Always Looking Forward in Hope...

Genesis 50:22 So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father's house. Joseph lived 110 years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph's own. 24 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

As we come to the conclusion of the month, this book, and the extensive account of Joseph's life, we are once again impressed with the fact that he was always looking forward. Even on his death, he looked at his heirs with hope, convinced that God would keep the promise He had given to his forefathers: to take them to the Promised Land.  The word "visit" used in verse 24 has a sense of "seeking out to attend to, with the intent to provide what is needed." What a picture of what God promises to His people. That is the same kind of care we can look forward to. Let us continue following Him.

Mighty Blessings from a Mighty God

 

Genesis 49:22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough,
    a fruitful bough by a spring;
    his branches run over the wall.
23 The archers bitterly attacked him,
    shot at him, and harassed him severely,
24 yet his bow remained unmoved;
    his arms were made agile
by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob
    (from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
25 by the God of your father who will help you,
    by the Almighty who will bless you
    with blessings of heaven above,
blessings of the deep that crouches beneath,
    blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 The blessings of your father
    are mighty beyond the blessings of my parents,
    up to the bounties of the everlasting hills.
May they be on the head of Joseph,
    and on the brow of him who was set apart from his brothers.

The blessing Jacob gave over Joseph and his two sons stands out from that of all his brothers. He was greatly blessed by God, set apart, for enduring through many trials, remaining faithful to God, being used by Him to bring his people safely through their struggles.

Thankful and Taxed; Taxed and Thankful

Genesis 47:23 Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land for Pharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. 24 And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.” 25 And they said, “You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.” 26 So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh's. 27 Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. 

Throughout the famine in Egypt, everyone ran out of money and food, and ended up selling their land to Pharoah.  In return, they received food, and a contract to continue to give Pharoah a fifth of their harvests. The land now belonged to Pharoah. This arrangement worked out well for Israel, as God blessed them. Joseph had secured for them a safe place to thrive.  God works things out... even if we have to pay taxes.

Falling and Weeping on the Neck

Genesis 4:26 All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own descendants, not including Jacob's sons' wives, were sixty-six persons in all. 27 And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy. 28 He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. 29 Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. 

There are some phrases in the scripture that stick out to me as so picturesque they are memorable, like here in verse 26.  This is one of several high points of this whole account of restoration between Joseph and his family.  When he finally sees his long-lost father he fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. What a picture of hugging one you love and thought you lost.  We get a similar picture when the prodigal comes home to his father. Whatever the relationship, is it not worth the effort, prayer, hope, and trust to be able to one day "fall on their necks"?

A Good Kind of Numb

Genesis 45:25 So they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob. 26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart became numb, for he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “It is enough; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

Finally, in this chapter Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers in this long, involved account. They go through the whole range of emotions from disbelief to fear to joy.  The same is true in verse 26 above, when they go home to "show and tell" their father what they have experienced.  This gave Jacob a whole new perspective on life.  He was no longer old, hungry, and sad, but renewed with life, purpose, and joy. What at first numbed him - was too good to be true, reinvigorated him to make the journey and join the party.  May we be open to ways God does this in our lives and make every effort to fully embrace them.

Dealing with Our Past

Genesis 44:24 “When we went back to your servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. 25 And when our father said, ‘Go again, buy us a little food,’ 26 we said, ‘We cannot go down. If our youngest brother goes with us, then we will go down. For we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.’ 27 Then your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. 28 One left me, and I said, “Surely he has been torn to pieces,” and I have never seen him since. 29 If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs in evil to Sheol.’

The account of Joseph and his brothers is one of painstaking details, rehashing the facts over and over. That's what guilt will do to us until everything is out in the open.  It is part of the process of renewal and reconciliation: to dig out and deal with things forthrightly.  It is Judah who speaks here - the same one who stood up and pleaded to not kill Joseph. In Christlike fashion, he steps in and offers to take the place of his younger brother, Benjamin, and be held till the others return with their father, completing the family reunion.  The whole picture is emotionally agonizing, yet necessary. If we want things to really be made right, we need to deal with our past. 

The Prodigal Family Comes Home

 Genesis 43:26 When Joseph came home, they brought into the house to him the present that they had with them and bowed down to him to the ground. 27 And he inquired about their welfare and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?” 28 They said, “Your servant our father is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves. 29 And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, “Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!” 30 Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there. 

The narrative has been building as we see Joseph receiving yet another visit from his brothers.  The emotion becomes so great he cannot contain himself: his father is still alive and well and his younger brother stands before him. The passage goes on to tell how Joseph lavishes hospitality on his brothers (still unknown to them) and how perplexed they were. But It all makes perfect sense in his heart and mind: his family is coming home to him.  What a picture of what Christ will offer us when we come home to Him.

What is This That God Has Done to Us?

