Let's play a little chess...

I know, it has been too long since my last post...  Can you say, "Life!" If you know what I mean. It is not that I haven't been reading. I just haven't been posting. I have been extremely tired and not feeling well at all.

Sorry!!!


Genesis 34:1 - 37:36

About a week ago I read Genesis 34:1-37:36 and reflected on it for several days to see what was in it for me. I am not going to go into alot of detail. I am going to just skim over the high points and land at Chapter 37.

In Genesis 34 Jacob's daughter Dinah gets raped and her brothers get revenge for against the man who raped her. It was an interesting reading. However, I really couldn't get a "deep message" out of it... not a whole lot to write about. In Chapter 35 Jacob returns to Bethel. Also, in this chapter Rachel and Isaac die. Again, good reading; but, not a whole lot to expound on. Chapter 36 goes into the descendants of Esau... who doesn't love the "begats and begots"?

So, now we are at Chapter 37...

Let's begin with just a bit of background information.

Joseph, now seventeen years old, was Jacob's favorite son because he was born in Jacob's old age. Jacob took special care of Joseph, giving him special gifts, like what we have always known as the "coat of many colors".  Now, we all know that when one child is favored over the others it often causes hard feelings, jealousy, even anger, and hatred. That is the case here. And, to make matters worse...

Joseph had a dream...
While in the field, along with his brothers, tending his father's flocks, Joseph had an amazing dream. Just like you and me, when something amazing happens we just have to tell everybody about it! Joseph went to his brothers to tell them about his dream, saying, "Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it." As you can imagine, Joseph's brothers didn't take too well to the dream. They mocked Joseph saying, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" The dream, and the fact that Joseph actually had the nerve to tell them about it, angered the brothers and made them hate Joseph even more. 
 
Now, if the first dream wasn't enough, Joseph had a second one! This time Joseph didn't just tell his brothers, he told his father too, "...the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." HOW RIDICULOUS, even his father rebuked him saying, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?"
 
Joseph's brothers had been tending the flocks in the field near another town. Joseph's father, Jacob, told Joseph to go check on his brothers to make sure that they were OK. When the brothers saw Joseph coming their anger and hatred for Joseph rose up and they began to plot against him. They even planned to kill him. Joseph's brother Reuben, wanting to rescue Joseph from death at the hands of his brothers, pleaded with them not to kill Joseph. "Let's not take his life," he said. "Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don't lay a hand on him." Reuben wanted to save Joseph's life so he could take Joseph back to his father.

When Joseph finally reached his brothers, they attacked him, stripped his "coat of many colors" off of him, and threw him into the pit until they could decide what to do with him. They sat down to eat and noticed a group of Ishmaelites passing by headed to Egypt. One of the brothers, Judah, realizing the logic of Reuben's argument, said, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." The brothers agreed, sparing Joseph from a terrible death. Joseph was then sold to the travelers for twenty shekels of silver.

Not knowing that Joseph had been sold, Reuben went back to the pit and saw that Joseph was gone. He got upset, tearing his clothes. He ran to his other brothers to tell them that Joseph was gone. Realizing that this was the handiwork of his brothers, he didn't know where to turn or what to do... his brother was gone.

Now, In order to explain Joseph's disappearance to their father, the brothers who sold Joseph tore his coat, coated it with blood to make it look like a wild animal had killed him. They then took the coat home to their father. When Jacob saw the coat he knew that it was Joseph's... he knew that surely Joseph had been torn to pieces and killed by a wild animal. Jacob was destroyed by the death of his favored son. He vowed that he would go to his grave mourning the loss of his son and he refused to be comforted.

Meanwhile, Joseph was sold in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, captain of the guard.

Let's play a little chess...

• Brothers: Let's kill Joseph... CHECK
• Reuben: Let's not kill him. We can just throw him in the pit and leave him (I will come back and get him later to take him home)... No, that would be CHECK
• Judah: You are right. We won't kill him. We will sell him to the travelers... Now that is CHECK MATE

OR, IS IT?

You will have to keep reading the story of Joseph to find out.

The biggest thing that jumped out at me in this reading was Reuben. I see him as a valued pawn in God's hand, being moved into place to preserve God's plan.

