Water from Stones: Conflict-Resolution through Gentleness

and glory. They fed them on grandiose dreams and unrealistic hopes, and instigated them to resort to counter-productive activism. The Bible castigated this as strife and corruption. These men talked in terms of what appeared to be positive change. But in actual fact, the path that they sought to lead the Jews on could only result in their destruction. The Bible termed these people as wrong, and exhorted the Jews to be realistic. It told them to avoid confronting the existing rulers, and to focus, instead, on their own internal reform and construction. The Jews were told that if they did this, one day God would reverse their fortunes. From this we learn that when people are afflicted with all sorts of moral weaknesses, to stir them up with lofty-sounding promises and fiery rhetoric is absolutely senseless. No prophet of God ever did such a thing. This is the method of false leaders, not genuine ones. 4. When a people falls prey to moral corruption and then God issues warnings to them, the intention behind this is that they should turn to God in repentance. But if in such a situation, instead of doing this, false leaders react by blaming ‘oppressors’ and targeting, accusing, complaining and demonstrating against them, it will be tantamount to interfering in God’s scheme. Such men will be guilty of the crime of seeking to divert people’s focus from God in a different direction. The troubles that people face at the hands of others are intended to make them engage in introspection. But false leaders quickly convert them into an excuse for condemning others. These troubles should actually be seen as a means to make people turn to and focus on God. But false leaders use these events to divert people’s attention onto, and against, other people. This, without doubt, is a serious crime. Unlike what such false leaders claim, in no way is this appropriate guidance for their people.