Spirit of Ishmael
The spirit of Rebellion #3
Text:
Gen 21:9-10 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
Intro: I want to look again at this mocking spirit
But I want to look at how it is linked to a spirit of rebellion
This word mock means to
- Despise
- Scoff
- Scorn
But as you begin to look at this a little closer it means
- To look down upon
- To think lightly of someone
- It means to act against
When you act against something this is rebellion
Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
God is not mocked
- You will not make a fool of God
- You can’t ignore God
- This word here means to turn your nose up at God
- To rebel against Him
What we are talking about is the rejection of authority
This is the attitude that always manifest in those effected by this spirit of Ishmael
- They rise up against authority
- They rise up against their parents
- They rise up against their teachers
Just as Ishmael you begin to see this spirit manifest itself as they enter into there teen years
We see this same spirit at work in the church
- Young disciples begin to rise up against their Pastor
- They refuse his correction
- They refuse his discipline
Or some of them are able to hide it when around Pastor but if they are placed under another disciple’s authority it manifest
- They rebel against the youth leader
- They rebel against the follow-up leader
- They cause strife and division in what ever area they are placed to labour
- Be it nursery, cleanup crew, impact teams
This spirit of rebellion is at work
In Ishmael it was this spirit that caused him to be cast out
Ex. I have seen people over the years that have been put out of every ministry in the church
- Bands
- Drama teams
- Plays
- Impact teams
They can’t even be on the clean up crew because every where they go this spirit is at work
- Causing division
- Causing contention
- Causing conflict
Every where they go it is like this cloud of controversy is over them
It is this spirit of Ishmael at work
- Tonight you can be free
- Tonight by the grace of God you can be separated from this spirit of rebellion
I. The daughters of Lot
Gen 19:32-38 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.
33 And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our Father.
35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.
36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.
38 And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day. (KJV)
Here we find these two girls Lots daughters
- They get their father drunk
- They sleep with him/ they have incest with him
- They bare these illegitimate sons
- All of this birthed out of unbelief
- The thought that God would not make them fruitful
The one becomes the father of the Moabite people
The other becomes the father of the Ammonite people
- Both of these nations become bitter enemies of God
- This mocking rebellious spirit runs down through their generations
- They become a thorn in the flesh of Israel for generations
Balak the one who tried to curse Israel was a Moabite
Num 22:1-3 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many: and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel. (KJV)
You know the story he tries to hire Balaam to curse the people of God
Latter when he is unable to curse them
He leads them into immorality with the Moabite women
- And the curse that is upon them is brought against Israel
- The spirit of Ishmael that is at work in them is loosed in Israel by fornication and adultery
- The bible says when two come together in an act of sex the two become one flesh and as one flesh there is a transfer of spirits / curses
Num 25:1-3 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.
This is what this spirit wants to do in your life
- Its desire is to lead you into a relationship with strange Gods
- It does it through immorality
It is an aggressive spirit
- It wants to curse you
- It wants to ensnare you
- Lead you into rebellion
It is the same spirit that is behind
- Homosexuality
- Feminism
- False religion
It is the spirit of the anti- Christ
- It opposes everything that is of God
- It opposes righteousness
- It opposes holiness
It promotes
- Ungodliness
- Unrighteousness
- Rebellion
Deut 23:2-3 A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.
3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:
This is a spirit God hates
It is a spirit he will never allow in His kingdom
“They shall not enter into the house of the Lord forever”
This is a spirit that God will judge
Ezek 25:1-11 The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites, and prophesy against them;
3 And say unto the Ammonites, Hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity;
4 Behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the east for a possession, and they shall set their palaces in thee, and make their dwellings in thee: they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk.
5 And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the Ammonites a couchingplace for flocks: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
6 For thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thou hast clapped thine hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced in heart with all thy despite against the land of Israel;
7 Behold, therefore I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.
8 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen;
9 Therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country, Beth-jeshimoth, Baalmeon, and Kiriathaim,
10 Unto the men of the east with the Ammonites, and will give them in possession, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations.
