Lessons From Sinning Saints

The believer, scruffy, unshaven, dirty, next week is the church three pieces, Bible in hand labor on is a Christian life and it takes a life, it's not the Christian moment in one of the things about our sin nature that it develops and is the appreciation of Jesus Christ is at work in my life and there's so much that needs to be changed so much developing that can take place, and don't expect changes in everything in a long line and also evaluate your current life and realize you still have a long way to go. That's the way the Christian life works as an we may wish change happen faster but it doesn't always welcome to wisdom for the heart. Today we have a lesson from our vintage wisdom archives were Stephen Devi teaches Genesis 11. In a message called lessons from sending saints. What can we learn from the fact that even as believers sin is still present well.

Stay tuned to find out Genesis chapter 9 verse 20 then Noah began farming is after the flooding and bark from the art and he planted a vineyard that he drank of the wine and became drunk and he uncovered himself inside his tent and ham the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside.

But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders and walk backward and covered the nakedness of their father and their faces were turned away so that they did not see their father's nakedness. When Noah awoke from his stupor or his wine. He knew what his youngest son had done to him so he prophetically declared curse became a servant of servants he shall be to his brothers. He also said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem and let Canaan be his servant. May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem and let Canaan be his servant. Noah lived 350 years after the flood. So all the days of Noah were 950 years and he died. It's interesting the parallel between Noah and Adam first man to ever live. Adam sinned by taking or partaking of the fruit of the vine. Noah, the first man after the flood would also sin by drinking the fruit of the vine. Both men would fall, and as a result, one would recognize his nakedness. The other would become naked both would receive a covering from someone else, and as a result of that sin both would receive a curse. And yet in that curse. There would be the promise of blessing. Now the sins of Noah were twofold. First of all, he became drunk and drunkenness was, of course, against, or a violation of God's command, especially as you read later in the Old Testament but not only did he become drunk. He became naked, that is, he and his little nest.

We dare not even imagine indebtedness tent. Perhaps he shed his clothing and drunkenness. This man of God, the preacher of righteousness.

Now drunken, and they get six different interpretations to this passage of Scripture which doesn't make it very fun for me. And yet, the view that I normally will take, or the interpretation that I will follow is that which literally follows the meanings of the Hebrew words because I know there's safety in discovering what the literal text means the word uncovered himself is the same Hebrew word or words used in Scripture for shameful exposure. There's nothing particularly sensational hearing became drunk and he took off his clothing.

The confusion is and what ham did someone suggest at least six different things here. Perhaps he had an incestuous relationship with Noah. That is, he uncovered his nakedness being in a Hebrew idiom of lying with his wife and yet the text does not indicate that some of even suggested that there is a homosexual violation hearing, yet the text does not say that ham uncovered the nakedness of Noah, but that Noah uncovered his own naked. So what did Hampden do it says when Noah awoke he knew Mohammed done to him. Two things. First of all, he saw in the Hebrew meaning of the word means that he gazed he observed.

He walks, he prances behind some covering of the tenant is watching his father but not only that, I think the real sin was in what follows, would you notice again and says in verse 22 and he told his brothers outside. The Hebrew word told me literally you what I had the words he told with the light he was really enjoying this.

Why this was not only dishonoring the honor of his father, but perhaps even revealing in his heart that he had repudiated the faith of his father. Looking what he's doing and he was delighted his father's fall. Why do you think the tabloids make millions of dollars every year. Why because they pander to the fallen nature of man, that the light in the sorry side of the seedy side of humanity. So their stories are of the fights, the breakups, the divorces, the losses in all of the seedy things that happened the tragic things that happened to mankind.

So Noah awakens from this stupor and he makes a prophetic curse. Look at verses 24 again. When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done. That is, he had mocked him, he makes a prophetic curse that is he is saying what will happen. It isn't like okay Canaan Oran.

You are now going to do this I perceive by revelation that this will be your future. And so he gets the curse in the curse is the promise. You notice verse 26 eases Blessed be the Lord God of Shem. Shem would be the father of the Semite. You can see in Shem the words Sam Semite nations from which Israel would come in.

So here is the promise of the coming Messiah.

