Ham's Sin Should Terrify Us All | The Five Worst Curses In The Bible.

the five worst curses in the Bible number one Noah curses Canaan instead of ham to unravel the heart of this tale we must delve into a curious and frequently misrepresented incident surrounding ham one of Noah's sons and the ensuing curse this occurred immediately after the flood in the era of Noah the world was vastly different from what we know today characterized by wickedness and cruelty among people the account in the Bible tells us that a great flood occurred during that time the Lord saw that the wickedness depravity of man was great on the earth and that every imagination or intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually Genesis 6:5 Noah stood out from the others as he was a person of integrity and stried to live a righteous life before God and people according to the Bible God was displeased with the state of the world and decided to send a great flood as a consequence God saw that Noah was a good man and decided to save him and his family from the upcoming flood he told Noah about his plan and gave him specific instructions to build the large and strong boat called an ark Noah was to take his wife his three sons Shem ham and japeth their wives and two of every kind of animal to be safe from the flood so Noah did this according to all that God commanded him that is what he did Genesis 6:22 After the flood finally after a long time the rain stopped and the water began to go down after the flood God instructed Noah and his family to leave the ark alone with all the animals they were given the task of repopulating the Earth as a symbol of his promise to never again destroy the Earth with a flood God displayed a rainbow in the sky Noah and his family constructed an altar to express their gratitude to God for being saved from the flood in return God blessed them and their descendants and God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them be fruitful and multiply and fill the Earth Genesis 9:1 with the divine blessing upon them the men and their spouses began to conduct themselves in the manner that had been previously outlined Noah and his sons Genesis 9: 18-19 now the sons of Noah who came out of the Ark were Shem ham and japeth and ham was the father of Canaan these three were the sons of Noah and from these the whole earth was populated the Nations we know today were founded by the three children of Noah in Genesis chap 10 a list of countries is provided which includes the descendants of these three sons the Bible describes a tragic event in Noah's life that took place at some point and involved all three of Noah's sons Kanan Noah's grandson is supposed to be cursed as a result of what transpired as a result of that catastrophe Noah's Story begins with him planting a Vineyard and making wine from The Grapes however he ended up getting drunk from the wine and ended up lying bare in his tent Genesis 9: 20- 21 then Noah began farming and planted a Vineyard he drank some of the wine and became drunk and uncovered himself inside his tent After the flood Noah ventured into the new world and immediately set about establishing a livelihood for himself and his family he most likely planted many things one of which was a Vineyard we read he drank of the wine and became drunk people become more Reckless when they drink alcohol because it crushes their self-control their wisdom their balance and judgment ham the father of Canaan saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside but Shem and japeth took a garment and laid it on both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father and their faces were turned away so that they did not see their father's nakedness Genesis 9: 22-23 in the Book of Genesis it is stated that ham who is known as the father of Canaan saw his father Noah exposed state in his tent instead of keeping the matter private or helping his father ham shared the information with his two brothers which is considered scandalous according to Genesis 9:22 some people believe that Ham's wrongdoing was not just in witnessing Noah's drunken and exposed condition but also in ridiculing him thereby disrespecting him as a father and a person of Faith ham is said to have told with delight what he observed in his father's tent which is a literal translation of an ancient Hebrew phrase he had made up his mind to make fun of his father and in the process he was undermining his father's Authority as a man of God Ham's response to his father's sin shows his lack of respect for his father's Authority instead of helping ham went outside and told his brothers Shem and japeth about their father's condition Miriam Webster dictionary defines dignity as defined as the quality or state of being worthy honored or esteemed later Noah so overed up he made some inquiries and found out what his youngest son had done to him he was upset and angry instead of cursing ham directly Noah cursed Ham's son Genesis 9: 24-27 when Noah awoke from his wine he knew what his youngest son had done to him so he said cursed be Canaan a servant of servants he shall be to his brothers he also said blessed be the Lord the god of Shem and may Canaan be his servant may God enlarge japeth and may he live in the tents of Shem and may Canaan be his servant this was quite sad as it is the last activity of note that Noah carried out before his death the final activities of significance that Noah is recorded to have undertaken before his passing is quite a melancholic event it is somewhat confusing that Kanan who was Ham's son was cursed instead of ham who was the one who sinned against Noah it's possible that Canan was somehow involved in the offense against Noah although the Bible doesn't provide any details the most severe punishment that Noah imposed on him was to prophesize about the future of his son Canan so he said cursed be Canan a servant of servants he shall be to his brothers Genesis 9:25 this curse was significant as it foretold the struggles and servitude of canaan's descendants in the future Noah then blessed Shem and japeth for their respectful actions this story is often debated and interpreted in various ways some see it as a lesson about respect and the consequences of dishonoring one's parents others view it as an origin story that explains historical conflicts between different groups of people regardless it remains a compelling and thought-provoking narrative from the B the Bible does not provide much detail about the direct consequences for ham after this incident the focus shifts more to the descendants of Noah's sons particularly how the curse on Canan would affect his lineage Canan becomes