Satan: The Defeated Foe. Kenneth B. Alexander BSL, JD, Deacon
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Название: Satan: The Defeated Foe
Автор: Kenneth B. Alexander BSL, JD, Deacon
Издательство: Ingram
Жанр: Дом и Семья: прочее
isbn: 9781456612139
isbn:
God not only covenanted with Abraham in Cannon land but Abraham also faced evil from the surrounding nations. These Canaanite nations were descendants of Han and his son Cannon through whom the seed of evil had survived the flood. They would eventually be conquered by Joshua and David centuries later. But in Abraham’s time war broke out between the tribes which ultimately resulted in the kidnapping of Lot (Abraham’s nephew). “And when Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people” (Gen 14:14-16). Abraham was widely outnumbered in this battle but prevailed nonetheless. He had divided his army and attacked on two fronts at night assuring victory.
Following the battle Abraham was met by the mysterious figure of Melchizedek king of Salem who said to Abraham: “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” So Abraham, recognizing Melchizedek to be a priest higher than he, gave him a tenth of all the spoils of victory. (Gen 14:19-20). He refused to take any of the spoils of his victory from the King of Sodom saying: “I have sworn to the Lord God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth, that I will not take a thread or a sandal thong or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich” (Gen 14:22-23).
To show how far evil had progressed in the land following the flood, there were two cities near the bank of the Dead Sea called Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham had defended Sodom in the war mentioned above. However two angels came to Abram and gave him a message from God saying: “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. “I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know” (Gen 18:20-21). “Then the men [angels] turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the Lord” (Gen 18:22). Abraham then began bargaining with the Lord saying that if there were 50 righteous men in the city would god spare it and God said yes. Abraham reduced the number to 10 and God said if there were 10 righteousness men in the cities he would withhold His hand. However the angels made their way to the cities and apparently they did not find even 10 righteous men. Lot lived in Sodom with his family. So show how evil the city was: The angels stayed with Lot in his house. Then: “Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; and they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them” (Gen 19:4-5). Lot purposed to send his virgin daughters out to them but the angels struck the crown blind and into confusion.
“And when morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters, [the prospective sons-in-law living in the house refused to go] who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” But Lot hesitated. So the men seized his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, for the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out, and put him outside the city. And it came about when they had brought them outside, that one said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, lest you be swept away” (Gen 19:15-18). Lot and his daughters made their way to Zoar in the mountains.
“The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and the entire valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But Lot’s wife, from behind him, looked back; and she became a pillar of salt for disobeying god’s order. Now Abraham arose early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before the Lord; and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the valley, and he saw, and behold the smoke of the land ascended like the smoke of a furnace. Thus it came about, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived” (Gen 19:23-29). If there had been just 10 righteous men in the city the destruction would have been averted, which shows the extent of the Satanic evil that had grown just since the flood.
In Zoar, where Lot had fled with his daughters, even more evil was prorogated by his daughters. Both daughters, feeling there were no men available to continue their family, did the following: “So they made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger arose and lay with him; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. And the first-born bore a son, and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. And as for the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi; he is the father of the sons of Ammon to this day” (Gen 19:35-38). So through this incestuous relationship were born more Satanic enemies of Israel--Moab and Ammon.
The covenants of Abraham are more important than the Levitical Law received by Moses. The Law was brought so mankind could know what sin was and how they were falling short. As Paul said; “But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Gal 3:23-25). Faith came through Abraham and Christ.
It is for believers to “imitate,” Abraham who received oaths from God, the promise that assured the multiplication of his seed from Jews and gentiles alike. In due time his patience was rewarded in that he (lit.) “received the promise.” Since the reference is to the promise given in Genesis 22:17 after the offering of Isaac, the author may have been thinking of the reception of the promise itself as the reward. In that case the idea is that after Abraham had patiently endured (the test involving Isaac), he obtained the promise. Waiting patiently translates the participle makrothymēsas, related to the noun “patience,” makrothymias in Hebrews 6:12, 6:16-18. At this point Abraham is left behind as a model and the oath made to him is treated as for the benefit of Christians generally. That the promise of Genesis 22:18 had Messianic aspects is clear from these words: “Through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed.” Then the author of Hebrews affirmed that the Messianic hope which the promise entailed was sure, not only to Abraham, but also to the Christian heirs of what was promised. As in human affairs an oath puts an end to all arguments, so too there can be no argument about this expectation since God confirmed it with an oath. If anyone, such as a sectarian, denied this eschatological anticipation, he was flying in the face of the strongest possible divine guarantee. Not only was it impossible for God to lie, but His ever truthful Word was supported in this case by His oath. These are the two unchangeable things, which encourage those who take hold of the hope. The oaths guaranteed by God, conditioned by the people’s obedience, are as sure today as they were in Abraham’s time. The promised by God were eternal and neither obedient believers nor Satan could violate them. The oaths override any law and Christ and the Holy Spirit are further guarantees of its integrity in all cases.
Satan the Religious Spirit
One surprisingly hidden aspect of Satan’s moving and nature is that he is a religious spirit. He creates and hides beneath religion as a way of effectively spreading lies about God and Christ. The Apostle Paul defined him as such. In Colossians 2:16-23 Paul condemned those who were infiltrating the churches with doctrines different from those of the freedom taught by Christ. Many of these infiltrators proposed legalistic doctrines according to the Law such as circumcision, СКАЧАТЬ