Stop and Notice

“And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.” (Ex 3:3-4 AV)

One of the spiritual gifts a good leader needs is the gift of discernment.  He needs to notice things.  This burning bush was a test for Moses to see if first, he noticed something out of the ordinary, and second, if he would take the time to investigate and learn.  This is paramount for a leader.  He cannot go through life with his head in the sand.  He cannot go about his responsibilities with blinders on.  However, just because he doesn’t immediately act upon what he notices does not mean he didn’t see it.  Discernment will keep the leader from making so very unwise decisions.

A good leader may be accused of being too cautious.  Perhaps that is the wrong word.  Deliberate might be a better one.  He is not averse to stepping out on faith, but a good leader sees things that others miss, or to them, it may seem incidental.  To some, a bush that burns without being consumed may be a passing curiosity.  Like an exhibit at a museum that is interesting for a fleeting moment, but there is too much more to experience.  To a leader, personal interactions between those whom he leads is paramount to understand.  Watching how different personalities meld or clash and how to manage them is a result of noticing the details.  Being able to perceive a potential threat and orchestrating procedure that limits those threats in a way that others would not even notice is fruit of discernment.

Some of the most popular themes written for television programs are detective shows.  Particularly those that are not all blood and gore.  Shows like Columbo, Murder She Wrote, Monk, etc. whose main character noticed the minute details of a crime scene and are not dependent upon criminal forensics to solve the crime at hand.  They are entertaining because we find ourselves as rather ordinary compared to the gifted detective who will notice the littlest discrepancy.  Life goes by moment by moment and not event by event.  IF something is a little off, or if it is worth casting a stronger gaze upon it, the discerning leader does just that.  He is often a bit quieter than most, taking in all sorts of information to be considered and contemplated.  He is a student of his surroundings.  This is absolutely necessary for a good leader.

Too Much of a Good Thing

“And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” (Ge 50:24 AV)

One wonders what motivated Israel to stay in Egypt after Joseph’s death.  The status they had with Egypt ended with Joseph.  Surely, they must have had that thought.  Or did they?  We have to remember this situation.  Israel was guarded under the care of the government because Joseph saved the nation from starvation.  For that, the nation of Egypt was thankful.  They were also tasked as being the herdsman for the entire nation of Egypt because the Egyptians saw caring for cattle as an abomination.  In short, Israel had a good thing going.  Maybe they thought it would continue as such.  A symbiotic relationship of mutual benefit.  Israel would provide oversight of cattle and financial prowess while Egypt supplied protection and trade.  The thing is, two cannot walk together unless they agree who will lead and who will follow.

Sometimes, a “good thing” isn’t as good as it may seem.  In the short term, it may be expedient.  But in the long term, it could become enslaving.  Over time, Israel lost who they were.  They were surrounded by pagan gods, some of whom they were tempted to follow.  They gave up their sovereignty for the ease of life.  They could not even see that enslavement was worse than the lees, the fish, the cucumbers, onions and garlic which they ate freely while in Egypt.  They gave a little bit of themselves more and more for the captivating care of the Egyptians.  It may have been a good thing in the beginning.  But in the end, they lost their purpose and definition of life.

There is more to life than the externals.  There is liberty to serve the LORD.  There is more to life than the comforts of life.  There is self-definition.  There is having the freedom to listen to the voice of God and the ability to follow it.  There is the right of conscience that cannot be taken away.  This right of conscience often costs to attain and keep.  But it is a far better prize than the things of this life.  I have met many a many of God who has given up that right of conscience for a profitable pulpit.  They are encumbered with the things of this life to the point they have lost their way. We have abandoned fundamentals of the faith because we are too scared to face life without certain assurances.  In short, we have lost who we are because we have too much of a good thing.  The end of this is bondage.  Liberty or bondage:  the choice is ours.

Age Changed Perspective

“And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” (Ge 47:9 AV)

It is amazing what aging does to one’s perspective.  This is the same Jacob that had to flee from his brother Esau.  This is the same Jacob who was deceived and used by his father-in-law for twenty years.  This is the same Jacob whose daughter was raped by neighbors.  This is the same Jacob whose two sons avenges their sister’s rape and brought a scourge upon Jacob and his family for said avenging.  This is the same Jacob who believed his second youngest son was dead.  This is the same Jacob who was terrified of meeting his brother Esau in the wilderness after twenty years of resentment.  This was the same Jacob who was, at present, financially suffering because of a drought.  This was the same Jacob who had to bury his beloved wife in the wilderness after she gave birth to Benjamin.  This are only the major setbacks that we know of.  Surely, having lived 130 years, Jacob had seen a lot.  

