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Genesis 48 - 50 and Psalm 28

1/16/2012

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         In today’s reading, the last from the book of Genesis, we have a long passage (almost all chapter 49) from the Biblical genre called prophecy.  First, let’s define prophecy in accordance with the apostle Paul’s explanation in 1 Corinthians 14.
         First he says, “The one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation” (1 Corinthians 14:3).
         1)  “The one who prophesies speaks to people”…  In the following verse, 1 Corinthians 14:4, Paul specifies who these people are: “The one who prophesies builds up the church.”  That is, prophecy is first of all for the community of faith.  Soon we will see that prophecy can be directed to non-believers also, but its main audience is the people of faith.  (For example, Genesis 49 is directed to Jacob’s sons, not to their Egyptian neighbors.)
         2)  …“for upbuilding”…  It edifies, grows and matures listeners in their relationship with Yahweh.  Prophecy may speak of horrible destruction and condemnation but only to those who oppose Yahweh’s righteousness.  It builds up those who live by faith in His righteousness.
         3)  …“encouragement”…  Encouragement or exhortation has three steps when it is complete:
           a) it portrays the listener’s present situation and clarifies it according to God’s perspective, then communicates to the listener that he is not following God;
           b) it portrays the new situation that the listener should be walking in;
           c) it encourages him to make the necessary changes to leave situation a) and enter into situation b).
         4)  …“consolation”…  Prophecy consoles the listener who is suffering for following Yahweh’s righteousness and encourages him to keep marching forward in Yahweh’s power despite the present difficulties.
         Paul also explains, “But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you” (1 Corinthians 14:24-25).
         1.  “But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters”…  Prophecy, although directed above all to the community of faith, can be directed to outsiders also.
         2.  …“he is convicted”…  The listener now understands that he has thought and acted against Yahweh’s righteousness.
         3.  …“he is called to account”…  Through prophecy, the listener recognizes he is guilty for his unrighteousness, that he deserves punishment and condemnation from God for his sins.
         4.  …“the secrets of his heart are disclosed”…  His hidden sins and perverse motives that he followed are now brought to light.  Notice that this aspect of prophecy is declared to unbelievers and also to members of the community of faith who are walking in unrighteousness.
         5.  …“falling on his face, he will worship God”…  The purpose of prophecy is the repentance of listeners and their restoration to God’s ways.
         6.  …“declaring that God is really among you.”  Prophecy is a manifestation that God is with His people.
         Shortly thereafter, Paul highlights other aspects of prophecy: “If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent.  For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged” (1 Corinthians 14:30-31).  Note three more observations about prophecy:
         1.  “If a revelation is made to another”…  Prophecy is distinguished from other spiritual gifts like teaching because it includes revelation.  The Spirit of God reveals something to the one prophesying that is not immediately accessible by logic, previous preparation, simple observation or the repeating of a lesson learned.  That doesn’t mean prophecy is illogical or mystical, but that its origin is in Yahweh and it is transmitted by the one speaking.
         2.  …“let the first be silent”…  The one who prophesies does not enter into ecstasy.  He is in complete control of himself.  He can speak or right away be quiet without any difficulty.
         3.  …“so that all may learn”…  Besides the functions of building up, encouragement, consolation, and conviction of sins like we saw earlier, prophecy also teaches: it communicates to Yahweh’s people what He is like in His righteousness and how to relate to Him in faith and obedience.
         We’re going to add a little more to Paul’s definition of prophecy in 1 Corinthians 14 by identifying another characteristic that it sometimes has and that appears here in Genesis 49: prophecy exhorts listeners by revealing the future.  Notice that prophecy never reveals the future just to inform listeners or to give them some intellectual satisfaction, but it always exhorts them to act in accordance with Yahweh’s righteousness.  Prophecy, when it speaks of the future, tries to impact the present-day life of its listeners.
         Jacob prophesies with all of these intentions in mind in Genesis 49.  By Yahweh’s revelation of the future of the covenant community, Jacob wants to teach, build up, encourage and console his sons and the generations that will follow them so that they avoid sin and walk in Yahweh’s righteousness in preparation for His fulfillment of His promises.  As they wait, they should repeat these prophecies to one another to remind themselves of Yahweh’s faithful presence with them.
