SelfDefense, HisDefense

 If you don’t have enemies, congratulations - you’re either invisible or in heaven already. 

People whisper, people talk... 
They question motives.
They critique sermons they half-heard. 
They assume intentions they never asked about. 
They are looking for excuses to dislike you.

I don’t’ know about you, but in my case when it happens, I’m tempted, deeeeply tempted, to defend myself. To clarify. To explain. To remind them of my education and 30+ years of ministry experience. To point out, kind of politely of course, that they are not exactly flawless either. Like “look who’s talking”… 

Then I remembered a line from Simon Sinek, a public-speaking guru, that hit way too close to home:
“The moment you start defending yourself, you’ve already lost the argument.”

But Scripture says it better.

In Zechariah 3, Satan stands before God accusing Joshua the high priest. 
And here’s the uncomfortable part: 

Joshua’s clothes are filthy. Relevant point.
The accusations aren’t imaginary. Noted. 
The priest is messy. Relatable.

What amazes me is what God doesn’t do.
God doesn’t argue.
God doesn’t explain.
God doesn’t launch a theological TED Talk.
God doesn’t say, “Well actually…”

Instead, God simply says: “The Lord rebuke you, Satan.”
And then He changes Joshua’s clothes.

That’s it. No debate. No defense. No damage control. Just grace and new garments.

Here’s the lesson I keep forgetting:
- You don’t defeat bad-mouthing by mouth-fighting.
- You don’t silence accusations by posting clarifications.
- You don’t win spiritual battles by sharpening comebacks.

God doesn’t argue with accusers. He redeems the accused.

So maybe the most spiritual thing I can do when I am misunderstood isn’t to speak louder, but to trust deeper. To keep serving. To keep growing. To let God handle my reputation while I focus on my character.

Because when God is your defender, silence isn’t surrender. 
It’s faith.
And clean clothes speak louder than explanations.

The Shibbolethization of Our Lives

 

Some passages in Scripture make us uncomfortable. Judges 12 is one of them. But the Bible keeps it there like a mirror we would rather walk past.

After a brutal civil war between Israelite tribes who spoke the same language - but with different accents - the Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan River. These crossings were the only escape routes. Anyone trying to cross had to pass a test - “say Shibboleth.”

The Ephraimites couldn’t pronounce the “sh.” Their accent betrayed them. They said Sibboleth. That single consonant was enough. No trial. No conversation. No mercy. The text says forty-two thousand men died because their tongue slipped on one syllable.

A word became a weapon.

Ancient story? Hardly. We are witnessing the dramatic shibbolethization of our country and of the whole world. Say the wrong phrase about war, politics, immigration, race, religion, economics, etc. or even say the right phrase with the wrong tone and you’re instantly sorted, labeled. Friend or enemy. Safe or dangerous. One-of-ours or one-of-them.

One misplaced syllable and the mob already knows which side of Jordan you belong on.

Meanwhile, while the popular culture consider accents and hashtags, bigger machinery hums quietly in the background. Division isn’t always accidental. Sometimes it’s management strategy.

The Bible describes it with an old name: Babylon - a braided system of power, business, and compromised worship. Noise on the surface, seeking unconditional submission underneath. And a warning of a final loyalty test - a sign or mark that functions like the ultimate shibboleth. An indicator showing who is loyal to the system and who isn’t.

For now, the real danger for believers is not persecution. It’s complacency and distraction. 

We can become experts in worldly passwords - fluent in every cultural shibboleth - while forgetting the church’s main mission.

Let the powers of this age demand their passwords.
Let the serpent hiss his (hissing) “shibboleth.”
Let the beasts roar, bark, and stamp their marks.

But when the moment of ultimate loyalty arrives, Christians answer without any shibboletization:

“Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made” everything in 6 days then He rested in the 7th day. The hallowed one.