the ancestor of the Canaanites a group of people who in later biblical narratives often find themselves in conflict with the Israelites the descendants of sheem the narrative serves as a foundation for understanding some of the later historical and cult conflicts described in the Bible in biblical times seeing nakedness held significant cultural and moral implications it was often associated with vulnerability and shame wasn't just a matter of physical exposure but also a symbolic representation of a person's honor and dignity this context is crucial to understanding the gravity of what transpired between Noah and ham in the Bible the phrase uncover nakedness implies sensual action Leviticus 18: 7-9 do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother she is your mother do not have relations with her do not have sexual relations with your father's wife that would dishonor your father do not have sexual relations with your sister either your father's daughter or your mother's daughter whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere the Judgment of this was quite severe Leviticus 20:1 17 if a man marries his sister the daughter of either his father or his mother and they have sexual relations it is a disgrace they are to be publicly removed from their people he has Dishonored his sister and will be held responsible however even if ham had not engaged in any sensual relationship with his father it was still improper for him to tell his two brothers about their father's State this was an improper act in and of itself ham had just publicly humiliated a human being and this was not just any human being this person was his father ham is the son of Noah the most righteous man of his time how is it that the finest man in the world could have such a horrible child we have a lesson here parents have the ability to influence their children's beliefs and values but this is not always the case it is common to know good people who have raised children with opposing beliefs to their own there are parents who are excellent fine and kind who have children who are Dreadful and there are parents who are awful who have children who are exceptionally kind and upstanding it is important to recognize that being a good person does not necessarily equate to being a good parent the story of Noah who was considered the most virtuous man to ever live serves as an example of this despite his righteousness he had a wicked child while there are are many decent individuals in the world not all of them possess the skills necessary to raise their children in a manner that promotes decency in today's world many parents even those who are well educated believe that providing love is the only thing required to raise a healthy and successful child however if a child is only given love without any expectations in return then there is a high likelihood that the child will grow up to be self-centered the Bible is a really truthful book regarding every aspect therefore every family that is discussed in the Book of Genesis is an example of what we would label as dysfunctional in today's society this is the gift that the Bible gives to every person in the world who struggles with dysfunctional relatives next time you are filled with guilt about one of your kids recognize the most righteous man in the world had a flawed son twice more in that blessing Noah stated that Canan would be enslaved to Shem and and japeth curses in the Bible curses are charged with Supernatural power to the Casual Observer human life appears to be a chaotic mix of light and Shadow that is not organized in any tangible pattern and is not governed by any clear-cut laws there are certain aspects that many people are not aware of according to the word of God curses and blessings have a significant impact on our lives these words possess Supernatural power which could be attributed to God or the devil they can have a significant influence on our fate and determine our destiny it may come as a surprise to many that the Bible contains numerous examples of curses the word curse appears almost 200 times in the Bible indicating that it is an important topic for us to explore the Bible begins with God Almighty pronouncing many curses we do not have to go beyond the first three chapters of Genesis to witness God's curses there is no curse curse Without a Cause the laws governing blessings and curses are not random or difficult to comprehend they operate according to unchanging Divine principles that can be understood Through the Bible in Proverbs 26:2 Solomon shows this principle concerning curses Proverbs 26: 2 like a fluttering Sparrow or a darting swallow an undeserved curse does not come to rest sometimes curses may come from previous generations many blessings and curses noted in the word of God in connection with the Patriarchs have continued to operate for nearly 4,000 years and are working today the second feature of blessings and curses has significant practical implications the cursed generation may be confronted with recurrent situations or behavior patterns that cannot be explained exclusively in terms of what has happened in their lifetimes or personal exper experiences the root cause may go back a long time even thousands of years the Bible mentions generational curses in several places the invisible realm history is influenced by two kinds of forces those that are visible and those that are invisible the way these two Realms interact with each other shapes the course of history if we choose to pay attention only to things that we can see and touch we may encounter situ ations and events that are difficult to explain or control the visible realm comprises all the ordinary objects and events that are part of the material Universe events do not always unfold the way we desire yet we find solace in this world most people's Consciousness is limited to their immediate surroundings but the Bible offers a glimpse into an intangible and spiritual realm in this unseen realm Supernatural forces exert a continuous and profound impact on the events of the visible World in 2 Corinthians 4:1 17-18 he describes these two Realms as follows for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all so we fix our eyes not on what is seen But on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary and what is unseen is eternal in the visible realm everything is temporary in fleeting true and Lasting reality can only be found in the invisible domain where we can also see the forces that will shape our destiny even in the visible realm Paul emphasizes that success in life depends on our ability to understand and connect with the invisible and