When Followers Fail, Faithfulness Fights

“And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?” (Ex 6:12 AV)

This argument by Moses is easily understood.  What Moses is arguing comes at the heals of the people of God criticizing Moses.  After Moses’ first initial visit to Pharaoh, the king no longer would provide straw for the tale of bricks Israel was to manufacture, but would not allow them to diminish output.  He doubled their work load while requiring the same results.  The people, understandably, were not happy.  They sought the judgment of God upon Moses.  Then we see this response of Moses as he prays to God.  In essence, the argument is, if the people of God will not hearken to the man of God, how does the man of God expect any success with the people of the world.  This is a legitimate argument.  Life’s experience has shown me when the people of God reject the leadership of the man of God, he has lost his ability to reach his community.  Rather than dwell on that point, let us consider the requirement of the LORD and actions of the man of God which followed this argument.

As legitimate as this argument was, it did not relieve the call of God on Moses’ life.  The response of Israel could not dictate to Moses his call.  This is true of every man of God ever listed in the word of God.  The response of the people of God or the world cannot relieve the man of God of his responsibility to preach the word of God and represent God to the people of the world.  One can almost picture a situation which those involved ignored the word of someone who knew better.  Like a volcano which is ready to erupt, there will be those who ignore the warning.  Imagine a scientist who understands the behavior of volcanoes going through a nearby town, warning of the impending eruption.  He prints it in the paper.  He announces it on the radio.  He travels up and down streets with bullhorn out his window.  Surly, those who have lived with the volcano, seeing its small eruptions and witnessing daily steam from its crown would be the first to listen.  Oft time, they are the last.  This scientist might feel since the residence of the town do not care enough to act upon that which they know, how are the tourists going to react to the news?  The problem is, regardless of who heeds or who does not, that volcano is going to blow.  That scientist has a moral obligation to declare the obvious no matter who will or who will not heed.

I certainly understand how Moses felt.  When those who know better do not heed the message, it makes it all that harder to reach those who know nothing.  We complain there are fewer salvation decisions.  We mourn the fact the baptismal is not stirred as it once was.  We are saddened our membership roles are decreasing.  In part, this is because we, as God’s people, ignore the messages from the word of God which we prefer not the heed.  We pick and choose.  What we do the world does.  Only, their picking and chooses includes repentance and salvation.  We are praying for revival.  The lost coming to Christ is a result of a revival.  When the people of God renew their commitment to the word of God and choose to live by its principle, heeding and following God as He leads through His men, then and only then will the world follow the church.  As Paul told the Corinthian church, follow me as I follow Christ.  If the people of God will not follow the God of the people, then don’t expect the lost world to follow the church.  If you are a faithful declarer of the word of God, just because no one follows does not mean you abandon your calling.  That is what God called you to do and results don’t determine calling.

God Is

“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” (Ex 3:14 AV)

More times than not, our devotional time is spent in issues of self-examination and correction.  We read and see ourselves in the passage under consideration.  We reflect upon that which we need to correct or trust.  We confess our shortcomings or express our need for more faith.  We pray and ask the LORD to forgive us for what we are or what we have failed to be.  Then we look for opportunity to apply that which the Spirit revealed as we live through our lives that day.  What we do not do enough of is to reflect upon God Himself.  We do not spend enough of our devotional time meditating upon the nature and person of the God whom we worship.  Our devotional time is too often about us and not enough about Him.  Not this morning!  We will spend a few moments meditating on the nature of God’s eternal and unchanging existence.  This is the name of God revealed above.  The Great I Am is our eternal and unchanging God.  A God who is.  Not a God who was.  Not a God who will be.  But a God who always is!  What and amazing God He is!

To believe in a God that is, is the essence of all faith.  It is the foundation upon which all other truths lay.  Paul clearly teaches us this principle when he pens, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb 11:6 AV) When God tells Moses to tell the people of Israel that I AM hath sent him, the LORD is simply stating His eternal and unchanging existence.  If the people of God are going to have faith, it must start with the truth that God is.  Faith cannot successfully stand on any other truth separate and apart from the undebatable existence of God.  This is why our psalmist states, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” (Ps 14:1 AV) He is a fool for two reasons.  First, he denies something he intuitively knows and suffers eternal torment for it.  Second, to deny the existence of God is to deny the reason for one’s own existence.

