NEW FORMS OF EVIL AFTER REGENERATION... At this stage, we find Noah on resurrection ground, passed over the flood that judged the carnal man’s sinful state. ‘Born again’ may be the term we could apply here. And, being born again, we expect that we will never sin again. But God’s types and figures show us the truth of the matter; after regeneration, man finds in himself new forms of evil. Some have despaired, seeing evil that they thought the cross had purged. Take heart -- God knew all along that it was there and He loves you enough to reveal it that it might be dealt with! The biblical account describes three chief forms of failures: first Noah’s, then Nimrod’s, then Great Babylon, each gradually increasing in evil. In Noah, we see the misuse of spiritual blessings and gifts lead to spiritual intoxication. "...Noah began to be a husbandman, and he planted a vineyard" Gen 9:20. Noah’s work on the cleansed earth was to tend "the vine" -- to train, prune and cultivate it so that its precious juice might be drunk with thankfulness to God’s glory. Noah profaned that wine which was given us in love. He perverted its use until he was drunk with it! He misused the blessing of God, even as today, some will magnify the gift or ministry above the Giver, and become intoxicated with self-importance, forgetting that the wine is as the blood of Christ’s sufferings. Instead of walking in watchfulness and prayer, men put some gift in the place of meekness and humbleness The fall of Noah brings out different reactions from his children, just as the fall of ministries have brought forth these same reactions today! Some, like Ham, will not only look upon the shame, but will tell it abroad without covering the shame as if it were his own! Shem and Japhet refuse to look upon their father’s nakedness, and "walking backward", in grace cover his shame. Men sit in judgment on evil in the Church, never thinking for one moment that the evil could also be judging them! Every trying thing - every humbling and shameful thing - can show the carnality of the carnal, and the grace that has been worked in the elect who still choose to love. The second form of evil in a believer appears. Noah misused the Lord’s gifts to injure and expose himself, now Nimrod exalts himself to lord it over brethren. Nimrod means rebel which shows the character which changed the rule of God’s family into a kingdom ruled by violence. It happened like this: "He began to be a mighty one," rather than an "ensample to the flock." Then be become as "lords over God’s heritage," followed by "a mighty hunter," one whom the people think will slay the wild beasts for them, only to find that they also are "snared and taken." The people, as Israel, wanted someone, to "fight their battles and go before them" and do what God promised He would do! They sought after a man’s gift, instead of God, so, like Saul, Nimrod hunted the "David’s" because they walked with God and would not come under all this pretended mightiness! (Does this sound familiar?) Nimrod’s kingdom was the beginning of Babel, or "confusion". Here men’s tongues are confounded and the one family unit splits and separates. After their redemption from the flood, "...the whole earth was of one language and of one speech." Though they were of different ages and personalities (some Shems, some Hams, some Japhets) yet, "they all spake the same thing." As in the early church, love enabled them to be all of one mind. There was but "one lip and one speech" among them and they could understand one another and walk together. In the restoration that is ushering in the new Millenial Day, the Lord is once again requiring us once again to speak "the same language" and to be "of one accord" and "of one spirit." He keep talking to me about how this is an important assignment in my hands before He returns and am sure the assignment is for all true elect at this time. If the dealings of the inward working of the cross during our past time of wilderness wanderings did anything, they should certainly have prepared us to walk once again in unity with our brethren. This is the Lord’s time to dwell in His children in fullness and they must put aside all the petty things of the in-part realm, all the division, all the prejudices, all that would keep His sons from walking in unity that the world might have the testimony they have not had: "Behold, how they love one another! (for this shall all men know that we are His disciples). The three forms of failure that were shown forth among Noah’s seed (regenerate believers) were: Noah misusing God’s blessings; Nimrod exalting himself to Lord it over brethren; and lastly, Great Babylon whose confusion covers the whole world. The seed of Shem followed Nimrod’s unholy example of building cities. The "cities of the nations" soon arose and are a foreshadowing of those national denominational systems that make up Babylon. Forgotten are the tentmakers, as Abraham and Paul, who lived and worshipped in humble places, always ready to move on at the slightest bid of the Holy Spirit. Babylon’s fall is a departure from original truths, replacing them with forms and dogmas that are but imitations of the true. Self-exaltation is passed off for God’s glory. It is quite instructive to us to learn how a regenerate people, as typified by Noah’s family, could end up in apostasy. If we understand this, we will understand the way that we take. First, " They journeyed from the east." The east is the place of the sun-rising - the place from which the light springs. Our Lord is called the "Sun of Righteousness (who) Ariseth with healing in His wings." Now we see those who have been delivered from the great judgment upon their wickedness, walking away, with their backs turned to the east. Then, as they journeyed, "They found a plain." This word "plain" signifies to us that they had left their high ground of the spirit, and come down to the common level of the carnal man. ("MAKOSSA…AFRICA, ROCK MUSIC… AMERICA…with Christian words that will attract young people to the church," they say). When the ark first landed, it was upon a mountain. Do you recall your "mountain-top experience" when you knew your sins were judged, and through the ark, the cross of Christ, you had come to a new world "wherein dwelt righteousness, i wish that it were so, but the way of man is not thus. He is tried and tested in every way necessary in this old world, to prove what is in his heart, and to know the nature of his God! Recall that Lot chose a plain, even though his dwelling would be with wicked men. At the same time, Abraham took the mountains - the high place in the Spirit - that place which self-centered men did not find to their liking. And every time Lot got into trouble (being attacked by some unyeilded area of self), it was Abraham who came down into Lot’s place to deliver him. Then Abraham returned quietly to his own place where he walked close to God. These pilgrims, upon finding this plain, "dwelt there." They settled down and were pilgrims no more. Their thoughts now centered on "establishing a work" and building for their own glory - which, of course, they called "God’s glory." No more did they move on when new revelation came from on high. They became "settled on their lees, and refused to be poured from vessel to vessel." What they believed 400 years ago, they believe still, and have not progressed or grown, or moved on in God. Great Babel is the result. "And they said one to another, Go to; let us make brick... they had brick for stone, and slime for mortar..." Here we see man taking counsel of man, and not of God. They try to imitate God; first in His words, then in His words. They said, "Let us make,’ even as God had said, "Let us make," Then their work is manifest: brick is man’s imitation and substitute for God’s work with living stones. God would have no bricks in His altar - but stones that have not been touched by man’s hand! But Babylon would cause their followers to line up and to conform to all their rules and ways until, like bricks, they are all exactly alike. The bricks are held together by slime, a sulphurous compound that can quickly burst into a blaze as does that cement of self-love and lust for power which holds Babylon together! LET US THINK DEEP AND CHANGE FOR THE BETTER. LOVE
Posted on: Wed, 04 Sep 2013 07:50:15 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015