Shibboleth

Shibboleth - testing the "enemy".

The term originates from the Hebrew word "shibbóleth" (שִׁבֹּלֶת), which literally means the part of a plant containing grains, such as an ear of corn or a stalk of grain^[3] or, in different contexts, "stream, torrent".^[4][5]The modern usage derives from an account in the Hebrew Bible, in which pronunciation of this word was used to distinguish Ephraimites, whose dialect lacked a /ʃ/ sound (as in shoe), from Gileadites whose dialect did include such a sound.

In the Book of Judges, chapter 12, after the inhabitants of Gilead inflicted a military defeat upon the tribe of Ephraim (around 1370–1070 BC), the surviving Ephraimites tried to cross the Jordan River back into their home territory and the Gileadites secured the river's fords to stop them. In order to identify and kill these refugees, the Gileadites put each refugee to a simple test:

“	Gilead then cut Ephraim off from the fords of the Jordan, and whenever Ephraimite fugitives said, 'Let me cross,' the men of Gilead would ask, 'Are you an Ephraimite?' If he said, 'No,' they then said, 'Very well, say "Shibboleth" (שבלת).' If anyone said, "Sibboleth" (סבלת), because he could not pronounce it, then they would seize him and kill him by the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand Ephraimites fell on this occasion.	”

Every society has its test questions, not that tough, but real enough.  No exceptions.  In or out.  Liberal or conservative.  On every issue from racism to political preferences to secret handshakes, every society has the "us vs. them" tests.


When we're young, we're naive about that, maybe don't recognize it.  When we're adult, we sense it in advance, and find ways to deal with it.  


As a pastor, I've walked through fields of test questions.  In the 1960s, racism was the big test area.  By the 1970s, patriotism and Viet Nam were the tests.  Adoption, abortion, political conservative/liberal tests occur every day.  Being sophisticated, we learn how to "duck-in-advance" on many of these.  It's the only way to preserve the open conversation.


Do I have strong opinions?  Sure.  Would I like to persuade people to agree with me?  Of course!  Can I do any of that in the first test-question of the relationship?  Never.  Do I slide past the first one with high hopes?  Always!!


Jesus calls us to be "wise as serpents and innocent as doves",  not swept away or pushed along by the current majority opinion in our society, choosing our time to speak, but NEVER being overwhelmed.  Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.  And this is the turf where that is tested.


Today's test questions?  Common knowledge;  we know them, and have decided how to manage them.  The best fighter knows absolutely that the first punch is NOT the battle.  Remember how in Revelation, over and over again, the reward is for "him who conquers".


The moral of the story?  Be strong and keep going in integrity!  God likes that!