When we pray, I wonder how many times we thank God for His existence.  The very fact that He is determines everything else.  He existed before time and is the cause for all that we see.  He created it all and offered the only means for redemption before the world began.  To say that God is, is to say nothing is unless God is.  The statement that He is, is the strength upon which we build our faith.  All things are because of God.  All things will be because of God.  Nothing can change God and God is never changing.  He is predictable.  He is consistent.  He is indestructible.  Our God is!  Pharaoh could not change that.  The Devil could not change that.  Nothing will ever change the fact of God’s existence and all those who place their trust in Him do so in and eternal and unchanging God.  This is the stability of the heart, the peace of mind, and the future of the soul upon which the child of God rests

Faith in Forgiveness

“So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.” (Ge 50:17 AV)

The words above were spoken to Joseph by his brethren upon the death of their father, Jacob.  They were afraid that once Jacob had passed, Joseph would take occasion to exact justice upon them.  They were afraid that with the immense power he now had, Joseph would seek revenge.  This is why Joseph weeps.  He weeps because his brothers never truly trusted in the forgiveness Joseph offered decades ago.  He weeps because he realizes the relationship they shared since coming to Egypt was not as deep as he assumed.  He weeps because his brethren were still tormented by what they did almost a century ago.  He weeps because his brethren were trapped in a state of assumed unforgiveness and never totally free from guilt and shame.  He weeps because his brethren suffered needlessly as a result of unbelief.  He weeps because they never trusted in the fact they were forgiven.  Totally, completely, and without condition.  Forgiven.

One particular state in which I lived conducts their traffic violations in an interesting way.  I had gotten in an accident that was my fault.  Failure to stop when I should have resulted in an unfortunate situation.  In speaking with the police, he was a bit apologetic that he had to write a ticket.  The person in front of me slammed on her breaks and left me no other option.  He felt bad but had to write a ticket.  In this particular state, the seize your physical license unto you arrive in court.  It encourages violators to show up at their court date.  So, for about a month I drove on that ticket.  The ticket was my driver’s license until the matter was cleared.  The day came.  I showed up.  My case continued to get moved later and later on the docket.  It was the last case called.  There were no witnesses to testify.  The other driver never came.  The issuing officer never came.  So, the Judge had no other option but to dismiss the ticket.  I handed him the ticket and his clerk handed me my license.  All I had to pay was a court fee.  Having driven on the strength of a ticket for several weeks, I was a bit hesitant to assume my case was closed.  I asked the judge several questions to have the assurance needed to drive with a clear conscience.  I was forgiven, but it seemed too easy.  It took a while for me to be confident this summons wasn’t going to turn around and bite me sometime down the road.

We live in fear because we cannot, or will not, trust the fact that we are forgiven.  This does not mean God removes all consequences.  This is a separate matter.  But when the LORD says that He has forgiven us and cast our sins in the deepest ocean, or that our sins are as far from us as the east is from the west, or, if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgives us all our transgressions, we need to trust what the word of God says.  I cannot but think Joseph’s example here might be what the LORD goes through when we do not trust in His forgiveness.  I wonder if He weeps.  I wonder if His heart breaks as we are in a prison of our own making, wherein we repeatedly torture ourselves over decisions of the past.  I wonder if He weeps because we cower in the corner away from a God whom we cannot believe would forgive us for such infractions.  He must.  He must weep when He sees His children running from Him when there is no need.  It must break His heart if we assume that He is vindictive and will not forgive.  This must break God’s heart.  Trust in His forgiveness.  If He tells us He forgives, that should be sufficient for the day.  Trust in His forgiveness.  It brings liberty to the soul.

God Hates Plugged Ears

“He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” (Pr 28:9 AV)

This is a pretty serious statement.  Those who will not hear the law shouldn’t waste their time praying for anything because God will not hear it.  Worse yet, He considers the prayers of the rebellious to be an abomination.  The word for ‘…hearing…’ means, “to hear with attention or interest, listen to.” (Brown-Driver-Briggs) This proverb also suggests the individual has the ability to hear, but chooses not to.  Hence the phrase “…turneth away…”  What is not listed here is obedience.  God does not hear us if we regard iniquity in our hearts. That is, if we are living in un-confessed sin, the LORD will not lend and ear.  What the word of God does not say is it He considers the prayers of the disobedient as an abomination.  The abomination belongs to those who, knowing the word of God is about to be spoken, deliberately turn away their attention so the word of God has no chance of entering the mind.

