Genesis 32:3-32

Dear RTB’ers,

This switch to Daylight Savings Time makes it hard to get up in the morning!!

Today, Jacob prepares to meet Esau… Jacob praying, “I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that You have shown to your servant, for with only my…” (Gen 32:10) Here is one of the few (only?) times that we see true humility in Jacob. We’ve seen him as devious, arrogant, demanding, entrepreneurial…, but not humble. You’ll notice that I left that sentence unfinished. In our Bible translations the next word is typically “staff”. That would be Jacob’s statement. But we can also put ourselves into that sentence, going back many years to where we were, comparing that time to where we are now – how little we had then and how much we have now. These Bible passages are not just history, information for our minds; they are also truths in our lives to be explored. Putting ourselves into every passage, every story, every character… Then we begin to know God better.

I can clearly put myself into this story. I have a (step)brother with whom I was never very close. He had chosen to separate himself from our family – no one had seen or heard from him in ten or more years. We didn’t have a phone number or e-mail address. We had a Florida mailing address, but Christmas cards came back undelivered. In April 2021 Carol and I knocked on his door, not knowing what to expect. We had brought McDonald’s lunch for the three of us, like Jacob a small “present”, if you will. It was COVID time, so Carol and I were both wearing masks. He welcomed us to his front porch, but didn’t recognize us. We chatted a bit, then as we sat down to eat he finally asked me, “I’m sorry; who are you?”

I’ll leave it there for today, just like we leave Jacob wrestling with God and anticipating his meeting with Esau. Tomorrow…

Blessings!

See also: January 11 (2023) / Genesis 31-33

Genesis 31:1-32:2

Dear RTB’ers,

More Jacob – more deception, more family dynamics. A few days ago I had thought about it but failed to mention the pillar that Jacob had set up as he fled his parents and his brother Esau’s wrath (Genesis 28:18 – really, Genesis 28:10-22). At the time I thought to mention “pillars” that we might set up in our own lives, times that we saw God at work in a special way in whatever we were doing. I was thinking “mental”, not physical “pillars” – memories, if you will, imbedded in our souls to help us call to mind what God has done for us. [Personal note: I keep a file on my computer of the times that I have seen or felt God’s presence in a special way, especially in some particular event or outcome. These “pillars” are helpful for me in my down times, to know that God has been and is and always will be with me.]

Now, in today’s reading, God, Himself brings to Jacob’s mind the pillar that Jacob had erected some twenty years prior: Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, … “I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a memorial stone, where you made a vow to Me…” (Gen 31:11-13b). I had referred to this event from Genesis 28 as the “if-then” exchange in Jacob’s mind. Clearly it was a vow that God heard and a pillar that He saw, a complete event that He “remembered” and that He is now bringing back to Jacob’s mind what He had promised: “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. … and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:13b-15) With these thoughts in mind, Jacob has the courage to go forward, even as he fears meeting his brother, Esau. Tomorrow…

Blessings!

Genesis 29:31-30:43

Dear RTB’ers,

Jacob’s blessings. Jacob had already secured the birthright and his father’s blessing. Now the Lord blesses him with children and animals. Today we see Rachel and Leah openly competing with one another, then Laban and Jacob secretly competing with one another. How strange is that!

As I read about Jacob’s sons, three names stand out – Levi and Judah, two of Leah’s sons, and Joseph, Rachel’s son. Levi’s descendants include Moses and Aaron and the entire priestly line (later also including Zachariah and Elizabeth in the New Testament (Luke 1:5), while Judah’s descendants include King David and Jesus. So in spite of Leah being “unloved”, her sons become the most prominent among the twelve tribes. Rachel’s son, Joseph, however, becomes the most important figure in the rest of the book of Genesis. Interesting how this all plays out…!

As for the striped and speckled and spotted and black sheep and goats and poplar, almond and plane trees, it’s an interesting story, but all of it with one bottom line – God blesses Jacob and makes him very wealthy. As John said two days ago, “But God is indeed sovereign, and He works out His purposes even when…”, “…even when…”!

Blessings!

