The church is seeking a way forward to meet the changes in a different world. One thing that I believe the church would be wise to address the sin of ‘reproach’ that is increasing in the world. It continues through every change that has taken place over thousands of years.

I see it as part of ‘fresh’ and ‘refresh’ the Church.

The Lord has brought this to my own personal attention to remove the sin of reproach from my life, and I have brought my reproach to the cross where Jesus bore the sin of reproach and God has rolled the sin of reproach away from me. Praise the Lord!

Reproach means – a person is holding in their heart:  blame, censure, scorn, anger, resentment, and disapproval against another person or against you.

Indignation leads to reproach.

‘Reproach’ in the Bible is where we read Cain slew his brother Abel because Abel’s offering of a lamb  was favoured by God. Whereas, Cain who followed in his father’s footsteps looking after the land, his offering of fruit was not favoured by God. Cain’s indignation grew to reproaching his brother so much that he killed him. [1]

The Egyptians were indignant towards the Hebrew people, I understand it stemmed from the days of Jacob and his sons receiving aid when there was famine in Canaan. Joseph Jacob’s youngest son became Pharaoh’s Governor over Egypt and in due course invited Jacob and his sons to become residents in Egypt. [2]

The Hebrew people grew in number and the native Egyptians under a new King took the upper hand and exploited them, making them their slaves.

Moses was called by God to ask Pharaoh to let the Hebrew people go to worship their God in the wilderness for three days. Moses is described as a meek man, and in his meekness, he described himself as a man of uncircumcised lips; his brother Aaron gave God’s message to Pharaoh. [3]

After every request Pharaoh refused to let them go. A series of plagues came upon the Egyptians, until the tenth plague, which was the last plague in God’s attempt to persuade Pharaoh to let the Hebrew people leave Egypt. [4]

The Lord would pass over each home of the Egyptians and Israelites and if the Lord saw the blood of the lamb, the destroyer would pass over that house, but if there was no blood seen by the Lord, the first-born man and beast would die.

After the night when the Egyptian first-born man and beast died, Pharaoh decided to let the Israelites go and the Egyptians gave them gold and silver to leave.

But soon afterwards the Egyptians were filled with indignation towards them. From the Egyptian’s indignation it escalated to reproach. In their anger and resentment Pharaoh pursued the Israelites, with the aim to capture and return them into Egyptian slavery.

Many Israelites were afraid, when they saw Pharaoh’s army in the distance drawing nearer and when they reached the Red Sea, Moses was instructed by God, to use the rod and as he held it above the water the sea began to separate, and the Israelites walked across on the dry seabed. 600,000 people were saved from Pharaoh’s pursuing army. When Pharaoh’s army started to cross on the seabed, the water began to flow, and their chariots got stuck in the sand and the army were drowned. [5]

God had legally released the Hebrews, when Pharaoh ‘let the people go.’ God had defeated all the Egyptian gods and Pharaoh who had made himself the supreme god of Egypt. God had set Israel free through the Passover lamb’s blood being brushed on the doorposts and lintels of their homes in Egypt.[6]

The Egyptians continued to reproach Israel until Israel reached the Promised Land, Joshua was instructed by God (to fulfil God’s covenant with Abraham) to circumcise the boys born during the wilderness journey and as a result: the manna ceased, and they ate the produce of the land and God removed Egypt’s reproach from Israel. [7]

The Lord said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you. And so, the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.” Gilgal (name meaning ‘rolling’).

Jesus disarmed his disciple’s indignation that would have led to the reproach of Mary of Bethany.

Jesus and his disciples called on Lazarus and his sister Mary and Martha at Bethany. They shared a meal together and while they were eating their meal Mary went to where Jesus was sitting and anointed his head and feet. We read that the disciples were filled with indignation. Jesus disarmed their indignation by saying, ‘Mary has done a beautiful thing to me.”

To stop their indignation turning to reproach. Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” [9]

Where we are holding reproach against someone.

Every person can hold something against someone else, without realising it is a sin of reproach. To refresh the church perhaps like me, other Christians would seek to repent of their reproach against someone or bring to the cross the reproach that they have experienced from others.

Paul in his letter to Timothy wrote, “Moreover, He (Bishop) must be well thought of by outsiders or he may fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”[10]

Paul’s letter to the Romans he wrote, “For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached thee fell on me.”[11]

On the cross Jesus bore every sin of ‘reproach’ so a Christian on their journey with Christ can realise this sin has been dealt with on the cross and in Jesus’ resurrection set free from the reproach of someone holding something against us. It is simply rolled away, like the stone was rolled away from the entrance of the tomb.

We bring our sin of reproach in prayer to the cross where Jesus bore it, and say sorry to God, “ Father God, please forgive me my sin of reproach against________ I am truly sorry, and I repent of my sin. In Jesus’ name Amen.

Giving thanks because we believe that God in his love and mercy has forgiven our sin in Jesus’ resurrection and will release the person from our reproach. [12]

People’s reproach against us will hinder our tasks for the Lord.

The sin of reproach against us:

“Lord Jesus, we pray that this sin of reproach that this person _____ is holding against us, we bring it to the cross, where Jesus bore the sin of reproach, and in Jesus’ resurrection God has rolled away that reproach from us, like the stone that was rolled away from the entrance to the tomb. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Thank you, Lord, that we are accepted by God through faith in Jesus. Help us Lord, to walk above reproach, to love others as we would want others to love us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

What does it mean to be ‘above reproach?’

‘Above reproach’ is a legal word that indicates a kind of innocence in the eyes of the law. It means that no one can legitimately rebuke you or make any charges against you that will stick. They may accuse, but your conduct will eventually acquit you by proving you blameless, ‘above reproach.’

Your life is so consistent that your reputation is credible, and you do not discredit the gospel by teaching one thing while doing another.

Daily Prayer

Praying that the Holy Spirit would help us identify any sin of reproach in our life wherever it exists and to quickly put that sin to death.

Praying that we would diligently pursue personal holiness by and through the gospel.

Praying that we would be and remain blameless in God’s eyes and in the eyes of every person. Make our conduct match our profession so our lives do not display a trace of hypocrisy.

Praying that when we sin, we would be quick to seek the forgiveness of both God and our brothers and sisters.

Praying that if we are accused of sin or evil, we would be able to be found innocent, without reproach, blameless in God’s eyes.

Paul emphasises in his letters to the church at Thessalonica to be found ‘blameless,’ without reproach at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul in his letter to the church at Thessalonica wrote, “May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless (without reproach) at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 23. 2: 10. 3: 13.

After posting this blog on Saturday 8th May. Sunday 9th St Andrews Morning Service on Zoom during the second song the Lord gave me a picture: seeing Jesus close to on the cross,  and rising up seeing the empty cross, filled me with great joy.

[1] Genesis 4: 1-16.

[2] Genesis Chapters 39-47

[3] Exodus 6: 30.

[4] Exodus 11: 1.

[5] Exodus 1: 8-14. 12: 29-36. 14: 5-31.

[6] Exodus 12: 12, 13, 21-23

[7] Joshua 5: 5-9

[8] John 3: 16. Acts 2: 23. Luke 24: 44-46. Blog ‘34 Prophesies Fulfilled in One Day’ 2014.

[9] Matthew 26: 6-13.

[10] 1 Timothy 3: 7.

[11] Romans 15: 3

[12] 1 John 1: 7,8.