There is something a child does, on occasion, when he does not care to hear something he needs to hear.  He will plug his ears and say something like, “I’m not hearing this, I’m not hearing this. La, la, la, la, la, la.”  This child will deliberately block out that which he needs to hear lest he hear rebuke or instruction for which he is responsible.  He fills his ears and mind with something else so he doesn’t have to admit he was wrong or be responsible for some instruction.  The irony is, if this child has any need whatsoever, he feels ill-used if his parents refuse that need.  He looks at them as though they are the worst parents in the world and they do not care for him as they profess to care for him.  If my child ever did that to me, he would not keep company with me.  I would not suffer a conversation.  This method gets a bit more sophisticated as they and we age.  Fingers in the ears are replaced by ear-buds and closed bedroom doors.  Once an adult, we drown out the word of God by or self-serving worship.  The word of God is relegated to verses on a greeting card or a motivation speak-talk.  Then, we turn around and dare to ask the LORD for deliverance once our lives are not as they should be.

We have filled the spiritual battle field with our business and the façade of emotional and un-doctrinal worship and wonder why the LORD doesn’t answer prayer.  No matter how ‘close’ we may feel to the LORD, if we turn our mind away from the law, then He considers any worship of prayer offered from our hearts as an abomination.  We don’t want to be told what to do.  We don’t want to be told what we cannot do.  We expect the LORD to accept every choice of life because He is a gracious God.  We expect Him to be a benevolent God when we have our fingers stuck in our ears.  Rather than listen to the Holy Spirit as we read His word, we listen to our favorite artist and they preach their watered down, and sometimes heretical, doctrine.  We have blocked out the voice of God because He is no longer the first and only in our hearts.  We have taken the throne and we are sticking our collective fingers in our ears all the while asking Him to hear us.  How absolutely ludicrous.  It won’t work!  God considers anything I have to say as an abomination if I won’t return the common courtesy of listening to what He has to say.

Sweets to the Sweet

“The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.” (Pr 27:7 AV)

Honey is an interesting thing. Honey has a unique taste.  It tastes both bitter and sweet at the same time.  I have to admit, when I first ate honey, I didn’t like it.  I had a best friend who used to love honey candy.  Specially honey flavored gum.  It was awful.  He tried to get me hocked on it, but it was disgusting.  Then a strange thing happened.  I got hooked on Bit-O-Honey candy.  Loved it.  Yet, I still didn’t eat the real thing.  Then I married into a family whose patriarch loved honey.  He would put it on biscuits.  Being somewhat the adventurous type, I decided to try some.  The key was not too much.  If you put a small amount, the sweetness comes through.  Too much, and the bitterness takes over.  If one doesn’t enjoy the little, he will never enjoy more.  That is the meaning of our proverb above.

When I am not in need, the simplest of all pleasures will never satisfy.  But what I am in need, then the least which the LORD provides is gratefully appreciated.  It is like Christmas morning.  Those who have much will never appreciate the simplest of things.  Those who have little would appreciate the basest of gifts.  Growing up, the most interesting and fun gifts we ever got was from our grandparents.  The big-ticket items come from my parents.  But my grandpa had this way of knowing these little trinket gifts gave us the simplest of pleasures.  A little tin pressed wind-up toy was the greatest thing.  It was something bought from the bargain bin.  Somethings that didn’t need batteries and usually broke after a day or two.  Those little hand-held mechanical arcade games were always a hit.  Or a set of marbles.  Or a hunk of play-do.

Having all our needs met is not a good thing.  If all our needs are met and all our desires fulfilled, we could never be happy.  We need to need.  This makes us more grateful for the little we have.  There is nothing better than a homemade biscuit with a bit of honey on top.  Oatmeal is awesome with a little bit of honey infused.  A cup of lemon tea is the best with a drop or two of honey melting in its heat.  Simple things.  Little things.  Having too much can be a curse.  Take stock in how grateful you are for every little thing and you will find a direct correlation to how happy you are.  To the full, even the smallest of sweet things is bitter.  But to those who suffer need, even the smallest of provision can be awesomely sweet.

There Is A Cause

“As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.” (Pr 26:2 AV)

There is a reason for everything.  There is no such thing as random.  Science teaches us the principle of cause and effect.  If a feather floats by, it is there because a bird shed it and the wind carries it.  All events can be traced back to one single event called creation.  There is no such thing as fate.  Time and chance happen to us all, but the writer was referring to God’s sovereignty and not random events without a cause.  In particular, bad things happen because something caused them to happen.  We look at blessings that way.  We see what caused them to be.  When it comes to bad things happening, we fail to see they happen because somethings caused them to happen.  We think they are random because we do not want to see our part in what caused them to happen.  Even if we suffer at the hands of another, we made some choice that put us in that position to suffer that trial.  It could be a choice of obedience.  It could be the choice of faith.  Regardless, the curse was not merely the cause of result of random acts.

