Reading - Genesis 5
Augustine, in The City of God, says the history of the human race is the history of two groups of people, each having a distinct origin, development, characteristic, and destiny. He wrote that these are “two societies … formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self, or the heavenly by the love of God. The earthly society has as its highest expression the city cultures. The other is the church, composed of God’s elect. The former is destined to pass away. The latter is blessed by God and is to endure forever.
Cain’s line is credited with what might be called ‘secular progress’ and achievements. The faithless line is traceable in the world’s cities and cultures.
Seth’s line, makes no mention of any great contributions or achievements. All we learn is that at least two of them were men of faith. These men grasped the fact that sin was the root of their troubles and looked forward to redemption that God was to provide through their offspring.
The line of Seth reminds man of his mortality. Through Enoch, it also shows the hope of eternal life for those who walk with God.
Moses wrote these words to the Israelites who were poised to enter Canaan. This chapter reminded them that they needed to follow the line of Seth, not the line of Cain. Moses is saying to the people, “As you go into a culture that will have many temptations, be careful! Remember that you will die, and that you need to live in this fallen world by calling upon the name of the Lord, by walking with God.” We, too, live in a world that tempts us to forget the shortness of life and join its progress without God.
This is the story of man in his development in a very unique era of human history, the pre-flood or "antediluvian society." Very few artefacts of the pre-flood era have been found. Therefore, essentially, this is the only history we have of the earth in these days.
[1] GENEALOGIES DO MATTER 1 ¶ This is the written account of Adam’s line.
The genealogies have never been the best read portions of the Word of God. Ray Stedman tells the story of an old Scots minister who was reading from the first chapter of Matthew’s gospel. He started reading, ‘Abraham begat Isaac, and Isaac beget Jacob, and Jacob begat Judah,’ and he looked on ahead and saw the list to follow and said, ‘and they kept on begetting one another all the way down this page and halfway into the next.’
If we are honest, that is what most of us do with the genealogies of the Bible—we skip them. Leupold, in his commentary on Genesis says to preachers: “Not every man would venture to use this chapter as a text.”
To most the genealogies are the most boring part of the Bible. The genealogies have unpronounceable names and we don’t see what they say to us today.
The genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 are not at all unique in the ancient times. The Egyptians had king lists and so did the Sumerians. These ancient Near Eastern genealogies are very instructive in confirming the biblical records.
A ] They confirm and establish historical facts. This is first of all an accurate historical account of the generations from Adam to Noah. We have a genealogy of ten men starting with Adam and ending with Noah. The ten generations cover a period of 1,656 years. In 1 Chronicles 1, we have a repeat of this genealogy. It opens with these words: "Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth." There is no variation; Luke 3 likewise. Jude 14 confirms Enoch is the seventh name after Adam.
Now this tells us that Adam overlapped Methuselah for 200 years and Methuselah actually overlapped Noah for 600 years. One man bridges between Adam to Noah. Then Noah overlapped Shem for 400 years and Abraham died before Shem! So Shem could have told Abraham firsthand about the flood. It is very likely that Shem was still alive during the lifetime of Jacob as well. Thus four people span Adam to Abraham - span creation to Abraham. It's really important because God was passing down this divine truth. For Abraham the account of the creation would be like referring to accounts by his great grandfather. Accurate truth was handed down to the world for all time.
God wants us to know that he is in control not just the highlights of biblical history, but also of everything else in between.
B] They confirm and establish identity. Genealogical research is big business today, people spend time and money tracing their family tree back as far as possible. A genealogy at can be all-important. When a will is being read, it matters a great deal whether or not your name is mentioned. A genealogy isn’t boring if you know someone on the list or if your name is on the list.
The primary purpose is to establish one’s family identity, one’s roots. This is what the great scholar, B. B. Warfield, wrote: The point established by the table is that this is the line of descent through which one traces back to or down to the other.
So genealogies shouldn’t be dismissed. It was through the line of Seth that God raised up Noah, and through him came Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and, eventually, Jesus Christ. The believing line runs from here to the us the church.
C] They confirm and establish a persons faith. This chapter is a record of ten men who lived by faith in a time of increasing unbelief and widespread secularism. When we read these names we are reading more than a dusty list of ancient names. These ten men stand before us as giants of the faith, men who refused to follow the prevailing cultural trends of their day. In a world rushing headlong toward judgment, they followed the way of the Lord.
When the writer of Hebrews 11 wanted to list the heroes of faith, he took two names from this list—Enoch and Noah.
There is also room for much encouragement from this list. In contrast to Cain these men were faithful to God. God was faithful to remember them and to record their names in his book. There are always some who serve God. No matter how many bow the knee to Baal, God never leaves himself without a witness. Even though believers may be in a minority at a given time and place, the Lord is still there watching over his people and protecting them in times of crisis. God remembers the faithful and he rewards them in his own time and in his own way.
I also find great encouragement in this list regarding the possibility of building believing families. From these men come tribes that filled the ancient Middle East, establishing towns and cities of their own, taking their faith in God with them. Though we may sometimes despair because of the sin we see around us, Genesis 5 is proof positive that with God’s help it can be done.
[2] GENEALOGIES REMIND US THAT WE ARE ALL MORTAL
A] This chapter reminds us about the long lives, most around 900 years. Incredible. Is this true? The answer is yes. There is nothing to suggest that these numbers are not literal. Josephus says 12 ancient historians say people lived a 1,000 years once. If you take this genealogy with the one in Genesis 11, you can see that before the flood, the life spans were much longer. It does seem that conditions on the earth were radically different before the flood. A cloud canopy could have protected the early human race from the aging process known to be accelerated by the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Animals don’t keep genealogies but we do have many of their fossils. Many of these are Giant Fossils suggesting that not only did men live longer but animals also lived longer and grew bigger because of the climate. Remains of mammoths, dinosaurs, reptiles, amphibians, insects, trees were all much bigger than those existing today.
So God determined that the early human race lived to be 900 to populate the earth rapidly and to advance civilization.
Perhaps also the decaying effects of sin took a few generations to produce negative results in the human body.
B] This chapter reminds us about Adam and his descendants. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.
The list begins with Adam since he is the father of the human race. Adam had a son in his own likeness and in his own image. We would expect that.
We learned a few weeks back that death entered the human race through Adam’s disobedience. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned” Rom. 5:12. “For the wages of sin is death ...” Rom. 6:23. When he fell, we fell because he was the federal head of the human race. So now he is a sinner by choice and by nature and that nature is now passed along to us his descendants.
Genesis tells us that we are all made in God’s image and we are all born with a nature that leads us to rebel against God.
The entire race is under a death sentence because of sin. When Adam and Eve sinned, instantly they died spiritually--they were separated from God. But also they began to die physically.
With them it was a longer process than it is with us, but it was set in motion the minute they sinned. Seth, born in Adam’s likeness, inherited a sin nature which he passed on to his descendants. Adam’s sin brought death to all.
C] This chapter has the repeated phrase “And he died.” The phrase, “and he died” sounds like a funeral bell, tolling eight times throughout the chapter.. Only Enoch did not die. And we are told about Noah’s death later in Genesis. There is a “drumbeat of death” in this chapter that echoes across the generations. Each man of faith lived and then he died. Death has now become a regular fact of human existence. Even though they lived long lives, they died.
We don’t like to think about death, especially our own! It used to be more common. In the Middle Ages it was common for scholars and other men of prominence to keep a skull on their desk to remind them that they, like the victim, must die. The Latin name for such a skull was a memento mori, “a reminder of death”. Jerome - It sounds gruesome to us. But Genesis 5 is God’s memento mori, His reminder to us that all must die however long we live.
Death reigned in the earliest generations of world history. And death still reigns today. Just open any newspaper and look at the obituary section. Every day a brand-new list, names never repeated.
If there is one thing about which we may be perfectly certain it is this: Unless the Lord returns in your lifetime, you are going to die someday.
We say nothing is as certain as death and taxes, but death is far more certain. Death is so certain that there is an entire business built about the expectation of death called the life insurance industry. Life insurance is based on one great theological truth—Death reigns.
When you die, the coroner will fill out a death certificate for you. There’s a space on that certificate that says “Cause of Death.” It may say sickness, cancer, an accident, or old age. Those are just symptoms of the great cause of death: Sin.
A popular idea promoted in our day is that death is a natural part of life. We are born, go through life, and then die. People are just like animals and plants, going through the life cycle. But death is not natural, it is more normal to fear that to try and pretend it holds no fears. Death is a horrible reminder that we have wronged the holy God and that someday we all must stand before Him. We can try to block it out of our minds, we can joke about it, but it’s still going to come.
The only way to live wisely is to keep in constant focus that whether I have a few hours, or a few years, it is certain that I am going to die and stand before a holy God. I’d better be ready to meet Him!
Cain isn’t mentioned at all because Genesis 5 traces the line of faith, which is what matters to the Lord. All that secular wealth and achievement is valueless as far as eternity is concerned.
Years ago a London business named Henry Goodear, went to church one Sunday, just to please his niece. The pastor’s read Genesis 5, she wondered why the pastor had to base his message on that passage on the day her uncle with her. The next day, Goodear could not concentrate on his work. That night he searched for a family Bible and read over those words, “and he died, ... and he died.” He thought, “Now I’m living, but someday I too must die, and then where will I spend eternity?” That very night he asked the Lord Jesus to forgive him and adopt him…….and you?
[3] GENEALOGIES RECORD THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO ARE WORTH REMEMBERING V24: “Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”
For Enoch to walk with God, it meant that every day He set his heart to live remembering the unseen God, was at his side. And so he did, day after day, week after week, year after year. Because his heart was set to follow the Lord, he walked with him as a habit of life.
A] Enoch’s walk with God Enoch stood out in his day. He lived at the same time as the boastful sensual Lamech. Jude 14-15 records what Enoch prophesied: v 14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 ¶ to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him."
He was the first preacher who ever confronted liars and deceivers and false teachers. He warned the people of God’s coming judgment. That probably didn’t make him the most popular man of his day! People like to hear upbeat messages on how they can be happy. They don’t like to be faced with the consequences of their sinful ways. But the closer a man walks with God, the more he realizes how bad his own heart is, and how evil his own generation is. As he grows in holiness, he stands out as distinct from the crowd.
If he walked with God in such moral darkness, we can too.
B] Enoch’s walk with God had a starting point. "Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years." The starting place of a walk with God is to come to Him in faith. It means that a relationship with God is established. It means a coming together, it means to be reconciled to God through faith. Enoch did not always walk with God. Apparently the first 65 years of his life was like all those around him. What started him walking with God then? Apparently it coincided with the birth of a son, a boy whom he named Methuselah. Perhaps he was like many men who don’t get serious until they become parents. The responsibility makes them more thoughtful, more serious, more sober in the outlook on life. Perhaps that’s what happened to Enoch. He became serious and sought God.
C] Enoch’s walk with God ended triumphantly The phrase “God took him away” means that instead of dying, he was lifted off the earth while he was alive and was taken directly into God’s presence. He did not die, no one killed him, and he did not waste away from some dread disease. He took a walk with God one day and never came back. He just walked right into heaven. Why does God do this? Because the Lord is showing us that there is victory over death. He is an illustration that if you walk with God, if you please God, you'll escape death. You'll conquer death.
He simply walked with God so long that he walked all the way from earth to heaven. Consider the testimony given about him in Hebrews 11:5, “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.” One day God said, “Come home with me?”
The world takes note of those who achieve in science or business or entertainment. It makes celebrities of dubious characters. But God takes note of the person who walks with Him by faith. Enoch believed God; God rewarded him accordingly.
Enoch walked beyond space and time into eternity. God took him off the earth and allowed him to enter heaven without experiencing death. It is the picture of the second coming and a reminder that death will not have the last word. B. We gain the hope of eternal life.
It’s interesting that the best man in this genealogy has by far the shortest life--365 years. Walking with God is not a guarantee of a long life on earth; it is a guarantee of eternal life with God.
Enoch is also a type of those who will be alive at the Lord’s coming and who will be taken directly to heaven without dying. This is the blessed hope of every believer, to be caught up “in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord” 1 Thess. 4:13-17.
Those who do not walk with God do not have the hope of eternal life, but only the fear of judgment. Enoch prophesied of God’s coming judgment, and he did it through more than just his preaching: He named his son Methuselah. It means, "His death shall bring it," or "When he dies, it will come." What will come? The Flood! Sure enough Methuselah died the same year that God sent the flood.
