2nd Thessalonians 2: 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Deliberate self-deception is the worst of its kind, for it can render one’s mind incapable of receiving the truth, especially if the practice is indulged over long periods of time. With every rejection of the truth or facts, the mind sinks lower and lower into darkness, until it reaches a point of no return, where not even God can reach such persons.
The delusion that God “sends” to those persons in our first passage is not so much God sending them delusion, but it rather refers to the natural results of their self-inflicted wounds, that have been done to the mind, over an extended period of time, by them believing myriads of lies even after the truth or facts have been presented, and thus, their unfortunate situation becomes incurable.
Let no one be deceived into thinking that after one has trained their mind to believe falsehoods, that it would be easy to untether themselves from the grip of error, for, we become what we think, and if there is a deliberate manipulation, and distortion of truth, and facts, the powers of the mind will inevitably be permanently damaged.
So, when we read that God would send them strong delusion, that statement is to be interpreted as the individuals in question, having buried their heads in the sand for so long, that God is speaking, but they have reached a point of no return, where they just cannot listen.
To flatter oneself is to embrace or believe a lie when you know it is patently false. This is not applicable only to the political realm, it also applies to persons in all walks of life, and in your everyday experiences.
For instance, a man can flatter himself into believing that he can eat any and everything, including foods that are forbidden and yet escape the consequences of doing so. For many years, it has preached even in Christian circles that the laws pertaining to clean and unclean foods in Leviticus were for the Hebrews only.
That’s a delusion, for the laws of sowing and reaping take effect, whether a person chooses to believe so or not. The facts are the facts, regardless of whether persons believe. In fact, one doesn’t have to believe, in order for the natural consequences to come due.
The belief that one can do wrong with impunity is a great delusion and a form of self-flattery, that would shake persons to their core when the bill comes due or when a dose of cold reality sets in, as some folks will soon find out.
Even if there is a delay in the administration of the consequences, on account of God’s mercy, sooner or later we will have to face the music, as it were. In many instances, where it may seem as if persons are getting away scotch free, after doing wrong, it’s not that they are getting of the hook, it’s just the mercy of God calling them to repentance.
In fact, in the overwhelming majority of cases, even when forgiveness, and pardon are granted, persons still have to deal with the fallout of their actions, in the most literal sense. The natural fallout of David’s sin was that four of his sons would die, and even though he was completely forgiven by God, the bill came due, with devastating collateral damage.
The one thief on the cross asked for grace and it was immediately granted by Christ but he had to die just like the other thief, for the sins that were committed against his fellowmen. This dose of reality is actually what we need to come to grips with, as we read the following passages, for there is a whole lot of self- flattery taking place nowadays. Let’s read:
Ecclesiastes 8: 11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet, surely, I know that it will be well with them that fear God, which fear before him.
13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he fears not before God.
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season, we shall reap, if we faint not.
Similarly, if you were to adopt the laws of health as delineated in our health message, if you were to do and practice them consistently, you would certainly reap the natural results, even if a person might not believe in God. The facts are the facts and the result is the result, being governed by law.
When Naaman was sick with leprosy, he was told to dip in the Jordan seven times and after he would be healed. He could choose to believe it or not, and he could even dip with doubts, as to whether it would be fulfilled, but the facts are the facts and even if he were to dip kicking and screaming, after the 7thtime he would be healed.
What is worthy of note in that particular episode is that Naaman had displayed a very bad attitude in so much that he became enraged at the prophet, but the facts are the facts, and even if he obeys in anger he would be healed. But if he were to flatter himself that six dips were enough, he would remain leprous for the rest of his life.
Very often there are nuances in obedience, such as hesitation, fear, doubt, dread, sadness, or vexation. Sometimes there are also issues such as hesitation, personal preferences, and instances where one may not necessarily agree with God. All of these do not change the facts on the ground, as far as the truth is concerned.
So, at the end of the day, if a person believes truth, in spite of these nuances, the result will follow. The people of Nineveh feared for their lives, but at the end of the day they believed the truth, and the rest is history, because the truth is the truth, and the facts are the facts.