The above example is a wandering bird of flying swallow.  There is a reason they are flying.  The swallow seems to fly randomly because he is hunting mosquitoes in the air.  We cannot see them, so it looks like random flying.  Outside of migratory birds who fly in a certain direction and pattern, birds seem to fly at random. While living in Kentucky, I noticed a type of bird that flies in swarms.  It is so cool to see them fly.  There seems to be no rhyme of reason to their swam behavior.  That is, until you learn that eagles and hawks are in the area.  They fly like that so that predatory birds cannot pick off on single bird.  It protects the whole flock.  One would think it takes a whole lot of efforts to travel a small distance as they do in a swarm.  But it protects the whole.  The point being, what appears to be random is not random at all.

We are not complete victims of our life’s events.  The other night, my wife and I were watching some crime shows.  There were several crimes presented as though the victim had not culpability whatsoever. However, some poor choices led to them being in the position of becoming a victim.  It is similar to our present living condition.  We live in a large city.  There was a night in the past when both my wife and I forgot to check our doors before we retired for the night.  One was left unlocked.  If someone had come in and robbed us, we would have been violated.  Leaving a door unlocked doesn’t deserve a violation of one’s property. We wouldn’t be due the crime simply because of negligence.  If we had be robbed, and the perp caught, he would have gone to jail.  However, the insurance company would have raised our rates because we were not prudent.  This is the meaning of our proverb above. We cannot assume that all which happens to us is random.  We need to look at what led to it and learn from it. Or, we are destined to experience the same thing over and again.

Build the Fort

“He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” (Pr 25:28 AV)

The picture here is easy to understand.  In the olden days, a city would be fortified with a wall.  This wall would keep out the enemies of the city’s inhabitants.  The wall was more than a wall.  It was like a castle fortress wherein houses or towers were built into the wall and used as means to defend the city.  When the proverb speaks of a city being broken down and without walls, it is speaking of a city with absolutely no defenses.  It would be subject to and invader; known or unknown.  The spirit here is the essence of life.  Or, how one sees the living of one’s life.  It there is no control; no disciple, then there are no defenses.  Part of building a defense is to keep out threats one isn’t yet aware of.  This city doesn’t even have a building from which someone might get a vantage point in time to build a defense.  It is totally without any prudence whatsoever.  Perhaps there is no worth to that city and none would trouble it.  After all, a city with defenses gives the impression there is something to defend.  There are other threats that really do not care for material gain.  A city that is defenseless has opened itself up to all sorts of abuse and damage.  Having no regard for the lack of wisdom, this city would cease to exist.

We have had a recent snow storm.  One of our neighbors have children in the adolescent to young teen age years.  They were out in their yard building a hill upon which to sled.  Having failed at that, they decided to build a fort.  Forts invite snowball fights.  Those inside the fort fared much better than those who were outside of its safety.  Running around, trying to avoid a hit, the children were struck from directions they could not anticipate.  This is the problem with living a life of no discipline or foresight.  Attacks and temptation will come from directions we never anticipated.  Like the snowball fight I watched, a projectile might be launched from behind the corner of the house or a bush.  The victim could be easily overrun if his opponents decided to team up.  But put up a fort and it’s a whole other battle.

We cannot go through life completely out of control or as a simpleton who ignores what is potentially out there.  We moved from the country to a large city.  One must change one’s mindset if they do not want to become a victim.  In the country, we were cognizant of black widows, brown recluses, and cotton mouths.  The spiders were especially a problem.  One had to be aware and always looking for something that might harm.  In the city, our threats of more of the two-legged variety.  Precautions are necessary.  Temptations to sin are no less serious.  There should be natural defenses we use to avoid certain traps.  Don’t go to certain places.  Pick you path carefully.  Don’t allow yourself the liberty that might lead to a false accusation.  Or worse, a failure of one’s character.  If we lack wisdom and prudence, the LORD promises to grant them liberally if we merely ask.  If we ignore wisdom and prudence, our lives will lie in ruins.  This is the point of the proverb.

The Fix is In

“And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?” (Ge 37:30 AV)

The words above were spoken by Reuben.  The sons of Jacob saw Joseph coming to check in on them.  They were envious of the dreams of which Joseph spoke.  So, the originally devised a plan to kill Joseph and blame it on wild animals.  Reuben, being the eldest and knowing he would be held responsible for whatever happened to Joseph convinced his brothers to cast poor Joseph in an old well.  While Reuben was preoccupied, his brothers sold Joseph into slavery.  When Reuben returns, he finds the pit empty.  Knowing Jacob would hold him more responsible than his brothers, he asks the question above.  ‘Now what is he going to do’?  That would be the question Reuben was troubled with.  How is he going to answer his father?  What excuse will he give?  They devised to dip Joseph’s coat of many colors in goat’s blood and blame it on wild animals.  Reuben was stuck because he allowed a situation that was his to control to get out of hand.