         With this definition guiding us like a compass pointing north, let’s quickly review Genesis 49 to see some of its prophecies that stand out.
         Reuben (Genesis 49:3-4): Notice the difference between his potential in verse 3 and what he lost in verse 4 because of his instability and sexual sin described in Genesis 35:22.  Although he is the firstborn, he will not receive the birthright (as 1 Chronicles 5:1-2 confirms).
         Simeon and Levi (Genesis 49:5-7): They are reproved for their extreme violence in reaction to Dinah’s defilement in Genesis 34.  He also reveals the consequences for their sin: “I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel” (Genesis 49:7).  Simeon’s descendants will receive an inheritance when they return to Canaan, but as time goes on they will lose their identity and will be assimilated into the tribe of Judah.  Levi’s descendants will be scattered throughout Canaan but for a more noble purpose; as we will see in the book of Exodus and later, they will be the priestly tribe of Israel.
         Judah (Genesis 49:8-12): He is compared to a lion because of its noble strength and its ability to awaken fear and admiration in all its enemies.  He reveals that the scepter, representing kingship, will continue with Judah until it comes to one identified as Shiloh (a difficult word to translate from Hebrew; scholars point to several possibilities, traditionally taken as messianic in meaning), and the peoples or nations will be gathered to him or obedient to him.  Jacob says, “Binding his foal to the vine” (Genesis 49:11), a strange picture because you don’t tie foals to vines… they will eat them!  Neither do you wash your clothes in wine (Genesis 49:11).  But what Jacob is communicating to Judah and his descendants is that the common agricultural products of the region (grapes, wine, milk) will be so plentiful and with so much prosperity around them that it won’t matter if someone’s donkey eats his choice vines: there will be choice vines everywhere, and wine will be as common as water.
         Zebulun (Genesis 49:13): His prosperity in maritime trading is going to be comparable to the prosperity of Sidon, one of the most famous ports of antiquity.
         Issachar (Genesis 49:14-15): He’s strong, but because of his laziness and desire for comfort, his strength will be used to serve others.
         Dan (Genesis 49:16-17): He will be small but dangerous to those who seem stronger than him, just like a serpent can bring down a rider on a horse.
         I wait for your salvation, O LORD (Genesis 49:18).  In the middle of his prophecy, Jacob wants to remind his sons that everything he is revealing to them is by God’s grace in salvation, not as a recompense for their own righteousness.
         Gad (Genesis 49:19): They will suffer invasion and defeat but eventually will fight back and cause their enemies to flee.
         Asher (Genesis 49:20): He will produce the quality reserved for kings in abundance.
         Naphtali (Genesis 49:21): He will enjoy gracefulness in words and family.
         Joseph (Genesis 49:22-26): Remember that Joseph receives the birthright that Reuben lost, the eldest son’s two portions of the inheritance divided equally among all the sons.  One portion of that birthright goes to his son Ephraim and the other to Manasseh in accordance with their “adoption” and blessing by Jacob in Genesis 48.  Notice that this prophecy emphasizes prosperity despite severe persecution and extends into praise for Yahweh who has protected and prospered Joseph, to the point of referring to eternal blessings that he will receive.  Jacob expresses himself like someone who finds that his words are insufficient to grasp the marvels of Yahweh and the blessings that He pours out on His chosen one.
         Benjamin (Genesis 49:27): As Judah was compared to a lion, Benjamin is compared to a wolf, also in a positive sense.  He catches prey and since he has more than enough, he shares it with his brothers.
         Through these words from their forefather Israel, his sons and descendants would be taught, built up, encouraged, exhorted, consoled and convicted of their sins for repentance in the years of waiting before returning to the land of Canaan.  It would even serve as a reminder and prophecy for the years afterwards.  They should remember that even though Israel and their other forefathers had died, their God would never abandon them: He would relate to them by grace and in faithfulness to His covenant, and they should respond in devotion demonstrated in righteousness.
         And so we close our readings from the time of the patriarchs of Israel and the book of Genesis, with our sights set on the future manifestations of Yahweh’s grace toward His chosen people.
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Genesis 44 - 47