Phillip, the disciple suffered from doubt, but he too obeyed at the end of the day. Terrible fear had crept over John in jail, yet, when Jesus responded to him, he obeyed, because he believed. Jesus preferred not to go through with the crucifixion, but at the end of the day, he said not my will but thy will.
Many Egyptians in pharaoh’s day believed the words of Moses, concerning the death of the firstborns so they huddled together in the tents of the Jews, and they too were saved. There are nuances to obeying God but the bottom line is that if after all is said and done, you obey, the results will follow. Obedience is not always a lovey-dovey matter.
Naaman was a different breed, for he was vexed in obedience. He gave many excuses for not dipping, as the prophet had said, and he argued and argued until he went away in a rage. But the facts are the facts, and if at the end of the day he believes the truth, he would be healed, even though he’s really vexed. Let’s read:
2nd Kings 5: 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.
11 But Naaman was wroth, and he went away, and said, Behold, I thought He would surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So, he turned and went away in a rage.
13 And his servants came near, and spoke unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldn’t you not have done it? how much rather then, when he said to you, Wash, and be clean?
14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
There is real danger in choosing to believe what you want to believe, regardless of the truth or the facts, for with each deliberate disregard of truth, the mind is being gradually programmed to interpret truth as falsehood.
Thus, over a period of time, when in one instance a person may really need to heed the truth, the mind would have become so blinded by crying wolf, that it is impossible for it to respond in the positive. This is what took place on the Titanic, as the captain was warned on numerous occasions of the icebergs.
But he deliberately chose to believe the lie, that the Titanic was indestructible, and therefore, he plowed ahead with his own version of the facts, until he had sunk the ship, and in doing so he took a whole lot of people down with him. Let’s read:
Operator on La Bretagne Tells How Messages Were Sent in All Directions from Near Cape Race. New York, April 17 Captain Smith of the Titanic had warning of the danger ahead of him, in the giant iceberg that sent his vessel to the bottom of the North Atlantic. As a matter of fact, the Titanic relayed the warning to the shore.
The same thing occurred when the children of Israel were warned not to go up to fight against their foes, the Canaanites, because The Lord would not be with them. This truth was related to them in the clearest terms, but they deliberately chose to believe the lie, and because God honors our freedom of choice, He did not prevent them from going.
The rest is history, for they dug in their heals against the truth, believing with all of their hearts that they would win, when God said they would lose, and so said so done. They could believe whatsoever they want but the facts are the facts, and the truth is the truth. Thus, the natural results of their decision will be coming due regardless of what they choose to believe. Let’s read:
Numbers 14: 40 And they rose early in the morning and got them up to the top of the mountain saying Lo, we be here, and will go up unto the place which the Lord hath promised: for we have sinned.
41 And Moses said, wherefore now do you transgress the commandment of the Lord? but it shall not prosper.
42 Go not up, for the Lord is not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.
43 For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword: because you are turned away from the Lord, therefore the Lord will not be with you.
44 But they presumed to go up unto the hill top: nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and Moses, departed not out of the camp.
45 Then the Amalekites came down, and the Canaanites which dwelt in that hill, and smote them, and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.
There are two words that are written side by side in the Spirit of prophecy, which caught our attention as we were preparing the study for today, and because of the number of times they occurred together we had to take notice, for they are written together no less than 685 times. Here they are:
Flattered themselves.
It seems that the deliberate choice to believe a lie is not something new, but it has occurred throughout the history of our world. It started out in the garden of Eden, and down through the ages it has morphed into the mindboggling phenomenon we see today, where persons deliberately shutter their eyes to the truth and facts to the point where many are bereft of reason.
Some are actually seeing all the red lights flashing danger, and some are complaining, yet the habit of believing errors has become so deep-seated that in some instances, persons almost cannot escape, for after a while, deliberately believing lies can become addictive, just like cocaine or Fentanyl.
Adam and Eve flattered themselves that God’s word would be reversed, and that His great love for them would preclude Him from enforcing the sentence. In the vain hope that the serpent’s words might yet be true, they huddled together in the valley of wishful thinking, until the voice of God triggered the rude awakening to the raw facts in the matter. Let’s read:
Genesis 3: 8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
17 And unto Adam he said, because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it were you taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
[3SG pp 43] Adam censured Eve's folly in leaving his side, and being deceived by the serpent. They both flattered themselves that God, who had given them everything to make them happy, would yet excuse their disobedience because of his great love to them and that their punishment would not be so dreadful after all.
Here again is the same phenomenon taking place in the era of the Antediluvians, where they chose to disregard the facts in the matter, as was manifested in the natural world. At first, they see it as a sign of foreboding, but then they flatter themselves that it is not really what it is. Thus, when Noah preached his final sermon, it fell on deaf ears. Let’s read:
Genesis 7: 8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean and of fowls and of everything that creeps upon the earth,
9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God commanded Noah.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 97] The period of their probation was about to expire. And now the servant of God made his last solemn appeal to the people. With an agony of desire that words cannot express, he entreated them to seek a refuge while it might be found. Again, they rejected his words, and raised their voices in jest and scoffing.
Suddenly, a silence fell upon the mocking throng. Beasts of every description, the fiercest as well as the most-gentle, were seen coming from mountain and forest and quietly making their way toward the ark.
A noise as of a rushing wind was heard, and lo, birds were flocking from all directions, their numbers darkening the heavens, and in perfect order they passed to the ark. Animals obeyed the command of God, while men were disobedient.
Philosophers were called upon to account for the singular occurrence, but in vain. It was a mystery which they could not fathom. But men had become so hardened by their persistent rejection of light that even this scene produced but a momentary impression.
This leads us to our case study for today, in which a deluded king Ahab is encased in deliberate lies, in so much that he has gone so far as to actually hire 400 of his personal liars to tell him only what he wants to hear. They are on his payroll simply to tell lies, as the main function of their job description.
On their resumes, they have to commit to telling lies whenever and wherever needed and they must also repeat the lies, conjure up, and invent new lies, as the need arises. So, after a time, deliberately telling and believing lies would reach pandemic levels in the kingdom of Ahab, and thus, anyone who dares to speak truth becomes the enemy of the state. Let’s read:
1st Kings 22:2 And it came to pass in the third year, that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.
3 And the king of Israel said unto his servants, know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we be still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?
4 And he said unto Jehoshaphat, Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramoth-Gilead? And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses.
5 And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to day.
Here was a matter of grave national importance, in which persons would be put in danger. The red lights are flashing, but, just as before, the habit of craving and believing lies has become endemic in the nation, so that truth, and facts are shuttered, and those liars on Ahab’s payroll are immediately sent for.
First, they consult with the king to find out what he wants to hear, then the speech writers get to work, and as they come up to the podium to give their so- called advice, they are pregnant with a plethora of premanufactured lies. Let’s read:
1st Kings 22:6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.
11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the Lord, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them.
12 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-Gilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the king's hand.
But something looks fishy to Jehoshaphat, for try as he might, he cannot understand how every single one of the king’s advisors are saying the exact same thing, like if they were scripted.
Not one of them would raise an intelligent counter to Ahab’s wishes, and because of this, Jehoshaphat suspects that, it is a bunch of yes men that Ahab is surrounded with, and he raises his concerns. Let’s read:
1st Kings 22:7 And Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him?
8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat there is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the Lord: but I hate him; for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, let not the king say so.
9 Then the king of Israel called an officer, and said, Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah.
What takes place next is very interesting, because it becomes apparent that the officer who was sent to get Micaiah tries to groom him for his turn at Ahab’s podium, and the prophet is encouraged, instructed, and goaded, to respond in harmony with the other altar boys who have kissed the king’s ring by lying. Let’s read:
1st Kings 22:13 And the messenger that was gone to call Micaiah spoke unto him saying, behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth: let your word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good.
