KEZAZAH, THE STORY OF A DYSFUNTIONAL FAMILY'S GRACE
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I. SEEMS WE FALL INTO A MINDSET THAT WE ARE FOREVER DOOMED
AND TRAPPED RIGHT WHERE WE ARE...
A. I was listening to an old Preacher. He had been sick for some time and he had left the ministry,
he was tired and his dreams were dashed. He had been crushed and hurt. He felt like his leaders had
never seen the sacrifices he and his family had made through the many years he had served..
He had been successful, but now as he entered the end of his journey he felt the doom of stress.
B. In his hurt his mouth quoated the Bible verse:
Jeremiah 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do
good, that are accustomed to do evil.
He said: A LEOPARD CANNOT CHANGE, HE IS FOREVER TRAPPED.
C.I have been studying change... Is real change possible? Are we forever stuck?...
D. Do we understand the power of words? There may be a direct correlation between our words and the
lack of real change?
Words REVEAL and create moods and attitudes.
Words define our mind sets and behavior patterns.
Words dominate.
E. In our daily walk we are under the power of words, we cannot change that...
But we can change the words we think and speak... BY CHANGING OUR WORDS WE CAN
MAKE CHANGE POSSIBLE.
Do I understand that change comes by the power of words?
Probably not... Can words trap us to not change?
II. GOD CAN CHANGE THE VERY NATURE OF LEOPARDS---
A. I pondered his heart and his words for a long time... I accidentally stumbled on another verse,
that speaks of a CHANGED LEOPARD...
Isaiah 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and
the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat
straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child
shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for
the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. 10 And in that day
there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek:
and his rest shall be glorious.
B. Been pondering and praying this morning. I pondered about skunks? Seems we all know skunks are
skunks? We probably also know a skunk will raise a stink when they get a chance? Why am I surprised
when a skunk raises a stink? A stink is what skunks are known to do? I ponder why would a person turn
on a revolving fan when skunks are around skunks? Discuss what we may, but a skunk is a skunk and
skunks will raise a stink?
C. We had a friend that had a very dear, PET SKUNK. He had the "STINK SACK" removed and the skunk
was a special friend to the family for many years. I GUESS YOU CAN IF YOU WANT TOO ...
III. HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED THE BEHAVIOR OF THE FATHER?
WHY IS THE FATHER NOT AT HOME SITTING ON HIS FRONT PORCH
WAITING FOR HIS SON'S RETURN?
WHY DID THE OLD MAN RUN OUT TO GREET HIS SON?
Luke 15:11 (NLT) 11. To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons.
12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father
agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. 13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his
belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living.
14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve.
15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.
16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him.
But no one gave him anything. 17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home
even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!
18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you,
19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’
20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming.
Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy
of being called your son.’ 22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house
and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening.
We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost,
but now he is found.’ So the party began.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and
dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’
he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’
28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him,
29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you
told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends.
30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate
by killing the fattened calf!’ 31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me,
and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and
has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”
IV. FOR PROTECTION, JEWISH FAMILIES LIVE IN SMALL TOWNS AND VILLAGES...
SO GOSSIP AND NEWS TRAVELED AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT...
A. It was known though out the whole camp the the younger brother was in REBELLION against his
precious father and demanded WHAT IS MINE--- RIGHT NOW!
B. SIN MAKES THE DEMAND THAT EVERYTHING IS ABOUT ME AND I WANT WHAT I WANT
RIGHT NOW!
I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL YOUR DEATH! GIVE ME EVERYTHING NOW! THIS RIGHT NOW ATTITUDE
OPPOSES FAITH AND EVERY LESSON THE BOY HAS BEEN TAUGHT.
C. THE PARTY HARDY SYSTEM THRIVES AFTER THIS RIGHT NOW DEMAND,
THE SON LEAVES HOME --- HE WANTS TO HIDE HIS BEHAVIOR AND HIS VALUE/PRIORITY SYSTEM
THAT DAD AND THE CHURCH HAS TAUGHT HIM. The friends, the parties, the women, the prostitutes
CONSUME his lifestyle.
