BREAKING THE POWER OF HOUSEHOLD WICKEDNESS
Study Texts: Daniel 6: 1 – 5, Micah 7:5-8, Mat 10:36
- Household enemies range from a wicked husband or wife to a greedy step-mother, an envious brother, an uncle or aunty who does not want your mother or father’s children to do better than his or hers, or a colleague in the office, a wicked house help etc.
- It takes someone close to lift you or drown you. If the people at home don’t sell you, those outside won’t buy you.
- Household enemies are more dangerous because you are usually less cautious with them. You usually have no problem dealing with known enemies. But you lower your guards at home because you believe you are in the midst of people who love and care for you.
- We shall look at the study under three Sub-headings:
1. The Cases of Household Wickedness
2. The Classes of Household Wickedness
3. The Causes of Household Wickedness
1. The Cases of Household Wickedness
1. Joseph and his brothers
Gen 37:20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast has devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.
• Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him because of the vision of his future. They planned to kill him but for the intervention of Simeon. May God deliver you from people around you who are jealous of your progress or even your dreams!
2. Leah and Racheal
Gen 30:1 And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister. And she said to Jacob, Give me sons, or else I will die.
Gen 30:2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel. And he said, Am I in God's stead, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?
Gen 30:3 And she said, Behold my slave woman Bilhah; go in to her, and she shall bear upon my knees, and yea, let me be built up from her, me also.
Gen 30:4 And she gave him her slave woman Bilhah to wife. And Jacob went in to her.
Gen 30:5 And Bilhah conceived, and bore Jacob a son.
Gen 30:6 And Rachel said, God has judged me, and has also heard my voice, and has given me a son. Therefore she called his name Dan.
Gen 30:7 And Rachel's slave woman Bilhah conceived again, and bore Jacob a second son.
Gen 30:8 And Rachel said, With the wrestlings of God I have wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed. And she called his name Naphtali.
Gen 30:9 When Leah saw that she had quit bearing, she took her slave woman Zilpah and gave her to Jacob to wife.
Gen 30:10 And Leah's slave woman Zilpah bore Jacob a son.
• There was bitter rivalry between two sisters-Leah and Rachael in the infamous love triangle because of husband-snatching. It is still going on today! May God deliver you from family members who are eyeing what you have!
3. Absalom and his brother
• Absalom killed his brother for raping his sister. He later led a coup against his father and toppled him but God intervened to restore his brother.
4. Cain and Abel
Gen 4:8 And Cain talked with his brother Abel. And it happened when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
Gen 4:9 And Jehovah said unto Cain, Where is your brother Abel? And he said, I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?
Gen 4:10 And He said, What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to Me from the ground.
Gen 4:11 And now you are cursed more than the ground which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
• Cain appeared to be friendly with Abel his brother, but he was looking for the opportunity to kill him.
2. The Classes of Household Wickedness
1. Those that are on afflicting mission
2. Those that are on avenging mission
3. Those that are on killing mission
4. Those that are on exchanging mission. 1 Kings 3: 16 - 23
5. Those that are on money making mission, eg. Judas betrayed Jesus because of money
6. Those that are on glory taking mission
7. Those that are on character assasinating mission.
3. The Causes of Household Wickedness
Basically there are various reasons people close to you will attack you.
1. Those Moved With Envy and jealousy.
Acts 7:9-10 “9And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him.”
- Watch out for people who feel you are a threat to their progress.
- Watch out for people who think you are standing on their way to the top.
- Watch out for people who think God is blessing you more than them. Joseph’s brothers were envious of him because of dreams of a future greater than theirs.
- Daniel’s colleagues set him up, and they make sure he was thrown into the lion’s den.
- Abel’s successful worship angered Cain, and he later murdered him.
2. Those Moved With Greed.
2Ki 11:1-2, “As soon as Athaliah heard that her son King Ahaziah was dead, she decided to kill any relative who could possibly become king. She would have done that, 2but Jehosheba rescued Joash son of Ahaziah just as he was about to be murdered. Jehosheba, who was Jehoram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s half sister, hid her nephew Joash and his personal servant in a bedroom in the LORD’s temple where he was safe from Athaliah.”
- Watch out for people who want what you have.
- Watch out for people who want to improve themselves at your expense. They don’t care about you; only their selfish interests.
- Samson was sold by his heathen wife. Some husbands in the occult sell their wives or even their children for money rituals.
- Witches kill their close and distant relatives for promotion in the witch world.
3. Those moved with Pride.
Est 3:1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.
Est 3:2 And all the king's servants in the king's gate bowed and worshiped Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow nor worship.
Est 3:3 And the king's servants in the king's gate said to Mordecai, Why do you transgress the king's command?
Est 3:4 And it happened when they spoke daily to him, and when he did not listen to them, they told Haman, to see if Mordecai's matters would stand. For he had told them that he was a Jew.
Est 3:5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow nor worship him, then Haman was full of wrath.
Est 3:6 And he scorned to lay hands only on Mordecai, for they had revealed to him the people of Mordecai. And Haman sought to destroy all the Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, the people of Mordecai.
- Watch out for people you have hurt knowingly or unknowingly.
- Watch out for people who liked being worshipped.
4. Those moved by Sheer wickedness which has no foundation or basis.
- This is common among household members who are witches or wizards.
5. Those moved by Fear and Suspicion
1Sa 18:6 And it happened as they came in, as David returned from striking the Philistine, the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of music.
1Sa 18:7 And the women answered as they played, and said, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.
1Sa 18:8 And Saul was very angry, and this thing was evil in his eyes. And he said, They have given David ten thousands, and to me they have given only thousands. And what more can he have but the kingdom?
1Sa 18:9 And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.
Conclusion:
David never had problems with the devil until he was anointed. Anointing is very powerful. It has a way of uncovering hidden things.
In Matthew 3:13-17; 4:1, we are told that immediately Jesus was baptised with the Holy Spirit, all hell broke loose. He had to go into the wilderness to meet face to face with Satan. The anointing attracts attacks. The level of anointing will equally determine the type of attacks God will allow Satan to send to you.
Are you facing the heat of envy, hatred and jealousy within the Christian fold? Are you facing the fiery darts of the wicked ones? Check your life. It could be one way the Lord is trying to tell you, He has taken you to another level in anointing. Don’t be discouraged.
Also, are you surrounded by enemies? Psalm 3:6 says you should not be afraid. Your enemies are surrounded by God’s heavenly army. Those enemies are at your mercy. Fear not!
