There is an amazing line in Cecil B. DeMille’s movie, the 10 Commandments. Yul Brynner playing Ramses , the Egyptian pharaoh. In his anger with Moses he says that that name should be stricken from all public records, all history, all public documents, all monuments and obelisks etc. etc. To back up his decree he says an amazing statement. “So let it be written, so let it be done “. I remember being a Smart Alec young man at the time and thinking that if you put in your official records that Moses name has to be stricken from all official records when do you strike the name from the first official record and how would anybody know what to do?
This is an important idea. In the Bible your name is a big deal. In salvation history when God wants to save people and use them to further his message of mercy and grace, He changes their names. Moses was very shrewd and tried to ask what God’s name was in the conversation with the burning bush. In pagan cultures like Egypt if you knew the name you could manipulate it and ultimately destroy the individual who had it. We practice the form of witchcraft when we decide to take away a name, or promote a name. We see it all the time when people we have never heard of suddenly are said to be “stars”, programs that have not been aired are called “hits”, and politicians that haven’t done anything are “up and coming”. There is a kind of public alchemy that takes place as we witness the rise and fall of many.
Stop and think about what is happening to Harvey Weinstein. All of a sudden they (whoever they are) want to take his name off of all the productions he was a part of. They want to change the name of his company. Apple has decided to remove a production about Elvis Presley because it contains the name of Harvey Weinstein. This is amazing stuff. You hear marketing executives, movie stars agents, always telling their clients that they what? Have to get their name out there. It used to be said it doesn’t make any difference if the publicity you were getting is bad as long as people are talking about your name.
Weinstein was a cash cow who basically funded the Democrat Party and Planned Parenthood, Now the frantic rush to get rid of the money he donated because the recipients are ashamed of the name is getting embarrassing. His antics were known for years and accepted with a wink and a nod. People actually accepted and tried to explain away the acts, real physical acts just as they defended a certain President’s real acts. When another President comes along and is vilified for his words we enter into the rabbit hole again. The wife of a President that attacked his accusers and said they could not be believed now comes out and tells folks that when women say they have been harassed or raped they must be believed and she will stand by them. The women who tried to destroy the life of “survivors” now is their champion. This morning she promised to give all the money that she took from Harvey and give it to charity. “Yes, I took his money and now you see it and now you don’t and since money is fungible, abracadabra, I’m home clean and clear”. There is today in the news a curt phrase that says it all but is only applied to a few – “complicit fraud”.
There is a kind of witchcraft going on that attempts to erase memory and rewrite history. The folks that reaped huge benefits from sexual predators suddenly want to become the champions of women and their rights to be free from the predation of the folks that they were enriched by. There is a press that will be willing partners in the deceit. We are now and always have been moral exemplars and champions of the downtrodden they will say, – “so shall it be written, so shall it be done”. NBC spiked a story on the predator a while back and they will come back soon, mark my words, to defend their good name and their frustration with iconic liberal predators who got away with egregious action, while still going after other folks for what they say. They will be portrayed as the guardians of democracy and free speech all the while arrogating to themselves the prerogative of what news they will cover and the definition of what news is. “So shall if be written, so shall it be done”.
As Christians we believe that there will be a final judgment and everything that has been concealed will be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ. Christ has removed our guilt and taken our punishment and there is now no condemnation in Christ Jesus. There will be a name that is exalted and cannot be hidden and ignored. Someday at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. “So it has been written – so shall it be done.”
