“Tell it not in Gath.”
I came across this old chestnut recently.
Bonus points to you if you know what it’s referring to in the Bible.
Extra SUPER bonus points to you if you know how it’s used against abuse survivors.
And of course, if it was actually used against YOU, then you win Queen for a Day. (Or King, depending.)
In 2014 when I was new in speaking out against abuse on what was in those days the relatively unspoiled land of Facebook, my face often contorted at what I saw other people posting in response to my declarations that, in the circles of Bob Jones University Fundamentalism, Abuse and Abuse Enabling Had Happened And Needed To Be Dealt With.
What were their face-contorting responses, you ask?
This was one. “Tell it not in Gath.”
When I saw it, yes, I knew what this relatively obscure Scripture was referring to. That’s why my face contorted.
It’s from 2 Samuel 1:20. Gath was in the land of the Philistines, the sworn enemies of Israel. King Saul had died, and David was poetically longing for no one to make a report in that land about the king’s demise, so those enemies wouldn’t gloat and mock.
Like this . . .
Okay so far.
But that application . . .
Obviously, when someone is posting this in response to my posts about Abuse and Abuse Enabling, they’re not talking about David and Saul.
My face contorted because I was thinking, “What in the world? That has nothing to do with this.”
But here’s how their thinking goes. You’re probably a couple of steps ahead of me on this one.
Just as David didn’t want the Philistines to find out that King Saul had died, in the same way we shouldn’t want those outside the church to find out when evils are committed within the Christian world.
So the logical conclusion is that we shouldn’t be posting about these things publicly, see?
It sounds almost quaint now. But at the time, it sounded ludicrous.
I was thinking, “Those outside the church already know that evils are being committed in the Christian world. It’s Christians who are so ignorant about it! And with that attitude, they’ll remain ignorant!”
“Israelites gloating to their enemies about the death of a bad king” IS NOT EQUAL TO “Christians publicly calling out wickedness in Christian circles.”
Are you sure, Rebecca? Are you sure they’re not equal?
I believe we can go someplace other than 2 Samuel to get our answer to that.
Let’s look at Ezekiel, calling out the religious leaders very publicly for their wickedness.
Let’s look at John the Baptist, also calling out the religious leaders very publicly.
Let’s look at Jesus Christ himself also calling out the religious leaders, also very publicly, also for their wickedness.
And what about Paul, who said, “Have no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”
“Do you not see,” I wanted to implore those commenters, “that if Christians refuse to acknowledge these shameful activities that their leaders have participated in, then those so-called enemies you allude to will think that all of us excuse the shameful activity?”
You think that if we just don’t talk about it, they won’t know. But many of them are the very ones who used to be in the church and were harmed in the church or parachurch organizations by those who claimed to be the people of God, and that’s why they’re no longer in the church.
They have spoken “in the world” –that is, to non-Christians—about their treatment at the hands of Christians.
Then do you believe that those people should receive only silence from us because we’re afraid that they’ll gloat at the fall of a leader?
Maybe you can see why I felt like my head was going to explode.
One solution here is to step back from seeing ourselves as “the people of God” and everyone else as “the Philistines.”
That’s not the way it is in the New Covenant.
Every single person you lay eyes on has the potential to be brought from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son.
You know these people.
They don’t live in Gath.
They check you out at the grocery store. They repair your smart phone. They paint your house. They do your taxes. They teach your children.
For the love of God, acknowledge the wrongs that are being done within the church. Acknowledge the rank hypocrisy and wickedness.
Your God is big enough for that.
In that context then, like Jesus, we can offer words of love and truth, we can offer the light of Christ and the water of life.
This is how wounded hearts will be bound up and souls will be brought back to the Savior.
Way back then, “Tell it not in Gath” was one of the twisted Scriptures that the Lord used to propel me into the work I’m doing now.
So it deserved to have its own blog post. It was about time.
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Go here to download your free Guide, How to Enjoy the Bible Again (when you’re ready) After Spiritual Abuse (without feeling guilty or getting triggered out of your mind). You’ll receive access to both print and audio versions of the Guide (audio read by me). I’m praying it will be helpful.
Never heard of that. And why are they taking a statement by David to spply to a completely different situation? Not to mention that the Philistines did know that Saul had died. David had a complicated relationship with his father-in-law and was mourning his death. Then again, bet these are tthe same folk that use that verse said by pagans in Esther about women to be gospel truth. If only more people remembered that chapter and verse numbers were put in much later to help find passages. People should stop treating the Bible like a dictionary.
