Tag: perverse

36.w. “For the look on their faces bears witness against them”

 

 

Genesis 19:30  Now Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the hills with his two daughters, for he was afraid to live in Zoar. So he lived in a cave with his two daughters. And the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the earth. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.” So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose. The next day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father. Let us make him drink wine tonight also. Then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring from our father.” So they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. Thus both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day. The younger also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day.

 Proverbs 20:1  Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

 Proverbs 23:29-35    Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?  Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine.  Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.  In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.  Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.  You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast.  “They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink.”

 Habakkuk 2:15-16   “Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink— you pour out your wrath and make them drunk, in order to gaze at their nakedness!  You will have your fill of shame instead of glory. Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision! The cup in the LORD’s right hand will come around to you, and utter shame will come upon your glory!

 Isaiah 3:9     For the look on their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves

See the peril of security. Lot, who kept chaste in Sodom, and was a mourner for the wickedness of the place, and a witness against it, when in the mountain, alone, and, as he thought, out of the way of temptation, is shamefully overtaken. Let him that thinks he stands high, and stands firm, take heed lest he fall. See the peril of drunkenness; it is not only a great sin itself, but lets in many sins, which bring a lasting wound and dishonour. Many a man does that, when he is drunk, which, when he is sober, he could not think of without horror. See also the peril of temptation, even from relations and friends, whom we love and esteem, and expect kindness from. We must dread a snare, wherever we are, and be always upon our guard. No excuse can be made for the daughters, nor for Lot. Scarcely any account can be given of the affair but this, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? From the silence of the Scripture concerning Lot henceforward, learn that drunkenness, as it makes men forgetful, so it makes them to be forgotten. (Henry)

Although, upon the whole, Lot was a righteous man, and possessed of many amiable qualities, yet it evidently appears that his principles also, as well as those of his daughters, had suffered some degree of contamination by the society of evil-doers, otherwise surely he would have withstood every temptation to excess of drinking. Here the history of Lot ends; after this we hear no more of him or of his daughters. (Benson)

If it was not lust, therefore, which impelled them to this shameful deed, their conduct was worthy of Sodom, and shows quite as much as their previous betrothal to men of Sodom, that they were deeply imbued with the sinful character of that city. (Keil and Delitzsch )

34.a. “How then can man be in the right before God?”

 

 

Titus 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

 Job 9:20    Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me; though I am blameless, he would prove me perverse.

 Job 15:14   What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous?

 Job 25:4    How then can man be in the right before God?

 Isaiah 57:12     I will declare your righteousness and your deeds, but they will not profit you.

 Romans 3:20    For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

 Romans 9:16    So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

 Romans 11:6    But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

 Ephesians 2:8-9     For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Religion is a system of beliefs leading to the worship of a divine being. Based on such a definition, Christianity is a religion. But there are ways in which Christianity is different from all other religions—primarily, the value of the human being in the sight of the Deity. In Christianity, God reaches out to mankind to establish a relationship—in spite of man’s sins and disregard for God’s ways. In every other religion, man must gain merit before God through works or sacrifices before receiving any blessing from God. But the opposite is true in Christianity. The Bible says that God (by His own initiative) so loved mankind (in spite of his sins) that He bridged the gulf between God and man (through the Person of Jesus Christ). God’s mercy resulted in man not suffering the punishment he deserves but instead receiving the blessing and forgiveness he doesn’t deserve.

Have you responded to the kindness and mercy of God by accepting His gift of salvation? You may do so by saying “Yes” as an act of faith in Christ.

(Dr. Jeremiah)

33.k. “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

 

Matthew 15:10  And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

 Isaiah 55:3    Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live;

 Titus 1:15    To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.

 Isaiah 60:21   Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified.

 Isaiah 56:10   His watchmen are blind; they are all without knowledge; they are all silent dogs; they cannot bark, dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber.

 Isaiah 28:9-10   “To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast?  For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”

 Proverbs 10:32   The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse

 Jeremiah 17:9   The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

 Revelation 21:27   But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

In the heart and mind of every person resides the root of their intents. Lust, anger, hate, envy, lies, gossiping, selfishness, self-worthiness, and self-reliance seeds are planted, rooted, watered, cultivated, and harvested within the heart and mind and manifest in thoughts, words, and actions that reveal a person’s path in this life. When the gospel of Jesus Christ is rejected the fertile ground within our hearts and minds will raise and harvest crops that do not honor and glorify Jesus Christ. When the Word of God is rejected and neglected the harvest is surely not God-honoring or glorifying.  

