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How Does Bìn Connect Fort Hood & Isaias?

How Does Bìn Connect Fort Hood & Isaias?

Last updated on: October 11, 2026 at 10:56 pm by Martin Thomas Johnson

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How Does Bìn Connect Fort Hood & Isaias? 2026-10-11T22:56:39-04:00 Martin Thomas Johnson

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This weekend there has been a lot of discussion about the big news that Pete Hegseth shared about the execution of the Fort Hood shooter, Nidal Hasan. The Secretary of War has decided to make Nidal’s execution public so it could be live-streamed to anyone who wants to watch another person lose their life brutally.

The last high-profile public execution in America was in 1936, when an estimated 20,000 people gathered to watch a black man who mistakenly admitted to raping and killing a 70-year-old woman. You think 90 years later, a so-called Christian nation would have become more civilized. Public executions are more common in nations that the United States strongly condemns and opposes their brutal legal systems: Iran, Afghanistan, and North Korea.

But the outrage over Nidal’s killing of 13 people and wounding 33 others in a 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood. Unsurprisingly, the announcement has received pushback from both sides of the political aisle. Of course, President Trump has flip-flopped on whether or not he will allow the execution to be live-streamed because he lives by his own standards instead of God’s:
• Uncompassionate
• Vengeful
• Unforgiving

You don’t need to have a history or seminary degree to know that public executions are both unchristian and un-American. I have been both shocked and disgusted by how many Americans and MAGA have judged and condemned Muslims and foreign nations for doing what this administration is considering doing; the hypocrisy is clear.

How have America and so-called conservatives forgotten their call to avoid all evil and not just condemn it (Proverbs 4:14-15, 1 Thessalonians 5:22)? If we truly are God’s people, we have His spirit in us and can discern between what is right and wrong (Ezekiel 36:26-27, John 16:8-13).

What Is Discerning

The ability to discern is an important ability to possess in different life circumstances; it isn’t just a spiritual tool. We’ve all faced times in life when we needed to discern the difference between two different perspectives or actions.

Image by Pixabay

Discern is defined as, “To detect with senses other than vision: understand.” Discerning helps us make better choices and avoid quick judgments we may regret. Discerning is an acquired life skill we can develop over time.

Since we live in a fallen world, God’s people need to be able to discern between good and evil, then act accordingly (1 Kings 3:9, Hebrews 5:14). God’s people cannot listen to their hearts or “guts” like lost people do.

That is why the Bible has a lot to say about discerning (Proverbs 17:24, Romans 12:2, 1 Corinthians 12:14, Hebrews 4:12. God’s people are foreigners in a temporary kingdom where bad people and evil thrive (Hebrews 11:13-16, 1 Peter 2:11-12, 1 John 2:15-17). Good and evil aren’t a political problem, as President Trump and MAGA want to believe; we need discernment to know the difference, not a political party!

God’s people are called to be different from this corrupt kingdom, not to rule it (2 Corinthians 6:14-18, 1 Peter 2:9). That is why God has given us His Spirit to help us discern between right and wrong and what really matters in life (John 16:13, Romans 8:5-9, 1 Corinthians 2:10-16, Galatians 5:16-25, Philippians 1:9-11, 1 John 4:1-6).
The apostles remembered the Jewish education about why God’s people need to be discerning.

Bìn

The Torah tells us that Adam and Eve not only disobeyed God, but failed to discern between good and evil by taking the fruit God commanded them not to (Genesis 3:1-7). After the fall, mankind’s ability to discern became corrupted by our sinful nature (Genesis 6:5; 13:13). All of mankind became corrupt and detestable because we lost the ability to discern (Job 15:16, Psalm 14:1-4, Jeremiah 4:14).

The Hebrew word in the Old Testament for discern is bìn, and it can also mean, “Attend, consider, feel, diligently, eloquently, or understand,” depending upon the context it is used in.

God set His people apart from this fallen kingdom to be different and to be His holy representatives (Exodus 19:5-6, Leviticus 20:26, Deuteronomy 7:6). That is why Judaism teaches God’s people to be discerning between many things in life (Leviticus 10:10-11, Deuteronomy 1:13-17; 4:5-6; 13:1-5; 18:20-22):

1. Good and evil
2. Pure and impure
3. Right and wrong
4. Spiritual and natural
5. Moral and immoral
6. Truth and falsehoods

Jesus reminded His followers that their hearts are evil and cannot be trusted (Matthew 7:11, Mark 7:20-23). Our Rabbi taught His followers to discern between good and evil, because He understood how Satan works (Matthew 7:15-20, Luke 6:43-45, 7:24).

Image by Pixabay

He told parables to illustrate the difference between good and bad (Matthew 13:24-43, Luke 18:23-35). Our Lord cautioned His followers to discern between God’s voice and the voices of this world (John 10:4-5). He warned His disciples about discerning the signs of the last days (Mark 13:3-37, Luke 21:7-36).

Isaias

In other big news this weekend, America was humbled by the first Atlantic hurricane of the season to reach land. Not only was it historical because it was the latest seasonal storm in history, but it also intensified rapidly to a category three before making landfall.

Image by Wikimedia Commons

In an ironic twist, the name Isaias means, “God is my Salvation.” In a tragic twist, four people lost their lives to the storm, two in Florida and two in Alabama. They foolishly chose to ignore the warnings by state officials and weather forecasters.

They failed to discern the danger of the storm, just like Jesus warned us about the signs of the last days (Matthew 24:3-44):

• Severe weather
• Earthquakes
• Wars
• False teachers

I have never understood why people would let their pride blind their ability to discern between being safe and putting their lives in danger. Just like I don’t understand these demonic conspiracy theorists who choose to trust in themselves and the lies they want to hear, instead of listening to God, who helps them discern truth (Exodus 23:1, Proverbs 3:5-6, Romans 16:17-18, 1 Timothy 6:20-21).

The Bible warns us about false prophets and teachers in the last days who will deceive God’s people (Matthew 24:24, 1 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Peter 2:1-3). As the last days unfold, God’s people need to bìn!

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