“Now what am I going to do?”  A question we often ask ourselves.  Sometimes, the situation at hand got that way because we didn’t think it all the way through.  We live in snow country.  It takes a bit of forethought and planning to drive safely in such circumstances.  The tires on our vehicle were only half-worn, but driving with them last year, I knew we would need something better.  So, we went out and got a new set before winter set in.  What a difference.  The old tires only had twenty-five thousand miles on them.  In good weather, we could have gotten twenty-five thousand more.  But me and ditches don’t get along very well.  Knowing what roads to travel when bad weather hits will keep one safely on the road.  Once in a fix, we can get ourselves in a worse one by succumbing to panic.  Invariably, one will see a driver stuck in the snow and think that gunning it is the only way out.  More times than not, this only worsens the situation.   Throwing salt under the tires, adding ice chunks, perhaps a floor mat, or a number of other solutions are to be had.

The point is this.  Reuben, being the oldest, could have stepped up right from the beginning and denied his brothers’ plans.  Being the eldest, he could have simply commanded them to cease from their evil intent.  He could have warning Joseph to return before harm befell him.  Any number of solutions could have been considered.  After all, what made Reuben think that throwing him in a pit would assuage his brothers’ envy?  “Now what am I going to do?”  We say it often.  And often it is a fix we created ourselves.  Reuben, being the eldest, understood the responsibility.  When these brothers are confronted by a Joseph they do not recognize, Benjamin is threatened with imprisonment.  Reuben steps up and offers to spend his freedom in a prison cell.  He learned his lesson.  Be proactive and solve the problem the right way.  Asking the question can be an indication of poor planning or little initiative.  This question should be minimized as we seek to eliminate being a victim of our own poor judgment.

Fear Motivates to Failure

“And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.” (Ge 34:30 AV)

Fear is a strong emotion.  Fear is a strong emotion that motivates us to action.  Sometimes, that action is good.  Sometimes it is not.  In this case, Jacob allowed his fear to hinder him from what his sons were willing to do.  A little background here might help.  Jacob had one daughter.  After the LORD answers Jacob’s concern with Esua, they moved to Shechem.  The king’s son had relations with Dinah and kept her in his tent without taking her to wife.  This demanded a response.  Jacob did nothing because of the concern mentioned above.  He was too afraid he would be an enemy of all those around him.  His fears are not without some merit.  Jacob was small when compared to the nations around him.  He had eleven sons and a handful of servants.  Comparing to Esau alone, who had four hundred servants, Jacob was as of yet, a great nation.  However, what Jacob had that no other nation had was the promise of God’s hand upon him.  His fear of those around him were unfounded when compared to the promise of God.

We can criticize Jacob, but we would probably do the same thing.  If faced with insurmountable odds, we might be tempted to compromise and let it go.  If faced with potential enemies that clearly have the advantage, we might be tempted to let things slide.  Fear, as strong as it is, is an emotion that often leads to compromise.  There is a movie produced by Bob Jones University that I vaguely remember.  There is one part that I remember clearly.  I believe the name of the movie is The Printing.  I cannot remember the whole story line, but I do remember a comparison between one church and pastor with another.  The first refused to baptize converts lest the government persecute them into non-existence.  The other had faith God would protect them and baptized new believers.  It was a little more involved than mere baptism, but the story emphasized those who lived in fear and compromised as a result, and those who did not.

We have many fears.  As I get older, the fear of being alone is a real one.  My three sons and their families all live hours away.  Who will take care of me if I am unable to do so myself?  Parents are afraid of losing their relationships with their kids.  Men are afraid of losing their abilities as they age.  We can be afraid of the weather.  We can be afraid of armed criminals entering our homes.  We can be afraid of a lot of things and taking steps to minimize those fears is wise.  What is not wise is compromising our faith and walk with God because of fears which we cannot control.  I would be wrong to give up my calling to be with my son so that he could eventually take care of me.  I would be wrong to compromise the word of God so that my child would love me.  I would be wrong to over medicate trying to be twenty again.  I would be wrong to allow the weather to be the defining factor in service to God.  I would be wrong to stay locked up inside and refuse to engage a public with the gospel of Christ simply because one of them might do me harm.  Jacob was afraid.  This fear led to the compromise of his daughter’s honor.  What is fear causing you to surrender?