1/14/2012

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         Another aspect of Yahweh’s righteousness is that He knows how to examine the hearts of men and reveal what they have hidden (Jeremiah 17:9-10).  Joseph reflects this attribute of Yahweh when he examines his brothers’ hearts through a series of tests that are impressive in all their details.
         First, the accusation that they are spies is very astute.  Why would so many men travel together without their wives and children?  He catches them off guard and immediately puts them on the defensive.  And listen closely to what they say when they defend themselves: “We are all sons of one man.  We are honest men” (Genesis 42:11).  Honest men?  That is how they are going to defend themselves in front of the brother whom they sold into slavery?  (Of course, they don’t know it is him.)
         When Joseph insists that they are spies, they reveal more information, and that’s when they fall into a trap: “We, your servants, are twelve brothers” (Genesis 42:13).  One, two, three, four… apparently you are only ten.  And where are the other two brothers, oh spies who can’t even count correctly?  “Behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more” (Genesis 42:13).  Oh, now I see!  One stayed home and the other simply disappeared, right?  It sounds like a lie that they came up with on the spot just to make up the difference between the 10 men present and the 12 that they said they were.  “It is as I said to you.  You are spies” (Genesis 42:14).
         Joseph presents his first plan: “By this you shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here.  Send one of you, and let him bring your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you.  Or else, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies” (Genesis 42:16).  An excellent plan!  The supposed “brother” will come without seeing or interviewing the others and will have to identify them all thoroughly with a knowledge of each that only a brother would have.
         So Joseph puts them in jail for three days (Genesis 42:17).  Let them feel the desperation that comes from lying at the bottom of a cistern without knowing how to get out.  Let them think long and hard about the connection between what they did to Joseph and what’s happening to them now.
         And let them notice the big difference between their imprisonment of Joseph and their imprisonment by the governor of Egypt: “I fear God” (Genesis 42:18).  Do the brothers understand how they would have acted differently that day if they had feared God?
         “If you are honest men…” (Genesis 42:19)  How those words should have entered like a thorn prick into their sensitive consciences!  “Let one of your brothers remained confined where you are in custody, and let the rest go and carry grain for the famine of your households [mercy and generosity!], and bring your youngest brother to me.  So your words will be verified, and you shall not die (Genesis 42:19-20).
         And the brothers understood the lesson!  “Then they said to one another, ‘In truth we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us and we did not listen.  That is why this distress has come upon us’” (Genesis 42:21).
         Afterwards in Canaan, the brothers, specifically Judah, passed the next part of the lesson.  First, Jacob grows desperate and resists every attempt to send Benjamin to Egypt.  Reuben can only insist foolishly, “Kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you.  Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you” (Genesis 42:37).  (Is he that clueless to think that his father’s soul will be consoled in the loss of another son by killing two of his grandchildren?)  While the whole family argues in circles, in walks Judah, a changed man.
         This Judah is experienced in humiliation and brokenness.  His lack of integrity was revealed to all.  He more than probably anyone else felt the pain of a guilty conscience in the three days in jail in Egypt: he wanted to kill Joseph, too, but was the one who suggested that he be sold into slavery (Genesis 37:26-27).  Judah not only saw his father’s anguish from the loss of Joseph over all those years, but he too lost his wife and two sons.  How many times did he lie awake at night, wondering if the loss of his sons was some recompense for what he did to Joseph?  He understands his father’s desperation to protect Benjamin: he did the same thing, doing everything possible to preserve the life of his third and last son.  If anyone could understand Jacob’s fear, pain and anguish, it was Judah.  And he offered to stand in for Benjamin and protect him.
         “And Judah said to Israel his father, ‘Send the boy with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones.  I will be a pledge of his safety.  From my hand you shall require him.  If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever’” (Genesis 43:8-9).
         So Jacob sends Benjamin.  Always thinking of gifts to appease another’s anger, he sends some of the choice fruits of the land as gifts to the governor of Egypt (but this time, not in excessive value or quantities).  He blesses them, but he prepares himself for the worst: “May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin.  And as far as me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved” (Genesis 43:14).
         The brothers return to Egypt, anxious and attentive to showing honesty and righteousness in everything they do.  They’re surprised that they’re invited to a meal.  Not only that, but they are seated around the table in the order of their birth: “And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth.  And the men looked at each other in amazement” (Genesis 43:33).  Who put all 11 of them in the right order?  Somebody who knew them was directing the whole event.  “Portions were taken to them from Joseph’s table, but Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of theirs (Genesis 43:34).  Maybe the brothers don’t realize it, but this is another test.  How are they going to react when one of them is shown obvious preference above the others?  Are they going to complain?  Get jealous?  Argue?  Thanks be to God, they pass the test: “And they drank and were merry with him” (Genesis 43:34).
         But they still have one test remaining.  How are they going to react when someone wants to separate them from their father’s favorite?  They willingly handed him over for twenty pieces of silver years ago.  Are they going to go back to Canaan content with their hidden money this time, leaving their father’s favorite in Egypt like they did with Joseph?  A changed family answers, especially a changed Judah: “For your servant became a pledge of safety for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father all my life.’  Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy go back with his brothers.  For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me?  I fear to see the evil that would find my father” (Genesis 44:32-34).
         The test uncovers a changed heart, one that would rather sacrifice itself for the good of the preferred brother and for his father rather than see them suffer, an attitude completely different from the one that sold Joseph into slavery years ago.  They are not honest men, but they are repentant and changed men.  And soon they will be forgiven and blessed men as well: “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.  And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. (Genesis 45:4-5).
         There will be other kings and prophets in the Old Testament with God-given discernment into the hearts of men: Samuel will anoint the youngest son of Jesse as king (1 Samuel 16:6-13); Nathan, will communicate conviction of sin to king David through a parable (2 Samuel 12:1-14); Solomon will have to identify a baby’s real mother (1 Reyes 3:16-28); Daniel will interpret another king’s dream and will even inform him what he dreamed (Daniel 2).  But there is probably no other who tests the hearts of another group of men so thoroughly and extensively as Joseph tested his brothers.
         And all these men of God are simply a reflection of the One who knows all men’s hearts perfectly.  “Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man” (John 2:24-25).  “I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works” (Revelation 2:23).  Jesus demonstrates perfect, limitless, profound, clear and effective discernment.
         May the Lord Jesus give us wisdom and discernment to examine hearts so that His righteousness manifests itself in the government of our families, our workplaces, our communities and our churches.  And may He find our hearts repentant and changed, too.
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Genesis 41 - 43

