Musing – “I’ll play it safe and just go along with it”

Hebraic Musing – “I’ll play it safe and just go along with it”

But God is weighing our hearts according to Proverbs 24:12.  If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?  Does not he who guards your life know it?  Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

Do we find ourselves shrinking from action, from doing something, because…no one else is doing it; I was told not to do it, I might get hurt, etc.   OR  I find myself doing something because…everyone else is doing it, I was told to do it, the new laws say it is okay.   And then we do or don’t do despite what our heart and the Holy Spirit are telling us to do, or not do.

The defense used by Nazis and many citizens was that they were “only following orders.”  That excuse did not prevent or justify the murder of millions of innocent men, women, and children.  Those people knew what they were doing and should have known in their hearts it was wrong.

We all face pressures to do things, or support things, that we know to be wrong.  What to do?   We can yield to pressure by being silent, going along, avoid trouble with the law, save our own neck, keep our job, etc.   How many injustices do we witness that we say or do nothing about?

Solomon warned us: “If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?”  God is weighing each heart.  This verse declares that it is not OK to turn the other way when we know something wrong is going on.  Whether it’s happening in our neighborhood, our office, school classroom, or halfway around the world, we cannot say, “We did not know, and so we did not act.”  God knows if we know, and He expects us to act, to take a stand.

There is a thought process that goes “if no one else is taking care of this problem, why should we do anything?”  It doesn’t matter if no one else is standing up for what is just and right, remember that God expects more from us. He expects us to take action even if we are the only ones doing so.

Another attitude taken by many is that there is nothing they can do. How can one person solve the world’s problems?  But, there is always something we can do.  We can take the first step.  Who knows who is watching or who will be inspired by our actions?  In any case, we will be held accountable by God for what we do; not for what someone else did or did not do.  Remember what Jesus said in red letters – “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matt 5:10

Rabbi Eckstein expounded:  “One way to understand these verses is that we will be held accountable for the evil others have done if we knew about it and did nothing. (Does this sound like the “Watchman’s responsibility” in Ezekiel 33?)  But there is another way to understand the verse. When we stand up for what’s right, it’s scary. We may pay a price for doing so by losing friends, money, or perhaps our reputation. However, God will ‘repay everyone according to what they have done.’ God will reward us for our moral clarity and willingness to act.”

Points to ponder

How many injustices have we witnessed recently?

Recall two recent “Musings”- “I will not be Silent” and “The Privilege of Serving God”
Did they also call us to do what is right regardless of…?

We can always pray, but is that a substitute for action?

God knows our heart, so when He weighs our heart, what will He conclude?

“Stand firm”

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                                   October 11, 2016