Year 7, Day 48: Genesis 49

Theological Commentary: Click Here

God’s generosity continues to abound in this chapter.  We have another genealogy, but this time in a voice of prophecy.  We get to hear about Jacob’s sons and the roles that they will play in the future.

Rueben was the eldest.  But his sin caused him to fall from grace.  Yet, he is not outcast.  He will continue to be a part of the Hebrew people.  His offspring will be welcome among God’s people and they will even have a role to play.  Our sinfulness can be redeemed.  Our sinfulness can be forgiven and we can have a home with God.

The same is true for Simeon and Levi.  They are also brothers who committed violent acts in their youth and who lived by the sword.  But we know that the offspring of these brothers will continue to be among God’s people.  In fact, the people of Levi will become the Levites and priests that become the spiritual backbone of the people!  Their sinfulness is overcome as well.

We can even look in the opposite light towards the majority of the middle brothers.  We are talking about the likes of Naphtali, Dan, Gad, Benjamin, Ashur, and Issachar.  These brothers have a very subtle role.  They don’t have the big type-A personalities of their brothers.  But they have a role, too.  They may not be the natural leaders, but they will still be a part of God’s people.  We don’t have to be big in fame or glory or reputation to be a part of God’s people.  We can be followers, so long as we are following the right God.

The end of Genesis gives us a good look at life through God’s eyes.  He loves those with big personalities.  He loves those with small personalities.  He loves those prone to mistakes.  He loves those who play it safe and do what is expected of them.  Whatever we are and whatever role we play, there is a place for us in His grace, love, and care.

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Year 7, Day 47: Genesis 48

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Once more we see a picture of grace in the book of Genesis.  Joseph hears that his father may not have too much longer to live.  When he hears this, he takes his sons to Jacob and asks for him to bless the sons.  Jacob willingly does this.

Naturally, this makes a bunch of sense.  Jacob spent a good portion of his life without Joseph.  Joseph’s children have not known Jacob like Jacob’s other grandchildren know him.  Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son from his favorite wife.  There seem to be every reason for Jacob to bless Joseph’s boys.

On the other hand, there are some hidden reasons why Jacob could not have wanted to bless them.  Jacob didn’t know them all that well.  They were children from a marriage that Joseph had with an Egyptian priest’s daughter. 

What I like about this chapter is that Jacob does not dwell on these reasons.  Instead, Jacob blesses the children.  Jacob looks to the positives and dwells on what the relationship means instead of looking at the negatives in life.  This is truly a show of grace.  Jacob desires to bestow his blessing upon them.

As we look at this blessing, we very much see an additional place of grace.  Jacob blesses the younger son as if he were the eldest.  In fact, we know that Jacob does this intentionally.  At first, we might simply say that Jacob was the younger and got his brother’s blessing, so he is just continuing the tradition.  But I truly think that there is more to it than that.

Let’s look back through Genesis.  Seth (and Abel) were both chosen ahead of Cain.  Isaac was chosen ahead of Ishmael.  Jacob was chosen ahead of Esau.  Joseph was chosen ahead of the vast majority of his brothers.  The pattern we see in Genesis is that the former is looked over in favor of the latter.

There is a profound spiritual message being passed along here.  We hear in the book of Hebrews that in Christ God is doing a new thing.  Hebrews 10:8-10 states that God has been working throughout history to “do away with the first” in order to “establish the second.”  God does away with the old system of forgiveness/repentance/sanctification in favor of a new system of forgiveness/repentance/sanctification through Jesus’ death on the cross.

This is a sign of grace in its own right.  God gives us grace when we do not deserve it.  He passes over our guilt with His forgiveness and even pays the cost Himself!  This is indeed a pattern that God is creating through His servants in the Old Testament.  When Jacob blesses the younger son over the elder, Jacob is laying down the foundation of a long line – and an even longer line in the future – of preparing His people to accept that the second is preferred to the first.  God’s grace through Christ on the cross is far more preferred than the sacrificial system for forgiveness.

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Year 7, Day 46: Genesis 47

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Once more we see the prosperity and the wisdom of Joseph.  Before the story of the chapter is finished, Pharaoh owns all the land in Egypt and essentially turns the whole nation into sharecroppers.  The people receive their grain from Pharaoh and have to give a portion back to Pharaoh in return.  Joseph’s wisdom – his ability and desire to listen to God, really – sets him up to be a blessing to the people as well as to his Pharaoh.

That being said, I want to take a side trip and risk chasing down a rabbit trail.  Did anyone else besides me notice the portion that Pharaoh requires?  Jacob tells the people that one-fifth will return to Pharaoh and four-fifths will be kept by the people.  That’s twenty percent!

When I read that, I really was impressed by how little God demands of us.  Yes, He wants our submission.  But He only asks that we tithe ten percent of what we are given by his hands!  That’s incredibly generous, especially with what Pharaoh demanded!  The people returning out of Egypt during the Exodus should have heard God’s request and felt an ease of burden, not a great taxation!

For that matter, look at what our own countries ask of us.  In America, it’s not uncommon for American citizens to pay on the average of 20% of their income in federal income tax.  This doesn’t even count state and local taxes.  It also doesn’t count sales tax.  When we look at it in this perspective, God really is generous.

