 WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
JULY 18, 2023
TOPIC: MAN’S CONTINUED REBELLION AGAINST GOD
BY T. O. BANSO
âThen Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillahâ (Genesis 4:19 New King James Version).
Lamech was the fifth in descent from Cain, the first child of Adam. In other words, he was the fifth generation from Cain and the seventh generation from Adam. Adam and Eve were the first pattern of marriage that God gave to the world. It was a pattern of one husband, one wife. But Lamech rebelled against Godâs law of monogamy.
Genesis 4:19 says, âThen Lamech took for himself two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the second was Zillahâ (Genesis 4:19 New King James Version). Where did Lamech get that idea? None of his ancestors married two wives. How come Lamech became the first polygamist recorded in the Bible? Why didnât he follow God’s marriage ordinance?
What Lamech did, showed manâs progression in rebellion against God, which Adam and Eve started when they disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit. Cain followed in their footsteps by killing his brother, Abel. Whereas Adam and Eve were afraid when they heard the voice of God in the garden after they had eaten the fruit and saw they were naked, Cain was rude to God when He asked him for the whereabouts of his brother whom he had killed.
Genesis 4:9 says, âThen the LORD said to Cain, âWhere is Abel your brother?â He said, âI do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?ââ (New King James Version). Did you see that? He wasnât remorseful after killing his brother. He didnât go to hide anywhere. He spoke defiantly. This wasnât the way Adam spoke. But they sowed the seed of rebellion against God. Unfortunately, Cain took it to the next level!
God, thereafter, placed a curse on Cain. âAnd He said, âWhat have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earthââ (verses 10-12 New King James Version).
What was the reaction of Cain? Did he show any repentance? No. He was more concerned about the punishment than the sin he committed. âAnd Cain said to the LORD, âMy punishment is greater than I can bear! Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill meââ (verses 13-14 New King James Version).
Many people still behave like Cain today. They donât genuinely repent. Some are more worried about their punishment than the sin or offence theyâve committed. When some people cry and beg for forgiveness, it is not because theyâve truly repented. It is because they want to escape punishment or want it to be reduced. A truly repentant person is more concerned about the sin he has committed than the punishment he will receive or the privileges that he may forfeit.
God is looking for true repentance. âIf we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in usâ (1 John 1:8-10 New King James Version).
Be careful about the example you set for your children or family. In most cases, where the parents set bad examples, the children may do worse things. A father may smoke cigarettes as a habit, but the children may be addicted to drugs! If a parent is committing a particular sin, his child may commit more.
If someone is a polygamist, he may have succeeded in laying a foundation of this pattern for his offspring. The spirit of polygamy may take over the family. The demons that fought the parents often want to fight their children, too. Donât start anything that will have evil repercussions on your lineage.
Donât start a generational curse; start a generational blessing. Let your lineage learn that you are the reason they are blessed or enjoying a particular benefit. The LORD told Abram, âIn you all the families of the earth shall be blessedâ (Genesis 12:3b New King James Verse). Donât you like that? Iâm sure you donât like the opposite!
You can be a blessing to generations after you long after you are gone. And someone can be a curse, too, long after he has gone. From Romans 5:15, we learn that by one man’s offence many died, but the grace of God and the gift abound to many by the grace of one Man, Jesus Christ.
The human race has progressed in evil from Adam until today even though, over 2000 years ago, Jesus came to die to save humans from sin. Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in disobedience to the command of God. Cain killed his brother. Similarly, Lamech went ahead to marry two wives in rebellion against Godâs ordinance.
Not only was Lamech the first polygamist mentioned in the Bible, but he also took after Cain by being a murderer; although, he said he killed in self-defence. Hear what he told his two wives: âListen to me, my wives. I have killed a youth who attacked and wounded me. If anyone who kills Cain is to be punished seven times, anyone who takes revenge against me will be punished seventy-seven times!â (Genesis 4:23-24 New Living Translation). Commentators have given different interpretations to this piece of poetry by Lamech.
In the days of Noah, man progressed further in evil. âThen the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, âI will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.â But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORDâ (Genesis 6:5-8 New King James Version).
The negative narrative continues: âThe earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, âThe end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earthââ (Verses 11-13 New King James Version).
After the flood, which Noah and his family survived, did man change? No. God said people’s thoughts and actions were bent toward evil from childhood (Genesis 8:21). Jeremiah 17:9a says the human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked.
Donât act on just any thought that you have. It may not be the right thing to do. Genesis 3:6 says Eve saw that the tree of the forbidden fruit was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. That she considered the fruit good didnât mean she was right. She should have obeyed the Word of God more rather than her senses.
Donât follow strange thoughts that are contrary to the Word of God. When Cain was putting up strange behaviour because God didnât accept his sacrifice, God came to him and warned him that he was going in a dangerous direction (Genesis 4:6-7). But he didnât listen. If he had, he would have rejected that strange thought to murder his brother.
Donât do something just because the thought comes to you. Reject it if it violates the Word of God. If Lamech had done that, he wouldnât have married two wives or killed the young man who attacked and wounded him.
The psalmist says he has hidden the Word of God in his heart so that he might not sin against God (Psalm 119:11). Let the Word of God determine your thoughts and actions. âFinally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy â meditate on these thingsâ (Philippians 4:8 New King James Verse).
Beware of rebellion against God. Don’t be rebellious.âRebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idolsâ (1 Samuel 15:23a New Living Translation). As the Bible says in Psalm 68:6, all  who rebel will live in a scorching desert; they will dwell in a dry land (Psalm 68:6). Obey God.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life â your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, I repent of every disobedience to Your Word. I shall not be a rebellious child of God but an obedient child. Holy Spirit, help me to think thoughts that are consistent with the Word of God. I reject rebellious thoughts in Jesus’ name.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
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