Revelations from the Word

(Back to Index)

 



Do not give that which is holy to the dogs

by Jean-Louis Coraboeuf

"Do not give that which is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, for fear that they will trample them under their feet, turn round [strépho] and tear you apart [rhegnumi]" (Matthew 7:6).

According to the Torah, the dog is a reference to the man who prostitutes himself by making compromises with the enemy and by doing this, he is as an abomination before the Lord (Deuteronomy 23:17-18). This spiritual prostitution is characterised by unfaithfulness to God and seeking gain from it; "In the prostituted city, everyone loves presents and runs after rewards" (Isaiah 1:21-23). But God does not accept in His House either the earnings of the prostitute or the wages (gains) of a dog (Deuteronomy 23:18). That is why Jesus Christ said to His Church, "dogs, magicians, the debauched, murderers, idolaters, and whoever loves and practises deceit will not enter through the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem" (Revelation 22:14-15).

According to Psalm 22, when Jesus was on the cross, the dogs surrounded Him like a pack without any pity. But God did not leave His Son to the power of these dogs who would have torn Him to pieces even before He was able to offer Himself as a living sacrifice on the cross. However, in order that the Scriptures might be fulfilled, they pierced His hands and feet and shared His tunic (Psalm 22:17-22). Jesus also said, "It is not good to take the children's bread, and to throw it to the little dogs" (Matthew 15:26) for He knows that a dog can return to its own vomit (Proverbs 26:11), that is return to its wild state. So, it may have the appearance of a sheep, but be a false prophet behaves as a ravening wolf (Matthew 7:15).

"Do not give that which is holy to the dogs, for fear that they will trample it under their feet". Whoever prostitutes himself spiritually, because of the profit he draws from it, spurns the grace of God, i.e. repentance and forgiveness, which he considers his enemies and fights. Such a man relies on his former nature, the uncrucified flesh, to get some advantage from it (Philippians 3:2-7), when he ought, as Paul did, consider these as a loss! (Philippians 3:8). If this man then turns away from God, he tears his brothers and sisters apart by letting his words burst out against them [rhegnumi]. The apostle Peter said of this man, "His final condition is worse than the first. For it was better for him not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and to turn away from the holy commandment which had been given to him" (2 Peter 2:20-21).