Camouflage” according to the English dictionary is defined as the use of natural or artificial material on personnel, objects or tactical positions with the aim of confusing, misleading or evading… ; it is a disguise or cover up; changing the way something or someone looks!
This is exactly what I see in the passage below:
“Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah and said to him, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them. Then Johanan son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Don’t do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true.” In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.”
Jer 40:13-41:2NIV
Satan himself disguises as angel of light and also do his agents. They try to present what is wrong as right and what is evil as good! When Satan is after a life, the quickest way for him to get such a one is to package error as right just as he did in the garden of Eden. What was going to bring death (alienation from God) to the whole human race was presented to Eve and Adam as “good”.
In the passage above, Ishmael appeared to Gedaliah as a good, harmless man whereas, the opposite was the case. Ishmael was an enemy in a human body! He had a mission to eliminate Gedaliah. He was disguised, covered up and having an innocent friendly look as a camouflage. Gedaliah didn’t see him so; he couldn’t even discern it! He even went on a visit to Governor Gedaliah and was eating at a banquet with him, yet with a sword underneath his clothes with which he killed him. How horrible!
While we are not to relate with suspicion; we need the Spirit of God to help us discern accurately because it is not everyone who smiles or eats with us that have good thoughts about us.
Sometimes, the enemies that should be revealed to us may not even be physical human beings but some belief or value systems; disposition to life; attitudes; habits; character etc which have become so much part of us but are capable of causing damage on our journey in destiny. They are wrong things which appear as right to us.
Few important prayer points I see from this passage are:
That every enemy that appear as friends be revealed and frustrated.
That evil will not look to us as “good”.
That what is wrong will not appear to us as right.
That we will be able to operate in accurate discernment, so the enemy will not catch up with us.
That God will continue to destroy and frustrate the evil plans of the wicked disguised as good people.
That whatever is part of us (habits, character, attitude etc|) that are wrong but look right will be revealed for us to deal with.
May we continue to have victory against every packaging from the pit of hell; that appear to be good. May the enemy not catch up with us. Amen!
© Funmi Adebayo