Our God of the Two-way Street

“I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.” (Ge 31:13 AV)

There was a mutual covenant made back there in Bethel.  As Jacob was fleeing to Laban his uncle, he promises the LORD if He will guide, protect, and provide for him, then Jacob will make the LORD his God.  The LORD fulfilled His end of the promise in the twenty years Jacob enjoyed with Laban.  Jacob got two wives and eleven sons out of the deal.  He walks away from Laban wealthier than his uncle.  The LORD saw to it Jacob ended up with a fair wage even though Laban’s intent was to use Jacob for his own personal gain.  God reminds Jacob of two things here.  He reminds Jacob of the anointing of the pillar.  That pillar would be the place upon which Jacob would worship God on a regular basis.  Second, Jacob vowed he would make God his God.  That was the deal.  Now, no matter what the future holds, Jacob has to trust the LORD to carry him through and enable Jacob to honor his vow.  This will be very important as he overcomes the adversaries of Laban and Esau.

What struck me about this passage was the manner in which the LORD addresses Himself to Jacob.  He doesn’t use the idea of Him being the God of all that He does or is.  Rather, He is the God to which Jacob made a promise.  This is a different side of the LORD which we seldom consider.  God is not just the God of all that He does for us.  The LORD is not just the LORD of all the blessings of which He bestows.  He is not the God of comfort only.  God is not the God of all grace only.  The LORD is not the only the LORD of all that exists.  He is the God of the vows and promises we make, too.  In addressing Himself this way, the LORD is gently reminding Jacob that Jacob has a promise to fulfill.  The LORD is reminding Jacob this relationship is a two-way street.  The LORD is rehearsing in the ears of Jacob all the He did for him while he was with Laban and how He held up His end of the covenant.  Now it was Jacob’s turn to make the LORD his God by trusting Him as he returned to the land promised to him by the very God whom he promised he would claim.

We can get into a rut in when we see our relationship in terms of what God can and will do for us without any consideration of what we owe Him.  This is where our generation is today.  We do not see we are obligated to obey and trust the LORD by conforming to the word of God.  All we see is our worship and experience as one big consumer product designed to make us happy.  The definition of a true disciple is never discussed.  Self-denial, acceptance of a purpose and burden of life, and obedience to Christ is the definition of being a Christian.  Being a believer is not defined by all the blessings and miracles which God graciously bestows.  It was not the two wives and eleven sons (he would have Benjamin later) that defined Jacob.  It was not all the material wealth he amassed while laboring or Laban that defined Jacob.  It was not all the cattle which the LORD blessed Jacob with that defined who he was and would be.  What changed Jacob’s name to Israel wasn’t all those things God did for him.  What changed Jacob’s name to Israel was his faith and obedience to the God who blessed him.  This is the God of his vow.  The God should be our God, too.  Regardless of what God does or does not do for us, we should follow, trust, and obey!

Permanent Work Zone

“And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.” (Ge 28:15 AV)

This is part of the answer God gave Jacob after he saw what we refer to as Jacob’s ladder.  He was fleeing from Esau to the land of his Uncle, Laban.  God reassures Jacob He will honor all the promises he made to Abraham and Isaac through him.  Jacob was alone and on the run.  He has to be reminded that even though circumstances may appear to tell otherwise, the LORD has not forgotten him and He never will.  No matter what happens in life, The LORD made promises to Abraham, Isaac, and now Jacob which can never be reversed.  These promises have to do with a purpose for their lives and the direction of their families. This promise it one which today’s saint can also claim.  Not the promise of a nation or land, but rather, a promise of purpose.  God will not abandon us no matter what.  He will finish what He started at Calvary’s cross.  You can bank on that.

There are several verses which testify to this truth. The Psalmist testifies to this truth when he pens, “The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.” (Ps 138:8 KJV)  Paul says it another way.  “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Php 1:6 KJV)  In the depths of despair, Job stated, “Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.” (Job 14:15 KJV) These saints knew that once a commitment was made, the LORD would never rescind it.  They knew that once God began a work, He will finish to the end.  This gives the saint hope.

There are doubts and fears that flood our soul as we navigate this path of life.  Fears regarding the future.  Jacob certainly was feeling this.  He never met his uncle.  He didn’t know if Esau’s anger could reach all the way to his uncle’s country.  What would happen once Mom and Dad were gone?  If the LORD promised the land which he was now leaving, how was he going to get it back?  He is leaving with nothing.  How was he going to build a life with nothing upon which to build it?  Would Laban turn him down?  Would he have to wonder in the wilderness escaping the arm of Esau?  What we have to realize is God knows what He is doing and He is not going to birth us the second time only to turn around and ignore us.  A responsible God would not do this.  God has a purpose for our lives.  He will not stop until that purpose is fulfilled.

