New Vocabulary, Old Problem
Well, I learned a new word last week, thanks to my husband.
We sat quietly on the back porch of our vacation rental, each one of us engrossed in a good book. Never the one for light reading on vacation, he was poring over the pages of Revolution by Eric Metaxas. Out of the blue, he broke the silence with this jewel: “Metaxas refers to John Hancock as ‘a rebellious jackanapes.’”
Just the sound of “jackanapes” made me burst out laughing! Then we both scrambled to find the definition and make sure we could even repeat the word in polite company and around children!
Turns out, a “jackanapes” is defined as a rude, conceited, impertinent person who’s troublesome and mischievous. It’s akin to what we might call a “rascal.” It’s not a cuss word, but it’s far from a compliment.
I don’t think it would be much of a stretch to think of God’s people as described in Ezekiel 2 as being “jackanapes-ish.” God Himself used some pretty unflattering language when He referred to them – words like “rebellious,” “obstinate,” “stubborn,” “in revolt,” and – here’s a harsh list – “briars, thorns, and scorpions.”
Why the reprimand? God doesn’t give a dressing-down like that unless it’s well-deserved.
He had sent prophet after prophet to His people to remind them of the covenant between them and Him and to give them a heads-up that His patience was wearing thin with their arrogance and rebellion. He had promised blessings under the umbrella of obedience but had warned them of the consequences they would face if they opted to go their own way and refused to course-correct. They were precariously close to suffering those consequences.
Some of those faithful prophets sent by the Lord were simply ignored. Others were martyred. God’s own people were so opposed to the truth, they were willing to stain their hands with the blood of His messengers rather than humble themselves and turn from their sin. Faithful men offered God’s gift of repentance, and time and time again, that gift was refused.
When we choose to go our own way, feigning ignorance of God’s plans for us just doesn’t fly. He throws up roadblocks. He sends loved ones to speak truth into our lives. He pleads with us from the pages of Scripture. And we decide – will we turn back to follow Him or will we continue to follow the deceitful inclinations of our own dark hearts?
Where are you teetering on the brink of disobedience? God is calling to you and reaching out His strong hands to pull you back from the edge. Don’t be arrogant, stubborn, and rebellious in the face of His offer to rescue you.
This broken world needs one more humble, faithful man of God, woman of God, child of God – not another jackanapes. When you get to the fork in the road, which way will you choose?