Japheth is the father of the Indo-European nation from which the majority of us, if not all of us have come ham will become the father of the African the Egyptian and the Arabian nations. Now there are some people back in Genesis chapter 9 here that believe the Africans or the black people's are consigned the slavery and the got even ordained it as such. In this curse, and I've even heard that from evangelical… There is 1 Very Clear Way of discovering whether that is true or not read what the text says we do not verse 20 50 is cursed ham and all his descendents.

So tell me, let me hear you Canaan is cursed one branch of the descendents of ham. Not all of the descendents of ham just one and that is Canaan. Canaan would be the forefather of all of the Canaanites. You remember them they were inhabiting the land that God had promised to Israel.

And when Joshua led the people in the Canaan. They had to do what subjugate and overthrow bring into our into their authority to the Canaanites from the Canaanites. We get the Hittites and the parasites and the Amorites and the Jebusites. All the others like these are all those that came from Canaan and now in fact, they cease to exist as a nation, the curse has been fulfilled. So I mentioned the descendents of payment Shem with one of Japheth.

I want to give you some interesting features about his descendents is told here in this curse the God would enlarge verse 27 Japheth enlarging means that he would conquer. He would enlarge his borders and this is exactly what happened to me share a few thoughts with you Gomer was mentioned here is the forefather of the government or the German after we get that nation. One of Gomer's sons torn, established Turkey. They always name their nations after themselves being modest as they work. In fact, the Arminians came to be called the house Targum especially interesting to me in this passage is the mention of three sons, would you look at chapter 10 verse two the sons of Japheth were Gomer, and Magog in the dog and Jovan and to ball and mesh check entire rush now these three underlying Magog, tubal and Mesha have given us the northern people or the Russian. In fact, Ezekiel mentions Magog and the Hebrew word for chief Prince is the Hebrew word rush or rush from which we get our English word Russia now. By the way were not talking about millions of years ago were targeted for thousand years ago and this is so clearly seen in the histories By man and especially this table of nation. The other two tribes tubal and Mesha is found in the writings of Herodotus who indicated that by this time the names had developed into Mexican seal billion. These two tribes would push north and east of the Black Sea into what is now Russia. In fact, these two tribes are now used as the dividing marks of the modern state of Russia tubal is now towable on the towable River Mexican is now Moscow on the mosque for River is fascinating to me when I think of that. But God made every nation and that he appointed not only their times.

That is how long they will exist, but their boundaries. God is in total control. He is not only the creator of nations. He is the controller of nations Chapter 11.

If you would turn there now introduces to us the story of the Tower of Babel and this is a story of the great mystery. It's pretty well documented that astrology, and even the zodiac and idolatry ultimately trace their roots back to Nimrod and his kingdom of Babylon, but not where Babylon got its start chapter 10 versus 8 to 12 not push became the father of Nimrod, he became a mighty one on the earth, and he was a mighty hunter before the Lord in the face of the Lord.

It should say. Therefore, it is said like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the face of the Lord. This is a fight. This is a hunting and spite of the face of the Lord Nimrod is the first man to be called mighty in this refers to his prowess in hunting, not animals, but the souls of men that he will use in building his kingdom of Babylon. In fact his name Nimrod means, let us read Bell his father crush and heard the curse and he said I am not going to abide by that my little boy will grow up one day to be the read Bell or the builder of the nation, and thus we have Nimrod now turned back to Chapter 11, was the first few verses now the whole earth.

Use the same language in the same words in the came about as he journeys that they found the plane and the land of Shinar and settled there. They said to one another, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly and they used brick for stone in the used tar for mortar and they said, here's a violation of God's command in chapter 9 to replenish or fill the entire earth, they said this, let us build for ourselves a city and the tower whose top will reach into heaven. You notice those words or italicize that could be translated atop into heaven. This is their religious system. This is replacing God. This tower will reach the heaven that was their declaration.

Notice what they said and let us make for ourselves a name, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth. This tower was a monument erected to symbolize the rebellion against the command of God. I will read you something simply because archaeologists have discovered these towers like ziggurats and they have found it at the top of these towers were altars and rooms dedicated to the worship of the signs of the zodiac.

In fact they have found those symbols painted and drawn on the walls you see what we have today in modern astrology. It is not modern, it is going back in its roots to the ultimate rebellion that God would one day in this chapter come. Let me review something rather interesting from a man who's done a lot of study.

He says the text speaks to the top of the tower as being that which was dedicated to the heavens as a place of worship.

This is the meaning for the reason that astrology which focuses on a study of the zodiac originated in Babylon.

