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Because of the very difference in their lives, bloodthirsty men hate those who are upright.

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Sunday, August 3rd


Today's Daily Verse is found in Proverbs 29.10

"The bloodthirsty hate the blameless man, but the upright care for and seek [to save] his life." Amplified version


The sin of Adam and Eve introduced man into evil.

Genesis 3.5 "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil and blessing and calamity"

And within one single generation, man's behavior down-graded to this...

Cain kills Abel...

Genesis 4.5-8

"But for Cain and his offering He had no respect or regard. So Cain was exceedingly angry and indignant, and he looked sad and depressed.

6 And the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why do you look sad and depressed and dejected?

7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.

8 And Cain said to his brother, Let us go out to the field. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.


Of course, the question is - why did he do it?

1 John 3.12 Amplified version  tells us...

"[And] not be like Cain who [took his nature and got his motivation] from the evil one and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his deeds (activities, works) were wicked and malicious and his brother’s were righteous (virtuous).


Ever since that same motivation Proverbs 29.27 is in play...

"An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, and he who is upright in the way [of the Lord] is an abomination to the wicked."

That's why they hated Jesus so much!

Acts 7.52 " Which of the prophets did your forefathers not persecute? And they slew those who proclaimed beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, Whom you now have betrayed and murdered.."

Matthew 5.11-12 "Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous - with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of your outward conditions) are you when people revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you falsely on My account.

12 Be glad and supremely joyful, for your reward in heaven is great (strong and intense), for in this same way people persecuted the prophets who were before you."


The evil malice is real...

Evil malice against the righteous

Martyrs burned at the stake!


No satisfying the hatred of the righteous

Hebrews 11.36-37

36 "Others had to suffer the trial of mocking and scourging and even chains and imprisonment.

37 They were stoned to death; they were lured with tempting offers [to renounce their faith]; they were sawn asunder; they were slaughtered by the sword; [while they were alive] they had to go about wrapped in the skins of sheep and goats, utterly destitute, oppressed, cruelly treated -"

There is a "built-in" hatred against the righteous... "the bloodthirsty hate the upright" Recognize it. Be ready to deal with "inherent" opposition. because of your faith in Jesus Christ, and the righteousness He brings into your life...


How bad will it get?

Revelation 17.6

" I also saw that the woman was drunk, [drunk] with the blood of the saints (God’s people) and the blood of the martyrs [who witnessed] for Jesus. And when I saw her, I was utterly amazed and wondered greatly."

The fierce elements of cruelty still lie in slumbering concealment.

The same bloodthirsty hatred that caused Cain to kill Abel is still here in the earth...


Why the hatred?

  • Because darkness cannot endure the light of godliness. It drives the enemies of GOD crazy...
  • This applies to how people react privately in family and in business, politically, and publicly in community discourse.
  • Don't think it strange! It's an underlying cause and effect

Look at Noah's faith and obedience... it drove the unbelieving world wild!

Hebrews 11.7

" It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith."


Ahab

1 Kings 21.20

“So, my enemy, you have found me!” Ahab exclaimed to Elijah.

“Yes,” Elijah answered, “I have come because you have sold yourself to what is evil in the Lord’s sight.

1 Kings 22.8

"The king of Israel replied to Jehoshaphat, “There is one more man who could consult the Lord for us, but I hate him. He never prophesies anything but trouble for me! His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.”

Jehoshaphat replied, “That’s not the way a king should talk! Let’s hear what he has to say.”


The second part of this verse reads... "but the just seek his soul"

  • Instead of killing, they want to intervene, and save...

Saul tried to murder David...


1 Samuel 18.11

"The very next day a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave in his house like a madman. David was playing the harp, as he did each day. But Saul had a spear in his hand, 11 and he suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David escaped him twice."

1 Samuel 18.1-4

"After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. 2 From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home. 3 And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. 4 Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt."


Jezebel tries to destroy the prophets...


1 Kings 18.1-4

" Later on, in the third year of the drought, the Lord said to Elijah, “Go and present yourself to King Ahab. Tell him that I will soon send rain!” 2 So Elijah went to appear before Ahab.



Meanwhile, the famine had become very severe in Samaria. 3 So Ahab summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of the palace. (Obadiah was a devoted follower of the Lord. 4 Once when Jezebel had tried to kill all the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had hidden 100 of them in two caves. He put fifty prophets in each cave and supplied them with food and water.)


Jeremiah's life saved...



Jeremiah 38.1-13

"Now Shephatiah heard what Jeremiah had been telling the people. He had been saying, 2 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who surrender to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be life. They will live!’ 3 The Lord also says: ‘The city of Jerusalem will certainly be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon, who will capture it.’”

So these officials went to the king and said, “Sir, this man must die! That kind of talk will undermine the morale of the few fighting men we have left, as well as that of all the people. This man is a traitor!”

5 King Zedekiah agreed. “All right,” he said. “Do as you like. I can’t stop you.”

So the officials took Jeremiah from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard. It belonged to Malkijah, a member of the royal family. There was no water in the cistern, but there was a thick layer of mud at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank down into it.

But Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an important court official, heard that Jeremiah was in the cistern. At that time the king was holding court at the Benjamin Gate, 8 so Ebed-melech rushed from the palace to speak with him. 9 “My lord the king,” he said, “these men have done a very evil thing in putting Jeremiah the prophet into the cistern. He will soon die of hunger, for almost all the bread in the city is gone.”

10 So the king told Ebed-melech, “Take thirty of my men with you, and pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies.”

11 So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to a room in the palace beneath the treasury, where he found some old rags and discarded clothing. He carried these to the cistern and lowered them to Jeremiah on a rope. 12 Ebed-melech called down to Jeremiah, “Put these rags under your armpits to protect you from the ropes.” Then when Jeremiah was ready, they pulled him out. So Jeremiah was returned to the courtyard of the guard—the palace prison—where he remained.


What a life of conflict is this world of sin!

  • Always be ready to help one of GOD's servants
  • Be fellow-workers with GOD Himself

It turns out OK in the end...


See you tomorrow...

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Making Better Thought-Movies One Truth At A Time

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