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1. THE DEPARTURE

• Vs 12-13

• The request to receive his inheritance was probably shocking to the boy’s father

• This request was made and eluded to the fact the son wanted the material things his father had so much that he would have rather his father been dead in order to receive them

• In love, the father granted him what was his

• 1/3 of the estate

• 2/3 of the estate went to the oldest male child

• Deuteronomy 21:17 “But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.”

• The father gave the portion to the youngest son

• What were the Conditions of the Request?

a. FLESHLY LUST (James 4:2-3) “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

b. The thought here is seeking fleshly things; having not because of asking contrary to the will of God

c. GREED (Proverbs 15:27) “He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.”

d. The son was willing to give up everything that was familiar to him

e. His family, his lifestyle, Abandonment of his father and his duties within the household

f. Satan uses fleshly lust to misguide us into a life of sin

g. He was drawn away of his lusts (James 1:15-16) “But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

h. The business of the devil’s servants is to make provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof

i. John 8:44 “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

j. Satan had obviously painted a pretty picture for the son that if only he had the inheritance then life would be much more enjoyable

k. 2Cor 11:14 “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

l. 2Co 11:15 “Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”

2. WENT TO A FAR COUNTRY; WASTED ALL

• Riotous Living

• Riotous- “To be loose morally; worthless”

• Greek word (Asotia) meaning “Unsavedness”

• The son lived without conscious, we are told in verse 30 that he spent most of his money on harlots or prostitutes

• Once he dedicated himself to this worldly desire he lost the ability to make rash decisions

• Romans 8:6; 8 “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

• The decisions this man had made were certainly not of God and therefore God was not pleased

3. THE MISERY SIN HAD CAUSED

• A famine had swept through the land and with no money he began to starve and thirst to death

• Keep in mind that sin, when it is finished brings forth death; maybe not spiritually as the person who has sinned may be a Christian but certainly the choices we make can bring on physical death

• Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death…”

• Unless he found someone to take him in he was sure to die because of the famine

• The boy had lost everything due to his blindness of fleshly desires

• II Corinthians 4:3-4 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:” “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

• Proverbs 15:13 “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”

• The sorrow came from being hungry and realizing the mistakes that had been made

• Quite possibly, however, the greater sorrow came from the separation from the love of his father or as portrayed, God.

• Sin in itself and the pains of it are bad but it is the separation from the love of God that will ultimately be the punishment for those who are lost