Slandering God the Holy Spirit - Part One Proverbs 18:17 The first to plead his case seems right, Until another comes and examines him.
Slandering the dead is bad enough, but what if, in so doing, you also slander the living family members as well? Slandering the dead is bad enough but what if, in so doing, you also slander the living God – specifically, God the Holy Spirit?
It has become common for authors to produce fictional writings “based on true events,” or, for Hollywood to churn out “docudramas.” In so doing, they can use historical figures – past or present - say anything they want about them and not fear libel suits because they are a mixture of truth and fiction. This distinction, however, is lost on those family members who must endure the slander and half-truths produced. I can remember the hurt in the eyes of President Eisenhower’s wife and children when a so- called “docudrama” came out on TV, purporting an affair between President Eisenhower (then General Eisenhower) and a fictional secretary. Of course, they waited until President Eisenhower was dead and could not defend himself and, of course, the woman involved not only could not be produced but proved to be entirely fictional -- never-the-less, it made for good viewing. However, no thought was given to the pain and humiliation it would cause surviving family members. To this day you will find people, who watched this movie, believing this slanderous account was true. We live in an age when slandering dead national heroes is commonplace.
This is bad enough, but what about slanderous reports concerning our Biblical heroes, without regard to the fact that it is none other than God the Holy Spirit who is included in the fallout of these slanderous statements?
Fathers in the Bible, particularly David, suffer from these malicious accusations. A frustrating time of the year for me, in terms of sermons, is Father’s Day. Once again, I must listen to the slanderous statement, “there are few, if any, examples of good fathers in the Bible.” Once again, I must sit and listen as King David, “the man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:33) is slandered and abused. Enough time has passed for me to calm down, so I will first address this issue.
Unlike Eli and Samuel, David is never condemned by God for neglecting his children. True, some of David’s adult children did rebel against the Lord but, nowhere in the Bible are we held responsible for the behavior of our adult children. We may be held responsible for not addressing grievous sins, but we are not held responsible for their behavior. In the parable of the prodigal son, condemnation is spread around liberally but, not once, is the father condemned for the sinful behavior of his adult son. This is also true of David. In fact, God the Holy Spirit goes out of His way to represent David as an involved parent, both academically and spiritually. Proverbs 4:3-4 is just one of many passages that reveal this truth when Solomon testifies concerning his father David “When I was a son to my father , Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother, Then he taught me and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments and live;” There are many statements in Proverbs where Solomon shares the intense involvement, in terms of teaching and life skills, which David, his father, passed down to him.
Marriages and Parents in the Bible It is not uncommon for me to hear teachers on marriage and family state, “Good marriages in the Bible are few and far between” or “There are no examples of good fathers for us in the Bible.” I suspect these statements have more to do with the marriages and parenting skills of the teacher – an effort to justify in their minds the state of their own marriage or family - for these statements are certainly not substantiated by God the Holy Spirit in Holy Scripture.
In addition to David, there are many fathers and marriages in the Bible which were exemplary…
Moses’ Parents: It was the faith and godliness of this couple which preserved Moses, as well as raising up Moses’ brother Aaron and sister Miriam. Hebrews 11:23 “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's edict.” Jethro, Zipporah’s father and Moses’ Father-in-law: Exodus chapters three and eighteen give insight into the wisdom of Jethro, his loving guidance of his son-in-law Moses and the resulting character instilled in his daughter Zipporah. Moses and Zipporah: In Exodus 4:24 – 26 Zipporah saves Moses’ life as she recognizes the importance of obedience to God in all areas of the family. There is no indication in Scripture that Moses and Zipporah had anything less than a happy and fruitful marriage. Unlike so many during the exodus, Zipporah never embarrassed nor criticized her husband Moses. Ruth and Boaz: The Book of Ruth reveals the godly nature of this couple in both courtship and marriage. Manoah and his wife, Samson’s Parents: Judges chapter thirteen exhibits both a good marriage and a willingness to raise their child in accordance with the commands of God. Zachariah and Elizabeth: Luke chapter one illustrates both their godly marriage and their obedience to God in raising a godly son. Mary and Joseph: Luke chapter two, Matthew chapters one and two, again, describing both their marriage and their obedience to God in raising a godly son. Priscilla and Aquila: In the Book of Acts, (Acts chapter eighteen, also Romans 16:3; I Corinthians 16:19; II Timothy 4:19) examples are given of a godly couple ministering together and serving the Lord in their home. House churches mentioned in the Bible offer good insight into the state of marriages and families in the New Testament. (Romans 16:15; I Corinthians 16:19; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 1:2)
This is a substantial list, when we consider the Bible was not written to specifically present historical background of marriages and families. God the Holy Spirit has gone out of His way to make a strong statement that sound marriages and parenting were not the exception in Holy Scripture.
Application: 1. Learn to ask the question, “What does the Bible say?” Stop accepting broad, sweeping statements concerning the Bible which are unsubstantiated by research. I attended a conference where the theme was from Matthew 28:19 & 20. The conference speaker made, as a side comment, that this passage is one of the few, if not the only passage, where the Holy Trinity is clearly depicted. Others commented “In the Book of Acts receiving the Holy Spirit is always accompanied by speaking in tongues” or “Most marriages in the Old Testament are polygamous.” These statements did not ring true and, in reading through the Bible, I found many passages on the Holy Trinity; I found that speaking in tongues was neither universal nor common; I found many good, sound, monogamous marriages. This same discipline of reading carefully through the Bible reveals the slanderous lies concerning the heroes of the Bible in terms of their marriages and parenting skills. 2. Quit listening to gossip – whether it concerns the living or the dead. Gossip and slander entail two tests. First: Is it based on first-hand knowledge or simply a story being passed around? Second: Are the ones speaking and listening part of the problem and/or solution? When you hear statements such as “The women of the church of Ephesus were wild and unruly” or “Most marriages in the Bible are polygamous” or “There are few, if any, examples of good marriages and families in the Bible”, ask yourself, “What primary source research is behind these statements?” If derogatory statements cannot be substantiated beyond a shadow of doubt, then they should not be made, whether concerning the living or the dead. 3. Stop justifying your own sin with the Bible. Paul states on more than one occasion - Romans 6:1-2” What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” It is true that bad marriages and parenting are illustrated in the Bible. These examples, however, are not given as enabling illustrations but as a warning. Married couples and especially those involved in full-time ministry cannot use the sins of those in the Bible to justify their own failures. We should all obey the Word of God concerning our marriages and families, emulate the good examples supplied by God the Holy Spirit and shun the sins of those illustrated by God the Holy Spirit. A false representation of the families of Bible heroes discourages the godly and emboldens the disobedient. This needs to be corrected in Bible teaching on marriage and family.
By His mercy, II Corinthians 4:1 Rev. John S. Mahon Director: Grace Community Int. Stay connected… 1. Grace Community International goes mobile! The Grace Community International free app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch is now available on the App Store. 2. Now available as well on Android Listen to sermons and workshops delivered at conferences around the world. Keep up-to-date with Rev. Mahon's blog. View Grace Community International's ministry photo albums. Search "Grace Community International" on the App Store today! 3. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gciweb 4. Visit our website for free Bible study resources and messages at www.gciweb.org 5. We send out a weekly Ministry Dispatch giving real time prayer requests. “Message” us on Facebook with your email address to receive these updates
Older
Top
