If we do so, wont their livestock, their property, and all their animals become ours? Receiving revelation (living understand) of the Word. That verse changes our view of idolatry. Because of this danger, Paul said, Flee sexual immorality! (Galatians 6:7) which states "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. Many who worked for God but did not walk with Him will be disappointed: Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. Verse Concepts. So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, These men are at peace with us. This was to be a perpetual sign of their covenant with God for generations. Yet, just as they were getting ready to cross over into their Promised Land, they started questioning and doubting that God could take these enemies out for them, even though God had just got done delivering them from an entire Egyptian nation several years earlier! The moment you got ahead of God is the moment you stepped out of His will. The adage, "You can't keep a good man down" is a biblical concept. Before we go deeper into the topic, we will address the surface issues and dig further as we go along. 1. This is what made their act even more evil. When we have a relationship with God, He puts His Spirit in us, who then gives us divine wisdom (Colossians 1:9). Sadly, we live in societies where abortions happen more than live births. By following the instructions of God. And walk in all the way that I command you,that it may be well with you.24But they did not obey or incline their ear,but walked in their own counsels andthe stubbornness of their evil hearts, andwent backward and not forward. King Saul was out of the will of God when he offered a sacrifice before going to war. However, when people neglect God, abortions become common place because love comes from God. He fell in love with the young woman and spoke romantically to her. Marine litter is a huge ecological problem. Application Question: In what ways have you experienced strong discipline, including the consequences of sin, which turned you from sin back to God? The patriarch Isaac could have written that book about his father, Abraham. There are no "new" temptations in life. Those are the consequences of not having enough faith and belief in God the Father and not being willing to fully follow Him in this life. Sometimes like Jacobs sons, they go even farther than thatreturning face for tooth and body for finger. But Jonah fled west toward Spain because he feared the Assyrians. Enoch had fellowship with God (Genesis 5:24) and was faithful to Him. Therefore, as we consider our dark and desperate situations, we must be hopeful. The benefits and results of walking with God far outweigh a life of not walking with Him. With the other prophets, the second time meant additional prophetic utterances they were to deliver. In response to Hamors and Shechems offer, Jacobs sons said that it would be disgraceful for Dinah to marry someone uncircumcised. Is it not from this, from your passions that battle inside you? In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility. Instead you thrill to God 's Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. Divine wisdom helps us increase our knowledge of God so that we can trust Him more each day. Before Jesus left the earth, He told His disciples that they had the ability to recognize the Holy Spirit, because He would be with them and in them (John 14:17). Are you guarding yourself and others against sexual immorality? Daniels three friends in Babylon demonstrated integrity when they were threatened with being burned alive (Daniel 3:16-18). Instead of returning good for evil (Rom 12:21), they return eye for eye and tooth for tooth. 6 Consequences of Disobedience to God.1. Application Question: In what ways have you witnessed this growing trend of parents neglecting their children by not loving them, disciplining them, and setting boundaries for them? Like Paul said, the name of God is being blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you (Rom 2:24). When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. For their women exchanged the natural sexual relations for unnatural ones, and likewise the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed in their passions for one another. Purify yourselves and change your clothes (v. 2). Negatively. (1 Jn. It is possible because of the fruit of joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. In the US, one out of six females are victims of an attempted or completed rape.4 Similarly, one out of four females on college campuses experience sexual assault.5 In addition, the acceptance of homosexuality has grown. Or soberly and realistically according to the grace of God in your life? When You Don't Put Christ First in Your Life, You Lack the Full Level of God's Favor. With false humility? No one can deny that our walk with God has many benefits in this lifetime and the next. He did for us what we cannot do for ourselves. J. C. Ryle, I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure. In Romans 12:3 Paul exhorts the believers not to think of themselves pridefully but rather to think of themselves soberlythat is, realistically or accurately. You may not always know where God is leading you, but you can be sure that you will never get lost. Romans 12:3 NLT. In one sense, this chapter should give us all hope. Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquities. When a worldly environment gets our children for eight or more hours a day (especially if we include television, music, etc. Therefore, sex wasnt special, and it wasnt necessarily to be preserved for ones spouseespecially if one was a man. It wasnt when things were bad that Jacobs family neglected God and committed treacherous acts; it was when things were good. THE WALK WITH GOD ALL NATIONS BIBLE INSTITUTION & PROJECTS THE WALK WITH GOD THE SECRET OF WALKING WITH GOD God is looking for not only a clinging bride but also a walking partner. They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword, took Dinah from Shechems house, and left. Let us marry your daughters, and take our daughters as wives for yourselves. Let thy hope of heaven master thy fear of death. Have you responded to Gods willing invitation to come to Him? And have you forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons? So Jacob remained silent until they came in. Abraham wouldnt allow Isaac to marry a Canaanite. Working for God without walking with Him will not give our works the desired value. The victory over the world, the flesh, the devil, and sin was won by the Cross and the empty tomb. He is handing people over to a depraved mind as theyve neglected himallowing them to commit sin and reap the terrible consequences of it. Theyre building a palace for me over there. Jonah 3:1-2. Scripture Passage: Jeremiah 7:16-28 (NASB), 16As for you,do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you. It is obvious that working for God is not good enough. It happens as we stop attending church faithfully, reading our Bibles, praying, and having Christian fellowship. He was accused of blaspheming by saying He had the authority to forgive sinssomething only God can do. All rights reserved. God loved them too much to allow them to continue in sin. But if you do not agree to our terms by being circumcised, then we will take our sister and depart. Their offer pleased Hamor and his son Shechem. To first-century leaders in the Roman world, the imagery was familiar: A victorious Roman general returning from battle leading his soldiers and their captives into the city. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. See the words about Jesus in the Gospels as sparkling like diamonds. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. We long to hear God speak to us every day because we know that He has amazing things to tell us about our lives. Integers, from a Latin root meaning whole or entire. The word integrity comes from the same root; a person with integrity cannot be divided in beliefs or morality based on varying circumstances. He favored Rachels children over Leahs. He uses discipline to help us repent and turn back to him. You are so faithful and understanding of my circumstances and you reach down to me with compassion. During the times when I don't spend time with God, I become numb or blind to sin. A leper approached Jesus and said, If You are willing, You can make me clean. Jesus touched the man, saying, I am willing; be cleansedand he was healed (Mark 1:40-42). If the Spirit is in your heart, He is going to make it very difficult for you to be comfortable with anything that violates God's Law. If pride expands ones importance, does humility deflate ones importance? The New Jerusalem, on the new earth, is that place. The video games, movies, and music will be filled with it. A tent or a cottage, why should I care? In fact, this demonstrates that all are sinnersJews and Gentiles. We may not realize it, but walking with God is so much better than walking without him and here is why. We have spoken of this fellowship in our treatment of the third verse. When Solomon became King, he walked in the ways of the Lord. So you are certainly right that you . Posted on Last updated: December 28, 2018. She was a child of Leah, and she wasnt a boy. We must be zealous and brutal to stay pure in a world that is being increasingly sexualized. It tells us that God loved the world so much that He sent Jesus to die for us so that we will not perish, but have eternal life. 5 Whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. One can only obey God because they hear Him speak. But thank God, we have the Holy Spirit, Who is our Helper. The perfection of his work relied absolutely on his walk before God. Peter wrote his final letter shortly before his execution. Mind you, the Israelites had just seen one of the greatest displays of Gods power that the world has ever seen when He threw 10 whopper plagues at the Pharaoh to set them free. Jacob had flaws, and the Israelites had flaws. Proverbs 11:28 speaks to the consequences of trusting in riches (and other things) instead of God. All four of these verses are as clear as they can be. This is why Scripture says we should rejoice in various trials and tribulations, as they test our faith (Jam 1:2). Psalm 32:4. Righteous doesnt mean sinless, of course. Satan tries to sidetrack anybody with a spiritual interest. The Habit of Irresponsibility: In three days, when they were still in pain, two of Jacobs sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinahs brothers, each took his sword and went to the unsuspecting city and slaughtered every male. When we declare