”The Dinah Incident” - Genesis 34 - Pastor Scotty Brown

All righty, we'll pull them swords out looks like we might need them

Anybody who's been watching the goings-on and across the pond

As my dad would say get your sack open now the words get your house in order

If you're not right with Jesus today, please get that way

Because it is apparent that things are happening and for those of you who don't know Iran

Initiated an attack on Israel over 200

Drones or UAVs or whatever they're they're called

trying to attack

What's what's concerning for us as Americans is is?

this administration is pulling back and saying that if I

we will not engage with Israel in a

deliberate attack on the Iranians and so

The Bible does tell us that in the last days that Israel will be by themselves

And so if you're not watching this stuff

It's foolishness

To not pay attention to what's going on in your world and especially its foolishness to not pay attention to what's going on

with God's timepiece as

once quoted by

Chuck Missler

Israel is God's timepiece. You want to know what the times are like look at Israel, right?

Didn't Jesus indict the the the Jews saying Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem had you a known this day your day of visitation

I would have gathered you like a hen gathers her chicks. And so

What's going on over there is very?

Significant to say the least anytime Israel is involved. So

We go back to what we've looked at in the book of Genesis, you know that

That whoever blesses them. I will bless the Lord says whoever curses them

I will curse and so shame on Iran

Because they will get theirs in a big way. So if you got a Bible we're gonna be and and Jack

Genesis chapter 34

Genesis 34 · chapter mention

Interesting a little disclaimer here. This may not be some stuff for little ears

Though if if it was my grandchildren, they would not have the privilege of leaving

They would have to stay put but but you might not want your kids to hear some of this stuff

It's called the Dinah incident. Most of you have have heard about it the the the daughter of

Jacob of Israel and and and Leah

his first wife

is is the subject and

and so

Many Bible commentators don't believe that you should preach this this this passage

because of the content but also because God is not mentioned one time and

And maybe all the more reason

to learn and glean

From lives where the Lord is absent

and so

We're gonna I'm gonna try to get through this chapter in the next

29 minutes something like that. Let's pray Lord. Thank you for your word. That is truly a light and a lamp and

Lord we're uh

We're desperate for you. We're desperate in this nation and and as individuals on a daily basis

For I know for myself it's it's as though I need more of you today than I did yesterday

because I'm weak and you're strong and

Lord the nation of Israel

Obviously needs your your hand to be upon them as well

and we pray for that knowing that that is truly your heart and though you have

given them many spankings throughout the

The different Millennials and so Lord we pray that you would get our attention today

Lord that we would know that we need to be pressing in and that we need to be aware of this day

This may be the day of your visitation to some hearts here that aren't familiar with you Lord

So draw all of us closer to yourself today as we look at your word in Jesus name. Amen

Okay, so the dysfunction continues I talked about it a little bit last time

Jacob should have went to Bethel he had lied to his brother Esau say yeah go on

I'll be right behind you and he didn't he alley manned right, you know exit stage right who says that Tigger or somebody but

Anyway, he bailed out and ended up in a very pagan

Neighborhood and and I mean really he could have just went down the Jordan followed Esau for a ways

Mount Seir was further down south and then he could have crossed and ended up right in Bethel the house of God

That's where he should have been that's where we all should be so much more as you see the day approaching

right

Is that what the scripture says do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together?

but so much more as we see the day approaching and

you know you watch stuff like yesterday and you go oh who the day is approaching and

And it really is and so we need to be

obedient we need to be

Pressing in and and hanging out with God's people. I mean we could go to the bar. I

Mean that's an alternative

I mean because really people fellowship people all everyone likes to fellowship some people go to the bar some people come to church

Some of you do both

We need to talk

But

Listen I have I've had people to well, you know, dude

They got to relate to us I go down I have a beer with them when we talk and kind of relate

No

If you're gonna you're gonna go to a bar you step in the door you take off your hat and say

Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand and then you walk out

right

But when we disobey especially as leaders of our families

you had better brace for impact because it's not gonna go well and

and

Jacob led his family right into this place and by doing so he put everyone in danger

And you remember this this is this is this text goes clear back to the garden

you know when Abba Adam wasn't doing what he should have done and him and Eve what more they shouldn't have went and

Abraham put Sarah in jeopardy when he went where he shouldn't have went and and and and

Moses and Jonah and Saul and David and Elimelech and Naomi and Peter and you look at

Everybody when they're in that place where they shouldn't be

It never goes good I

I remember sharing a breath with a brother was at a wedding and he come up to me and tell me about this opportunity

It was so cool. He was so excited, but he had his reservations

And I told him I said dude. Listen, I just want you to know this

I don't know what God's will for you and this is all about. I just want you to know God allows you turns

right

So if you if you're going somewhere where you shouldn't be going and you need to turn around God allows that

Because what what how

Why the world gets these twisted ideas some people think once they've transgressed they say well, I've already done it

So now I'm just gonna stay there wallow in it

Living it, you know

Just like a dog going back to its vomit and a hog to its wallow I'm just gonna stay right here

No turn around

God allows you turns and so anyway, so we're gonna jump in here

We're gonna read the first four verses here at chapter 34 and it's gonna go fairly fast

I think it says now Dinah

The daughter of Leah whom she had born to Jacob went out to see the daughters of the land

And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite prince of the country saw her

He took her and lay with her and violated her his soul was strongly attracted to Dinah

The daughter of Jacob and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman. So Shechem spoke

to his father Hamor saying

Get me this young woman for wife

And so here she is

She's going out many believe that she's between 13 and 15 years old

right that she's going out hanging out with the daughters of the land now Jacob knew these people were perverse and

and

But he lets his daughter go. Where do you let your daughter go?

My daughters didn't go anywhere I had chastity belts and handcuffs

I'm kidding. Okay. I don't even know one of them might be here today

I'm I'm kidding and she would tell you I'm kidding but

But as a father obviously I I was very concerned raising girls for me

I had two of each had two boys two girls and the girls were much tougher simply for the fear factor

And that I had to keep a lot of ammo on hand

But uh

But so she goes out and this this this this prince the prince of

Shechem of

actually, the city is named after him or he by vice versa and any Caesar and

Any rapes her he says, oh I like what I see I think I'll just take that

and

In that culture that must be kind of a common thing. Well, actually even in that culture today. It's fairly common in

the especially in the Muslim world a lot of

A lot of a lot of women in their marriage relationships, right? They they are just subject to their husband

It's this is nothing consensual about it. They just rape them and

what kind of relationship would that be and

so

But that's what he does and then it says his heart is is drawn to her

Right. He he does have a an honest

Emotional connection to this girl. Obviously, she's probably pretty and and and he but he violates her and

And then tells his dad get her for me

Right, and so this this this dude has no self-control

that's a that's a sign of the time that we live in right and and and

the that

That men will be lovers of themselves lovers of pleasure in these last days rather than lovers of God

and that seems to be this

this culture here where Jacob ends up taking his family and

And he's this his kids very spontaneous. He just sees her he likes what he sees he rapes her and

And actually violates her but the thing about it is is when that happens, you know, no one sends unto themselves

and we're gonna see that this affects a lot more people and

You know in our culture men well actually just in the world men are always the the

The driving force to the sex act right? They always are men are

we're

We're dogs

Now praise God God give did give us that drive but it is to be controlled right and

Because if God

Didn't give us that drive all we'd be doing is riding bucking horses and driving race cars

and

There would be no babies born

But so men

when they

With the sex drive they will tell the woman what she wants to hear

In other words a man will give love to get sex

right

Or or should I say I put it in my notes here or should I say he he will pretend

He loves her to get sex. Yeah, he'll tell her Oh, baby. I love you so much

And

If you really love me, you know

You're gonna love me

Lion dogs

Men are lying dogs

Isn't it amazing that God's very specific or the scripture is very specific where he says let God be true and every man

a liar

They are

lion dogs

Girls, you can't trust them as far as you can throw them right? They are so self-centered. It's sickening