Genesis 29:1-30

Dear RTB’ers,

Jacob and his wives – more deception! Two days ago I asked a question in my post, “What was God thinking?” John answered, “Where in the text does it suggest that all this conniving and deceit is God’s idea or that He approves of Rebekah’s and Jacob’s schemes? Just because a story appears in the Bible does not mean that God condones all the actions of the participants. But God is indeed sovereign, and He works out His purposes even when the human actors have evil intent.” So, today we have more “conniving and deceit”, this time from Jacob’s uncle Laban, and Jacob ends up with two wives, both Leah and Rachel. One twist that I thought amusing: Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn…” (Gen 29:26) After buying the firstborn’s birthright from Esau, Jacob now receives another birthright, Leah, the “firstborn” from Laban. Justice…?

So yes, we have another Genesis story of conniving, deception, and deceit. But let’s not lose sight of the love: Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel …Then Jacob kissed Rachel… (Gen 29:10-11, with some important context removed); …but Rachel was beautiful in form and appearance. Jacob loved Rachel. (Gen 29:17-18a); So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah… (Gen 29:30a) This incident reflecting Jacob’s love for Rachel prompted Carol and me to name our youngest daughter, “Rachel” – tying together Jacob’s seven-year wait with our own two-year broken engagement: “But God is indeed sovereign, and He works out His purposes even when…” Yes, “…even when…”!

Have you got your own “…even when…” story? Let’s hear about it at our RTB gathering tomorrow!

Blessings!

Genesis 27:46-28:22

Dear RTB’ers,

Today we see Isaac honoring his blessing of Jacob and agreeing with Rebekah’s wish, sending Jacob away: “Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and from there take to yourself a wife from the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. ” (Genesis 28:2) I’ve long had an interest in the geography of the Bible. Today we see Jacob leaving Beersheba, located at the very southern end of the Promised Land and on the same latitude as the southern border of the Mediterranean Sea and journeying to the northeast toward Paddan-aram, located on approximately the same latitude as the northern border of the Mediterranean Sea, nearly 500 miles away! It would take him probably a month to get there. If we reverse that journey, we get some sense of how far Abraham traveled when God asked him to leave his family: “Go from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you …” [and] … he departed from Haran. (Genesis 12:1-4)

Jacob’s dream. Do you dream? Does the Lord speak to you in your dreams? Not I. Although I do dream a lot, I’ve never sensed the Lord leading me one way or the other in my dreams. Not the case with Jacob! So Jacob got up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had placed as a support for his head, and set it up as a memorial stone… (v. 18a). Jacob somehow knew that the Lord speaking to him in a dream was actually the Lord directing his steps. His response was an “if-then” pairing, with a bunch of “ifs”: “If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and give me food to eat and garments to wear, and I return to my father’s house in safety… (Gen 28:20-21), and one major “then”: “…then the LORD will be my God.” (Gen 28:21b) and two lesser “thens” – the memorial stone and the tithe (Gen 28:22). Surprisingly, to me, God honored all of Jacob’s “ifs” and did return him to his father’s house.

Years ago (August 1969) I gave God my own “if-then” offer. He did not comply with my plan. Enough said. It was nearly six years later (May 1975) when He began to reveal to me His plan for me. His was a much better plan; I’m still living it out!! You?

Blessings!

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See also: January 10 (2023) / Genesis 28-30

Genesis 27:1-45

Dear RTB’ers,

Today, back to Genesis, back to the story of Isaac’s twin boys, Esau and Jacob. First, a bit of review, providing context for today’s reading: When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. (Genesis 25:27-28) Don’t we imagine that parents should love all their children equally? Not in God’s eternal plan…: Isaac loved Esau…, but Rebekah loved Jacob Reminder: God is God, we are not. So here we see a potential problem between these twins. However, Esau creates his own problem by selling his birthright: Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. (Genesis 25:34) And one more bit of context for today’s passage: When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah. (Genesis 26:34-35)

So, today, Rebekah proposes a deceitful plan (Gen 27:6-10, 13); Jacob follows through and lies three times to his father (Gen 27:19, 20, 24) and receives the birthright blessing; Esau learns of the deceit and vows to kill Jacob (Gen 27:30-38, 41); Jacob gets sent away to Rebekah’s brother, Laban (Gen 27:42-43); and Rebekah justifies her actions: Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?” (Gen 27:46 – actually, tomorrow’s reading)

So, what to make of this story? Does the end justify the means…?? Lying or cheating our way to the top is OK? That’s not how we Westerners typically think. What was God thinking in bringing all this together? (See reminder above.) But wait! This Jacob and Esau story continues! Spoiler alert: Jacob becomes the father of the twelve tribes of Israel and is widely recognized as one of Israel’s patriarchs, “Abraham, Isaac. and Jacob…” What was God thinking…??

