What is an insult? How would you describe it? We all know that an insult is not a nice thing. If we have been insulted, we often feel bad and offended. I am sure we all, at some point in our lives, have been insulted. Think back, how did you react? Perhaps you may have insulted someone else, whether intentionally or unintentionally. How did you feel when you saw the other person feeling badly?
Although we are all familiar with the word and its negative connotation, I will seek to define it more exactly so that we can consider it more seriously when we apply it to our spiritual life.
An insult is to speak or treat someone with disrespect or scornful abuse.
Why do people insult? It is sometimes as an attempt to reduce the social status of the recipient and raise the relative status of the insulter, to deeply humiliate or wound one’s feelings and arouse them to anger. Thus, when anger is aroused, insults can be retaliated back and forth. Unconverted people have been known to get angry at times and argue and be very insulting to each other.
It can also be to exult contemptuously when one has won the victory. Such as in a large-scale battle or a mere argument in the home. Its purpose is to offend or demean the recipient.
Simply put, it is an act that injures another’s honour or self-respect; contemptuous treatment toward one who is entitled to respect.
The word insult originated in the mid-16th century from the Latin word: insultare which literally translates to mean: “jump or trample on.” It is made up of the prefix in-, meaning “on, upon,” and a form of the verb salire “to leap”
I would like us to keep this original meaning in mind when read through this article. Ask yourself, would you insult, (jump on or trample on) God?
Many people in the world—such as Atheists, have no shame in insulting the name of God. They claim to not believe in Him, and thus have no issues in insulting His name.
Many Christians and non-Christians take His name in vain, and this is an insult to Him. They use His name in a common fashion when they are angry, surprised, or frustrated. They unthinkingly use His name as a common word. Often when they take His name in vain, it is not a good situation—it is at a time when they are upset, things are going wrong, or someone else has insulted them.
“Those who are brought into covenant relation with God are pledged to speak of Him in the most respectful, reverential manner. Many refer to God and mention His name in their religious conversation much as they would mention a horse or any other common creature. This dishonors God.” –Sermons and Talks, vol, 2. p. 185. “By the thoughtless mention of God in common conversation, by appeals to Him in trivial matters, and by the frequent and thoughtless repetition of His name, we dishonor Him.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 306–307
In the Bible we have examples of those who insulted God, such as the Assyrian general in the time of Hezekiah “Thus saith the king, Let not Hezekiah deceive you: for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand: Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, The LORD will surely deliver us.” 2 Kings 18:29–30. The result was not a good one for the enemies of God’s people. “And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.” 2 Kings 19:35
King Saul started out as a good man. He was a worshipper of the true God, but he fell away and insulted God. “Saul had had the most ample proof that Samuel was divinely inspired. His venturing to disregard the command of God through the prophet was against the dictates of reason and sound judgment. His fatal presumption must be attributed to satanic sorcery. Saul had manifested great zeal in suppressing idolatry and witchcraft; yet in his disobedience to the divine command he had been actuated by the same spirit of opposition to God and had been as really inspired by Satan as are those who practice sorcery; and when reproved, he had added stubbornness to rebellion. He could have offered no greater insult to the Spirit of God had he openly united with idolaters.” –Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 635. It all began with him not regarding the command of God, as brought to him through the prophet.
And here is a serious warning we can take from the example of King Saul. “It is a perilous step to slight the reproofs and warnings of God’s word or of His Spirit. Many, like Saul, yield to temptation until they become blind to the true character of sin. They flatter themselves that they have had some good object in view, and have done no wrong in departing from the Lord’s requirements. Thus they do despite to the Spirit of grace, until its voice is no longer heard, and they are left to the delusions which they have chosen.” –Ibid. In the end they are so deceived that they think they are doing good, but in reality, they are departing from the Lord’s requirements and thus insult the Lord.
King David, who was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), was not perfect. Sadly he made a serious mistake near the end of his life. “It was an insult to God when David numbered Israel. God’s rebuke rested upon him, for he made himself as God, as though he could tell the strength of the armies of Israel by their numbers.” –Christ Triumphant, p. 152
Punishment followed swiftly and David sincerely repented of his presumption. Well-meaning, faithful people may make mistakes also, unthinkingly, and insult God. For this reason we must consult God in every decision we make in life and not act on impulse. Keep that connection with heaven strong every moment.
Who was insulting the Apostle Paul? “The contempt and insult that he received from the Jews, caused him great anguish of spirit.” –The Acts of the Apostles, p. 250. Clearly it was from those who claimed to be the followers of the Lord at that time. Christians are not exempt from this temptation.
