Where Should We Put Our Fences? Let’s answer your question.
“In vain they do worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men” (Matthew 15:9).
Human Rules
Jesus criticized the Pharisees and other Jewish Leaders for teaching human traditions in place of God’s rules. These leaders professed great respect for Moses’ Law, and God held them responsible for teaching the people to obey it. Jesus even said they sat in Moses’ seat:
“Then Jesus said … “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore, whatever they tell you … that observe and do, but do not do their works. For they speak, but do nothing” (Matthew 23:1-3).
Hypocrisy
Their rules warped God’s intent, and these hypocrites didn’t even keep their rules. However, they made them binding on others.
When Jesus healed a crippled man on the Sabbath, they charged Him with violating on the Sabbath. Claiming that healing was a work that shouldn’t be done on that day.
God’s Intent
But Jesus said God made the Sabbath a day for doing good. After all, if an ox fell into a pit on the Sabbath, they’d work to save it. Isn’t a person worth more than a beast?
“Then He (Jesus) said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent” (Mark 3:4).
Moses also commanded them to honor their father and mother. God expected them to care for their parents in their old age. But they ruled that if a person dedicated their money to God, they wouldn’t have to use that money to care for their parents:
“(Jesus) said to them … you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “It is Corban (a gift to God)….” Then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition…. And you do many similar things (Mark 7:11-13).”
Yes, they did ‘many similar things.’ They didn’t put their fences where God did because their human rules didn’t match God’s intent. And they were hypocrites; they expected others to keep their rules, but they didn’t.
Fences for Protection
Fences can provide protection. One example among many that could be chosen is: If I’m an alcoholic, I shouldn’t drink at all. God’s word doesn’t tell us (non-alchoholics) to not drink at all, but that’s where a wise alcoholic should put their fence. Even if someone’s not an alcoholic, a wise person may make abstinence their personal wall. A Bible teacher may rightfully suggest that others adopt their total abstinence view and give the Biblical reasons why.
God’s Fence or Our Fence?
However, that teacher should also understand that total abstinence is not taught in the Bible. Jesus turned water into wine, served wine during the Last Supper, and was accused of being a glutton and drunkard. Yet He didn’t adopt total abstinence as necessary, for Himself or others.
Jesus compared His method of living and teaching that of John the Baptist, saying,
“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a gluttonous man, a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is justified by her children” (Matthew 11:18-19).
Believers disagree on other activities, such as card playing, dress code, type of music, dancing, days of the week, feast days, traditions, and the list is endless. We must recognize whether something is God’s fence or ours when teaching and judging others. The Pharisees didn’t do that, and Jesus criticized them.
Our Fence for Others?
Also, we shouldn’t expect others to put their fence where we do. However, they should expect believers to put their barriers where God places them. Let’s look at another example: Maybe for some, playing cards is okay, so there’s no need to set this inside a barrier since Scripture doesn’t clearly forbid this. However, others see playing with standard cards as a sin because of their associations (gambling et al.). Again, our fence may not be where others place their fence. One view isn’t necessarily better than the other:
“One man judges one day above another; another judges every day alike. Let each one be fully persuaded in his own mind” (Romans 14:5).
God’s Fence for All
However, using tarot cards should be fenced off because their purpose is forbidden in God’s word:
“There must not be found among you anyone who … uses divination, or uses witchcraft, or an interpreter of omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts spells, or a spiritualist, or an occultist, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination to the Lord” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).
Summary
Every wise person has barriers they place to keep themselves from sinning.
That wall can be around something God forbids or a personal hedge we put up that’s appropriate for us. We must understand whether something is God’s barrier or a human’s.
We shouldn’t expect people to put up their personal fence exactly where we do or judge them for their placement.
Each person may have a different determination and one isn’t necessarily better than the other.