Enoch, looked beyond the culture, the comforts, and the technical marvels of his own day, to the fact there must come an inevitable judgment on human life. He saw the certainty of destruction to a world living only to please itself.
If you will walk with God, you can come to the end of life with full assurance that the best is yet to come. Is your name is in the book of life. Death did come to the godly seed of Seth. But Enoch is a type of all those who truly walk with God. After death they will be ushered into the eternal presence of God, in whose fellowship they will dwell forever.
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Submission to Civil Authority
Reading – Romans 13:1-10; 1 Tim.2:1-8
This text is God’s answer to the anti-authority spirit of this age. These verses give us a framework for understanding how Christians should relate to the various authority structures. Wherever you find a human institution, there you will find people in authority and people under authority.
Those to whom Peter wrote lived with a government and society that was not favourable toward the Christian faith. It was not until the fourth century, under Constantine, that Christianity was afforded official legitimacy.
Peter has just stated the general principle that Christians are not permanent residents here, but are pilgrims journeying toward heaven. It would have been easy for his readers to conclude that we therefore have no civic responsibility here on earth. Perhaps they would have concluded that they could disobey human government, since they were citizens of heaven, not of this earth.
So Peter anticipates this wrong conclusion by showing how Christian citizens live.
[I] THE PRINCIPLE—SUBMIT TO ALL HUMAN AUTHORITY13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him.
Submission means obedience. It is a military term that means to “get in line.” Even if we don’t like it, we are to “get in line” anyway. There is an inborn dislike for authority in all humans. We are rebels by nature.
A minister, pressed for time and not finding a parking space, parked in a no parking zone and put a note on his windscreen: “I have circled the block 10 times. I have an appointment to keep. Forgive us our trespasses.” When he returned, he found a ticket along with this note: “I’ve circled this block for 10 years. If I don’t give you a ticket, I lose my job. Lead us not into temptation.”
The fact is, we all live under multiple layers of authority, and it’s very likely that we won’t care for some of those people and for the laws they pass and the rules they make. There will always be …Leaders we don’t trust, laws we don’t like, and taxes we don’t want to pay.
When Israel were in exile in Babylon, their situation was like that of Christians today - exiles looking to their promised land. God told Jeremiah to tell the exiles to build houses there, plant gardens, take wives and raise children. Then He added, 29:7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." That’s good counsel for Christians in this world: seek and pray for the welfare of the places where we live and to be good citizens.
Before Peter wrote this letter, Paul had already taught submission to government: Rom. 13:1–4 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
One objection that might be raised to this teaching relates to unjust rulers. Submission can be hard enough when you have a good government, a fair employer. But what if your boss is unfair and the authorities won’t listen?
Peter’s words still apply? He and Paul both lived in the openly decadent Roman Empire—a society infamous for government corruption, abuse, immorality, and violence, neither apostle encouraged believers to defy civil authority.
Peter knew Pilate washed his hands of Jesus' murder. He knew Herod Antipas executed John the Baptist as a dancing prize. He was a boy when he heard that Herod the Great had killed all the children in Bethlehem.
So Peter was not naïve about the vicious world of government corruption and wickedness. If Peter could command the Christian community of his time to honour their rulers, then how much more must we honour our rulers who are not in that category—even though they may endorse acts which we regard as wrong.
We cannot make exceptions to the biblical principle of obedience to government authority based on how bad the ruler or laws may be.
Throughout history there have been various acts of civil disobedience and different subversive attempts to overthrow governments in which Christians have been a party. Scripture nowhere condones such actions. On the contrary, the biblical command is simple; submit to civil authority, regardless of its nature.
Georgy Vins the Unregistered Baptist leader in the days of communism was asked, what do the Russian Christians do to protest when the government, does things that they don't believe are right? He replied we have a basic unwritten law that everyone lives by in the church in Russia and that is, that if any Christian is ever arrested, he will be arrested for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ, nothing less. Not for protesting or something else.
Yun a famous Chinese Christian was converted during the Cultural Revolution – and later came to the West to find us praying for downfall of Communism. This was his response ‘we never pray against our government, instead we have learned that God is control of both our lives and the government we live under. God has used China’s government for His own purposes, instead of focusing our prayers against any political system we pray that regardless of what happens to us we will be pleasing to God. Don’t pray for the persecution to stop , pray that we may have a stronger back to carry the load, then the world will see God is with us, empowering us in a way that reflects his love and power. ‘Heavenly Man’ p287 That’s what I call biblical wisdom and godly grace!
Civil authority is from God, though the individual rulers may be godless. All forms of government, from dictatorships to democracies, are led by fallen sinners, so we must not expect believers to have special protection.
[2] THE PRACTICAL REASON – RULERS RESTRAIN EVIL & PROMOTE JUSTICE AND PEACE governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
God's Design for Government is to dam up the river of evil that flows from the heart of man so that it does not flood the world with anarchy.
Even unreasonable, evil, harsh rulers and oppressive systems are far better than anarchy. Look at places like the Congo, Somalia, Lebanon not so long ago, parts of Iraq, its gang warfare, the law of the jungle.
Governments promote justice and peace by upholding law and order and by maintaining reasonable national defence. Paul writes in Romans 12: For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. The state is to restrain evil, use punishments, to bring about justice for all and promote the public good.
The real debate is, which morality should we legislate? In a democratic, pluralistic society, if a law would only be accepted by those who believe the bible, we need to be careful not to push it, even if it is biblical. But we can work to legislate many biblical standards which have broad social value and can be argued for apart from an appeal to the Bible. Many right laws can be argued for on the grounds of basic human rights, apart from Christianity.
Most unbelievers recognize the inherent “fairness” of the Golden Rule. We can use this standard as the basis for law.
Government should uphold laws supporting morality. Laws against murder and theft are moral and biblical. Laws against racial discrimination reflect the biblical teaching that God is no respecter of persons. Laws should protect citizens from being harmed by the sins of others. The fact that something is illegal will restrain many who otherwise may be tempted to engage in the particular activity.
A result of promoting justice will be peace and order in society. 1 Timothy 2: 1 ¶ I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
We should pray that the government will maintain national defence, so that we are not overrun by powers that would rob us of our peace and liberty. And that the government will not interfere with our religious liberty.
[3] THE INTERNAL REASON—FOR THE LORD’S SAKE for the Lord’s sake
The motive for submission is that there is a direct connection between the people in authority over us, and God who is the ultimate authority. Authorities exist as they are and where they are by God’s permission. They could not rule apart from God. This means that submission to authority is really an aspect of our submission to Christ. Jesus himself said, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” Luke 6:46. Christians obey because they desire to honor God’s sovereign authority.Obedience “for the Lord’s sake” is because we know that He is watching over us even when we think the command we are obeying is needless.
Robert Culver wrote in A Biblical View of Civil Government: ‘God alone has sovereign rights.… by whatever means men come to positions of ruling—by descent, family connection, wealth, or by democratic election, “there is no power but of God” Rom. 13:1. Furthermore, civil government is an instrument, not an end.
Believers also submit in order to imitate Christ’s example of obedient submission to His Father. Christ lived under the unjust rule of the Jewish and Roman authorities, yet He never opposed their right to rule. He denounced their sins, but never sought to overturn their authority.
Jesus never led demonstrations against injustice or engaged in any act of civil disobedience. Instead of being preoccupied with political and social reform, Christ always focused on matters relating to His kingdom.
There were all kinds of abuses in the time of John Wesley. Wesley's protest against that was always a spiritual one, using the Word of God and prayer. What a tremendous impact that that had.
God is pleased when people associate Christians with spiritual graces rather than protests against human institutions. When the Lord said, “My kingdom is not of this world” John 18:36, He defined the sphere of believers’ calling and duty—to focus ministry efforts on matters related to His spiritual and eternal rule.
[4] THE EXTERNAL REASON—TO SILENCE FOOLISH PEOPLE 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.
When we disobey the law, all the excuses in the world don’t matter.The reason Christians ought to submit to every authority is quite clear—such conduct muzzles the mouths of the gospel’s critics. It is making it impossible for that person to criticise. The people who need to be silenced are those who are hostile to the truth. Integrity and purity of life are all effective character tools to silence the enemies of Christ. Paul commanded Titus to tell believers on Crete this: Titus 3:1–3 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. When Christians live like that in the middle of a godless culture, it is a powerful testimony. On the other hand, when professing Christians disrespect authority, when they disobey the law, it gives opportunity for those who are prone to criticize Christianity.
Such upright conduct and good citizenship is especially necessary for church leaders. The man “must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach” 1 Tim. 3:7; Titus 1:6. That unimpeachable testimony before those who reject the gospel enables the grace of Christ to be seen.
An American pastor found a man doing business on a cash only and told him he was a thief, a lawbreaker, a violator of the Scriptures. He got very angry and said, "You're a lawbreaker, too!" "Maybe said the pastor, "but I don't sit around planning how I'm going to break the law."
Packer wrote, “It is a paradox of the Christian life that the more profoundly one is concerned about heaven, the more deeply one cares about God’s will being done on Earth”. Sir Frederick Catherwood, MEP put it: “To try to improve society is not worldliness, but love. To wash your hands of society is not love but worldliness”. Christian citizens should be good citizens.
God uses civil government to accomplish His purposes, so it is not wrong for Christians to be involved in the politics, but evangelism is His primary means of dealing with world problems and bringing lasting change. If we get sidetracked into winning political victories for our cause, but do not win men and women to Christ, we ultimately fail.
[5] THE MOTIVATAL REASON—SUBMISSION BRINGS FREEDOM 16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
Living under authority is the greatest freedom of all. It provides protection, direction and security. Peter cautions those who are free in Christ to not use that spiritual freedom as a covering for the evil of not submitting to rulers.
Submission for most of us involves a struggle to do something we don’t want to do, or something we don’t think is necessary, or to follow instructions from a person we don’t respect. At that point, there are two dangers we face:
A] We will say too much. Proverbs 10:8, “The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.” How many times have children got into trouble for answering back. I did when I was young and once had the gym shoe applied to my hindquarters for my trouble.
B] We will begin to make excuses. We’ll say things like, “I don’t agree so I don’t have to submit,” or “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,”.
Jesus said, in Matt.5:41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. In order that the royal commands might be delivered with safety to different parts of the empire, the Romans stationed people or horsemen at intervals on all the great public highways. One of those delivered the message to another, and so messages were passed on. These heralds were permitted to compel anyone, or commandeer any animal or boat that they might need. It was to this custom that our Saviour refers. Rather, says he, than resist a public authority, requiring your attendance, go peaceably another mile." Why? To show you are free. You are not compelled to do it, but do it willingly - for your state, and for those who represent your state.
Submission is not blind obedience. Because it is an attitude of the heart, sometimes we will disagree and will make our disagreement known forcefully. Sometimes we must speak out against those things that we know are wrong.
Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is a compelling role model of submission to earthly authority. Acts 6: describes his confrontation with the authorities and his amazing reaction to those unjust accusations: Stephen’s convicting words infuriated them, but his reaction to their violent rejection of him and his preaching was one of submission and humble, unwavering faith:
The way Stephen humbly submitted to injustice and persecution undoubtedly made some contribution to Saul of Tarsus’s bring transformed from hateful persecutor to faithful apostle of Jesus Christ.
[6] THE APPLICATION—ALL PEOPLE DESERVE RESPECT 17 Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honour the king.
Political satire is accepted fare, some of the things politicians do invite it! Even Jesus called Herod a fox, so there may be some basis for criticising certain political leaders. But we need to be careful to promote respect for government.
Titus 3:1-2, “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.” Note how specific he is, there are no exceptions. Whether that is the government at Westminster, or Medway Borough Council, or the Inland Revenue, or the Department of Transport, or copyright laws, the police or the principal at the school you attend. Jesus Himself commands Matt. 22:21 Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.
You do not accomplish in society anything for God when you violate what God has designed for the good of society.
We ministers talked about Evolution and students recently and were reminded that we should encourage our young people to debate it, but with respect to the teacher, otherwise the gospel will be discredited.
Robert Haldane wrote that the people of God ought to consider resistance to the government as a very awful crime because it shows Christians in hostility and rebellion. That's not honouring to God. To see us in peace and graciousness, in kindness obedience, submissiveness, humility, that honours our Lord.
Peter summarises his citizenship theology—into four practical dimensions of life.