You will find it was the Chaldeans. Another name for the inhabitants of Babylon who first developed the zodiac by dividing the sky into sections and giving meaning to each on the basis of the stars that are found there a person's destiny is said to be determined by whatever section or sign he is under by the way, do not yours. This I most aggressive stumbled into that knowledge which points his finger back to rebellion against God from Babylon astrology pass to the Empire of ancient Egypt work mingled with animism and polytheism.

The pyramids were constructed with certain mathematical relationships to the stars, the Sphinx, you note that huge monument still in Egypt today the member toward their you seen that that has astrological significance. It has the head of a woman symbolizing Virgo, the Virgin in the body of a lion symbolizing Leo, Virgo is the first sign of the zodiac.

Leo was the last so the Sphinx which actually means joining in Greek is the meeting point of the zodiac. When you see the Sphinx.

It is simply saying, in effect, this is the beginning and the end our religious system is eternal. It is the alpha the beginning and the Omega, the ending is a false religion, even way back in the time of Nimrod sought to moderate the true beginning and end. And isn't it interesting when Jesus Christ comes to rule people state and the latter chapters of Revelation. Revelation chapter 21 I believe people say I am the Alpha and Omega. I am the beginning and the end and I would warn you with this. If you read the horoscopes stop.

It is a dangerous thing that traces its roots back to the idolatry of Babylon. Well, God confounds the language verse five and the Lord came down to see the city and tower were the sons of men to build the Lords of the whole one people and they all have the same language of this is what they began to do and know nothing which they purpose that is evil to do will be impossible for them therefore let us perhaps an indication of the Trinity go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's each and the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earthly start building the city.

That was the plan of God.

I don't want you erecting a one world government. I don't want to have one city ruling all the world I would just gather development of the nations that I have design so we came down and took care of that which would create a common barrier even today that his language was hard enough to understand each other even when we speak English, much less when you have another language. In fact, I was reading one pastor who illustrated this point with a lady in his congregation who was a kindergarten teacher and it's not a lot where they lived and she taught and associates were required. One day she was with a lot of difficulty helping a little boy into his snowsuit and that it was one of those infernal kind you note the ties and snaps and the buttons and it took her about five minutes and finally when she got the boy ended.

He looked up at her. He said this is my snowsuit with the grace of kindergarten teachers you know they deserve a medal of honor. Anyhow, she pauses boy after untying and snapping everything. She finally gets mad and he continues the story, this is my sister snowsuit but my mother said I can wear it today if I'd been the teacher that everyone must get on your there's great difficulty communicating on fact the coming kingdom is prophesied by Zephaniah chapter 3 verse nine what God says to him in the kingdom. I will return to the People's a pure language that they may all with one consent.

Worship is and is fascinating to know in heaven we will all once again have the same language, the Spaniard, the Chinese the Mexican the American we will all be able to communicate with one language. I think communicate perfectly. Now I want to take a practical turn in the sermon and I want to give you several things that will be helpful from this passage unfortunate as it is. One thing is perfectly clear to me as I study this passage had we written the Bible we would've left out the sins of the patriarchs. There would've been things that we would have ignored. But God doesn't fact, I think that's another proof that God determines the content of this book.

Sometimes the Bible is so comprehensive that it's embarrassing sometimes it problems, and we wonder Lord, why give us these last five verses of Noah's life and on a good note because I think God wants us to learn that only from the successes of the saints, but their failures as well.

Then he quickly give you seven lessons from the sins of Noah number one you're taking notes, you find a place for this believer is never immune from sin believer is never immune to or from sin.

Noah was 600 years old when the flood came, and handling his wife righteously for 600 years and then in his later years, the Mars is perfect record is unique in the Bible, absolutely not. Moses in his later years struck the rock declaring for himself some glory due only to God when David was in his 50s, he fell into immorality. This leads me to the second point, that is. This past success doesn't guarantee future safety from sin so you don't inoculate yourself by all of the successes of the past week. Satan doesn't say well you know he's been really good this past week we will bother him this week. Nor does he say in the first point well at first. Another almost in heaven. Let's leave them alone that persists to the great. Thirdly, small temptations are often the most dangerous preacher of righteousness, a man for 120 year said no to all kinds of immorality and now with a cheap flask of homemade wine is brought to his knees small temptations and yet it was the most dangerous. Perhaps that's what the writer of Scripture means when he says, take heed while you stand, lest you fall. Watch out for the little things.

