GOD’S PLACE - SATAN WANTED A PLACE THAT BELONGED TO GOD
“I will ascend into the heavens…”
Satan expresses his desire to occupy and settle heaven and establish a superiority over God.
“Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?” Exodus 15:11
“And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath…” 1 Kings 8:23
GOD’S POSITION - SATAN WANTED TO TAKE OVER GOD’S THRONE
“I will exalt my throne above the stars of God…”
He plans a coup—he connives a grand invasion. Notice that he already had a throne, therefore he had an important position already. But he was not satisfied with that. He wanted God’s Sovereignty.
“The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.” Exodus 15:18
“Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth” Genesis 14:19
GOD’S POWER - SATAN WANTED TO POSSESS GOD’S STRENGTH
“I will sit upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north…”
In Babylonian, Greek, Roman literature, there was a council (“congregation”) of gods, that lived and governed from a lofty place (“the mount”) that was in the north (Mt. Olympus, etc.).
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11
READ NAHUM 1:3-6
GOD’S PURITY - SATAN WANTED TO GAIN GOD’S GLORY
“I will ascend above the clouds…”
Satan desired to look good in the eyes of others, when his heart was full of wickedness, hatred and deceit.
READ IASIAH 6:1-3
“The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever…” Psalms 104:31
GOD’S PRESTIGE - SATAN WAS IN OPEN REBELLION TO GOD.
“I will be like the Most High…”
“Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft…” Deuteronomy 21:18
“But the rebellious dwell in a dry land…” 1 Samuel 15:23
Lucifer wanted not only to have God’s place, position, power and purity, but he wanted to be God, himself. He felt in his heart that he could be the almighty power of the cosmos.
ILL: This is a story of rebellion. Not just a little child throwing a little temper tantrum, but about individuals who refused to yield to God’s will.
The son of a prominent government official was in a large family. He knew of an act that one of his brothers committed against his sister that went unpunished. The anger so burned within him that he plotted revenge for two years. He moved out of the mansion and moved in with his grandparents. He threw a party for all the family which was a secret plot to kill his brother as punishment. The dirty deed was done, and eventually, the father brought him back into the home.
The rebellious son soon begins to hear rumors that the reigns of leadership will pass by him to a different son. Enraged with his father, he clearly begins trying to win the hearts of as many people as he can. So great is the corporate uprising that the father retreats with his loyalists to the family ranch.
Much bickering, backbiting, fighting and battling occurred. Many men died in the attempted revolution. The bitter, rebellious son lost his life in the war, and King David wept bitterly over his son, Absalom.
Kay Arthur: “Sin will take you farther than you wanted to go, it will keep you longer than you wanted to stay and it will cost you more than you thought you would pay…”
Billy Graham: “We’re suffering from only one disease in the world. Our basic problem is no a race problem. Our basic problem is not a poverty problem. Our basic problem is not a war problem. Our basic problem is a heart problem. We need to get the heart changed, the heart transformed.”
The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.
The town of Yankton, SD has a large sign welcoming people to the city. Of course there are the logos of the city, the Lion’s and Optimists Club and some churches. But there is another revealing announcement about the city: “30,000 friendly people and a few soreheads.” Do you want to be one of the "few soreheads?"