Believers are to honor all people, they are to love the brotherhood, they are to fear God, and honor the king, which brings the issue full circle.
[7] THE EXCEPTION - Is it right for Christians to participate in a revolution to overthrow a government? Is it ever right to be involved civil disobedience?
There are times when as a last resort, human laws may have to be broken. There is a fine balance that Christians must maintain. Submission to lawful authority is not an excuse for violating God’s commandments.
There may come times when certain laws passed by the government will conflict with the law of God. If the government tries to force us to disobey God, we are responsible to speak out against evil and appeal to the authorities.
If all that fails, we disobey the government and may suffer the physical, emotional and legal consequences. Accepting punishment is part of the attitude of humble submission to authority. Calvin InstitutesIV:XX:31the only command given to Christians is obey & suffer. Daniel prayed to God, not the king, in open defiance of a law to pray only to the King. He was thrown in the lions den for breaking this law, but was delivered by God. He was willing to lose his life rather than obey that law of the land.
In Acts 4, where the disciples were forbidden to mention the name of Jesus again, Peter's response was, "We must obey God rather than man." When the asked to do the opposite of what God commands, you have no choice but to disobey and bear your punishment.
This text is God’s answer to the anti-authority spirit of this age. These verses give us a framework for understanding how Christians should relate to the various authority structures. Wherever you find a human institution, there you will find people in authority and people under authority.
Those to whom Peter wrote lived with a government and society that was not favourable toward the Christian faith. It was not until the fourth century, under Constantine, that Christianity was afforded official legitimacy.
Peter has just stated the general principle that Christians are not permanent residents here, but are pilgrims journeying toward heaven. It would have been easy for his readers to conclude that we therefore have no civic responsibility here on earth. Perhaps they would have concluded that they could disobey human government, since they were citizens of heaven, not of this earth.
So Peter anticipates this wrong conclusion by showing how Christian citizens live.
[I] THE PRINCIPLE—SUBMIT TO ALL HUMAN AUTHORITY13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him.
Submission means obedience. It is a military term that means to “get in line.” Even if we don’t like it, we are to “get in line” anyway. There is an inborn dislike for authority in all humans. We are rebels by nature.
A minister, pressed for time and not finding a parking space, parked in a no parking zone and put a note on his windscreen: “I have circled the block 10 times. I have an appointment to keep. Forgive us our trespasses.” When he returned, he found a ticket along with this note: “I’ve circled this block for 10 years. If I don’t give you a ticket, I lose my job. Lead us not into temptation.”
The fact is, we all live under multiple layers of authority, and it’s very likely that we won’t care for some of those people and for the laws they pass and the rules they make. There will always be …Leaders we don’t trust, laws we don’t like, and taxes we don’t want to pay.
When Israel were in exile in Babylon, their situation was like that of Christians today - exiles looking to their promised land. God told Jeremiah to tell the exiles to build houses there, plant gardens, take wives and raise children. Then He added, 29:7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." That’s good counsel for Christians in this world: seek and pray for the welfare of the places where we live and to be good citizens.
Before Peter wrote this letter, Paul had already taught submission to government: Rom. 13:1–4 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
One objection that might be raised to this teaching relates to unjust rulers. Submission can be hard enough when you have a good government, a fair employer. But what if your boss is unfair and the authorities won’t listen?
Peter’s words still apply? He and Paul both lived in the openly decadent Roman Empire—a society infamous for government corruption, abuse, immorality, and violence, neither apostle encouraged believers to defy civil authority.
Peter knew Pilate washed his hands of Jesus' murder. He knew Herod Antipas executed John the Baptist as a dancing prize. He was a boy when he heard that Herod the Great had killed all the children in Bethlehem.
So Peter was not naïve about the vicious world of government corruption and wickedness. If Peter could command the Christian community of his time to honour their rulers, then how much more must we honour our rulers who are not in that category—even though they may endorse acts which we regard as wrong.
We cannot make exceptions to the biblical principle of obedience to government authority based on how bad the ruler or laws may be.
Throughout history there have been various acts of civil disobedience and different subversive attempts to overthrow governments in which Christians have been a party. Scripture nowhere condones such actions. On the contrary, the biblical command is simple; submit to civil authority, regardless of its nature.
Georgy Vins the Unregistered Baptist leader in the days of communism was asked, what do the Russian Christians do to protest when the government, does things that they don't believe are right? He replied we have a basic unwritten law that everyone lives by in the church in Russia and that is, that if any Christian is ever arrested, he will be arrested for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ, nothing less. Not for protesting or something else.
Yun a famous Chinese Christian was converted during the Cultural Revolution – and later came to the West to find us praying for downfall of Communism. This was his response ‘we never pray against our government, instead we have learned that God is control of both our lives and the government we live under. God has used China’s government for His own purposes, instead of focusing our prayers against any political system we pray that regardless of what happens to us we will be pleasing to God. Don’t pray for the persecution to stop , pray that we may have a stronger back to carry the load, then the world will see God is with us, empowering us in a way that reflects his love and power. ‘Heavenly Man’ p287 That’s what I call biblical wisdom and godly grace!
Civil authority is from God, though the individual rulers may be godless. All forms of government, from dictatorships to democracies, are led by fallen sinners, so we must not expect believers to have special protection.
[2] THE PRACTICAL REASON – RULERS RESTRAIN EVIL & PROMOTE JUSTICE AND PEACE governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
God's Design for Government is to dam up the river of evil that flows from the heart of man so that it does not flood the world with anarchy.
Even unreasonable, evil, harsh rulers and oppressive systems are far better than anarchy. Look at places like the Congo, Somalia, Lebanon not so long ago, parts of Iraq, its gang warfare, the law of the jungle.
Governments promote justice and peace by upholding law and order and by maintaining reasonable national defence. Paul writes in Romans 12: For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. The state is to restrain evil, use punishments, to bring about justice for all and promote the public good.
The real debate is, which morality should we legislate? In a democratic, pluralistic society, if a law would only be accepted by those who believe the bible, we need to be careful not to push it, even if it is biblical. But we can work to legislate many biblical standards which have broad social value and can be argued for apart from an appeal to the Bible. Many right laws can be argued for on the grounds of basic human rights, apart from Christianity.
Most unbelievers recognize the inherent “fairness” of the Golden Rule. We can use this standard as the basis for law.
Government should uphold laws supporting morality. Laws against murder and theft are moral and biblical. Laws against racial discrimination reflect the biblical teaching that God is no respecter of persons. Laws should protect citizens from being harmed by the sins of others. The fact that something is illegal will restrain many who otherwise may be tempted to engage in the particular activity.
A result of promoting justice will be peace and order in society. 1 Timothy 2: 1 ¶ I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
We should pray that the government will maintain national defence, so that we are not overrun by powers that would rob us of our peace and liberty. And that the government will not interfere with our religious liberty.
[3] THE INTERNAL REASON—FOR THE LORD’S SAKE for the Lord’s sake
The motive for submission is that there is a direct connection between the people in authority over us, and God who is the ultimate authority. Authorities exist as they are and where they are by God’s permission. They could not rule apart from God. This means that submission to authority is really an aspect of our submission to Christ. Jesus himself said, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” Luke 6:46. Christians obey because they desire to honor God’s sovereign authority.Obedience “for the Lord’s sake” is because we know that He is watching over us even when we think the command we are obeying is needless.
Robert Culver wrote in A Biblical View of Civil Government: ‘God alone has sovereign rights.… by whatever means men come to positions of ruling—by descent, family connection, wealth, or by democratic election, “there is no power but of God” Rom. 13:1. Furthermore, civil government is an instrument, not an end.
Believers also submit in order to imitate Christ’s example of obedient submission to His Father. Christ lived under the unjust rule of the Jewish and Roman authorities, yet He never opposed their right to rule. He denounced their sins, but never sought to overturn their authority.
Jesus never led demonstrations against injustice or engaged in any act of civil disobedience. Instead of being preoccupied with political and social reform, Christ always focused on matters relating to His kingdom.
There were all kinds of abuses in the time of John Wesley. Wesley's protest against that was always a spiritual one, using the Word of God and prayer. What a tremendous impact that that had.
God is pleased when people associate Christians with spiritual graces rather than protests against human institutions. When the Lord said, “My kingdom is not of this world” John 18:36, He defined the sphere of believers’ calling and duty—to focus ministry efforts on matters related to His spiritual and eternal rule.
[4] THE EXTERNAL REASON—TO SILENCE FOOLISH PEOPLE 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.
When we disobey the law, all the excuses in the world don’t matter.The reason Christians ought to submit to every authority is quite clear—such conduct muzzles the mouths of the gospel’s critics. It is making it impossible for that person to criticise. The people who need to be silenced are those who are hostile to the truth. Integrity and purity of life are all effective character tools to silence the enemies of Christ. Paul commanded Titus to tell believers on Crete this: Titus 3:1–3 Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. When Christians live like that in the middle of a godless culture, it is a powerful testimony. On the other hand, when professing Christians disrespect authority, when they disobey the law, it gives opportunity for those who are prone to criticize Christianity.
Such upright conduct and good citizenship is especially necessary for church leaders. The man “must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach” 1 Tim. 3:7; Titus 1:6. That unimpeachable testimony before those who reject the gospel enables the grace of Christ to be seen.
An American pastor found a man doing business on a cash only and told him he was a thief, a lawbreaker, a violator of the Scriptures. He got very angry and said, "You're a lawbreaker, too!" "Maybe said the pastor, "but I don't sit around planning how I'm going to break the law."
Packer wrote, “It is a paradox of the Christian life that the more profoundly one is concerned about heaven, the more deeply one cares about God’s will being done on Earth”. Sir Frederick Catherwood, MEP put it: “To try to improve society is not worldliness, but love. To wash your hands of society is not love but worldliness”. Christian citizens should be good citizens.
God uses civil government to accomplish His purposes, so it is not wrong for Christians to be involved in the politics, but evangelism is His primary means of dealing with world problems and bringing lasting change. If we get sidetracked into winning political victories for our cause, but do not win men and women to Christ, we ultimately fail.
[5] THE MOTIVATAL REASON—SUBMISSION BRINGS FREEDOM 16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
Living under authority is the greatest freedom of all. It provides protection, direction and security. Peter cautions those who are free in Christ to not use that spiritual freedom as a covering for the evil of not submitting to rulers.
Submission for most of us involves a struggle to do something we don’t want to do, or something we don’t think is necessary, or to follow instructions from a person we don’t respect. At that point, there are two dangers we face:
A] We will say too much. Proverbs 10:8, “The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.” How many times have children got into trouble for answering back. I did when I was young and once had the gym shoe applied to my hindquarters for my trouble.
B] We will begin to make excuses. We’ll say things like, “I don’t agree so I don’t have to submit,” or “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,”.
Jesus said, in Matt.5:41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. In order that the royal commands might be delivered with safety to different parts of the empire, the Romans stationed people or horsemen at intervals on all the great public highways. One of those delivered the message to another, and so messages were passed on. These heralds were permitted to compel anyone, or commandeer any animal or boat that they might need. It was to this custom that our Saviour refers. Rather, says he, than resist a public authority, requiring your attendance, go peaceably another mile." Why? To show you are free. You are not compelled to do it, but do it willingly - for your state, and for those who represent your state.
Submission is not blind obedience. Because it is an attitude of the heart, sometimes we will disagree and will make our disagreement known forcefully. Sometimes we must speak out against those things that we know are wrong.
Stephen, the first Christian martyr, is a compelling role model of submission to earthly authority. Acts 6: describes his confrontation with the authorities and his amazing reaction to those unjust accusations: Stephen’s convicting words infuriated them, but his reaction to their violent rejection of him and his preaching was one of submission and humble, unwavering faith:
The way Stephen humbly submitted to injustice and persecution undoubtedly made some contribution to Saul of Tarsus’s bring transformed from hateful persecutor to faithful apostle of Jesus Christ.
[6] THE APPLICATION—ALL PEOPLE DESERVE RESPECT 17 Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honour the king.
Political satire is accepted fare, some of the things politicians do invite it! Even Jesus called Herod a fox, so there may be some basis for criticising certain political leaders. But we need to be careful to promote respect for government.
Titus 3:1-2, “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.” Note how specific he is, there are no exceptions. Whether that is the government at Westminster, or Medway Borough Council, or the Inland Revenue, or the Department of Transport, or copyright laws, the police or the principal at the school you attend. Jesus Himself commands Matt. 22:21 Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.
