Sins of the House

Nature of Sin

Sin in its root is turning away from God. Aside from that how do we know what that is? Most importantly how does sin effect us?

I say most importantly because sin is devastating and requires atonement through blood and repentance (look at Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” ).

Without Jesus Christ that blood price was put onto the community, and you see this again and again, not just in the laws of Moses which the Levites upheld. It was an observable action and thought that worked upon communities.

In Christ’s Holy name look at your scripture, see the purpose of 1-2 Kings, Judges, and 1-2 Chronicles. Is it not a historical and poetic record of sin and retribution? Why were the Hebrews enslaved by Babylon or by Egypt if it were not from judgement?

Look to Hebrews 9:22 “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”

Don’t get it twisted what this world tries to tell you. God is never changing, eternal in His Laws which there is no other way of judging (Malachi 3:6 “For I am the Lord, I change not; Therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”).

We look to man’s laws and we see debauchery, abuse, corruption, pedophilia, and glorification of injustice. Man’s law is finite and arbitrary as Jeremiah 17:9 says “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Man’s law is Arbitrary in that it is based upon man’s fickle heart and short lived eyes. So disregard it, for God’s Law is without reproach and binds in His infinite— wisdom, knowledge, and love the working of Justice, Compassion, Equity, and Ultimate Peace. Yet, listen on. Don’t go out and start committing crimes or being disobedient to all worldly laws for that would be also unbecoming of you.

Romans 13:1–7 “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power?

do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good.

But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.”

I know I’m rapid firing but I’m also trying to demonstrate there is guidance here that people often ignore. I see how so many “preachers” of the world are illiterate with the words before Christ and administer Christ’s word to suit their own ends. Truth my beloveds, is true and unchanging.

What Paul writes here is a nuanced but sacred take on loyalty to God in this fallen world. For even sinful men work upon God’s judgement, you can see this in the history of nations. For everything has a season for God Our Lord is patient. Isaiah 10:5-7 is a clear show of God using an idolatrous nation to work as a “rod of My anger” against the Israelites who continued to ignore God’s warnings.

Assyria conquers the Israelites and still ignoring this Judah is judged later through Babylon and taken into slavery. Then there in captivity God orders the remnant to adhere to His laws so that they will have amended the divide of their now slain kin have made through their sin.

So sin is an active force that pulls us away from God, yet in goodness and trust in him do we amend the gap.

Not by out own volition for demons fester upon sin like flies to rot. So we may see judgement as harsh, but we do not see the big picture for we are limited to one lens where God Almighty sees all.

Where our yearning hearts see a flawed man committing wrong waiting to be redeemed or a nation of innocence. God had been patient and knows when a nation is to be too great an evil for the innocent that remain or when a man’s deeds are working only evil.

Or a wise man may see a nation working evil for good causes, but God sees the conclusion of the birth of sin in a kingdom.

Now with some context built lets build onto this with today’s sermon. 1 Samuel 24 King Saul is hunting David and got word from his spies where David was hiding. So he charges out there with 3000 of his loyal soldiers.

As cunning as David is he hid in a rugged region southeast from Jerusalem. Saul, by chance, entered one of those caves to relieve himself, unaware David was within. David had great opportunity to slay Saul and end his persecution (keep in mind David was chosen by God just as Saul was—before Saul fell to sin).

1 Samuel 24:4–8 “And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.

And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt. And he said unto his men, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.

So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way. David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave, and cried after Saul, saying, My lord the king. And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed himself.”

Did you see what seemed good unto David in this opportunity?

His men were ready to kill Saul and be rid of the whole running and hiding, going out to fight Philistines but hiding from a tyrant King like Saul.

Yet, David (the man after God’s own heart) cut Saul’s robe while Saul was distracted rather than entering the cave and killing his King who he gave himself as service to before Saul began persecuting him.

Even here, David held fast to his reverence for the Lord’s anointing despite the evil of the power over him. He did what was right by the Lord in this way, because it would’ve been easier to slay Saul and be done with it. Pay attention because there is a great reason David cut Saul’s robe, it was a sign of shame. Basically saying look who has egg on your face.

1 Samuel 24:11–13 “Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee. As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.”

David calls to Saul who just got done using the outhouse. Basically saying “Saul! What are you doing? I haven’t done anything to you but be seen as a rival to you under God’s anointing, not because I wish for your station but because your actions are only proving God’s disapproval with you. I could’ve done rightly by man and kill you, but what good would that have done?” Now stop a moment and think about it. Toss that around in your head.

What would you have done as David? You were forced to flee your home when you were loyal. Having to be in the dry wilds of Israel, hot humid Mediterranean sunlight bearing down on you. Your image being defamed in your home on top of being betrayed by someone you wanted to trust. And boom you have an opportunity to end it and possibly return home quickly. Possible even being seen righteous by other for doing so.

This time away out in the wilderness wasn’t a camping trip with your boys. Psalm 57:1–4 “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: For my soul trusteth in thee: Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, Until these calamities be overpast.