Blessings!

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See also: January 9 (2023) / Genesis 25-27

Luke 19:11-28

Dear RTB’ers,

Jesus tells a realistic parable here. It was not uncommon for noblemen to go to Rome and get their orders – receiving regions for their administration. My Study Bible noted that the Herods did just that when they were appointed rulers over the Jews. So the first two servants being appointed over ten cities and five cities, respectively, was a reasonable reward for their stewardship. But as a parable, Jesus is less interested in the local rulers and more interested in heavenly things. He is telling us about our earthly behavior and rewards accruing to us based on what we do: “I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” (Luke 19:26) I suspect that Jesus could well have been inferring to the Jewish leaders as “servants” who had not done anything with what they were receiving from Him, and that their leadership in heavenly matters would be taken away and given to others. We see this happening in the book of Acts and in later history as the Church grows and the Jewish kingdom falters.

And when He had said these things, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. (Luke 19:28) And that’s how we leave Luke for now, as we go back to the Old Testament for the next three weeks to finish the second half of Genesis.

Blessings!

Luke 18:35-19:10

Dear RTB’ers,

Two stories today, the blind man and Zacchaeus, with parallels between them:

1. They both heard that Jesus was coming their way. Apparently the crowd following Jesus was large and loud.
2. They made the effort to see Jesus – the blind man verbally and Zacchaeus visually.
3. The crowd was displeased – they tried to shut up the blind man and they berated Jesus for being a guest in a sinner’s house.
4. When He became aware of them Jesus called them to Him.
5. They came hastily!
6. They made their requests known to Jesus – the blind man seeking sight and Zacchaeus seeking forgiveness.
7. Jesus granted “salvation” in each case.

Yet with all the similarities there was one big difference between the blind man and Zacchaeus: the blind man was a beggar and Zacchaeus was very rich. Yet they both called to Jesus, and He answered their prayers and made them whole. It doesn’t matter who we are or where we are in life; Jesus is always there to hear our call and heal us at our deepest needs. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)

Blessings!

Luke 18:18-34

Dear RTB’ers,

Jesus speaking: “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things that have been written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be ridiculed, and abused, and spit upon, and after they have flogged Him, they will kill Him; and on the third day He will rise.” (Luke 18:31b-33) Jesus had already predicted His death and resurrection earlier in Luke and (from The Chronological Study Bible) in Matthew and Mark, as well (Luke 9:22-27; Matthew 17:22-23; Mark 9:30-32). The Chronological Study Bible also has this prediction following Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead. I would think that, having heard it so many times and now seeing Lazarus’ resurrection, that the twelve would have had more understanding. Yet verse 34 says that …they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said. My guess is that inwardly they were denying His death and accordingly could not fathom His resurrection to any comprehensible degree. Even today many people would accept that Jesus was crucified and died, but are unwilling to accept the compelling evidence that He rose from the dead. Today it’s a matter of faith (or lack thereof); presumably it was the same back in the 1^st century.

Jesus pinpoints details about His death in today’s reading much more than He had in His prior death prediction from Luke 9:22-27. The accuracy of His predictions strengthens the faith of believers, but also provides fodder for His antagonists to suggest that the Gospel writers wrote what they wanted well after the fact, so as to make Jesus’ words and those of the Old Testament prophets coincide with actual outcomes. Same comment I closed with in the first paragraph above – it’s a matter of faith (or lack thereof)!!

Blessings!

Luke 18:1-17

Dear RTB’ers,

And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night? Will He delay long over them? (Luke 18:7) War comes to mind. I’m sure that there are thousands of faithful Christians in Ukraine who pray daily and read this parable and ask God, “When will you act against these heathens?” Or Polish believers from 1939 and Belgian and Dutch and French believers from 1940 on, all having to wait (and suffer) more than five years to see the end of Hitler’s war? Will He delay long over them? I have to keep reminding myself that I’m not God. I know that He knows all things and that He is operating on His own timetable. Mostly I think that I’m a patient man, that I can wait it out through difficulties – not without frustration, but still waiting and asking the Lord what He has for me to learn. But when I see the suffering of the Ukrainians over this unjust war, I ask the Lord, “When will You act?” Or when I read of Muslim terrorism in Africa, I ask, “When. Lord…?” And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night? Will He delay long over them?

Blessings!