You do not accomplish in society anything for God when you violate what God has designed for the good of society.
We ministers talked about Evolution and students recently and were reminded that we should encourage our young people to debate it, but with respect to the teacher, otherwise the gospel will be discredited.
Robert Haldane wrote that the people of God ought to consider resistance to the government as a very awful crime because it shows Christians in hostility and rebellion. That's not honouring to God. To see us in peace and graciousness, in kindness obedience, submissiveness, humility, that honours our Lord.
Peter summarises his citizenship theology—into four practical dimensions of life.
Believers are to honor all people, they are to love the brotherhood, they are to fear God, and honor the king, which brings the issue full circle.
[7] THE EXCEPTION - Is it right for Christians to participate in a revolution to overthrow a government? Is it ever right to be involved civil disobedience?
There are times when as a last resort, human laws may have to be broken. There is a fine balance that Christians must maintain. Submission to lawful authority is not an excuse for violating God’s commandments.
There may come times when certain laws passed by the government will conflict with the law of God. If the government tries to force us to disobey God, we are responsible to speak out against evil and appeal to the authorities.
If all that fails, we disobey the government and may suffer the physical, emotional and legal consequences. Accepting punishment is part of the attitude of humble submission to authority. Calvin InstitutesIV:XX:31the only command given to Christians is obey & suffer. Daniel prayed to God, not the king, in open defiance of a law to pray only to the King. He was thrown in the lions den for breaking this law, but was delivered by God. He was willing to lose his life rather than obey that law of the land.
In Acts 4, where the disciples were forbidden to mention the name of Jesus again, Peter's response was, "We must obey God rather than man." When the asked to do the opposite of what God commands, you have no choice but to disobey and bear your punishment.
Civilization
Reading - Genesis 4:16-26; Hebrews 12:22-29
This chapter records the origin of secular and sacred society.
We live in a world of dizzying technological progress.
As Christians, we are called to live in this changing and advancing world and to use the things of the world, wisely and well. To often the story of mankind’s progress has been regress because advances have been used to advance sin. For instance the internet it was hoped would make precious knowledge accessible but it has also been perverted to spread pornography.
Progress without God’s truth to channel it, will lead to more problems to solve, and more sophisticated crime. In Genesis 4:16-26 we see, in Cain’s descendants, the world caught up with progress without God.
But at the end of the chapter there is a glimmer of hope in the descendants of Seth, a remnant of people who call upon God.
These two strands of people write human history. There are only two families in the world today - there's the secular family, and there's the sacred family. And that's the way it's always been. Cain models for us the secular and material culture, Seth models for us the sacred family and spiritual society.
[I] THE START OF SECULAR SOCIETY 17 Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
After murdering his brother, Cain refused God’s call to repent. Instead, Cain turned his back on God and was sentenced by God to restlessly wander the earth. No one could kill him, but he would live forever with his guilty conscience, never feeling at home, never feeling entirely safe. He cannot work the ground and he will not die for a long time. What will he do? Where will he go?
These verses tell about Cain and the civilization that flowed from him. Here is the beginning of secular society—that is, society lived apart from God and his guidance. As we think about the marks of secular society, here are four “C” words that help us remember.
A] Construction marks Secular society
First, Cain constructs a family.
Sometimes people wonder, where did Cain get his wife? With regard to Cain’s wife, Genesis 5:4 states that during Adam’s long life, he and Eve had many sons and daughters besides those named in these chapters. So obviously Cain would have had no trouble finding a suitable wife from somewhere within his extended family. And since this occurred early in human history, the gene pool could still be clean and relatively free from pollution. Later on, God would forbid marriage between close relatives. But at this early date, there were no mutant genes in the genetic system and no sin was involved. Cain had to marry someone from his own extended family since there was no one else to choose from.
Second, Cain constructs a city. "City" means, a fenced-in complex of dwellings; it could be any size, large or small. He was trying to erect a place to settle in. The indication is that he couldn't succeed at it and called the name of the city "Enoch," after the name of his son. Here is the beginning of urbanization.
This 21c is the age of the city and skyscraper, the world is undergoing the largest wave of urban growth in history. In 2008, for the first time in history, more than half of the world’s population will be living in towns and cities. In the developing world people are moving to enormous growing cities everywhere.
Cities can deliver education, work, health care and other services more efficiently. Tim Keller - We are entering a globalised, urbanised and post-secular world. This means that we are going to be more like the Roman Empire than anything seen in centuries. Cities are multi-ethnic and international in unprecedented ways. It is a fragmented, pluralistic world again, with have traditional, secular, and pagan world-views living side by side.
Where did all the people come from to populate a city? We know from Genesis 5 that people lived hundreds of years back then. Adam lived for 930 years and we can presume Eve lived at least as long. So how many children do you think they had?
Someone very conservatively calculated that Adam would have lived to see a million descendants.
The rapid growth in population helps us understand Cain’s need to build a city. In some ways, this is a self-protection measure since he lived in fear” that someone might harm him in spite of God’s “mark.
No doubt also Cain stayed busy to cover up the emptiness of his soul and forget his guilt. He wanted a bustling city to compensate for what he lost—his hope and happiness and direction in life. The same is true for many people today.
Cities are fun and exciting, especially when compared with the slow pace of country life. They call Las Vegas the city that never sleeps, but that could be said about any large city. There is a pulsating power in a big city that draws people.
The city has buzz, music and action 24/7. Go to any large city and there you will find the best that modern life has to offer: restaurants of every variety, entertainment galore, sports, universities, large stores, transport, waterways and parks, the latest fashions, the seat of government, the largest churches, the biggest banks, and the extremes of life.
Millions of people move to the city hoping things will change for the better.
But often it doesn’t work. The loneliest and the saddest are city people. For all its glamour, there is also a seamy side to every big city. Where the masses gather, there you find sadness, heartache, crime, corruption and enormous human pain.
Cain built a city and focused on the secular advantages it gave but it is not a permanent home, it does not mean we will be settled and at peace in our hearts and minds. Spiritual wholeness does not come from the buzz of a secular life but a mind at peace with God.
Rootlessness is the basic ingredient all secular cultures. Simone Weil, a brilliant French writer who lived in London during the war and died there in 1943, wrote a book entitled The Need for Roots. She concluded that the only cure is a rediscovery of the human being as God’s creature and of God himself as the source of those basic elements without which a proper civilization cannot function: order, liberty, obedience, responsibility, and equality, the right to express one’s opinion, security, private property, truth, and others.
Weil is right. Our roots are in God; and if we will not have God, we are condemned to be rootless.
[B] Corruption marks Secular society 19“Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah”
The second feature of civilization without God is corruption. Lamech just did what he felt like doing. He decided to marry two women. He became the first polygamist, instead of one man with one woman for life. The names of his wives suggest that he was motivated by sensual impulses. Adah means “beauty” and Zillah means something like “tinkling.” The name of the daughter, Naamah, means “lovely. The emphasis was on outward beauty, not on the inner character.
Like no culture in history, we are bombarded with sensual appeals to the flesh. Today, this moral cancer is portrayed as progress: People say we’ve freed ourselves from Victorian ideas of sexual purity. We’re free from restrictive divorce laws which kept people bound in unhappy marriages.” And so we have cast off God’s plan for moral purity, for marriage and the family under the guise of progress. Now people in general are no longer are shocked by these things. Society tolerates all kinds of sexual relationships; people now freely pursue the fulfilment of their own fleshly desires. But God is not mocked, He sees our rebellion, there is a price to pay both in time and in coming judgement.
[C] Culture marks Secular society 20“Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah. These verses remind us of the positive progress of human culture in the line of Cain. These two wives gave Lamech at least four children. And the boys took society to the next level.
Jabal, was the first into animal husbandry, breeding and training for human use.
Jubal was father of music, the first artist, inventing and making stringed and wind instruments. There would be the need to invent a scale; understand the tones, arrange the music and design instruments to play it.
Tubal-cain, from the other wife, Zillah, was the founder of technology, metal work and tools. Metallurgy is a skill of great science, mining, smelting, and shaping.
If people are creative now, what were they like then? How refined could art and craftsmanship become with a pristine mind, living hundreds of years in a congenial earth, which provided all of the resources.
These folks were no grunting, snorting cavemen, chewing raw flesh. Mankind was more wonderful, capable; stronger, healthier, wiser, more skilled and more experienced than any man we've ever met.
The world has benefited by modern agriculture, by the arts and by technology.
These things are possible because even sinful men and women still possess the image of God that allows them to think, to create, to grow, to develop, to experiment and to explore new territory.
As Christians, we ought to be thankful to live in a world with many creature comforts. And in enjoying the good things, we ought also to give thanks to the Lord who gave man the ability to make it all possible.
However in our culture, inventions which could benefit mankind are twisted to promote destruction. Without Christ we go backwards. The arts and music, which can be a wholesome expression of human creativity, are trivialised, perverted and degrade people made in the image of God, music is used to spread a message of anarchy and meaninglessness.
Technological knowledge is used to develop weapons to kill and main, to make gambling easier, to encourage promiscuity. Understanding of creatures is used to ill-treat them and train them to fight– mark the great increase in dog fights and cruelty highlighted this week. Taking us back two centuries.
[D] Crime marks Secular society 23-24 “Lamech said to his wives, ‘Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times’.
This is the oldest song in the Bible. Lamech wrote some lyrics for a song celebrating violence. It has been called ‘The Sword Song’ a “macho” song of the world’s first Rambo boasting in his strength. He calls his wives together and tells them how hard he is. The words may mean that he has already killed a youngster who provoked him, or a threat that if anyone messes with him, he will kill them. There is total disdain for human life.
Moreover he is boasting against God. He is saying that he can take care of himself far better than God took care of Cain-- seventy-sevenfold! This shows that he knew of God, but exalts himself above God. What blasphemy! He is the epitome of the self-sufficient man. He can take care of himself. He does not need God. But what is his attitude toward other human beings? Parallel with his exaltation of himself is a lowering of his sense of the value of others, for he is ready to wipe them out for as small an offense as wounding himself. Like a thug, he thinks revenge is the way to live and no one dare bring him to justice.
When a society or individuals start boasting about sin, it has hit the bottom. The spiritual and moral failure of this early civilization is seen in their defiance of God and in their pride.
Removing the fear of God from our culture, why should we be surprised at the drunkenness, the violence, and the bloodshed around us? When there is no fear of God or of authority, no Father figures in the home, should we be surprised that kids with guns are murdering other kids.
We have become our own gods and those who live by the Lord’s truth are derided as narrow-minded, old-fashioned, exclusive, and intolerant.
Yes, the line of Cain produces great cultural benefits. Yet it is marred by self-indulgence, vanity and unrestrained violence. Cain and his descendants gave us secular society and secular society gave us Noah’s Flood.
The world tries to fill the emptiness of life without God with all these good gifts which God has given for the human race. But each of them can turn into a nightmare without God.
Children can become brazen murderers, like Cain or Lamech.
Cities can become hopeless jungles of loneliness, poverty and violence.
Culture, music, literature, and films--can be used to glorify perversion.
Careers can be used to further selfish ambition.
Inventions have brought us to the brink of destroying the human race.
The problem isn’t in these cultural and technological advances. The problem is when these things are done apart from God’s principals and His ethical guidelines. Progress without God is only illusory.
[2] THE START OF A SPIRITUAL SOCIETY 25 ¶ Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him." 26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD. - Progress with God is true progress.
These two verses of our passage offer a short view of the spiritual line. When the godless seem to rule the world, what can the righteous do? How do we maintain our faith and pass it along to the next generation when the majority culture moves in another direction? There are two ways we can resist the existing tide.
[A] By Maintaining Spiritual Families 25“Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, ‘God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him’”.
Adam and Eve recognized Seth as the replacement for Abel, not for Cain. Eve knew that God could not use Cain to fulfil His promise. And her faith was rewarded, in the fullness of time the promised Seed the Lord Jesus Christ was born of a woman whose genealogy is traced through Seth to Adam Luke 3:38.
The name Seth means “appointed.” They saw him as a gift from God, a new beginning after the murder of Abel. They wanted children to pass on the knowledge of God. Prior to this one had believe done had not now again they hoped and prayed for another who would love God and prayer was answered.