Those living in other countries have more to see.  On the average, Americans pay less tax.  We typically receive less benefit for our tax, too.  But some countries pay as much as 40% of their income in tax. (Aruba has the highest taxation rate at 58.5% and there are about ten countries with a tax rate of 50% or higher.)  In this light, God’s tithe is really quite generous.  I think perspective really helps.  How generous is a God that asks for ten percent when fellow human beings tax one another as much as 50%!

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Year 7, Day 45: Genesis 46

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In this chapter we continue to get a taste of God’s provision.  We see it first in God’s interaction with Jacob.  Jacob seems a bit hesitant to go to Egypt.  He packs everything up, but on his way out of town he stops to worship God.

This makes much sense when we think about it.  Abraham went down to Egypt and got himself into a bit of trouble.  Isaac also went down to Egypt and got himself in a bit of trouble.  Isaac has simply learned his lesson from his father and grandfather.  He is anxious to meet his son, but he knows that when his people go to Egypt there is often trouble.

Because of this, God comes to Jacob and encourages him to go.  God provides for the motivation that Jacob needs in the moment.  God tells Jacob that it will be alright and that he has a plan.  God tells Jacob that Joseph has got things under control.  Jacob listens and goes to his son in Egypt.

We also see God’s provision for the Hebrew people when they get to Egypt.  Because of his relationship with Pharaoh, Jacob is free to negotiate fertile land for them to dwell in while performing the duties of shepherds for the Pharaoh.  This is a pretty good deal in my opinion.  The Hebrew people are allowed to live and even prosper while being granted purpose in their new homeland.  God uses Joseph to provide for His people as well as to reward Pharaoh and his faithfulness to Joseph.  God’s  provision is truly a beautiful thing.

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Year 7, Day 44: Genesis 45

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Joseph unfolds his plan.  He reveals himself to his brothers.  He is not dead; he is their provider!  In this we see an incredible act of forgiveness and restoration.  For those reasons alone, this is a powerful chapter.

Today, though, I want to look at the relationship between Pharaoh and Joseph.  Remember that at one time Joseph was a forgotten slave accused of thrusting himself upon the wife of a government official.  Now, he has Pharaoh’s respect and admiration.  Pharaoh comes to Joseph’s brothers and lavishes grace upon them.

This grace comes because Joseph did not live his life in bitterness.  He was able to forgive his brothers.  He was able to move past the false accusation of Potiphar’s wife.  He was able to overlook being forgotten in prison.  He was able to focus on what God set before him and do his best in those circumstances.

However, as we move to Genesis notice how this relationship changes.  Right now, Pharaoh has respect for Joseph and his God.  He is willing to work with the Hebrew people and support them because he is grateful for what Joseph has done.  But this will not remain the same.  A Pharaoh will come who will not treat Joseph’s people as nicely.

I think what we learn here is a good lesson on character.  Joseph, in all of his forgiveness and patience was a man of impeccable character.  This Pharaoh was a man of good character.  That is why this story has such a positive ending.  Men of good character are able to lead and produce good results.  We’ll see what men of poor character produce when we turn to the Exodus story.

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Year 7, Day 43: Genesis 44

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Joseph’s moment comes.  He has been building this moment from the very beginning.  He has lavished grace upon the Hebrew brothers.  He let them return with food and their money after the first trp.  He has treated them with honor, bringing them into his own house to feast, even.  He gave Benjamin a great portion, even more than his brothers.  He has given the Hebrew brothers every luxury.

The brothers have in turn respected the grace they’ve received.  They did return with Benjamin as requested.  They did come into the place of feasting with humbleness, admitting that they didn’t actually pay for the first load of food.  They did stick up for Simeon and returning to Egypt against their father before the food ran out.  They have demonstrated that they trust Joseph.

However, Joseph requires more than trust.  He wants to hear repentance.  Joseph is happy to be in a position to save his family.  That alone is remarkable.  Many humans, after being sold into slavery by their own family, would be content letting them starve!  Not Joseph.  Joseph is overjoyed to be in a place to help them.  But he wants to hear their repentant heart. Thus, he plants a gold cup in his brother’s sack so that he will have every reason to put the brothers under great stress.

Judah comes through.  When Benjamin is made to look guilty, Judah could easily have easily turned on Benjamin.  However, Judah volunteers to give up his own life to save Benjamin.

Before we get to the conclusion of this post, let’s look at a detail as to why this scheme might have been devised in the first place.  As Judah recounts the story, he tells us a detail that was omitted as the narrator of Genesis told the story.  Apparently tin the first visit to Egypt, the brothers told Joseph that one of their brothers was dead.  It is likely that Joseph would feel the need to correct this little lie.  One of their brothers isn’t dead, he was sold into slavery.

In any case, Joseph now sees what he wants to see.  The brothers are humble.  Judah is even willing to trade his own life for the life of his brother.  These brothers have some maturity underneath them now.  They have a bit of repentance.  They have honored Joseph after dishonoring him horribly so many years ago.  It has taken a while for these brothers to mature and be able to put it on display, but God has been with Joseph through it all.  Joseph is now ready to unfold the whole story.

