Feb
4
Written by:
Route 365
2/4/2010 5:00 AM
by Jason Knapp
Biography
Hi, my name is Jason Knapp. My wife, Amanda, and I have been attending Browncroft since 2000, and I’ve been involved with leading community groups since we came here. We have two children, Emma (8) and Owen (2).
Reflection
When outraged, people say and do unwise things. With their blood boiling, the Israelites pledged to effectively wipe out the tribe of Benjamin, first by killing many of them and then by denying them brides to continue their line. Once the Israelites settled down, clarity set in…they’d be short an entire tribe of Israel because of their rash words.
As a parent of small children, I’m well aware of the power of words. Our son can be in a crowd of people, and it seems that if one inappropriate word is spoken, that’s the one he hears and repeats. Our daughter might not be able to remember what we asked her to do 10 seconds ago, but she can remember that she was promised something a year ago and never received it. God is the same, and the Israelites knew it. They had made vows before God, and He would remember them. How painful that realization must have been. The Israelites knew that they had to stick to their word, but they also knew what that would mean to the tribe of Benjamin. God opened their eyes to an out. It would still mean the end of a small group of people, but that could be seen as retribution for not coming to Mizpah. They also found a loophole in their vow (you could steal a wife, which isn’t the same as being given one). Israel still paid a steep price for its foolish promise, but it was not as high as it could have been.
How about you? Do you choose words carefully, or do they sometimes trap you? Have you had a high price to pay for words you’ve spoken in haste?
A fellow traveler,
Jason
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