spiritual realm blessings and curses both belong to the invisible realm and carry Supernatural and spiritual power blessings produce excellent and beneficial results while curses have bad and harmful effects these two themes are Central to scripture and the words blessings and curses are mentioned more than 640 times in the word of God the power of words words can serve as a potent tool for both blessings and curses they can be expressed verbally written down or even thought silently the word of God has much to say about the Power of Words the Bible contains numerous warnings about the ways in which words can be used for either good or evil for example Proverbs 11:9 with his mouth the Godless person destroys his neighbor but through knowledge the righteous will be rescued it is important for us to understand the story of ham which is actually the story of his son Kanan this helps us to comprehend God's value of respect especially when it comes to respecting one's parents treating our parents well is a crucial value for followers of God when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses he included a commandment to honor your father and your mother so that your days may be prolonged on the land which the Lord your God gives you Exodus 20:12 interestingly this is the first commandment that has a promise associated with it do the right thing and all will go well for you even when our parents aren't worthy of honor we should honor them it's a similar concept expressed by Jesus when he told us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your father who is in heaven for he causes his son to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous Matthew 5:45 this command is both wise and excellent since showing respect to one's parents is a fundamental component in maintaining the peace and well-being of a society as a whole the pillars of society will crumble to the ground if the younger Generations are in a state of Perpetual conflict with the older generations to honor one's parents means to Value them to care for them and to show respect or reverence for them honoring one's parents also implies treating them with care and respect that your days may be long in Ephesians chap 6:2 Paul repeated this instruction to emphasize the promise made here the act of rebelling against one's parents can come with a tremendous personal cost as many people can attest to having experienced firsthand how we treat people matters we are commanded to love others and to show honor and Care always it is essential to recognize that our actions particularly those deemed as sins can have consequences not just for ourselves but for those around us in the story of ham and Noah Ham's Behavior caused harm to his father which was unacceptable Noah's reaction was to curse Ham's son which could have lasting effects on future Generations therefore we should always be mindful of the impact our actions may have on others today we have reason to be thankful because Jesus cleanses those who believe in and follow him the sins of our predecessors no longer have any bearing on us everyone regardless of whether they are descendants of Shem japeth or ham is welcome at God's table all believe in Jesus have the privilege of being known as God's children and of sharing an eternal salvation John chapter 1:12 but to as many as did receive and welcome him he gave the right the authority the privilege to become children of God that is to those who believe in adhere to trust in and rely on his name the curse is gone thanks be to God Ham's actions can be interpreted as a form of severe disrespect towards his father Noah by not covering his father and even publicly exposing it ham showed a lack of respect towards Noah's dignity and honor in contrast Shem and japeth response was full of respect and care they not only avoided looking but also took steps to cover Noah preserving his dignity this story reflects the values and social norms of the time the respectful response of Shem and japeth stands in stark contrast to Ham's disrespectful Behavior highlighting themes of Honor respect and family Dynamics in the biblical narrative the Canaanite story the story of the Canaanite is mentioned in the Book of Genesis which highlights the relationship between the descendants of Noah's sons the Israelites who are the descendants of Shem had a complex relationship with the Canaanites who are the descendants of Canaan hamson the bibl IAL narrative often portrays the Canaanites in a negative light perhaps influenced by the curse laid upon Canaan the Israelites engaged in numerous battles with the Canaanite peoples to take control of the land number two Cain the cursed Mark of Cain after the fall of Man Adam Eve and the snake were put under a curse then Eve gave birth to her sons the meaning of the name Cain can be interpreted as either I've got him or here he is Eve most likely believed that Cain was the seed God had promised the deliverer who would come from Eve after God cursed the serpent Eve may have believed that she was holding in her arms the Messiah the one who would save the entire world but in reality she was holding a murderer in her arms Genesis 4: 2-5 later she gave birth to his brother Abel now Abel kept flocks and Cain worked the soil in the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord and Abel also brought an offering fat portions from some of the first born of his flock the Lord looked with favor on Abel in his offering but on Cain in his offering he did not look with favor so Cain was very angry and his face was downcast Abel presented an offering of Blood by sacrificing the firstborn of his flock while Cain brought an offering of vegetation offering the fruit of the ground it is important to note that grain offerings were acceptable to God as stated in Leviticus chapter 2 but they did not serve as a means of atonement for sin which is a common misconception among many people we read that Cain was very angry and his face was downcast it is clear that Cain's anger arose from his pride he could not bear that God accepted his brother's offering but not his own it is possible that the fact that God showed acceptance by consuming Abel's offering with fire fire was widely known at the time unfortunately the situation only worsened as Sin spread Cain then committed the more complex sins of spiritual pride and hypocrisy the birth of Abel and the offerings of Cain and Abel Genesis 4: 6-7 then the Lord said to Cain why are you angry why is your face downcast if you do what is right will you not be accepted but if you do not do what is right sin is crouching at your door it desires to have you but you must rule