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Year 7, Day 42: Genesis 43

Theological Commentary: Click Here

The plot thickens.  Joseph’s brothers return home and the food runs out.  There is an argument between the sons and Jacob about returning.  Eventually it is decided that the sons have to return with Benjamin in order to get more food.  Jacob has to choose between dying of starvation and potentially losing his only remaining son from his favorite wife, Rachel.

Isn’t it funny what fear can do for us?  Don’t forget that Simeon was held back in Egypt in prison!  Jacob is afraid of losing another son, so he plays it safe and lets him rot in prison rather than potentially losing another.  When we are in places of greatest gain, we are also usually in places of greatest risk.  Fear steps in and often tempts us to play it safe.  Jacob is content potentially starving and letting Simeon stay in jail rather than letting the sons return to Egypt with more food.

Keep in mind that the fear isn’t usually rational.  The fear is often a perceived fear.  But just because it is perceived doesn’t mean it is real.  Has Egypt given Jacob any reason to fear?  Did the brothers not return with plenty of food having spent none of their money?  The only bad thing that happened was that Simeon was retained until they should return.  Jacob assumes that Simeon is retained because Egypt wants to harm Benjamin.  That is a perceived fear, but it is not a rational one.  So often fear keeps us from enjoying God’s blessing.

Notice what it is that gets Jacob through his fear.  Necessity is what motivates Jacob.  Literally, the food runs out and the threat of starving becomes quite real.  Jacob moves past his fear when he hits rock bottom.  This is why so many of us experience the need to hit rock bottom before we can go forward.  So long as we can, we bunker down and hide in our safe places.  Need brings us out.  Need causes us to leave our safe place.  Need opens us up to being in a position of receiving and appreciating God’s blessing.

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Year 7, Day 41: Genesis 42

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Just because one is righteous does not mean that one cannot enjoy a little bit of sport.  I know this lesson very much from being a pastor and being a teacher.  When trying to get another person to learn something, there are multiple approaches.  You can lecture the right answer and let the person learn passively.  You can set the student free to discover the answer themselves.  Or, you can disciple the student by asking leading questions that lead the student to the answer.  There are proper times to choose each of these techniques.  The third technique is my personal favorite, though.

In order to lead the student through a series of guided questions – those in the know call this the Socratic Method, named after its designer, Socrates – know that dialogue and conversation are the key.  The disciple maker asks questions that continually push the learner to the edge of their knowledge base in order to cause them to learn more.  As the disciple learns, the disciple maker pushes a little further.  In this way, the student grows.  The student always feels precariously close to the tipping point of overextending, but the disciple-maker always has the disciple securely in their hands.

This process is often made more fun when the disciple-maker, or master teacher, has a sense of play.  When the master teacher can use their sense of play to create relationship, the learning becomes personal, intimate, and a genuinely shared experience that is eventually enjoyed by all.

This is what Joseph is doing to his brothers.  They are at all times safe in his hands.  The problem is that the brothers do not realize it.  They don’t recognize Joseph.  However, Joseph takes this opportunity to help them get up to speed with how God has been moving in their life.  Joseph wants to teach them to trust God and to realize that God was able to take their sinful act of selling him as a slave into a great thing.

However, Joseph doesn’t just lecture them.  They wouldn’t have learned the lesson as well by just giving them the answer.  They wouldn’t have learned the lesson by listening to one of Joseph’s sermons.  Joseph teaches the lesson to the brothers by guiding them through a series of situations.  First, there is the interview.  Then, there is the imprisonment.  Then, there is the return trip home leaving Simeon in Egypt.  Then, there is the debate with their father about bringing Benjamin.

In all of these things, the brothers perpetually feel like their life could come crumbling down at any moment.  They are fearful for Benjamin and fearful for Simeon.  They are afraid of the wrath of their father.  What they don’t know, and can’t know, is that they whole time they are resting quite safely in Joseph’s most skilled hands.  Even more importantly, they are learning that they rest completely and securely in God’s most capable hands. 

That’s a great thing to learn.  I love Joseph’s playful method of teaching this lesson to his brothers.  I don’t think it is mean-spirited or in bad taste at all.  Joseph keeps them safe while constantly putting them on the edge of their comfort zone.

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Year 7, Day 40: Genesis 41

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Genesis 41 only confirms what we already know from the past chapter.  Joseph wasn’t freed from the prison because God was not ready to bring glory to Himself.  God was caring for Joseph the whole time, but God’s plan was not ready.  Joseph patiently awaits God’s timing.  For two whole years Joseph is in prison waiting for God’s timing.

Joseph gets his chance, though.  The Pharaoh has a dream.  In this, I find an incredible thing.  There is a reason that God was not ready in Joseph’s prior moments of faithfulness.  God wasn’t ready because the timing wasn’t ideal.  You see, in the prior moments Joseph was ready for God to act.  But nobody besides Joseph was ready.  In this moment, the Pharaoh of the land is ready to hear from God.  The Pharaoh’s heart is opened.

What can God do with a heart that is open to Him?  God can certainly use the Pharaoh to spare Joseph.  God can use the Pharaoh to spare Egypt.  God will even use Pharaoh to spare the nations around Egypt.  Because God waits for Pharaoh’s heart to be open, God can do all of these things.  Rather than free Joseph when Joseph is ready, God can free Joseph when the world is ready to listen to him and observe his wisdom and obedience to God.