Now girls on the other hand will give sex to get love

She thinks oh if I give this to him then he'll love me and he'll talk to me and he'll cherish me and

He'll take care of me

wrong

Women have all the power

Listen, if if you're here today, if you're a single woman, you got a dude putting pressure on you to have sex with you

He does not love you I

Promise you he does not love you. He loves himself a whole lot more

Right. So you keep him at bay girl get a hot poker get something

Away with you

Don't even let him close I

Prayed that my girls would be protected from men like me

Because it all changes once you become a dad

It all changes I

Mean you talk about murder in your heart. I

Think I told a couple of them I am not afraid to go to prison I will kill you

And

My granddaughter's now is like another step above

I'm gonna build a compound for them

So

Because what because true love true love that wasn't true love that Shechem had for Dinah that was true lust

Right, that was true lust true love waits

All we have to do is back up a few chapters and see what that looks like

Jacob when he rates for seven years for Rachel good on him

Holy cow seven years and it says it seemed like it was just a short time because his love for her was so strong

That's love

Right and the contrast here. I was gonna wait till the end, but I can't the contrast is is Jesus

Right. Jesus loves us. He does not force himself upon you

You know people come to church and say oh that preacher. He's just trying to cram it down my your throat. No, I

Can tell you that you're going to hell if you're living a certain way that just that's just what the Bible says

But I can't force Jesus on you number because he won't force himself on you, right?

He wants you to come to him and he invites you. He says I'm right here. I

Haven't gone anywhere

Whosoever will let them come

Come all you who weary and heavy would laden and I will give you rest and he invites us to come to him

and

the Bible says that we as

Believers are his bride and he loves us but it is and we consent to him as our Lord and as our King

to direct our lives

That's the idea in

in relationship that true love it well

My little definition that I have in the front page of my Bible says

Purposeful commitment to sacrificial action for another is what true love is

Purposeful commitment to sacrificial action for another

Jacob was committed

To Rachel not to his own desires

But the shechem on the other hand he demands his father to get her talk about a spoiled kid

Right you you go get her for me

No self-control

Lord knows what his artwork ethic was like we see it today, right and

Then we have the response in verse 5 and Jacob heard that he had defiled

dying to his daughter now his sons were with his livestock in the field and so Jacob held his peace until they came and then

Hamor the father of shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him and the sons of Jacob came in from the field

When they heard it and the men were grieved and very angry because he had done a disgrace

disgraceful thing and in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter a thing which ought not to be done

But Hamor spoke with them saying the soul of my son shechem longs for your daughter

Please give her to him as a wife and make marriages with us

Give us your daughters to take and take our daughters to yourself

And so you shall dwell with us and the land shall be before you dwell and trade in it and acquire possessions for

Yourselves in it then shechem said to her

Father and her brothers. Let me find favor in your eyes and whatever you say to me

I will give ask me what ever so much

Dowry and gift and I will give according to what you say to me, but give me the young woman as wife

And he's sticking to his guns

At least he's he's he's consistent

right and and he's he's trying to

Basically buy these guys off he can tell they're probably upset at him now

You realize that Dinah right Dinah is the full sister to Reuben Simeon Levi Judah is car and zebulun

Right. She has these six brothers

There are quite a bit older and no doubt they were she was her baby their baby sister that they probably had a great

Affection for and to think that this thing had happened to them to her no doubt probably

Soiled their hearts toward this dude wanting to tear his head completely off his body

and

so I

Wonder here when Jacob hears about it. He I don't know if he's passive or he's wise

Maybe a little bit of both, but I know if it was me there

There probably would have been bloodshed right off the bat

Jake wakes till his sons get home and

And they're angry. They're they're grieved. Obviously, they practice restraint

Isn't it is isn't it interesting here in the and several thousands of years ago?

we see Israel the people of Israel practicing restraint and

Pierce Morgan, I just read a little blurb

He made a little comment on Israel and the whole Iranian thing that Israel has to practice restraint. Are you kidding me?

over

200 uavs are launched into Israel. That's not a declaration of war. I

Mean who what nation would not retaliate in full force?

