Bill Fitzhenry's Thoughts For Today…

Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Genesis 10:8-12 ESV

8 Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man.

9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD. Therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD."

10 The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

11 From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and

12 Resen between Nineveh and Calah; that is the great city.

The Church over the centuries has recognized many of her great heroes. But she has failed in giving honor to many who deserved - men such Gottschalk in the 9^th century, John Bunyan, and Augustus Toplady. There are many others who can be named but these are outstanding examples of those ignored.

John Bunyan, if not for his great allegory Pilgrim’s Progress would be ignored. What history in the church has failed to do is recognize the spiritual gifts in which he excelled, the wealth of service he did in the church, and the greatness of his varied writings.

Bunyan does an exegesis of the first Ten chapters of Genesis which are well worth reading. As in anything Bunyan wrote, it is necessary to remember that he had no formal education. He had no language training, either Hebrew or Greek. He had no commentaries. He knew nothing of any relevant Jewish Biblical writings. He had no concordance. He had only a consuming love for God and His word, a spiritual giftedness which he improved every way possible, and an amazing intellect with a memory that included the whole of Scripture.

When Bunyan comes to Genesis 10:8-12 he recognizes the hunting there is neither for good or sport but that it is an attitude toward God and man He understood from the success of Nimrod that he achieved his ends to dishonor God and abuse his fellowmen.

He explains it in this way, ”’He began as a mighty man in the earth;’ I am apt to think he was the first that in this new world sought after absolute monarchy.

‘He began to be a mighty one in the earth; (or among the children of men.) I suppose him to be a giant, not only in person, but in disposition; and so, through the pride of his countenance, did scorn that others, or any, should be his equal; nay, could not be content tell all made obeisance to him. He therefore would needs be the author of what religion he pleased; and would also subject the rest of his brethren there to, by what ways his lust thought best. Wherefore here began a fresh persecution. That sin therefore, which the other world was drowned for, was again revived by the cursed man, even to lord it over the sons of God, and to enforce idolatry and superstition upon them; and hence he is called ‘the mighty hunter.’” The Complete Works of John Bunyan, Vol. 3, pg 415 NFFCE 1968.

The failure to appreciate Bunyan in the 17^th century and further to imprison him for preaching without a license, (this license was granted to the state church), is a warning to all who would place importance on any human contribution, education, human approval, or bureaucratic credentials over spiritual gifts demonstrated within the bounds of the church.