What I find remarkable is that Joseph seems to know all of this.  When he is released and told the dream of Pharaoh, do you see his response?  Joseph says, “God revealed this.”  Joseph isn’t bitter towards God.  Joseph is merely waiting for God to act.  When God is ready, Joseph is likewise ready to step in and make sure that the glory goes to God.  That’s remarkable.  After all that has been done to Joseph, here is a patient man waiting to serve God when God is ready to bring glory onto Himself.

Joseph is one of my favorite patriarchs.  He starts off so bold and arrogant.  However, he humbles quickly and becomes quite the servant of God.  Here he is, barely middle-aged, and he is willing to wait for the hearts of others to be open to God before expecting God to act.  There is a deep and profound wisdom in this man named Joseph.

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Year 7, Day 39: Genesis 40

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Genesis 40 intrigues me.  He we see Joseph seemingly do all of the right things.  He is faithful in prison.  The captain over the prison respects Joseph so much that he seems to ask Joseph to mentor these two servants of Pharaoh who are imprisoned.  Joseph even interprets the dreams correctly!  Yet what does all of this get him?  The cupbearer is restored, the baker is hung, and Joseph continues to rot in prison.  It’s easy to read through this story and wonder what the point is.

It’s actually worse than that.  It’s easy to read through this story and think that God isn’t loyal.  After all, shouldn’t God reward Joseph for doing the right thing?  Shouldn’t God have arranged for Joseph’s release from prison?

Naturally, these questions are wrong.  However, in exploring them we find out the mistake that they represent.  Each of these thoughts is rooted in Joseph being the focus.  But Joseph isn’t the focus.  He never is and he never should be.  The focus is God.  The focus is God’s glory.  He is the focus, not some human.  This story is about how God can redeem and rescue us, not how we deserve to be rescued.

That really is the crux of this story.  Joseph remains in prison because the time is not right for God to rescue and redeem him.  God has plans for Joseph.  God desires to save him.  In fact, we know that He will save Joseph.  But the time is not now.  God’s plan is not for Joseph to know rescue imminently.

This is a really important lesson for us to learn in our own lives.  God desires to impact our life.  But He does it on His timing, for His agenda, so that He maybe glorified.  It isn’t about our worth and our deserving nature.  It is about Him and His glory.  The next time we feel like God has not been fair to us, we need to remember that the only reason we have that thought is because we have put our focus on ourselves rather than God.

For the record, Joseph himself doesn’t make this mistake.  We don’t see Joseph complaining about God’s lack of faithfulness.  Joseph remains strong and faithful even when he feels forgotten in prison.

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Year 7, Day 38: Genesis 39

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Sin continues to surround the story.  In fact, once more it is sin of a sexual nature!  Genesis has much to teach us, but one of the reoccurring themes in Genesis is that our downfall is often sexual in nature.  Our lust, our passion, our carnal urges are hard to control.  Perhaps even worse, when our carnal urges go unfulfilled or rejected, it arouses feelings of anger, irritation, and even vengeance.

It is Potiphar’s wife that is to blame in the story.  She desires something she should not have.  Scorned, she plots to get Joseph in trouble.  Joseph flees, but Potiphar believes his wife.  Joseph is thrown in prison.  Because of the lust of a single woman, one man’s life is irrevocably changed.

However, today I want to focus on what is nested within a world full of sin.  Look at Joseph within this chapter.  Joseph is faithful.  Having been sold into slavery and then traded around until he lands in Potiphar’s house, he still remains faithful.  He is faithful to Potiphar.  He works hard and gives his best.  He does the job that is asked of him.  He works hard to make his master proud.  he could have become embittered, but he doesn’t.

Because off this, God is with him.  God walks through life with Joseph.  Even after Joseph is mistreated once more and thrown into prison, God causes Joseph to be prospered.  God desires us to be His representative to whichever world we find ourselves.  Joseph lives a godly life in slavery, in prison, and while leading Potiphar’s house.  The circumstances don’t change Joseph’s pursuit of godliness.  I think that is my favorite part of this story.

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Year 7, Day 37: Genesis 38

Theological Commentary: Click Here

We just got started with the story of Joseph, and immediately we take a small hiatus.  Today we stop and talk about Judah.  Our theme remains the same, though.  We continue to talk about the human penchant for sin and the brilliance of God’s oversight through it.

Let’s talk about human sinfulness.  This whole story hinges upon the desire for Judah to fulfill his own desires rather than live in obedience to God.  We start this story by hearing that Judah took a wife from among the Canaanites.  Judah took a wife from a people who would lead him away from God and his ways.  Why did he do this?  He did this because his assessment of her outward beauty was more important to him than his assessment of her inner character.  His own desires are more important to him than God’s desires for him.

In due time, Judah’s wife dies.  In his mourning, he goes looking for consolation.  where does he find consolation?  He tries to find consolation in a prostitute and is tricked into having sex with his own daughter-in-law!  Again, we see the underlying rule of Judah’s sinfulness.  His passion rules his heart.  He isn’t a thinking man, he’s a man of passion.  Rather than decide between sin and righteousness, he pursues sin.  He wants consolation and he decides that the best consolation is with a woman who can give him a sexual release.

Unfortunately, this general tendency is a tendency within us all.  Some of us are able to control our passions more than others, but all of us have certain passions that do rule over.  We might not struggle with the same sexual passions as Judah, but we all do have passion that rules over us.  We all have our buttons that can be pushed that causes passion to flare up and we choose sin instinctively.  It is good for us to study stories like this so that we can recognize where these tendencies exist and combat against them.

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Year 7, Day 36: Genesis 37

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Genesis 37 is the beginning of the end.  We start the story of Joseph, the last of the patriarchs.  However, in many ways I think these are my favorite chapters of the whole book.  In general, though, Genesis is one of my favorite books of the Bible.  I like the whole thing.

In this story, we find Joseph at a young adult age.  He’s old enough to know that he’s special, but not old enough to have wisdom about it.  His dad gives him a special, valuable cloak.  Then, God grants him a dream.  He has a dream to know his importance.  God is preparing him for the future.  But Joseph doesn’t have the wisdom to handle it.  He begins to brag.  He begins to exalt himself.  He makes himself a stench in the eyes of his brothers.  He is hated for it.

Because of his lack of wisdom, Joseph finds himself in a pit.  He is actually supposed to be killed by his brothers, that’s how bad his lack of wisdom was!  However, a last minute rescue by his older – and wiser – brother saves him from death.  Instead, he is sold into slavery.  But don’t lose sight of the undercurrent in this story.  Joseph is special.  God is planning on using him.  However, Joseph lacks the wisdom to use that special nature properly.  His lack of wisdom is what lands him in trouble with his brothers.

That doesn’t mean that God isn’t at work.  God can take the sins of all of these brothers and use them for His plan.  God can use Joseph’s lack of vision and still work through him.  The road may be a little difficult, but God is still at work along it.  God is bigger than our individual or collective sinfulness.

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Year 7, Day 35: Genesis 36

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Genesis 36 is devoted to the nations and leaders who come from Esau.  We could just chalk this chapter up to the author of Genesis desiring to tell the full story of Abraham and his people.  Perhaps that is all that is going on.  I think we can find more in this, however.

What this chapter does tell us is that Esau prospered.  I’m going to resist the urge in this post to account that prospering to God, although it certainly could have been at God’s hand.  The thing is, though, the Bible doesn’t make that claim.  We simply know that Esau prospered.  He prospered enough to need to leave Jacob because they were so wealth that the land couldn’t support both of their families.

I’m willing to bet that Esau was a bit skeptical of Jacob.  After all, Jacob had already taken Esau’s birthright and blessing.  He no doubt heard how he took Laban’s wealth, too.  If I were Esau, I would have cut bait and run, too.

With Esau, though, we can get a great perspective on life.  I am sure that when Jacob took Esau’s birthright that Esau was furious.  When Jacob stole Esau’s blessing I’m sure he was even more furious.  In the moment, life looks like it is conspiring against Esau.  But here at the end of the story we can see that things worked out just fine for Esau.  He dies a wealthy man, a leader in his own right.  When life gets us down, we need to remember to see past the moment.

I think we can also learn something from the absence of God in this chapter, too.  Yes, it is a genealogy.  We wouldn’t expect God’s name to be mentioned all over.  But we can expect it to be mentioned at the beginning or the end.  We might expect it to be mentioned sporadically in the middle.  It isn’t there, though.  Esau’s life – his decision making, his choice of wives, etc – shows us that he really isn’t all that concerned with God.  From what we can gather of the people who come from Esau, they aren’t really concerned with God, either.  They will have their own gods, different from the one’s of the people who come from Jacob.  We need to be careful to pursue God our whole life.

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Year 7, Day 34: Genesis 35

Theological Commentary: Click Here

When I think about Genesis 35, I think about grace and mercy.  I also think about God’s perspective and vision.  Each of these topics leads me to think about hope.

God’s grace and mercy can be seen in several ways.  First of all, we know that Jacob didn’t have the best track record for righteousness when it came to family.  Yet, God looks past that.  God forgives.  God creates something new in Jacob.  God takes Jacob and molds him and shapes him.  That’s what God can do in us, too.  The truth is that we have God’s grace and mercy because he believes in us more than we do, certainly more than we deserve.

This leads me to think more broadly about God’s perspective and vision.  God sees us through His grand perspective, which allows him to be able to embrace us with grace and love.  Because His vision is so grand, He can avoid getting caught in the moment.  In truth, this is a great lesson that I’ve learned throughout the ages.  If I want to be gracious and merciful to people, I need to be able to see beyond the moment and look ahead into what could become through grace and mercy.  Perspective and vision make grace and mercy easier.

Naturally, this leads me to hope.  God looks to Jacob, changes his name, and then reminds him that kings will come from him.  God makes a guy who steals from his brother into a king-maker.  If God can do that in Jacob, He can do that in each of us as well.  He can take us in our dark hours and bring us into a better place.  If that isn’t a reason for hope, I don’t know what is!