It's just it's not so

But these guys they they practice respect restraint and Hamor is going hey, let's make a deal

Well, you give your daughter to my son

We'll start exchanging kids right are your boys can marry our daughters and our boys can marry your daughters

We know that ain't right, right? These are a hip heights

You remember when when Esau married a hip I it grieved the heart it grieved the heart of Isaac and Rebecca

Go no not not her

Parents you ever kind of had that thought in your heart. No, please not them

Really? We got to be connected to these people

We don't like each other

Sorry, you can choose your friends, but you're stuck with your in-laws

right

so pray for them diligently and

God will give you a love that is is supernatural because you you know, obviously you do not have it in your heart naturally

To show them the love that God would have you

show them and so

Because no doubt they're feeling now you didn't just violated our daughter you violated our whole family

Ancient Middle Eastern cultures had a strong sense of family honor

Strong enough to use violence to defend this sense of honor in this culture

The brothers had a greater responsibility to protect their sister than the father yet

the sons of Jacob would go on to defend the family's honor and an unwise and sinful way and we'll get

There in a second verse 9

there it says and

Make marriages with us give us your daughters and take our daughters

So you shall dwell with us and the land shall be before you dwell and trade in it and acquire

Possessions for yourself. He's kind of playing on their little greedy hearts, right? That's all of us. Hey, what's in it for me?

All of us struggle with that right the tenth commandment you shall not

Cove it right you shall not covet and you don't know no doubt

there was maybe a lot of goodies to have there and

if you give us Dinah is your wife we will give you our daughters and and

financially you'll do well

kinda

You know, he said whatever dowry he said I got you know, I got all the country

Accessible to me. I'll give you what you want for the girl. Just just give her to me

I wonder what Dinah is saying about this the whole take girls. You ever remember you just ever just wonder well, what's her take on this?

right

Now the the daughter was under the authority of the father until the father gave her away in marriage

And that's the way it should be today

men

Your daughter should be under your authority until it's time for her to get married and you give her away

and

Girls some some women say I'm not gonna be that I'm not gonna be subject to my dad

We should be because it's safe

Because there's probably not too many men in the world that love you like your father does I?

Realize there's there's exceptions to that but

But father's love for their daughters is is it sure should be peaceably

pure and

wanting her best interest

and

so

The deception begins in verse 13

But the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father and spoke deceitfully

Because he had defiled Don Dinah their sister. They're going okay now

How can we get this guy and they said to them?

We cannot do this thing and give our sister to one who is uncircumcised

For that would be a reproach to us, but on the condition on this condition. We will consent to you if

You will become as we are if every male of you is

Circumcised then we will give our daughters to you and we will take your daughters to us and we will dwell with you

And we will become one people but if you will not heed us and be circumcised

Then we will take our daughter and be gone and their words

Please Hamor and Shechem and Hamor son

So the young man did not delay to do the thing because he delighted in Jacob's daughter and he was more

Honorable than all the household of his father. He goes. All right deal

deal

Man, how's he gonna convince all these guys? Hey guys, guess what?

Isn't it scary when leaders of our country get us in these pickles

Right. Look at our country and the stuff that we have to put up with

Because of the stupid things the people in leadership and the laws that they've passed

It's just like no wonder we should be involved in the whole political process

So we can see a state snake coming and cut its head off before it gets out of its cage, you know

It's just it's crazy and and he and he's making this this decision

But then also the the the people the things that people will agree to for a buck

So does this mean

I want you to think about this Christian. So does everybody have a price?

It's prices, right? What will you do? What would you do for a million bucks? What kind of compromises would you make?