Surrender for Soup

“Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.” (Ge 25:34 AV)

A birthright here is everything.  The eldest is conferred the right of leadership of the household.  He gets a lion’s share of the inheritance.  It is through the one with the birthright which the future of the house of the family is determined.  To despise a birthright was a big deal.  Esau had returned from his hunting trip without any game to show for it.  He was starving.  He hadn’t eaten in a while.  He came upon his brother who was cooking bean soup.  The smell overwhelmed him and he couldn’t help himself.  The temptation coupled with a false sense of a need caused him to give up something very precious.  All he had to do was go a little further and his mother would have fed him.  Esau simply could not tell the flesh no for a bit longer.  He surrendered his future on the altar of the immediate.  We may judge Esau harshly, but we do the same all the time.  We forfeit what might be our future for gratification in the present.  We despise that which God has for us because we have an itch that needs immediate attention.  Or, so we think.

The word ‘…despised…’ is a strong word.  At first, I thought it might mean to lightly esteem.  But it is much stronger than that.  It means to find vile or worthless.  The word has a sense that Esau didn’t merely value the stew above his birthright.  Instead, it has the sense Esau would have surrendered his birthright for anything of value.  This is the idea which we want to consider this morning.  As a believer, we have a birthright.  We are joint heirs with Christ.  We have blessings stored away for the future that are based upon our new birth into the family of God.  However, these blessings are not guaranteed.  There are some contingencies in place.  For Esau to receive the blessings of the birthright, he had to protect it and possess it.  The same is true with our walk with God.  Our birthright, outside of eternal life, is based primarily on faith and obedience.  We cannot lose our salvation.  But we can lose the blessings and rewards that come with it.  We are alike Esau when we see the blessings of God as something vile or worthless.  When we keep the testimony of a believer, separated from the world, we despise it when we will not put up with the persecution that comes with it.  Never mind the blessings of holiness and purity.  They are deemed worthless.

Part of a birthright is the privilege to carry on the family name and all that name means.  Had Esau valued and retained his birthright, the house of Abraham would have gone through him.  This name is a name of great value.  An honor to be had and honed.  An honor to pass down to one’s own son.  Recently, Prince Henry and his American wife have decided to cede from the royal family and live independently of the crown of England.  I find this all fascinating.  A Monarchy that has little meaning to us Americans but is of great value to the British people.  What I find fascinating is how Henry and Magen are treating what they have.  One wonders how long it will last.  The despise their birthright and in doing so, leave all the blessings and honor that comes with it.  Henry will no longer be an important figure of philanthropy and humanitarianism.  He will have to get a real job.  Megan will be free from the constant patronization that came with being married to a prince.  But it this will be replaced by the disdain of a nation.  Once she married into the royal family, she married into something from which she cannot escape.  No matter how hard she tries.  She would be better off enjoying the privilege and responsibility that comes with it and learn to deal with the unpleasant aspects of the blessings.

We have been born into the family of God with all the privileges and benefits this bestows.  If we are willing to give it all up for a temporary pleasure, then our character was never truly deep to begin with.  The God of all grace didn’t have to send His Son to die in our place.  He didn’t have to increase that grace by granting us things above what we ask or think.  He doesn’t have to put up with our nonsense as we seek countless acts of forgiveness from a benevolent Father.  But He does.  He does so because He loves us with a love we cannot comprehend.  May we value the birthright and not surrender it for something as small as a bowl of soup!

Bride By Faith

“And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?” (Ge 24:5 AV)

This servant’s concern was a valid one.  What happens if Rebekah does not wish to return to a land she has never been to and marry someone she has never met?  Is the servant free to bring Isaac to Rebekah in the former land of his master?  This seems like a pretty logical solution to a hypothetical situation.  Abraham did not want his seed to return to the land from which they were taken lest the promise of God becomes of no effect.  If Isaac returns to Ur, he may remain there.  Specially if he takes a wife from there.  This would undo the very call of Abraham to separate and begin a nation.  Even more so, this is a wonderful picture of salvation by faith.  The bride, that is the church, must accept the proposal of a Savior whom they have only heard of and never met.  Rebekah didn’t even get the chance to correspond with her groom and get to know him prior to making the decision.  She had to make it solely on the word of the servant.  She accepted the offer purely by faith.  This is exactly what the sinner must do.  He or she must accept the offer of salvation by the word of another.  Without the luxury of meeting the Savior face to face, the sinner must accept the free gift of salvation or they will remain in the state of which they are and die lost in their sin.

