"I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel" – the apostle Paul in Acts 20:33
The TBN pledge drive gets more bizarre by the hour. This morning Paul Crouch was beaming as he informed viewers that donation pledges were pouring in as a result of the recent Praise-A-Thons. He said the demand was so great for the "anointed" prayer cloths peddled Friday by Juanita Bynum that supplies might run out. These little squares, which Bynum said were cut from Hebrew prayer shawls, look like torn bed sheets. And one can be yours for sowing a $1,000 seed.
This snake-oil act was so upsetting I could hardly sleep Saturday night. The prayer shawl, or tallit, is a holy garment and a symbol of the Lord's covering over us. Had a religious Jew tuned in and seen Bynum lay tallits across the studio floor and walk on them in this disgraceful ritual, they would have been confused and offended. The apostle Paul wanted believers to provoke the Jews to jealousy by their witness (Romans 11:11), not repulse them. Crouch admitted that Bynum was "swinging from the chandeliers" during the Praise-A-Thon, but gave his nod of approval. He looked almost giddy. But how many broken lives and bank accounts will TBN leave behind? How many low-income seniors will go hungry this month because they mailed in their last few dollars for the promise of a blessing?
I don't know why God allows these con men and women to prosper. But one day they will stand before the righteous Judge, as we all will, and give an account. The Lord addresses these abuses in Ezekiel 22:7 – "In your midst they have oppressed the stranger; in you they have mistreated the fatherless and the widow." The Hebrew word for "oppressed" is osheq, which means fraud, unjust gain, extortion and cruel behavior. Now look at verse 13: "Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst." The word "beat" in Hebrew is nakah, meaning to slaughter and punish. God ultimately will administer justice in His timing and, as we can see here, the penalty will be severe.
TBN's greed was transparent Friday. Bynum said if all you have are your clothes, send them. God's rebuke in Ezekiel 22:25-26 was directed at the false shepherds of ancient Israel, but the application is timeless: "The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made widows in her midst. Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things."
Posted by Jeff King at November 11, 2003 12:24 PM