Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20081130.htm
THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION Genesis: Explaining The Foundations Of History Part VII: Explaining God's Plan To Bless Men Regardless Of Apostasy W. Responding Well To A Toxically Evil World (Genesis 33:18-35:15)
Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Many people today are seeking fulfillment in the world only to find trouble, and to experience anger, frustration and fear as a result:

(1) In a letter to the Editor in the November 24, 2008 USA TODAY, Jerry Schneider of Hillsboro, Oregon, wrote that since he had paid all his mortgage payments on time for 30 years, buying a home he could afford, he did not see why his hard-earned tax dollars should bail out those who defaulted on their home loans for doing the opposite!

He revealed that the last 15 years, he had bought new Chrysler, General Motors and Ford vehicles, and in each case, there had been a manufacturing problem. An engine had blown up, a door handle had fallen off, a tail light had caught fire or the vehicle had been unable to climb a steep hill. Jerry again asked why his tax dollars should bail out such companies that had long made inferior products, adding: "There are not enough words to express my anger and frustration."

(2) Many people are anxious about how their financial future. Robert Kiyosaki, in a recent column on finance.yahoo.com titled, "How the Financial Crisis Was Built Into the System," claimed acts by the Federal Reserve and World Monetary Fund will cause the world's monetary system to break down fully by 2020, so he is buying gold!

Considering that Mr. Kiyosaki's book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad was the longest-running bestseller on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and BusinessWeek book lists, giving him quite a large following, many people are anxious about their financial future!

(3) The search for fulfillment in religious circles of the world are impacted by frustration as well! I learned last week that an e-mail has circulated on the Internet from a "Beth Moore," presumably the well known Bible teacher, in support of a prophecy by another known teacher, Kay Arthur, that America will face a famine! A Christian last week asked me what I thought of the theological beliefs involved!

Reputable believers have told me both teachers were sound in belief, so I suspected the e-mail message about their alleged support of the gift of prophecy to be false! I then realized how frustrating it must be for Beth Moore and Kay Arthur were the message to be a false one!

So, we may ask: "In view of the anger, frustration and fear many are experiencing in their quest for fulfillment in the world, how does God expect one to respond?"

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "In view of the anger, frustration and fear many experience in seeking fulfillment in the world, how does God want me to respond?"

1. Jacob began to OVERLOOK GOD'S WORD to COOPERATE PEACEABLY with the EVIL CANAANITE WORLD around him:
1. God had told Jacob at Bethel before he left Canaan that He would give Jacob all the land of Canaan in keeping with the Abrahamic Covenant, Genesis 28:1-4,10-13 with Genesis 12:1-3.
2. However, as he entered Canaan, instead of waiting for God to give him the land in accord with this promise, Jacob purchased a field from nearby Canaanites in Shechem for pleasure, Gen. 33:18-19.
2. However, this attempted cooperation with the world only gave OPPORTUNITY for its TOXIC EVIL to AFFLICT Jacob's family:
1. Living in the field her father Jacob had bought, Dinah was tempted to make social contact with other young Canaanite women in nearby Shechem, so she trekked out unescorted over to the city, Genesis 34:1.
2. Dinah was ignorant of the moral laxity of the Canaanites, not realizing an unescorted foreign woman was fair game, and the city king's son, Shechem, caught her, abused her, and imprisoned Dinah in his house to brainwash her into being willing to marry him, Gen. 34:2-4, 26b.
3. When Jacob heard of this atrocity, since he was lame and unable to respond by force without his sons (Gen. 32:25, 31), he waited to take action until his sons had returned from their work in the field, 34:5.
4. Jacob's sons were enraged in hearing of Dinah's dilemma, so they took excessive vengeance by trickery: they deceived the men of Shechem to be circumcised as the condition to let Dinah marry Shechem only to slay these helpless men soon after their surgeries, spoiling the city and rescuing Dinah from Shechem's house, Genesis 34:6-29.
5. This massacre aroused Jacob's fear that his family faced annihilation by a reciprocating attack from a Canaanite coalition, Genesis 34:30.
6. Yet, his sons Simeon and Levi who slew the men of Shechem refused to admit wrong, saying they had to protect Dinah's reputation, 34:31.
7. Thus, Jacob's purchase of a field in close proximity to the pagan city of Shechem that had been made to produce a fulfilling life for the family had left him and his famly so afflicted by Shechem's toxic evil that they knew deep anger, frustration and fear for their very survival, not to mention a deep difference of belief between Jacob and his sons!
3. God's SOLUTION was for Jacob to REFOCUS HIMSELF and his FAMILY on HEEDING GOD'S WORD, and to PART COMPANY with the PAGAN, EVIL WORLD for GOD'S BLESSING:
1. Jacob's problems had begun when he bought a field near Shechem to interact with its ungodly folk versus trusting God to inherit the land.
2. Thus, God called Jacob to MOVE to live and worship Him at Bethel where He had initially promised Jacob the land, 35:1; 28:10-13, 19.
3. In giving this command, God reminded Jacob that Bethel was the place where He had appeared to help Jacob when he first fled from Esau much as Jacob feared a Canaanite reprisal for his sons' massacre of Shechem, Genesis 35:1d. By implication, God claimed He was the solution to Jacob's fear of a Canaanite coalition reprisal just as He had been the solution in Jacob's flight from a murderous Esau long before!
4. Jacob directed his family to put away the idols of the pagan world around them and serve God alone, and to leave the pagan Shechem area to return with him to worship the Lord at Bethel, Genesis 35:2-4.
5. Consequently, God caused the other Canaanites to fear Jacob's family so they would not pursue them when they traveled to Bethel in search of God's fellowship and in alignment with His Word, Genesis 35:5-6.
6. When Jacob arrived at Bethel, God renewed His initial covenant with him, and Jacob renewed his committment to God, Genesis 35:7, 9-15.

