The Forgotten Father and Why We Need To Remember HIM.
This piece is being written from my point of view of the Bible being the authentic, perfect and final word of GOD. There’s plenty of evidence to prove this – documentation, archaeological findings, fulfilled prophecies, and even many hard copy eye witness statements and testimonies that prove the life and miracles of Jesus (including his resurrection 3 days after the crucifixion) which pre-date even the four Gospels. In fact, there is more documented proof about the Bible and Jesus than most of today’s highly recognized authors, inventors and literature which sadly is neglected by Bible bashers for some reason. If the Bible was a big conspiracy, why would the apostles struggle through so many hardships and knowingly enter a guaranteed painful, shameful and early death with no material gain?
Speaking of famous books, have you noticed what’s usually in the best sellers section of book stores (both online and in actual stores)? Self-help. This ‘new age’ phenomenon of finding inner peace, inner spirituality and your so called ‘inner God’ is rampant in today’s world. Our Earth in 2022, which we all think is the pinnacle of advancement and futuristic innovation actually (funnily enough) reminds me of a time long ago in the Old Testament. Let’s explore Genesis 11 to try and shed some light on what I just said before we move into my view point and further examples from personal experience.
“Genesis 11:1-9, KJV
1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.
4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.
6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.”
9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.”
So these were the generations of Noah’s sons who spread across the Earth by GOD’s command to go forth and multiply for GOD had established a covenant with them. They were all of one language in their own, by GOD’s grace, prospering nations when they ventured out east and found a plain in the land of Shinar (located in Babylon, currently the Iraq area) and decided to build a great city and a great tower. GOD then came down and put different languages into their mouths and spread them across the nations.
Now, why would GOD do that? Human kind was united in one voice, one goal and one accord – isn’t that what we all aim for? The two important words here to keep in mind are ‘pride’ and ‘intention’. I intentionally left out a part of verse 4 while I was summarizing above “whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth”. This group of people attempted to build an incredibly tall tower to symbolize their ‘inner power, ‘inner strength’, ‘inner glory’ and ‘inner Godliness’. If these men were in today’s world, they would have been top selling authors of the famous self-help book ‘Building Your Own Tower of Glory’ or something of that sort.
Another part of the verse is “and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth”. This group of men clearly defied GOD’s plans – GOD wanted them to spread, divide the nations and tongues and continue to glorify GOD for HE had set HIS new covenant with them (Genesis 9) but they did not have faith in the LORD and built this tower “lest (in case) we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth”. Instead of building a tower to glorify GOD, they built it as a guarantee in case GOD carries out his plans. Earlier I asked ‘why would GOD scatter everyone?’ but after reading this I ask ‘why wouldn’t GOD scatter everyone?’
We need to realize how blessed we are to have the Gospel (New Testament). If these men of Babylon had it, the whole ordeal could have been avoided with one verse – “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, KJV). Whatever we do must be ‘good’ (i.e. with his loving qualities) and done to glorify HIM – not to glorify our pride and name.
Another point that goes hand in hand with today’s ‘self-help’ way of life is religious secularism. This is the act of taking GOD out of the equation when seeking peace and direction.
Very similar to ‘self-help’, most of today’s world seeks peace with worldly things. Let me give you an example of how ‘self-help’ and religious secularism exists is today’s world with a conversation I had with a new friend – this friend of mine is a Hindu who is a strong follower of a particular world famous Guru (I won’t be naming this Guru to help everyone focus on the point rather than the person). Now this Guru in one of his sessions mentioned the power of the sound of water and how it affects the human mind with examples of people wanting to jump off a bridge but decided against it after finding peace in the sound of the river flowing below. In other words, he urged everyone to rely on the sound of water to help alleviate stress and other problems in your daily life.
As a result, this friend of mine bought a mini electric waterfall for her apartment in order to follow this teaching and it got me thinking – what if the electricity runs out? What if there’s a drought? What if the waterfall breaks down?
The point of this little example is that the same applies to anything that is worldly (is separated from GOD). Listening to calming sounds of nature on your iPod or any other device can be stopped by a power outage, drawing energy from the sun can be stopped by a cloudy day, the sound of birds chirping can be stopped by bad weather, yoga can be stopped by a muscle injury, talking to your friends can be stopped by an argument or a difference in time zones – I can go on and on about every self-help technique for getting rid of stress but the one thing I cannot argue against is 1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your care (anxiety) upon him; for he careth for you.” This is a fool proof technique because GOD is always with you in good and bad times, regardless of the weather, the electricity or the time and HE shall never forsake you. https://www.openbible.info/topics/i_will_never_leave_you_nor_forsake_you
“Matthew 6:24-34, KJV
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
Those verses perfectly explain why we all should get rid of this ‘self-help’ mentality because anything and everything can and will perish at some point but the LORD will never leave you and only HE can give you life both in this world and the next. Only HE is permanent while everything else is just temporary and can leave you in a second without any notice. Only HE is true, only HE is honest and does not cover up your faults with lies - HE might hurt you with the truth but will always bring you up to heights you could never imagine. Who better to help us than HE who created us in mind, body and spirit? HE who knows even the number of hairs on our head?
Self-help? ‘which one of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?’ we cannot control our destiny because there are a large number of uncontrollable factors, we did not even create ourselves, choose our looks, our family, our environment growing up; we didn’t even choose our own names! How can we expect to help ourselves without our Father in heaven?
The only ‘self-help’ books we need are the Word of GOD itself and more literature based on the Word of GOD to help enhance our understanding so that we can build a relationship with HIM where HE carries YOUR cross on HIS shoulders.