Some people in the world get angry with God if things do not go their way. People without Christ defy and insult God with no remorse. As followers of Christ today, would you or I insult God? I hope we can all emphatically answer, “No!” And I am sure none of us would ever do so purposely. However, there are some lifestyle practices that are actually an insult to God; practices we may not have considered as being that serious, but they are an offense and an insult to God.
Read through the following statements prayerfully and thoughtfully, and examine yourself to make sure you are not harbouring some practices that would insult your Maker. When you read the word “insult” think of the word “jump on or trample on” as the original translation of the word was.
“Those who bring their petitions to God, claiming His promise while they do not comply with the conditions, insult Jehovah. They bring the name of Christ as their authority for the fulfillment of the promise, but they do not those things that would show faith in Christ and love for Him.” –Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 143
What are the conditions, mentioned in the statement above? It is not simply the keeping of the Ten Commandments in letter, but it is the keeping of the Law also in spirit, as we shall see.
First of all, how do you treat the leaders in your church? Those who speak and preach every week and are called to lead His flock? If you speak or think negatively of them, you are on dangerous ground.
Some have gone to other churches because they seem to have more dynamic preachers than some of the simple speakers in God’s church. These people claim to receive a greater blessing. “We offer insult to the Prince of life, and put Him to shame before the synagogue of Satan and before the heavenly universe when we refuse to listen to His delegated messengers, and instead listen to the agents of Satan, who would draw the soul away from Christ.” –The Desire of Ages, p. 324. The reality is that many of these so-called dynamic preachers have been educated in the art of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). If you do not know what this is, go and do some research. The speakers whom God uses are those who are simple and straightforward.
“It is hardly possible for men to offer greater insult to
God than to despise and reject the instrumentalities He would use for their salvation.” –Conflict and Courage, p. 108. Following this quote, is given the example of Korah, Dathan and Abiram who refused to support Moses, and then of Lucifer who complained of the government of God and sought to overthrow the order of it as established in heaven. To reject or complain and speak negatively about God’s chosen leaders, speakers, or workers, and not support them is an insult to God. “It is not the instrument whom you slight and insult, but God, who has spoken to you in these warnings and reproofs. It is hardly possible for men to offer a greater insult to God than to despise and reject the instrumentalities that He has appointed to lead them.” –Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5 p. 680
If we keep in mind the definition of insult of, “to trample on”, consider before speaking negatively of any leader in the church. God has put them there and when you speak negatively of them, you insult God. You doubt His wisdom in the choice He made of a leader.
What about your own self? God created man in His own image and it is an insult to Him, when man defaces the image that he was created in. This leads to many health destroying habits, the main one being diet. However, there are other aspects to consider also, such as lack of sleep and exercise, but we will consider a few quotes regarding diet here.
“They indulge the depraved appetite in the use of slow poisons, which corrupt the blood, and undermine the nervous forces, and in consequence bring upon themselves sickness and death. . . In this they insult Heaven. They rebelled against the laws of nature, and suffered the punishment of her abused laws.” –Christian Education, p. 11. What is “slow poison”? One that takes your life and health away from you slowly and imperceptibly, and this is done by deviating from the laws of health given by God, even if in a very small proportion.
“Man should estimate himself by the price which has been paid for him. When he places this value upon himself, he will not knowingly abuse one of his physical or mental faculties. It is an insult to the God of heaven for man to abuse his precious powers by placing himself under the control of Satanic agencies, and besotting himself by indulging in that which is ruinous to health, to piety, and to spirituality.” –Conflict and Courage, p. 35
Stop and think. Before putting that food in your mouth. Ask yourself, is it beneficial or is it detrimental, only to satisfy my depraved taste buds for a few moments in time? Will it strengthen me to the glory of God? Or am I trampling on God by not caring that this little indulgence will have a negative effect on my health, even if ever so slightly?
Here is another serious matter to consider for the entire church. It is not individual in nature. “The names of those who sin and refuse to repent should not be retained on the church books, lest the saints be held accountable for their evil deeds. Those who pursue a course of transgression should be visited and labored with, and if they then refuse to repent, they should be separated from church fellowship, in accordance with the rules laid down in the Word of God. . . .
“Who, after reading the record of Achan’s sin and punishment, can think it according to the will of God that those who do wickedly, refusing to repent, are to be retained in the church? To retain them would be an insult to the God of heaven.” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1096. Names are often left on the church record, with the thought of this being merciful to the sinner. Yes, God has patience and is very longsuffering and He asks us to do the same since we are all sinners. However, when one chooses to “do wickedly, refusing to repent” and continues living in open sin, violating their baptismal vows, they should be let go to follow the course of their own decision. Prayer should be made for them continually, as there is still an open door for them to return. We must not insult God in heaven by not doing our duty as a church as outlined in Matthew 18.