over it God chose to interact with Cain via loving confrontation rather than responding with automatic affirmation God gave Cain no doubt that he would be accepted if he performed admirably God already knew the answers to the questions he posed but he wanted Cain to find out for himself so that he could fight the urges within himself to be violent and angry we read what is Right sin is crouching at your door Cain was given a warning from God about the destructive potential of sin Cain had a voice he could abstain from sin and be blessed or give into sin and be consumed by it Genesis 4:8 now Cain said to his brother Abel let's go out to the field while they were in the field Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him Genesis 4:9 then the Lord said to Cain where is your brother Abel I don't know he replied am I My Brother's Keeper God says where is your brother Abel God asked Cain the question because he wanted to give him the opportunity to confess his sin and make things right however Cain's attempt to deceive God was completely futile it was absolute Madness on his part to think that he could conceal his sin from God or that God was unaware of Abel's whereabouts Cain says am I My Brother's Keeper this reply of Cain is famous the fact is that he was supposed to be his brother's keeper but instead he was his brother's murderer and he murdered him for the most base of reasons God's curse upon Cain Genesis 4: 10 through 12 the Lord says what have you done listen your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground now you are under a curse and driven from the ground which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand hand when you work the ground it will no longer yield its crop for you you will be a Restless Wanderer on the earth we read your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground the concept of blood crying out to God from the ground is brought up again and again in later books of the Bible numbers 35: 29-34 describes how the blood of unpunished murderers defiles the land we read so now you are cursed from the earth the curse on Cain amplifies Adam's curse making it impossible for Cain to bring forth food from the earth as a farmer Genesis 3:1 17-18 Genesis 3: 17-8 to Adam he said because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you you must not eat from it cursed is the ground because of you through painful toil you will eat food from it all all the days of your life it will produce thorns and thistles for you and you will eat the plants of the field if Adam were driven from Eden Cain would find no resting place on all the earth a fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth Genesis 4: 13-15 Cain said to the Lord my punishment is more than I can bear today you are driving me from the land and I will be hidden from your presence I will be a Restless Wanderer on the earth and whoever finds me will kill me but the Lord said to him not so anyone who kills Cain will suffer Vengeance seven times over then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him we read my punishment is more than I can bear Cain was not remorseful about his wrongdoing but was afraid of the punishment he received however despite God's severe punishment for Cain's sin God did not want anyone else to harm him to ensure Cain's safety God marked him with a sign that would serve as a protective measure although many people have speculated about the nature of this Mark no one knows what it truly was the Greek word used for Mark is Al which means a mark sign or token the Hebrew word Al appear 79 times in the scriptures and it is mostly commonly translated as sign therefore the nature of God's mark on Cain is not precisely defined in the passage nevertheless it is evident that it served as an indicator that Cain was not to be killed some people believe that the Mark was a scar or a tattoo on his body but the specifics are not the main focus of the passage instead the focus is that God would not permit anyone to seek revenge against Cain thus whatever the mark on Cain was it fulfilled this purpose Cain moves away and marries is there hope for the human race or are we doomed to continue like this thankfully there is hope as we move forward we discover that God has provided a solution Genesis 4: 25-26 Adam made love to 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 Seth also had a son and he named him enosh at that time people began to call on the name of the Lord and contrast to Cain's line God established a new family tree God gave Eve a son named Seth and place of Abel Seth exemplified the same type of worship as his deceased brother Abel because people began to invoke the lord's name in connection with Seth Cain's way of worship which is prideful points to itself The Humble way of worship as practiced by Abel and Seth calls out to God Jude 1:1 woe to them they have taken the way of Cain they have rushed for profit into balam's error they have been destroyed in cor's Rebellion it is no surprise then that when God needed an obedient servant hundreds of years later he chose Noah from Seth's line number three Lucifer the story of Lucifer from glory to curse a personality referred to as Lucifer appears in Isaiah 14 the Latin root of Lucifer means one who brings light while in Hebrew the translation is Morning Star regardless of the language Lucifer was depicted as a radiant shining and Majestic being he held the high ranking position among God's angels alongside Michael and Gabriel however at some point Lucifer made a grave mistake he challenged God Luke 10:18 he replied I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven during one of his teachings to his disciples Jesus shared a vivid description of a scene that he had personally experienced in heaven before he was born as the son of Mary in this scene God judged a created angel named Lucifer who had held the position of unique honor in heaven Jesus used this encounter to caution his followers about the dangers of allowing Pride to control their actions and decisions Ezekiel 28: 12-15 son of man take up a lament concerning the king of Ty and say to him this is what the Sovereign Lord says you are the Seal of perfection full of wisdom and perfect in Beauty you are in Eden the Garden of God every precious stone adorned you Carnelian cryolite and emerald topaz onxx and Jasper lapis lazuli turquoise and Burl your settings and mountings were made of gold on the day you were created they were prepared you were anointed as a guardian cherub for so I ordained you you were on the holy Mount of God you walked among the fiery Stones you were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you