I feel to address emails that are circulating from well-meaning Christians about the lockdown, with a certain Scripture for any who is afraid to attend church at this time… “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together” (Hebrews 10:25).
Sadly, this Scripture is being quoted out of context like so many Scriptures are.
I dislike Scriptures quoted out of context because I’ve seen how much discouragement, disappointment, and confusion (even backslidings) they have caused when a certain Scripture didn’t hold up for them.
And this particular Scripture in question, is another being quoted out of context, making Christians feel guilty, or that they have no faith if they don’t feel to ‘gather for worship’ at this unusual time. But also, only HALF of the verse is being quoted. The entire verse says… “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as is the habit of some”.
The key word here is ‘habit.’ The author of Hebrews was speaking to those who weren’t bothering to fellowship at all, and had become their ‘habit.’ It wasn’t being said to those who were faithful and longing to go to church, but unforeseen circumstances were preventing them from doing so.
It may be, that during this pandemic, there are people who do have the faith, or even the natural courage to still gather together. But they should consider others who may not feel the same way, “With humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves. Do not merely look out for your own interest but also for the interest of others” (Philippians 2:3,4).
So this verse being quoted – or only half of it (!) should not be quoted to those who are faithful church-goers but are choosing to stay at home at this vulnerable time. It can cause unnecessary and undeserved guilt to a dear soul.
I’ve seen first hand the damage that quoting Scriptures out of context has done. I’ve been asked many times why a certain Scripture didn’t hold up when they’d believed it with all their heart, when it was merely because it had been quoted out of context, or part of a verse as in this case. It causes wrong expectations, and new Christians have been mislead by them.
I was so perturbed by this topic of misquoted Scriptures, that I dedicated an entire chapter in one of my books, the many favorite Scriptures that are so often quoted out of context, passed from one to another.
On another topic, loneliness during this time of lockdown. During this pandemic, while detached from fellowship, it can be a lonely time. But it can also be a precious time when God has your full attention, and to ‘walk alone’ with Him for a while.
Once upon a time, I was forced to ‘walk alone with the Lord’.
I was totally detached from any Christian contact whatsoever in a foreign land, without any of the ‘spiritual aids’ I’d been used to having back home: No-one to talk to. No fellowship. No Telephone. No Christian magazines. No church. No other Christian. I was left with just one ‘spiritual aid’ – my Bible. I had no option than to learn how to ‘walk alone’ with the Lord.
And even though I’d followed the Lord since I was twelve-years-of age, and had served Him with all of my heart, I suddenly felt like a toddler learning how to walk again! It was a long, lonely, and painful process. I fell, I stumbled, I cried – a lot! No-matter how much a parent loves their child, ‘walking alone’ is something the child has to learn to do all by itself. They fall, hurt themselves time and again, before ‘something’ ‘clicks’ and they start to walk all alone without any help from mom or dad!
I didn’t know it at the time, but the Lord was teaching me the best lesson I would ever learn in my Christian walk. I knew that if ever the time came for me to ‘walk all alone with the Lord’ again – I would know how to! And that time has arrived! LOCKDOWN!
So at this time, I am happily staying indoors, to walk alone with Him once again! A lockdown can be a time when God has you all to Himself for a while!
God bless you, Christine.
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