The priests…make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. They do not teach the difference between clean and unclean things… Ezekiel 22:26 (GNT).
Dictionary.com defines “discernment” as “the faculty of discerning; discrimination; acuteness of judgment and understanding.” It’s a kind of common sense, like seeing dark clouds and grabbing an umbrella before leaving home. And it’s a skill learned from effective parents, teachers and mentors.
Teaching discernment should be a basic requirement for those who claim to teach the ways of God, but the Prophet Ezekiel rebuked the religious leaders for failing to do this. “Your priests violate my teachings and dishonor my holy things. They don’t distinguish between what is holy and what is unholy. They don’t teach the difference between what is clean and what is unclean. They ignore the days to worship me. So I am dishonored among the people” (GWT).
The ancient Middle Eastern poet Rumi, who died in Turkey in 1273, included this line in the Third Book of Masnavi, poetry written in the 13th century: “Fish begin to stink at the head, not the tail.” This idea is, corruption and rottenness start with leadership and work their way down, and not from the grassroots up.
In what may be one of the more heartbreaking verses in the Bible, Hosea 4:6 laments: “my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. ‘Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.'”
If you’re in a position of leadership, do so with integrity and diligence. If you’re a follower, use discernment to make sure you’re following the right people, and that they are taking you in the right path. And how best to know the “distinction between what is holy and what is not”? Have a daily habit of reading the Bible for yourself, and being actively involved in a Bible-teaching church.
S.D.G./S.G.D.