Throughout history, the world has been filled with people who never make the "headlines." Many of these people lived their lives in obscurity yet had a profound impact on the world as we know it today. Who taught Martin Luther his theology and inspired his translation of the Bible from Latin to German? Who spoke to a young Dwight L. Moody in the shoe store that day; a conversation that ultimately led Moody to Christ and eventually countless others through his evangelism?
To bring it a little closer to home: what is the name of the person who changed the brakes on your car that you trust with your life every time you press on that little peddle? What about the airline mechanic who repairs the plane you're about to fly on? How about the soldier who stands watch at a base in Afghanistan while you sleep peacefully in your bed at home? Each of these individuals are what we might refer to as often overlooked lives of significance.
The Bible is filled with stories of people who are often overlooked by hurried readers; men and women who lived their lives in the shadows away from the limelight. Yet, their lives - for better or for worse - are etched forever in the pages of God's Word.
Although we are separated by thousands of years, the 2,390 people mentioned in the Bible struggled with the same pains and experienced the same joys that you and I face on a daily basis. We must learn from their mistakes, strive to model their successes and allow ourselves to be challenged to live lives of significance for eternity.
One of the first individuals we are tempted to overlook in the Old Testament is a man named Lamech. There are actually two Lamechs mentioned in Genesis but the one I'm referring to is found in Genesis 4:17-24. (Listen to my sermon from last Sunday on Lamech here) Lamech is the 7th generation from Adam through the line of Cain (the guy who killed is brother out of jealously). Lamech is the first of serveral men mentioned in the Bible that took more than one wife. While it may not seem like a big deal it reveals a major issue in Lamech's life.
God's design for marriage from the very beginning is one man and one woman joined together in an inseparable union (a plan that Jesus affirmed in the New Testament). Anything other than the one man and one woman relationship is a distortion of God's plan and always involves some sort of sin. Lamech's sin of taking two wives opened the door for evil to overrun his life. Like an ingested poison that slowly kills it's unsuspecting victim from the inside-out, Lamech allowed sin to corrupt his thinking. The next thing we know, Lamech is bragging to his wives about killing a young man (Genesis 4:23-24).
Sin is a slippery slope. As God told Lamech's great-great-great-grandfather, Cain, "sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." (Genesis 4:7) Sin is like a wild animal crouching in the bushes waiting for the moment to pounce on it's prey and kill it.
Thanks be to God that he has given us freedom from the bondage of sin and death through Jesus! Through the work of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit that indwells every believer we have the power to fight off the attacks of sin on our life. Like the great Puritan John Owen said, "be killing sin or it will be killing you."
Will we ever live perfect sinless lives this side of eternity? No. Should we as Christians expect non-Christians to say "no" to sinful desires? No. In fact, Romans 8 tells us that the person without the Spirit can't say "no" to sin. God calls us to extend grace AND truth to those who are far from God and by loving them and gently pointing them to the Truth of God's Word. Ultimately, we need to realize we must be different than the world around us. We are to live lives worthy of the One who has saved us. (1 Peter 2:12)
Remember Lamech and don't allow sin to corrupt your thinking.
Next Sunday's "Person of Interest" - Jethro (and not the Beverly Hillbilly)
