05/06/13

Woe unto the Cherethites, Canaanites and Philistines

Zephaniah 2:5 - Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.


The Cherethites were among the bodyguards of David yet we read the Lord saying they would perish and it will be the Lord who will destroy them.

To understand today's message we need to get into word study understanding the meaning of the Hebrew word and their root meaning.

Cherethites means executioners
Canaanites means lowland, it comes from the root word being humble
Philistine means immigrants

Cherethites:-
There are people who work for God's Kingdom like the Chererites worked for David. These people may be great in the doing God's work, but they like the Chererites are hired men. They work not for the purpose of the Kingdom of God but work for the worldly blessings of the Kingdom of God. They are the prosperity preachers.

Canaanites:-
It may surprise many when I state God hates humble people. I state this because when God says humble it is not the humble what worldly people understand. God hates people who think nothing of themselves or consider themselves as doormats for others. This is not the humility God speaks of.

In Philippians 2:3 the word translated as 'lowliness of mind' actually means not to think little of one's self but to be aware of the lacking. We are called to be realist of what we have and what we do not have. Think we have or are that we do not have or are not is called pride or boastful. The words 'let each esteem other better than themselves' does not mean to think of others being better than them but actually means to make others better than them.

A humble person is a person who knows that he or she knows partly and understands that God builds His people gradually and reveals things gradually. Everything God has set for us but as we grow in Him we receive and God does it so that we do not perish.

God did not allow steps to be built to enter the tabernacle so that the nakedness of man is not revealed. God is not man to see the nakedness like a man does. God is spirit and clothes do not hide anything from Him. God knows man is weak and sudden growth or sudden abundant blessing exposes the carnal nature / nakedness of man. That is why blessed is the man whom the Lord gradually builds.

Philistines:-
These are people who are Christians because of reasons like they were born in a Christian family, or people around them converted them or convinced them to be Christians and reasons like that. They are not Christians who have taken refuge in the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation; they are not Christians because they have not had an encounter with the Lord; they are Christians who do not know the meaning of the Cross of Christ and think it is either a symbol or suffering which the Lord wants them to endure in their life; they are not Christians who have founded their faith on the Word of God but on things like traditions or words of man. The moment someone promises them a better life (even social) or prospects in another religion they would not hesitate to cease being 'Christian'.

God is warning in today's message such people, who are Cherethites, Canaanites and Philistines would be consumed by Him. Let us be people who have a relationship with the Lord, knowing who He is and who we are in Him, people of faith who have a strong foundation on Truth which is the Word of God, people who know without God it is vanity and there no life far from Him.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, we pray for people who give more value to things of this world and sacrifice the rewards of the Kingdom of God for the rewards of this world. Lord, we prayer all those people who have a wrong understanding of humility may know who they are in You. That they reach out to others to build others better than themselves, that they know the real meaning of giving and blessing others. Lord we also pray that your people have a firm foundation build on the Truth and your Spirit. That they not be shaken or destroyed when tribulation or temptation comes...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
Philippians 2:3 - Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-5
3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

Matthew 7:29 - For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Luke 9:1 - Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

2 Corinthians 10:8 - For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)