One of my good friends from years ago has a very interesting story of how he and his wife ended up married.  Lawrence and Maxie barely knew one another.  He and his cousin decided they wanted to get married, so Lawrence and his cousin decided to ask these two girls if they wanted to get married.  They loaded up in a car and drove to Mississippi to wed.  They had to because they were too young to marry in their home state.  There was no courting period.  No lengthy time of getting to know one another.  It was three days and they were married, heading back home as husband and wife.  Both of these marriages passed the test of time.  Lawrence and Maxie were married for decades and were completely faithful to one another.  I often thought of how much courage and integrity it took for this arrangement to succeed.  Specially on the part of the wives.  They had agreed to marry a man whom they barely knew and made the decision in a matter of hours.  They made the relationship more than work.  It took a lot of faith to make that decision.  And a lot of courage.

Salvation is equally so.  It requires we believe the word of a written account of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  We must believe the word of another.  The written word of God testifies of a groom whom we have never met.  It tells the love story of how He gave His life for any and all who will trust Him.  We accept that word of another and place our trust in what He has done for us.  We leave the future to Him just as Rebekah did Isaac.  At the time, we didn’t have all the answers to our questions.  But we decided to trust Him anyway.  What a glorious decision.  There isn’t one account of Rebekah ever regretting her decision.  In fact, it is said of Isaac that he sported with his wife, Rebekah.  It sounded like they were in love from the time they met.  Rebekah showed great character by trusting the word of a servant as was handsomely rewarded as a result.  If you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, I would implore you to do so.  Take Him by faith.  In time, you will have all the answers you seek.

Mandate to Move

“And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place:” (Ge 19:12 AV)

Let us recall exactly how bad these two cities were.  When two angels arrived, the men of the cities wanted Lot to send them from his house so they could sexually abuse them.  The homosexuals were intent on raping the men of God.  That is sick.  What is even worse is Lot’s solution.  He offered his two daughters to these lust-filled perverts in the stead of the men of God.  What kind of father does this?  Peter tells us it was so bad, Lot vexed his righteous soul with the environment in which he dwelt.  I am afraid we live in a generation that doesn’t realize how vexed we have become with the evil of the world.  Being these cities were a cesspool of filth, no wonder the angels gave the instruction to bring them out of that place.  This instruction was the right thing to do for Lot and his family.  It is the right thing to do for today’s parent as well.

Our world is a world of moral and spiritual filth.  Who in their right mind wouldn’t do anything and everything to keep those closest to us from being affected by it?  Today, separation is a bad word.  If you try, the world calls you a cultist and the evangelical world calls you legalist or radical.  So, we succumb to the persecution and allow our families to be exposed, or worse, influenced by ungodly things.  This happens slowly.  Over time, the influences do not seem all that harmful.  A little worldliness never hurt anyone, right?  We are not careful of where we go, what we do, or who we associate with.  We do not take extra precautions to ensure limited exposure to the viler of our world.  Several years ago, my wife and I took a vacation along the shores of Lake Michigan.  I wanted to go to the lake and soak my feet in the lake.  What I didn’t want was to be inundated with bikini clad women who have no sense of modesty at all.  I was looking for a place to stick my lawn chair in the water, take of my shoes and socks, and dip my feet in the coolness of the lake.  All the while listening to soothing piano music.  Ahhhhh.  So, we found a very secluded spot that was difficult to get to for the express purpose of avoiding the temptations of lust.  We were all alone.  Expect for one other family who were dressed very modestly.  However, after about an hour or so, two young ladies in their bikinis showed up.  Time to leave!

The tragedy of Lot is God had to take them from that place.  Lot didn’t have enough character to realize what that place was doing to his own family.  He didn’t even realize what it was doing to him!  If Lot was unwilling to protect his family from the world in little things, he will throw them to the wolves in greater things.  The LORD had to remove Lot because Lot allowed the world to come into his home.  Things were so bad that Lot’s own daughters had relations with their father so as to bear children to their father’s name.  These two sons (grandsons) became the heads of nations what would be Israel’s greatest enemies.  No doubt it all started very small.  A little bit of compromise here and there.  I am sure Lot never imagined he would end up offering his daughter as rape victims, without a wife, and two sons by an incestual relationship.  It all starts very small.  We have to get out of this place!  We have to remove ourselves from as much influence as we can.  Otherwise, vexation of soul is behind the next closed door.