The Highly Esteemed

Luke 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

There are many things that God hates. You can find them summed up in these verses:

“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” (Proverbs 6:16-19 AV)

Looking at the Biblical record of Jesus’ words about the pharisees as a group always reveals a focus on spiritual pride.

“But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.” (Matthew 23:5-7 AV)

The pharisees were highly esteemed among men because they were perceived to be highly spiritual, highly blessed by God. They were well aware of this esteemed and took great advantage of it. It was true that they were very familiar with what human kind had of the Bible at that time, and this certainly has the potential to give someone a great spiritual advantage compared to someone who doesn’t know the Bible. The ordinary people might be impressed, especially if they believed that it was difficult or impossible for an average person to understand God’s Word and if they believed that a given individual or group was especially sent for the purpose of expounding the Word.

There are many things that man highly esteems, some that might even be highly esteemed by all people. A great many people like pizza, biking, math, birds, etc. Does this mean that God hates any of those things? Certainly not.

Examining the context of Luke 16 reveals a specific focus on people and their spiritual affairs. The pharisees were highly esteemed because people thought they could get to heaven either by being a pharisee or by following them. The pharisees highly esteemed themselves (wanting to be called rabbi) and their heritage (having Abraham as their father). The nation of Israel believed that being part of a certain lineage and in a certain group of people would get them into heaven. This high esteem became a substitute for God. Anything that substitutes for God is a false god, and God says this is abomination, meaning that He hates it.

The churches of today are highly esteemed among men. They are not highly esteemed among all people, but they are esteemed highly enough to be a problem. They have largely become almost synonymous with God. This is true of all earthly religious organizations, whether or not they call themselves churches. Though God might use the affairs and efforts of these organizations to spread His Word for a time, He has proven repeatedly that He won’t continue to use them if they get too big for their britches. The ugly truth is that they always get too big for their britches. As their fame spreads and the people in the organizations become aware that God appears to be working in them, the corrupt heart of man becomes proud as their organization becomes highly esteemed among men. These men can be the leadership or those outside the leadership, or even those outside the organization entirely. God has to cease using such a group because of a principle He laid out in the Bible, which says:

“Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” (James 4:5-6 AV)

The pharisees were no different from any other person in his or her natural state. The spirit that dwelled in them naturally tended toward envy because they desired to feel capable of gaining heaven by their own efforts. This was because of their spiritual pride. Every single solitary human being has a degree of this, some more than others. It manifests itself in different ways. Most notably, the manifestation of spiritual pride among the religious is self-righteousness and the inward or obvious belief that he or she can do no wrong spiritually.

Proverbs 15:10 ¶ Correction [is] grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: [and] he that hateth reproof shall die.

This was true of the pharisees. It’s true of religious organizations of today, even those whose people sincerely desire to know God. The institutions have been highly esteemed among men; therefore, they are abomination in the sight of God. They have had truth and blessing taken away from them, resulting in distortion of the Bible and mixing of the Bible with man’s word and works. Other books have been placed on a level with the Bible. Teachings that utilize extrabiblical information and research have been placed on a level with the Bible and taught as if just as factual. The Bible has been brought down to the level of mankind with critical texts and copyrighted biblical paraphrases and simplifications. Faithful translations of the Bible are mishandled by religious institutions to the point that even entire passages are twisted or ignored altogether. Greek and Hebrew exegesis is misconducted so that even delving into the precious God-breathed original texts yields a whole lot of nothing.

Whatsoever is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. God stopped working in Israel a very long time ago because as a nation they were highly esteemed among men, among themselves. The churches of today have been left in the same state. Any sort of structured spiritual movement, especially those with one leader or administrator, is abomination in the sight of God and cannot be used by God any longer, because God resists the proud.

Individuals are in danger of falling into the same trap, but an individual with a soul has more hope than an organization. God can reach into a person’s heart with His Word unencumbered by the interests of a formal collective and the filters of its leadership. God can know that person and doesn’t need help from a church, temple, or fellowship. This appears to be especially poignant now. He not only doesn’t need the help, but He refuses to employ it at all.

1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

It’s time for all to deal with God directly. His voice is in the Bible. His ear is in the prayers of a humble and contrite heart.

Psalms 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Psalms 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
Isaiah 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Luke 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
Proverbs 28:9 ¶ He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer [shall be] abomination.