Joseph's brothers, full of anger, jealousy, and hatred, planned to kill Joseph. Reuben was skillfully moved into place to plead for Joseph's life and eventually return him home safely to his father. Had Reuben not been moved into place, the likelihood is that Joseph would have been immediately killed upon his arrival. But instead instead of killing him, his brothers threw him into the pit and eventually decided to sell him.

Reuben's plan was to save Joseph's life and to take Joseph home safely to his father. But when the brothers made another move, this time without Reuben's knowledge, God still used Reuben's idea to "not kill Joseph" and they sold him instead. This ultimately preserved the plan of God for Joseph's future.

The moral of the story is...

God's plan will always come to pass. He may have to use different people, He may have to shift one piece of the puzzle and put another piece into place.

But, God's will and God's plan will ALWAYS come to pass!

Help me to stand....

Genesis 33:1-20

God, help me! Here he comes! And, he is running toward me...
Jacob looked up and saw him... He has 400 men with him! Look, he is running toward us! Quick, divide the children so that at least some will survive! I want the maidservants and their children first. Then I want Leah and her children. Rachel, I want you and Joseph to come last. I will go ahead of all of you to meet Esau. If anything happens to me...

The striking coldness of the fear! Jacob has no more time to figure out a plan, no more time to seek God's protection. The dreaded time is here. All he can do is face the music. He goes ahead of the women and children to meet his brother, bowing to the ground seven times as he approached. (Quick question... The bowing, was it a show of respect... was it humility... was it an act of contrition, asking for forgiveness... or, was it submission, out of fear? What do you think?)

Esau continues running toward him. Jacob stands there... frozen... lost... not knowing what to expect... not knowing what to do. Finally, Esau reaches Jacob. He trows his arms around Jacob, embracing him, and gives him a kiss. Jacob bursts into tears! I can almost feel the shock, the fear, all of the dread, every weight that has bound him for all of those years, falling off as his brother hugs him. The kiss, it says it all... forgiveness! The tears fell from not only Jacob's face, but also Esau's.

Can you believe it? Esau is not angry. He doesn't hate Jacob. In fact, Esau is happy to see him! Welcome home!

Side note... I can only imagine, had Jacob returned with a different spirit, a chip on his shoulder, things would have been quite a bit different. Had Jacob returned home with an "attitude" it may have been a totally different reception.
When you obey the voice of the Lord and walk in humility, God will take care of you.

"Who are all of these people that are with you", Esau asked.
"They are my family... my wives, my maidservants, and my children", replied Jacob.
"What is up with all of the flocks and herds that you are trying to give me?" said Esau
"They are gifts for you. I am giving them to you, hoping that you will let me find favor in your eyes.", Jacob said. (I believe that I heard an "I am sorry" in that. Did you?)

Esau's answer is amazing (verse 9-12)...
"I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.... Let us be on our way...".

Did you see what I saw?
I noticed something when Jacob tried to give the gifts to Esau...
Jacob continued to refer to Esau as "my lord".
Esau referred to Jacob as "my brother".
Jacob refers to his brother with a title of service, of subordinance...
Esau's refers to his brother with love and relationship.
Is it possible that Esau has had more of a heart change than Jacob?
Esau is the one who was wronged. He is the one who was manipulated into giving away his birthright for a bowl of stew. He is the one who had his father's blessings, blessings of God, stolen from him by the deception of his father. And now, he is the one who is welcoming his brother with totally unconditional love and forgiveness.
Esau didn't say "You can come home if...".
He simply ran to his brother, embraced him, gave him a kiss, and said let's go home!

To me, Esau is a perfect picture of how God loves us!

No matter what we have done...
No matter how wrong we have been...
No matter how bad we have done Him...
No matter...
No matter...

God comes running to us with His arms open wide. He hugs us. He gives us a big kiss. And, He says, "I am so glad to see you! Let's go home!
Oh yeah, I don't need all of the stuff that you are trying to give Me. All that I want is YOU! I am just glad that you have come home to Me! I love you! Welcome home!"

Thank You Jesus for Your love!
Thank You for Your forgiveness!
Thank You for the fact that both of them are mine, and they are mine unconditionally.
I know that I DON'T deserve either of them.
But, I know that they are mine because You love me!

Times have been really tough lately, Jesus.
I pray that You will help me to stand...
During times when it is hard to stand, I pray that You will help me to stand...
During the times when I don't want to stand, I pray that You will help me to stand...
Even during the times when I refuse to stand because of hurt, anger, resentment, rebellion, whatever the reason, I pray that You will forgive me and that You will help me to stand!
Jesus, Your word says, "Having done all, ... stand".

