Skip to main content

Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

"Methuselah was 187 years old when he fathered Lamech. Methuselah lived 782 years after the birth of Lamech, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So Methuselah's life lasted 969 years; then he died.  Lamech was 182 years old when he fathered a son. And he named him Noah, saying, "This one will bring us relief from the agonizing labor of our hands, caused by the ground the LORD has cursed." Lamech lived 595 years after Noah's birth, and he fathered other sons and daughters. So Lamech's life lasted 777 years; then he died.  Noah was 500 years old, and he fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

When mankind began to multiply on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of mankind were beautiful, and they took any they chose as wives for themselves. And the LORD said, "My Spirit will not remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years." The Nephilim were on the earth both in those days and afterward, when the sons of God came to the daughters of mankind, who bore children to them. They were the powerful men of old, the famous men." [Gen 5:25-6:4 HCSB]

Observations: 

  • What choices were made? 
    • God chose not to give "the law" to humans during this long period of time. I think we often forget about this since it is almost two thousand years of history represented in two short chapters of the Bible, but these chapters are the record of God choosing to give humans complete freedom... no law. No ten commandments. Just the freedom to make choices. There is part of me that wishes that God gave us a more detailed and in depth history of this point in time. 
    • Men chose to become corrupt. God said, "My Spirit will not remain with mankind forever, because they are corrupt. Their days will be 120 years." These words  clearly communicate that God holds humanity responsible for their corruption. 
  • What were the short term results of the choices that were made? 
    • God empowered human beings to a large extent (He gave them lots of choices and very few restrictions), and human beings for the most part became corrupt. There were a few shining exceptions (Enoch and Noah), but mostly the power corrupted. 
Applications:
  • Today, does absolute power corrupt absolutely? 
    • Yes. Every time. No exceptions. I could give so many examples of this, many of them current and political. I think this is one of the reasons God gave humanity the law through Israel. And then He sent Jesus. Jesus is our example of using power for the good of others, for using power to change and battle corruption, for walking in humility and meekness and love. Honestly, I think all power has to be used with love and with truth, otherwise it corrupts. Otherwise, crazy things happen. 

Thoughts, Observations, other Applications? Questions? 

I hope you have a beautiful day! 
-Jordan
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

God Plants a Garden and Forms Humans

[Gen 2:4-14 HCSB] "These are the records of the heavens and the earth, concerning their creation at the time that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens. No shrub of the field had yet grown on the land, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not made it rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground. But water would come out of the ground and water the entire surface of the land. Then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.  The LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there He placed the man He had formed. The LORD God caused to grow out of the ground every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden, as well as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  A river went out from Eden to water the garden. From there it divided and became the source of four rivers. ...
3 comments
Read more

Genesis 1:1

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth..." Genesis 1:1 Observations about this Passage: Who did what in this passage? God created the heavens God created the earth. Who said what in this passage? The narrator said that there was a beginning and that there was a creator God. What choices were made in this passage? God chose to create the heavens. God chose to create the earth  What other choices could have been made? God might have chosen not to create the heavens God might have chosen not to create the earth God might have chosen to create a third place or a fourth place or a fifth place as well.  What are some of the short term results of the choices that they made? God is pleased (see following verses)  What are some of the long term effects of the choices that were made?  The existence of the heavens and the earth All of human history. What do the actions of the people in this passage show me about their value syst...
3 comments
Read more

Freedom and Ribs (Yes, I know it's a little early for the fourth of July ;))

"The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die." Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper as his complement." So the LORD God formed out of the ground every wild animal and every bird of the sky, and brought each to the man to see what he would call it. And whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal; but for the man no helper was found as his complement. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. Then the LORD God made the rib He had taken from the man into a woman an...
2 comments
Read more