Is there rebellion in your family against the authority of God? We know there is in this nation.
Genesis
9:2 ….And the fear of you & the dread of you shall be on every beast of the
earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on earth & on all the fish
of the sea. They are given into your hand.
…FEAR:
is morah; Strong’s 4172 , fear, reverence, terror, awe, and object of respect
or reverence. God was telling Noah that his descendants would inspire fear in
the animals that roamed the earth…
Yet 100 years later & reading in Genesis 11, we find
Noah’s descendants reverting back to pagan ways, building a tower from the very
region gopher wood was taken to build the ark! In this people are choosing to
follow man and not God. They are moved from this specific word given a hundred
years earlier….
Genesis
11:1-9 NKJV Now
the whole earth was of one language,& of one speech. (lip). 2
And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain
in the land of Shinar; & they dwelt there.
3 Then they said one to another, “ Come, let us make bricks for stone & bake them thoroughly.”
They had brick for stone, & they had asphalt for mortar. 4 And they said,
Come, let us build ourselves a city & a tower, whose top may reach in to
the heavens; let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face
of the whole earth.” They did not want
to be scattered for safety reasons ..animals.………5 BUT the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the sons of men
had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Indeed,
the people are one, & they have all one language; & this is what they
begin to do: now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. 7 Come, let US go down & there confuse
their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”
8 So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face
of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD
confused the language of all the earth: and from there the LORD scattered them
abroad upon over the face of all the earth.
The
Last Five Decisions: Dake’s Study Bible………………From V. 3: let
us make bricks; with gypsum, reeds and chopped straw - then moistened. … let
us make bake them thoroughly: they bake them in the sun…150 degrees was the
mentioned temp in this arid region…
From verse 4: let us build ourselves a
city ; a joint endeavor to keep everyone together … let us build a tower; most
likely to further their endeavors of
worshiping the stars…astrologer was their idol…From V. 4: Let us make a
name lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth; they
believed themselves stronger together and purposed the project of building
something……Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Commentary wrote : the
very fear of the dispersion was about the wild beasts that could& would
attack & the dangers of a separation. They did not regard the promise God
made in Genesis 9:2 And the fear of you & the dread of you shall be on
every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the
earth, & on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand.
God’s word is power to us!
Speaking that power brings change to our lives…
Even after the flood, God was expecting
them to grow and multiply Genesis 8:20 tells us that Noah
built an altar to the Lord and offered sacrifices or burnt offerings on the
altar there. At this time was when God instituted seed-time and harvest; Chapter
8: 22. So man’s original dominion over the earth was reaffirmed.
SO we find that Pride, selfishness and vain glory were the
ruling motives or forces influencing this alliance of building something
themselves. True religion was extinguished. Evidence proved it. God’s purpose
was to see that the earth be filled with people! There was no oneness with God and their
worship proved it by building a tower . They could all work together to do that, but it would prove unsuccessful for it was
done by the works of the flesh nature………….. SO GOD cause them to BE
SCATTERED…by confounding their Tongues! They were to populate the earth;
they were not to stay in one place.
THE region they chose was most likely because it is the
place Noah had taken gopher wood to build the ark. Most likely then many moved
to this region because it was known and talked about!
Nimrod the Son of Cush; His grandfather Ham: Rebellion was
seen after the flood. The deficiencies of mankind were being revealed in those
who would lead. Nimrod was one! Like we saw in Esau and the teaching last week,
we find Nimrod knew the art of hunting and finding prey.
Genesis 10:6-11 The
sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put & Canaan. 7 The sons of Cush were Seba,
Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, Sabtechah; & the sons of Raamah were Sheba and
Dedan. 8 Cush begat Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was
mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty
hunter before the LORD.” 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech,
Accad, & Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went to
Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12 & Resen between Nineveh &
Calah (that is the principal city).
He a MIGHTY HUNTER: Genesis 10:9 He was a mighty hunter
before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before
the LORD.”
1. V.
8: Cush begat Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth…..mighty one:
gibbowr…. 1368 powerful as due to or regard as one being a tyrant….
2. In the
100 years after the flood had caused an increase in what “people” thought were
the ferocious beasts……Nimrod: had success in destroying the creatures to
becoming the hunter of beasts to the hunter of men. This mighty hunter is the
same one would read of Proverbs 28:16 NKJV A ruler who lacks understanding is a
great oppressor, but he who hates covetousness will prolong his days……Understand
that.Intelligence, without God and His wisdom that which is the spiritual,l will
only induce pride of intellect, & ends in evil. For if a man who knows much, & learns
quickly & easily, is not necessarily made better by his learning. Those of
humility will practice the known truths. Truth known has to be cherished &
lived daily
3. V.
11: he went to Assyria & built: Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah: Nimrod took
possession of the lands designated to the family of Shem: He went there to
obtain followers; to obtain people of the family of Shem
Nimrod: WAS the Bel,
Belus, or Baal, i.e. lord of Babel, its founder: Worshipped
as the god of the chase; Nimrod resembles that of satan….me, myself and I
1. He
in defiance of Jehovah, was the Babel tower builder: From Genesis 10:8 Nimrod began to be a mighty
man in sin, a murderer of innocent men and a
rebel before the Lord. The Jerusalem Targum says: "He was mighty in
hunting (or in prey) and in sin before God, for he was a hunter of the children
of men in their languages, and he said unto them, Depart from the religion of
Shem, and cleave to the institutes of Nimrod." The Syriac calls him a
warlike giant. The word used is tsavid rendered “hunter” and signifies prey.
2. THE
SYRIAC is: The language of ancient Syria, a western dialect of Aramaic
in which many important early Christians texts are preserved, and that is still
used by Syrian Christians as a liturgical language.
3. This
Nimrod was known as hunting men by persecution, oppression and yes, tyranny.
The Land of Nimrod: a designation of Assyria or Shinar which
is a part of it. Micah 5:6 They shall waste with the sword the land of Assyria,
and the land of Nimrod at its entrances; thus He shall deliver us from the
Assyrian, when he comes into our land and when he treads within our borders.
1. The
land of Nimrod: was considered wasteland….it was the opening into that which
Nimrod devised for himself; it was regarded good for nothing physically,
morally, socially.
2. The
Spirit of Assyria is reasoning. The person reasons things out and does that
which is contrary to the word of God. The Spirit of Assyria brings by the suggestions of the enemy
overwhelming torment, always brings on negative speaking words either by a
close party or within the society or culture. It is done in a way with many
words to paralyze one with the constancy of beating you up with the same words.
3. The words are like man-made tombs to immobilize
and incapacitate one in fear: This Spirit promotes a worry and a
hopelessness within one’s own life.
Wicked Spreading Himself like a Native Green Tree : Psalm 37:35-36 I have seen the wicked in great power, and
spreading himself like a native green tree. 36 Yet he passed away, and behold,
he was no more; Indeed, I sought him, but he could not be found.
1.
David
was saying: I have seen the wicked in
great power (terrible, fierce, violent), and spreading himself like a green bay
tree (a tree in its native soil, vigorous, and luxuriant, that had never been
transplanted). It is there just by a seed dropped that produced a tree.
2.
In this we find the example of the
ungodly man of the world, firmly rooted in earthly things
-- his native soil, grown & with much pride….he tends to cruelty in his
prosperity, without fear or any repercussion.
3. He continues in his life within his own
order and his own direction which in reality is disorder…He sees himself as god
of his own life! In the winter time, when all other trees -- as the vine tree,
fig tree ,or apple tree, or any other
fruit producing tree which can be the
more profitable trees are withered due to the severe climate change…YET……it is
that bay tree that continues green in the winter as it does in the summer.
So too, the wicked
man continues in his ways when the children of God who can endure storms of
persecutions, many afflictions or miseries and can at times appear as the dead,
yet the wicked all that time will flourish in their ways& deeds and
prosper. The wicked wallow in worldly wealth, but it is for their destruction;
they wax fat, but it is for the day of slaughter. …….Scary thought…..
This was evident in the
case of Hophni and Phinehas: 1 Samuel 2 we find that the Lord gave them enough
and suffered them to go on and prosper in their wickedness; but what was the
reason?
GOING BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF GOD’S WORD: Examples in Hophni
and Phinehas: When building a tower so to speak for their own INDULGING
LIFESTYLE THAT REEKS OF REBELLION
1 Samuel 2: 22-36 NKJV Now Eli was very old; and he heard
everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who
assembled at the door of the tabernacle
of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I
hear of your evil dealings from all the people. 24 “No, my sons! For it is not
a good report that I hear: You make the LORD’S people transgress. 25 “If one
man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the
LORD, who will intercede for him?” Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of
their father, because the LORD desired
to kill them. 26 And the child Samuel grew in stature, & in favor with both
the LORD and men. 27 Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says
the LORD: Did I not clearly reveal myself to the house of your father when they
were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?” 28 Did I not choose him out of all the
tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense,&
to wear an ephod before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all
the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?
A MAN OF GOD continues:
1 Samuel 2:29 ‘Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I
have commanded in My dwelling place,& honor your sons more than Me, to make
yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’ 30
“Therefore the LORD God of Israel says: “I said indeed that your house and the
house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the LORD says: “Far
be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me
shall be lightly esteemed.’” Eli’s sons were despising God like Eli
was…..
…31 Behold your days are coming that I will cut off your arm
& the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in
your house. 32 And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the
good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house
forever. 33 But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume
your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall
die in the flower of their age. 34 Now this shall be a sign to you that will
come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die,
both of them. 35 Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do
according to what is in My heart & in My mind. I will build him a sure
house, & he shall walk before My anointed forever.36 And it shall come to
pass that everyone who is left in your house will come & bow down to him
for a piece of silver& morsel of bread, &say, “Please, put me in one of
the priestly positions that I may eat a piece of bread.”
Despising God is revealed when we do our own thing: Is by
speaking anything without reverence to God, His word & no obedience to it.