Whether in the Church or the world, I read the scripture Paul states ( as well many other likewise scriptures in the Word), to mean we are to expose evil leadership and unfruitful darkness, no matter where it is to be found. And it goes without saying we, as Believers, are to take all our concerns to God, first, and pray for His wisdom on how to carry that out; whether in the Church, or the local school, or by any entity, including evil decisions by anyone in power. If we do not speak up for Truth in our everyday lives, who will?
Yes, amen.
With all due respect, if I learn that a child has been harmed in any physical or sexual way by a pastor, or any other adult, I do not need to seek God’s wisdom, I need to call the police and nearest Child Advocacy Center and report it immediately. I bet you’d do the same thing, so I’m preaching to like-minded folks here.
Believe the children.
CACs have trauma-informed medical professionals who can sensitively interview the child with members of the DA’s Office and police watching behind a two-way mirror, having only one interview with everyone’s questions asked at one time, eliminating the problem of recanting during multiple interviews. They are the gold standard for dealing with abused babies, children and teens.
Call out these abusers “from the flock” from the mountain tops.
Certainly so, but in many cases these are adults who are speaking out, so there isn’t any mandatory reporting; in fact, we need to respect the survivor to let him or her speak out as he or she is led.
Thank you again, Rebecca!
As I read this article, I heard very manly, very southern voices echo in my brain. I know this passage is often used alongside the “silencing decree” of 1Chronicles 16:22 and Psalm 105:15… “TOUCH NOT MINE ANNOINTED…!” How dare someone speak the truth about such a vital man of God?? If we expose the sin it might “embarrass Jesus”???? I have certainly heard this twisted manipulation, and recall the warning of Gath from my childhood. May the Lord continue to bless you and your ministry!
Yes, a very important one. I’ll plan to address that soon, either in an article or in one of my “Tiny Untwisting” emails.
Thank you Rebecca for all you do. You’ve helped me so much.
May you be blessed in your efforts to help other women.
Thank you so much, Rose.
I wondered if this attitude is somehow related to those ‘deconstructing’ the church. Christians, who know truth, should be the first to call out evil and fleshly responses.
Yes, and we can do it with dignity and respect. We can do it without being unkind. Jesus is our example.
Thank you for this.
How about “touch not my anointed“?
Yes, an important one. I’ll plan to address that soon, either in an article or in one of my “Tiny Untwisting” emails.
Touch not my anointed and being a “Judas” were the two I heard, both slung at me having for differing views. Never heard this one, but yes, it’s incredibly twisted.
What in the world?? Julia, a “Judas.” Since I know you personally, I know that you’re about as far from being a Judas as a human can get. I’m so sorry and angry that this happened to you.
Would really like your analysis too of “touch not my anointed” as it’s being used these days to prop up perpetrators and silence victims.
Yes, an important one. I’ll plan to address that soon, either in an article or in one of my “Tiny Untwisting” emails.
THANK YOU, Rebecca Davis. This is so true. The lost and dying world IS well aware of the wolves in the church. And they shake their heads and put a few more steps of distance between themselves and believers every time they see us excusing someone with cheap grace and trying to hush their (sometimes criminal) activity. My hometown is small. Every pastor is known by everybody. Everybody at the bank knew and whispered about the pastor who cashed checks that were written to the church. Everybody in the church knew that nobody but the pastor knew where the money was going. Everybody in the church wondered about shortages here and there that never existed during the last pastor’s time there. But, the church, “for the sake of the Gospel,” said and did nothing. (“Don’t touch the Lord’s anointed!” they would argue). Quite a few members left the congregation before the “pastor” finally left the country. The next pastor pored over the books and could not figure out where tens of thousands of dollars had gone. But the whole community knew. And the whole community talked about it.
So disgusting, and such a good illustration of why this ridiculous commitment to silence is so devastating.
Thank you for explaining how that verse is twisted.
I like the part where you talk about comparing Christians to Israelites and non-believers to Philistines (or Canaanites, Moabites, foreigners, etc.) That same dichotomy that existed in the OT doesn’t exist today in the New Covenant. It’s not a dichotomy that we need to apply to our lives today. But I fell for that teaching for a long time, and applied it in ways that were hurtful to others.
Yes, I used to do that too.