What can that million bucks do for you that on the day you take your last breath a good brother and I was just talking about

This this morning at breakfast

Money is a moral right now that it's not good or evil. Oh, but the Bible says it's even though the Bible does not say it

It's evil. The Bible says the love of money is

The root of all kinds of evil right money is a moral it can be used for righteousness or it can be used for wickedness

But I guess the question is is can you be bought

That's

Pretty scary thought if you know your heart at all, that's a scary thought and

These people seem to be in a place where they they can be convinced check it out verse 20 and Hamor and Shechem

His sons came to the gate of their city and spoke with the men of their city saying these men are at peace with us

Therefore let them dwell in the land and trade in it for indeed

The land is large enough for them

Let us take their daughters to us as wives and let us give them our daughters so good

So sounds so good sounds good so far only on this

Condition will the men consent to dwell with us to be one people and if every male among us is

Circumcised as they are circumcised will not their livestock and their property and every animal of theirs be ours

Only let us consent to them and they will dwell with us and all who went out of the gate of this city

He did Hamor and Shechem his son every male was circumcised all who went out of the gate of his city

This Shechem should get salesman of the year

Right here he can't he convinced all these guys

He says listen, there's livestock. They're women right all that they got it's gonna be ours

You just have to have

some skin in the game

Quite literally

[LAUGHTER]

I'm just not sure here about these people and their--

you know, these people would maybe really

qualify as knuckle draggers.

Not the sharpest tool in the shed.

But really, I mean, greed will cause you to do things

that you probably--

what's so blasphemous about this,

about what the sons of Jacob do with this?

What are they using?

They're using the covenant sign of God, right?

They're blaspheming by using the covenant sign of God

as financial leverage and as a weapon.

That's what they're doing.

And you realize that there's a lot of people

that won't come to church because people have done that.

They've weaponized the word of God

and told people that they're going to hell.

But have you told them that that's

where you were headed as well until you

repented of your sin?

A lot of times, you have to identify people

with on the plane that, yes, you know that you're sinful,

but you've had this encounter with a God who forgives sinners.

But some people know, God hates this,

and he hates you because of this.

And God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son,

right?

Yes, he hates sin.

But he loves man's soul.

He created it to have fellowship so that it would bring him

pleasure that your soul and my soul

would be a pleasurable thing to the God of heaven.

I can't imagine my soul bringing a smile to the Lord's face.

But I know that if I find myself in the center of his will,

that happens.

And he's the one who does it.

He's the one that works in my life.

He's the one that directs my steps.

He's the one that convicts me of my wickedness.

My job is to respond, to be in relationship.

And like I said, he doesn't force himself on us.

God's such a gentleman.

He'll knock.

He'll whisper.

Question is, is do we listen?

Now, two wrongs don't make a right,

but here we go in verse 25.

"Now it came to pass on the third day

when they were in pain, no doubt,

and the two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi,

Dinah's brothers, each took his sword

and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males.

And they killed Hamor and Shechem, his son,

with the edge of the sword,

and took Dinah from Shechem's house and went out.

And the sons of Jacob came upon the slain

and plundered the city

because their sister had been defiled.

They took their sheep and their oxen and their donkeys,

what was in the city and what was in the field

and all their wealth, all their little ones and their wives.

They took captive and they plundered

even all that was in the houses."

Wow.

So they wait till these dudes are sore

and they know they got the upper hand

and they pour out their wrath, their own wrath.

I'm thinking this is why the Lord says

there in Romans chapter 12, verse 19,

Romans 12:19

"Beloved, do not avenge yourselves,

but rather give place to wrath

for it is written, vengeance is mine.

I will repay, says the Lord,

because your wrath and my wrath is never justified."

Right?

It's God's wrath that's justified

because we go beyond justice, you and I.

Somebody punches you in the mouth,

you want to knock out all their teeth,

break their nose, break their jaw, break their arm, right?

And maybe kill them if you don't think you'll get caught.

That's the judgment that you and I pour out

and that's what Simeon and Levi do here.

