Self destruction

[unobtrusive]

“And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed.” (Isaiah 1:28)

“Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.” (Hosea 7:13)

“Destruction and misery are in their ways:” (Romans 3:16)

“Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none.” (Ezekiel 7:25)

“For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:3)

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:” (Matthew 7:13)

“Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.” (Lamentations 3:48)

1 KINGS 22:23."The Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets."

This chapter tells us not merely how Ahab was tempted, and how we are tempted today. With every willful sin that we commit, we give room to the devil. Every wrong step that we take knowingly, we give a handle to some evil spirit to lead us seven more steps to increase the original wrongdoing.

The text of 1 Kings, chapter 22, is awful, giving us insight to the consequences of succumbing to “temptation,” yet it is also a comforting chapter. It shows us how God is long-suffering and merciful, even to the most hardened sinner and how good and evil are to be seen, to choose between them, and warns us to the end, and which one leads to ruin.

Sometimes, neither God's curse nor God's mercy seem to have moved us in any direction, because we are "stiffnecked" and "uncircumcised" in heart, despite what we say to others about what we beleive. People have deserted the true God, placing idolatrous priorities in their lives according to what they desire, refusing be taught or understand God's threats or mercies when they can be clearly seen.

 

[Dan_473]

reminds me of this passage
Jer 28:7 Nevertheless hear you now this word that I speak in your ears, and in the ears of all the people: 8 The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. 9 The prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet shall happen, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord has truly sent him.

 

[unobtrusive]

reminds me of this passage
Jer 28:7 Nevertheless hear you now this word that I speak in your ears, and in the ears of all the people: 8 The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. 9 The prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet shall happen, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord has truly sent him.

Good point! Good verse! Waite for the outcome to be true or false by making our judgement according to the Word of God. Amen brother.

 

[unobtrusive]

God has consulted false teachers, but they don’t care whether what they said is true or not, so the Lord puts a lying spirit into their mouths. Most of the time it’s all for the money, and/or the popularity of being acceptable by those that listen to them. This practice gives place to the devil. A spirit of lies seizes them, and they who began by lying, because it paid them, now can’t help lying whether it pays them or not. They must not perjure themselves by repentance from previous falsehoods, knowing the people will reject them because they tell the truth with the exception of truth sounding pleasant to the listeners ears.

End result, a willful sinner, a fool and a coward, afraid to look at things as they are, and when God's judgments stare him in the face, he shuts his eyes tight, and swears that the evil is not there, just because he does not choose to see it.

But the evil is there, and it will find him. "And there came forth a spirit, and said, I will go forth, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And the Lord said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now therefore, behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee.”
(1 Kings 22:21-23)

And yet in every temptation God gives us a fair chance. He isn’t a cruel tyrant who will deliver us over to the devil, to be led helpless to our ruin. Nevertheless, there is no excuse for following our own pride straight to destruction.

"Let no man say, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God tempteth no man, but every one is tempted when he is led away by his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:13-15)

 

[Depleted]

“And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed.” (Isaiah 1:28)

“Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.” (Hosea 7:13)

“Destruction and misery are in their ways:” (Romans 3:16)

“Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none.” (Ezekiel 7:25)

“For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:3)

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:” (Matthew 7:13)

“Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.” (Lamentations 3:48)

1 KINGS 22:23."The Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets."

This chapter tells us not merely how Ahab was tempted, and how we are tempted today. With every willful sin that we commit, we give room to the devil. Every wrong step that we take knowingly, we give a handle to some evil spirit to lead us seven more steps to increase the original wrongdoing.

The text of 1 Kings, chapter 22, is awful, giving us insight to the consequences of succumbing to “temptation,” yet it is also a comforting chapter. It shows us how God is long-suffering and merciful, even to the most hardened sinner and how good and evil are to be seen, to choose between them, and warns us to the end, and which one leads to ruin.

Sometimes, neither God's curse nor God's mercy seem to have moved us in any direction, because we are "stiffnecked" and "uncircumcised" in heart, despite what we say to others about what we beleive. People have deserted the true God, placing idolatrous priorities in their lives according to what they desire, refusing be taught or understand God's threats or mercies when they can be clearly seen.

You titled this "self-destruction," but all I see is God at work in both directions. As far as I know, God is not self.

I think it would be wise to realize God is sovereign and we are not.

 

[unobtrusive]

You titled this "self-destruction," but all I see is God at work in both directions. As far as I know, God is not self.

I think it would be wise to realize God is sovereign and we are not.

Ahab didn't want to acknowledge the truth of the Lord, and because of that destroyed himself despite the merciful warnings of God. The epitome of self destruction is knowing and still refusing. And then God turns them over to a reprobate mind according to Romans chapter 1.

1 Kings 22:11-18
[SUP]15 [/SUP]When he came to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?” And he answered him, “Go up and succeed, and the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”

This of course was facetious because Ahab wanted to hear good things according to his desire. Continuing...

[SUP]16 [/SUP]Then the king said to him, “How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?”
[SUP]17 [/SUP]So he said, (being honest according to the truth)
“I saw all Israel Scattered on the mountains, Like sheep which have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master. Let each of them return to his house in peace.’”
[SUP]18 [/SUP]Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?”

skipping on to Verses 34-37 we see a desire that was not according to the truth, and the self destruction that followed...
[SUP]
34 [/SUP]Now a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel in a joint of the armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the fight; for I am severely wounded.” [SUP]
35 [/SUP]The battle raged that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot in front of the Arameans, and died at evening, and the blood from the wound ran into the bottom of the chariot.
[SUP]36 [/SUP]Then a cry passed throughout the army close to sunset, saying, “Every man to his city and every man to his country.” [SUP]
37 [/SUP]So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried the king in Samaria.

When we demand to hear only what we like to hear, then we are in serious trouble.

 

[unobtrusive]

What entices us to sin is the lust of believing what is pleasant to us, what suits our own self-will.
Does God leave us alone to listen to those evil voices without warning? No! He sends His complete Word to us, telling us that the wages of sin is death, and what you sow you will aslo reap, and sets before us at every turn good or evil, that we may choose between them, and live or die according to our choice.

Is not the “entire” Bible a prophet? Is not every page in it a prophecy to us, foretelling God's mercies and God's punishments towards men, expounding to us God's laws, foretelling to us God's opinions of our deeds, both good and evil, showing us what is righteous, noble, pure, and Godly? “Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:5-7)

Try the spirits and know whether your own thoughts, and what you believe are speaking to you God's truth, or some lying spirit's falsehood. If your thoughts and doctrine are not according to the entire word of God, there is no truth in them. (1 John 4:1-2)

A fleshly carnal person who sees some of the Bible as only historical physical facts without spiritual understanding only cares about pleasing himself. He goes to the Bible, filled with conceit and selfishness, wanting the Bible to tell him only what he likes to hear, and wrestles the Scripture to his own destruction. “they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” (2 Peter 3:16b)

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)