1/14/2012

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         Do you remember about 12 days ago when we read Genesis 2 and said one of the main themes of the Bible is the righteousness of God and His just government of creation?  We also said that He gave human beings the authority to govern all the earth in agreement with His just government and in submission to Him.  Now in the last chapters of Genesis we have the example of some who did it right.
         Bothered by two dreams, the most powerful man on the earth at that time did not know how to respond until he heard their interpretation from a lowly, forgotten Hebrew recently plucked from the jail.  Notice how Joseph underlines from the very beginning: “It’s not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer” (Genesis 41:16).  Then he repeats, “God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do” (Genesis 41:25).  “God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do” (Genesis 41:28).  “And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about” (Genesis 41:32).
         Pharaoh responds in accordance with God’s righteous government and gives His chosen one ample authority to govern righteously and in submission to him.  “‘Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?’  Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are.  You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command.  Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you.’  And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt’” (Genesis 41:38-41).  Notice the wide authority with one prohibition, just like Yahweh had given Adam!
         In accordance with the times revealed to Pharaoh in his dreams (remember that Yahweh in His righteousness puts a limit on the destructive forces of nature: the famine although severe, will have a limit of seven years), Joseph begins to govern in integrity and righteousness.  And the blessing of his just government reaches all nations: “All the earth came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was severe over all the earth” (Genesis 41:57).
         Here in Joseph and Pharaoh we have an example of what Yahweh has desired since the beginning:
         1.  One chosen by God who governs with wide authority but always in submission to the higher authority,
         2.  who governs in integrity and in agreement with God’s righteousness,
         3.  and who governs for the good of all the nations.
And his government will be for God’s glory, as Joseph will tell his brothers at the end of the book: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20).
         May God receive glory as we also govern with integrity and righteousness within the limits of our authority: in our families, in our workplaces, in our communities and above all in our churches.  May we make wise decisions in agreement with God’s righteousness.  May we act in concert with the authorities that God has placed above and around us for the blessing of all the nations.
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Genesis 37 - 40 and Psalm 123

1/13/2012

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         In today’s reading we have two men in contrast.
         First consider Joseph, hated by his brothers because of their father’s favoritism and his dreams of superiority.  Second, think about Judah, the one who encouraged the rejection of his brother and his sale into slavery.
         In today’s reading, both of them leave their families and enter into the world of the foreigners: Joseph is put in Egypt by force and Judah, of his own will, enters the world of the Canaanites.
         Joseph demonstrates integrity when he is tested… but in keeping it, he suffers unjustly.  Judah is free and seems to enjoy some financial and social success among the Canaanites, but by the end of chapter 38, his lack of integrity is displayed before everyone.
         Two patriarchs go through trials among foreigners, and by the end of the reading, both of them are in shame… but one has his integrity intact; the other doesn’t.
         What is revealed in our lives when we are outside our family circle?
         When we have to suffer shame, what in our lives causes it – integrity, or a lack of integrity?
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Genesis 32 - 36

1/12/2012

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         Once again, the stories in these chapters don’t fulfill our expectations as readers of the Bible.
         Remember Abraham’s decisive action when Chedorlaomer king of Elam attacked the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah and their companions, defeated them and took Lot captive, too: “When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan…  Then he brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his possessions, and the women and the people (Genesis 14:14, 16).  Only 318 men against the armies of four kings, and Abram won!  This victory stood out for Yahweh’s glory: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand” (Genesis 14:19-20).
         Or think about Abraham’s decisive action when Yahweh ordered him to be circumcised: “That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised.  And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him” (Genesis 17:26-27).  Abraham showed that same commitment and devotion when Yahweh commanded him to sacrifice Isaac.  The angel of the LORD had to stop him and say, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me” (Genesis 22:12).
         We want to see this same decisive faith and action in the lives of all the patriarchs.  But here in Genesis 32 – 36, we don’t see it in Jacob.  For example, when he hears about Esau’s approach to see him with 400 men, he gets scared and immediately thinks of how he can manipulate the situation.  He prays a model prayer sincerely to ask for Jehovah’s protection, but his actions show that he also trusts his cleverness: he divides his family into groups and sends waves of gifts out of self-protection and to calm (unnecessarily) his brother’s anger.
         Remember too, what Isaac said in his blessing.  “Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you.  Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you” (Genesis 27:29).  But when the time comes to see his brother, “[Jacob] himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother…  Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down.  Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down.  At last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down” (Genesis 33:3, 6-7).  If we hadn’t read the previous chapters, with all this bowing, we would have thought that Esau had received the covenant blessing!
         Then we are disappointed to hear Jacob’s excuses for not accepting his brother’s invitation to join him in Seir, and then never fulfill his word to see him there (Genesis 33:12-16).  He is indecisive in reacting to the defiling of his daughter in chapter 34, and his indecision opens the way for Simeon and Levi to execute violent and excessive vengeance on the whole population of Shechem.  Afterwards, God has to remind him to fulfill the vow that he made when he left the promised land in 28:19-22: “God said to Jacob, ‘Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there.  Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau” (Genesis 35:1).  Next the biblical narrator invites us to make a comparison.  In chapter 36, we see Esau’s family portrait – we see numerous sons, leaders, kings, kings that reigned before Israel ever had kings – a whole impressive nation!  And Jacob’s family portrait?  Well… you can find it in just four verses in Genesis 35:23-26.  And isn’t that Reuben standing in the back, the firstborn?  The one who slept with his father’s concubine? (Genesis 35:22)  What an embarrassment!
         With all that we might ask, was it really Jacob who received the blessings of the covenant?  It seems like Esau has all the material advantages and influence while Jacob is wandering around indecisive, fearful and still scheming, just recently leaving behind decades of humiliation and servitude.  But yes, even though he is not as decisive as Abraham and he doesn’t have the influence of Esau, Jacob is the one who by grace has the living relationship of the covenant with Yahweh: “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply.  A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body.  The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you” (Genesis 35:11-12).  We only wish Jacob would act in agreement with Yahweh’s righteousness more often!
         And as we evaluate Jacob in these chapters, I wonder, “How would my life be described in the Bible in light of my relationship with Yahweh by His grace?”  Do I act in accordance with the new covenant made by the blood of Jesus Christ?  Are there episodes where I fear men more than I fear God’s righteousness?  When do my manipulations stand out more than trust in God’s promises?  When have I, like Jacob, reacted in indecision, indifference or delay when God wanted obedience?  Lord willing, our frustration with Jacob doesn’t lead us to condemn him but to examine by God’s grace: would a reader of the Bible be frustrated reading my life, too?  May God’s grace discipline and mold us so that we act in accordance with the righteousness He has given us by faith.
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Genesis 29 - 31 and Psalm 140