In biblical times, names were important. Seth named his son Enosh, which means “mortal.” Instead of boasting about his strength, as Lamech did, Seth readily acknowledged his weakness by naming his son, “Frail One
The faith of Adam and Eve now passes to their son and grandson. That’s our desire and prayer as well.
[B] By Maintaining Spiritual Worship “Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD”
Seth and his family confessed their need of God. The Hebrew concept of “calling on the name” of the Lord has two parts. It can mean to call on the Lord in prayer. So people came to God in prayer and worship.
The word “call” means to proclaim publicly. This was beginning of public worship. The “name” refers to all that God had revealed about Himself. While the significance of the name “Yahweh” was not revealed to God’s people until Moses Exod. 3:13-15, God’s character as the personal covenant God was known. Seth’s descendants began to call upon God as the personal, caring God, trusting fully in Him.
The crowd was going the other direction, but a group of people openly said, “We belong to the Lord. They were not ashamed to be called the people of the God.
They openly confessed their faith while Lamech boasted of sin, and others followed physical pursuits, and while society began to spiral morally downward.
Luther saw this as the formation of “a small church … in which Adam, rules everything by the Word and sound doctrine.” Calvin saw it as “a restoration of religion” such as had happened in his day.
The believers of these days did constitute a small church, and it was a miracle.
Compared with building cities, founding cultural enterprises, and launching industries, “calling on the name of the Lord” doesn’t sound much like progress.
#1l Remember, God never leaves himself without a witness. Believers around the world can make a huge difference. Never will the culture be entirely Christian but without the Christian influence, it will always deteriorate. Society will always be a strange combination of good and evil centred in the great cities of the world.
#2] Remember, we have no reason to envy the ungodly. They have the power but lack the wisdom to use it wisely. They can manage their world but not their own lives. Those whose names are not written in heaven must work desperately to leave a legacy on the earth. The greatest treasures of earth are no match for the pleasures of knowing God. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future, all [things] are yours; and you are Christ's; and Christ is God's, 1 Cor 3:21-23.
#3] Remember, we must not make the world all-important. Enjoy the world but don’t fall in love with it. And don’t measure your success by the standards of the world. You are doomed to unhappiness if you do. Even advanced culture, however refined and beautiful, has no redeeming power. Earth has nothing to offer in substitute for God.: “And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever” I John 2:17.
Hebrews says that Abraham "looked forward to the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God," Heb 11:10. Heaven is all the good that a city can offer without all the evil that ruins it. Its focus is not man but God.
How about you? are you putting your energy into progress in the things of this world, or into true progress with God at the centre of your life.
There are only two ways to live. There is the broad way, which leads to destruction; and the narrow way, that leads to life, as God intended it to be lived.
This chapter records the origin of secular and sacred society.
We live in a world of dizzying technological progress.
As Christians, we are called to live in this changing and advancing world and to use the things of the world, wisely and well. To often the story of mankind’s progress has been regress because advances have been used to advance sin. For instance the internet it was hoped would make precious knowledge accessible but it has also been perverted to spread pornography.
Progress without God’s truth to channel it, will lead to more problems to solve, and more sophisticated crime. In Genesis 4:16-26 we see, in Cain’s descendants, the world caught up with progress without God.
But at the end of the chapter there is a glimmer of hope in the descendants of Seth, a remnant of people who call upon God.
These two strands of people write human history. There are only two families in the world today - there's the secular family, and there's the sacred family. And that's the way it's always been. Cain models for us the secular and material culture, Seth models for us the sacred family and spiritual society.
[I] THE START OF SECULAR SOCIETY 17 Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.
After murdering his brother, Cain refused God’s call to repent. Instead, Cain turned his back on God and was sentenced by God to restlessly wander the earth. No one could kill him, but he would live forever with his guilty conscience, never feeling at home, never feeling entirely safe. He cannot work the ground and he will not die for a long time. What will he do? Where will he go?
These verses tell about Cain and the civilization that flowed from him. Here is the beginning of secular society—that is, society lived apart from God and his guidance. As we think about the marks of secular society, here are four “C” words that help us remember.
A] Construction marks Secular society
First, Cain constructs a family.
Sometimes people wonder, where did Cain get his wife? With regard to Cain’s wife, Genesis 5:4 states that during Adam’s long life, he and Eve had many sons and daughters besides those named in these chapters. So obviously Cain would have had no trouble finding a suitable wife from somewhere within his extended family. And since this occurred early in human history, the gene pool could still be clean and relatively free from pollution. Later on, God would forbid marriage between close relatives. But at this early date, there were no mutant genes in the genetic system and no sin was involved. Cain had to marry someone from his own extended family since there was no one else to choose from.
Second, Cain constructs a city. "City" means, a fenced-in complex of dwellings; it could be any size, large or small. He was trying to erect a place to settle in. The indication is that he couldn't succeed at it and called the name of the city "Enoch," after the name of his son. Here is the beginning of urbanization.
This 21c is the age of the city and skyscraper, the world is undergoing the largest wave of urban growth in history. In 2008, for the first time in history, more than half of the world’s population will be living in towns and cities. In the developing world people are moving to enormous growing cities everywhere.
Cities can deliver education, work, health care and other services more efficiently. Tim Keller - We are entering a globalised, urbanised and post-secular world. This means that we are going to be more like the Roman Empire than anything seen in centuries. Cities are multi-ethnic and international in unprecedented ways. It is a fragmented, pluralistic world again, with have traditional, secular, and pagan world-views living side by side.
Where did all the people come from to populate a city? We know from Genesis 5 that people lived hundreds of years back then. Adam lived for 930 years and we can presume Eve lived at least as long. So how many children do you think they had?
Someone very conservatively calculated that Adam would have lived to see a million descendants.
The rapid growth in population helps us understand Cain’s need to build a city. In some ways, this is a self-protection measure since he lived in fear” that someone might harm him in spite of God’s “mark.
No doubt also Cain stayed busy to cover up the emptiness of his soul and forget his guilt. He wanted a bustling city to compensate for what he lost—his hope and happiness and direction in life. The same is true for many people today.
Cities are fun and exciting, especially when compared with the slow pace of country life. They call Las Vegas the city that never sleeps, but that could be said about any large city. There is a pulsating power in a big city that draws people.
The city has buzz, music and action 24/7. Go to any large city and there you will find the best that modern life has to offer: restaurants of every variety, entertainment galore, sports, universities, large stores, transport, waterways and parks, the latest fashions, the seat of government, the largest churches, the biggest banks, and the extremes of life.
Millions of people move to the city hoping things will change for the better.
But often it doesn’t work. The loneliest and the saddest are city people. For all its glamour, there is also a seamy side to every big city. Where the masses gather, there you find sadness, heartache, crime, corruption and enormous human pain.
Cain built a city and focused on the secular advantages it gave but it is not a permanent home, it does not mean we will be settled and at peace in our hearts and minds. Spiritual wholeness does not come from the buzz of a secular life but a mind at peace with God.
Rootlessness is the basic ingredient all secular cultures. Simone Weil, a brilliant French writer who lived in London during the war and died there in 1943, wrote a book entitled The Need for Roots. She concluded that the only cure is a rediscovery of the human being as God’s creature and of God himself as the source of those basic elements without which a proper civilization cannot function: order, liberty, obedience, responsibility, and equality, the right to express one’s opinion, security, private property, truth, and others.
Weil is right. Our roots are in God; and if we will not have God, we are condemned to be rootless.
[B] Corruption marks Secular society 19“Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah”
The second feature of civilization without God is corruption. Lamech just did what he felt like doing. He decided to marry two women. He became the first polygamist, instead of one man with one woman for life. The names of his wives suggest that he was motivated by sensual impulses. Adah means “beauty” and Zillah means something like “tinkling.” The name of the daughter, Naamah, means “lovely. The emphasis was on outward beauty, not on the inner character.
Like no culture in history, we are bombarded with sensual appeals to the flesh. Today, this moral cancer is portrayed as progress: People say we’ve freed ourselves from Victorian ideas of sexual purity. We’re free from restrictive divorce laws which kept people bound in unhappy marriages.” And so we have cast off God’s plan for moral purity, for marriage and the family under the guise of progress. Now people in general are no longer are shocked by these things. Society tolerates all kinds of sexual relationships; people now freely pursue the fulfilment of their own fleshly desires. But God is not mocked, He sees our rebellion, there is a price to pay both in time and in coming judgement.
[C] Culture marks Secular society 20“Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah. These verses remind us of the positive progress of human culture in the line of Cain. These two wives gave Lamech at least four children. And the boys took society to the next level.
Jabal, was the first into animal husbandry, breeding and training for human use.
Jubal was father of music, the first artist, inventing and making stringed and wind instruments. There would be the need to invent a scale; understand the tones, arrange the music and design instruments to play it.
Tubal-cain, from the other wife, Zillah, was the founder of technology, metal work and tools. Metallurgy is a skill of great science, mining, smelting, and shaping.
If people are creative now, what were they like then? How refined could art and craftsmanship become with a pristine mind, living hundreds of years in a congenial earth, which provided all of the resources.
These folks were no grunting, snorting cavemen, chewing raw flesh. Mankind was more wonderful, capable; stronger, healthier, wiser, more skilled and more experienced than any man we've ever met.
The world has benefited by modern agriculture, by the arts and by technology.
These things are possible because even sinful men and women still possess the image of God that allows them to think, to create, to grow, to develop, to experiment and to explore new territory.
As Christians, we ought to be thankful to live in a world with many creature comforts. And in enjoying the good things, we ought also to give thanks to the Lord who gave man the ability to make it all possible.
However in our culture, inventions which could benefit mankind are twisted to promote destruction. Without Christ we go backwards. The arts and music, which can be a wholesome expression of human creativity, are trivialised, perverted and degrade people made in the image of God, music is used to spread a message of anarchy and meaninglessness.
Technological knowledge is used to develop weapons to kill and main, to make gambling easier, to encourage promiscuity. Understanding of creatures is used to ill-treat them and train them to fight– mark the great increase in dog fights and cruelty highlighted this week. Taking us back two centuries.
[D] Crime marks Secular society 23-24 “Lamech said to his wives, ‘Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times’.
This is the oldest song in the Bible. Lamech wrote some lyrics for a song celebrating violence. It has been called ‘The Sword Song’ a “macho” song of the world’s first Rambo boasting in his strength. He calls his wives together and tells them how hard he is. The words may mean that he has already killed a youngster who provoked him, or a threat that if anyone messes with him, he will kill them. There is total disdain for human life.
Moreover he is boasting against God. He is saying that he can take care of himself far better than God took care of Cain-- seventy-sevenfold! This shows that he knew of God, but exalts himself above God. What blasphemy! He is the epitome of the self-sufficient man. He can take care of himself. He does not need God. But what is his attitude toward other human beings? Parallel with his exaltation of himself is a lowering of his sense of the value of others, for he is ready to wipe them out for as small an offense as wounding himself. Like a thug, he thinks revenge is the way to live and no one dare bring him to justice.
When a society or individuals start boasting about sin, it has hit the bottom. The spiritual and moral failure of this early civilization is seen in their defiance of God and in their pride.
Removing the fear of God from our culture, why should we be surprised at the drunkenness, the violence, and the bloodshed around us? When there is no fear of God or of authority, no Father figures in the home, should we be surprised that kids with guns are murdering other kids.
We have become our own gods and those who live by the Lord’s truth are derided as narrow-minded, old-fashioned, exclusive, and intolerant.
Yes, the line of Cain produces great cultural benefits. Yet it is marred by self-indulgence, vanity and unrestrained violence. Cain and his descendants gave us secular society and secular society gave us Noah’s Flood.
The world tries to fill the emptiness of life without God with all these good gifts which God has given for the human race. But each of them can turn into a nightmare without God.
Children can become brazen murderers, like Cain or Lamech.
Cities can become hopeless jungles of loneliness, poverty and violence.
Culture, music, literature, and films--can be used to glorify perversion.
Careers can be used to further selfish ambition.
Inventions have brought us to the brink of destroying the human race.
The problem isn’t in these cultural and technological advances. The problem is when these things are done apart from God’s principals and His ethical guidelines. Progress without God is only illusory.
[2] THE START OF A SPIRITUAL SOCIETY 25 ¶ Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, "God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him." 26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD. - Progress with God is true progress.
These two verses of our passage offer a short view of the spiritual line. When the godless seem to rule the world, what can the righteous do? How do we maintain our faith and pass it along to the next generation when the majority culture moves in another direction? There are two ways we can resist the existing tide.