1. This
passage reveals that we are to honor God more than we do our own family.
2. Honoring
God and living by His principles brings blessings to us that is life,
health for our lives and our children’s
lives too!
3. Parents
are called to raise their children in the ways of the Lord.
4. Here
we see Eli’s sons despised God’s ways even though they ministered in His name.
5.
Eli did not rebuke them nor did he
restrain them . He could have by confronting their continual stubborn behavior to
have it their way but he did nothing!
6.
In their refusing to change opinion or chosen
course of action for life, they died. To
protect our children, we are to guard them by prayer & then know that our responsible
actions requires us to address ungodly influences early & consistently.
That also means any other ungodly activity that visit our home through family
relatives or acquaintances----- we are to guard our children. It is God Who
will directs us when opposition appears. But
will we allow Him room to do just that?
The Tower of Babel represented people doing their own thing.
While living out of fear, they rallied
with others to see a desire come to pass that meant serving a tyrant like
Nimrod, & obeying his ways.. Even the sons of Eli should have been obedient
to that which had been before them. And while Eli was weak and made no effort
to enforce that which was divinely given, the whole lineage of that family
died. And if any were to be found from their house of Eli, they would be
beggars & desiring to have a position within the priestly office. Jesus
will upset any table we are setting for others to sin…..
The decisions made by those in positions of authority
affected other people. And God confronted their wrongdoings. You & I are
not God, but we are held accountable if we teach or lead others by His Word
daily within the work place and within our homes! WE ARE TO HOLD ONTO that TRUTH…..Being held accountable of that which occurs by
another while done on our watch should
be noted, and addressed in a manner to give hope to the offender. God dispersed
those who gathered around Nimrod, and gave them all different languages. His
desire was for them to walk with God and to hear Him. God did not destroy and
neither should we. We are to know His promises and believe their truth for us
today.
Closing with this: Authority is set in place by God including
absolute authority which is God and His Word given to us in Colossians 1:15-18.
It is By Jesus the firstborn who is at the exalted position & when He died
our sinful nature died too. Our life is hidden in Him. All things are held
together & sustained in Him.
Speaking
and doing anything contrary to God’s word will change things…..
1. Authority
in the home is given to us: Ephesians 6:1-3; 1 Peter 3:1, 7-9 Husbands likewise,
dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker
vessel & as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers
may not be hindered. 8 Finally all of you be of one mind, having compassion for
one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning
evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing
that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
2. Spiritual
authority in Church: Hebrews 13:17 Obey those who rule over you, & to be
submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account.
Let them do so with joy & not with grief, for that would be unprofitable
for you.
3. Civil
Authority : Romans 13:1-4 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.
For there is no authority except from God, & the authorities that exist are
appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the
ordinance of God, & those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3
For rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil. Do you want to be
unafraid of the authority? Do what is good & you will have praise from the same.
4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for
he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to
execute wrath on him who practices evil.
4. Authority
in the Workplace : Ephesians 6:5-8 Bondservants be obedient to those who are
your masters according to the flesh, with fear & trembling, in sincerity of
heart as to Christ; 6 not with eye-service, as men-pleasers but as bondservants
of Christ, doing the will of God from the “heart” 7 with goodwill doing
service, as to the Lord & not to men.
Submitting to that authority
brings a blessing….. To Name a few of them we find: favor from God,
fruitfulness, plus a long & peaceful life with promotions and yes ,rewards
too! But likewise you and I can see when rebellion is against authority.
1. Today
in the workplace rebellion can bring
failure to receive a promotion or to leave a significant legacy to our children
or even to their children!
2.
For one driving without the proper
driver’s license in hand is rebellion & will find tickets,
fines and most likely judgments for jail time! Rebellion can bring large fines in tickets and possible loss of driving privileges when driving faster than the
allowed speed limit on the roadway.
3.
Rebellion
in the home: lack of peace and harmony. In the workplace, badmouthing leadership,
choosing to belittle others to make you look great!
Hophni & Phinehas
despised God’s ways even though they ministered in His name. Rebellion was seen by those who came to the altar. We cannot think because we minister in
His name that everything is grand and in order. You and I cannot have the presumption of walking consistently in God’s
favor and mercy all the while we respond to someone in authority with rebellion
and contempt. Hophni and Phinehas are
examples of the hostile/rebellious nature against God and His direction. Many
today are joining those in their rebellion against God.
That means from the White House to our house, you and I have
mercy and show it. It means we may not agree with everyone in authority but you
& I should be willing and obedient to choose their way even when we do not
agree with it. We pray and continue to seek God in the moments of our daily
life. We choose to be enlightened to His truth to follow His paths of peace.
And when the day is done and our lives are finished ….may it be that which is
glory to His name & that people will remember us as the man or woman whose
souls were transformed & conformed to the likeness of that new nature of
born -again to walk in dominion, prosperity & health with success that is
attributed through God & His wisdom.
When seeing sin at the door, we are to be holding to the very STANDARD
God placed for us from the foundation of the world. Will we do that today and
every day?
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