Genesis

Face Of God

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Genesis 33:10
“And Jacob said, ‘No, please, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I have seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me.’”

2015/01/img_1341.jpgI am sure we have all been complimented, at one time or another, for how we looked, or what we were wearing. Of all the compliments I have received, none has been quite like what Jacob said to Esau. After not seeing his brother for 20 years, Jacob said, “you look a lot like God.” Jacob is not saying God is a six foot tall man with red hair, but that the actions of Esau were, in some way, reflective of the character of God. What was Esau doing that was so godlike?

The answer is forgiveness. After being deceived time and time again by his brother, Esau finally resolved to let it go. He was no longer haunted by his hurt, anger, or bitterness, but had freed himself by letting it go. Instead of bringing an army to attack Jacob, he brought a welcoming committee, and extended an arm in forgiveness.

Sadly, many of us carry around a heavy weight of unforgiveness, not realizing it is like a poison that pollutes our joy. We think ourselves justified in holding a grudge, instead of looking at the cross and realizing, we too, are guilty of the most heinous sins. Instead of harboring bitterness and hurt, it is time we reflect the face of God, and forgive those who have wronged us.

Pastor Jim

 

The Champion

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Genesis 32:28
“And He said, ‘Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.’”

2015/01/img_1338.jpgThe Bible is filled with fascinating stories and amazing promises. I think it is safe to say, the most amazing events ever recorded are written in the pages of our Bibles. Of all these stories, this one records perhaps the most striking statement of them all,

” . . . you have struggled with God and prevailed.”

The same truth is recorded later

Hosea 12:4
“Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed. . .”

It does not surprise me to read that Jacob fought with God; that is an all too common occurrence. All of us have had times when God has instructed us to do something and we have resisted Him, to our hurt. I have found, when I fight against God, not only will I lose, but sometimes, I will bear scars from the battle. How is it that Jacob fought with God and came out victorious?

I think the answer is quite simple. Victory was achieved, not by the fight, but with the surrender. It was when Jacob stopped fighting and gave in to God, that he became the champion and received the spoils. We will never win a battle against the will of God, or the ways of God, but we can come out victorious if we are willing to surrender to God. Years later, when the book of Hebrews was written, the writer refers to the heroic faith of Jacob, who leaned upon his staff. The reference is to the victory won when his knees bowed in submission to the the Lord.

Whatever stage of life you may find yourself, it is high time for a victory. The losing streak needs to come to an end. Why not give in to the ways of God, and begin to experience the blessings of a champion, rather than the agony of defeat.

Pastor Jim

 

God In My Pocket

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Genesis 31:34
“Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them.”

2015/01/img_1336.jpgLater in Israel’s history, the Law of God will be imparted, and idolatry will be forbidden. One of the main reasons is,  a manmade icon cannot adequately represent an infinite God. No matter how skilled the worker, or how beautiful the image, it will be a poor representation of God. The actions of Rachel reflect that idea, as she sits on her gods to hide them from her father. Any God small enough to fit in your pocket, is certainly too small to aid in time of need.

While it may not be common in our culture to fashion stone or metallic icons and call them god, it is very common for us to lose sight of the wonder of God, and reduce Him to something we can figure out. Paul spent three chapters of the book of Romans discussing the sovereignty of God. His conclusion was simply,

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!” Romans 11:33

When we are face to face with things about God we do not understand, we cannot dismiss them because of our lack of knowledge. Nor should we accuse God of wrong doing because we cannot see the whole picture. Instead, we should humbly sit before Him, and adore a God who is way too vast to fit in our hip pocket.

Pastor Jim

 

Plotting And Scheming

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Genesis 30:32
“Let me pass through all your flock today, removing from there all the speckled and spotted sheep, and all the brown ones among the lambs, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and these shall be my wages.”

2015/01/img_1334.jpgAfter faithfully serving Laban for twenty years, Jacob decided it was time to return to Canaan. As he prepared to depart, Jacob and Laban met together to discuss his future wages. They determined that all the speckled and spotted sheep would belong to Jacob and the rest would remain with Laban. Later, in Genesis 31, we find this idea was given to Jacob in a dream where the Angel of the Lord appeared to him. We find with Jacob, a vivid illustration of the promises of God being pursued in the arm of the flesh.

Rather than trusting that God would provide whatever number of sheep He wanted him to have, Jacob went about to organize one of the most bizarre schemes in Scripture. He decided to put a backdrop of Poplar, Almond and Chestnut trees before the flocks, thinking that would make them conceive spotted lambs. I am no geneticist, but I highly doubt that what a pregnant sheep looks at while eating will determine the hair color of her offspring. This seems to me, to be another of Jacob’s carnal attempts to acquire the promises of God. He had done it before when he cheated his brother out of his blessing and birthright, instead of simply waiting on God to fulfill His promises. And now he seems to be doing it again.

