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Text: Matthew 7:6
Pearls before swine, giving what’s holy to the dogs; the principle is clear that something very valuable has been ruined by someone who can’t appreciate it.
The most common way this is interpreted is this. You need to be careful what you tell unbelievers. You’re supposed to use discernment in which unbelievers you tell the truth to.
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs
- What is holy?
- Holy is to be set apart for the Lord. Be ye holy as I am holy saith the Lord.
- Holy ground in Exodus 3:5.
- Holy doesn’t mean sinless because dirt isn’t sinful or sinless. Holy means set apart for the Lord. It is sanctified and set apart from the world.
- So God chose a piece of ground on this earth in order to reveal himself. Eventually, that piece of ground would go to the dogs because of the unfaithfulness of Israel.
- What do you mean go to the dogs? That piece of ground called the holy land would have nations living in it whose religion and teachings would justify murdering babies and other horrific practices. God would tell Israel that when they get to the promised land they are to destroy the nations and destroy every article of the culture including all motion pictures (Numbers 33:52), otherwise God’s people would become just like the dogs they fail to drive out.
- Eventually what is holy would go to the dogs.
- Holy convocation in Exodus 12:16.
- Again holy isn’t necessarily sinless, but it does mean separated for the work of God.
- God would set aside a time here for Israel to stop their work and together spend their time in rest and feasting called the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The only work to be done here is whatever work needed to be done to prepare the food and eat it. Every Israelite is expected to participate. God would use this feast as a piece of bigger picture that would become clear centuries later. Israel wasn’t required to know the bigger picture here, they’re just required to obey God’s instruction.
- As time goes on Israel doesn’t have time to take off work. The sabbaths get neglected. The feasts are given up on. God’s holy things become a joke. And 700 years pass when a king named Hezekiah has enough conviction to try to get the country back on track. 2 Chronicles 30:1-14. This holy convocation had gone to the dogs.
- Holy sabbath in Exodus 16:23
- These would be ignored because Israel refused to stop work since it meant less money. So they worked through the sabbaths until God finally got tired of it and said there are 70 sabbath years that have been ignored and I’m going to force my holy land to rest. And in comes Nebuchadnezzar to haul the Jews to Babylon.
- Holy nation in Exodus 19:6 that ends up going to the dogs.
- Holy men in Exodus 22:31 as part of a priesthood that ends up going to the dogs. It’s this priesthood that stands around the Lord Jesus Christ mocking him on the cross
- Psalms 22:16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
- Isaiah 56:10-11 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. 11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
- Holy place in Exodus 26:33
- Holy garments in Exodus 28:2
- Holy things and holy gifts in Exodus 28:38
- Holy crown in Exodus 29:6 that went on the priests mitre.
- Holy oil in Exodus 30:25
- Holy sanctuary in Leviticus 16:33 which would go to the dogs.
- Holy name in Leviticus 20:3. Leviticus 22:32 Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel:
- Holy instruments in Numbers 31:16 which would go to the dogs and literally end up in Babylon.
- Holy people in Deuteronomy 14:2 who would go to the dogs. Notice very few things listed as holy are living things, so holy is not sinless.
- Holy God in Joshua 24:19. Remember that context? Choose you this day whom you will serve… but the people aren’t in a position to serve a holy God.
- Holy city in Nehemiah 11:1 that had gone to the dogs and Nehemiah was trying to rebuild it.
- Holy children in 1 Corinthians 7:14 because of a believing mom or dad.
- Holy temple in Ephesians 2:21 which temple ye are; but you can give it to the dogs by conforming to the world.
The way something or someone holy is given to the dogs is by conformity to the world
- You’re being instructed in a dog’s way of life.
- Holy body in Romans 12:1 by avoiding conformity to the world based on the mercies God has shown you. When Israel conformed to the world and its culture all the things that were holy went to the dogs. This is how a person here in Romans 12 would go to the dogs by falling in line with the world. Pretty soon killing babies does sound plausible in certain situations. Pretty soon preteens and teenagers playing games and physical “messing around” and experimenting with fornication is just part of life.
- Conformity to the world is giving that which is holy unto the dogs.
- Pastor Sowell I believe tells this story of a young lady who was faithful in church and serving God. Until she met this boy.
- Philippians 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
- 2 Peter 2:1-3, 9-13, 18-22 – False prophets instruct in a dog’s way of life. And someone professing Christianity conforms to their dog training until there is nothing holy, nothing usable to God in their life.
Faith is the exception to this rule in Matthew 15:21-28. Faith is what takes a dog and turns him into something holy for the Lord. As carnality is a dog’s nature, faith is what will make a dog clean.