Lucifer is said to be the anointed cherub who covers the cherubim spread their wings over the mercy seat facing each other with their faces towards The Mercy Seat Lucifer was known for his exceptional Beauty but his pride caused him to challenge God and seek equality with him seems that Lucifer had authority over a group of angels and he convinced some of them to turn against God he led them in a rebellion against God but God responded by casting Lucifer and his followers out of his presence this describes how Lucifer was able to turn some angels against God through his persistent scheming Ezekiel 28: 16-9 through your widespread trade you were filled with violence and you sinned so I drove you in disgrace from the Mount of God and I expelled you Guardian cherub for among the fiery Stones your heart became proud on account of your beauty and you corrupted your wisdom because of your Splendor so I threw you to the earth I made a spectacle of you before Kings by your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries so I made a fire come out from you and it consumed you and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who are are watching all the nations who knew you are appalled at you you have come to a horrible end and will be no more in certain versions of the Bible the term trading is used to describe someone who engages in Gossip or spreads rumors this means that such a person pedals both goods and rumors the word is translated as table Bearer or slanderer in other books of the Bible such as Leviticus Proverbs and Jeremiah for example in Proverbs 20: 19 this practice of being a tail Bearer is closely linked to one who flatters himself with his lips we are warned against both kinds of persons a gossip betrays a confidence so avoid anyone who talks too much Lucifer the devil once went among the Angelic beings in heaven and convinced a third of them to rebel against God this was a carefully planned and organized Revolt that took a considerable amount of time to execute God has promised to reward those who remain loyal to him and follow his will if you remain steadfast in your faith and obedience to God you'll be given a position of responsibility in the administration of the universe the devil's tactics have not changed over the years both in heaven and on Earth this is because they continue to be effective the success of Lucifer's Rebellion is a testament to this fact Revelation 12:4 its tail swept the third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the Earth the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth so that it might devour her child the moment he was born It is believed that the phrase stars of Heaven refers to the whole group of Angels the Revolutionary actions that were taken originated in heaven rather than on Earth moreover the devil has never needed to change his tactics whether in heaven or on Earth since they still work as an expert in slander and tail bearing he continu continues to try to undermine various forms of authority established by God in the church and in the world when Lucifer was expelled from Heaven he didn't stop rebelling instead he established his own kingdom in opposition to God's kingdom Lucifer's heart was lifted up in Pride because of his Beauty and this was the reason that he was cast out of the Mountain of God Lucifer's initial motivation was Pride which led to the original sin that occurred in heaven not on Earth despite being a lethal sin many churchgoers fail to recognize the harm caused by Pride which can easily seduce them Lucifer was initially lovely but his pride led to his transformation into Satan it's essential to understand that the first sin in the universe was not murder but rather Pride Rebellion won a result of Pride additionally Lucifer's Pride arose from the blessings that God himself had bestowed upon him God gifted Lucifer with power Authority Beauty and wisdom yet Lucifer's wrong attitude turned them into instruments for his own destruction I'm shocked to realize that men and women called and equipped by God are still today making the same tragic error that Lucifer made in Isaiah chapter 14: 12-15 the prophet analyzes the motive behind Lucifer's Rebellion it was an ambition to be equal with God Lucifer made five succeeding statements preceded by the phrase I will he said I will Ascend into heaven I will exalt my Throne I will sit on the Mount of the congregation I will Ascend above the heights of the clouds lastly comes the climax I will be like or equal to the most high like God himself Lucifer's desire to promote himself caused his downfall Bible presents a clear contrast between Lucifer and Jesus unlike Jesus Lucifer was a created being and not in the form of God therefore he had no right to be considered equal to God however he still attempted to reach for equality with God and as a result he slipped and fell in contrast Jesus was divine by Eternal nature and already enjoyed equality with God as a result of Jesus's obedience and humility God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name above every other name every knee in heaven on Earth and under the Earth bows at the name of Jesus and every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father God has highly exalted him God has given him a name that is above every name at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of those in heaven that is all the created hosts who serve God in his Heaven of those on Earth this means that ultimately every creature on earth will submit to the authority of Christ of those under the Earth this refers to Satan's realm in Hades it includes death hell the grave and also the unrighteous Dead who had previously rejected God's mercy as Proverbs 18:12 declares Before Destruction the heart of man is huy and before honor is humility referring again to Philippians we see a wonderful truth brought to light for this reason also God highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name self humbling is not an emotional issue but a matter of will each one of us has to make the decision to Humble ourselves before the Lord this involves renouncing Pride arrogance and personal ambition before God and our fellow Believers Jesus spoke about this in a practical way when he talked about guests invited to a wedding Feast Isaiah 14: 11-15 all your pomp has been brought down to the Grave along with the noise of your Harps maggots are spread out beneath you and and worms cover you how you have fallen from Heaven Morning Star son of the Dawn you have been cast down to the Earth you have once laid low the Nations you said in your heart I will Ascend to the heavens I will raise my throne