Saturday July 08th, 2023
« For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies »
23 Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up the road, some youths came from the city and mocked him, and said to him, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!”
24 So he turned around and looked at them, and pronounced a curse on them in the name of the Lord. And two female bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.
Message:
« 14 But God let no one oppress them; to protect them, he warned the kings:15 “Don’t harm my chosen servants; do not touch my prophets. »
Psalm 105:14-15 GNT
When a wise person comes across the scripture, the first thing he or she will try to find out is, how can one touch God’s anointed?
One way to harmfully touch God’s anointed is by slandering or speaking evil of a minister of God.
Doing this can cause God’s anointed so much grief and might even be worse than slapping him or her on the face.
It is a dangerous thing to persecute a Christian, because Jesus personally feels the pain of such acts of wickedness, and as the Lion of Judah, He will surely defend His own.
Saul of Tarsus was a man committed to persecuting Christians until Jesus met him as he rode to Damascus in furtherance of his sinister objective. In Acts 9:5 CW Jesus said to him:
« I am Jesus the One you are troubling: it is hard for you to kick against the prick »
Even if the Lord’s anointed is as humble as Moses and would not respond to the evil and slanderous comments against him or her, there are self-pronounced cures upon whoever speaks evil of God’s prophets, as seen in the case of Miriam and Aaron (Numbers 12:1-10).
They were driven by jealously to speak against Moses and God heard it (Numbers 12:2).
The Lord hears every evil word spoken against His ministers, and when He chooses to respond, the result can be severe, as recorded in Numbers 12:9-10 which says:
« 9 And the anger of the LORD was aroused against them; and He departed. 10And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. »
From Moses’ story, we see that it was God who fought for His servant.
Amazingly, the rebels who stood against Moses were his own siblings (Exodus 4:14, Exodus 15:20).
More surprising is the fact that Aaron was also the high priest of God.
Why would a high priest be caught in the act of rebellion?
What greater position or fame was he angling for that made him speaks evil of his brother, who was chosen by God to lead the people? This is food for thought for us today.
Unlike Moses who was meek and did not respond when persecuted, Elisha was of a different persuasion. In today’s Bible reading, the children who mocked him were not as lucky as Aaron and Miriam were. He cursed them in the Lord’s Name and they all suffered a gruesome death immediately.
Those who speak evil of the Lord’s anointed should be warned that they might not get away with it someday.
Beloved, a word is enough got the wise.
Prayer point: “Take control of what I say, O LORD, and guard my lips.” (Psalm 141:3NLT).
Author: Bishop Enoch. A. Adeboye.
Edited by Naomie
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