We are living in a world of change. Some of the changes are good, and some are bad. Change often represents the unrest of the current generation. Change also may come about because “the way we have always done things” seems old fashioned. Change for the sake of change may not always be the best, and it may also be sinful.

I have noticed changes in weddings and funerals. These used to be solemn occasions, filled with tradition. Now they are often less than respectful to either the participants or the audience, and in the case of funerals, the deceased. Customs certainly change, but respect for God and His word should never be sacrificed.

The word “change” means to make something different; to alter or modify; to replace something with something else; to substitute one thing for another. It can mean making or becoming different, substituting one thing for another, or alternating or modifying something.

When I think of the sinful nature of change, one story in Scripture stands out above all others. It occurred at the end of Solomon’s reign. Solomon had sinned by taking strange wives and, not only encouraging their idol worship, but also participating in it. God was displeased with him and decided to make a servant, Jeroboam, the new king over ten of the tribes. God left the tribe of Judah for Solomon’s son, Rehoboam.

Rehoboam was crowned king, and he set up his kingdom in Jerusalem. Jeroboam was crowned king over ten tribes, and he set up his kingdom in Shechem. Rehoboam prepared to fight Jeroboam and his ten tribes, but God spoke to His prophet, Shemaiah, and told him to stop the battle. Rehoboam listened to Shemaiah, and the people returned to their homes.

Jeroboam began to think about Israel going to Jerusalem to worship, and he was afraid that if the people went to Jerusalem to worship that they would be tempted to follow Rehoboam (disregarding everything God had promised them), and he would no longer be king, probably losing his life. He decided to change things. He set up golden calves in Dan and Bethel. This would provide the people a place of worship but not to the God of heaven. Their worship would be to idols. He also changed the time of the feasts when they were commanded to go to Jerusalem and worship.

To say that God was not happy with him is an understatement. He changed the place of worship, the method of worship, the time of worship, and he relinquished the respect and honor due God.

When you follow the kings through their reigns, you find that the idol worship continued and more changes were made. They appointed priests from tribes other than the tribe of Levi, which was named as the tribe from which the priests were selected. They worshipped an assortment of other gods and even sacrificed their children to gods. Eventually, the sacred things of the temple were placed in the temples of idols. Nothing was sacred anymore.

Unfortunately, many Christians are the same today. They discover that they don’t like the way things are done in worship, and they decide to change them. They have those same thoughts that things are old fashioned, and they want to bring everything up-to-date. That means “change.”

We need to understand what is tradition and what is by command or example from the New Testament. The order of most church services is traditional. The number of songs and prayers, the time of services, sitting or standing for songs, Bible readings, etc. are all tradition. The elements of our worship are not. Singing, giving, the taking of the Lord’s Supper, praying, preaching are all set in the book of Acts. Change is not an option!

I recently saw a sign in front of a church building that said, “Don’t put a question mark where God put a period”. Paul told Timothy, “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (Second Timothy 1:13). We have a pattern of sound words, the Bible. There we will find what we must do to worship God.

At the end of Revelation, there is a stern warning about the prophecy that had been given to John. “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19).

Similar warnings can be found in the Old Testament. “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you” (Deuteronomy 4:2). A similar verse is found in Deuteronomy 12:28, “Be careful to obey all these words that I commend you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God”. After this verse is a warning against idolatry. If you study First and Second Kings, you see the result of the Jews not heeding this warning.

If God would not tolerate a change of His Word then, He is not going to tolerate a change of it today.

Sandra Oliver