Home
>
Spirituality
>
Be Aware of the Supreme Deceiver (Part 1)

Be Aware of the Supreme Deceiver (Part 1)

One cannot read the account of Benhadad and Hazael in God's word not be overcome by a certain sense of sadness. You recall Benhadad was ill and sent Hazael to the prophet Elisha to make inquiries regarding his recovery. Elisha told Hazael that Benhadad would not die from his illness, but that he would nevertheless, die. Elisha then stared with horror at Hazael before suddenly bursting out in tears. Not understanding what was happening to Elisha, Hazael asks him why he was crying. Elisha tells him that he was weeping for the children of Israel. It pained Elisha to foresee the horrendous suffering Hazael was going to inflict upon the people of Israel. He tells Hazael that he "will set fire to their fortified places, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little children to the ground, and rip open their pregnant women."

But with righteous indignation Hazael admonishes Elisha for suggesting such a despicable thing and told Elisha that he was not even in a position that would make such an act possible. Then Elisha tells him that he would be king over Syria. Hazael was clearly upset by the predictions of Elisha. Yet, we learn that on the following day, Hazael kills Benhadad and succeeds him as King of Syria.

I do not think that Hazael beforehand could have imagined himself a murderer. After all, he was a human being like you and I. Benhadad apparently trusted him enough to carry and bring back messages that were important to him. And so I am inclined to think that Hazael probably thought a lot of himself as a person and felt murder in any of its many forms were beyond his capability. And yet, he killed.

This suggests to me that man is extensively ignorant of the evil that lurks within. We are not cognizant of all the dirt and filth and meanness that reside in our hearts; the supreme deceiver.

It was Jeremiah who declared that "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" We do not and cannot fully know the carnal heart. And this ignorance is almost universal. Self-righteousness inevitably leads to undue self-estimation. We imagine others to be so wicked, so perverted, so low-down, so deadbeat, so barbaric, so inhuman, while we think ourselves to be above these things. We believe we function on a higher plain and could never stoop to the depths of all those other degenerates. But Scripture teaches us that this is not true. The possibility of committing all kinds of heinous act is always in our hearts. "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander." Matthew 15:19.

And so we need to stop thinking we are so good and stop talking about what we absolutely will not do. Holy Writ succinctly reveals the condition of our hearts and declares that we are capable of doing just about anything. We need to stop viewing ourselves in worldly mirrors and start seeing ourselves through the divine mirror ? God's word. As long as we view ourselves in the world's mirror, we will see only what we want to see; we will see only the exterior, only the dust. But when we look at our selves through God's divine mirror, we see things that make us cringe; we see things we did not know existed, we see ugliness and meanness and deception. When we have a look at ourselves in God's mirror, we do not see a pretty picture. So if you look in the mirror and see all beauty and goodness, you can rest assured you are looking through the mirror of the world. You are being deceived by your own heart.

You see, the heart can deceive us because that is where sin is. The sinful heart makes right seem wrong and wrong seem right. Deceitful hearts distorts judgment and darkens understanding; it binds the will, pollutes conscience and betrays memory. It deceives the whole man, both physical and moral and mental with hypocrisy and cunning trickery. David Black observed:

There is not anything in the history of mankind more surprising, or at first view more unaccountable, than the self-partiality which prevails in the world. One would be apt to imagine, that it should not be so difficult to arrive at the knowledge of our real character, possessing, as we do, every possible advantage for attaining it. But we see, in fact, that of all knowledge this is the rarest and most uncommon. Nor is it difficult to account for this fact, since the heart is deceitful above all things. Self-love casts a veil over the understanding, the judgment is warped by various circumstances, and hence it is, that many seem to be almost entire strangers to their own character. They think, and reason, and judge quite differently in any thing relating to themselves, from what they do in those cases in which they have no personal interest. Accordingly, we often hear people exposing follies for which they themselves are remarkable, and talking with great severity against particular vices, of which, if all the world be not mistaken, they themselves are notoriously guilty. It is astounding to what a pitch this self-ignorance and self-partiality may be carried! How frequently do we see men, not only altogether blind to their own character, but insensible to every thing that can be said to convince them of their mistake. In vain do you tender to them instruction or reproof, for they turn away everything from themselves, and never once imagine that they are the persons for whose benefit these counsels and admonitions are chiefly intended.

(continued in Part 2)

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, veteran social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach which can be reviewed on her site. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, is expected to be available soon.

You are welcome to visit amen ministries: your soul's service station for spiritual refreshing, soul edification, browse our newly expanded mini shopping mall or review our recommended books you may want to add to your personal library.

Blessings to all!

personalized cleaning services Des Plaines ..

In The News:

LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.

Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Be Aware of the Supreme Deceiver (Part 1)

Spirituality