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Year 7, Day 33: Genesis 34

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Genesis 34 is yet another chapter ripe for the plundering as to what we can learn about humanity.  First of all, we have the young son of Hamor, Shechem.  He sees the daughter of Jacob, Dinah, and lusts after her.  He finds her attractive, and follows his natural impulses.  He forces her to have sex with him.  The reality is that we all have human urges –sexual and non-sexual.  The question that we must all ask and be accountable to is simple.  Do our urges control us or can we control our urges?

Next, notice that Hamor comes to Jacob to bargain for the rights to Dinah.  Whether he is trying to make right the sin of his son or not we can’t tell.  For all we know, Hamor could be trying to smooth over the tension caused by such a violation.  However, Hamor could just as easily be trying to purchase the rights to Dinah because his son finds her attractive.  We don’t really know.  In any case, what we see is Hamor trying to discover Dinah’s price.  Of course, we know that something is odd, here, because normally it is the bride’s family who pays a dowry.

Notice also that Hamor attaches good will among the native people of the land.  He wants this to be a prelude for more marriage and genetic blending between Jacob and his own people.  He is attempting to use this as an opportunity for economic development as well.  This isn’t just about the love of his son, it is in every way a business deal.  Hamor is an opportunist, seeking his own gain wherever possible.

Now, look at Jacob’s sons’ actions.  They are incredibly disingenuous with the truth.  What they say is based on truth.  They are told by God to only marry among those who are god-fearing people.  God’s followers are supposed to be circumcised.  From this perspective, Jacob’s sons are speaking the truth.  If Shechem does want to marry Dinah, He does need to be circumcised.

The problem is that is no place do we hear about what the circumcision means.  Jacob’s sons are not concerned with Shechem and his obedience to God.  They are using this ritual as a means to weaken their enemy.  They know that when Shechem and those near him are circumcised, they will be unable to fight for a few days while they heal.  It is during this time that the sons of Jacob go among them and kill them, plundering their goods.  Jacob’s sons use a legitimate regulation of faith as a means to their own end.  They use the things of God in a manner that has nothing to do with God and faith. 

They are corrupting the ways of God.  After all, think of what will happen when this message gets around to the rest of the native people.  How many of them are going to be willing to be circumcised after they hear what Jacob’s sons did to Shechem?  How many of them are going to want to submit to God in obedience?

For me, this is the greatest sin in the chapter.  Jacob’s sons leave a horrible witness against God’s ways.  They taint what should be a tremendous display of faithfulness.  They do it for their own gain.  They do it for their own sense of revenge.  They don’t care about God; they are seeking the will of their own heart.

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Year 7, Day 32: Genesis 33

Theological Commentary: Click Here

In Genesis 33 we begin to catch a glimpse of what God has been able to do without human intervention.  We already know how God has prospered Jacob.  Jacob left a man on the run.  He returned a wealthy man with a hefty entourage and family.

God has not been unkind to Esau, either.  By his own testimony, God has shown His grace and mercy to Esau.  No longer does Esau feel angry about the birthright or inheritance.  Esau seems pleasantly happy to have his brother back – although do note that he takes Jacob’s gift in the end.

What can we learn here?  Time does heal wounds.  When enough time goes by, Esau no longer feels anger to Jacob.  Jacob may still fear Esau’s wrath, but he quickly learns that his fear is unfounded.

But what we can really learn is that God is the force behind that healing.  It is God who brought Jacob and Esau to maturity.  It is God who brought them together again in peace.  In the moment, we might have wondered how it was that Esau would ever find peace with Jacob after all that Jacob did to him under the influence of Rebekah.  But when we step back and gain some perspective, we can see that it really is God who makes those kinds of changes.

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Year 7, Day 31: Genesis 32

Theological Commentary: Click Here

For me, Genesis 32 is the crux of Jacob’s life.  It is in this chapter that Jacob shows his true humanity one last time.  Yet it is in this chapter that Jacob finally wrestles with God fully and completely.  It is now that Jacob has his name changed, indicating a change in his character.

Let’s start with where Jacob finds himself.  Esau comes out to meet him.  No wonder Jacob is afraid.  Jacob returns home a rich and wealthy man with many wives and even more children.  He has animals and slaves to spare.  The first person this wealthy man finds upon returning home is the brother that he twice cheated.  Jacob’s fear is measurable in this chapter.

Look at how Jacob deals with the situation.  First, Jacob gets mad at God and demands protection.  What does the human being do in the face of trouble?  He gets defensive, demanding, and comes to God in the midst of his frustration and fear.

Next, Jacob begins to lean upon his own strength.  He devises a plan to part with his own wealth.  He plans on giving Esau many small gifts to try and bribe him and win his favor.

Here is an interesting point.  Having come to God in anger and fear, Jacob doesn’t wait for God’s response.  Jacob sets out to solve his own problem.  Naturally, this raises the question.  Why do we turn and rage against God if we also don’t intend on giving Him an opportunity to respond?  At least Job had that part figured out!

In spite of Jacob’s plan, God does come to Jacob.  god does wrestle with Jacob.  It is a mighty struggle indeed.  In wrestling with God, Jacob finds out that God will be able to care for him.  In the end, Jacob is irrevocably changed.  His name is changed.  His hip is permanently thrown out of joint.  When we do meet God, it is a life-changing experience.  We’ll dive deeper into this thought tomorrow.

