Say, “Shibboleth”

Recently I've been reading in the book of Judges. When I came to chapter 12, I was amused by how the Gileadites determined if a traveler was a refuge from Ephraim. They were told to say “Shibboleth”. If they couldn't pronounce it correctly and instead said “Sibboleth”, they “seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time, 42,000 from Ephraim died.” v.6

Forty-two thousand! All because of how they said a word.

As I started thinking about this, I was reminded of another passage: Matthew 7:21-23. Jesus is telling the people that not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven. Many will say, “'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?' Then I will announce to them, 'I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!'” They knew the right word, they just didn't know THE WORD.

I found something interesting in the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary: “Shibboleth, means "a stream"; Sibboleth, "a burden." The Eastern tribe had, it seems, a dialectical provincialism in the sound of Shibboleth; and the Ephraimites could not bring their organs to pronounce it.” The correct pronunciation of the word meant “a stream”. When we submit our life to the Lord, Jesus says, “...the water I give him will become a well of water springing up within him for eternal life.” (John 4:14) However, if said wrong, the word meant “a burden”. Isaiah 53:4 prophesies about Jesus that, “...He Himself bore our sicknesses, and He carried our pains...” When we cannot truly claim Jesus, we have no one to carry our burdens and must have them laid upon our own shoulders.

Notice there was no faking it either? They couldn't say the name correctly unless they were truly sons born of the right region. There is no faking it with God either. Unless we are born again as His children, we can NOT claim the name of Jesus.

How many people around you know that Jesus is Lord, that “...there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we might be saved.” (Acts 4:12), that do many wonderful things in His name, yet do not know Him?

Pray today for the wisdom to recognize these people, even if one of them is yourself. Also, ask Him for guidance in helping them get to truly know the Lord Jesus the Christ.
Pray for them to be able to say “Shibboleth”.