Charles Haddon's Purge says,

"By way of making some amends for their sisters' defilement

with dastardly treachery,

they slay the whole of the Shechemites

and so bring the guilt of murder upon a family

which ought to have been holiness to the Lord."

Now I got to say,

I've had these kinds of things in my heart.

Have you?

But this is why God,

in his love and his mercy,

he gave us his law, right?

Or else we would always,

we would always be that one that was excessive,

just like these guys were.

This is excessive, right?

Yes, what Shechem did was wrong, absolutely wrong.

He defiled her, he disrespected that family

and there should have been a consequence.

But this is,

this is brutal, right?

It's so brutal.

So God gives us this law, Exodus chapter 21.

Exodus 21 · chapter mention

What was it?

It was life for life, tooth for tooth, eye for eye,

hand for hand, foot for foot, right?

It was that the judgment would not exceed the crime, right?

The judgment would not exceed the crime.

God had to give us that law

because if it was left to you and I,

there would be nobody sitting in this room right now

because everybody would be dead

because of the things we've done to others, right?

They would have killed us.

And so that, but that's not justice, right?

Justice is eye for eye, tooth for tooth, life for life.

And so Jacob responds to what his boys do.

Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi,

"You have troubled me by making me obnoxious

among the inhabitants of the land,

among the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

And since I am few in number,

they will gather together themselves together against me

and kill me and I shall be destroyed by my household

and I," he's got an eye disease, right?

All Jacob's worry about is his own skin.

What have you guys done to me?

Right, isn't that what we do sometimes parents

when our kids blow it?

And you're like, what are you doing?

You're making us look so bad.

Are you really my child?

I mean, really, haven't we all been there?

Like, I think I might kill you right now

because you have just embarrassed me and your mother.

We should never do that, right?

That's not right.

Kids make their own bed.

They got to lie in it.

If you're their parent, I'm sorry.

But just remember your parents had to put up with you, right?

And no doubt there were days when they, oh Lord.

My mother, bless her soul,

I do not know how she put up with her four children.

I mean, there were times when she should have done us all in

by the time before we were 20.

She should have done four funerals.

But she did, and then she got to see us go through our,

and they just, and you just smile, don't you?

And you see your kids going through it.

Well, this turnabout's fair play.

What goes around comes around, right?

So you're getting yours.

But he, Jacob was worried about me

and I, and he should know by now

that looking back on his life, life is not about him.

It's about what God's doing with his life.

It's about what God's doing with your life.

Let him do it, right?

I love, Donald Green Barnhouse said this.

He said, "Jacob, you brought that trouble on yourself.

You passed your own deceitful nature into your boys.

You set them a constant example of guile.

They heard you lie to Esau at Peniel

and start Northwest after he went Southeast.

They saw your interest in the fat pastures

when you pitched your tent in Shechem,

and you said nothing when Dinah was violated.

Talk to God about your own sin

before talking to these boys about theirs."

That's some pretty good wisdom right there.

Now I got to tell you, sin so marrs people.

My sin had so marred me,

there were things that when I seen my kids do them,

they weren't quite as bad as what I had done.

And my boys are better than men than I am,

and my daughters are better than I am.

But sometimes that kept me from disciplining them.

And that's not right.

You discipline them because it's right,

not because you're comparing your life to theirs.

You shouldn't do that.

That's what a lot of people say,

"Well, they're not as bad as I was."

And I tried that one.

That don't work.

That's no excuse at all.

But Jacob should have confessed his own failure

before the Lord.

And once we take the plank out of our own eye,

then we can see the speck the Bible says

to help remove it from our brother's eye.

Three things real quick, just in parenting,

because even as our kids grow up and leave the house,

we're still parents.

I think they look for us for advice.

Just don't offer too much freely.

Make sure they ask you for it.

Don't give your advice freely

'cause you will turn them off.

But number one, be loving.

Be loving to your kids.

And a lot of people don't,

what do you mean you just let everything go?

No, you don't let everything go.

If you see a sin in their life, call them out.