above the stars of God I will sit enthroned on the Mount of assembly on the utmost Heights of Mount Zon I will Ascend above the tops of the clouds I will make myself like the most high but you are brought down to the realm of the Dead to the depths of the pit Lucifer desired to be on the same level as God he considered himself to be incredibly intelligent beautiful and Majestic to the point where he thought I could be God according to scripture Lucifer convinced one-third of God's angels to turn against him resulting in their rebellion and fall most biblical Scholars agree that Lucifer was responsible for coordinating Heaven's worship he was a master musician who continues to use music to enchant people to this day Lucifer had been in charge of God's sanctuary in heaven he was in charge of the religious Services he was the Cherub who guarded the location where God's presence showed itself he was in charge of the music he was an artist he had a lot of success he then rebelled and fell Pride number four Nebuchadnezzar from a king to an animal the rise and fall of King Nebuchadnezzar this tragic Story begins with a mysterious Dream from Genesis to Revelation the Bible mentions several Kings one of the most significant kings in the Old Testament is King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon he lived a thrilling life from surviving a fiery furnace to constructing a giant golden idol in ancient times Nebuchadnezzar was the most powerful Monarch Daniel 2: 37 through 38 your majesty you are the king of kings the god of Heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory in your hands he has placed all mankind in the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky wherever they live he has made you ruler over them all you are that head of gold during his Reign Nebuchadnezzar II managed to unite the Babylonian Empire which was the largest Kingdom in the world the Empire extended from the Red Sea on the southern Border West to the Mediterranean Sea north to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and East in Arabia if you refer to an atlas or world map you can see that the countries that were once part of Nebuchadnezzar's Empire include Lebanon Jordan Israel and parts of Saudi Arabia the capital city of Babylon which was surrounded by Massive walls and deep canals was considered unconquerable at that time Nebuchadnezzar is known for constructing a magnificent hanging garden for his wife in the temple of Marduk the temple contained golden images of the pagan Gods Bell and Ishtar Babylon was known as the City of Gold because Nebuchadnezzar used a lot of gold in his building projects in addition to being a skilled Builder King Nebuchadnezzar was also a successful military leader he fought neighboring Nations to expand his Empire and rebuild Babylon into one of the most renowned cities of its time he built hundreds of temples and altars in honor of pagan gods however despite his achievements Nebuchadnezzar had a trait that would eventually threaten his greatness The Story begins with a dream King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that his own wise men could not interpret so he sent for Daniel and told him the dream Nebuchadnezzar had seen a tree High beautiful and fruitful these are the Visions I saw while lying in bed I looked and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the land its height was enormous the tree grew large and strong and it TP top touched the sky it was visible to the ends of the Earth its leaves were beautiful its fruit abundant and on it was food for all under it the wild animals found shelter and the birds lived in its branches from it every creature was fed in the Visions I saw while lying in bed I looked and there before me was a Holy One a messenger coming down from heaven he called in a loud voice cut down the tree and trim off its branches strip off its leaves and Scatter its fruit let the animals flee from under it and the birds from its branches let the stump in its roots bound with iron and bronze remain in the ground in the grass of the field let him be drenched with the Dew of heaven and let him live with the animals among the plants of the Earth let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal till seven times pass by for him the decision is announced by Messengers the holy ones declare the verdict so that the living may know that the most high is Sovereign over all kingdoms on Earth and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of people this is the dream that I King Nebuchadnezzar had now Bel the shazar tell me what it means for none of the wise men in My Kingdom can interpret it for me but you can because the spirit of the Holy Gods is in you Daniel 4: 10-18 Daniel explained to the king that the tree represented him and his worldwide Empire Daniel also counsel the king to change his ways however after 12 months of impenitence on the king's part the vision came to pass all this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar 12 months later as the King was walking on the roof of the Royal Palace of Babylon he said is not this the great Babylon I have built as the Royal residence by my mighty power and for the glory of my Majesty even as the words were on his lips a voice Came From Heaven this is what is decreed from you King Nebuchadnezzar your Royal Authority has been taken from you you'll be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals you will eat grass like the ox seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the most high is Sovereign over all kingdoms on Earth and gives them to anyone he wishes immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled he was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox his body was drenched with the Dew of Heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird at the end of that time I Nebuchadnezzar raised my eyes towards heaven and my sanity was restored then I praised the most high I honored and glorified him who lives forever his Dominion is an eternal Dominion his kingdom endures from generation to generation all the peoples of the Earth are regarded as nothing he does as he pleases with the powers of Heaven and the peoples of the earth no one can hold back his hand or say to him what have you done at the same time that my sanity was restored my honor and Splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom my advisers and Nobles sought me out and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before Daniel 4: 28-36 six we have here Nebuchadnezzar's recovery and his return to his right mind at the end King Nebuchadnezzar established himself to be one of the most arrogant