Focus: Awful Mixture!

Text: Gen.1:4

"And God divided the light from the darkness."

There are things that are meant to be together, and there are other things that are designed to stay apart from each other. The writer of Hebrews says, "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being MIXED with faith in them that heard it" (Heb.4:2). The word of God and faith are meant to function together. 

The word of God is the source of faith and faith feeds on the word of God. The mixture of the word of God and faith are most appropriate. The word of God is powerless in the heart of a faithless person. The mixture of the word of God and faith is a wonderful combination. It works wonders. The word of God did not profit the children of Israel in their wilderness journey, because they had no faith to concretize it and create the required effect.

The other way round, certain things do not belong together in this world; to mix them together is to invite disaster. Certain things are better separated than mixed together. Strange mixture can be dangerous and damaging. We hear, sometimes, of strange bedfellows coming together, but who end up going their separate ways for lack of compatibility. Daniel tells us about the image Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dreams, having the feet partly of iron and partly of clay. Iron and clay are indeed strange bedfellows. They are never meant to connect or coexist.

Jesus Christ says it's not wise patching up an old cloth with a new one. He says that a bigger tear is caused as a result. In the same vein, no one ever succeeds in putting a new wine in an old wine skin. The new wine would burst out of the old wine skin and become wasted.

Let's go through some Scriptures and see what God communicates to us. Moses writes about Israel's trip out of Egypt, "And a MIXED multitude went up also with them…" (Ex.12:38). As they passed through the desert, Moses tells us, "And the MIXT multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?" (Num.11:4). The mixed multitude is now corrupting the whole congregation of Israel. The people lusted for meat; they were no longer content with and grateful for the manna miraculously provided by God for them.

Isaiah says, "Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water" (Isa.1:22). This is a kind of mixture resulting in dilution of the original.

We read of Esau and Jacob in their mother's womb. "And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger" (Gen.25:23). Esau and Jacob are never meant to stay together. They do not belong together. They are different from each other. There is need to separate them. 

God divided or separated the light from the darkness, because they are not destined to function together. When light comes, darkness gives way. They share nothing in common.

Concerning Lot, we read, "Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other" (Gen.13:11). Lot separated himself from Abraham without knowing that it was divinely orchestrated. There's always a divine reason behind certain people leaving you. It's because God has a special plan for you. You cannot make significant progress with certain people in your life. Certain people function as a clog in the wheel of progress. Often people separate themselves from you without knowing that God is actually behind it.

We read again, "And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward" (Gen.13:14). Lot had to leave Abraham's life before he could see the vast land that God had mapped out for him. 

You must be wary of bad company. Be sensitive and discerning enough! Pick things fast in the spirit!

God says, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you" (2Cor.6:17). God wants us to be completely separated from worldly ways. Paul asks, "And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God…" (2Cor.6:15,16). God says of Ephraim, "Ephraim, he hath MIXED himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned" (Hos.7:8). He says, "Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone" (Hos.4:17). There's need for you to cut ties with the defiling things of this life.

We have to be willing to separate ourselves as much as God is ready and able to separate us from all that defiles and ruins our consecration, concentration and commitment.

Nehemiah says, "Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the MIXED multitude" (Neh.13:3). When and where the word of God is powerfully and clearly presented, people would be willing to separate themselves from things that God abhors. The word of God, properly and powerfully preached and taught, will illuminate our whole being and enable us to see things as God would see them.

God separates His own. Whoever God calls, He sets apart for Himself. Paul says, "But when it pleased God, who separated me FROM my mother's womb, and called me by his grace" (Gal.1:15). In Rom.1:1, he says, "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated UNTO the gospel of God" (Rom.1:1). From the mother's womb he was separated to the gospel of God. It's not possible for anyone to fulfill his destiny in the mother's womb. God takes the called from one horizon to another. 

Moses says to the priestly family, "Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?" (Num.16:9). God calls, cleanses, consecrates, and commissions. In the Acts of the Apostles, we read, "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (Act.13:2).

Even concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, we read, "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, SEPARATE from sinners, and MADE higher than the heavens" (Heb.7:25). Let's stop mixing things that have no business being together! Light and darkness cannot coexist. Let's avoid awful mixture of incompatible things!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter