Again, if you judge them from a doctrinal point of view, they are absolutely right. They say to themselves, there is no way we can merge with this community if they are not circumcised – hundred percent in the theology paper. The doctrine is right. We cannot do it under any circumstances, we must honour the Lord. And yet what they do is so evil; it so deceitful and treacherous, and violent, and murderous, that it shows a deeply wicked hypocrisy. Their theology and their doctrine is good; but their practice is dreadful. These things are for our instruction.
That is what we get into today. You can go on the Internet and you can hear fine preachers, whose doctrine is perfect: Calvinistic, sound, but their practice is awful. Their churches are riddled with worldliness. You say, ‘How does it happen? How can they accept this?’ Ah, it is right here. It is in Genesis 34. Theoretically right, but in practice, abysmal and appalling. It happened in the typical church, but I suppose you could say there's some excuse for them: most of them were not converted. These passages are very profound in the warnings they include.