[A] By Maintaining Spiritual Families 25“Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, ‘God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him’”.
Adam and Eve recognized Seth as the replacement for Abel, not for Cain. Eve knew that God could not use Cain to fulfil His promise. And her faith was rewarded, in the fullness of time the promised Seed the Lord Jesus Christ was born of a woman whose genealogy is traced through Seth to Adam Luke 3:38.
The name Seth means “appointed.” They saw him as a gift from God, a new beginning after the murder of Abel. They wanted children to pass on the knowledge of God. Prior to this one had believe done had not now again they hoped and prayed for another who would love God and prayer was answered.
In biblical times, names were important. Seth named his son Enosh, which means “mortal.” Instead of boasting about his strength, as Lamech did, Seth readily acknowledged his weakness by naming his son, “Frail One
The faith of Adam and Eve now passes to their son and grandson. That’s our desire and prayer as well.
[B] By Maintaining Spiritual Worship “Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD”
Seth and his family confessed their need of God. The Hebrew concept of “calling on the name” of the Lord has two parts. It can mean to call on the Lord in prayer. So people came to God in prayer and worship.
The word “call” means to proclaim publicly. This was beginning of public worship. The “name” refers to all that God had revealed about Himself. While the significance of the name “Yahweh” was not revealed to God’s people until Moses Exod. 3:13-15, God’s character as the personal covenant God was known. Seth’s descendants began to call upon God as the personal, caring God, trusting fully in Him.
The crowd was going the other direction, but a group of people openly said, “We belong to the Lord. They were not ashamed to be called the people of the God.
They openly confessed their faith while Lamech boasted of sin, and others followed physical pursuits, and while society began to spiral morally downward.
Luther saw this as the formation of “a small church … in which Adam, rules everything by the Word and sound doctrine.” Calvin saw it as “a restoration of religion” such as had happened in his day.
The believers of these days did constitute a small church, and it was a miracle.
Compared with building cities, founding cultural enterprises, and launching industries, “calling on the name of the Lord” doesn’t sound much like progress.
#1l Remember, God never leaves himself without a witness. Believers around the world can make a huge difference. Never will the culture be entirely Christian but without the Christian influence, it will always deteriorate. Society will always be a strange combination of good and evil centred in the great cities of the world.
#2] Remember, we have no reason to envy the ungodly. They have the power but lack the wisdom to use it wisely. They can manage their world but not their own lives. Those whose names are not written in heaven must work desperately to leave a legacy on the earth. The greatest treasures of earth are no match for the pleasures of knowing God. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future, all [things] are yours; and you are Christ's; and Christ is God's, 1 Cor 3:21-23.
#3] Remember, we must not make the world all-important. Enjoy the world but don’t fall in love with it. And don’t measure your success by the standards of the world. You are doomed to unhappiness if you do. Even advanced culture, however refined and beautiful, has no redeeming power. Earth has nothing to offer in substitute for God.: “And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever” I John 2:17.
Hebrews says that Abraham "looked forward to the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God," Heb 11:10. Heaven is all the good that a city can offer without all the evil that ruins it. Its focus is not man but God.
How about you? are you putting your energy into progress in the things of this world, or into true progress with God at the centre of your life.
There are only two ways to live. There is the broad way, which leads to destruction; and the narrow way, that leads to life, as God intended it to be lived.
Examine yourself
Lamentations 3:19-42
Verses 40 to 42 in particular, are part of a very powerful chapter. It tells us to examine ourselves as Paul does in 1 Corinthians 11 – before the Lord’s supper to see if we are in the faith. Here, if we seriously look at ourselves we can see we have rebelled. We ought to examine ourselves and our spiritual state. It is not often preached today. It was in the past. Thomas Chalmers wrote a journal of his spiritual state. He had read Hannah Moore.
There is also Tim Shenton’s book on Samuel Walker of Truro who was alive at the time of Wesley and Whitefield. He was a poor curate in Truro. He was in post a long time before his conversion. There was a revival in Truro under his ministry. His advice was sought by the Wesleys, Romaine and others. He was considered wise, especially on self examination. He kept a spiritual diary and examined his in detail. He found sin within. He found much wrong within his soul. He encouraged others to keep such a diary. He considered himself guilty of spiritual sloth within his own heart. He felt this hindered his ministry. He found pride and conceit rose in his heart when men complimented his work. He found it difficult if he offended people so he found it hard to preach. He felt he rested on means not on God’s grace, he felt he did not commit enough to prayer. Do we write life this today? No we do not because we often lack the desire to do it. He examined every part of his life.
Andrew Bonar was another evangelical man – Scottish. He examined his zeal for God. He concluded that he was famous for his zeal, that it was 23% ambition, 19% love of self, 25% pride of denomination, 14% pride of talent 12% love of authority, 10% bigotry, 3 love of God and 4% love of man. We often do not examine ourselves closely. When we do we see sin, no one is righteous, no not one. Our enemies are monsters like Goliath and they often get the better of us.
The World gets the better of us says James, it has been around for thousands of years before us. We are in it. It is polluted and we get polluted by it. The world is a lot bigger. In the past when people lived in villages it was very small, news from England came slowly, from the rest of the world probably not at all. The world is much bigger – education, newspapers, adverts, internet, TV etc. Education moulds people according to the ways of the world. Children are taught that no one can tell them what to do. We want our own way. Today children are deeply worried about the world that is poured out upon them. The world is huge and presses in upon us. What we own is what matters, not what we are.
We also have trouble from the flesh, we cannot escape it, it is part of us, we are body and soul. Under Adam and Eve it was kept in its place. Now it is out of control, the desire for food leads to obesity, for sleep leads to sloth. The flesh is self centred. It is you who must come first. It is a great cause of depression and heartache. When Romaine came to see Walker he wrote of his pride that some one had come so far (from London) just to see him, Satan is a thinking, vastly intelligent enemy. He uses this to bring down the church of God.
David and Bathsheba – the woman is described as being very beautiful, Satan knew how to bait this hook, it was just right for David. He knows the right bait for all of us, he gets us on his hook. Samuel Walker’s best friend could see the Devil’s hook, but he said he could not help nibbling on the hook. Unbelievers see the books of Walker and Chalmers etc and either conclude the books are very gloomy and depressive or see them as being up to a lot of bad on the side, they are quite wrong and do not understand. If they are judged by the standards of the world they are very good, but by the standards of the Word of God (‘be perfect as I am perfect’) they fall short. For Walker the greatest sin was pride. For Chalmers it is anger, but anger inside. He especially found his parents and aunt difficult because they were growing deaf with age. Chalmers became very angry. He had to confess his sin and deal with it. We let this sort of thing go – we pass over it. That is how our society and age deal are.
Was Spurgeon troubled about sin? Yes he was, all of his life. New Years’ Eve l89l (one month before he died), the last time he was heard in public. He looked back over the past year, he felt he dare not admit his sin. He who does not admit he is sinful does not know himself. What did Chalmers, Walker etc do? They tried to fight it, they did not entirely succeed, if you find you sin you must turn to the grace of the Lord Jesus who is the one person who could help us, we must magnify the grace of God.
At the victorious cross, hell is disappointed, sin is dealt a deadly blow. When we cannot see an end to our sin we must look to the cross of the Lord Jesus. When we look at one year of our own lives we must see our paths in the life of the Lord Jesus, he died for the unrighteous, he pleads for transgressors, he died for sinful men when we see our need of him, our sinfulness, we should let our tears fall for our sin and turn to him. We need to see what is really in us and not pass over our sin so we are driven to the cross.
Verses 40 to 42 in particular, are part of a very powerful chapter. It tells us to examine ourselves as Paul does in 1 Corinthians 11 – before the Lord’s supper to see if we are in the faith. Here, if we seriously look at ourselves we can see we have rebelled. We ought to examine ourselves and our spiritual state. It is not often preached today. It was in the past. Thomas Chalmers wrote a journal of his spiritual state. He had read Hannah Moore.
There is also Tim Shenton’s book on Samuel Walker of Truro who was alive at the time of Wesley and Whitefield. He was a poor curate in Truro. He was in post a long time before his conversion. There was a revival in Truro under his ministry. His advice was sought by the Wesleys, Romaine and others. He was considered wise, especially on self examination. He kept a spiritual diary and examined his in detail. He found sin within. He found much wrong within his soul. He encouraged others to keep such a diary. He considered himself guilty of spiritual sloth within his own heart. He felt this hindered his ministry. He found pride and conceit rose in his heart when men complimented his work. He found it difficult if he offended people so he found it hard to preach. He felt he rested on means not on God’s grace, he felt he did not commit enough to prayer. Do we write life this today? No we do not because we often lack the desire to do it. He examined every part of his life.
Andrew Bonar was another evangelical man – Scottish. He examined his zeal for God. He concluded that he was famous for his zeal, that it was 23% ambition, 19% love of self, 25% pride of denomination, 14% pride of talent 12% love of authority, 10% bigotry, 3 love of God and 4% love of man. We often do not examine ourselves closely. When we do we see sin, no one is righteous, no not one. Our enemies are monsters like Goliath and they often get the better of us.
The World gets the better of us says James, it has been around for thousands of years before us. We are in it. It is polluted and we get polluted by it. The world is a lot bigger. In the past when people lived in villages it was very small, news from England came slowly, from the rest of the world probably not at all. The world is much bigger – education, newspapers, adverts, internet, TV etc. Education moulds people according to the ways of the world. Children are taught that no one can tell them what to do. We want our own way. Today children are deeply worried about the world that is poured out upon them. The world is huge and presses in upon us. What we own is what matters, not what we are.
We also have trouble from the flesh, we cannot escape it, it is part of us, we are body and soul. Under Adam and Eve it was kept in its place. Now it is out of control, the desire for food leads to obesity, for sleep leads to sloth. The flesh is self centred. It is you who must come first. It is a great cause of depression and heartache. When Romaine came to see Walker he wrote of his pride that some one had come so far (from London) just to see him, Satan is a thinking, vastly intelligent enemy. He uses this to bring down the church of God.
David and Bathsheba – the woman is described as being very beautiful, Satan knew how to bait this hook, it was just right for David. He knows the right bait for all of us, he gets us on his hook. Samuel Walker’s best friend could see the Devil’s hook, but he said he could not help nibbling on the hook. Unbelievers see the books of Walker and Chalmers etc and either conclude the books are very gloomy and depressive or see them as being up to a lot of bad on the side, they are quite wrong and do not understand. If they are judged by the standards of the world they are very good, but by the standards of the Word of God (‘be perfect as I am perfect’) they fall short. For Walker the greatest sin was pride. For Chalmers it is anger, but anger inside. He especially found his parents and aunt difficult because they were growing deaf with age. Chalmers became very angry. He had to confess his sin and deal with it. We let this sort of thing go – we pass over it. That is how our society and age deal are.
Was Spurgeon troubled about sin? Yes he was, all of his life. New Years’ Eve l89l (one month before he died), the last time he was heard in public. He looked back over the past year, he felt he dare not admit his sin. He who does not admit he is sinful does not know himself. What did Chalmers, Walker etc do? They tried to fight it, they did not entirely succeed, if you find you sin you must turn to the grace of the Lord Jesus who is the one person who could help us, we must magnify the grace of God.
At the victorious cross, hell is disappointed, sin is dealt a deadly blow. When we cannot see an end to our sin we must look to the cross of the Lord Jesus. When we look at one year of our own lives we must see our paths in the life of the Lord Jesus, he died for the unrighteous, he pleads for transgressors, he died for sinful men when we see our need of him, our sinfulness, we should let our tears fall for our sin and turn to him. We need to see what is really in us and not pass over our sin so we are driven to the cross.
Paul in Troas
Acts 20:1-25
This follows on from the riot in Ephesus. Paul told the Ephesians he intended to move on. Acts covers a long period in a short book. Luke hurries through a lot and dwells on what seems to be a surprising passage.
Paul wrote 2 Corinthians in Macedonia, while in Greece he wrote Romans. His travels were very extensive in Macedonia, he reached Illyricum (on the Adriatic). He went to new areas and preached to new people. He came to Corinth in the wake of the two letters, there was probably a reconciliation.
