Thursday, January 28, 2010

WHERE HAS “THE HOME” GONE??????

This little study really precedes yesterday’s about the church, but either way is a serious issue then…and now! God’s plans and institutions don’t change, too bad we fail to pay attention as we should. God established three institutions for society:

1. The Home     2. Human Government     3. Worshipping Community

The Worshipping Community consists of two groups:

           1. Israel, Old Covenant     2. Church, New Covenant

First in time is the home (in time and significance) because the home is the basis for society. Is it any wonder the world is in such terrible shape if the home is foundational????? Satan always knows exactly where to attack to do the most damage. When God wedded Adam and Eve in the Garden, He laid the foundation for the social institutions humanity would build. When that foundation crumbles, society begins to fall apart (?)…Psalm 11:3. As we read in Judges 17:1-6, we can see that crumbling in action.

Dysfunctional families don’t come much more dysfunctional than this. Spiritually and morally dense, they managed to break almost every one of the Ten Commandments and not feel the least bit guilty before the Lord! In fact, they thought they were serving the Lord by the bizarre things they did. Does this ring any bells in anyone’s head?  Look at this list:                                                                   

1. The son dishonored his mother, stole from her and lied about it.

2. He coveted the silver and took it. Colossians 3:5 says coveting is idolatry.

3. He lied about the whole deal until the curse scared hi8m into confessing. He broke the 5th, 8th, and 9th, 10th, commandments

4. He broke the 1st and 2nd by having a shrine of false gods in his home.

5. He stole the silver, breaking the 3rd commandment and took the name of the Lord in vain.

Breaking seven of ten commandments without leaving home is quite an achievement! Deuteronomy 12 tells us the people were not permitted to have private ‘shrines” in their own homes. Micah’s mother made no attempt to deal with her son’s sins: his character surely didn’t improve by the way she handled the matter. She was a corrupt person herself, her son was no better. He ordained his own son to serve as priest…Micah knew the Levites were to be the only priests, anybody else serving as priests were to be killed, Numbers 3:10.

Because Micah and his family did not submit to the authority of God’s Word their home was a place of religious and moral confusion…a great deal like  homes in our day where money is the God the whole family worships. If every home and family had Christ at the center and Head of the home, we could stop some of our crime before it starts. Godly homes are the foundation  for a just and happy society.

Not only did God establish the home and instruct parents how to raise their children, (Deuteronomy 6) but He also instituted spiritual leadership in the worshipping community. Ander the Old Covenant, the tabernacle and then the temple were the center of the community and the Aaronic priesthood supervised both. Under the New Covenant, the Holly Spirit calls and equips ministers to serve Him and His people. Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Corinthians 12-14, Ephesians 4:1-6. In His Word, God told the Old Testament priests what they were supposed to do; and in His Word today the Holy Spirit guides His church and explains its order and its ministry. It’s all there…we need to read it, understand it, and obey it.

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