Three nights ago night I promised to share thoughts on the final item of Solomon’s Proverbs 6:16-19 list of ‘things’ that God detests. My apologies for being late with this Part 3; there were unforeseen family needs that took priority.
The last item on Solomon’s numbering of six or seven ‘abominations’ is listed at verse 19b, which reads, “one who stirs up strife among brothers.” To understand this description we should determine what the original Hebrew of the key words mean. Firstly, the Hebrew word (shâlach) rendered ‘stirs up’ here is rendered ‘sows’ in some versions, but it also has the following meanings: to send out, to let go, to extend, to direct, to let loose, to set free, to cast out, to put forth, spread, or stretch out. ‘Strife’is rendered in some versions as ‘discord’, and the Hebrew derivative (medân) has only one additional meaning – ‘contention’. The Hebrew word rendered ‘brothers’ here (or ‘brethren’ in some translations) is from âkh, and does not only mean male relatives who share the same father and / or mother. It more broadly means relatives of either gender, or kindred, or persons of the same tribe. So let’s keep the ‘sisters’ also in mind while we read this Scripture.
The character that Solomon is describing here is one who deliberately does and / or says things intended to cause strife, sow discord or stir up contention between or among ‘kindred’ – including spiritual brothers and sisters. However you paint ‘strife’, it’s the opposite of unity and harmony. The gamut of emotions resulting from strife may run from uneasiness (loss of peace) to fear, hurt, anger, or resentment; and the gamut of reactions to strife may run from avoidance to malice or arguments, quarrelling or physical fights and their various possible outcomes. Both men and women, boys and girls, are susceptible to being stirred up toward strife. The hot tempered may react differently from the mild-mannered, but both can be affected. As my friend Pastor Rawle would say, “Not good!”
As the various definitions of the Hebrew word medân suggest, strife can be stirred up by words (or actions* – for example even body language) sown like seeds, sent out (perhaps through gossip), cast/thrown out like bait, let loose instead of discreetly silenced, spread around, directed/targeted, stretched out (exaggerated or prolonged). This refers to deliberate mischievous action, not innocent remarks or actions perceived as offences by overly sensitive persons who easily ‘take’ offence. Neither does it refer to words spoken or actions taken in careful obedience to the conflict resolution guidance of Matthew 18:15-17.
[It took me a while to think of an example of specific actions that could stir up strife; then the Holy Spirit reminded me of an incident from when I was about 17. I had a boyfriend, but soon it seemed to me that the relationship was getting too ‘heavy’ for my age, and I broke it off. No sooner had that happened than his brother invited me to a movie. We had all been friends together in a group anyway, so I accepted the invitation without much thought. When I got home, my Dad called me into his room and delivered a stern lecture, pointing out the seriousness of what I had done – I had carelessly risked stirring up strife between two brothers!]
Now let’s address the question of why strife-mongering is so detestable to The LORD. I believe it is because God wants above all to bless us and to protect us from evil. Strife-mongering not only hinders His blessings but also plays into the hands of His enemy – our adversary, the devil. Let’s examine God’s words in the following Scriptures:
Psalm 133:1-3 (Amplified Bible) says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity! 2. It is like the precious oil [of consecration] poured on the head, coming down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron, coming down upon the edge of his [priestly] robes [consecrating the whole body]. 3. It is like the dew of [Mount] Hermon coming down on the hills of Zion; for there the Lord has commanded the blessing: life forevermore.”
God wants to pour down blessings on us, His children (the brothers and sisters brought into His family through Yeshua the Messiah/ Jesus the Christ). He wants to pour them down as copiously as He pours down the famous dew on Mount Hermon[1], which flows on down to water the mountains of Zion. He wants to pour the blessings down with as much divine anointing as the consecrated oil symbolized, when it was poured down on Aaron’s head, to flow down over his whole body.” Notice how the word ‘down’ is being repeated, bringing to mind “every good and perfect gift coming down from the Father” (James 1:17) and not just pooling on the head but flowing on down to anoint and bless the whole body. However, from the first verse of Psalm 133:1 we learn of one prerequisite for the pouring down of Gods blessing: brethren dwelling together in unity.
Knowing these facts, while God wants to bless us, the devil wants to rob us of the opportunity to be blessed – to even kill us individually if he can, and to destroy the family of God. John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly!” (Who are the ‘they’? From the context, John 10:1-18, they are those who follow Yeshua and whom He brings into the family of God – those brothers and sisters who come into the family through Yeshua’s having laid down His life for them.)
1 Peter 5:8-9 says, “Stay alert! Watch out! Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, searching for someone to devour. Stand up against him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being laid upon your brothers and sisters throughout the world.”
Galatians 5, which lists ‘strife’ as a work on the flesh (verse 20), also warns at verse 15, “If you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not destroyed by one another.” In other words, don’t aid and abet the devil in his devouring, destructive attacks on God’s family – your brothers and sisters – by the sin of stirring up strife.
Indeed, one of the devil’s strategies is to bring forward accusations against God’s people. In fact, the word ‘satan’ means ‘accuser’ as well as ‘adversary’. Zechariah 3:1 says, “Then he showed me Joshua the kohen gadol (high priest) standing before the angel of Adonai and the satan (the accuser, the adversary), standing at his right hand to accuse him.” (This scenario shows the devil personally appearing before God to deliver an indictment against God’s servant, but on earth satan would have launched the accusations through the mouths of people who deliberately or ignorantly lent him their voices.)
Psalm 133 speaks of unity among brethren. As one final consideration, let me quote from Asher Intrater’s comments on Yeshua’s famous John 17 prayer for unity in His Body: “The reference to our becoming ‘One’ in Him is found 5 times in John 17, while the reference to Yeshua’s glory or our being glorified in Him is found 8 times. … There is a difference between union and unity. Yeshua’s primary prayer is for us to become ‘One’ with Him and the Father. It is a prayer for our union with God. Certainly if we become one with God, we will become one with one another. However the union with God takes precedence over our unity with one another.”
Considering all of the above, we may now need to make yet another resolution for the rest of 2021, and I suggest this. Let us resolve to abstain from advancing satan’s agenda by stirring up strife among our brethren. Let us resolve to ask the Holy Spirit to help us to bridle our tongues, and grant more self control (Spirit-led control) over not only our words but also over any of our actions which could cause strife (since actions can speak louder than words). Let us resolve to become blessed peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) and also peace keepers (as much as it depends on us – Romans 12:18). These resolutions may require daily prayer, in order for these fruit of the Spirit to grow and develop till they become ‘second nature’ in our lives.
Then all heaven will rejoice, as a prelude to Revelation 12:10 which says, “Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, ‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Anointed One, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters—the one who accuses them before our God day and night — has been thrown out.'”
So let it be! Help us Father, to grow in these graces as 2021 progresses, in Yeshua’s Name I pray, amen!
[1] See https://engediresourcecenter.com/2015/07/02/tal-the-dew-of-unity/
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