God
is talking to Israel. He says of all the families on earth, Israel is the only
family He has chosen to know in a special way (vs 2). Yet, Israel has turned
their backs on God and therefore He must punish them. He asks them: “Can two
walk together, except they be agreed?”
The
implication is that there must first be friendship that exists between two
persons before they can walk together. Friendship brings them together. They
would have first discussed and agreed the appointed time and place to meet
walk, and whither they will go. Without such consultation and agreement, it
cannot be thought they would be walking together. Such meeting is not possible
for two persons who do not see eye to eye. Would you want to spend a day with
someone whom you are not in good terms with? Of course you won’t.
The
design of God’s statement is to show that without friendship there is no
fellowship. Such is the case between man and man, and such is also between God
and man. Israel should not expect that God should walk with them, and show
Himself friendly to them, and continue His favours with them, when they were
walking contrary to Him.
Since
God will not walk with anyone that is not walking in His ways, should we then
walk with professed Christians who are not walking in God’s ways? The answer is
an emphatically NO! The Scriptures say: “And have no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them”
(Ephesians 5:11). The apostle John concurs: “If there come any unto you, and
bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him
God speed” (2 John 1:10).
It
is recorded of Enoch and of Noah that each of them walked with God (Genesis
5:22; 6:9). They wouldn’t be walking with God if they had been disobedient to
God’s commandment. But we read that “Thus did Noah; according to all that
God commanded him, so did he” (Genesis 6:22). One condition of walking with
God (fellowship) is obedient to all His commandments.
Abraham
was charged to do so by the LORD Himself: "Walk before Me, and be thou
perfect" (Genesis 17:1). Abraham was walking in his own way when he
tried to fulfil the promised seed himself by taking Hagar and as a result, gave
birth to Ishmael. God did not talk to him for thirteen years. And when He
finally did so, the first reprove He gave to Abraham was: “Walk before
Me, and be thou perfect.”
The
perfect man walks with God. Conversely, the man who is not walking in God’s
commandments is not perfect. The Scriptures say that the man of God can be
perfect who walks according to God’s inspired word (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). Only
the word of God can make a man perfect.
Hence,
can two walk together, except they be agreed? Can we have fellowship (walk
together) with those who are not walking in God’s commandments? Can we have
fellowship with the liberals? The word of God says we cannot! (2 John 1:9-11).
When
Paul wrote: “Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals”
(1 Corinthians 15:33), he was referring to those who taught falsely about the
resurrection. Paul was warning the Corinthian church to stay away and have no
association with such brethren because they would be influenced and become
corrupt by their false doctrine. Truth and false doctrines simply cannot be
mixed.
Brethren,
let us beware those who teach falsely. Even those who claim to be our brethren,
if they have turned liberals, we cannot have fellowship with them. Let us walk
only with those who walk with God. Since God would not walk with them, why
should we?
Jimmy Lau
Psa
119:97 Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.
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