Luke tells us of a long list of people, he does not say why. In Romans 15 Paul tells us he brought gifts from the saints in Macedonia and Greece to the poor in Jerusalem. In 1 Corinthians 16:1 we read of his instructions about this, these men took the gifts with letters from Paul. Paul was very careful with Church’s money, he took no money for himself, neither would he touch it. He wanted their people to look after the money. Luke talks of ‘us’ and ‘we’, he includes himself. He arrived in Troas near what was Troy. He stayed for a week. Luke concentrates on the Sunday meeting, the Corinthians met on Sunday as well. They met to break bread, was it a love feast or communion or both, we are not sure. It was unusual, Paul preached on and on past midnight and onto day break. It was an exceptional meeting, Paul would never meet these people again, he had a lot to say. They had no New Testament, only the Old Testament. He spoke of the death of the Lord Jesus, its implications, church government, communion etc. Some probably took notes. In the midst of this Eutychus fell asleep as Paul talked on and on and fell out of the window and was killed.
It was one of only two occurrences of raising people from the dead. It was reminiscent of Elijah who fell upon the dead body of the Shunamite’s son. Luke presents 3 things:
1. The death of Eutychus is the most striking thing here. It stirred up controversies. Some say he deserved to die because he fell asleep during the preaching. Matthew Henry held to this. Calvin disagreed with this. They met in the evening because they had to work long hours in the day. Paul spoke on and on and on. The room was crowded and many lamps were lit, this lowered the oxygen level and made people drowsy. We would probably drift off in similar circumstances. To berate him is mot reasonable. He fell out and was killed. The tendency of saying ‘if you experienced suffering now you must have committed a terrible sin’ goes back a long way. See the book of Job. The Jews in Jesus’ time held this – see Luke 13, Jesus spoke against this idea was believed by the disciples. Jesus corrected them too. Jesus said it was not a particular sin but that the glory of God would be seen in his life. Today this view is expounded and it causes a great deal of harm. When a leading believer is ill he will get letters to this effect. The holders of this idea get grief when they are ill. See Elijah, Jeremiah, John the Baptist and Job, they all suffered because they were good and followed God. There is a connection between some sins and some suffering – if you drink heavily your liver will pack up, if you are immoral you will get aids.
2. Paul’s departure caused sorrow. They would never see him again. Parting is painful – some parting is painful such as death. We lose grandparents, parents then brothers and sisters, then husband or wife. It is an unavoidable part of life. The people in Troas had to face this. They were comforted in their sorrows – see verse 12 by the young man restored to them. They were sad because of the loss of Paul but glad at the young man. They realised God was still with them. They were also reminded of the power of God, not of the gods of the Greeks and Romans, He could this for them. This was a reminder and evidence that there is a resurrection from the dead. They would meet again in eternity.
3. Eutychus was truly dead, he was resurrected. There will be a resurrection from the dead for all who truly love God. People can be left alone apart from their spouse and have no one once their spouse has died. We have a comfort that those who die in Christ, we will meet again. Only believers have this comfort. How many deaths would it take to make us pay attention to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? The people of God have this great comfort that the dead in Christ will be raised to life.
This follows on from the riot in Ephesus. Paul told the Ephesians he intended to move on. Acts covers a long period in a short book. Luke hurries through a lot and dwells on what seems to be a surprising passage.
Paul wrote 2 Corinthians in Macedonia, while in Greece he wrote Romans. His travels were very extensive in Macedonia, he reached Illyricum (on the Adriatic). He went to new areas and preached to new people. He came to Corinth in the wake of the two letters, there was probably a reconciliation.
Luke tells us of a long list of people, he does not say why. In Romans 15 Paul tells us he brought gifts from the saints in Macedonia and Greece to the poor in Jerusalem. In 1 Corinthians 16:1 we read of his instructions about this, these men took the gifts with letters from Paul. Paul was very careful with Church’s money, he took no money for himself, neither would he touch it. He wanted their people to look after the money. Luke talks of ‘us’ and ‘we’, he includes himself. He arrived in Troas near what was Troy. He stayed for a week. Luke concentrates on the Sunday meeting, the Corinthians met on Sunday as well. They met to break bread, was it a love feast or communion or both, we are not sure. It was unusual, Paul preached on and on past midnight and onto day break. It was an exceptional meeting, Paul would never meet these people again, he had a lot to say. They had no New Testament, only the Old Testament. He spoke of the death of the Lord Jesus, its implications, church government, communion etc. Some probably took notes. In the midst of this Eutychus fell asleep as Paul talked on and on and fell out of the window and was killed.
It was one of only two occurrences of raising people from the dead. It was reminiscent of Elijah who fell upon the dead body of the Shunamite’s son. Luke presents 3 things:
1. The death of Eutychus is the most striking thing here. It stirred up controversies. Some say he deserved to die because he fell asleep during the preaching. Matthew Henry held to this. Calvin disagreed with this. They met in the evening because they had to work long hours in the day. Paul spoke on and on and on. The room was crowded and many lamps were lit, this lowered the oxygen level and made people drowsy. We would probably drift off in similar circumstances. To berate him is mot reasonable. He fell out and was killed. The tendency of saying ‘if you experienced suffering now you must have committed a terrible sin’ goes back a long way. See the book of Job. The Jews in Jesus’ time held this – see Luke 13, Jesus spoke against this idea was believed by the disciples. Jesus corrected them too. Jesus said it was not a particular sin but that the glory of God would be seen in his life. Today this view is expounded and it causes a great deal of harm. When a leading believer is ill he will get letters to this effect. The holders of this idea get grief when they are ill. See Elijah, Jeremiah, John the Baptist and Job, they all suffered because they were good and followed God. There is a connection between some sins and some suffering – if you drink heavily your liver will pack up, if you are immoral you will get aids.
2. Paul’s departure caused sorrow. They would never see him again. Parting is painful – some parting is painful such as death. We lose grandparents, parents then brothers and sisters, then husband or wife. It is an unavoidable part of life. The people in Troas had to face this. They were comforted in their sorrows – see verse 12 by the young man restored to them. They were sad because of the loss of Paul but glad at the young man. They realised God was still with them. They were also reminded of the power of God, not of the gods of the Greeks and Romans, He could this for them. This was a reminder and evidence that there is a resurrection from the dead. They would meet again in eternity.
3. Eutychus was truly dead, he was resurrected. There will be a resurrection from the dead for all who truly love God. People can be left alone apart from their spouse and have no one once their spouse has died. We have a comfort that those who die in Christ, we will meet again. Only believers have this comfort. How many deaths would it take to make us pay attention to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? The people of God have this great comfort that the dead in Christ will be raised to life.
Sunday, 11 November 2007
The Pilgrim Life
1 Peter 2:11-12, Matthew 5:1-16 and 43-48
Christians were once often asked to talk about this but this is not common today. Pilgrim's Progress used to sell well. The Pilgrim's fathers left England in 1620 for America. We do not identify with them much today. They left because they would not support the state church, they became exiles in the Low Countries then America, they were absent from their homeland. Peter's subject is the pilgrim life, the fact that we are just passing through this life, journeying towards Heaven. He wants his readers to see that we're exiles and strangers on this earth. We are focused on God Himself and on being in Heaven with Him is our goal. Christianity is often geared up for here and now, to solve problems, Heaven is seen as a bonus. Many of us want to cling to this life, we often do not see ourselves as exiles but 1 Corinthians 15:19 we should be pitied. We enjoy the blessings and gifts of this life but we need to keep in mind the eternal perspective, we live for Heaven, the journey's end, where our heart is. He writes to people who are suffering for their faith, he wants them to focus on blessings that are yet to come. When it is easy to be a Christian, standards slip. We must have a right mind set.
1. TO LIVE AS PILGRIMS, THERE IS A RIGHT MIND SET.
a) We are aliens, a person living in a foreign land alongside of people who are not of his kind - Hebrews 11:9. Aliens are not citizens of the land, we live beside them but not like them. A lot of religions have holy places, Muslims have Mecca, Catholics have Lourdes. People do not stay there, they have a different mentality . For a holiday we unpack and stay for a period. Christians do not have a permanent residence here. We are passing through. Hebrews 11:9 - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived in tents. Christians are not citizens of the present age. Philippians 3:20, we are citizens of Heaven. Believers are seen as exiles on Earth. Unbelievers are Earth livers. Time flies, nothing is permanent here. 1 John 2:15, the world is passing away, Heaven remains forever. Pilgrims do get attached too much to this world. It is hard to keep this focus. Other generations found it easier, shorter life spans for children and adults died of chronic illnesses - TB etc. Today we have a longer life expectancy. We expect to live 75 years plus. We are more bound to this life. In the face pf shorter lives we do not become so attached. Most people think we are in the land of the living heading for the land of the dead, it is the opposite. We do not know what tomorrow will bring.
b) We are strangers as citizens of Heaven, we may adopt some of the ways of Earth, if they are morally neutral, in order order not to offend the natives. But we live according to different standards than they do, namely those of God's word. We are careful not to adopt their standards. We take our standard from the Word of God, we mustn't let our standards slip, our bearings come from the Bible. What honours the Lord in everything - TV, food etc. We are often out of sync with the ways of the world. Lot lived in a dreadful place - Sodom, he did not feel at home there, he was distressed by the standards of unrighteous men.
2. TO LIVE AS PILGRIMS, THERE IS A WAR TO FIGHT
Becoming a Christian does not eradicate the inner, emotional tug toward self-will and sin. To wage a war is not a battle but a campaign, a war. People in the world live to self, we live to God. Walking with God does not eliminate the need to be watchful. Noah became drunk as an old man and became exposed. David was in his 50s when he fell over Bathsheba. Hezekiah fell to sin as an old man. We won't win if we just rest in Him without determined resolve, or if we think sin is just a psychological problem, addiction is being enslaved to sin.
3. TO LIVE AS PILGRIMS, THERE IS A LIFE TO MAINTAIN
We are to conduct ourselves in a lifestyle that is attractive. Live an exemplary life. So live so that unbelievers are impressed. Even a godless culture should see something to be impressed with in us. Unbelievers are watching. How many of us became believers because of the influence of someone else.? Pagans observe our good deeds. We must do good deeds, clothe the naked, take in the homeless etc, and they watch us closely. They watch to see how we deal with problems, raise our children and sort out things, what makes us different? The World read us more than they read the Bible. A saint makes it easy for unbelievers to believe. Our lives should speak to unbelievers. A lot of people come to faith through the witness of a believer. God uses lives that speak to win others.
4. TO LIVE AS PILGRIMS THERE IS ACCUSATIONS TO EXPECT
We are accused unfairly - out of jealousy, guilt or insecurity, they may slander us. Early Christians were accused of leading slaves into rebellion, cannibalism (breaking bread), immorality (for calling fellow believers brothers and sisters), atheists (for not worshipping deities), they were bad for business, disloyal to Caesar etc. The same treatment is meted out to people today. We need to maintain our lifestyle in the face of accusations. Accusations are often more subtle today. We need to maintain our lifestyle in the face of accusations or in terrible isolation, we are planted in enemy territory, in strategic positions. It matters what we do.
5. TO LIVE AS PILGRIMS THERE IS A DAY TO REMEMBER.
What is the day of visitation? For judgement and blessing when God visited them, it brought liberation for the Hebrews and judgement for the Egyptians. The day when Jesus returns to the earth will bring good news for believers and bad news for everyone else. For us, the point is that as pilgrims, we keep that great day for visitation in view. Live as pilgrims, live as if the day of visitation is coming. Some will be saved through the witness of believers. Others will be condemned. All will stand in condemnation or commendation. We want to hear 'well done good and faithful servant.' Enjoyment of God is the only thing we should aim for. God is calling us to a radical way of life. Remember who you are - strangers and exiles, living holy lives of visible moral excellence. Don't be surprised by spiritual hostility. Do good anyway. Leave the results in God's hands. Be ready to meet Jesus when he returns.
Christians were once often asked to talk about this but this is not common today. Pilgrim's Progress used to sell well. The Pilgrim's fathers left England in 1620 for America. We do not identify with them much today. They left because they would not support the state church, they became exiles in the Low Countries then America, they were absent from their homeland. Peter's subject is the pilgrim life, the fact that we are just passing through this life, journeying towards Heaven. He wants his readers to see that we're exiles and strangers on this earth. We are focused on God Himself and on being in Heaven with Him is our goal. Christianity is often geared up for here and now, to solve problems, Heaven is seen as a bonus. Many of us want to cling to this life, we often do not see ourselves as exiles but 1 Corinthians 15:19 we should be pitied. We enjoy the blessings and gifts of this life but we need to keep in mind the eternal perspective, we live for Heaven, the journey's end, where our heart is. He writes to people who are suffering for their faith, he wants them to focus on blessings that are yet to come. When it is easy to be a Christian, standards slip. We must have a right mind set.
