Saturday, October 15, 2011

Mussings on Hair-Raising Persuasion

Scripture passage that caught my attention today: Nehemiah 13:25-26 And I contended with them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair; and I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 26 Did not King Solomon of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin.

Observation: Yikes…Nehemiah was really upset and one can’t help but wonder if he went over the line a little bit.

Application: There was a fight on our school bus. It was years ago, but I remember it clearly. I was probably in 5th or 6th grade. A slightly older boy had drawn the ire of a high school girl and she came up to his seat and put him in his place. As she got up to leave he kicked her. Big mistake. She came right back and started yelling at him and pulling his hair like crazy until he cried uncontrollably and said he was sorry.

I’m not saying he was innocent. He wasn’t. But I’ll never forget his screams while she was pulling his hair.

Nehemiah was sorely disappointed in how the people of his day had been carrying on in his absence. Upon his return he endeavored to whip them back into shape based on his understandings of what was acceptable behavior in the sight of the Lord. But did he go too far? Is an oath that is made as a result of force any kind of oath at all?

I don’t really know the answers to those questions. Nehemiah lived in a vastly different time than I and his understanding of God was somewhat different from mine as well. He also didn’t have the benefit of knowing the good news emanating from the death and resurrection of Jesus.

But I do believe that forced confessions and oaths have limited value. That’s essentially what’s going on in Iran right now. A Christian pastor is being asked/forced to recant his Christian beliefs. It appears that, thus are, he has resisted. But if even he ever were to succumb to the pressure, would his faith really be changed? Wouldn’t that be more of a sign of cowardly faith than rather than no faith?

Only God knows.

Prayer: Lord, help us to be faithful to you and inspire others to be faithful as well. Also, help us to be faithful in how we help a/d or encouraging others to be faithful too. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(readings today included: Nehemiah 13, Malach 1 & 2, and Acts 4)

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