D. The son's journey goes from abundance to LACK ---THE PIG PEN --- THE STINKY PIG PEN ---
What a journey for a young Jewish man to END UP IN THE PIG PEN? The stigma was terrible.
V. THE YOUNG MAN BROKE HIS FATHER'S HEART, MOM AND DAD CRIED THEMSELVES TO SLEEP
MANY A NIGHT. HE NOT ONLY BROKE HIS MOM AND DAD'S HEART, HE BROKE THE COMMUNITY S
TANDARDS AND BROUGHT DISGRACE ON HIS FAMILY NAME. THE PIG PEN --- THE PIG PEN---
A. The young man is in WANT --- He remembers HOME AND HIS FATHER...
B. He washes off, and makes a decision ---I RATHER BE A SERVANT AT THE FATHER'S HOUSE than to
stay with the PIGS.
C. The journey home seemed so long. The man ponders, the enemy throws up his past?
How will dad receive me?
VI. THE FATHER AND THE SON KNEW THE COMMUNITY TRADITION: THE TRADITION IS VERY
CLEAR: SURE, YOU CAN COME HOME --- BUT YOU WILL FACE THE RULES OF KEZAZAH ---
THE DISGRACE AND THE STIGMA OF KEZAZAH... THE CEREMONY OF SHAME
A. To discourage other young people from making the bad choice of leaving home and to make a public
example of this young man THAT ALL WASTED IT ALL --- THERE WAS A PUBLIC DISGRACE CEREMONY
CALLED KEZAZAH...
B. KEZAZAH WAS A PUBLIC CEREMONY WHEN FAILURES CAME HOME THE LEADERS WOULD STAND
IN FRONT OF THE MAN THAT BROUGHT DISGRACE ON HIS FAMILY AND THE CLAN...
THE LEADERS WOULD TAKE A LARGE CLAY PITCHER AND THROW IT AT HIS FEET AND SHATTER
THE VESSEL INTO PIECES. THIS BROKEN VESSEL THEN SYMBOLIZED THE MAN HAD BROKEN
THE RULES AND TEACHINGS AND WOULD NO LONGER BE WELCOMED IN THE COMMUNITY.
THE CUTTING OFF OF ONE THAT HAD TAKING ON GENTILE BEHAVIOR.
VII. THE FATHER HAS A DIFFERENT PLAN THAN KEZAZAH,
THE FATHER KNEW HE HAD TO RUN AND REACH THE SON WITH GRACE BEFORE THE
LAW AND JUDGMENT WAS CAST. THE GRACE CEREMONY WILL WELCOME HOME AND
HAVE A RESTORATION PARTY.
A. This RESTORATION PARTY was the plan of the Father that day.
God is the FATHER and He desires to throw you a restoration party...
1. Kill the FATTED (best) calf (It takes a while to fatten a calf)
2. Bring the best robe (symbol of family authority)
3. Get the family ring...
4. Get a pair of shoes (servants never wore shoes)
5. Come to the feast --- TOTAL RESTORATION
B. NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE OLDER BROTHER'S REACTION... ANGER/BITTERNESS
C. My greatest fear is that I would come to the end of my life and realize...That I COULD HAVE
CHANGED. I have failed to live life to its fullness...
CONCLUSION: Every steeple silently points to the testimony that Jesus is alive and well.
The steeple points to the only hope the world has ... Each steeple will be a witness of change
against those that drive by, they know, they have heard and the choices have been made.
You can change if you want too...I have been studying change... Is real change possible?
Are we forever stuck?... Do we understand the power of words? Words create moods and attitudes.
Words define our mind sets and behavior patterns. Words dominate. We are under the power of words,
we cannot change that... But we can change the words we think and speak...
Do I understand the power of words? Probably not... Can words trap us to not change?
TRY, TRY AGAIN... TEACH OTHERS, IF WE ERR, MAY WE ERR TO THE SIDE OF GRACE.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