1. TO LIVE AS PILGRIMS, THERE IS A RIGHT MIND SET.
a) We are aliens, a person living in a foreign land alongside of people who are not of his kind - Hebrews 11:9. Aliens are not citizens of the land, we live beside them but not like them. A lot of religions have holy places, Muslims have Mecca, Catholics have Lourdes. People do not stay there, they have a different mentality . For a holiday we unpack and stay for a period. Christians do not have a permanent residence here. We are passing through. Hebrews 11:9 - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived in tents. Christians are not citizens of the present age. Philippians 3:20, we are citizens of Heaven. Believers are seen as exiles on Earth. Unbelievers are Earth livers. Time flies, nothing is permanent here. 1 John 2:15, the world is passing away, Heaven remains forever. Pilgrims do get attached too much to this world. It is hard to keep this focus. Other generations found it easier, shorter life spans for children and adults died of chronic illnesses - TB etc. Today we have a longer life expectancy. We expect to live 75 years plus. We are more bound to this life. In the face pf shorter lives we do not become so attached. Most people think we are in the land of the living heading for the land of the dead, it is the opposite. We do not know what tomorrow will bring.
b) We are strangers as citizens of Heaven, we may adopt some of the ways of Earth, if they are morally neutral, in order order not to offend the natives. But we live according to different standards than they do, namely those of God's word. We are careful not to adopt their standards. We take our standard from the Word of God, we mustn't let our standards slip, our bearings come from the Bible. What honours the Lord in everything - TV, food etc. We are often out of sync with the ways of the world. Lot lived in a dreadful place - Sodom, he did not feel at home there, he was distressed by the standards of unrighteous men.
2. TO LIVE AS PILGRIMS, THERE IS A WAR TO FIGHT
Becoming a Christian does not eradicate the inner, emotional tug toward self-will and sin. To wage a war is not a battle but a campaign, a war. People in the world live to self, we live to God. Walking with God does not eliminate the need to be watchful. Noah became drunk as an old man and became exposed. David was in his 50s when he fell over Bathsheba. Hezekiah fell to sin as an old man. We won't win if we just rest in Him without determined resolve, or if we think sin is just a psychological problem, addiction is being enslaved to sin.
3. TO LIVE AS PILGRIMS, THERE IS A LIFE TO MAINTAIN
We are to conduct ourselves in a lifestyle that is attractive. Live an exemplary life. So live so that unbelievers are impressed. Even a godless culture should see something to be impressed with in us. Unbelievers are watching. How many of us became believers because of the influence of someone else.? Pagans observe our good deeds. We must do good deeds, clothe the naked, take in the homeless etc, and they watch us closely. They watch to see how we deal with problems, raise our children and sort out things, what makes us different? The World read us more than they read the Bible. A saint makes it easy for unbelievers to believe. Our lives should speak to unbelievers. A lot of people come to faith through the witness of a believer. God uses lives that speak to win others.
4. TO LIVE AS PILGRIMS THERE IS ACCUSATIONS TO EXPECT
We are accused unfairly - out of jealousy, guilt or insecurity, they may slander us. Early Christians were accused of leading slaves into rebellion, cannibalism (breaking bread), immorality (for calling fellow believers brothers and sisters), atheists (for not worshipping deities), they were bad for business, disloyal to Caesar etc. The same treatment is meted out to people today. We need to maintain our lifestyle in the face of accusations. Accusations are often more subtle today. We need to maintain our lifestyle in the face of accusations or in terrible isolation, we are planted in enemy territory, in strategic positions. It matters what we do.
5. TO LIVE AS PILGRIMS THERE IS A DAY TO REMEMBER.
What is the day of visitation? For judgement and blessing when God visited them, it brought liberation for the Hebrews and judgement for the Egyptians. The day when Jesus returns to the earth will bring good news for believers and bad news for everyone else. For us, the point is that as pilgrims, we keep that great day for visitation in view. Live as pilgrims, live as if the day of visitation is coming. Some will be saved through the witness of believers. Others will be condemned. All will stand in condemnation or commendation. We want to hear 'well done good and faithful servant.' Enjoyment of God is the only thing we should aim for. God is calling us to a radical way of life. Remember who you are - strangers and exiles, living holy lives of visible moral excellence. Don't be surprised by spiritual hostility. Do good anyway. Leave the results in God's hands. Be ready to meet Jesus when he returns.
The Way of Cain
Genesis 4:8 - 16
There are many murder mysteris on TV, thousands of books books written about murder and crime. Murder is a dreadful, horrible thing. The Bible never shirks away from telling how awful sin is. This is an account of the first murder. Christians are followers of the gentle Lord Jesus who had no hate. We see here the stark opposite of Jesus. We can see the horror of sin and the need to repent. Francis Schaeffer spoke of the two natures, the two lines of Cain and of Abel. Cain is the first unbeliever while Abel is the first true worshiper of God and also the first martyr. Everyone in the world is either in the 'line of Cain' or the 'line of Abel'. Everyone in space and time are in one line or the other. Cain is proud and stubborn, self reliant, he had his own worldly religion. The way of Cain is the way of the World today. To claim that all religions are the same is the way of Cain. It goes against the way of Abel which seeks the way of the cross.
1.THE FIRST MURDER - verse 8.
This was a premeditated murder in the first degree. Murder is to slaughter a victim (Greek). He murdered his own brother, his mother's son. He murdered one he should have loved. It was a terrible crime. Why did he do it? Had he been abused? Brutalised by war? Neglected? No, it was pure wickedness, he had allowed anger to build up. God tried to talk him out of it and it had destroyed him, he gave into it. John 3:12, he murdered because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Jesus spent his whole life doing good and living a life of love, he experienced hate and was murdered by evil men. He was hated without reason and was handed over out of envy to Pilate. People are being murdered in parts of the world because they are believers. Matthew 5:2 - 23, to be angry without cause is to make ourselves subject to judgement. There is a little bit of Cain within all of us and a lot in some of us. We must not allow anger to well up in us.
2. THE FIRST TEMPORAL PUNISHMENT
His parents were overwhelmed with grief
a) God's questions are met with denial of responsibility - verse 9. God interrogates him, he had the evidence and Cain evaded, he lies. He won't even aknowledge his sin. Brothers should stick together, Cain says 'I don't have any responsibility for him.' Dio we hear the voice of modern man in Cain's cruel question? Individualism goes against God's order. The sense of belonging is seriously out of vogue today, many do not want to get involved, they cross the road and claim to be free. We are all our brothers' keepers, we each have a responsibility for our brother. How can we love God who we have not seen if we cannot love our brother who we have seen. We are called to care by God. We are a family of brothers and sisters and called to care for each other in and out of the church. We should not ask what our family can do for us but what we can do for our family.
b) God's sentence delivers him to restless wandering - verses 11 to 12
Cain hoped God would ignore sin, if it seems he does, there is the day of judgement. God's punishment is two fold, he does not have a patch of land of his own and is left to wander. He doesn't kill him, he has time to repent and there is no government to execute him. Thirdly he will be an example to others, he is a warning, he will be full of remorse and guilt and live a life of regret. To know relief he must repent. So he says to him you'll be a vagrant, aimless, detached, no roots, living under a suspended sentence.
c) God punishment brings self pity and fear - verse 13. He cares only for himself. He doesn't express even the tiniest twinge of repentance. He only fears for his own life. He fears what Abel's relatives will do. When God sends some sort of judgement people complain and say 'God's not fair' - Proverbs 19:3. A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord. He does not find forgiveness because he will not repent.
d) God's grace promises protection - verse 15 and Romans 2:24. He has a mark on him to ward people off. We can repent and live an upright life or we can be bitter and not deal with it. Cain went away from God and wandered in a tractless land. David and Paul both repented when they sinned. God had already pleaded with him to make a right choic, now he protected him from death, which would have given him an opportunity to change and say I'm sorry, I repent. That is the common grace that God extends to every unbeliever. We can know God's peace if we repent of our sins in the name of the Lord Jesus.
e) God's grace was spurned. Abel's faith could not convince Cain but it speaks to us today. It records the guildty man who lives and the innocent man who died, this happens today. The way of Cain is a hard way, a way of hate. He presented human excuses, he wandered away from God, he knew human loneliness instead of human friendship. Abel's was a far better way, we can know this
There are many murder mysteris on TV, thousands of books books written about murder and crime. Murder is a dreadful, horrible thing. The Bible never shirks away from telling how awful sin is. This is an account of the first murder. Christians are followers of the gentle Lord Jesus who had no hate. We see here the stark opposite of Jesus. We can see the horror of sin and the need to repent. Francis Schaeffer spoke of the two natures, the two lines of Cain and of Abel. Cain is the first unbeliever while Abel is the first true worshiper of God and also the first martyr. Everyone in the world is either in the 'line of Cain' or the 'line of Abel'. Everyone in space and time are in one line or the other. Cain is proud and stubborn, self reliant, he had his own worldly religion. The way of Cain is the way of the World today. To claim that all religions are the same is the way of Cain. It goes against the way of Abel which seeks the way of the cross.
1.THE FIRST MURDER - verse 8.
This was a premeditated murder in the first degree. Murder is to slaughter a victim (Greek). He murdered his own brother, his mother's son. He murdered one he should have loved. It was a terrible crime. Why did he do it? Had he been abused? Brutalised by war? Neglected? No, it was pure wickedness, he had allowed anger to build up. God tried to talk him out of it and it had destroyed him, he gave into it. John 3:12, he murdered because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Jesus spent his whole life doing good and living a life of love, he experienced hate and was murdered by evil men. He was hated without reason and was handed over out of envy to Pilate. People are being murdered in parts of the world because they are believers. Matthew 5:2 - 23, to be angry without cause is to make ourselves subject to judgement. There is a little bit of Cain within all of us and a lot in some of us. We must not allow anger to well up in us.
2. THE FIRST TEMPORAL PUNISHMENT
His parents were overwhelmed with grief
a) God's questions are met with denial of responsibility - verse 9. God interrogates him, he had the evidence and Cain evaded, he lies. He won't even aknowledge his sin. Brothers should stick together, Cain says 'I don't have any responsibility for him.' Dio we hear the voice of modern man in Cain's cruel question? Individualism goes against God's order. The sense of belonging is seriously out of vogue today, many do not want to get involved, they cross the road and claim to be free. We are all our brothers' keepers, we each have a responsibility for our brother. How can we love God who we have not seen if we cannot love our brother who we have seen. We are called to care by God. We are a family of brothers and sisters and called to care for each other in and out of the church. We should not ask what our family can do for us but what we can do for our family.
b) God's sentence delivers him to restless wandering - verses 11 to 12
Cain hoped God would ignore sin, if it seems he does, there is the day of judgement. God's punishment is two fold, he does not have a patch of land of his own and is left to wander. He doesn't kill him, he has time to repent and there is no government to execute him. Thirdly he will be an example to others, he is a warning, he will be full of remorse and guilt and live a life of regret. To know relief he must repent. So he says to him you'll be a vagrant, aimless, detached, no roots, living under a suspended sentence.
c) God punishment brings self pity and fear - verse 13. He cares only for himself. He doesn't express even the tiniest twinge of repentance. He only fears for his own life. He fears what Abel's relatives will do. When God sends some sort of judgement people complain and say 'God's not fair' - Proverbs 19:3. A man's own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord. He does not find forgiveness because he will not repent.
d) God's grace promises protection - verse 15 and Romans 2:24. He has a mark on him to ward people off. We can repent and live an upright life or we can be bitter and not deal with it. Cain went away from God and wandered in a tractless land. David and Paul both repented when they sinned. God had already pleaded with him to make a right choic, now he protected him from death, which would have given him an opportunity to change and say I'm sorry, I repent. That is the common grace that God extends to every unbeliever. We can know God's peace if we repent of our sins in the name of the Lord Jesus.
e) God's grace was spurned. Abel's faith could not convince Cain but it speaks to us today. It records the guildty man who lives and the innocent man who died, this happens today. The way of Cain is a hard way, a way of hate. He presented human excuses, he wandered away from God, he knew human loneliness instead of human friendship. Abel's was a far better way, we can know this
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