What is that stench?
One week after moving into our new home, my wife became concerned with a new revelation. She had been out on our deck, enjoying a sunny spring day, when a pipe sticking three feet out of the ground began to spew bubbles. My reply? “Oh, it’s no big deal.”
Do you eliminate the stench or embrace it?
Ever notice, when folks have a problem on their hands, they often do not realize it? Or they minimize the problem, so they do not have to address it?
Amos 4:10 – “I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have carried away your horses; and I have made the stench of your camp to come up even into your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah.”
The children of Israel had a stench problem. The scripture tells us, that even their nostrils noticed it. Yes, the problem was noticed, but what was done about it? It was ignored.
Speaking shamefully about my own sex, we men are kind of funny when it comes to a stench. Nearly every guy when confronted about possible body odor, has lifted his arm… and yes… took a whiff! “Nah, I smell fine”, he will say and onward he will go. Even if we notice a bit of odor, we will just try to spray deodorant on the problem and go about our business, rather than take the time to shower and solve the problem properly.
Regarding the bubble/pipe problem, a few days later my wife informed me we now had our own sewage laying out in the yard. The pipe, as it turns out, was not just directly connected to the washer, but also the sinks, dishwasher, and yes… the commode. There was something about being confronted with my own fecal matter that made a switch in my head flip over. “Ah, I have a problem. I need to correct it.” Yes, the thought also came to my head, “Maybe if I just spray the area vigorously with a hose on occasion, no one will notice.” The image of my darling wife’s reaction, made me choose a more appropriate action. I called a plumber/septic “professional”.
Israel, from the scripture above in Amos, had a stench problem due to sin. Throughout their history, their foolish attempts at problem solving fell widely short of success. Seeking out soothsayers was not a solution. Seeking out false god’s was not a solution. Trying to become like other nations was not a solution. Ignoring the problem of their sin, hoping it would go away, was not a solution. What they needed was a sin “professional”.
John 1:29 – “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
Jesus is our sin “professional”.
Ecclesiastes 10:1 – “Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to send forth an evil odor; so doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.”
Dead, rotting items cause a stench. Adam and Eve were warned from the beginning:
Genesis 3:2-3 – “And the woman said unto the serpent, Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”
Moments later, man would begin to stink from the smell of sin.
Isaiah 50:2 – “Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stink, because there is no water, and die for thirst.”
From Isaiah, we see that fish began to stink because they were out of water. Thus, they died. Without the living water, man will die.
John 7:38 – “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water.”
My darling wife alerted me to a septic problem. If I had not been made aware of it or I had chosen to continue to ignore the problem, it would have gotten much worse. It would have gotten to the point where the home would have been unlivable. Yes, that point was in the future, but how far in the future? We just don’t know.
1 Thessalonians 5:2 – “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.”
Some day, our Savior is going to come. It is in the future, but when? Will we still have our stench problem? Will He come sooner, rather than later? It behooves us to seek the sin “professional”, before he finds us and destroys the stench rather than moves it.
John 16:8 – “And he, when he is come, will convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:”
From a physical standpoint, smokers often do not realize the stench with which they fill their environment. Pet owners often do not realize the animal smell that can pervade their homes. Those in sin, often are oblivious to the situations in which they are involved. They are much like the frog when dropped into the cool pot of water. It seems like a great environment. However, as the water is slowly heated up, and the environment becomes dangerous, the frog does not notice. Before he knows it, the frog has lost his life.
Christians are blessed by God to be watchmen. They are folks who alert others to the stench that sin creates. It is the duty of watchmen to inform the souls of the world. It is Christians duty to teach about God’s will and Christ’s cleansing power!
Hebrews 9:14 – “how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
Do you have a stench problem? Are you infecting the environment around you with the smell of sin? Are you jeopardizing the souls of your family, friends, and acquaintances? Dear friend, here is that warning. Turn to the Word of God. Seek out the cleansing blood of Jesus. Discover what His will is and how you can be a sweet smelling fragrance unto Him.
Ephesians 5:1 – “Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell.”