We don’t have to be around people very long to see what is planted and being harvested within their hearts and mind.  Their words and actions reveal their intended harvest. How is a person to know what it is that is planted, growing, and being harvested from within their hearts and minds? The Word of God will lay wide open a person’s heart and mind, exposing the thoughts, intents, and actions stemming from within. Without the Word of God it is clear – “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”  Human discernment apart from God’s Word will never understand the thoughts and intents of the heart. Their understanding is blind and deaf because there is nothing planted from which good crops can be harvested in either thoughts, words, or actions. Oh, they can do good things according to cultural and social norms, but the intent is self-serving, not God-honoring and glorifying. People will blindly accept their life without God in it and give no thought to their eternal destination. As they age and approach the time in their life where death is closer than their birth, they may give some thought to death and eternity.  They may ask themselves; where is my eternal destination? Are heaven and hell real? Have I been good enough to be allowed into heaven?  These questions all reveal a heart and mind that has never humbly repented, surrendered, believed in, and trust Jesus Christ for their forgiveness, redemption, and salvation. The good news is that it is never too late, nor is a person too old, nor is a person too unforgivable. Jesus Christ came into the world to save the sinners.  He died on the cross, bearing all their sins so that they might have eternal life if they would just humbly repent, surrender, believe, trust, and rely on His sacrifice alone and apart from any good works they may have done. It is in this humble repentance, surrender, belief, trust, and reliance in Jesus Christ that a person is born again and eternal life promised.  These lost souls will find rest for their souls and peace of mind for their hearts. 

I have seen the intents of the hearts and minds of “Christians” revealed in their words and actions. We are not immune to the seeds of destruction being planted, rooted, and harvested in our lives. These seed thoughts are being planted all the time by what we read, what we watch, what we are exposed to, and what we allow to reside in our hearts and minds. Paul addressed this very clearly when he said; “take every thought captive”. We are to be able to discern what is right, holy, good, pure, and acceptable. How can this be if we neglect and become complacent with the Word of God? God’s Word is the seed, fertilizer, and water for all that is right, true, holy, good, and acceptable. Discernment is a result of desiring and seeking God’s Word with the intentional choice to know what is right, true, good, pure, holy, and acceptable for the single purpose of being able to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in all we say, think, and do.

Do you want to discern what is in your heart, continually expose it to God’s Word with an expectant mind that God will reveal it. David had such a heart – “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

144. But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him

1 Kings 11:42  And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. And Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son reigned in his place.  Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt. And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” He said to them, “Go away for three days, then come again to me.” So the people went away.  Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” And they said to him, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.” But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to this people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us,’ thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said, “Come to me again the third day.” And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him, he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the Lord that he might fulfill his word, which the Lord spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

Proverbs 10:11   The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

Proverbs 10:32    The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.

Ecclesiastes 10:12   The words of a wise man’s mouth win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him.

James 3:17    But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

We need to be mindful of where we get our counsel.  Do we seek the Lord and His leading?  Do we spend time seeking Him?  Do we hunger and thirst for His guidance in our life?  God’s word is a deep and wide ocean of wisdom and knowledge by which we gain understanding and godly counsel.  Time and busyness take their toll on the hearts and minds of those who don’t intentionally set aside time for the single purpose of refreshing their heart, soul, and mind in God’s word.  The counsel of the world will flood your heart and mind because there is nothing else to combat this flow other than the word of God.

Un-godly counsel – give no thought to God’s word today because you are too busy and tired and pre-occupied and am good enough with where you are spiritually.

Godly counsel – desire and seek to be in His word each day wanting to be led by God for His purpose, honor, and glory

Earnest Counsel

“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.”

Psalms 37:30  The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice  The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.

Deuteronomy 6:7  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Proverbs 10:31   The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but the perverse tongue will be cut off.

Proverbs 15:7   The lips of the wise spread knowledge; not so the hearts of fools.

Proverbs 25:11  A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.  Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold is a wise reprover to a listening ear.  Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the soul of his masters.

Proverbs 27:9  Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.

Matthew 12:35   The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.

Proverbs 4:3  When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live.

Deuteronomy 11:18  “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,

Hebrews 8:10   For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Isaiah 51:7   “Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their rivilings.

God has written His laws/commands into our minds and on our hearts.  There are four reasons for this. 1. So that we will know Him.  2. So that we can teach them to our children.  3. So they can be used as encouragement / counsel to others. 4. So that we will know how to serve, honor and obey Him.  He has also given us His Holy word filled with many promises and warnings.  We would do well to spend time in His word being able to use it for building our faith and encouraging /counseling others.