leaders in history so self-centered and prideful that God dealt with him most unusually a poem by Deborah Anna belela says Lord take away the pride in the things I say and do let me take no pleasure in just my point of view teach me to be humble instead of being right right so I can stand worthy pleasing in your sight help me to be meek less of myself aware let not my ego cause other people to despair let me be grateful modest in my needs may I not be hotti in my acts and deeds God removed him from his position and drove him into the Wilderness to live like an animal fortunately God's discipline worked once the king returned to the Palace he became a different man he no longer longer laid claim to sovereignty or wisdom he perceived his greatness as god-given he sought to honor God rather than himself as the source of every good thing notice how Nebuchadnezzar developed a teachable spirit number five Elijah curses King Ahab King Ahab had the moniker of the evilest King in the Bible First King chapter 16:30 Ahab the son of omry did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all all who were before him Ahab got himself cursed through a notable event in the Bible we must look to the Bible for a correct understanding of these laws in Proverbs 26:2 Solomon shows this principle concerning curses a curse without cause shall not a light behind Every curse there is a cause Proverbs 26:2 like a sparrow in its flitting like a swallow in its flying so a curse without cause does not come to rest one of the key events in ahab's life that led to his curse was his marriage to the evil woman Jezebel who had a particular hatred for the people of God ahab's curse began with an innocent man First Kings chapter 21 now it came about after these things that Nath the jezreelite had a Vineyard which was in Jezreel beside the Palace of Ahab the king of Samaria and Ahab spoke to naath saying give me your Vineyard so that I may have it for a vegetable garden because it is close beside my house and I will give you a better Vineyard in place of it if you prefer I will give you what it is worth in money but Nath said to Ahab the Lord forbid me that I would give you the inheritance of my fathers so Ahab entered his house Sullen and Furious because of the answer that Nath the jezreelite had given to him since he said I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers and he laid down on his bed and turned his face away and ate no food but Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him how is it that your spirit is so Sullen that you are not eating food so he said to her it is because I was speaking to Nath the jezreelite and saying to him give me your Vineyard for money or else if it pleases you I will give you a Vineyard in place of it but he said I will not give you my Vineyard Jezebel his wife said to him do you now Reign Over Israel arise eat bread and let your heart be joyful I will give you the vineyard of naban the jezreelite so she wrote letters in ahab's name and sealed them with his seal sent the letters to the elders and to the Nobles who were living with Nath in his City now she had written in the letters saying proclaim a fast and seat Nath at the head of the people and see two worthless men opposite him and have them testify against him saying you curse God and the king and take him out and stone him to death so the men of his City the elders and the Nobles who lived in his city did just as Jezebel had sent word to them just as it was written in the letters which she had sent them they proclaimed a fast and seated Nath at the head of the people then the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him and the worthless men testified against him against Nath before the people saying Nath cursed God and the king so they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones then they sent word to Jezebel saying Nath has been stoned and is dead and when Jezebel heard that Nath had been stoned and was dead Jezebel said to Ahab arise take possession of the vineyard of Nath the jezreelite which he refused to give you for money for Nath is not alive but dead when Ahab heard that Nath was dead Ahab got up to go down to the vineyard of Nath the jezreelite to take possession of it then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the tishbite saying arise go down to meet Ahab king of Israel who is in Samaria behold he is in the vineyard of naath where he has gone down to take possession of it and you shall speak to him saying this is what the Lord says have you murdered and also taken possession and you shall speak to him saying the Lord says this in the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Nath the dogs will lick up your blood yours as well then Ahab said to Elijah have you found me enemy of mine and he answered I have found you because you have given yourself over to do evil in the sight of the Lord behold I am bringing disaster upon you and I will utterly sweep you away and will eliminate from Ahab every male both Bond and free in Israel and I will make your house like the house of Jobo the son of nabat and like the house of Basha the son of ahijah because of the provocation with which you have provoked me to anger and because you have misled Israel into sin the Lord also spoken of Jezebel saying the dogs will eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel the one belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs will eat and the one who dies in the field the birds of the sky will eat there certainly was no one like Ahab who gave himself over to do evil in the sight of the Lord because Jezebel his wife incited him he also acted very despicable in following Idols conforming to everything that the amorites had done whom the Lord drove out from the sons of Israel yet it came about when Ahab heard these words that he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted after he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the tishbite saying do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before me because he has humbled himself before me I will not bring the disaster in his days I will bring the disaster upon his house in his son's days Ahab headed out to fetch his new toy the land gained by betrayal lies and slaying only to encounter God's profit few men in history dared to take on this wicked brutal immoral king and queen of Israel quite as Elijah did he charged them with the two offenses of slaying and theft of nath's land the first person to be slain was Ahab God used ahab's false prophets to entice him into going to the battle at ramth Gilead where he was hit by a random arrow and slowly bled to Death In His Chariot