Babylon is synonymous with paganism and evil. It had its beginnings soon after the Flood of Noah when evil  once again began to take hold in the hearts of men. Nimrod was the leader among those people who were easily led away from God. These heathens wanted to build a tower in Babel to reach to heaven.

“And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:4)

God saw what was happening and confused their language in order to stop this united force that tried to build a tower to heaven. There are many Babylonian practices that remain in our culture today, and Christians need to separate from them. The way to do that is to know God’s Word and hold it in authority over the way we live.

God  confused the language and people were scattered, but rebellion against God continued. There were a few people who honored God, but others embraced idol worship, false gods, pagan lifestyles, human sacrifice, and other abominations.

In the southern part of Babylonia was a city called Ur, which was a center of moon worship. Pagan ways abounded there and the voice of the one true God was obscured. Ur is where a man named Abram, later known as Abraham, lived. His family was a part of the idol worship that took place there, but God called him out of that pagan culture to establish the nation of Israel.

“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: and I will make of thee a great nation and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3)

Before Abraham could be of any use to God he first had to leave the pagan culture behind and move away. The same is true of us today. How many who claim to be Christians cling to pagan ways? You can be of no use to God while you embrace Babylonian ways. Are you living a life of sexual immorality? Is it more fun to have friends who smoke a little marijuana and party rather than attend worship services?

Like Abraham, you need to leave friends and family who reject God. Repent and turn away from the sins you embrace and then allow God to accomplish great things through you. Abraham would eventually have a son named Isaac, and through him the nation of Israel came to be. If Abraham had continued to embrace Babylonian ways  he couldn’t have fulfilled God’s perfect plan.

Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, had twelve sons who established the twelve tribes of Israel. In time, Jacob and his family faced a famine and were forced to relocate to Egypt where they found food and prospered. Egypt wasn’t in Babylon, but the same paganism abounded there. They had a god for this and a god for that and it was a heathen culture. God had changed Jacob’s name to Israel, which means “God prevails.” God always will prevail.

As time passed, the Israelites grew in numbers and became a threat to Pharaoh. His way of limiting the Israelites number was to kill male Hebrew children. God did prevail and preserved Israel. A male child was hidden and was found by Pharaoh’s daughter who raised him as her own. Moses was raised in the pagan Egyptian culture and schooled in their ways, but God would use him to lead the Hebrews from captivity. First, Moses had to leave Egypt. He had to leave the pagan ways behind and travel to where he was able to hear the voice of God.

Moses fled Egypt because he had killed an Egyptian and he ended up in Midian, located in the desert north of the Arabian peninsula. There he married the daughter of Jethro and he tended his father-in-law’s sheep. In this land, far from the pagan culture he was raised in, Moses heard God’s voice call from a burning bush.

“And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.” (Exodus 3:4)

God knew his name and who he was, but Moses could only come to know God after he left Egypt. With God’s help he led the Israelites out of captivity and eventually they entered the land that God had promised to Abraham. Both Abraham and Moses had been raised in very pagan circumstances, but they left the evil behind and followed God. If you call yourself a Christian then you need to leave the paganism of our culture behind and cling to God.

After the nation Israel entered the Promise Land, time passed and they became a great nation. There were times over the years when they turned away from God and He judged them. One of those judgments came at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, who besieged Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and took many captives. Nebuchadnezzar had ordered that certain children be taken to the kings palace, and a youngster named Daniel was one of them.

“Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.” (Daniel 1:4)

Daniel was schooled in Babylonian ways and could have chosen to embrace the pagan life there, but even at a young age he loved God. Instead embracing the evil of Babylon, Daniel chose to be separate from them and he bowed and prayed towards Jerusalem daily. He did this in spite of the fact that the Temple had been destroyed. Because he didn’t embrace the pagan lifestyles and pagan worship, Daniel was able to serve God by interpreting dreams, reading mysterious handwriting on the wall, and he was given an amazing prophecy describing the end times.

Daniel lived in Babylon, but didn’t allow Babylon to live in him. We can learn a lot from studying Daniel’s life and seeing how he put God Almighty above all else. This is what every Christian should do. We have the Bible to guide us and the Holy Spirit indwelling us so there should be no room in our life for Babylonian ways.

Paganism didn’t stop in the Old Testament. Most of the letters contained in the New Testament were written to congregations located in pagan cities, such as Ephesus and Corinth. These letters encouraged the Christians there to stand firm in their faith and reject the pagan practices around them.

The Corinthians seem much like Christians of today. Instead of following the straight and narrow path they tolerated sin and that sin was corrupting the congregation. We live in a pagan world ruled by the prince of the power of the air, but like Daniel we can’t allow the pagan ways to live in us.

