FROM ADAM TO AHAB - MEN'S WEAKNESSES

 

LIST OF SCRIPTURE AND COMMENTS

1. Gen. 3:6, 12, 17-19 Adam followed the wife's leadership, blaming failure on Eve; God cursed the earth and sent death on mankind.

2. Gen. 12:11-13 Abraham was afraid and asked his wife to shield him from the Egyptians. Abraham gave Sarai to Pharaoh's harem and received sheep, oxen, he-donkeys, menservants, maidservants, she-donkeys and camels for her. He sold her into prostitution.

3. Gen. 16:4 Abraham went in to Hagar. He yielded to Sarai and took the servant to be his secondary wife.

4. Gen. 20:2 Abraham denied that Sarah was his wife because of fear the second time. Sarah was given to Abimelech, king of Gerar. He did not trust God to take care of him.

5. Gen. 26:7 Isaac denied that Rebekah was his wife (just like his father) because of fear.

6. Gen. 27:6-7 Jacob listens to his mother, Rebekah, to steal the blessing of Esau.

7. Gen. 30:1, 9 Rachel and Leah give their servants to Jacob to be his secondary wives (same as Abraham). He did not have to accept the offer.

8. Gen. 33:1-2 Jacob divided his family into two bands, lead by Leah and Rachel, to go before him and protect him from Esau.

9. Gen. 31:32 & 35:16-18 Jacob unknowingly cursed Rachel with death. Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin.

10. Gen. 38:15-16 Judah lies with Tamar as with a prostitute. He would not give his last son to be her husband.

11. Gen. 44:1-5, 15 Joseph used a divining cup; he apparently practiced divination. Divination by cups was one of the prevalent superstitions of ancient Egypt.

12. Ex. 4:10-14 Moses does not trust God.

13. Ex. 14:10, etc. Israeli men murmured and brought death on their families.

14. Ex. 20:18-19 Men were afraid to speak with God. They wanted someone to stand between them and God.

15. Ex.32:1, 21, 32 Aaron makes a golden calf to please some of the people. He should have stopped the rebellion; instead he leads it and then blames it all on the people.

16. Lev. 10:1-2 Nabab and Abihu offered strange fire before God and He killed them. A characteristic of not following God but man.

17. Num. 12:1, 10 Aaron listened to Miriam to rebel against Moses. Miriam received leprosy, not Aaron.

18. Num. 16:1-3, 27, 31 Korah, Dathan and Abiram rebelled against Moses. God destroyed them and their families.

19. Num. 30:6-8 Husbands that do not have the courage to break their wives foolish vows.

20. Num. 31:14-15 Officers saved the women alive who should have been killed.

21. Deut. 22:5, 13-19 Sex is to be distinguished by apparel. The punishment of him that slanders his wife - he shall be rebuked, whipped and fined 100 shekels of silver; he may not divorce her.

22. Joshua 7:25 Achan and his family are destroyed because of his thievery.

23. Judges 16:15-17 Samson deceived by Delilah.

24. I Sam. 2:12-17 Eli's sons were sons of Devil.

25. I Sam. 15:24 Saul tries to blame the people for his sin in disobeying God. It cost him the kingdom.

26. II Sam. 11:2-4 David committed adultery with Bathsheba. Then he connived to kill her husband.

27. II Sam. 12:9-10 The sword never departed out of David's house and caused him much grief with his sons. Ahab men not satisfied with one wife.

28. I Kings 3:1 Solomon married Pharaoh's daughter. He did not trust God to keep the kingdom.

29. I Kings 11:1-4 Solomon was not satisfied with one wife. They turned his heart to idol worship.

30. I Kings 16:31 Ahab took Jezebel to be his wife and he followed her religion.

31. I Kings 19:1-3 Elijah fled Jezebel.

32. I Kings 21:15 Jezebel gets possession of Naboth's vineyard for Ahab.

33. II Kings 5:11-12 Naaman's pride almost cost him his healing.

34. II Kings 5:22 Gehazi lied to Elisha and got leprosy. These are the sins of lying and greed.

SOME COMMON WEAKNESSES OF AHABIC MEN

1. Do not believe God; cannot understand that (even if born again) they have an abiding connection to God and He to them.

2. Do not properly respect and fear God. Have little true respect or love for others or self.

3. Are highly motivated to self: comforting, pampering and pleasing self. They are now people, not planners for the long term good of the family, community or nation.

4. Have weak characters.

5. Have weak convictions.

6. Do not hold marriage in high esteem.

7. Do not like to work and support family.

8. Disobedient to God's Law for them.

9. When they get into trouble because they have weakly given in to the wrong actions, they look quickly for someone to blame.

10. Do not like to take a stand that is not popular.

11. Tend to be sexually loose.

12. Have unusually strong desires to watch sports events.

13. Weak against the inroads of the Devil in the family.

14. Do not teach the children the truth from the Bible.

15. Have uncontrollable tempers.

16. Pout when they don't get their way.

17. Tend to dominate rather than teach and lead.

18. Tend to attract Jezebel women.

HOW TO RAISE A CROOK

1. Begin from infancy to give the child everything he wants. This way he will grow up to believe that the world owes him a living.

2. When he picks up bad words, laugh at him. It will encourage him to pick up "cuter" phrases that will blow the top off your head later.

3. Never give him any spiritual training. Wait until he is twenty-one and then let him decide for himself.

4. Avoid the use of the word "wrong". It may develop a guilt complex. This will condition him to believe later when he is arrested for stealing a car that society is against him and he is being persecuted.

5. Pick up anything he leaves lying around - books, shoes, clothing. Do everything for him so he will be experienced in throwing responsibility onto others.

6. Let him read any printed matter he can get his hands on. Be careful the silverware and drinking glasses are sterilized but let his mind feed on garbage.

7. Quarrel frequently in the presence of the children. Then they won't be too shocked when the home is broken up.

8. Give the child all the spending money he wants. Never let him earn his own. Why should he have things as tough as you had them?

9. Satisfy his every craving for food, drink, and comfort. See that every desire is satisfied. Denial may lead to harmful frustrations.

10. Take his part against the neighbors, teachers and policemen. They are all prejudiced against your child.

11. When he gets into real trouble, apologize for yourselves by saying, "I never could do anything with him."

12. Prepare for a life of grief - you will have it.

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not

depart from it, Proverbs 22:6.

REFERENCE

"How to Raise a Crook", BATTLE CRY, Chick Publications, P.O. Box 662, Chino, California 91710.