LESSON 1



unselfishness

Examples of selfish people in the Bible

ΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚΚ

1. Goal

WE WILL LEARN LESSONS FROM LIVES OF SELFISH PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE.

2. Introduction

ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD, AND IS PROFITABLE FOR DOCTRINE, FOR REPROOF, FOR CORRECTION, FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. WE CAN LEARN GOD’S PRINCIPLES AND TRUTHS FROM EVENTS IN THE PAST RECORDED IN THE BIBLE. GOD INSPIRED HIS SERVANTS TO WRITE SCRIPTURES FOR THE BENEFIT OF TEACHING AND INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS. WE CAN LEARN FROM BOTH GOOD EXAMPLES OF GODLY MEN AND WOMEN AND BAD EXAMPLES OF PEOPLE WHO DID NOT SEEK GOD.

In this lesson, we will examine the lives of selfish people recorded in the Bible so that we will be careful not to follow their bad examples.

3. Question

Share what you have learned from different stories recorded in the Bible.

4. Content

A. Cain

Genesis 4:1-9 Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man." 2Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." 8Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?"

Cain was the oldest son of Adam and Eve. His younger brother named Abel. Cain worked the soil and Abel kept flocks. God accepted Abel’s offering because he obeyed the Lord by bringing fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. But God did not accept Cain’s offering because he brought some of the fruits of the soil to the Lord.

God corrected Cain and encouraged him to repent of his disobedience. But Cain ignored God’s warning words. He did not repent of his sin and ended up murdering his brother. Cain was rebellious and selfish. He only thought about his own benefits and reputation. He did not care about his brother, Abel. Because of his evil attitude, he killed Abel.

Discussion: Please describe how sinful people in this world show their selfishness like Cain.

B. Nabal

1 Samuel 25:2-12 A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel. 3His name was Nabal and his wife's name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was surly and mean in his dealings. 4While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. 5So he sent ten young men and said to them, "Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name. 6Say to him: 'Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours! 7"'Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. 8Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my young men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.'" 9When David's men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David's name. Then they waited. 10Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. 11Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?" 12David's men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word.

Nabal was a wealthy man. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep. David and his men came to Maon and were in the desert. David heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. So he sent ten young men to Nabal to ask for food. David asked his men to remind Nabal that when Nabal’s shepherds were with him and his men, David did not mistreat them and nothing of theirs was missing. However, Nabal refused to give bread, water and meat to David and his people even though he knew that David had protected his servants before. Nabal was very selfish. He denied helping David even though David had protected all that Nabal had in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him. And he repaid David evil for good.

Discussion: What do you learn from this story? Read 1 Samuel 25:38, “About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal and he died.”

C. Haman

Esther 6:1-12 That night the king could not sleep; so he ordered the book of the chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to him. 2It was found recorded there that Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. 3"What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this?" the king asked. "Nothing has been done for him," his attendants answered. 4The king said, "Who is in the court?" Now Haman had just entered the outer court of the palace to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows he had erected for him. 5His attendants answered, "Haman is standing in the court." "Bring him in," the king ordered. 6When Haman entered, the king asked him, "What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?" Now Haman thought to himself, "Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?" 7So he answered the king, "For the man the king delights to honor, 8have them bring a royal robe the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden, one with a royal crest placed on its head. 9Then let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of the king's most noble princes. Let them robe the man the king delights to honor, and lead him on the horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, 'This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!'" 10"Go at once," the king commanded Haman. "Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended.” 11So Haman got the robe and the horse. He robed Mordecai, and led him on horseback through the city streets, proclaiming before him, "This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!" 12Afterward Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief,

King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him (Esther 3:1). Haman hated the children of Israel who were captives in Persia and Media at that time. He tried to get rid of the Jews by using his high position. God used Esther to deliver the Jews from the evil plot of Haman. And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter (Esther 2:7).

Mordecai had exposed Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's officers who guarded the doorway, who had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes (Esther 2:21-23). The king found out that nothing has been done for Mordecai. Therefore he asked Haman, "What should be done for the man the king delights to honor?" Because of Haman’s selfishness, he thought that the king was talking about him. He told the king to do many things to honor himself. Later on he learned that King Xerxes wanted to honor Mordecai.

Selfish people always have themselves in their minds. They want others to honor them. They want to take what they don’t deserve. They are greedy. They think about themselves more highly than others.

Discussion: Do you think selfishness is related to greed?

D. The Parable of a good Samaritan

Luke 10:30-32 Then Jesus answered and said: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31"Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32"Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.

Jesus taught a parable of a good Samaritan to answer a question: “And who is my neighbor?” In this parable, we see two selfish persons: a priest and a Levite. When these two selfish men walked by the injured man, they both passed by on the other side of the road. They thought that it was not their business to help the man.

God is not pleased with those who have a selfish attitude. The Word clearly says that God will repay to each man according to his deeds. When a selfish person is in need, no one will help him because he has refused to help others.

Proverbs 21:13 Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be heard.

Proverbs 24:11-12 Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. 12If you say, "Surely we did not know this," Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render (repay) to each man according to his deeds?

Our unselfish attitude should be shown in words and actions. Faith without deeds is dead.

James 2:15-17 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

1 John 3:16-18 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

Discussion: How do you show your love and unselfishness in actions towards your brothers and sisters in the church and in the care group?

6. Memorized Scripture

PROVERBS 24:12 IF YOU SAY, "SURELY WE DID NOT KNOW THIS," DOES NOT HE WHO WEIGHS THE HEARTS CONSIDER IT? HE WHO KEEPS YOUR SOUL, DOES HE NOT KNOW IT? AND WILL HE NOT RENDER (REPAY) TO EACH MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS?

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