That's wicked.

That's sin, that's not right.

And you know that's not right.

And they do.

And secondly, along with being loving,

you have to be truthful.

So being loving is telling the truth.

The Bible says to share the truth in love.

I mean, Jacob should have told Levi and Simeon,

"If you don't turn from your murderous ways,

"you're going to hell.

"You're going to hell."

God's not gonna allow that.

You need to turn from that.

And maybe you've got some children

that you need to turn from.

I saw a kid the other day and I was shocked.

The whole family has embraced this lie, this one lie,

that one of the kids thinks they're a different gender

than what they really are.

The whole family has bought into it.

So they call them by a different, that's a female,

they're calling them a male.

No, it's not a male.

Let's go to the doctor's office.

Right?

No, she is a biologically biological female.

And what are you guys doing calling her this name?

She is a woman and a very beautiful one, I might add.

I don't get the psyche there.

I know she's gonna come to her senses.

She's mental and they're all aiding and abetting it.

Do you know when Paul talks about this in first, excuse me,

the first chapter of Romans where he says,

he says, "Hey, these things that these people are doing,

"they are worthy of death.

"And so it is for everyone who approves of them."

What do you approve of that you know God says is wrong?

Don't do that.

You are not showing anybody love, right?

By consenting to their psychosis.

Tell them the truth.

God loves you, he has a plan for your life.

He created you this way.

So do it his way.

I don't know about you, I tried life my way.

Don't work very good.

Do life his way.

But be truthful, right?

First Corinthians chapter six, verse nine through 11,

people do not like this passage of scripture.

This is what it says.

"Do you not know that the unrighteous

"will not inherit the kingdom of God?

"Do not be deceived.

"Neither fornicators nor idolaters, nor adulterers,

"nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves,

"nor covenists, nor drunkards, nor revilers,

"nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God."

That's what it says.

Who are we to question this?

Right, just share it with people.

Just be truthful.

Now he says something that's pretty powerful

right after that.

In verse 11, he says, "And such were some of you,

"but you were washed and you were sanctified,

"but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus

"and by the Spirit of our God."

Right?

We were some of this.

I was a perverse dog.

Still am sometimes, but I seek the Lord.

He forgives me, he washes me from those things.

He helps me to see clearly where it'll take me

and where it'll take you.

So please don't get upset if somebody calls you on something

and you really, in your heart, you know it's right.

Years ago, we were all sitting,

this is, all of us were just a bunch of stoners.

Right, we should have died.

We're sitting in the house and just, you know,

all tweaked out and all of a sudden,

there is this violent knock on the door

and I jump up and I answer the door

and I'm kind of brought out of my stupor.

And this kid, he's probably about 20 years old,

his eyes are huge, he's got wild, shaggy hair

and I see his car parked outside.

He goes, "Your house is on fire, your house is on fire!"

And I'm going, "What?"

And sure enough, I walked outside

and though the house wasn't on fire,

there was a chimney fire and there was like a flame

shooting like 15 feet into the air off of our roof.

And it hadn't spilled over onto the house

or started the house on fire.

But I am so thankful that that kid told me that, right?

That he stopped and he told us the truth

and we got one of those little, you know,

chimney fire things and threw it in the stove

and got it put out and everything.

But I wasn't upset that he had disrupted our stoner stupor.

Stoner stupor, you know?

But I was thankful.

So be loving, share the truth

and when consequences are in order,

dish them out if it's within your power,

if not, remind them that God has consequences.

God dishes out consequences.

God will not allow his children to sin successfully.

Now, Simeon, or excuse me, Jacob, later in chapter 49,

he talks to Simeon and Levi and prophesies over their life.

It says Simeon and Levi, so their prophecy is together

because of this event, because of what they did.

Simeon and Levi are brothers, instruments of cruelty

are in their dwelling place.

Let not their soul enter their council.

Let not my honor be united to their assembly

for in their anger, they slew a man

and in their self will, they hamstrung an ox.