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Year 7, Day 30: Genesis 31

Theological Commentary: Click Here

We continue in our study of humanity and its sinfulness.  As Jacob becomes prosperous, Laban’s men become jealous.  They see Laban’s wealth diminishing while Jacob’s wealth grows.  They begin to be worried about themselves.  After all, Laban was their meal ticket.  He paid them, fed them, and cared for them.  He was their ability to care for their families.  If Laban’s wealth dwindled, their families would feel it, too.

Jacob decides to get out of Dodge as quickly as possible.  H talks to His wives about leaving.  When he does, we get a fabulous glimpse of why all of this is happening in the first place.  I love the honesty in the response of the women.  They ask what inheritance they now have with Laban.  After all, he’s already sold them as evidenced by making Jacob work for him as their price!

One of the fundamental qualities about human beings is that our nature is to learn from the actions of others.  Think about the last five or so days of our study.  What have we learned about Jacob?  Rachel taught him how to lie and cheat and make his life the best it can be at the expense of others.  Jacob learned how to be the way he was because of the people in his life.

How did Rachel learn to be manipulative, think only about herself, and be willing to use others to get what she wants?  She learned it from her dad, who did the exact same thing to her.  Jacob wanted Rachel, Laban sold Rachel to Jacob for the price of years of free labor.

Take a look at Leah.  Where did Leah learn to use her slave for her own benefit?  She learned that from Rachel.  She was content with life until Rachel got the better of her and got the upper hand.

Where did Jacob learn to cheat Laban out of his flock?  I remember Laban cheating Jacob out of seven years of hard work and giving him Leah instead of Rachel!  How did Rachel learn to steal the family gods?  She saw stealing modeled in her own home.  In every example we have, there is a pattern of learned behavior.  The sins of one generation is being passed on quite efficiently into the next generation.

Again, though, God shows us a better way.  Amidst all the generational sin at play in this chapter, look how it ends.  Laban comes to Jacob and peace is found.  Laban comes to Jacob and chooses the better way.  More importantly, look at what has to happen in order for this to be true.  Laban has to humble himself and be willing to listen to God.  There’s the secret.  When we are willing to be humble and listen, God can triumph over our human sinfulness.

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Year 7, Day 29: Genesis 30

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Genesis 30 is one of those chapters that always gets my attention.  I know it is coming.  I know the stories well.  I’ve heard the lessons from this chapter again and again.  Unfortunately, the sin found within is a study with which I am familiar.  When we want to take a close look at the sinfulness of humanity, this is one of the iconic chapters that gets lifted up.  Others in Genesis are the Cain and Abel story, the Apple in the Garden story, and the selling of Joseph into slavery.

What is the sinfulness that we see within these words?  Well, let’s start with Rachel.  She’s jealous that her sister – the ugly one – seems to be quite fertile.  She turns that jealousy into a quarrel with her husband.  That jealousy involves her maidservant and ultimately results in Jacob having sexual relations with her so that children are born!  Then, Rachel shows just what she thinks of Bilhah.  She takes Bilhah’s child and claims it for herself, giving it a name!  Unbridled jealousy turns into anger, frustration, sexual impurity, and the loss of value for the sanctity of other human beings!

Notice that it doesn’t end there, though.  Rachel’s jealousy is passed on into Leah.  Leah becomes jealous that she is no longer bearing Jacob children.  She follows Rachel’s example and gives her servant to Jacob.  If you’re counting, that’s three women that Jacob has given children to.  We also know that Rachel is in on the mix because she’s infertile.  The only way to know you are infertile is, well, to try and have children and not have success.  So Jacob’s now been with four women, probably the four women closest to him.  I can only imagine how those family meetings were handled.

But things still get worse!  Because Jacob is now going from bed to bed, the women start bartering and trading for his time.  Jacob’s wives start trading their husband for food!  What God created to be an intimate act that brings people together is not turned into an act for sale!  Quite literally, Jacob’s wives are selling sex.

Here is the interesting thing.  God is right there in the midst of all of this.  Do you hear the witness of Genesis?  God opened the wombs of the women.  God makes life possible.  God makes life possible, even when we are behaving horribly!  Even in those moments where we are not respecting God and certainly not respecting God’s gifts to us, God is still right there willing to bless us with grace, love, and mercy.

That doesn’t mean that God approves of what is going on.  That’s something that we absolutely need to remember as we read Genesis and the rest of the Bible.  Just because God works through our sinfulness doesn’t mean He approves of it.  What it means is that He is powerful enough to work through it and in spite of it.  God is willing to take what our sinfulness creates, redeem it, and use it for His glory.  That’s the greatness of God!

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Year 7, Day 28: Genesis 29

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Today we get to once more meet the family of Abraham left back in Haran.  This time we meet Laban, Rebekah’s brother.  Jacob comes to Laban ad falls in love with Rachel.  He agrees to work under Laban’s care.  After all, he can’t go back home with Esau angry at him!

Jacob does work, and by all accounts he works hard enough to fulfill his vow.  Seven years go by, yet they go by quickly for Jacob because of his love for Rachel. Once more we see characteristics of humanity.  When we have a goal, particularly a goal we find pleasing, time goes by well.  We work with a positive attitude because we believe in what we are doing.  We work well because the goal is fair, just, and especially desirable.

