Respect and the Fear of the Lord
We are in the 49 day season between the Feasts of Passover and Shavuot, known as the “Counting of the Omer.” We expectantly await the 50th day, which is the day commemorating the Giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19) and Pentecost (Acts 2).
On the 33rd day, (known as “Lag B’Omer”), there is a celebration in remembrance of the day when a plague stopped. In the first century, Rabbi Akiva had 24,000 students who died of a plague during this period of time. The Talmud tells us that his disciples died because “they did not respect one another.”
If we are going to become a mature Church without spot or wrinkle, we need to learn to honor and respect one another. The definition of respect is “to honor and hold in esteem.”
Philippians 2:3
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
We are living in in a time when God is manifesting His power and with that comes a corresponding amount of judgment. If we dishonor and slander one another, we open ourselves up to judgment and we could be disqualified in this new season. We need to have the “fear of the Lord” regarding this.
During a conference in Albany, Oregon in 2002, Bob Jones had an encounter with a heavenly messenger. The messenger pointed out that ambition among believers opens the door for suspicion; suspicion brings competition; and competition breeds division. When suspicion and competition are present, it will motivate leaders to discredit or undermine other leaders they feel threatened by. This kind of spirit cannot exist in the hearts of those to whom the Lord will release spiritual authority to and will actually disqualify those who do not repent.
This messenger said that “unity among the brethren” must become a reality if we want to see creative miracles. Years ago, Bob Jones said that the condition for witnessing creative miracles was Psalms 15, which instructs us “not to cast a slur on our fellow man.”
Christians must be careful not to gossip or spread false reports. Recently, a fellow believer forwarded me an email encouraging a boycott of Starbucks. I was asked to forward the email to others. The email alleged that Starbucks had charged rescue workers $130 for water during the 911 crisis. The email reported that this story had been verified by Snopes (an agency that investigates rumors to see if they are true).
Since my son is a Starbucks store manager, and I know that Starbucks has been known for their generosity and giving back to the community, I questioned the facts in the email. I decided to read the investigative report on Snopes. What I learned is that an employee did charge the rescue workers for the water, but when management was informed about what happened, they returned the $130. I learned that Starbucks later contributed a million dollars to the 911 rescue effort! Unfortunately, these facts were omitted from the email urging the boycott.
This is a good example of how we must not spread rumors and false reports. Once the damage is done, it cannot be undone. Gossip and slander are serious offenses to the Lord.
Proverbs 20:19
He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,
Therefore do not associate with a gossip.
Psalm 101:5
Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, Him I will destroy; The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, him I will not endure.
If we have an offense towards someone, or someone has sinned against us, we need to practice Matthew 18 and go directly to that person, in a spirit of gentleness and humility, and try to resolve the conflict and be reconciled. If there is no repentance, then further steps should be taken as outlined in Matthew 18.
If the offender repents, the relationship should be restored. The goal should always be to heal and restore the relationship and never to punish the one who has hurt us.
Colossians 3:12-13
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
As we are approaching Lag B’Omer on the 2012 calendar (May 10), the day we celebrate when the plague stopped, let us remember the lesson of Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 students who died because they did not respect one another.
Let’s determine that we will love, honor, and respect each other in spite of our differences. When we do, I believe we’ll see the greatest revival of all time and we will witness creative miracles.
