In Second Chronicles, chapter thirty-six, verse fourteen, the most prevailing failure of God’s people throughout redemptive history has been their lack of resolve to remain separate from the unrighteous lifestyle and value system of the society and culture around them. Instead of abstaining from the immoral values, customs, and lifestyles of the world, all too often, the people of God are attracted to and then conformed to the culture in which they live. By doing so, they show themselves unfaithful to God and thereby defile the house of the Lord. The sad consequence is the destruction of God’s people and their families because of their conformity to the ungodly ways of the world.
The first of the following three verses may be regarded as the formal and final indictment of the people of Judah and may compare with that of Israel in Second Kings seventeen, verses six through twenty-three. The arraignment includes all the chiefs of the priests as in First Chronicles twenty-four, verse one, and verses three to nineteen, respectively. The heads of the twenty-four courses there spoken of, with the high priest added, sum up the twenty-five men of Ezekiel eight, verse sixteen, the entire chapter with the present history, and its description of the culminating pitch of wickedness of king, priests, and people of this theme verse.
Today, the challenge for each believer is not to conform to the lifestyle and ways of society. The phrase “go with the flow” is suitable when people see a new style and tend to join in as the thing to do like everybody else. The people of God should monitor these situations to ensure that the “new style” will not harm them spiritually. Still, believers should pay attention to the Word of God and how to live and inquire to the Holy One in the first place about certain things that are new or different.