11 And I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Notice vs. 3, 6, and 8
This judgement of God is a result of their mocking rebellious spirit
God said I am going to cut you off
- You will be remembered no more
- From this point on their nations ceased to exist
- It was adsorbed by the Arab nations
This is a spirit God will not tolerate
II. Sanballat and Tobiah
They were Ammonites
Neh 2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
Notice how this spirit works
Nehemiah wants to rebuild the temple of God
- He wants to raise up the walls
- He is trying to build a church
- He wants to reach some lost souls
And the moment they hear this it brings sorrow to them
This spirit will always despise and work against those that would build the Kingdom of God
- They don’t want to follow-up
- They don’t want to help new converts
- They don’t want to see the kingdom of God advance
And it even goes deeper than this
- They will try to pull down those that do want to rise up
- Those that submit to headship and their Pastor they mock and try to say they are serving a man and not God
- They try to discourage and dishearten those who want to do something for God
Neh 4:1-3 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
Calling them feeble
- Week
- Shabby
- Scruffy
Listen to them mock
- Will they fortify themselves
- Will they sacrifice
- Will they revive the stones
Listen to Tobiah the Ammonite
“If a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall”
This spirit of Ishmael will always belittle and put down what others are trying to do for God
- Why do you go to outreach
- It such a waste of time
- Why do you try this or that for God its never going to work
It will always point out the negative
- Always sees problems
- Always depressing
- Always discouraging
It can never see the good
- Never sees what God can do in life
- Never sees through the eyes of faith
- Has a hard time believing and excepting “that with God all things are possible”
You can also see this spirit at work in families
- Always belittles their children
- They are never good enough
This spirit will pass its way down from generation to generation to generation
They say, “abuse breads abuse”
What they don’t know is there is a curse at work
As you begin to study this you find hundreds of references in the word of God were the Moabites and the Ammorites are warring against the children of God
The spirit of Ishmael will always alien itself with those opposed to the will of God
It will always alien itself with those
- Against the vision of this fellowship
- Against discipleship
- Against church planting
In rebellion
II Ki 1:1 Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.
II Ki 3:5 But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
II Ki 3:7 And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab hath rebelled against me:
III. Now Korah
Num 16:1-3 Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men:
2 And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown:
3 And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?
Now what is happening hear is
- Korah has raised up a rebellion against Moses
- They blame Moses for not entering the promise land when it was actually God that had turned them around
Korah and his rebellious friends
- There mad at Moses and Aaron
- There filled with wrath and anger
They blame Moses and Aaron for them not entering into the promises of God when in fact it was there own sin
- This spirit always has a problem with seeing its own faults
- It always has to be someone else
- It can never be you that has the problem
Before we go any further let me tell you who this Korah is
Korah is the son of Esau the one who despised his birthright
- And in an act of rebellion Esau marries a Canaanite women
- Her name was Mahalath who just happened to be the daughter of Ishmael
Gen 28:8-9 And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;
9 Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.
Here we see this spirit of Ishmael at work in Korah
- This spirit is being passed from one generation to the next
- The trail becomes so plain
Notice here there issue of protest is against the leadership of Moses and Aaron
- This spirit will always attack headship
- It will always attack authority
- It will always attack those in leadership
This is the spirit behind Korahs attack
Also notice it just doesn’t attack authority it wants authority
- It wants the position of leadership
- It wants to be in charge
- It wants to call the shots
- It always thinks it can do a better Job
Korah and his allies were not simply questioning Moses they wanted his position
- They were seeking a position through self that should only come from God
- Forget Gods will and timing for my life I want it now
- Right here is the spirit behind so many church splits
The problem is they are not just rebelling against
- The pastor
- Headship
- Or leadership
But the moment you step out in rebellion against headship that God has ordained and put into position He takes it personal
- You rebel against God himself
Num 16:11 For which cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD: and what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?
When they approach God with the problem notice his response
- It’s instant
- God doesn’t wait around
Num 16:19-21 And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.
20 And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
21 Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.
God wants to destroy them all
This tells me they were all infected by this spirit of rebellion
- This spirit will never keep to itself
- It will always enlist others in its deceit
- If this spirit is left unchecked it will move through an entire congregation
- And if still left unchecked it will destroy them all
This is a spirit that must be stood against
- You can not play with it
- You can not listen to it
- You can not entertain it
The people were warned to move back
Moses makes a stand
- Separate yourself from this spirit
- Do not alien yourself with it
- Don’t touch anything that is theirs
- Move totally away from them and do not listen to them
Num 16:26 And he spake unto the congregation, saying, Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins.
As soon as the line was drawn God brought judgement
Num 16:32-35 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
35 And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.
For you to be free from this spirit you will have to make a stand
- You will have to separate yourself from it
- Some radical decisions will have to be made
But as long as this spirit is at work in your life you are in danger of judgement
Let me say just because your mother or father was bound by this spirit of Ishmael does not mean that you will have to be bound also
- You can be free
- You are not bound to follow in their footsteps
- The curse can be broken
Num 26:11 Notwithstanding the children of Korah died not.
This tells us they were not part of his rebellion
This tells us there is hope for us
This tells us the curse can be broken
- You can be free
John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
You have a choice
- Were will you stand
- With the children of God
- Or with those in rebellion
- Will you separate yourself from the curse
- Or will you continue to live in the past and be bound by it
The choice is yours tonight