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)

The answer is “None.” If you yoke yourself in partnerships or friendships with non-believers you embrace pagan ways.

“And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?” (2  Corinthians 6:15)

Belial means “worthless or wicked” and is another name for Satan. If you claim to be a Christian then you should never enter into any partnership with non-believers. If you’ve entered these relationships prior to you becoming a Christian then you need to stand firm on Christ and not allow compromise of your faith.

“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (2 Corinthians 6:16)

The Holy Spirit indwells Christians and if you’re yoked with Babylonian ways then you’re taking God with you into sin.

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18)

Yes, brothers and sisters, come out from among them. We are living in the last days and as we draw ever nearer to the Rapture, Satan tries harder to deceive people. Times are getting perilous.

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

This sounds a lot like today and it will get worse.  As we draw near to the end of time the Babylonian ways grow stronger by the day. Instead of honoring God, Christians are becoming more tolerant of sin and evil because most don’t even know what the Bible says. They are schooled in Babylonian ways, but not in God’s ways. God’s Word isn’t an outdated book of rules and regulations, but a guide to a way of life that pleases God.

We have God’s Word to teach us to judge between His ways and Babylonian ways, so don’t let anyone accuse you of being judgmental. Sin is to be rejected and the sinner is to be witnessed to in order to bring them to Christ. Don’t yoke yourself with unsaved sinners but stand firm upon God’s word.

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

If you follow God’s ways then you’re on the right path. We make a choice whether to follow the strait and narrow road or the broad path that leads to destruction. The broad path follows Babylonian ways.

Whether we live in Babylon, Egypt, Rome, or the United States of America we choose which path we follow. When God is rejected, Babylonian ways are embraced and that leads to eternal destruction.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original Scripture is “theopneustos” (God breathed).

 

God’s Word is filled with many accounts of men and women who were obedient to God and accomplished great things; people such as Noah, Moses, and Esther. Scripture also gives accounts of people who quietly made a difference. One of those quiet people was Hannah. Her dreams and desires hadn’t quite worked out like she had wanted and she faced torment from a mean-spirited woman. Hannah wasn’t bitter but turned to God.

Hannah was married to a man named, Elkanah; she was one of his two wives. The Bible states facts even when those facts aren’t God’s perfect will. Elkanah’s wife, Peninnah, had given birth to many sons and daughters and never let Hannah forget this fact. A woman desires to have children with her husband, but Hannah had not been able to have children.

“And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.” (1 Samuel 1:6-7)

Elkanah loved Hannah and took care of her, but Peninnah tormented her.

Hannah was hurt deeply and she handled the situation by going to God in prayer.

“And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.” (1 Samuel 1:10)

Poor Hannah. She wanted to be a mother but her understanding of God’s bigger picture was limited to the “here and now” situation with Peninnah. In her heartfelt prayers, Hannah made a vow:

“And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.” (1 Samuel 1:11)

Hannah’s faith in God was strong, and her prayer was passionate. She prayed silently, but as she prayed she mouthed the words to God. Eli was the high priest and judge of Israel and he watched as she prayed; he thought she was drunk. Once again Hannah was innocent of an accusation brought against her.

“And Eli said unto her, ‘How long wilt thou be drunken? Put away thy wine from thee.’” (1 Samuel 1:14)

The gentle-spirited Hannah didn’t answer in anger, but explained to Eli that she had poured out her heart to the LORD. Eli believed her and asked that God  would grant Hannah her heart’s desire. Hannah is a wonderful example of a godly woman. She could have been filled with hatred toward Peninnah. Instead of choosing to be bitter, she prayed.

After talking with Eli she ate and was no longer sad. Even before her prayer was answered her outlook changed because she trusted God. Christians should pay attention to this. When we pray do we tell God what He needs to do, or do we seek His will? Do we trust Him to answer our prayers in the way He knows is best?

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thing own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

God’s ways are always best.

Peninnah probably didn’t change her attitude and Hannah hadn’t prayed for that. It was Hannah’s outlook that had changed. Earnest prayer has a way of doing that. Hannah had prayed for a son, but her reasons weren’t selfish. She wasn’t trying to show Peninnah a thing or two or prove anything to anybody. Her vow was that if God allowed her to have a son she would give that child back to Him. Making a deal with God isn’t always a good idea, but God did answer her prayer and she became pregnant.

“Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, ‘Because I have asked him of the LORD.’” (1 Samuel 1:20)

Samuel was an answer to his mother’s prayer, but would she honor her vow to God?  Yes, she would. When Elkanah went for his yearly trip to sacrifice and worship at Shiloh, Hannah stayed behind. The child had to be ready for service to God, just as Hannah had to be ready before her prayer was answered.

