Leviticus 24:10-12
The focus of my personal studies over the past two weeks was the Old Testament book of Leviticus. A few chapters before the end of the book, I came upon an account of a young man. This account gave me pause because in that account a woman was named. But why would that give me pause?
Well, throughout the whole book of Leviticus, a total of 10 people were named; 9 of whom were men who were all priests/levites, from the tribe of Levi. They were Moses, Aaron (Moses’ brother), Aaron’s 4 sons, Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and Uzziel’s 2 sons. In the account of the young man, neither he nor his father were named, only his mother Shelomith.
We find this account in Leviticus 24:10-23, but my focus was on verses 10-12. Here is the Amplified Bible’s rendition of the account: Now the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the Israelites, and he and a man of Israel quarreled and strove together in the camp.The Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the Name [of the Lord] and cursed. They brought him to Moses—his mother was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. And they put him in custody until the will of the Lord might be declared to them.
There are various explanations for why it was mentioned that the young man’s father was an Egyptian. The first was to confirm that a mixed multitude came up out of Egypt and that from this mixing strife arose. Another, found in Jewish traditions, claims that this Egyptian, who was the father of the young man, was the Egyptian who Moses had killed in Egypt, for beating another Hebrew. It is said that the Hebrew who was beaten was Shelomith’s husband who had confronted the Egyptian for raping his wife.
Whatever the explanation, this fact remains: a mother lost a son because of his actions during a heated quarrel; actions that led to his death; actions over which Shelomith had no control but would affect her for the rest of her life.
There was no law to address what Shelomith’s son did and, as such, Moses had to seek God to determine the will of the Lord. Can you imagine the agony that Shelomith endured while she awaited the decision on the fate of her son? As a daughter of Abraham, she was taught to accept the will of the Lord, no matter what it may be. But what if God’s will was death? What if she lost her son as a result of his actions?
Like Shelomith, very often we find ourselves victims of the choices of those who have been put in our care or those whom we love; choices for which there is no clear-cut solution in sight. We search God’s law, His word, but can’t seem to find the specific counsel needed for this specific situation. So we lock them away in the deep recesses of our hearts, waiting, living daily with them – our prisoners – an ever present source of pain and torment.
Other women have walked this road. The Bible is filled with accounts of women who faced consequences of their loved one’s unwise choices:
- Dinah, sister of Simeon and Levi (Genesis 34)
- Elisheba, wife of Aaron and mother of Nadab and Abihu (Exodus 6:23; Leviticus 10:1-2)
- Jephthah’s daughter (Judges 11:29-40)
For each of their individual situations, these women had to find ways to cope with and overcome the pain of the loss and pain, resulting from their loved ones choices.
From Shelomith’s story, we see the importance of seeking the will of the Lord when dealing with such situations. You see, the weapon of prayer is not only available to us to wage warfare against the enemy, but also to bring about the revelation of the will of God as it pertains to our life’s journey. Sometimes, the will of the Lord brings us into a place of even more suffering, not because God finds pleasure in our suffering, but because it’s a consequence of our loved ones decisions.
So what do we do when faced with such a challenging situation? When we have ascertained the will of the Lord in that situation,
- Stand in agreement with that which the Lord purposes, then open yourself to receive comfort and wisdom from the Lord God.
- Release yourself from carrying the guilt of the actions of your loved one. “Cast all your cares upon him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
- Be persistent in prayer, continually interceding, for that loved one.
- Wait on the mercy of the Lord.
Dear Father, You see the pain that has burdened my heart because of _____________’s decision. Help me not to be bitter. Help me not to blame You for the consequences that they are facing. Show me your will in this and help me to align my thoughts and feelings with Your will. Be merciful to _______________ and grant me the patience to keep on praying, as I wait on your mercy. Amen
DIG DEEPER:
1. Blog Post – Two Mothers