Bad Mix
“How long will you go limping with two different opinions?”
The problem with the nation of Israel in the days of the prophet Elijah was not only their rapid descent into a pervasive idolatry, but also their involvement in a highly developed syncretism. Syncretism, as I have already stated elsewhere, is nothing but a mixture of religions, beliefs and biblical truth.
The prophet of God asked the people who had assembled together on top of Mount Carmel, the following question:
“How long will you go limping with two different opinions?”
Elijah was interested in knowing, which God they would serve: Baal or Yahweh. Baal was a false god and Yahweh is the Lord of hosts. Baal was a creation of the pagan Canaanites, but Yahweh is the Creator of everything.
Jesus clearly taught that it is virtually impossible to serve two masters. We cannot dream of ever pleasing our God by mixing true faith with false religions. This is exactly what happened in Samaria in the Old Testament.
Today, the Roman Catholic Church repeats this fatal mistake. What began as a vibrant Christian church in Rome has been distorted and perverted, as pagan practices and idolatry have been mixed with true Christianity.
The people of Israel were “limping” or vacillating between two choices. This indecisiveness must never be related in any way to a follower of Christ, and we will follow Christ and him alone! Something less (or more) is just pure idolatry in the eyes of the Lord.