At the end of the seven years, though, Laban pulls a switch on Jacob.  After the party, Laban sends his older daughter, a girl far less attractive than Rachel, in to Jacob.  Here’s where the story starts to go awry.

First, shame on Laban for breaking his contract.  He agreed to let Jacob work for seven years for Rachel.  I think we are learning where it is that Rebekah learned her deceptive streak!  Many argue that what happens here to Jacob is simply payback for what he has done to Esau.  Perhaps that’s true.  Regardless, though, Laban is not absolved of his deception.

There are some that defend Laban culturally, saying that Leah would have to be married off prior to Rachel being married.  That may be true.  However, what is likely going on behind the scenes is that Laban realizes that Leah won’t likely find a husband.  If Rachel goes away, then Laban will be forced to find a husband for Leah, which will cost him significant resources.  Laban sees a way out here.  Laban can foist Leah upon Jacob and cause her to be Jacob’s mouth to feed instead of his own.  I believe that this is more of an issue resource management than cultural expectations.  Laban cheats Jacob because of what it would mean to have Leah left.

What we see in Jacob, though, is an unexpected twist.  Here we can see God at work.  Jacob realizes that he has been outmaneuvered.  His father-in-law tricked him into consummating the marriage with the wrong woman.  What Jacob doesn’t do is struggle.  He doesn’t try to outmaneuver Laban.  He doesn’t try to run away with Rachel.  He accepts Leah and works for Rachel.  What we see here is a moment of humbleness and obedience.

Once more the story of Genesis teaches us about the sinfulness of humanity.  It also reminds us that God is there in the midst of our work.  We may not get it right.  People around us might not get it right, either.  But God can redeem our actions.  He can work in the midst of our sinfulness.  He can change our hearts to make them something that they are not naturally on their own.  He can cause us to be humble and patient in the midst of adversity.

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Year 7, Day 27: Genesis 28

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Today we have the beginning of the redemption story of Jacob.  Naturally, that doesn’t mean that Jacob is going to get everything right in the future.  But it does mean that God does not abandon those who are dwelling in sin.  Do you remember all of the sin in the story yesterday?  God intervenes in this chapter and begins to right that ship.

Isaac sends Jacob away to his family back in the land that Abraham dwelled in.  Remember, this is also the land that Jacob’s grandmother, Sarah, came from.  It is also the land that Jacob’s mother, Rebekah, came from.  Jacob is really being sent among his kin to find a wife.

On the way, God comes and visits Jacob.  God gives Jacob a vision.  What is it that this vision means?  God is telling Jacob quite literally that He and His messengers come and go from heaven to the earth and back.  In other words, God is aware of what is happening on the earth.  God cares about what happens here.  God is powerful enough to do something about it, too!

But the dream is more than simply an ancient infomercial regarding the nature of God.  The dream is also a call to identity.  In this dream God calls Jacob to follow Him.  God also promises to prosper him as well.  If Jacob is willing to follow, God is willing to walk in life with Jacob.

God begins to turn Jacob away from His sinfulness by challenging His identity.  God begins to change Jacob by giving him a vision of what could be.  Jacob doesn’t need to be perfect before God visits, God knows that His presence will be a part of changing Jacob.

That’s how it is with all of us, too.  God knows that we need not be perfect before He comes to us and calls us.  His coming will be a part of our change.  His vision for our new identity will begin to mold us in His ways.

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Year 7, Day 26: Genesis 27

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Lies. Deceit.  Sin.  Falsehood.  Broken Relationships.  Stealing. Family Division.  This chapter has pretty much everything except murder.  And as we see by the end of the chapter, Esau’s planning that much so Jacob is sent away.

As we continue to read through Genesis, we get more glimpses at humanity and how we treat each other.  Don’t forget, this is Abraham’s family.  These are the people of God.  They sure aren’t living it, though. You would tell that these are God-fearing people by looking at the witness of their life.

Let’s take a good long look at Rebekah.  Here is a woman who meddles in her husband’s business.  She is eavesdropping and hears Isaac say something that she would rather countermand.  She schemes against her own husband, pitting her two sons against one another!  She employs her own son in an attempt to actively deceive her husband.  She encourages Jacob to lie, cheat, and steal.

Why does Rebekah do this?  Rebekah is not satisfied with Isaac’s leading.  She is ambitious for her own desires, not Isaac’s discernment.

Not that Jacob is equally complicit in this plan.  He takes what his mother has cooked into where his father is and then continues the lie.  He bears a false witness, quite literally!

Given all of this, do you know what I consider to be the worst part of this story?  Look at what Jacob says when he is asked by his father how he accomplished the task so quickly.  Jacob says that this has happened because God prospered his action.  Jacob doesn’t just lie, Jacob brings God in as his accomplice and witness!  Jacob’s witness threatens to tarnish the reputation of God!

This is humanity at its worst.  This is humanity when it is focused on accomplishing its own goals.  This is people interacting with each other without concern for the implications on the other people.

However, there is a silver lining.  This chapter shows us the grand power of God.  God can take a sinful lot such as this and still bring forth people who will serve Him faithful and transmit His ways into the world.  He can redeem even our darkest sinfulness.  This happens not because of our worth but through His.

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