HOUSEHOLD OF FOES
Matthew 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Let us also see this as recorded in Luke’s gospel: Luke 12:51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: 52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Our Lord is instructing us that we are not to have greater love for our parents who brought us into physical life, nor for our children whom we brought into physical life, than for himself who brought us into spiritual life. And he clearly informs us that God will not have his spiritual family dependent upon that of the families of natural birth. We can even expect that in a natural family of five, due to sovereign regenerating grace, it could be that two are born spiritually and three left to themselves; or there will be three quickened in grace and two left in an unregenerate state. In other words, it shall be seen that it is never the physical birth which is the foundation of redemption.
God will have his own family made up by those whom he chose in Christ from the foundation of the world. Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 3:14 ¶ For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 3:15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
And even though the entire earthly family of five remain affiliated with religion, it does not mean that they are all born of the Holy Spirit into God’s family! The Psalmist David wrestled with this situation. Psalm 41:9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. 55:12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: 13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. 14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company. 15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
And the Lord has been so faithful as to reveal to us just how this came to take place. Matthew 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Please take careful note of the two phrases listed in bold letters. These tares are placed “among the wheat!” There is not two separate fields, one exclusively of tares and another exclusively of wheat. They are intermingled. And also note the second bold typed phrase, they are both to “grow together.”
And make no mistake about it as some have, these tares are the children of the wicked one! We know this as the Lord interprets the parable for us! Matthew 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
And the growth of both wheat and tares require the gospel for their development. Hebrews 6:7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God: 8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. That is why our Lord commanded us to preach the gospel to “every creature.” For one cannot apostatize from that which they have never professed!
1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 20 ¶ But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
Let us take careful notice of some of the many examples of Households of Foes shown forth in the Scriptures.
David’s Brothers: The Lord had raised up a man after his own heart to become a faithful spiritual shepherd to Israel. He had prepared him by his keeping and becoming familiar with the traits of his father’s sheep, in order that he might be trained to keep his heavenly Father’s sheep – the people of Israel. (Read Psalm 23 to see David’s understanding of natural sheep for that of God’s spiritual sheep.) And God had trained David to rely upon the Holy Spirit in the warfare of God’s enemies by giving him supernatural power over a lion and a bear, both of whom threatened to harm his sheep. Consider David’s special God-granted faith to have strength to destroy Goliath:
1 Samuel 17:33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee. 45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
Yet now consider the foe in David’s household as his brother Eliab rebukes him just before he was to face the giant: 1 Samuel 17:28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. 29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? David had to overcome, not only a lion and a bear in order to be prepared to face Goliath, but also this debilitating rebuke from a foe in his own household!
Our Lord’s physical brothers: They tempted him to display himself as a miracle worker. But their mockery would have placed the redemptive death of our Messiah to be at the wrong time and in the wrong manner. For His death was not to be by assassination of the Jews, but by the sacrifice of the Father! For the Son knew that the hour of his redemptive glory was well established by His Father! John 17:1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: Therefore he also overcame the temptings of the foes of his natural household in his warfare with Satan. John 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. 2 Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. 4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.
The very first foe of the very first household: For who was the first murderer to come forth and kill his own brother? Was it not Cain? Yet he was the first “mama called preacher!” For Eve named him “Cain” which means “gotten.” For in her inordinate affections at the marvel of this human being coming from within her own body, she proclaimed that this must be the very seed of the woman which should defeat the seed of the serpent! For she had heard these words that the Lord God had spoken to the Serpent: Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Therefore we read in Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
But just who was this very first fruit of the woman’s womb? Was he not he who was of that wicked one? 1 John 3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
Joseph’s brothers: Genesis 37:2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. 4 And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
Joseph’s brothers hated him for the same reason which mere religionist’s always hate the truly spiritual man – because of the Father’s love! John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Matthew 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
But as these brothers who dealt so cruelly with Joseph were later forgiven and even provided for, so we who are now true believers, were once the “ungodly” whom Christ now has forgiven and provides for us an eternal abode.
Genesis 50:15 And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. 16 And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, 17 So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. 18 And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. 19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Colossians 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and my Father are one.
Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. John 15:14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. The Lord Jesus Christ is our elder brother in the family of God! Bless His holy name!
Pastor Gene Breed
February 19, 2023
