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Sometimes when I’m reading the Bible, a verse will grab my attention. That happened when I read Exodus 23:2a this morning:
NIV Exodus 23:2a "Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.
I got to thinking about examples throughout the Bible where people either courageously stood apart or else gave in to the pressure and influence of the crowd. I also thought about the different ways in which this principle applies to us today.
Biblical Examples of Courageously Standing Apart from the Crowd
1. Noah
Sometimes we feel like we have it tough because often those who are deeply committed to following Jesus are a minority where we live and work. But think about Noah. The Bible describes Noah’s world like this:
NIV Genesis 6:5 The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.
It appears that Noah and his family were the only righteous people who trusted God in the whole world at that time. Praise God that Noah and his family did not go along with the crowd. This story also reminds us that in the long run, it’s always much better to follow God than to follow the crowd.
2. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Talk about pressure to join the crowd! Trumpets are blaring, the king’s threat is looming, and everyone else is bowing down in front of the giant, intimidating ninety foot gold stature. But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to go along with crowd or bow to the pressure (see Daniel 3). They are thrown into a fiery furnace, but God protects them.
3. Micaiah vs. 400 False Prophets
Four hundred prophets were all prophesying that the kings of Israel and Judah should go to war against Ramoth Gilead. But the King of Judah insisted that Micaiah, a true prophet of the LORD, also be consulted. There’s more than a little pressure for Micaiah to go along with the crowd:
NIV 1 Kings 22:13 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, the other prophets without exception are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably."
Micaiah actually initially gives in to this pressure. But when the king commands him to tell the truth, Micaiah prophecies defeat for Israel and Judah if they attack. You would think that the King would thank Micaiah for being honest. Instead, the king has Micaiah thrown into prison and given only bread and water. But Micaiah’s prophecy proves true and the words of the crowd of false prophets lead to disaster.
Even Courageous, Godly People Can Give into Group Pressure from Time to Time
Peter had shown incredible courage after being jailed and beaten for the cause of Christ. He refused to give in to threats and he kept boldly declaring the Good News about Jesus. But a little later, Peter (also called Cephas) temporarily gave in to group pressure:
NIV Galatians 2:11 When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group.
This example shows how even people who are strong and courageous for Christ must always be on guard against the subtle dangers of going along with the crowd.
Applications for Our Lives
There must be hundreds of ways in which this simple command applies to our lives:
NIV Exodus 23:2a Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong.
Some types of following the crowd in doing wrong are obvious. Examples would include doing drugs or getting drunk. Other examples are more subtle. Like how we spend our money and use our time. Or the types of things we choose to watch and listen to. Then there are the priorities and values we can absorb from the world around us.
There are certain moral values taught by the Bible which are very unpopular today. May God give us strength to value and guard virginity before marriage and faithfulness within marriage. May we never give in to the pressure to celebrate homosexual sins. May we continue to stand for the right to life for the unborn. These values are not popular with “the crowd” these days.
Another application is not compromising on Biblical truths we see which may be unpopular or even unacceptable in some churches, Christian institutions, and groups. Sometimes through Bible study and learning from other Christians we will come to see that the Bible teaches something which is different from what many of our peers believe. There will be pressure to close our eyes to these inconvenient truths which could cost us in a number of ways.
May God give us the courage of Noah, the moral strength of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and the faith of Micaiah. May we fear God and not man. May we keep our eyes on our Lord Jesus and not on the crowd. May the Lord keep us from following the crowd in doing wrong.
This was originally a post on my blog.
