Do Not Curse the Deaf
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is an obscure verse found in the pages of Leviticus.
While many people avoid Leviticus, the writings have rich meanings to us today. As the Old Testament was the schoolmaster to get the children of God to the New Testament and the Sacrifice of Jesus, it is full of knowledge which is there for our learning.
Through the pages of the ancient text, we see the story of God’s people unfolding. We read of the good times, the bad times, the prosperous times, the more times and much more. The story of God’s people wondering from Eden to the Promised Land and beyond are a treasure to read.
The verse I mention today is not known by many. It has been read many times during daily Bible readings but just gleaned over. The verse is often overlooked because it is in the Old Testament, and we may not think it has application today. However, let’s look together.
“You shall not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block before the blind, but you shall fear your God: I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19.14; ESV)
Consider this: if you curse a deaf person, will he even hear it?
The answer is, “No.”
Leviticus 19.14 is a relationship verse. It is our relationship to God and our relationship to each other. Clearly, a deaf person will not hear a curse from your lips, but the Lord will. The Lord will see when you do not respect your fellow man and when you are not doing what is right before Him. Our words regarding others when they are not around are nothing more than a reflection of our hearts. I submit our words reflect our relationship with the Lord.
God is clear in His word about how we are to treat others. Gossiping and speaking behind other’s backs does nothing but fuel the fires of negativity and destroys everything. Yes, I said everything. Each of us knows relationships which have been destroyed because of gossip and backbiting. I am sure some can name families that have split, marriages divided, and congregations destroyed over gossip and backstabbing. Even King Solomon knew this when he said, “For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases” (Proverbs 26.20; ESV)
Questions for a lifetime:
- Each day, do you spend more time talking about people or to people?
- When you pray, do you spend more time praying about others or more time praying for others?
- Do you tear people down with gossip or build them up with exhortation? (Remember, a “true friends say nice things behind your back.”)
Just some thoughts,
