"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. " (Matthew 23:23-27).

Many people are like Achan who sin and then try to hide their sin. Such are hypocrites.

Hypocrites look holy on the outside but their sin is inside and they hide it. However even this sin God can forgive, if he repents.

Achan sinned in secret. He didn't sin openly. He didn't revolt and rebel against Joshua. Many people are like that. They want to keep their sin secret, but still continue with God's children as if nothing is wrong.

We know what happened because of that. Israel lost the next war because of his sin; and Achan and his family died because of his sin.

The gold and beautiful cloak did indeed look beautiful to Achan, but God doesn't even call it by name but simply calls them "the accursed things".

Maybe you have such accursed things hidden in your life. Maybe it looks very beautiful to you, a love relationship which feels so wonderful (or something else), but God calls it an "accursed thing".

The pharisees not only hid their sin, but actively tried to trap Jesus in words or deeds. So too there are the same type of people today who know their own sin, but they hide their own sin and try to actively, vocally trap God's children to accuse them, as they've done with the Lord Jesus.

"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." (Matthew 23:13).

Be careful what kind of rumours you are spreading. You not only don't go to heaven yourself, but block others from getting help by the rumours you spread.

Jesus called them a brood of vipers before everyone. How would you react when you're called like that before everyone. Would you not have objected that at least He could come to you in private?

"And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me." (Matthew 11:6).

Do you sit here and feel offended because some of God's children has stepped on your toes when they've rebuked you?

Let's now look at the masses. They were the multitudes that sat around Him when He preached, performed miracles, and were fed miraculously. But somehow they didn't mean anything in God's Kingdom. When it suited them they shouted "hosanna", while soon afterwards they shouted "crucify Him".

They followed in the masses and did not want to make a personal stand for the Lord Jesus. It is safe to follow in the masses where you needn't be singled out.

"And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation." (Luke 19:41-44).

This is the judgement that comes upon such people.

The Romans utterly destroyed Jerusalem, killing them in the most brutal ways. Why? Because they didn't recognise the time of their visitation. Not bcause they hated the Lord, or fought against Him but because they didn't recognise the time God was visiting them.

Do you recognise the time God is visiting you and act in obedience, or do you simply remain in the masses? Sunday after Sunday God is visiting you and you're ignoring Him. It's the Son of God standing at the door knocking and yet you're ignoring His call. You simply remain with God's children, but want to remain independent, running your own life. You refuse to surrender totally to Him. You won't allow Him to dictate your dress, your speech, your walk, your faith, your dedication.

Then you will remain without discernment and people will be able to manipulate you.

A certain good swimmer saw a man out at sea busy drowning. He got a long rope, tied one end to himself and gave the other end to a man standing there, watching. He instructed him to hold the rope while he swam out to the man drowning and pull them in when he gave the signal. He swam hard and eventually reached the drowning man. By this time there were many people gathered to see what was happening and they gave a lot of advice to the man holding the rope. Some were shouting this and another that. When the man that swam gave the signal to be pulled in, the people on the beach looked around and to their horror saw that the rope was gone into the sea. Both drowned.

Maybe you're the one called to hold the rope yet you fail to support God's children in the heat of the battle. You criticize them, that they're too fanatical, or that they do this or that wrong.

Woe to you if you do not recognise the time of your visitation.

What were the characteristics of Jesus' disciples? They were totally committed to Jesus. They made mistakes. They sinned, but they were totally committed to God. God judges between sinners and sinners. When Peter realised his sin he confessed it specifically and didn't soften it with a general confession. That's a sign of one totally committed to God.

They wanted to be as close to Jesus as possible even if that would put them in the lime light and their sins open to everyone.

Peter sinned grievously. But he confessed it. Jesus afterwards reinstated Peter on the beach. Jesus poured oil on his wounds and healed his wounds.

Have your wounds been healed? Are you maybe close to being reconciled with the Lord, but you allow the devil's doubts that Jesus will not forgive you. You're almost at the end of your journey, but you doubt because of certain incidents and pull back. Don't, but come to the Lord Jesus for forgiveness even if you're embarassed by it.