Cursed be their anger for it is fierce

and their wrath for it is cruel.

I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.

And in fact, he did that.

Simeon was absorbed into the tribe of Judah

and Levi never got any of the land because why?

He was a priest.

Now, Levi became faithful in his tribe.

Simeon was absorbed and so Simeon was unfaithful.

Levi ended up being faithful and served as the priests.

And so that's just God's gracious redemption, right?

He gives us a chance though judgment should come our way,

God gives us a chance.

So as we wrap this all up, I want to,

bring a couple contrasts to Christ.

Obviously I already mentioned it once,

but the first contrast is how Jesus treats his bride, us.

He doesn't force himself upon us

and I've already talked about that.

Secondly, a second contrast is how Simeon and Levi

dealt out judgment, right?

They were not merciful.

They were not just.

And they used God's covenant as a battle ax.

Don't do that.

Don't use God's word as to beat people up.

Use God's word to encourage people.

You know how much God loves you?

See, Jude tells us how we to do that, right?

First, God will save people

when they know how much he loves them.

Now, if they won't respond to that,

then you flip that card over, right?

Jude says, "And the rest of them you save with fear."

If you don't repent, you're going to hell, right?

So first you tell them how much God loves them.

God loves you.

He's got a plan for your life

and he'll forgive you of all your sin.

Come to Jesus and experience a life that is second to none.

I promise you.

But if they won't hear that,

then tell them about the judgment of God

and hopefully scare the hell out of them.

But Jesus, so to contrast their judgment

with Jesus's judgment, Revelation 16, seven, it says,

"And I heard another from the altar saying,

"even so, Lord God Almighty,

"true and righteous are your judgments."

True and righteous.

When God pours out all his wrath on sinful humanity

who refuses to receive the work of the Lord Jesus Christ,

he is true and he's just in doing so, right?

Because that's what humanity deserves.

And it is in his grace and mercy

that you and I are sitting here today, breathing air, right?

Most of us being able to walk

and being able to give praise to the God

who should judge us very harshly.

And yet he has chosen to pass,

allowed us to pass from death to life

in the Lord Jesus Christ.

So bottom line, if Jacob would have went to Bethel,

none of this would have happened.

If he would have went to the house of God.

So if you will spend time in the house of God,

my closing thought here,

if you will spend time in the house of God,

listen, eventually those who are following you

will do as well.

Eventually, they might not do it now.

It might be after you're dead and gone,

but you're showing them right now,

it is important to come to the house of the Lord,

to gather together, especially in these last days.

Guys, listen, Jesus is coming.

Let's be ready, amen?

All right, let's pray.

Father, thank you.

Thank you that you remind us, Lord,

even in a crazy story like this,

where your name isn't even in there,

but Lord, your principles are so true,

that you're truthful, you're loving.

Lord, you're willing to wait.

And for us to come.

And I know that there's some here today

that just need to come to you.

Lord, they've maybe been confused in this life

and the things that the world and the flesh

and the devil are throwing their way

has just created all kinds of tumult in their life.

Lord, may they just come to you

and be set free of those things.

Lord, I ask that you would give your people courage

in these days.

Lord, you've called us to watch

what is going on in this world

and to lift up our heads for our redemption

truly draws near.

We pray for Israel and we pray for the conflict

that's going on over there.

We pray for our nation, the United States

and the role that we're to play.

And Lord, that we would find ourselves

in the middle of your will and not opposing you

or not opposing your people

that you have promised these things to.

And so, Lord, we love you today.

We pray that you would walk with us

and Lord, that you would rescue souls

that need to say yes to Jesus.

And so, Lord, draw us close

as we embark on some very, Lord,

unsettling times and uncertain times.

But one thing is certain, Lord,

we don't know what the future hold

but we know who holds the future.

And so, may our trust be in you in Jesus' name.

Amen. Let's all stand.

We're gonna worship.

If you need prayer, the prayer team will be over here

to your left, my right.

Please come, be prayed for.

[Music]