You Have a Toledoth
Toledoth • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewWe are all a part of a Generational line, even if we don't have kids, we have ancestors. In the bible there are two kinds of Toledoths, ones of men of faith (Jacob) and ones of men of the world (Esau), but we also see that we can break out of our Toledoth (Rehab) and start a new Toledoth (or set our Toledoth on a righteous path). Here we will talk about the choses that we make having generational impacts, being a generational church, and maybe even broach the controversial subject of generational curses and the sins of the father being passed down to the third and fourth generations.
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Introduction
Introduction
Please stand for the reading of God’s Word.
Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel: Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. And when Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. And when Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who attacked Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place. And the name of his city was Avith. When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. And when Samlah died, Saul of Rehoboth-by-the-River reigned in his place. When Saul died, Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place. And when Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor died, Hadar reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Pau. His wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
And these were the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families and their places, by their names: Chief Timnah, Chief Alvah, Chief Jetheth, Chief Aholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, Chief Magdiel, and Chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession. Esau was the father of the Edomites.
This is the Word of the Lord, Amen?
You may be seated
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Toledoth
A Hebrew word that means “Genealogy” or “Generations”… The word from which Genesis get’s it’s name, because translated into Greek, the word Toledoth is Gen-ah-say-oice… or how we say it in English… Genesis.
There are 11 total uses of this word in Genesis, starting in Genesis 2:4
These are the generations [Toledoth/Genesis] of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,
And that verse is specifically where Genesis gets it’s name from… but also just form the idea that these Toledoths throughout Genesis create the framework which Genesis is built on… before there were ever verse numbers or chapters… it was these Toledoths that ordered Genesis… each one opening or closing a section of Genesis… In fact, the final section of Genesis, that we will preach through next, the final section starts like this:
And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. These are the generations [Toledoth/Genesis] of Jacob.
So all of Genesis is built around these Toledoths… these genealogical and historical records, and the chapter that we find ourselves in this morning as we preach through Genesis, chapter 36, it is a CHAPTER of Toledoths.
Two Toledoths, 178 Names, 71 unique individuals…
This is our third and final sermon from this series and from this chapter, our fist sermon was titled “A Book of People” where we talked about just how many names are actually in the Bible… there are 3,237 uniquely named people in the Bible, but only 3 Uniquily named angels, and 2 or 3 uniquely named demons… So there are 500 times more people named than angels and demons… Why? Because the Bible is a book of people… It is about us… our interactions with God… God’s feelings towards us… commands towards us… instructions to us… history of us and God… and prophetic future of an eternity spent with God… It is a book of people… God’s plans and purposes for people… So… we should read it, understand it, learn it, live it… teach it...
That was the first sermon, a book of People… Last week was the second sermon titled “The Great Record Keeper” where I proposed to you that people keep records of the things they care about.
Lupita keeps records of the birds she has seen.
Kevin keeps records of the chess games he has won and loss.
Michael Whitham keeps records of his bowling scores… he bowled like a 250 or some nonsense when we bowled with him!
I mean I am sure that Leon, and Keiosha, and Tyler, and Pastor Jared keep records of the games the Steelers have lost…
People take records of the things they care about...
We all care about our children, so we keep records of our children, we care about money, so we keep records of our money, we care about our health so we keep our medical records. God cares about PEOPLE… so He keeps records of people… down to the very hairs on our heads… God cares more about us then even WE care about us...
Now today’s sermon, to wrap everything up, is titled “YOU HAVE A TOLEDOTH”...
You Have a Toledoth
It’s not just the Israelites ant the Edomites that have a Toledoth… You have a toledoth, the person sitting next to you has a Toledoth, I have a Toledoth… we all have a Toledoth.
For better or worse… you all have a Toledoth… we are going to talk about what that means and what you can do about it this morning… Amen? You Guy’s ready?
First a warning… and for some this might come across a little heavy… but then I want to end with hope, and goodness, and God’s beautiful plan for you and your family… So don’t shut down after the first point and then miss the second point, Okay?
Let’s start with point one… Your Sin Effects Your Toledoth…
Your Sin Effects Your Toledoth
Your Sin Effects Your Toledoth
These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession. Esau was the father of the Edomites.
Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, Because he pursued his brother with the sword, And cast off all pity; His anger tore perpetually, And he kept his wrath forever.
The Toledoth we read about in Genesis 36 is the Toledoth of Edom, it is the generations or the genealogy of Edom… the nation born to Esau… a nation that was the enemy of the people of God stretching all the way up to the time of Jesus.
Children, and Grand Children, and Great Grandchildren who Hated God… who fought against God…
Wicked people, profane people… the Edomites… Now I pointed this out briefly in the previous two sermons… that most of the people listed in this chapter are either not of note, or they are wicked evil people… and this actually demonstrates the love of God, that He records in His book not just the Abrahams, the Davids, and the Paul’s… but also the poeple of little to no note, the people who are only known for watering their father’s donkeys… And not just that, but the evil and wicked people too...
Because God so loved THE WORLD… the wicked people, the unknown people… the WORLD… God so love the WORLD… Jesus did not just die for the “Good people”, He died for all that would come to Him…
But the reality is that Edom, for the most part… was wicked. And the fruit of the people in this chapter, for the most part… was very bad fruit...
Now Timna was the concubine of Eliphaz, Esau’s son, and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz.
Amalek, for example, he is apart of this Toledoth… a grandson to Esau by way of a concubine… and He starts the Amalekites. The Amalekites attack Israel unprovoked right after they cross the read sea, God promises perpetual war against the Amalekites, King Saul loses his kingdom because of he went against God and spared Agag, the King of Amalekites…
You remember the Events of Esther? When Haman tried to exterminated the Jewish people… He was an Agagite… of the same line of king Agag who was spared by Saul… an Amalekite.
Doeg, who slaughter all of the priests who had unwittingly helped David flee… He was an Edomite…
And the history of the Edomites trying to kill God’s people stretches even further, all the way into the New Testament… You guys have heard of this guy Herod… in the New Testament, who tried to kill Jesus by killing all the infant boys in Israel… He was an Edomite… And he is not the only Herod in Scripture, because he had sons… lets look at the Toledoth of Herod the great, of the line of Edom...
Herod the Great — slaughtered the infants of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16)
Herod Antipas — beheaded John the Baptist, mocked Jesus at His trial
Herod Agrippa I — executed James, imprisoned Peter, struck down by God (Acts 12)
Herod Agrippa II — heard Paul's defense and turned away (Acts 26)
All this wickedness, all this death, all this destruction… against God, His Plan, His people, His Mesiah… all from one single Toledoth, outlined in Genesis 36, the Toledoth of Edom...
Now why are they called Edomites? Well Edom is the Hebrew word for “Red” and it stems from Esaus hatred for his brithright, such a hatred that he sold it for a bowl of Red Stew… Imagine your nation being named after a soup…
And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom.
And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.
Now what I need you to understand… but it is Biblically clear, it is logical and defensible, and it is statistically provable… People don’t want to hear it, people don’t want to say it, people don’t want it to be true… but hiding from the truth will not make us better Christians… You guys ready? Here it is...
One man’s sin can effect GENERATIONS of people… One bowl of soup… Stretches through generations of evil…
Some people call this generational curses… and we need to talk about it, because I don’t want this for your family or your children...
For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
That’s part of the second command that I just read, by the way… not an obscure verse… in fact the wording of this verse is repeated in Exodus 34:7, Numbers 14:18, Deuteronomy 5:9, and Jeremiah 32:18...
Visiting the sins of the father for generations… This is the where the concept of Generational Curses comes from… and sometimes people REALLY HATE this concept, but it is a Biblical one, as long as it is taught correctly.
This verse does NOT say that God curses the third and fourth generations because of the sin of the father… It also does not say that God holds you accountable for the sins of your parents, the oppisite is taught in scripture...
The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
Okay, no one is going to hell because of what their parents did, nor is anyone going to heaven because of what their parents did… your sin and your righteousness is between you and God, no one else...
Yet we still have these verses, talking about the iniquity or the sins of the father being visited on the toledoths of their children… Let’s look at it one more time...
you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
The word used here is not “For I curse the children for the father’s inequity” but that God “Visits the iniquity of the father upon the children”…
The Hebrew word there is פָּקַד — Paqad which means to number, or to count, or to pay attention to…to visit and respond… in otherwords, God will punish that sin in future generations if he finds them doing it when he visits them… like a school administrator might visit a classroom to make sure everything is going well, and if they are doing something wrong the administrator will fix it… or like how I visit Japan to help oversee the church plant and correct anything that is being done wrong.