Ahab once more chose to go against the clear warning God had given him and instead followed the way of wicked Rebellion because Ahab continued to put more stalk in the lies told by his false prophets than in the truth revealed by God's prophets it was God who used the false prophets to accomplish his purposes as a result of the great atrocity of Ahab his son jehoram was also slain Bible commentator Adam Clark noted and see how literally the prediction concerning his son was fulfilled see 2 Kings 9:2 where we find the body of jehoram his son just then slain by an arrow that had passed through his heart was thrown into the portion of the field of Nath the jezreelite and there doubtless the dogs licked his blood if they did not even devour his body Jezebel was also slain Prophet Elijah's mentee Prophet Elisha anointed juu and after Ahab 's death J slays Jezebel and all of ahab's descendants 2 Kings 9: 30 through 37 When J came to Jezreel Jezebel heard about it and she put makeup on her eyes and adorned her head and looked down through the window as juu entered the gate she said is your intention peace Zim is Master's murderer then he raised his face toward the window and said who is with me who and two or three officials looked down at him then he said throw her down so they threw her down and some of her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses and he trampled her underfoot when he came in he ate and drank and he said see now to this cursed woman and bury her for she is a King's Daughter so they went to bury her but they found nothing of her except the skull the feet the palms of her hands therefore they returned and informed him and he said this is the word word of the Lord which he spoke by his servant Elijah the tishbite saying on the property of Jezreel the dog shall eat the Flesh of Jezebel and the corpse of Jezebel will be like dung on the face of the field in the property of Jezreel so they cannot say this is Jezebel because King Ahab disobeyed the direct commands of the Lord he abused his responsibility as Israel's King and he led God's people right into idolatry God justly judged King Ahab in the end there was never anyone like Ahab Who Sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord urged on by Jezebel his wife he behaved in the viest manner by going After idols First Kings 21: 25- 26 there certainly was no one like Ahab who gave himself over to do evil in the sight of the Lord because Jezebel his wife incited him he also acted very despicably in following Idols conforming to everything that the amorites had done whom the Lord drove out from the sons of Israel here are several lessons that can be taken from this tragic story swn of idle greed and force first our Lord is not rushed God is perfectly content to let things play out over a long time many years after naboth's death Justice was finally served second God is Not mocked what God says is true and must be followed his law and precepts are precise and intentional and Ahab ignored nath's god-given obedience third God deals with evil and Disobedience all evil and rebelliousness are eventually dealt with by God even if it is not consistently in our timing manner or to our liking there is no way around it and he is the final Authority ahab's entire family was slain as a result naboth's Vengeance was exalted let us pray oh almighty God I I come to you with a humble heart seeking your divine intervention to purify my heart and transform my mind just as the great King David prayed I too pray that you may search my heart and remove any blinders that may prevent me from seeing the truth I give you permission to remove the scales from my eyes and help me to see the depths of my heart please reveal every Wicked way within me so that I may repent and turn towards your path I trust you my heavenly father to lead me into humility and P it I believe that you can make my heart a reflection of yours full of love and compassion for all I knew that your word promises that with every Temptation you will make a way to escape please help me to resist the devil's Temptation and follow your path of righteousness I declare Jeremiah 29:1 over my life for I know that you have good plans for me plans to cleanse me and use me for a great purpose I Rejoice because Brokenness and pain are not my portion my faith is in you my God and I trust that in your timing I will be completely transformed into your image of righteousness I praise you God for your love and mercy towards me amen dear heavenly father I come before you with a tender and Fragile Heart seeking your guidance and strength in this moment I am at a loss for words to express the depth of my need for you I find comfort in knowing that you have known me since the very beginning you have woven me together in my mother's womb and you understand the intricacies of my being you know every thought my comings and goings and you seek how weak I am in this world it is hard to remain vulnerable patient kind and humble the world can be judgmental and painful and my heart struggles to keep up in my desperation I Turn to You my God to ask for your strength to carry me through you alone are the way maker and can heal me of all my insecurities I trust and believe in you and I patiently wait for you to heal me of all my fears and doubts thank you for your everlasting love and grace amen I offer my sincerest gratitude to you for creating me with such care and attention to detail your craftsmanship is truly remarkable and I am constantly in awe the beauty and complexity of your creation I am humbled by the fact that you knew me even before I was formed and that you have a plan for my life that was written long before I even existed thank you for your unwavering love and guidance dear ABA I am filled with gratitude for the wisdom and Purity that you have granted me I humbly acknowledge that I have no need to be special or better than others for your love and grace are all that I require your strength and Grace have blessed me abundantly and I give all the credit to you Lord I am proud to boast in your ability to guide and support all your Saints enabling them to live holy and fulfilling lives I praise you for being a fair and just God who loves all of his children equally without any partiality I am in awe of your love and humility and I pray that you will help me to emulate these qualities in my life thank you for your constant presence and guidance in jesus' name I pray amen however the kingdom of God has angels that guard us to watch the truth about guardian angels

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Length: 60min 19sec (3619 seconds)

Published: Sat Jan 27 2024