Beware of Dogs

      

       Once while on campaign in Lafayette, LA, a fellow MSOP classmate of mine returned and immediately was subjected to great amounts tormenting by the rest of the campaigners. Apparently, while out door knocking, this classmate ran from a dog and leapt on top of a parked car that was not his own to escape the “savage beast.” After we all had a good laugh about it, our instructor who was preaching a gospel meeting for the campaign instructed this classmate to read Philippians 3:2. The student read aloud, “Beware of dogs...” and without finishing the verse said, “Very funny!” Though anyone who has ever gone door knocking knows this literal application of Paul’s statement to the Philippians, of what dogs ought Christians truly to beware? Isaiah identified four very dangerous characteristics of the dogs of his day, the watchmen (spiritual admonishers – teachers and prophets) that failed in their duty (Isaiah 56:10, 11).

        “His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark” (56:10a). Isaiah lived in a day of rampant immorality, in which the people had departed from the way of the Lord to serve idols of their own creation: “Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made” (2:8). However, rather than warn the people against those practices that were leading to destruction, the religious leaders were silent. While they should have been watchdogs against evil, they were dumb (i.e. mute) dogs who were unable to bark, and as such were useless to the Lord.

        “Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber” (56:10b). It is always easier to remain silent than to take a stand; to lie down and be trampled than to stand up and fight. These religious men had remained silent for so long that they grew accustomed to the false peace that being silent allowed. However, they cried peace when there was none – “There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked” (48:22). 

        “Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough” (56:11a). Often, religious leaders who fail to proclaim the whole council of God and who proclaim a peaceful, social message are recipients of at least the accolades of men and sometimes material wealth. Such was the case with the religious leaders of Isaiah’s day – yet though the land of Judah was “full of silver and gold” it would not escape judgment. (2:7).

        “And they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter” (v. 11). A good sheep dog looks to the care of his sheep. These religious leaders however were so self centered they could not see either their true spiritual needs or the needs of the people to whom they spoke their lies and half-truths. Isaiah pictures them saying, “we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves” (28:15) – yet these would be their undoing.

        Though we would do well to beware and avoid dogs like these religious leaders, in one sense we should make a personal application to Isaiah’s message. We are all religious leaders in the sense that we are all subject to doing our part in the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20). We ought therefore to avoid dumb, lazy, greedy, and ignorant dogs in the religious world, and keep from being like them ourselves!

~Patrick Swayne