You are not punished because your father did it, you are punished because YOU did it… but the visit comes none the less… because sin effects generations and God knows that.
in otherwords, God pays CLOSE ATTENTION to the sins of the Father in his children, and grand children, and great grandchildren's life… He doesn’t cause the sin, but He records the sin, He pays attention to the sins… He says “Yup, there it is again… there it is again… there it is in another generation...”
So here is the key… here is the application… when you sin it does not effect just you, it effects your whole toledoth...
When Esau sinned for a bowl of red Soup, he defined the Edomites… and that sin of rebellion and despising what God has given followed his generations for centuries…
But for you it’s probably not a bowl of red soup affecting your Toledoth… maybe it is a bottle of booze… or a website visited when no one is watching… or a crime you think doesn't really hurt anyone… Maybe it is how you treat your spouse… or how you handle your anger… or how you treat your children… or any number of generational changing sins…
Parent : Alcoholic — Child 4x more likely
Parent: Drugs — Child 6x more likely
Parent: Divorced — Child 2-3x more likely
Parent: Prison — Child 6x more likely
Parent: Child Abuse - Child 6x more likely
parent: Stops Church — Child 16x more likely
Generational curses, as some call them, are a statistical fact… So next time you reach for a beer… maybe grab one for your son too… because your alcoholism has a high chance of continuing with him and his kids too...
When your anger gets out of hand… you are not just hitting your kids… but your grandkids too… because your anger problems have a high chance of transferring to them.
Your marriage problems...
Your church problems… they are NOT JUST ABOUT YOU…
Man I hope no one in this church abuses their kids… I hope no one leaves the faith… I know there are marriage problems in the church, and drug issues, and alcohol issues… but I want those to be healed too!
Because I want to be a GENERATIONAL church, I want your GRAND KIDS and THEIR KIDS to come to this church, should the Lord Tarry… Some are already there, Praise God! But I want it not just to be generational ATTENDANCE… BUT GENERATIONAL BLESSINGS! And that starts with YOU… Your repentance, your living right, your walking in blessings… But here is the good news… the blessings outweigh the curses…
For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
It is three or four generations of visiting of sins… BUT THOUSANDS of people blessed to those who love God and keep His commandments… the ratio is lopsided toward blessing… that brings me to the final point of the series… You can Change Your Toledoth!
You Can Change Your Toledoth
You Can Change Your Toledoth
And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.
Okay, this is where God’s grace shines in this sermon… It all has to do with my boy Kenaz...
Kenaz was an Edomite, part of a line that has generations of generations of generations of wickedness… Kenaz the Edomite...
But fast forward a bit… in Numbers the people of Israel are about to enter the Promise Land and they send scouts out to sus out the land… they find a lot of good things in the promised land, but they also find Giants… most of the spies are terrified and spread fear amongst the Israelites… but there where two who had faith that God would see them through and help them defeat the giants… One of the more famous events in Scripture… look what God has to say about these two faithful spies:
So the Lord’s anger was aroused on that day, and He swore an oath, saying, ‘Surely none of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above, shall see the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord.’
Caleb… the kenizzite… Now it is not 100 percent certain, but most scholars believe this is the line of Kenaz, the son of Eliphaz from Genesis 36:11… Which means one of the greatest Bible heroes was from the line of Edom.
Caleb broke out of the Toledoth of wickedness by following and trusting in God.
But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.
NOT JUST CALEB BUT HIS DESCENDANTS WILL INHERIT IT...
HE HAS A NEW TOLEDOTH! A TOLEDOTH OF BLESSING!
YOU CAN BE THE ONE THAT CHANGES YOUR FAMILIES STORY!
My Grandmother was divorced 7 times.
My mother divorced my father when I was 2 or 3.
BUT I AM CHANGING OUR TOLEDOTH… BUT I AM NOT GETTING DIVORCED.
My wife is stuck with me, our story will be a story of faithfulness, I ain’t cheating on her, she ain’t cheating on me… we don’t argue and bicker… we are best friends… And that is the kind of marriages my kids are going to have, in Jesus name, and their kids after them!
