The Snowball Effect- Genesis 13 & 19

(Using The Father of Israel: Trusting God's Promises by John MacArthur)

If you read Genesis 13, you will find that Abram and his nephew Lot are having some problems. They are both wealthy men whose people are starting to quarrel over resources. Abram, being a man of God, offers a choice to his nephew Lot. Let's not fight, my nephew.  Lot, take a look at this land. You choose where you want to go. If you go left, I'll go right.  Abram unselfishly offered his nephew first choice. We see that Lot took complete advantage of the situation.

And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley. Thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley, and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord. Genesis 13: 10-13 (ESV)

Lot's choice would have an impact on his family and eventually on the nations of the area for years to come. Lot choose the world over God. He moved towards Sodom. In Genesis 19:1, it says, "Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom." This would imply that Lot was member of the elders, a man of authority in Sodom. We find in the same chapter that Lot had a house in Sodom as well. Lot had slowly become a part of a society that was so corrupted that God would wipe it off the face of the Earth.  Still Lot is accounted as righteous in the new testament, and in Genesis 19 he protects the two angels who came to Sodom form the crowd of men which desired to sexually assault him. Lot had made choices that would have long range effects. Though God intercedes for him and his family to get them out of Sodom before the destruction, Lot looses his wealth, his wife, commits incest with his daughters, and fathers two people groups who would war with Abraham's descendants and cause them great suffering. Actions have a way of snowballing out of our control. 

On the other hand, Abram takes the less desirable land which leads him far from the sin of Sodom. He continues to dwell in service to God even though like all men he would stumble from time to time. Because he was not selfish and choose the things of this world but instead to choose to rely on God's faithfulness, Abram becomes the father of the line that leads to Jesus Christ. Through JC the whole world is affected by Abram's actions.

What we see is that our actions can have far reaching impact in the lives of others. We have been warned in the Bible not to love the things of the world though we are in the world.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions- is not from the Father but is from the world. And world is passing along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. I John 2:15-17 (ESV)

It is important that when we are faced with choices that we remember that the path to a life of sin begins with a small step, a single compromise. Its like the Casting Crowns song Slow Fade,

It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray 
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

I am reminded of what God said to Cain earlier in Genesis.

"...And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." Genesis 4:7 (ESV)

Sin is waiting to pounce on our lives like an animal on the hunt. I have three cats and you can tell when they are about to pounce on each other. They pull their legs into position, and all their muscles tense up. Then like a gunshot they are off to pounce on what they think is their unsuspecting prey. That is not always the case though. If the other cat was on guard, then they either escape or defend themselves from the attacker. We have to be on guard against the sin that is crouching ready to pounce on us. We are encouraged to do so.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewel of your mind, that by testing you may discern the will of God, what is good and acceptable, and perfect. Romans 12:2 (ESV)

Keep your heart with all vigilance for from it flows the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23 (ESV)

In Ephesians 6:10-18, we are called to put on the armor of God in preparation for our battle with sin.

Keep in mind that sin has a Snowball Effect. We are not islands in the sea of life, but we are bound together like the blocks of a Jenga (I am sure this trademarked and I most certainly do not own it) game. Choose the wrong block and the whole tower comes crumbling down. We may only touch a few lives, but those lives touch other lives and on and on. Yet like Abram, when we make the right choices that also effects the people around us. Ultimately you have to decide which snow to make your snowball out of- the yellow snow or the white snow.

Gloat or Cover?

As I look back over the last few weeks study of Genesis, I am taking a deeper look at each of the characters that have been presented (Using- Before Abraham: Creation, Sin, and the Nature of God by John MacArthur) in these early chapters. Today, I study about the sons of Noah- Shem, Japheth, and Ham.

We don't seem much of them until after the flood. All that is noted before that is that they and their wives got on the ark. So we know they had experienced the divine intervention of God through their father's obedience. 

Genesis 9 pick up the story after the flood. For the first time, we are shown a shameful moment in Noah's life.

Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. He drank the wine, and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. Genesis 9:20-21 (ESV)

Noah got drunk, and then he got naked.  Noah was a man who walked with God, but like all men he was a sinner when he took his eyes off of God. What we see next in the story are two different responses when we witness the sin of others. The first is Ham's response to his father's sin and shame.

And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside.  Genesis 9:22 (ESV)

What was Ham's knee jerk reactions? To run and tell his brother's. Ham did not try to cover up his father's, but went to gossip about it with others. He gloated over his father sin. How often is this our response to someone's sin and shame? We like to spread about other's mistakes.  We love gossip. How do I know? Ever seen those magazines by the cash registers at Walmart, Kroger, etc. We feed off other people's shame and sin. In our own relationships we are just as guilty. When someone tells us something or we catch someone doing something wrong we can't wait to text, call, tweet, facebook it to someone else.

However, God does not expect us to have this kind of response so we are shown what godly people do when they are made aware of someone else's shame. 

Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Genesis 9:23 (ESV)

These two brothers made aware of their father's shame, don't run and tell anyone. They immediately devise a plan to cover his shame. In fact, they are so caring that they walk backwards so as not to even look on it. What love they showed their father that day! We demonstrate love when we cover another's sin.

Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends. Proverbs 17:9 (ESV)

What does it mean to cover someone's shame? Does it mean we ignore it? Absolutely not! However, we do not go spreading someone's shame to everyone we meet. We are to seek to bring restoration to a person who has sinned.

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Galatians 6:1 (ESV)

But how exactly do you go about doing that...Don't worry the Bible provides an answer.

If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. Matthew 18:15 (ESV)

STEP ONE: Go and talk to the person alone! Don't take your posse or a group. Don't blab it about! Go and deal with this person in person, but remember you are there to help restore not to tear down.

But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. Matthew 18:16 (ESV)

STEP TWO: Get some witnesses who can back up what you are saying and let them talk to the person. Find people who already know about it. People who like you understand that the point is trying to bring them restoration. DON'T BLAB IT TO EVERYONE! This requires a great deal of discretion and discernment to decide who to approach about it.

If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Matthew 18:17 (ESV)

STEP THREE: Tell the church. This could be a minister, leader,  or other christians in the church. We still aren't blabbing it to everyone. We are diligently seeking restoration. Thus we are going to our brothers and sisters in Christ to speak with them.

If steps one through three fail, God reminds us that sometimes this will happen and that we should let them be set away from us. Jesus is talking to the Jews in this passage. They did not associate with Gentiles and tax collectors. So basically, Jesus is saying shake the dust from your sandals and step away from that person. Why? Because you must keep yourself, lest you be tempted. Ancillary to this is  that you still aren't going about and spreading gossip. You are walking away from the situation knowing you have tried according to the word of God to help restore this person.

My challenge both to myself and to anyone who is reading this is to start covering the sins of others. Don't be another link on the gossip chain. Seek to restore those who have fallen out of God's will. It's time to live a life that demonstrates the love of Christ which covered all our sins with his perfect sacrifice.