CONSEQUENCES OF ANGER

 

49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.  2 “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.

 

Lesson One:  Jacob called his sons together for what would be his last speech.  This was his last will and testament.  In this speech he would reveal the prophetic future of his sons.  Now this was based on three things.  First, Jacob was a prophet in his own right.  He had a powerful relationship with God and had many spiritual experiences.  Secondly, he knew the characteristics of his sons.  Thirdly, he was aware of the decisions his sons had made.  These all were factors in this series we will begin today.  Jacob encourages his boys to listen.  Like all families even godly ones we can be affected by the choices we make.  You can choose your actions, or you can choose your consequences, but you can’t choose both.  The reason I love these series we have been doing is because these are real people making real choices will real consequences.  Gal 6:8 states that God is not mocked whatever we sow we will reap.  Our choices do not just affect ourselves but also others.  Never believe a person who says they have the right to do what they want.  That is a foolish and selfish statement.  What we do affects others.  Reba McIntyre decided to take a bus to one of her concerts because she was not feeling well and her band flew.  They were all killed.  We can choose to drink and drive.  We can choose to spend or save.  We can choose be single or get married.  All the choices we make have consequences.  The beautiful thing is as a Christian we have divine help, guidance, wisdom and direction.  You are not alone.

 

Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength, excelling in honor, excelling in power. 4 Turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel, for you went up onto your father’s bed,

onto my couch and defiled it.

 

Lessons Two:   Rueben was Jacob’s firstborn.  He was first sign of my strength.  He was a man excelling in honor and power.  He was everything a father wanted in a son.  He had character, morality, spirituality and godliness.  Yet he was also turbulent inside.  There was a battle going on inside.  Now we all face internal battles.  What we do when we are alone is the real us.  Beneath the outward appearance of honor and power was an inward battle.  The battle was one of lust.  Rueben one day slept with Bilhah Jacob’s concubine.  He committed incest. The result was he no longer would excel.  There are always consequences to adultery.  One man said when a man commits adultery the wife closes is account.  In Reuben’s case he lost the right of the firstborn.  This was given to Joseph.  He always lost the kingly line which was the right of the firstborn to Judah.  Jesus should have come from Reuben but because of this act of incest Reuben lost this blessing.  How many Christians have lost the blessing of God because of sexual sin.  The way to overcome the inward battle is first of all recognize you have it.  Refuse to give in to it.  Seek the help and counsel of others.  Pray, read and apply the bible.  Make yourself accountable to someone.  This is called having an accountability partner.  Keep as a strong relationship with God and avoid situations where you will be tempted.  Reuben lost so much because of this and we can as well.  Now he still had the blessing of being a powerful tribe later but for him it affected his future and those of his descendants.  I can see Reuben head hanging down as His sin has been exposed.  That which may have been rumor has now been revealed.  What we do in secret will be shown.  That is what happened in the 80’s with different tele-evangelists.

 

“Simeon and Levi are brothers, their swords are weapons of violence.  6 Let me not enter their council,

 let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.  7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel!  I will scatter them in Jacob

and disperse them in Israel.

 

Lesson Three:  Jacob then looks at Simeon and Levi.  They are brothers of violence.  They killed men in anger.  This stemmed from the defilement of Dinah by Shechem in Gen 34.   In Retaliation Simeon and Levi killed all the men of the city and took all the wealth of the community.  Their justification was that honor was at stake.  Even though there has been an agreement of peace between Jacob and the people of that community.  Jacob says, I will not enter their council or join their assembly.  He states here publicly that he did not agree or condone what they did.  They killed men in anger and used that as a justification or reason to do as they please.  Anger does not give you’re the right to do as you please.  Paul says in Eph 4:26, says be angry and sin not.  James tells us the secret to avoid anger is to listen, be slow to speak and slow to anger.  Communication is the key. 

      Jacob says that fierce anger is a curse.  It is cruel and vengeful.   North American example was the feud between the Hatfield’s and McCoys with more than a dozen killed.  The biker wars in Quebec with 150 lives.  Levi and Simeon were cursed because of their anger.  Not a good testimony for those boys standing there.  Here are some ways to deal with anger if it flairs up.

 

Think before you speak. In the heat of the moment, it's easy to say something you'll later regret. ...

Once you're calm, express your anger. ...

Get some exercise. ...

Take a timeout. ...

Identify possible solutions. ...

Stick with 'I' statements. ...

Don't hold a grudge. ...

Use humor to release tension.

Pray and ask God to give answers through the Bible.

 

    The results were they were scattered among Israel.  When the land was allotted during Joshua’s time Levi got cities but never a homeland and Simeon was given land but within Judah.  Now important lesson is this just because we do something wrong it does not mean we lose our inheritance but it does affect our legacy.  Levi got the priesthood through Moses and Simeon became a great tribe but they loss so much by their anger.  They were publicly called out here.  They loss their potential because of anger they thought was justified.  Just a little final lesson here.  Just because you think your anger is justified does not always means it is.  Also make sure the response is equal to the offense.  Make sure you motives for reaction are just.  Don’t go overboard.  Look for solutions, walk in forgiveness and love.  Close with, “The power of forgiveness. (Youtube).”