The Forgotten Commandment
Here in the Houston, Texas area, there is a Christian radio station whose motto is “God Listens.” And because God does listen, we need to be paying more attention to what I’m calling the Forgotten Commandment. Which commandment is that? It’s this one: “You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.” This commandment is in both Testaments. Exodus 22:28 says, “You shall not blaspheme God, nor curse a ruler of your people.” We find this repeated in Acts 23:1-5:
Paul, looking steadfastly at the council, said, “Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until today.”
The high priest, Ananias, commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.
Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?”
Those who stood by said, “Do you malign God’s high priest?”
Paul said, “I didn’t know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’
For believers, it gets even harder. It turns out that it’s not just rulers we shouldn’t speak evil of. As believers, we shouldn’t speak evil of anyone, because men are made in the image of God. James puts it this way:
With it [the tongue] we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in the image of God. Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. James 3:9-10
My brothers (AND sisters) I agree with James that these things really ought not to be so, despite what that other political party is doing. So I am doing the only thing I know to do: I am praying Ephesians 4:29 over all of us, that in this very fraught political season we believers will take Ephesians 4:29 to heart and “Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.”
Please agree with me in prayer.
Margot Armer
All scriptures on this page are quoted from the World English Bible (WEB)