1/11/2012

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         When some hear about the covenant between Yahweh and Abraham, they grow concerned.  They reason, “If God has:
         a)  a special love for some revealed in His covenant,
         b)  toward sinners or lawless people chosen in His sovereignty,
         c)  by grace alone, without His chosen ones meriting anything, then…
why couldn’t these chosen ones live however they like, with no restrictions, sinning however they’d like, because they are accepted already by a God who is always prepared to receive a sacrifice as a substitute for their lives?
         In other words, what stops the members of the covenant from acting however they’d like?  What guarantee is there that they will respect God’s righteousness?
         The Bible gives several answers to this concern, one of which stands out in today’s reading.  Remember that yesterday we read in Genesis 27 about Rebekah and Jacob’s deceit to ensure the latter’s receipt of the blessings of the covenant.  Remember, too, that we saw in Genesis 25:22-23 and Romans 9:11-12 that the blessings of the covenant did not belong to Isaac to give to anyone; Yahweh already had revealed who was going to receive it.  The deceit in Genesis 27 was completely unnecessary.  The blessing given by Isaac could change nothing; it could only confirm what Yahweh already had decided.  The fact that it occurred through deception tells us more about the sinful intentions of Isaac, Rebekah, Esau and Jacob than it does about Yahweh’s righteousness and His just administration of the covenant.
         If we understand this, it is legitimate to ask: what will happen to Jacob the Deceiver?  Won’t he continue to think that deceit is a legitimate way to get ahead?  What is there to stop him from thinking that he can get anything he wants, even the blessings of God, by deceit?
         An answer from the covenant and grace to these questions can be summed up in Jesus’ words in Revelation 3:19: “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.”
         By grace, Yahweh is going to reprove and discipline Jacob.  By grace, He is going to pressure him until he repents.  By the great love that He has for this chosen sinner, He is going to use the tests and failures in his relationships with others, suffering, humiliation and other encounters that through the whole course of his life will mold his soul until it reflects something of Yahweh’s righteousness.
         And this process of reproof and discipline begins immediately after his deceit toward his father.  Instead of being a reason for celebration for the whole community, the transfer of the blessing to another generation in Genesis 27 has become a motive for separation, hiding and a death threat between brothers.  Rebekah looks for a way to protect her son and under pretense sends him far away… when she says goodbye to her son, it is the last time she will see him.  Jacob looks for a wife but without the blessing his father had when Abraham’s wealth-laden camels marched toward Haran.  Even though he is a child of the promise, Jacob is exiled from the land of the promise and shows up in Haran to look for a wife with nothing to offer except the strength of his hands.  By Yahweh’s grace he finds her.  But seven years later, when the morning after his wedding he finds out that he has been deceived, a lesson in righteousness sounds in the voice of Laban: “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn” (Genesis 29:26).  Maybe they do that in Canaan where you’re from, Jacob, but around here we don’t allow any transgressions of the firstborn’s rights.
         But there is much more here than a lesson about the rights of the firstborn; first and foremost it is a lesson about character and about God: Yahweh’s righteousness does not leave room for deceit.  Through Laban, someone even more deceptive than Rebekah or Jacob, Yahweh gives Jacob a long, hard lesson on Galatians 6:7: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”
         But by grace, Yahweh doesn’t abandon Jacob in exile and shame.  Even though he must serve another seven years for Rachel, then suffer more servitude, deceit and humiliation, Yahweh protects His chosen one, prospers him and directs him once more to the Promised Land.  And we will see the same dynamic at work in the lives of Jacob’s descendants later in the Bible: they will be exiled to the north and northeast to be disciplined… and after their oppressors are judged, they will return to the land of the covenant, humbled and more dependent on Yahweh.
         That also gives us an answer to the question that began our meditation on the reading today: what prevents someone chosen by grace from living however sinfully he pleases?  That same grace that chose him also disciplines and molds him to reflect Yahweh’s righteousness.
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Genesis 25 - 28 and Psalm 121