14 And Micaiah said, As the Lord lives, what the Lord saith unto me, that will I speak.
It takes courage and real sterling character to speak truth to power, especially when everyone else may seem to be buckling under the pressure to lie. It is at times like these when the servants of God must zip up their boots, and brace for whatsoever fallout may occur as a result of speaking truth. The servant of The Lord puts it this way. Let’s read:
[Education pp 57] The greatest want of the world is the want of men—men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.
1st Kings 22:15 So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall we go against Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall we forbear? And he answered him, Go, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king.
17 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.
18 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?
26 And the king of Israel said, Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city, and to Joash the king's son;
27 And say, Thus saith the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.
Sadly, we are living at a time when those who have the courage to speak truth might be looking at jail time for doing so. In fact, things are predicted to get so bad that the prophet Amos laments that lies and conspiracy theories will flood the land to such great lengths that the truth will have virtually evaporated. Let’s read:
Amos 8: 11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.
Ahab continued to dig in his heels, even as his mind is troubled by forebodings, but he has so long been training his mind to deliberately believe lies, that he seems trapped in the deadly cycle. What Ahab does next shows that he isn’t fully convinced by his own lies, but having reached thus far, he would push the matter to the brink and try to force his delusion into reality. Let’s read:
1st Kings 22:30 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, I will disguise myself, and enter into the battle; but put thou on thy robes. And the king of Israel disguised himself, and went into the battle.
31 But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains that had rule over his chariots, saying, Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel.
32 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, Surely it is the king of Israel. And they turned aside to fight against him: and Jehoshaphat cried out.
33 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.
34 And a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: wherefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, Turn thine hand, and carry me out of the host; for I am wounded.
And that was the end of Ahab. He died encased in a prison of deliberate lies, to await the final judgment when all habitual, unrepentant liars, are scheduled to face the music and the cold, unadulterated truth.
In fact, in that final episode, the king of lies will be leading his deluded followers to undertake a daring venture something that he knows will fail miserably, yet, he deliberately believes that he can, just like the children of Israel who went up to battle, believing in the lie that they would win. Let’s read:
Revelation 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
[The Great Controversy pp669] Satan seems paralyzed as he beholds the glory and majesty of Christ. He who was once a covering cherub remembers where he has fallen. A shining seraph, “son of the morning;” how changed, how degraded!
His accusations, his rebellion, his deceptions to gain the sympathy and support of the angels, his stubborn persistence in making no effort for self-recovery when God would have granted him forgiveness… all come vividly before him. He has led the multitudes to believe that the city of God would be an easy prey; but he knows that this is false.
In our day currently there are many who are nearing the threshold of no return, by deliberately believing numerous lies, and no doubt, the damage is taking a heavy toll on hearts and minds, as some seem more and more unable to come to grips with reality.
If it were just individuals alone involved in the game of deception and falsehoods, we could say they are doing themselves great disservice. But when entire populations are at stake, when the national interest is being threatened, then we may know that we are already in unchartered waters, and if there isn’t any definite reversal of current trends, we are scheduled to lie ourselves into eternal night.
As Christians, we are to stay as far away as possible from any semblance of deliberately believing lies in any way fashion or form. God forbid that we do any wrong, but if we do, we should never try to make it seem right, for doing so interferes and dangerously disrupts our ability to decipher truth from error.
And wherever this becomes the case on a national level, the close of probation isn’t far behind, since God essentially has run out of viable options in His efforts to reach persons in high and low places.
Whatever might be our problems individually, and nationally, we should try to preserve in our minds a clear distinction between right and wrong, truth and error, for doing so sets the stage for The Holy Spirit to reach us, at the most critical juncture of earth’s history.
We therefore end with a passage of Scripture, which calls upon everyone to deal in the currency of truth and facts, leaving deliberate falsehoods, conspiracy theories and all lying in the dust, for unrepentant, liars will ultimately share satan’s fate. Let’s read:
Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your
tongue hath muttered perverseness.
4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleads for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
10 We grope for the wall like the blind and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.
13 In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice stands afar off: for truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter.
15 Yea, truth fails; and he that departs from evil makes himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.
God Bless!