Number four. Temptations are always changing faces. By the time you master one another one comes along, but I think changing faces because ultimately all temptation says the same thing, whose voice are you going to listen to the voice of God or the voice of the world system your flesh, and Satan fitfully.

Sin never affects the sinner alone. This is probably one of the most tragic parts of sin never affects tissue and is the hotel my sin is in affecting anybody but they in fact no one even knows what it is that sin in your life that keeps you from being the kind of husband, father, believer testimony that you want to be someone is robbed when you and I get away from what God would have us send someone wrote is like a pebble thrown into a pond of water over the pebble strikes only one place. The ripples from its force stretch out number six want to mark this one well believers never have an excuse for said I stress believers because of first Corinthians 1013 what you can perhaps jot that reference in your notes. There is no temptation confronting you such as is common to man. God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation provide a way of speaking you may be able to bear. We sin we say no to God's escape number seven. God never ignores sin, even in the life of the St. God never ignores sin. He never plays favorites. Sin will always bring guilt, whoever you may be that guilt may bring the losses joy it will bring loss of fellowship. But there are always consequences there to further lessons before we quit we can learn from our own biography of sin that God has given us more like no one were not in here but we can certainly see the similarities and that reside in our's in nature, and I want to give you quickly to very positive results or less.

Since then, we can learn from our sin nature. I know that sounds odd to me. There's something positive to be learned about our sin nature, yet I didn't say sin. There's nothing positive about that. I don't want anybody to call me this week as a pastor I said the man you're right it's great.

I learned that positive lesson please.

This is the sin nature. Let me give you two things God can use the awareness of our nature to sin, to develop appreciation for our position in Christ.

Paul, the great apostle cried to God. In chapter 7 aroma the Lord whatever I wanted to. I can't do it and whatever I don't want to do. It seems like that's what I'm always doing who will deliver me from this death, who will exercise for me the sinful nature the body and death is referring to the Roman custom where a man committing murder is taken to the cross and before he is put on the cross strapped to him.

If this murder victim is a slave or some one of ill repute, or perhaps not a Roman citizen will take the dead body in the lead on top of the murderer and strap it to him wrist to rest neck to neck ways to waste leg leg and an opening on the cross that is what's referred to as the body of this death, he will die hideous death with his victim cheek to cheek, and Paul says deliver me from the body of this death is wicked old man this all nature that strapped me the awareness of his sin was so great, but then he concludes the chapter with, I think, through Jesus Christ, there is now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus.

It also develops gratitude for Christ's work in us. Therefore if any man be in Christ is a new creation. Old things are literally continually passing away.

The whole all things are continually becoming new do we get the idea of someone he becomes a believer you look at scruffy, unshaven, dirty, next week is in church three-piece suit Bible in hand in the volume or known is a Christian life and it takes a life, it's not the Christian moment in one of the things about our sin nature is that it develops and is the appreciation of Jesus Christ is at work in my life and there's so much that needs to be changed. There's so much developing that can take place, and don't expect changes in everything in a moment takes a life, but be confident that it is Christ who works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Philippians chapter 2 verse 13. Did you fail sin, which, you know, your sins are you gave your life to Jesus Christ.

Though your sins works they been washed white snow. This is the story of no St. center. Did he fail sin, yes, God gave it to us to learn and yet God would write Noah's epitaph.

Hebrews chapter 11 verse seven by a no one inherited righteousness of God. So if you and I if we have come to the cross of Jesus Christ that we conclude today's lesson in this series from our vintage wisdom archives series is entitled origins and its Stephen Davies exposition of Genesis chapters 1 through 11, Stephen taught the series back in 1988, but we knew you'd be blessed by hearing it aired again about a year ago we broadcast a vintage wisdom series through the early chapters of the book of acts.

Beginning tomorrow, working to continue through that series from acts so be sure and tune in for that. In the meantime, we'd love to hear from you. It would encourage us to learn how God is using these lessons to equip you in your walk with Christ. You can send Stephen a note if you address it to wisdom for the hearts. PO Box 37297, Raleigh, NC 27627.

Be sure and ask how you can get a copy of our magazine called heart-to-heart call our office at 86 648 Bible once again that's 86 648 Bible 48664824253. That's all for today would join us at this same time tomorrow right here on this for the heart