Application: If angered, frustrated and afraid over seeking to be fulfilled by the toxically evil world, (1) may we trust in Christ to be saved from sin, John 3:16; 1 John 5:19 NIV. (2) Then, may we rely on the indwelling Holy Spirit for thought and behavior control (Galatians 5:16). Thus equipped, may we (3) cease having close geographical, business and social ties with the world (2 Corinthians 6:14-18), but instead (4) heed God's Word and fellowship with Him in the calling where He assigns us. [(5) We must of necessity have SOME business and social contacts with the world, but we must limit and/or modify these like Jacob had to do in line with Scripture to guard our fellowship with God, to fulfill His calling for us and for relief from the anger, frustration and fear the world causes us!]

Lesson: Jacob learned the hard way that the world system is toxically evil, that he could not have company with it without experiencing anger, frustration and fear. God's answer was for Jacob to withdraw from close contact with the world by moving to Bethel in obedience to God's Word that there he might know edifying fellowship with the Lord.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

(1) In our introduction, we reported on an e-mail message that had been sent from a "Beth Moore", presumably the Bible teacher, supportively claiming she heard teacher, Kay Arthur prophecy God had revealed to her that a America would experience a judgment by famine.

After some research, I learned that Beth Moore in her blog denies writing the e-mail (livingproofministries.blogspot.com), and Kay Arthur on her web site claims she had said only "we (Americans) are set for famine" in line with Ezekiel 14:12-20. (www.precept.org)

Though the false e-mail message can mislead believers to think wrongly of Kay Arthur's and/or Beth Moore's beliefs, in reality, had all involved obeyed Scripture , the problem e-mail would not exist:

(a) The Ezekiel 14:12-20 famine judgment is there presented as a possible divine judgment on a theoretical nation. In no way does it state that this judgment must occur to America. Yes, God may judge America that way, but this passage does not state that! Also, Ezekiel 14:12-20 adds to famine judgments by sword, plague and wild animals, facts the teacher omitted in her application! So, if the passage had been taught correctly, the e-mail would not exist.

(b) Also, Scripture teaches God's geographical calling of Christian women should be to focus on their home and local church ministries, not to host ministries reaching far outside these realms as in the cases of Beth Moore and Kay Arthur, 1 Timothy 2:12-15; 5:14-15; Titus 2:3-5. If both had heeded this truth, the e-mail would not exist!

(c) If the one who wrote the e-mail obeyed Scripture, he would not have posed as Beth Moore, so no such e-mail would exist!

(2) Regarding the anger, frustration and fear about the economy of many mentioned in our introduction, we Christians are to resist the world's wisdom and reliance on money for fulfillment, and (a) trust God to meet all our material needs when we faithfully use our income for His purposes, Phil. 4:18-19. On investing, we must (b) continue to invest ((1)) boldly, ((2)) long-term ((3)) in full diversification [all kinds of realms], Ecclesiastes 11:1-6, leaving to God the final result!

May we realize that the world and its views are very toxic, producing anger, frustration and fear. Thus armed, may we trust in Christ as Savior, and then refuse to rely on the world's wisdom and ways for fulfillment, but heed Scripture for God's blessing!