Jesus, help me to stand!

In our time of troubles...

Genesis 32:1-32


God has come to Jacob telling him to return back to the land of his father...
Jacob and his family set out on their trip back to Jacob's homeland. In doing this, Jacob knows that what he has dreaded for so many years WILL happen. He will finally come face to face with the person that he had stolen from, his brother Esau. He  has a great fear of what may happen when he sees his brother again, even after being gone for many, many years... rightfully so!

This fear can be seen through many things in this reading.

First, Jacob sent messengers ahead of him with a message for Esau... The message that Jacob sent shows his fear. (Not the fact that he sent it. But, the way that it was sent and even the content of the message itself.)

"This is what you are to say to my master Esau: 'Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.'"

Yes, the fact that Jacob sent the message could be looked at in two different ways.

1. The message could have been out of courtesy... letting a family member know that he was "passing through", that he was close by. It could have been a message intending to be cordial.
2.  It could have been a message sent out of fear.

I see the latter of the two. To me, in the very sending of the message I see Jacob's fear.  For example, when giving instructions to the messengers, Jacob refers to Esau as "my master" and to himself as "Your (Esau's) servant". This is directly opposite the spiritual authority "pecking order" that was spoken over Jacob when blessed by his father. According to the blessing, Esau was to serve Jacob. Here, Jacob is indicating the just the opposite. This could be seen as an act of appeasement... You're in charge (let's not stir anything up).

Also, Jacob makes it known in the message that he has been settled somewhere, with Laban... a relative. He has not been wandering... on the run so to speak. He makes it clear that he has established himself. He has "cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants". To me, if Esau saw that Jacob had been scared and running all of those years it could have been like when an animal senses fear, they attack. Jacob may have been sending a "subliminal message"... "I have been OK, so everything is OK" (walk softly... don't stir anything up... it will be OK).

The next indication of Jacob's fear in the message is not just an indication of fear. It could also be seen as an indication of repentance (to me). It is when Jacob says, "I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes". This is the most direct indication of fear yet. But, here Jacob is also asking for favor. This could also be seen as an act of humility, an attempt to defuse anger and hostility. I actually see him in my mind's eye as being bowed down when saying this. It is almost like an "I am sorry" without the "I am sorry". If you know what I mean.

Big picture...
I am going to send messengers to go to my brother, to let him know I am coming home. They are going to tell my brother, "Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes." Hopefully, after hearing the message, he won't be angry anymore.

Shucks! Might not have worked like I thought...
The messengers come back saying, "We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him".

Having received the news, Jacob sees the worst. His brother is coming after him! IN GREAT FEAR AND DISTRESS Jacob divided the people, flocks, and herds that were with him into two groups in an effort of preservation.

Genesis 32:7-8
In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. He thought, "If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape."

He then prayed to God... God, you told me it is time to go home. You said that you would make me prosper. I know, if I am to prosper, I have to be here to prosper... he can't kill me. God, I am not worthy of your kindness and faithfulness. I left home with only my staff and I am returning tremendously blessed. God, protect me from my brother's anger! Again, God, I know that you said you would prosper me and my descendants would not be able to be counted.

When all else fails... buy your way out of it...
Even with GOD'S promise, he still remains afraid. He selects a "gift" for his brother...
two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. He sent them ahead of himself in three groups, with space between them. Each group was told that when they encounter Esau and he asks to whom they and the animals belong, they are to respond, "They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us."

Surely, after my brother, Esau, has passed all three of the groups of my servants, each one having gifts for him, THERE WILL BE NO WAY THAT HE COULD STILL BE ANGRY AT ME!

Jacob sends the gifts ahead, but he stays behind.

That night Jacob sent his wives, his 11 children, his two maidservants, and all of his possessions across the stream...
Jacob was left alone.

During the night Jacob had a visitor...
Jacob wrestled with a man until daybreak. When the man realized that he was not going to prevail over Jacob, he touched Jacob's hip so that it was wrenched as he wrestled. The man told Jacob to let him go because it was daybreak. Jacob said,"I will not let you go uness you bless me". The man asked Jacob's name. When Jacob responded, the man told Jacob that he would no longer be called Jacob. From that point forward, he would be called Israel, "for you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome".

It is in the time of our fear, the time of our distress, the time when we are left all alone...