1/10/2012

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         In yesterday’s reading, we began to feel that a blessed generation was coming to an end.  First, Sara dies in chapter 23.  Then we read, “Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years” (Genesis 24:1) when he makes the arrangements for Isaac’s marriage in chapter 24.  In today’s reading, we find Abraham’s final preparations to secure Isaac’s inheritance: “To the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country” (Genesis 25:6).  Afterwards, the patriarch Abraham passes away.
         What’s going to happen to the covenant and its blessings now that this great man has died?  Will competition break out between Isaac and his half-brothers?  Will Yahweh demonstrate His grace to a new generation?  The biblical narrator doesn’t let us wait long for an answer.  Almost immediately he tells us, “After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son.  And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi” (Genesis 25:11).  Then Yahweh appears to Isaac and confirms the covenant: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.  I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands.  And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 26:3-4).
         But the transfer of the covenant to a new generation doesn’t occur without difficulties.  First, it turns out that Rebekah, Isaac’s new wife, is sterile.  Isaac has to face the same difficulty that his father did… and it seems like he learned from the latter’s experience.  Instead of looking for another woman like Hagar, Isaac prays to God, “And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren.  And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived” (Genesis 25:21).  Even though he waits 20 years, he keeps faithful in prayer and finds Yahweh to be faithful in His promises (Genesis 25:20, 26).
         Second, there is the constant threat from the pagans in the land who may decide to rob Isaac of his covenant blessings (to take his wife, his wells or even his life).  In spite of Isaac’s lie, Yahweh displays His grace again by protecting this small family in chapter 26, even giving them peace with the Philistines who threatened them earlier.
         Third, there’s conflict in the family itself.  Both Isaac and Rebekah want their favorite son of the twins to inherit the covenant blessing, and that leads to the deceit of chapter 27.  But Yahweh reveals that they will not decide who receives the covenant blessing, nor can they manipulate the outcome; instead, it is His choice: “[Rebekah] went to inquire of the LORD.  And the LORD said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger’” (Genesis 25:23).  As the apostle Paul says about Jacob and Esau, “Though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad – in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls – she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger’” (Romans 9:11-12).  The security of the covenant in the new generation is based on the sovereignty, the faithfulness and the grace of Yahweh, not on the manipulations of its participants.
         And what joy and thankfulness that gives us today when we recognize that the security of God’s covenant is established on His sovereignty, His faithfulness and His grace!  When we worry about the transmission of our faith to the next generation, when we feel the threats from a world hostile to the Christian faith, when we grow discouraged by news of conflicts within the family of Christ, when we suffer through the sterility of some churches and ministries, we don’t need to worry but to pray faithfully and continue forward in the Lord’s work, knowing that our work in the Lord is not in vain.  Instead, He will build His church as He promised and will remain faithful to His covenant even in the challenges, the threats and the conflicts that show up in the next generation.
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Genesis 22 - 24

1/9/2012

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         The narrative of the sacrifice of Isaac is impressive.  Yahweh’s shocking command… Abraham’s unquestioning obedience… the tension as they approach the place of sacrifice… Isaac’s recognition that something isn’t right… the approach of the inconceivable moment… the rescue at the last second… the confirmation of the covenant… the return home… it’s an unforgettable and well-narrated event.
         Not only that, but it reveals something about Yahweh and salvation.  When Isaac asks, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” (Genesis 22:7)  Abraham responds, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son (Genesis 22:8).  And that’s exactly what Yahweh does: “And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.” (Genesis 22:13)
         Back in chapter 3, we learned that Yahweh accepts the sacrifice of a substitute for the life of a sinner.  Now in chapter 22 we see that Yahweh Himself provides the substitute.
         Much later, in the New Testament, in the letter to the Romans, we’ll see that God provides the substitute again: “Christ Jesus, whom God put forth as a propitiation” (Romans 3:24, 25; a propitiation is a particular kind of sacrifice).  Jesus Christ is the Sacrifice provided by God for us, the perfect Substitute for our sin.
         And this observation answers the final questions from our blog entry yesterday.  What happened to Yahweh’s righteousness?  Did He throw it out in favor of grace through His covenant?  No.  His justice demands that the unjust (like us) either die or present the acceptable sacrifice of a substitute for our sins… and His grace provides it: Jesus Christ crucified, the perfect sacrifice.  That’s how the justice of God is vindicated, and at the same time, ministered by grace to the sinner who does not deserve grace.  God Himself demands the sacrifice and simultaneously by grace, provides it.
         Have you accepted as your own the only sacrifice provided by God?
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Genesis 18:16 - 21:34