Yet, his perspective has changed.  Reflection upon his life sees blessings far more than the cursing.  That is what age will do for you.

I was chastened rather soundly by my youngest just recently.  I refer to myself as ‘old’ even though I am middle aged.  Going through as many trials of faith as my wife and I have, it tends to take a toll on one’s well-being.  I may be only middle aged, but I feel like the grave is just around the corner.  LOL.  One interesting aspect of aging is patience.  We have learned a lot of patience.  We have also learned that trouble may not be as large as it seems at the time of its coming.  We have also learned that by the grace of God we have survived everything thrown at us.  Looking back at the trials of faith, we can see how the LORD used those times to nature us emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.  From the first major health issue that faced our new-born son, to unemployment, to the ever-present physical troubles of today, God is in control of it all and because we have trusted Christ as Savior, we have nothing to fear.

Jacob was right.  Few and evil have been the days of my pilgrimage.  From being the victim of armed robbery to having to say goodbye to the dearest on earth to me, few and evil have been the days of my life.  We are truly blessed.  If we could only see just how blessed we are.  If salvation in Christ was the only thing God every did for me, I would indeed be the most blessed of all people.  God is good.  All the time.  He truly is.

Unresolved Guilt Skews Blessings

“And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?” (Ge 42:28 AV)

The study of Joseph and his eleven brothers is a study of unresolved guilt.  They manner in which Joseph manipulates his brothers into a corner that forces them to confront their unresolved guilt is masterful.  One might get the idea that Joseph is just toying with them.  But his is not.  In fact, numerous times these ten brothers would have “gotten it” if they just stopped to think about it for a minute.  One thing about unresolved guilt is that we see even grace as a judgment from God.  These ten men could not see that Joseph was good to them.  They saw it as manipulation.  They did not see it as a kindness.  Unresolved guilt can even turn a blessing into a curse.

The problem with these ten men was they felt guilt over Joseph and have been living with it for thirteen years.  A bit earlier, when relaying the predicament to his father, Reuben admitted to their unresolved guilt.  In Genesis chapter forty-two and in verses twenty-one and twenty-two, the brothers are conversing, trying to come up with a solution.  Reuben clearly blames their former conduct for their present circumstances.  Which begs the question, how often did they consider unfavorable conditions as result of God’s judgment for selling Joseph?  It must have been torment.  Joseph, being as wise as he was, clearly understood this.  So, he used a tool from the LORD’s workings and decides to show mercy, knowing it would only add more shame.

When we harbor unconfessed sin or the guilt that goes with that sin, we cannot enjoy life no matter how much of God’s blessings rain upon us.  The ten men got free provision.  They didn’t see it that way.  Clearly, if they thought about it, the Egyptians had to have put it back into their bags.  Yet, they saw it as a tactical advantage which Joseph would have to condemn them.  The best thing is to resolve unconfessed sin and deal with the guilt so that when God does open the windows of heaven, we can enjoy it.

Grace Greater than Grief

“And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him.” (Ge 37:35 AV)

God is so good!  He gives us just what we need at the moment we need it.  Jacob is expressing his deep sense of loss at the supposed loss of his favorite son, Joseph.  Note carefully what Jacob assumes to be the end of his grief.  He fully expects his grief to be so severe that is will take his life.  He expects the grief will overwhelm his aging heart and he will pass away because his favorite son has supposedly been slain by wild animals.  The thing is, Jacob lived another twenty plus years.  God still had a plan for him.  God still had a reason for this patriarch to live.  What we need to see is the reality of the grief and the depth of God’s grace.

We are in no way critical of the depths of Jacob’s sense of loss.  I personally have not had to bury a child.  But I have known several who have.  It is a loss beyond words.  Children are supposed to bury their parents.  Not the other way around.  Unless we have gone through something like this, we cannot fully understand the grief one feels at the loss of a child.  So, we are here, recognizing that depth of grief and affirming it to be real and severe.  Even to the point the survivors do not think they can live through it.  It is a serious situation.  One that demands and begs for compassion, understanding, and empathy.  What we can do though, is remind those who are going through such a time, is that God’s grace is sufficient to the moment.

Somehow, some way, God got Jacob through this.  He was able to strengthen Jacob moment by moment, day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year.  It didn’t come all at once.  It came in proportion to the moment.  You may ask, how does that apply to you?  Have you lost a child?  Have you experienced grief?  Not to that depth, no.  But we have had to say goodbye to each of our children.  Two live in separates states at least a day’s drive away.  The third is a missionary to a foreign field.  There are times when days are very lonely and the future looks very scary.  What my wife and I have realized is not so much that which we have lost, but how blessed we truly are.  There are no regrets.  Our sons are terrific godly men who love the LORD and love their families.  It hurts, but we will survive.  We will endure by the grace of God.  The hurt will get a little easier to bear.  One day, there will be no goodbyes.  We look forward to that day.  Until then, we live by the grace of God.

