The Illustrative Principle

This is the principle by which God exhibits His displeasures at various forms of sin and disobedience by illustrations of judgment. God speaks by way of judgment upon man for violation of His individual commands. Generally, He speaks only once. The reason for this is that God is a Law-Giver, Who gives once and for all a very decisive sign of His displeasure with regard to every form of evil doing; and after that decisive sign, He forebows and keeps silent until the reckoning day. If God visited every sin with condign judgment, He would depopulate the earth.ACTS 5-Lying to the Holy Ghost is recorded in this chapter. God demonstrated His displeasure against sin only once. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," and the disregarding of this law is shown in the results of the Tower of Babel ... dispersion!

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image"-Aaron's punishment and the death of 3,000 Israelites are proof of God's judgment and disapproval of this sin. Aaron made a calf when Moses went upon Sinai for 40 days. Aaron must have loved his brother, for why didn't he go out and try to find him? Aaron said, "I put the metal in the fire and the calf jumped out."

Do you want to know what God thinks about profanation of things that are holy? Examine the judgment upon the king to whose feast Daniel was called to interpret the writing on the wall. Look at the swallowing of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram by the earth; and they went alive into Sheol.

"Honour thy father and thy mother" ... For disobeying this law, look at Absalom.

MURDER-the first murder was committed before the Law, yea, even before the law of capital punishment was established. When Cain left home, he told God that men would kill him. The Lord then declared that if anyone touched Cain, he would be punished sevenfold. Now, God did not overlook this sin of murder. He did not condone it. This does not mean there was no punishment for Cain, but rather, he was to suffer punishment at the hands of the Lord:

"For we know him that bath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord"-Hebrews 10:30.

FAMILY PURITY-What God thinks about this is described in The fire and brimstone upon Sodom.

"THOU SHALT NOT STEAL"-What God thinks about this is described in the theft of Achan, and in the natural consequence of judgment and his destruction.

"THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS"-Jacob deceived his father, and stole his brother's blessing. His mother hid him farewell for a short time (she thought), but Jacob did not come back until after 20 years had passed. His mother was in her grave, never having seen her son alive again! Do you want to know what God thinks of a liar? Jacob lied to his father, and Jacob lived to have ten of his sons lie to him. A lie is a lie; there are -no white ones.

"THOU SHALT NOT COVET"-Ahab coveted Naboth's vineyard-I Kings 21. His wife, Jezebel, helped him to secure it falsely. God's judgment: Ahab was destroyed- 1 Kings 22:37, and Jezebel was destroyed- 2 Kings 9:30-37.

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