“But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD, and there abide for ever.” (1 Samuel 1:22)

Elkanah agreed. He must have been a godly man, because as her husband he had to agree to the vow she had made. He continued to make his yearly pilgrimage to Shiloh and knew that on one of these trips he would leave his son with Eli. In those days a child wasn’t weaned until he was two or three years old, and Hannah was true to her word. When Samuel was weaned, Hannah did make the pilgrimage to Shiloh with three bullocks, some flour, and wine for sacrifice.

It might seem as if “sacrificing” her child would be enough, but Hannah understood that the vow she honored didn’t mean that she had done all she needed to do for God. Too many times we think we have done “enough” for God. We might spend an hour in worship on Sunday morning and think that’s good enough. We are to live our faith every day and give our best to God. After all, God gave His only Son for our salvation and that should encourage us to give Him our best and live for Him.

“And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli. And she said, ‘Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD. For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him: therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD.’ And he worshipped the LORD there.” (1 Samuel 1:25-28)

God knew that Hannah would have a son and that Samuel would be a godly man. Hannah honored God and didn’t just give lip-service to her faith. She prayed and God answered.

“The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.” (Proverbs 15:29)

Do you feel as if God doesn’t hear your prayers? It might be that you need to get right with Him and seek His will, not your own. Children are blessings and every one of them should be raised with prayer by godly parents. Do you pray for your children with the fervor with which Hannah prayed?

Unfortunately, children are often the victims of abuse and ‘taught to love the Lord. Even parents who purport to be Christians neglect to make God first in the lives of their children because He isn’t first in the parent’s lives. Every child should have a mother like Hannah who ‘let circumstances embitter her but drove her deeper into prayer. Hannah’s love for the Lord grew and she poured out her soul in a song of praise.

“And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.” (1 Samuel 2:1)

On the mountain top or in the valley, Hannah knew her strength (horn) was the Lord. Peninnah was an enemy and caused Hannah much heartache, but in this song, Peninnah is not referred to by name.

“Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.” (1 Samuel 2:3)

Our true enemy is Satan and he causes all of us no end of sorrow and pain. Is there someone in your life who torments you? What are your actions toward him or her? God sees how you treat others and weighs your actions. God knows and sees what is going on and will strengthen you to overcome adversity.

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay saith the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

Leave vengeance to the Lord. Hannah did, and in further reference to Peninnah she sang:

“They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.” (1 Samuel 2:5)

Peninnah faded into history. She is only named in two verses, but hinted at in Hannah’s song: “… she that hath many children is waxed feeble.” A haughty spirit will destroy a person, and it seems Peninnah paid a price for her biting tongue. On the other hand, Hannah was blessed with more children. Hannah didn’t neglect Samuel; each year she made a coat and took it to him when she and Elkanah went to sacrifice.

“And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went to their own home.”          (1 Samuel 2:20)

Peninnah wasn’t mentioned and in light of the song of Hannah, she may have died. There is no record of it in Scripture, but a person with her attitude cannot be blessed.

Every person in this account had a choice as how to behave. Peninnah chose to puff herself up and put down Hannah. Elkanah chose to have two wives, but though he provided for Peninnah, his love was for Hannah. Circumstances could have made Hannah bitter, but instead she chose to seek the Lord and pray.

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:10)

Even Samuel had a choice. His mother made a vow and followed through in dedicating him to God’s service, but Samuel had to eventually make his own choice. He made the right choice and served God faithfully. He anointed kings and served Israel as a prophet and a judge. Great things were accomplished because one woman chose to seek God rather than seek vengeance.

Like Hannah and Peninnah, we also have a choice whether to seek God or reject Him. If you’ve been blessed to have been raised in a home where God is honored, then you have a firm foundation on which to build your life. Your salvation isn’t guaranteed, though, unless you personally choose Christ for salvation.

Some parents have their babies baptized in the false belief that the baby will be saved. Salvation is a personal choice and baptism is obedience. A baby cannot make that choice. Hannah vowed that her son would be dedicated to God’s service; but Samuel had to ultimately make his own choice. Eli had two sons of his own who made wrong choices.

“And he said unto them, ‘Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is not good report that I hear: ye make the LORD’S people to transgress.’” (1 Samuel 2:23-24)

Ultimately God judged them because they chose to sin. There is much we can learn from Hannah. Pray fervently and petition God in prayer. Like Samuel’s mother, seek His will and not your own.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original Scripture is “theopneustos” (God breathed).

 

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original Scripture is “theopneustos” (God breathed).