It is then that we wrestle with God...

It is then that He touches us...

It is then that He changes who we are!

Honesty is the best policy...

It has been a few days since my last post... SORRY!
I will do better.

Genesis 30:25 - 31:55

It's time to go home...
After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob went to Laban and asked for Laban's permission to take his wives and children and go back to his own homeland. Laban told Jacob that all of his livestock had really done well under Jacob's care and he really wanted Jacob to stay. Jacob even told Laban, "the LORD has blessed you wherever I have been".

Realizing the blessings of God, Laban told Jacob that he would pay whatever price Jacob asked to get Jacob to stay.

Jacob told Laban that the little livestock that Laban had when Jacob arrived had increased greatly under Jacob's care because of God's blessing. Jacob saw this as an opportunity to do something for HIS family. Jacob told Laban "Don't give me anything,"... "But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages. And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored, will be considered stolen." Laban agreed to Jacob's request.

Laban immediately removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs and sent them away with his sons, without Jacob's knowledge, so that Jacob could not take them. See what has happened here? Laban went right back to his deceiving ways. Even though Jacob had agreed to continue serving Laban, Laban, again, cheated Jacob.

Jacob continued with his agreement tending Laban's flocks. While tending the flocks Jacob took "fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban's animals. Whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches, but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob. 

God honored Jacob and multiplied his flocks. Jacob became rich with large flocks, and maidservants and menservants, and camels and donkeys.

It wasn't too long before Jacob heard that Laban's son's had began to accuse Jacob of taking everything that Laban owned to build wealth for himself. Jacob, noticing that Laban's attitude towards him had changed, quietly sent word for his wives to come meet him in the fields. He told them that their father's attitude toward him had changed, that he had always been honest with their father. Even though Laban had changed his wages ten times, cheating him, Jacob continued serving in honesty and integrity, giving his best. He told them about a dream that God had given him, assuring him that God had seen the way that Laban was treating him, and that God was blessing him in spite of the way that he was being treated. He also told them that God said that it was time for them to go home, back to Jacob's native homeland. Both Rachel and Leah agreed that it was time to leave.

Jacob gathered his family and his belongings and quietly left without Laban knowing it. But, before they left, Rachel snuck into her father's tent and stole his idols and hid them in her things. She did this without Jacob, or anyone else, knowing it.

When Laban realized that they had left he chased them, finally catching them after seven days. After catching them, Laban asked Jacob why he left without telling Laban, why he didn't let him say goodbye, kiss his daughters and his grandchildren, why he left with no notice. He then asked Jacob, "why did you steal my gods?"

Jacob told Laban that he left secretly because he was afraid for his life. He was afraid that Laban would take his daughters away so they could not leave and kill Jacob. Jacob then told Laban, but, I did not steal your gods and no one with me dd either. He told Laban that if Laban found anyone that had stolen his gods, Laban could kill them (REMEMBER... Jacob did not know that Rachel had taken them). Laban searched everyone's tents and belongings. Finally he got to Rachel's tent. Before Laban entered the tent, Rachel put the gods in her camel saddle and sat on it. When her father came in, he searched everywhere but found nothing. Rachel looked at her father and said, "Don't be angry... I can not stand in your presence; I'm having my period". Laban never found the gods.

Jacob was very angry for having been falsely accused (so he thought). He told Laban that he had worked with honor and integrity  for 20 years, giving Laban the best, putting his own needs aside, preferring Laban and his needs.
Laban and Jacob then made a covenant that God would keep watch between them while they were away from each other. They offered a sacrifice and had a meal. The next morning Laban kissed his daughters and grandchildren. Then he left and went home.

What I have seen throughout this reading is that if we remain honest, if we do what is right, if we honor those in authority over us, God has our back! God will honor us. He will protect us. And, He will bless our integrity and honesty. He did this with Jacob. In spite of the fact that Laban kept cheating Jacob, Jacob stayed honest. Laban deceived Jacob by giving him Leah as a bride instead of Rachel... Jacob took her and worked seven more years for Rachel. Laban changed Jacob's wages ten times... Jacob kept on working without complaining. Jacob operated from a place of integrity, and God blessed Jacob and he became a rich man.
 
The hand of man, the hand of manipulation, the hand of deception can never gain anything even close to the blessings of God!
 
If God be for us, who can be against us...