Shedding Some Good For the Future's Sake

“But Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.” (Ge 35:8 AV)

This one fact seems out of place and unnecessary.  At least to the unlearned mind.  Deborah was more than likely the nurse sent with Rebekah when she left Laban to marry Isaac.  Once Rebekah was gone, it would not have been proper for her to reside with Jacob while he was with Laban in Padanoram.  She was left in Hebron while Jacob was serving Laban for his two wives and his flocks. Once Jacob left and came to Shechem, it was more than likely Jacob send for and received Deborah into his household seeing her mistress had passed away.  Deborah would have been like a second mother to Jacob.  She would have assisted Rebekah in raising the children.  Therefore, there would have been a connection there.

The death of Deborah is in the midst of God’s covenant with Jacob.  He had gone to Bethel to build and altar there.  God appeared to Jacob and changed his name to Israel.  The process involved three steps.  There was the journey from the fields to the place of Bethel.  There was a putting away of the gods which his family had come to accumulate.  Then there was the actual building of the altar and communing with God.  Deborah’s death came during the time of cleansing.  This is not to say that Deborah was someone who needed to be cleansed.  There was no indication that she was anything but a positive influence on the family.  But there is something to be said for breaking the ties of the past so the future can be complete.

Jacob’s mother had already passed.  Esau and Jacob had resolved their differences and they each went their separate ways.  Both, enjoying the blessings of God, went their separate ways, becoming a separate nation in and of themselves.  Isaac was soon to pass.  The only one left with a tie to the past was Deborah.  Her passing came before the covenant with Jacob.  She needed to be taken home before Jacob can be set completely apart.  Sanctification does not mean separation for only that which is harmful or cumbersome.  We often view sanctification and cleansing ourselves of sin and wickedness.  But sanctification can also mean a separation from that which at one time was a necessary part of who and what we needed to be at the time.  There is nothing wicked or wrong with it.  It is just that God has a different direction for our lives without being critical of the place we were.  Forging ahead and allowing the present to define God’s purpose and plan is part of sanctification.

Why Pray for a Guarantee?

“Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.” (Ge 32:11-12 AV)

God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob a covenant of nationhood.  There is no reason for Jacob to be concerned of his brother Esua.  The unconditional promise is still in force and it wouldn’t matter if Esau was ten times the nation Jacob was.  Jacob was secure in the promise of God.  Yet, here we find Jacob praying his heart out.  A bit later is when he wrestled all night with the angle and prevailed.  Some might say that Jacob lacked faith.  Fair enough.  He probably did.  But faith is not required for an unconditional promise.  I do not have to have faith that I am secure in Christ for it to be so.  That is, unless I always believed and element of works in salvation.  If a saint has trusted Christ and Christ alone, then the brief times of doubt that may come and go do not change what he had done in his heart.  The promises of God still stand.   He does not need to re-pray the sinner’s plea over and again.  The promise is absolute and cannot be altered.  So, the question appears:  Why pray for a certainty?  Whether Jacob prays or not, Esau is no threat.  Why pray?

There is more to prayer than merely seeking a remedy to a situation.  God answers prayer every time we pray.  It may not the answer we expect or desire, but all events are an answer to prayer.  So, what was it that Jacob really needed?  Did he really need God to honor His word because there was a possibility He would not?  No.  What was it that Jacob really needed?  Sometimes, in fact most times, prayer is just as much for our benefit as it is the LORD’s.  Communication is the foundation of a relationship.  The type of communication will determine the depth of that relationship.  Jacob needed to express his fear.  What is precious in this entire exchange is God’s patience with Jacob.  The LORD could have taken offense at Jacob’s fear.  God took care of him with Laban.  God protected him and grew him for twenty years.  And now, all of a sudden, Jacob thinks it was all for naught?

Sometimes, prayer is working out our own emotional and spiritual baggage by the ministry of the Holy Spirit more so than resolving a particular need.  Jacob didn’t need God to honor His word because there was not other option God was going to take.  It was certain.  I think what happened here is Jacob came to the end of himself.  Yes, he listened to and relied upon God the whole time.  But twenty years of being used and the close encounter he had with Laban brought him to a place of emotional burn-out.  He had come to the end of himself and needed that extra re-assurance that God was indeed going to honor His promise.  He would have regardless of Jacob’s prayer.  But Jacob’s prayer was about Jacob’s personal spiritual condition more than it was about Esau.