Oh, what wasted time and energy is spent trying to accomplish, in the arm of the flesh, what should simply be received by faith. How often the child of God strives so intently to do, what God simply wants to give. Instead of straining in our own energies, why not simply trust in, and pray through, the promises of God. This is a truth that is particularly relevant for those serving in the ministry. One of the great promises that must serve as part of the foundation for any minister, is that Jesus said He would build His church. All our energies should be spent seeking to do what He tells us to do, rather than running about trying to build a church for God.

Pastor Jim

 

Dysfunctional

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Genesis 29:26
“And Laban said, ‘It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.’”

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All families have some level of dysfunction, but Jacob’s household was a mess. What started with a surprise unveiling the morning after the wedding, grew into a family with two wives competing for the love of one husband. As time moved on, things got worse rather than better. Children were born into the family out of wedlock, and his wives were making back room deals as to who was going to spend the night with Jacob. It is little wonder, when these kids grew up, they had emotional issues and were willing to sell a brother into slavery. What happened to this family to create such chaos?

Genesis 29:26 “And Laban said, ‘It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.'”

Tradition can be a good thing. We have a 30 year old tradition in our family, of meeting at my wife’s parents house for Monday night dinner. In many ways, it is the highlight of the week for the kids. But when traditions are contrary to the Word of God, they are a bad thing. What was acceptable, and even expected in culture, caused Laban to trick Jacob into marrying both his daughters, and violating the ways of God. Marriage was designed by God to be between one man and one woman; and to last a lifetime. Jacob turned his marriage into two women, and two “other women”, and what followed was confusing to say the least.

It is not culturally accepted in America to have two or more wives simultaneously, but it has become acceptable to treat marriage as disposable. It is even common to hear couples, who are having difficulties in marriage, decide to call it quits “for the sake of the children.” We need to keep in mind that God designed marriage, and difficulties are not reasons to end a relationship, but to work on the relationship. Buying into the current cultural ideas of what a marriage should look like, or when a marriage should end, is wrong, and has long term affects on the kids. No matter how much we try to convince ourselves, a bad marriage or a broken marriage, will negatively affect the growth of our kids.

The answer is to stop looking at the world to define marriage, but to begin to look to the Word of God. God did not design marriage to be miserable, but to be a joyous relationship that would reflect the love He has for the world. If your marriage is less than that, perhaps it is time to look into the Bible for the blueprints of a healthy marriage. These texts were designed to help: Ephesians 5:22-33, 1Peter 3:1-7,  1Corinthians 7. Get together with your spouse and read through the Word, making any and all appropriate applications. Keep in mind, we cannot change another person, we can only change ourselves.

Pastor Jim

 

Terms And Condition

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Genesis 28:20-21
“Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God.'”

2015/01/img_1331.jpgJacob has made a mess of things. His own ambitions have driven a wedge between himself and his family, he has been forced to flee for his life, and is now, just about homeless. With his head resting on a rock, he develops his own covenant with God. “If you will do these things for me, then you will be my God.”

I find it fascinating, that people will debate with themselves, whether or not they will choose God. It is as though they make a mental pro-verses-con list, to determine whether He is worth it or not. While the debate rages within, I think it is worth noting, God is not on His throne in heaven, questioning whether or not He wants you. That question was answered long ago, when He sent His only Son to make a way for us to be forgiven and go to heaven.

Instead of putting ridiculous requirements upon God, why not look at all He has done to show His unfailing love and amazing grace. Stop debating and start following; abundant life awaits.

Pastor Jim

 

It Must Be The Lord

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Genesis 27:20
“But Isaac said to his son, ‘How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?’ And he said, ‘Because the LORD your God brought it to me.’”

Unknown-1.jpegIsaac was ill and thought death was at his doorstep, so he sent his son Esau into the field to hunt and make him his favorite meal. It was his intention, at the meal, to pass a blessing on to Esau. When Rebekah heard his plan, she came up with a scheme of her own. She knew God intended this blessing for Jacob, so she got an animal skin, prepared a meal, and attempted to deceive her husband. Jacob dressed for the part and brought the meal to his father. When questioned as to who he was and how he had acquired the game so quickly, he replied, “it is me Esau, and the LORD brought it to me.”

Let’s examine that statement. Was this actually the LORD ? There is no question, it was the LORD’s intention for the blessing to be given to Jacob, not Esau. However, the way these events transpired was anything but the LORD. Lying, deceiving, and manipulating are never the pathway leading to the will of God. Instead of scheming, the proper response should have been praying, trusting, and submitting to the Word of God.

