Today's reading: 2 Kings 18, 19; 2 Chronicles 32; James 5
S) "26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, 'Speak now to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak with us in Judean in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.' 27 But Rabshakeh said to them, 'Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?'"
O) This was the beginning of a siege on Jerusalem. The king of Assyria sent his army against Judah, after conquering Israel, to take them down as well. Rabshakeh, the Assyrian general, was speaking to the Judean officials in the Judean language, specifically so that the soldiers on the wall would hear the taunts and threats. The officials in Judah, Eliakim, Shebnah, and Joah, all spoke Aramaic, and wanted the general to change languages to protect the people that they led. They wanted to avoid conflicting ideas that would plant seeds of doubt, confusion, and chaos in the people they were charged to protect. But, the reaction they saw in v.27 was fairly predictable. After all, it was not an accident that this foreign general was speaking their native language. It was a deliberate, military tactic. When they tried to reason with their enemy, the animosity only became more severe, more foul, more acrimonious.
A) Protecting my children is one of my primary functions as a parent. I use the term, "function," instead of something like, "responsibility," because I am carrying out what God is doing. Ultimately, I serve the function of His responsibility. The LORD is our protection, our refuge, our shield, our strong tower, the rock of our salvation, etc. Even to call myself their father is almost misguided, because God in heaven is our Father. However, the role I play is much more like being a ward for my children. I am raising them on behalf of my Lord. As a matter of fact, it is very much like the role of the three Judean officials in the passage above. I have a responsibility to guard my children against exposure to things they should not observe. It would be foolish of me, however, to try and reason with the opposition. Trying to plead with government is never going to work, because we do not live in a theocratic kingdom. Trying to admonish the entertainment/ad industries will never work, because their goals are never, ever going to align with biblical values. This function of protector, monitor, or gatekeeper, is ultimately on me (and my wife). My children live in the world, in close proximity to things they should not see or hear. I have to be vigilant in realizing that there are dangerous messages everywhere. This is not out of fear (our God is bigger than that, just as He was powerful to save Judah from these threats), but out of love. Eventually, there will be conflicts that cannot be avoided. In the meantime, I will stand between them and the enemies, and I will beware.
P) Father, You are mighty and strong. You are patient and kind. Your grace to overcome my weakness is amazing. Please be gracious with my children, because I know I cannot intercept every word that the enemy spits at them. Some of it, I know to be quite vile. Help me protect them, as I can, and please deal graciously with them when I fail to keep their eyes or ears clean. Thank You for giving us the victory, so that I am never fighting alone. Help me stay vigilant, and to persevere, in this good fight. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
S) "26 Then Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebnah and Joah, said to Rabshakeh, 'Speak now to your servants in Aramaic, for we understand it; and do not speak with us in Judean in the hearing of the people who are on the wall.' 27 But Rabshakeh said to them, 'Has my master sent me only to your master and to you to speak these words, and not to the men who sit on the wall, doomed to eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?'"
2 Kings 18:26-27 (NASB)
O) This was the beginning of a siege on Jerusalem. The king of Assyria sent his army against Judah, after conquering Israel, to take them down as well. Rabshakeh, the Assyrian general, was speaking to the Judean officials in the Judean language, specifically so that the soldiers on the wall would hear the taunts and threats. The officials in Judah, Eliakim, Shebnah, and Joah, all spoke Aramaic, and wanted the general to change languages to protect the people that they led. They wanted to avoid conflicting ideas that would plant seeds of doubt, confusion, and chaos in the people they were charged to protect. But, the reaction they saw in v.27 was fairly predictable. After all, it was not an accident that this foreign general was speaking their native language. It was a deliberate, military tactic. When they tried to reason with their enemy, the animosity only became more severe, more foul, more acrimonious.
A) Protecting my children is one of my primary functions as a parent. I use the term, "function," instead of something like, "responsibility," because I am carrying out what God is doing. Ultimately, I serve the function of His responsibility. The LORD is our protection, our refuge, our shield, our strong tower, the rock of our salvation, etc. Even to call myself their father is almost misguided, because God in heaven is our Father. However, the role I play is much more like being a ward for my children. I am raising them on behalf of my Lord. As a matter of fact, it is very much like the role of the three Judean officials in the passage above. I have a responsibility to guard my children against exposure to things they should not observe. It would be foolish of me, however, to try and reason with the opposition. Trying to plead with government is never going to work, because we do not live in a theocratic kingdom. Trying to admonish the entertainment/ad industries will never work, because their goals are never, ever going to align with biblical values. This function of protector, monitor, or gatekeeper, is ultimately on me (and my wife). My children live in the world, in close proximity to things they should not see or hear. I have to be vigilant in realizing that there are dangerous messages everywhere. This is not out of fear (our God is bigger than that, just as He was powerful to save Judah from these threats), but out of love. Eventually, there will be conflicts that cannot be avoided. In the meantime, I will stand between them and the enemies, and I will beware.
P) Father, You are mighty and strong. You are patient and kind. Your grace to overcome my weakness is amazing. Please be gracious with my children, because I know I cannot intercept every word that the enemy spits at them. Some of it, I know to be quite vile. Help me protect them, as I can, and please deal graciously with them when I fail to keep their eyes or ears clean. Thank You for giving us the victory, so that I am never fighting alone. Help me stay vigilant, and to persevere, in this good fight. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment