Removing the reproach

Throughout the Bible, there are a number of passages that speak of God’s people living in a state of reproach – that is, a state of shame and disgrace that resulted in their becoming a laughingstock, having to endure the ridicule, mocking, and scoffing of onlookers. As bad as this would be for any people, it was even worse for the people of God, since any shame they endured reflected directly upon God as well.

Because of this, it has always been and still is the plan of Satan to somehow bring a reproach upon God’s people, so that he might not only ridicule them, but through them ridicule God as well. And unfortunately, though many Christians are unaware of it, there is a very real reproach upon the people of God today. It is very important for us to understand the nature of this reproach so that together, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can begin to remove it.

One of the simplest and yet most powerful insights the Bible gives us concerning the nature of reproach is found in the illustration of women having children. By God’s design, women are designed to bear children, just as fruit trees are designed to bear fruit. A number of passages even refer to Children as “the fruit of the womb.” Psalm 127:3 for example,

declares that “children are a gift of the LORD; the fruit of the womb is a reward.” And in Luke 1:42, after learning that Mary was pregnant with the Messiah, Elizabeth declared, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”

Because of this view of childbirth, it was considered shameful in the Jewish culture for a woman to be childless, and such women were often looked upon with scorn and ridicule. Women in this position lived under a constant state of reproach. A good example of this is Jacob’s wife Rachel. For many years she was barren, while Jacob’s other wife Lea continued to bear children. Finally Rachel too conceived and gave birth to Joseph, at which time she declared, “God has taken away my reproach.” (Genesis 30:23)

Another similar example is Hannah. Like Rachel, Hannah was not only barren, but had to live with the continual taunting of her husband’s other wife, who had borne her husband a number of children. 1 Samuel 1:7 gives us an idea how unpleasant this reproach was to Hannah, stating that, “Her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.” The reproach Hannah endured for being childless was so great that she finally quit eating. In her desperation she cried out to God, and promised him that if he would give her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord from his youth.

We also get an idea of how strong the reproach of being fruitless is for women in Isaiah 4:1. This verse speaks of a time of coming judgment in which so many men would die in battle that there would not be enough husbands for all the women, and consequently there would be many women without children. The verse says that in those days, “Seven women will take hold of one man in that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach!”

At this point you may be wondering what the reproach endured by childless women in the Jewish culture has to do with the reproach that is upon the people of God today. You may be surprised to find that these two seemingly different situations are actually very similar. Ultimately the reason being childless is such a reproach for women is because, as I said before, God designed women to bear children. A woman who is childless is not merely denied the pleasures and joys of motherhood she is denied the fullness of God’s design for her life. And this, as I said earlier, ultimately reflects poorly upon God as well.

What may not be readily apparent from the passages I mentioned earlier is that, in the case of married couple, the reproach felt by childless women was borne by their husbands as well. Psalm 128:2-3 says that one of the blessings upon the man who fears the Lord is that his wife will be “like a fruitful vine.” The clear implication from this passage was that, if a man’s wife was not a “fruitful vine,” then the blessing of the Lord did not rest upon him. Consequently a man in such a position would find himself also enduring the reproach of others.

This same principle is true of the church, which is referred to in several passages as the “bride” of Christ. As the bride of Christ, the church has the incredible honor of being called to “bear fruit for God” (Romans 7:4). But the church is not just designed to bear fruit for God, as if it were merely something it had to do by its own power, is it actually designed to bear fruit of God, as a direct result of being intimate with him. (John 15:5) Just as in the case of a natural marriage, it is only through intimacy with her husband that the “bride of Christ” can bring forth the “fruit of the womb,” which is also referred to as: “the fruit of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:3, Philippians 1:11), “the fruit of the spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23), “The fruit of light” (Ephesians 5:9) and by the general term “The fruit of the kingdom.” (Matthew 21:43)

By the design of God, the church is supposed to be a “fruitful vine” (See Isaiah 5:1-2, John 15:5,8). And whether we are aware of it or not, if the church is not bearing “the fruit of the kingdom,” it is experiencing less that the fullness of God’s design for it, and will therefore come under the reproach of the enemy.

Removing the reproach

There are a number of other verses in the Bible that give us still more insight into the nature of the reproach that is upon the people of God, as well as what our response to this reproach should be. One such passage is found in the story of David and Goliath. Shortly after David first arrived at the camp of the armies of Israel, he heard Goliath taunting Israel with the same challenge he had made for 40 days. Upon hearing this challenge, David turned and asked those around him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26)

In this verse David makes it clear that the unchallenged taunts of Goliath were a reproach on the people of Israel. One of the blessings of the Covenant Israel had with God was that he would be with them when they fought against their enemies, and that no enemy would stand against them. And yet in this situation, their enemy Goliath stood and openly defied the army of Israel, and we are told that, “When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fell from him and were greatly afraid.” (1 Samuel 17:24)

Not only was Goliath able to “stand against” Israel, he was actually taunting them, making the reproach even greater. What made the reproach worse still was that the army of Israel was not just any army, it was “The army of the living God.” The moment David heard Goliath’s challenge, he felt the reproach upon God’s people, and it was more than he could stand. David’s first thought was of removing the reproach, and it was that desire that led to his victory over Goliath. Then, as a direct result of David’s victory over Goliath, the army of Israel went out and triumphed over the entire philistine army, and the reproach was lifted off the people of God on an even greater scale.

Another powerful example of the reproach is found in the Book of Nehemiah. In the first chapter Nehemiah, who was serving as a cupbearer to the King of Persia, talks with some of his brothers who had just returned from Jerusalem. Nehemiah asked them about the state of things back in Jerusalem, and they replied saying, “The remnant there… are in great distress and reproach, and the wall is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.” Nehemiah was so distraught upon hearing the news of the reproach upon God’s people that he wept, mourned, fasted and prayed for days.

After several months of prayer Nehemiah was finally given leave of his duties in Persia and he returned at once to Jerusalem. Once there, he called together the priests, nobles and officials who were living there and said, “You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.” (Nehemiah 2:17) Some time later, during the construction of the wall, Nehemiah instructed the leaders among the people to “walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of… our enemies” (Nehemiah 5:9)

The reason that the armies of Israel being taunted by Goliath, and the remnant living in Jerusalem were both described as being in a state of reproach is because in both instances the people of God were experiencing a level of fruitfulness and victory over their enemies that was far below where God desired and designed for them to live. And, like a woman who bears no children, this state of fruitlessness was a disgrace to the people of God and gave their enemies a great opportunity to reproach them.

Unfortunately, as I said before, this same thing is true of the people of God today. To the extent that we are not bringing forth “the fruit of the kingdom” we are living under a reproach as well, and are subject to the taunting, mocking and ridicule of the world around us, and ultimately the enemy. I hope that as you’ve read this article, the same passion has arisen inside of you that arose in David and Nehemiah when they learned of the reproach upon God’s people. I further hope that, like them, you are inspired to rise up and fulfill your destiny as a son of God, and do your part in removing the reproach that has come upon the name of Christ, by becoming the “fruitful vine” that God has designed us to be!