I am reading Ezekiel at the moment and was struck by an instruction, or exhortation, that is repeated in two chapters. The expression used is: “…. nor be dismayed at their looks” (Ezekiel 2:6; 3:9 – ESV). I needed to consider for a while what this might mean, and came to the conclusion that it is referring to intimidation. The Message Bible version actually uses this word in the instance in chapter three.
Awe
This made me consider the idea of intimidation. Dictionary.com gives two definitions for this word, the first being: ‘the act of inducing fear or awe’. This begs the question of whether it is ever appropriate to succumb to this type of intimidation – what do you think, is it?
It seems to me that the answer, for us as men and women of God, should be ‘No’, with one obvious exception – we must surely be intimidated by God himself. Not, of course, out of fear of punishment, but rather from the sense of awe that any contact with God, or his wonderful creation, must surely elicit. When we stand in his presence, we need to be conscious of our place; intimidation then is nothing but appropriate. It is a recognition of fact, in contrast to when we are in the presence of another human being. Our fellow man is no better than us in the eyes of God, and we should not allow them to discourage us from fulfilling God’s calling and purpose upon our lives.
Fear
There is, however, a second definition of intimidate, which is: ‘the act or process of attempting to force or deter an action by inducing fear’. This points us to the teaching in the New Testament about submission to rulers and authorities – see Romans 13:1-4; 1 Peter 2:13-17. If we are inclined not to follow legitimate rules or laws set by governments, then we should indeed be intimidated, recognising that such transgression is not sanctioned by God, and is liable to result in our being called to account by the human justice system, and made to endure an appropriate punishment as a consequence. This is a legitimate form of intimidation, but there is, of course, another type. This is where someone seeks to gain a certain advantage by some form of threat or consequence. I cannot think of any situation where this form of intimidation is ever legitimate. Such activity is designed to cause us to act differently from how we believe we should, or at least how we wish to act. This seems to be what the verses in Ezekiel are relating to.
Inferiority
Let’s think about how intimidation works at a day-to-day level. We might feel influenced by someone’s status, as indicated even by something as basic as how they dress. They may be academically qualified in a way that we aren’t. They may have a political position, a legal one or a medical one that sets them apart from us. They may function at a higher organisational level. It might simply be that their occupation entails wearing a uniform. All of these things are capable of causing us to feel intimidated, to give us a sense of inferiority. I recall hearing from someone who felt seriously intimidated when they visited a family member who was in intensive care in a hospital. All the tubes and monitoring equipment caused them to feel helpless and out of place; it was an alien and intimidating environment that suppressed their sense of spiritual reality, of God being in control.
Subtelty
Some people use intimidation to get their own way, whether at a personal level or on behalf of a commercial, political or religious entity. Sometimes this is done in an explicit way, by direct threat, but other times quite subtly. On my morning walk today, I noticed a school bus with some markings that were of the subtle type. Initially, I saw the name of the bus company, with the word PRIDE in large letters below. My first thought was that this referred to pride in the company and the service that they delivered. However, other wording came to my notice which proclaimed ‘Love Wins’. This confirmed that the message was intended as part of an intimidation campaign to encourage people to accept sexual deviancy as normal and positive.
Intention
We may argue with the very idea of pride, which is taught against in various biblical passages – see James 4:6. But the slogan: ‘Love Wins’ takes a little more consideration. Surely, love is a good thing, isn’t it? Certainly, it is spoken of as being hugely important in the New Testament. Who can possibly argue with ‘Love Wins’?
To start with, we need to think about what ‘Wins’ means – what is it going to win? The intention, of course, is the hearts and minds of those reading the slogan. But it is also putting out the idea that we must accept abnormal relationships because they entail love between the partners involved. No doubt there can be genuine affection entailed, but this is misplaced, a distortion from God’s perfect plan for human relationships – see Mark 7:21-23. Just as such deviant behaviour entails misuse of the body, so such ‘love’ entails a misapplication of the human affections.
God’s way
We can see that, whilst intimidation can be blatant, it can also be quite subtle, but it is intimidation nonetheless. The message is that we have to recognise, go along with and ultimately embrace what the intimidation seeks to achieve. However, as Christians, we should not allow ourselves to be intimidated. We need to consider what God has to say on any specific matter and embrace that fully. In the case above, the Bible is very clear.
The Body
Within the Church, there is no place for intimidation. This is something that we see evidenced within religious institutions, but that is not what the Church is – the Church is the body of Christ, an entirely spiritual entity that is made up exclusively of those who have been born again of the Spirit of God. Here, the rules and practices that belong to this world have no place; God’s order applies, his rules and no one else’s. See Mark 9:35 and Matthew 20:16 (and 19:30). This said, we must recognise that we are likened to a body and, just as there is order within the human frame, so there needs to be order within the local church. We are not a shapeless entity with each part acting as it wills.
Pattern
And, if there is to be order, then there must be deference – we must be willing to acknowledge each other’s gifts and callings, and to submit to one another. This has nothing to do with intimidation by man, but a recognition of the pattern that God has set in place, and of each other’s place within that pattern. I often quote that we are all a work in progress, sinful human beings who are seeking to live righteously but needing time to learn what that entails. This applies to every one of us, from those who appear to be greatest to those who feel that they are least. God’s plan and pattern are perfect, but these are worked out by imperfect human beings.
Submission
Let’s not allow ourselves to be intimidated by one another, and certainly not permit ourselves to intimidate others – God does not approve of either. His pattern is one of mutual submission – see Ephesians 5:21; Philippians 2:3,4; 1 Peter 5:5; Galatians 5:13.
.