My grandfather was an alcoholic, I AM NOT BRINGING THAT INTO MY FAMILY.
My grandmother hated God and was a staunch atheist… I AM BREAKING OUT OF THAT TOLEDOTH.
Listen, Ruth was a Moabite… She was the product of incest… But she broke out that wickedness and became great grandmother to King David and an ancestor of Jesus.
Rahab was Canaanite prostitute, she should be an enemy of God...But when it matter she made the desicion to turn her back on her Toledoth of harlotry and hatred, and instead to fear and serve God… and she was blessed and she to is in the Toledoth of Christ… a literal ancestor of Jesus.
Korah lead a rebellion against God, and God had swallowed up by the earth, but his sons were spared, and ended up writing some of the Psalms.
Ahaz was a wicked king who burned some of his own children in the fire… his son Hezekiah turned his Toledoth around and become one of Israel’s best kings.
In as much as there are scriptures and examples and statistics about generational curses… there are also those who broke out, who changed their Toledoth, who broke the mold, and started something new… a new generation, a new blessing, a new heritage…
So today, in as much as I want to encourage you to stop sinning because it might effect your children, I also want to encourage you to go all in for Christ, because that too will effect your children.
If you want your children to pray, make sure that you are always praying.
If you want your children to worship, let them see you live a life of worship.
if you want them to go to church, make sure they know church is a “no matter what” priority in your life.
Don’t expect your kids to love Jesus just because you tell them to… YOU SHOW THEM HOW TO LOVE JESUS… YOU LIVE A LIFE THEY WILL EMULATE… Never fall into the trap of “Well I messed up and I hope you do better son...”, no, dads! YOU START DOING BETTER NOW… IT’S NOT TO LATE TO CHANGE YOUR TOLEDOTH.
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.
Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed.
“Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
Church let me just end with this encouragement, if someone wants to come and play...
Church, you are not the sum of your parents mistakes… you are not even the sum of your own mistakes… you are a part of a Toledoth, yes… and you may have the cards stacked against you… breaking out of the sins of your parents may seem impossible… but with God all things are possible...
And if you have children, Saints, this message is especially for you… it’s not to late… make the changes in your life that your kids need to see...
I want my great grandchildren to look back and seem Great Grandpa Christian and Great Grandma Amanda… and say “This is when our family line really changed… no more divorce, no more fornication, no more alcohol, no more atheism… this is when God got ahold of our family and started blessing us for thousands of generations.”
You can be that for your family too… My mom and my dad started it, but Amanda and I secured it… a New Toledoth...
And I should mention, there are believers in my family… but there is also brokeness in my family… same for Amanda, her Parents are amazing, I have the best in-laws in the world, but even in her side of the family there are those who have turned away… I believe that our Toledoths story will be different… Blessings and eternal life for my children and grandchildren, and I hope you want the same for yours too… don’t pray anything less...
Conclusion
Conclusion
Turn On Children’s Class Lamps
Speaking of eternal life, I have good news for you… if you are from a long line of problems and issues… and you feel like your Toledoth is just broken… I have good news… you may have been born into a bad family… or maybe you are the one causing the issues, I don’t know… but today you can be Born Again! And that means a new toledoth! You become a part of the Toledoth of God…
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers.
and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.
Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
And Jesus adopted Christian, and Amanda, and (Name people in the congregation you know are saved… look towards the back!)…
The book of the Genealogy of Christian does not start with my drunk of a grandfather or my seven times divorced grandmother… it starts with Jesus… That is my Toledoth, and I hope it is yours too… If not, let’s make it so this morning… GOSPEL CALL
Aaronic Blessing
יאר יהוה פניו אליך ויחנך
ישא יהוה פניו אליך וישם לך שׁלום
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
You are dismissed from this place but not from His Presence
ye·va·re'·khe·kha' · Adonai · ve·yeesh'·me·re'·kha
ya·eir · Adonai · pa·nav · e·ley'·kha · vee·khoon·ne'·kah
ees·sa · Adonai · pa·nav · e·ley'·kha · ve·ya·seim · le·kha · sha·lom
"The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
You are dismissed from this place but not from His Presence