Gods promises into our lives, they manifest and bless us tremendously, and the glory goes to God. If your beliefs, and therefore your actions, have become divided, gather them back together as you commit to God and His Word. The word heaven itself implies that our eternal destiny is somewhere up there in the heavens. This is what happens in a society that disregards God. Some neglect their children simply because they were neglected as children, and therefore, they dont know how to properly parent. Living our lives with God in it, makes things easier and gives us hope. Titus 3:3. After a long period of time living in the land of Succoth, Jacob finally brought his family to the land of Shechem in Genesis 33. Profit has eroded their sense of mission and integrity. They were offended and very angry because Shechem had disgraced Israel by sexually assaulting Jacobs daughter, a crime that should not be committed. window.mc4wp.listeners.push( What first step would you like to make? End the relationship! Having a focused mind will remind you that you need to set time aside to spend with God; it will keep you away from distractions. While the Hivites were in pain from their circumcision, two of Jacobs sons, Simeon and Levi, murdered all the men of the village. Please help Betsy complete her mission "Books for Souls." Second, as a result of Abrahams trust in God, he became a friend of God (Isaiah 41:8). You're a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, n ever dropping a leaf, always in blossom. However, this situation is very common when God is neglected. The Bible . They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. In what ways is God drawing you back to himself through discipline? Away from me, you evildoers! (Mathew 7:21-23). If Jesus, the Son of God, needed to go to His Father in prayer for strengthening and guidance, how much more do we (Psalm 32:6)? But it was all lost until Christ came to the earth and introduced the loving Father into the world. In Genesis 35, we see that the family picked up many idols while dwelling in Canaan. The Bible says that Enoch walked with God for three hundred years before God took him away (Genesis 5:22-24). Isnt it great to know that the Lord is by your side, and if you are on the wrong path, He will redirect you? 28And you shall say to them, This is the nation that did not obey the voice of theLordtheir God, and did not accept discipline;truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips. If Moses, the author of Genesis, was simply trying to encourage Israel before they entered the promised land, this story would have been left out, as it displays the Jews in an unflattering light. Forgiveness is to be set loose from sins. Enjoy Rabbi Schneiders message who shares simple but profound truths to help you grow in your relationship with God Walking with God. Religion was also abused for vengeance. That event is a beautiful example of the willingness of God. Church of England: Gay couples can't marry but will receive 'God's blessing', Church mourns pastor, wife who died trying to save son from drowning at the beach, Trump condemns 'disloyalty' of Evangelical leaders who haven't endorsed his 2024 run, Is Congress Christian? It was like his soul was being evaporated by the heat of his own guilt and shame. Here are two more good verses showing the negative consequences of not being willing to fully follow God in this life. When the Corinthian church was abusing the Lords Supper, God disciplined some with sickness, depression, and even death (1 Cor 11:28-30). How can we tell that Jacob and his family neglected God? For the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he accepts. But if you do not experience discipline, something all sons have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons. First, he believed the promises of God about the future God had planned for him (Hebrews 11:8-12). Purify yourselves and change your clothes. We will give you our consent on this one condition: You must become like us by circumcising all your males. But if you do not agree to our terms by being circumcised, then we will take our sister and depart.. Intermarry with us. In order to have a higher standard of living, kids are handed off to schools, coaches, and tutors for training. All rights reserved. It is normal for parents to love their children. (3) Religion is also abused when it primarily focuses on people securing their passions, like lust or wealth, instead of holiness. Genesis 34 is one of the more tragic chapters in the Bible. Even our entertainment will be violent, as people apart from God love violence. The sins of Jacobs children did not draw pagans to God; it only further pushed them away. Enoch walked with God and entered Heaven alive. It is clear that Jacobs sons had no plan to intermarry with these people. Many people have walked away from the Lord and are not concerned about it. I pray that you will meet with me as I seek you every day. Eternal Life. 21Thus says theLordof hosts, the God of Israel:Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh. Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ. Abraham and Sarah were promised a son but they werent content to wait for the promise to come to pass. 'Today in the city of David a Saviour has been born to you. 1 Peter 5:5, NIV, What is humility?