“Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords.”
Genesis 49:5
The increase in violence in our society is shocking. I have heard Christian people blame the news media for sensationalizing these crimes. But if such things happened in the 1930s every newspaper in the country would have been filled with reports and opinions on them.
Increased violence has affected every facet of our society.
But as I told you earlier, I am writing these things to “my children.” I am writing to you who have been influenced by my thinking and teaching over the years. Your part in a school, or church, or neighborhood shooting could only have been as a grieving parent, a terrified fellow student, or as one whose heart breaks for them.
Most of you have given your lives to the Lord Jesus. Peace is in your spiritual DNA. It is a prominent part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. (Galatians 5:22) Peace is at the heart of our witness to those around us. We are to be the people who bring peace to the world. Jesus said,
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”
In Acts 10:36 Peter told those who had gathered in the house of Cornelius,
“As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace
through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all)”
Literally, the words here read, “evangelizing peace.” Jesus came with the gospel of peace. We wrestle against the cosmic powers over this present darkness with the readiness of the gospel of peace. (Ephesians 6:15)
Violence begins in our hearts. In the King James Bible Genesis 49:5 says
“Simeon and Levi are brethren;
instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.”
Bitter thoughts produce harsh words. Words can be as cruel as fists or swords.
Verse 6 of Genesis 49 says,
“Let my soul come not into their council;
O my glory, be not joined to their company.
For in their anger they killed men,
and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen.”
We need to be on our guard against attitudes of violence expressed by those around us including newscasts, podcasts, social media and friends.
Avoiding the influence of violence includes being careful not to express things that would hurt someone else if they were to hear what we say. Have you said something as a joke that would wound another person created in the image of God? That is like telling a joke to offend God. And if you are among those influenced by me, I pray that you would tremble at the thought of that.
Jacob's prophecy about Simeon and Levi ends with verse 7.
“Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel!
I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.”
I wish Americans were aware that our democratic union will not survive the political hatred we have come to express. A divided nation will not survive. To be honest I am not sure this has not been brought upon us as end-time judgment. Whatever the cause of our demonization of one another, we should be aware that the dissolution of our democratic union will be painful. It will cost us economically, morally, socially, and spiritually.
I am even more grieved over such divisions in God’s church. I recently read comments on a Facebook page where Christians called others in their own denomination Marxists because they disagreed about how we should address the needs of the poor in our society. There was no question that either group leaned toward atheism, violent revolution, or totalitarianism. I responded to them by saying, “It sounds to me like you stayed up all night trying to think of the meanest thing you could say about brothers in Christ.” I was impressed that one of them apologized for using the word. The other gave a complicated explanation about how these brothers really were Communists.
Stephen Meyer tells about organizing a conference to help young earth and old earth creationists understand each other’s point of view and treat one another with respect. But one group assumed but did not quite say that the others were liberal. Their opposition thought the others were ignorant. He said, “After they began to take one another apart, I decided they needed a Christian counselor rather than a conference.”
Do we honestly believe we will persuade people to our point of view by such hostility? Have we come to believe bitter thoughts and harsh words will have more effect upon those we disagree with than listening to their point of view and joining them in heartfelt prayer?
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