To steal is to wrongfully and selfishly take something that belongs to someone else and place it amongst one’s own possessions.
Most people assume the Lord’s actions are motivated almost solely because of His love for man. Yet, God works for His own glory and for His own name’s sake.
It has been said that an individual is not truly ready to live for the Lord until he is willing and ready to die for Him. As a believer, one should not fear death.
Many who understand the wickedness involved in murder fail to realize that the scripture also warns “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer.”
In an environment where strife prevails, an angry man thrives. The Bibles points out that this type of person looks for ways to stir up strife. Perhaps he asks questions to get opinions involving others to gauge any dissatisfaction with them. He then turns any small frustration into a larger problem. Perhaps he uses other methods, but the end goal remains the same; he wants to stir up strife. He does this not only in the lives of others, but in his own heart as well. Instead of focusing upon reasons to rejoice in the Lord, he looks for reasons to be frustrated. All the while, he is walking in the flesh and missing out on the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Sin can never be flippantly disregarded. If the Lord is just, and He is, He must mete out consequences for rebellion. The biblical descriptions of the Lord’s reaction to rebellion varies from “he will be wroth” (Joshua 22:18) to “then shall the hand of the LORD be against you” (1 Samuel 12:15) to “ye shall be devoured with the sword” (Isaiah 1:20) to “I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee” (Exodus 33:5) to “I will purge out from among you the rebels” (Ezekiel 20:38) to “I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings” (Malachi 2:2). Though there are variations in the response, the constant truth remains that the Lord hates rebellion and responds to the rebellion with judgment.
Loyalty to David likely placed a bounty on a man’s head. As David fled from Absalom and the city of Jerusalem, it became increasingly dangerous to offer any type of assistance to David. Barzillai, regardless of the personal danger, chose to risk everything for David (2 Samuel 17:27-29). When it came time for David to travel back to reclaim his throne, Barzillai journeyed part of the way with David. Scripture identifies Barzillai as “a very great man.” Perhaps this description identifies him as materially wealthy, but it no doubt also speaks of his character. His character is further manifested in his final conversation with David (2 Samuel 19:33-38). When David regained his authority, he sought any opportunity to return favour for Barzillai’s loyalty. No matter the accolades or advantage, Barzillai did not help David for personal gain.
Where envy finds its breeding grounds, there grows confusion. Rather than churches, homes, and individuals choosing the blessings of peace, many have chosen the struggles resulting from envy and strife. In doing so, they reap the resultant confusion. Where strife oozes from the people, so will a mass state of confusion. This fact definitely accounts for the magnitude of Christians living outside the will of God with no opportunity to even discern what it is. The church should be a haven of truth, a place that clears up the confusion outside of its fellowship. The Christian home should be a place of clarity that serves to protect from the confusion perpetrated by the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Yet, far too many Christians have chosen rather to accept the curse of confusion.