Another way Christians insult God is through their unwillingness to help the poor. They keep all their material wealth for themselves as though it were their own to use as they choose—a result of their own hard labour. “The reason why God has permitted some of the human family to be so rich and some so poor will remain a mystery to men till eternity, unless they enter into right relations with God and carry out His plans, instead of acting on their own selfish ideas that because a man is rich he is to be more highly respected than his poor neighbor. God makes His sun to shine on the just and on the unjust, and this sun represents Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, who shines as the light of the world, giving His blessings and mercies, seen and unseen, to rich and poor alike. This principle is to guide our conduct toward our fellowmen. . . . It is the highest insult to God’s goodness to doubt whether He would be willing for us to impart to others the blessings, spiritual and temporal, which He has freely given us.” –Testimonies to Ministers, p. 280
And what about missionary work? What are you doing for the salvation of sinners? Are you keeping yourself locked up in the confines of your own home; keeping your light to yourself? Then you are sadly insulting (trampling on) God. “For the conversion of one sinner the minister should tax his resources to the utmost. . . . And if Christ left the ninety and nine that He might seek and save one lost sheep, can we be justified in doing less? Is not a neglect to work as Christ worked, to sacrifice as He sacrificed, a betrayal of sacred trusts, an insult to God?” –The Acts of the Apostles, p. 370
“Every soul is to minister. He is to use every physical, moral, and mental power, through sanctification of the Spirit, that he may be a laborer together with God. All are bound to devote themselves actively and unreservedly to God’s service. They are to cooperate with Jesus Christ in the great work of helping others. . . . All are not called upon to enter the ministry, but nevertheless, they are to minister. It is an insult to the Holy Spirit of God for any man to choose a life of self-serving.” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1159
And here is the greatest insult: “The greatest insult we can inflict upon Him, is to pretend to be His disciples while manifesting the spirit of Satan in our words, our dispositions and our actions. It does not behoove those from whom Jesus has so much to bear, in their failings and perversity, to be ever mindful of slights and real or imaginary offense. And yet there are those who are ever suspecting the motives of others about them. They see offense and slights where no such thing was intended. All this is Satan’s work in the human heart. The heart filled with that love which thinketh no evil will not be on the watch to notice discourtesies and grievances of which he may be the object. The will of God is that His love shall close the eyes, the ears and the heart to all such provocations and to all the suggestions with which Satan would fill them. There is a noble majesty in the silence of the one exposed to evil-surmising or outrage. To be master of one’s spirit is to be stronger than kings or conquerors. A Christian leads one to think of Christ. He will be affable, kind, patient, humble and yet courageous and firm in vindicating the truth and the name of Christ.” –The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 3, p. 1160
Here is contrasted the true and false Christians. No mention is made of doctrine. One may believe and teach the most perfect doctrines of the Bible, but if love is lacking, they are nothing (1 Corinthians 13). The false Christians are in a lukewarm condition and if they refuse to the repent, the Lord says that, “I will spue thee out of My mouth.” Revelation 3:16. Let us be as the genuine Christians so that our names will be retained in the Book of Life.
Yes, we may have insulted our loving Master. Yes, we have walked errantly. Yet, today there is still mercy. Today there is still time to repent. Today Jesus is calling each and every one to turn to Him and find strength to overcome all sin. He loves you and yearns to have you with Him in heaven. He wants you to be saved more than you yourself do. He has promised to help, and He will deliver. “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28–30
Read the following promise carefully: “We should carefully consider what is our relation to God and to one another. We are continually sinning against God, but His mercy still follows us; in love He bears with our perversities, our neglect, our ingratitude, our disobedience. He never becomes impatient with us. We insult His mercy, grieve His Holy Spirit, and do Him dishonor before men and angels, and yet His compassions fail not. The thought of God’s long-suffering to us should make us forbearing to one another. How patiently should we bear with the faults and errors of our brethren when we remember how great are our own failings in the sight of God.” –That I May Know Him, p. 181
“Make decided, radical changes through the grace given you of God. No longer insult His grace. He is saying with tears, ‘Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life’ (John 5:40). Now Jesus is inviting you, knocking at the door of your heart for entrance. Will you let Him come in?” –Ibid., p. 56
How wonderful a Saviour we have. He has promised to help each one to overcome and have a character that is ready to meet Him when He comes again in the clouds of glory. He is waiting for you. “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17. Amen
Wendy Eaton