1/8/2012

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         As we read this passage, many of our expectations can be frustrated.
         First, Abraham intercedes in prayer for Sodom and Gomorrah.  He persists in calling out to Yahweh’s mercy until he hears the promise that even if there are only 10 righteous in the city, He will not destroy it.  After so much intercession, certainly there will be 10 righteous people there, right?  No; and the next day, Abraham looks out to see that whole area converted to smoke and ashes.
         Second, Lot, considered a righteous man, offers to hand over his daughters to the sinful desires of the men of Sodom as a means of protecting his guests.  Later, he and the few in his household who believe the news about the coming destruction… don’t want to leave the city that is about to be destroyed!  They almost have to be dragged against their will to their rescue.  Then Lot’s daughters trick him into perversion to continue their family line.
         Next, Abraham lies to Abimelech about his wife, Sarah.  Although Abraham thought, “There is no fear of God at all in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife” (Genesis 20:11) the pagan Abimelech shows more integrity and fear of Yahweh than Abraham!  But instead of Abraham asking Abimelech’s forgiveness for lying, Abimelech is the one who has to seek Abraham’s intercession to save his own life!  The man who showed more fear of the LORD is the one who prospers the man who lied.  
         Afterwards Isaac is born, and a few short years later Hagar and Ishmael are forced out… with Yahweh’s approval!  Abraham sends his first son, a son he loved and cared for, out to the desert where he almost dies.  Shortly thereafter, Abimelech seeks a covenant of peace with the man who lied to him earlier, and the chapter ends with Abraham in worship, calling on the name of Yahweh, the eternal God.
         If we read with the following expectations: God’s justice must be clear and immediate; His chosen ones are always righteous men of integrity; familial love and faithfulness reign supreme over all other virtues… then all these stories should frustrate us immensely.  Perhaps we can launch a few attempts at resolving our frustration by saying:
         1.  God is not under any obligation to explain or immediately clarify his justice for us;
         2.  God’s chosen ones are not perfect in everything but are defective and sinners just like the rest of us, and
         3.  Love and obedience to God are more important than even devotion to family.
         Very well, all of these are true; but they still are not satisfactory answers to the question: How could God allow and approve of these events taking place?
         I think we find part of our answer in what we call “grace”.  I made a reference to grace briefly a couple days ago, when we spoke of the wrath of God and His just judgment in the flood.  We read, “Noah found favor [grace] in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8), and we noted something constant in God’s wrath in the whole Bible: in His judgment, He always saves a small remnant by grace.  We defined grace like this: it is Yahweh’s unmerited favor to man, a love initiated entirely in Him without any sense of obligation or recompense, and it actively blesses a human being.  Now we are going to expand on this definition to understand today’s reading.
         First, notice that there are differences in God’s love.  He shows a love common to everyone that theologians call “benevolence”: “He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust”  (Matthew 5:45).  When God sends the rain, He doesn’t send it only on the fields of good people and leave the fields of their evil neighbors dry; He sends his rain on everyone around.  He gives all of us, good and evil, life and the benefits of creation.  This is called God’s benevolence.
         But God also has a special love that He gives to certain people of His choosing.  This is grace.  God made His covenant with Abraham, not with Pharaoh or any other man of his generation.  He did not promise the land of Canaan and innumerable descendants to John Doe in the city of Ur.  We can compare this love to a marriage.  I love all the women in our church equally… but I love my wife more than any of the others.  I have a special relationship with her in marriage that I don’t have with any other.  There are benefits in our relationship that are reserved just for her (at least, I hope she thinks of them as benefits!).  In a similar way, Yahweh has a unique relationship with Abraham, Sarah and their followers in Genesis 18 – 21 with promises and benefits that everyone else does not have.  This special love of Yahweh is called grace.
         Second, something stands out especially in our reading today: Grace is undeserved and given to the ungodly.  That is how the apostle Paul explains it in a very concise example from Abraham in Romans 4:1-8, even using the word “ungodly” (Romans 4:5).  We don’t have time to reproduce his whole argument here, but notice his quote of Psalm 32:1: Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven (Romans 4:7).  Blessed, Blessed by God!...  are those who’ve acted lawlessly?  Yes, those who have acted lawlessly!  Because their lawlessness and sins have been forgiven by God.  Yahweh manifests His grace to these lawless ones by doing something for them that He doesn’t do for everyone: He forgives their sins.  And we can speak of any of the benefits of the covenant this way.
         Third, if we understand these aspects of grace, we can look at it from three different perspectives.  For people outside of grace and the covenant, grace can seem unjust.  (Why should those sinners receive benefits from Yahweh that I don’t get?)  From God’s perspective, grace shows itself in abundant, unmerited generosity.  For those who receive grace with a humble heart, grace is unmerited favor that awakens profound gratitude, faithfulness and even fear.  (If you have time today, read the parable in Matthew 20:1-16 where you can see these three perspectives in action: the hired men who have worked all day (to whom the owner of the vineyard’s grace seems like injustice), the owner of the vineyard (who paid the workers hired last as if they had worked all day, only because of his generous grace) and the workers hired at the end of the day (who certainly must be thankful because they received much more than what they deserved.))
         Now, if you’ve followed the definition of grace up to this point, we can return to Genesis 18:16 – 21:34.  How can Yahweh have allowed so much unrighteousness?
         If we look at this reading from outside the covenant, without any consideration of Yahweh’s grace, looking only at His justice and wrath, many of the actions here are unrighteous, simply worthy of punishment and condemnation.  We should just shake our heads in disapproval.
         If we see them from Yahweh’s perspective, we see many of them as manifestations of His abundant grace ministered through and even beyond His covenant: He protected lives, forgave sins, encouraged His chosen ones and abundantly blessed people who didn’t deserve it (including Ishmael who mocked the chosen Isaac and therefore was dismissed from community defined by the covenant, but who nevertheless by grace received the promise that he would be a great nation).
         And if we look at Genesis 18 – 21 from the perspective of those who participate in the covenant, we see these events with profound gratitude and even fear.  If it weren’t for Yahweh’s grace, how would Lot have saved himself from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah?  How would foreigners like Abraham and Sarah have protected themselves from someone as powerful as Abimelech… to the point that he approached them to seek peace with them and their favor?  How would they have had a child?  Those who have received the benefits of God’s grace contemplate these events with thankfulness and fear that wells up to worship.
         Now to close: What happened, then, to Yahweh’s righteousness?  Did He throw it out in favor of grace through His covenant?  Of course not.  Grace and the covenant are not contrary to Yahweh’s righteousness but are simply manifestations of the same.  Lord willing, we’ll see more about the answer to this question in tomorrow’s  reading.
         Once again, the events of Genesis 18 – 21 may seem like a scandalous and frustrating mess, but if we consider them in relation to the covenant described in previous chapters, we too may tremble before the abundant, undeserved and faithful grace that Yahweh extends to His chosen ones.
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Genesis 12 - 15 and Psalm 33; Genesis 16 - 18:15 (2 readings)

