exhorting - are you aware of what this truly means?

Hebrews 10:24-25

King James Version (KJV)

²⁴ And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

²⁵ Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

I have been reading this word and have always thought that it meant encourage. Spirit prompted me to look this word up. In my 1998 Merriam Webster dictionary, the word is only under Exhort with Exhortation in the same place as a form of that word: 

EXHORT\ig-zi-lerate\  to urge, advise or warn earnestly. __EXHORTATION 

In my online Merriam Webster Dictionary , not sure the date of the software but probably in the last 5 years. They have two different entries for the word now.

ex·hor·ta·tion \"ek-"sȯr-'tā-shən, -sər-; "eg-"zȯr-, -zər-\ n (14c)
1 : an act or instance of exhorting
2 : language intended to incite and encourage  

exhort \ig-'zȯrt\ vb [ME, fr. AF exorter, fr. L exhortari, fr. ex- + hortari to incite — more at yearn]
vt(15c) : to incite by argument or advice : urge strongly ‹~ing voters to do the right thing›
vi: to give warnings or advice : make urgent appeals
— ex·hort·er n  

 

I  do not see the word warning in exhortation above or in encourage below. I am only seeing a part of a truth in today’s definition. A mistake that the word warning was left out or was it? It is no wonder that Spirit would have me look closer at this word. I do see the word urge but that still does not mean warning. Encourage was not a part of the word in 1998 and the word was not split into two different references. Why is it a part of the word now?

en·cour·age \in-'kər-ij, -'kə-rij, en-\ vt, -aged-ag·ing [ME encoragen, fr. AF encorager, fr. en- + curagecourage] (15c)
1 a : to inspire with courage, spirit, or hope : hearten‹she was encouraged to continue by her early success› b :to attempt to persuade : urge ‹they encouragedhim to go back to school›
2 : to spur on : stimulate ‹warm weather ~s plant growth›
3 : to give help or patronage to : foster ‹government grants designed to ~ conservation

I feel we are called to encourage one another daily; however I do not feel that  this passage was speaking of encouragement at this time in Hebrews. I feel this is a big problem of our society today, encouraging behavior that we should be warning against if we truly want to show love to each other. We must speak truth to each other! We should also encourage daily however there is a time and place for both. (balance)..  

Now see the newer age NIV below and how it has changed the way we may view this verse which is the point I am trying to prove:   where is the part about warning and advising? Yes, everything it says below is good and true, but it has taken a very important part of the message that we so desperately need to hear today in a society where no one wants to look like a bad guy. Who do you think wants us to believe that we will be a bad guy by speaking a hard truth to someone? The father of lies. his thoughts…… lets have them believe that love says what the other person wants to hear thus perpetuating the behavior that is destructive to them and those around them. Love does not mean telling someone you are fine just the way you are in a time when they need to hear, what you are doing is not good for you and will lead to darkness. Sometimes love is quite the opposite but when the Truth is SPOKEN in love, that is Truth that a person can hold onto and change for the better, even if their initial reaction is to not want to talk to you for a while. Even if you never talk to them again. What is Truth? Truth is anything that aligns with the Word of God. There is no other Truth. Truth that comes from the Word of God will never discourage but will convict in a healthy manner and make a foundation for a real change of heart.  God has written love on our hearts. Love encompasses all commandments.  Knowing that someone is leading down a path that is going to hurt them or that God has forbidden and not saying anything or worse encouraging the behavior,  is taking the love that God has put on your heart ( wisdom an inner knowing of the statues of God’s Kingdom) and reacting in a  selfish way , ( selfish because I don’t want to be unpopular in your opinion),  rather than a loving  manner.      An open rebuke is better than hidden love.  Who will love you enough to speak His Truth to you? The answer, someone that loves you enough to look like the bad guy until you come around and realize that they are your biggest fan.   CHOOSE LOVE! CHOOSE TRUTH!

Hebrews 10:24-25

New International Version (NIV)

²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,^{(A) 25} not giving up meeting together,^(B) as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another^(C)—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.^(D)


Do you see how the definition in the NIV has totally watered this message down?

KEEP YOUR OLD DICTIONARIES!! Before we know it, they will have all of our words watered down that are not deemed “politically correct” or popular opinion…