I will cry unto God most high; Unto God that performeth all things for me. He shall send from heaven, and save me From the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah.

God shall send forth his mercy and his truth. My soul is among lions: And I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, Whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.”

A man after God’s own heart. Do you want to be a man or woman after God’s own heart?

Its really easy to see Holy men or strong people with wisdom and courage, just chalk it up to well I guess they’re just like that. Or assume they are disciplined but not ponder where that discipline comes from. For us it ought to come from God— or else its Machiavellian. That’s the world’s way, that’s what the flesh wants. That’s the way of the jungle, for they believe there is no one to answer to if they can take the reins of power.

So before we go any further, stop. Be humble. Be grateful. Be sheep under the Good Shepherd—raising humble, joyful lambs. Because if you live like a dog—chasing flesh, feeding pride, growling at the hand that feeds—you’ll die like a dog. Be grateful lest you learn humility from the Lion of Judah for He guards His sheep well. Wicked men have their season, but so does the Lord’s judgement for each and every man.

Every person lives once, but every person can die twice. Yet in Christ, we die once and live twice.

Lets continue with a break from David for a moment and come back on a personal level with a short story.

Sin is not solitary— think on that as we grow this thought.

There was a man in Arizona with a wife who he absolutely loved to death. He had two sons with her who he taught everything he knew in between his busy work load. He did right by his family, providing not only for the day to day but for the future. Putting away money for his kids. Yet one day he comes home and finds his wife sleeping with another man on their bed while his children were down stairs. His wrath over takes him and he throws the man out a window— one story so it was just cuts and bruises, but he was arrested temporarily for it.

His wife left obviously, yet his heart was so loyal and that betrayal ate away at him. He continued to put money aside for his kids and raised them alone for a time, but you know what that woman’s sin invited demons into his home. They festered on him everyday, one day it got the better of him. Once he felt he put enough away for his children he conspired to kill himself. If only he knew God was there for him.

The timing couldn’t be any worse because one of his sons was just coming home from school. And he saw it, the after math of it all. One bad mistake charged by agony and joyous demons feeding upon his grief. That boy’s life was changed forever at around 11 years old give or take. Sure you can blame the father or blame the mother (who probably deserves a great amount) but what matters was how it passed upon the sons.

The boy who saw it was my father of the same name as I, Jonathan.

From that day his innocence was gone, there was no longer a remedy for his father’s heart. The love was snuffed out in an instant all because of sin that infected the house.

Genesis 3:17 “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;”

Leviticus 18:25 “And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.”

Isaiah 24:5–6 “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; Because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, And they that dwell therein are desolate: Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men left.”

I’m bringing up these verses to show how scripture supports this! That sin begets sin!

It is not God’s will but it is causation for human error. My heart aches horribly over this. Because I love my father, and I am blessed he still lives and lives a man of God no less. Yet, the trauma he felt led him to not be the provider my mother needed in my youth. So I had no father for years, and when given the chance I didn’t know how to make a relationship with him despite knowing how much he asked about me and was grateful in humility of all the things I did. For he loved me still despite I never knowing how to know him until now.

Even to this day, I still struggle with how to reconnect and it haunts me. How can someone be so caring and watchful, always hoping for the best in me when the world kept trying to defile my senses. I have so many great qualities from him, and yet I don’t even know how to reconcile with a man with so much love in his heart for me. A man who I resemble in body, heart, and mind. A man who I have my name from.

Okay, lets go on to the next section. 1 Samuel 25 starts off very interestingly. It starts off with Samuel’s death and burial. So the man this is named after, is dead and buried. The man who anointed both Saul and then David, is dead.

People are sad, I am too thinking about it. What do you do now? The prophet is dead, God’s witness wasn’t with the living anymore.

Yet, the chapter continues to follow David and his men. They move down to the outskirts of this wealthy property owned a man named Nabal of the house of Caleb.

Do you know what the house of Caleb is?

It means “dog” in Hebrew— Nabal himself means fool.

So look at this framing! The prophet dies, God’s witness is no longer around to give guidance. David passed a test, but now still on the run, he is faced with a man from a once faithfully loyal house that is run by a greedy heartless fool.

Lets continue, 1 Samuel 25:6 “And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.”

David sends his men to say hello and wish peace to Nabal’s righteous house. Keep in mind David’s anointing and persecution is common knowledge throughout the Kingdom.

So when Nabal responds David’s later reaction is more than justified.

1 Samuel 25:7–10 “And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel. Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David. And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.

And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?”

So David’s men come politely saying, “hey we helped out your servants the other day with some Philistines, go ahead and ask them and they’ll tell you. We noticed you have a lot of supplies and are having a feast. Would you mind helping us out and sharing we could use it.”

David sends these men out peacefully asking for some help since David helped them out. Nabal was apart of a righteous family with enough wealth to go around, they were celebrating on that day as well. It was customary to be generous especially during times of celebration. But, that foolish Nabal looks at them and says

1 Samuel 25:11–12 “Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be? So David’s young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.”