediums in Chinese temples to tell fortunes, get “cures” for ailments, buy favors of the gods. Sorcerers distort God’s holy power, removes faith in God from people to faith in people and superstitions. They victimize gullible people who are in rebellion against God, refusing to trust the revealed truth of God. Not that these sorcerers have any real power that rivals God’s, so that they needed be wiped out but that they distort true spiritual power of God for the purposes of their own gain i.e. exploitation. It is not to serve but it is pure dishonest living akin to stealing! To suggest that other “powers” are equal to God’s is an insult to God’s power. Even Paul recognized it as counterfeit, i.e. not real spiritual power but mere deception and lies: 2 Thess.2:9-11 (NLT) says: “ 9 This evil man will come to do the work of Satan with COUNTERFEIT POWER AND SIGNS AND MIRACLES. 10 He will use every kind of WICKED DECEPTION TO FOOL those who are on their way to destruction because THEY REFUSE TO BELIEVE THE TRUTH THAT WOULD SAVE THEM. 11 So God will send GREAT DECEPTION upon them, and they will believe all these LIES. 12 Then they will be condemned for not believing the truth and for enjoying the evil they do.”

Today’s "sorcery" are the lies and deception of those spiritual gurus who claim enlightenment apart from God’s revealed truth in the Bible. Anyone who relies on spiritual "power" ala Egyptian sorcery is on death row. Because they victimize the vulnerable!

2. Distorted Sexuality (v.19): Abuse of sex is road to death.

Exploit animals for sex? Even thought of it, is revolting! Yet is is written down to tell how serious a sin is when sex acts occur out of the boundaries of God’s will. To have sex outside of God’s order is about exploitation - here we find example of going as low as exploiting helpless animals. Sex is beautiful and precious as it is God’s design for an intimate relationship. It not good for man to be alone so God created Eve, not a baboon for Adam and to distort this design is saying that the Creator did not know what he is doing. To have sex outside of His design is real slap in the face of the Creator, an act of rebellion worthy of death! That there is now sexual deviancy that goes down to the level of an animal act reflects not merely bad taste and despicable but it also reveals the hunger of humanity for love/intimacy/relationship and the distortion of sex with other unspeakable acts is to degrade this aspect of humanity. It does not reflect God’s heart and ways. It only reinforces the sinful notion of using things for purpose of exploitation and self-gratification with no concern for real human community nor for God. It does not reflect how God wants people to enjoy real love and intimacy. There can be so much enjoyment within God’s design of love and intimacy (see Song of Songs for example). So no going after fake feelings of fulfillment when there is truth and beauty and real love and intimacy available. Even in the NT we get this same teaching: “ 3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.” Eph.5:3,4 (NLT)