1/7/2012

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         In these two readings we will see another aspect of Yahweh’s just government and mercy: His covenant with Abraham.
         First, we are going to identify the main verses from these readings that we refer to when we talk about the covenant.  Familiarize yourself with these passages; there will be frequent references to them throughout the Bible.
         a)     We start in Genesis 12 when Yahweh says to Abraham, “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.  And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed’” (Genesis 12:1-3).  This is confirmed when he moves from the city of Haran and arrives in the land of Canaan: “To your offspring [seed] I will give this land” (Genesis 12:7).
         b)     The covenant is confirmed again when Abraham returns from Egypt to Canaan: “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, for all the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.  I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.  Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you” (Genesis 13:14-17).
         c)      It is declared again when Yahweh’s word comes to Abraham in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great” (Genesis 15:1).  When Abram expresses his concern that he will have no descendant, no heir except for a servant of his household, Yahweh responds: “‘This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.’  And he brought him outside and said, ‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’  Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be’” (Genesis 15:4-5).  Abram responds by faith: “And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness” (Genesis 15:6).  Afterward the covenant is confirmed by the ceremony described in Genesis 15:7-21.
         d)     The covenant is presented in even greater detail in Genesis 17 (I recommend reading the entire chapter again; I prefer not to copy all of it here.)
         Second, based on these verses, let’s define the word covenant.  In its most basic meaning, it is the acknowledgment of a relationship, made formal and permanent, between two people or parties.  It identifies the people who participate in the relationship and describes its benefits and expectations.  It is made notable by a ceremony that confirms its priority and assures the fulfillment of these benefits and expectations in the future.
         Third, with a foundation in this basic definition, let’s expand it by noting some important observations about this specific covenant, the one between Yahweh and Abraham.
         a)     It identifies the participants.  This is Yahweh’s covenant with Abraham, Sarah and their descendants.  Notice that it is not a relationship among equals (like a contract or agreement); Yahweh is the One who initiates and places all of the parameters around the covenant.  Yahweh is clearly God, and Abraham, Sarah and their descendants, His subjects.  Yahweh can change Abram and Sarai’s names, but they cannot change Yahweh’s name!
         b)     It describes benefits.  He freely grants them the entire land of Canaan (Genesis 12:7; 13:14-15, 17; 15:7, 18-21; 17:8).  He promises them innumerable descendants (Genesis 12:2; 13:16; 15:4-5; 17:5-6, 16).  He is going to bless and protect them (Genesis 12:3; 15:1).  He will be their God, and they will be His people (Genesis 17:7-8).  It is a covenant that will last forever (Genesis 13:15; 17:7-8, 13, 19), and the blessings of the covenant will go through Abraham and his descendants to all the nations (Genesis 12:3).
         c)      It identifies expectations.  Abraham and his descendants are going to respond to Yahweh in obedience and devotion (Genesis 17:1, 7-8).  They are going to circumcise all their sons on the eighth day after their birth (Genesis 17:10-14, 23-27).
         d)     It is made notable by ceremonies that confirm the priority of this relationship and assure its future fulfillment, like the ceremony initiated and completed by Yahweh in Genesis 15:7-21 and by the circumcision of Abraham and his household.
         Fourth, let’s note the expression of the covenant in the narrative.  The covenant is not a dry and forgotten document or the photograph of a long-forgotten ceremony; it is the confirmation of an active relationship.  A participant daily enjoys the relationship set forth in the covenant!  That’s what Abraham and Sarah experience in Genesis 12 – 18.  In chapter 12, Yahweh treats a man of great power, authority and international prestige like Pharaoh according to the latter’s treatment of Sarah.  Even though she is a woman of much lesser resources and authority than Pharaoh, she is protected and vindicated by Yahweh because she is a participant in the covenant.  In chapter 13, even though Abraham and his followers are a tiny minority in comparison with the Canaanites, Yahweh protects them and their wealth from any harm.  Yahweh gives Abraham victory over the four kings in chapter 14, blesses his son with Hagar in chapter 16 and even drops by his tent for lunch in chapter 18.  Through it all, there is a continuing relationship between Yahweh and Abraham that is confirmed by the covenant.
         As we continue to read the book of Genesis, keep your eyes open for references to the covenant, both in regard to Abraham and to his descendants.
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    Ken Kytle serves as pastor of Iglesia bautista La fe en Cristo near Atlanta, Georgia.

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