It seems to me, many are guilty of these same sins today. We realize God has made us promises, but rather than trusting and obeying, we stray from Him, in order to get what we desire. This is most common in relationships. A lonely Christian will venture out, get involved in an unhealthy relationship, and convince himself it must be the LORD. Circumstances, emotions, and coincidence, are inaccurate tests to determine God’s best for our lives. Looking into the Word, and living in obedience, is a much safer approach to walking in the will of God.

Be careful not to go your own way, then blame the results on God.

Pastor Jim

 

Curse Or Choice

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Genesis 26:7
“And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, ‘She is my sister’; for he was afraid to say, ‘ She is my wife,’ because he thought, ‘lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.’”

2015/01/img_1326.jpgA few years back, an interesting term began to circulate through the church. The term I am referring to is “generational curse.” It meant families were cursed by the sins committed in generations passed. Once this diagnosis was given, an elaborate system was developed to rid the families of this curse. The basis for the curse was a poor understanding, and improper application of the idea that the sins of the fathers will be upon their children (Exodus 20:5). The encounter between Isaac and Abimelech serves as a much better example of how sins are repeated from generation to generation.

Earlier in Genesis, we read of Abraham and Sarah traveling to Egypt. As they approach the city, Abraham tells his wife of a plan he had developed to keep himself safe. That plan was to lie to the people, and claim Sarah is his sister. Knowing the danger to a foreigner in the land, Abraham saw his scheme as the only way to protect himself and his wife. A few years later, Abraham would repeat this same act. Now his son is grown and facing a similar threat, and he naturally acts as he has been taught by his father. There was no generational curse on Isaac. Instead, we have a young man behaving after the example set by his father.

This is an all too common problem. When a child grows up in an abusive home, he learns by example, that the way to deal with conflict is by force; he often treats his children as he was treated. The same is true with substance use and abuse. When children grow up in a home where alcohol is the solution to problems, they too, learn to escape in a bottle. It is not a curse that is passed on, it is a pattern, and the pattern is broken when an individual decides they will not follow in the sins of the past, but will live a life that is well-pleasing to the Lord.

The example the Christian is to follow, is the example of Christ. Paul said, follow me as I follow Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1); John wrote, we are to walk as Jesus walked (1John 1:7). It is very easy to slip back into the behaviors we grew up with, rather than looking to the Word of God to determine how God would have us live.

It is time we break the “curse” and start living lives that honor Christ.

Pastor Jim

 

When All Else Fails

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Genesis 25:21-22
“Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. But the children struggled together within her; and she said, ‘If all is well, why am I like this?’ So she went to inquire of the Lord.”

2015/01/img_1325.jpgHave you ever heard the phrase, “When all else fails”? This seems to be the approach of many, as it relates to prayer. We often try everything at our disposal, before we ever come to the place where we truly plead with the Lord. It is almost as if life were a game show. We lean on our own strength, or use one of our life lines to ask the audience, or phone a friend, instead of taking advantage of the greatest resource available to every child of God – prayer.

Jesus made many promises that would be utterly preposterous if He were not Divine. One of those is when He declared;

John 14:14
“If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

The context in which Jesus made this statement makes it very clear, He is not suggesting He is a heavenly Genie who will succumb to our every whim. He is making an amazing promise, which is all too often disregarded by His followers. Jesus is promising that whatever we might be facing in life, we can cry out to Him and He will have a solution.

Here, in Genesis 25, Isaac and Rebekah were facing difficulty; she was barren. When she finally conceived, she knew there was something wrong with the pregnancy. Marital and family matters were solved for them by seeking the Lord.

Whatever you are facing, it is time to follow the example set by this ancient couple, and cry out to God for assistance, direction, intervention, guidance or strength.

Pastor Jim

 

Foreigner

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Genesis 23:4
“I am a foreigner and a visitor among you…”

2015/01/img_1324.jpgAbraham was not an emperor or a king, He was not an author, an artist or even a relatively famous man in his day. Yet, he has become one of the most influential individuals in all of history. He is a main character, not only in the book of Genesis, but in the entirety of the Bible. He is called the father of faith, and his story has been a source of encouragement for generations. What was it about this nomadic shepherd that caused him to become so influential?

I think, part of it is found in the word he used to describe himself, “I am a foreigner and a visitor among you…” Abraham never let himself get too attached to the world in which he lived. He saw this life as something transient, and chose to live for the eternal. The writer of Hebrews put it this way,

Hebrews 11:9-10
“By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

I think it is worth noting, Abraham had the greatest impact upon earth because he lived for heaven. In contrast, his nephew, Lot, did all he could to fit in to what was culturally acceptable in his day, and found he was unable to influence anyone.

If we want to have a big impact on others for the kingdom of God, it will not be by buying into the value system of pop culture, but by living as a foreigner and a visitor of the world. Instead of trying to always fit in, we should be trying to influence others to come to, and follow after, Christ.

Pastor Jim