Genesis 42:26 Then they loaded their donkeys with their grain and departed. 27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the lodging place, he saw his money in the mouth of his sack. 28 He said to his brothers, “My money has been put back; here it is in the mouth of my sack!” At this their hearts failed them, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

God had put Joseph right where he needed to be, for his own good, the survival of his family, and the well-being of multitudes of people. Through him there was grain available for his family to buy. Since they had not seen him mature into manhood, they did recognize him, but he recognized them. What he did for them was seen as too good to be good: gave them the grain with their money back.  He was blessing them and testing them, much like God often does to us.  They saw their good fortune as bad luck. Guilt was heavy upon them though they did not know where it came from.  Such events can and should cause us to search our hearts.  Not only when bad things happen, but good, we should ask: "What is God doing here?"

Learning from the Lean and Ugly.

Genesis 41:25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. 27 The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind are also seven years of famine. 28 It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 

Since we last discussed Joseph, his life had gone from bad to worse - from a pit to prison, only to be forgotten.  But in God's plan he was the one and only one present who could do what needed to be done: reveal God's plan to Pharoah. Through his struggles, Joseph had gotten to know God very well, and to know what God was saying and showing. It was clear to him, so he puts it plainly here to Pharoah. As the account proceeds, God had also been preparing Joseph to be a further part of the plan. His time in Potiphar's household and a trusted steward in the prison had trained him in business and administration. It was clear to him what needed to be done. Joseph had had his "lean and ugly" years, so he knew what to do with them. Prepare for them and build on them.  May we learn the same.

She Is More Righteous than I...

Genesis 38:24 About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” 25 As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.” 26 Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.

After preventing his brother Joseph's murder, the focus turns on Judah. Though he was of greater character than his three older brothers, who had compromised themselves, keeping them from being foremost, Judah shows quickly he was less than perfect. He had withdrawn from his brothers and was living more like the Canaanites.  Having neglected to give his widowed daughter-in-law to his final son in levirate marriage, Judah was enticed by her to father his own descendant, protecting her protection by producing an heir. Judah had to admit his failure, added to the list of his brothers. May we never defend ourselves as otherwise.

When a Wiser Head Prevails...

Genesis 37:25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him.

In the eyes of his brothers, Joseph was a pest and a pain.  Given the chance, many of them wanted to get rid of him for good.  Here they had their chance.  He came far enough away from his daddy that they could come up with a plan. While Joseph sat in the pit without food or water, they sat around the campfire eating and deciding.  Judah remembered Cain and Abel. That did not end well for the surviving brother. The alternative presented itself and Judah found a way to spare his younger brother's life. Maybe not the ultimate solution, but better than murder.  How often (or rarely) do wiser heads prevail in our decisions?

The House of Hope (and horrors)

Genesis 35: 22 Now the sons of Jacob were twelve. 23 The sons of Leah: Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. 24 The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah, Rachel's servant: Dan and Naphtali. 26 The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

This list of verses listing the sons of Jacob are proceeded and followed by the record of the deaths of his wife Rachel (in childbirth) and his father Isaac.  It was a full house which was full of future history. This is the next generation, representing both the hopes and horrors of what might happen in and to their nation. We will get to see who has learned to trust God like Jacob, and who will take things into their own hands. 

Shame at Shechem

 Genesis 34:25 On the third day, when they were sore, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, took their swords and came against the city while it felt secure and killed all the males. 26 They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the sword and took Dinah out of Shechem's house and went away. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city, because they had defiled their sister. 28 They took their flocks and their herds, their donkeys, and whatever was in the city and in the field. 29 All their wealth, all their little ones and their wives, all that was in the houses, they captured and plundered. 30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me stink to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. My numbers are few, and if they gather themselves against me and attack me, I shall be destroyed, both I and my household.”

The Bible does not hold back on sharing the sad stories of God's people. Jacob had finally learned to trust and have others trust him, when this takes place. These men's sister had been taken by force and mistreated by the men of Shechem and they wanted revenge.  The took it out not just on the offender or the men, but the whole city.  They destroyed the trust Jacob was trying to build.  Justice needs to be upheld, but how often do we go too far, thereby destroy the trust a watching world has in our words and our character?  How many problems do we cause for ourselves and our God?

Stop Struggling and Let God Bless You

Genesis 32:24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”

Jacob's life had been a constant struggle: with his brother, his father, his father-in-law and wives, and God. All along the way, God had been promising to bless Him, but Jacob always had to do it His own way. The reality is that in this struggling match God really won.  God was not leaving Him in the morning; He and His blessing would remain. Jacob needed to stop struggling and trust Him. So do we.

How Slowly We Learn to Trust.

Genesis 30:25 And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen pitched tents in the hill country of Gilead. 26 And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27 Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre? 28 And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. 29 It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’

Jacob had experienced God's blessings and protection over and over, yet he decided to take action that was less than above-board.  Both men had tricked one another, but Jacob had the longest track record: since birth he had trusted in trickery more than in God. It had also rubbed off on Jacob's wife Rachel, who had unknown to Jacob, stuffed away some family idols and heirlooms.  Whom could they trust? Whom do you not trust - even after all these years? Has part of that mistrust been due to your actions?

Overtime Benefits

 Genesis 30:25 As soon as Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, that I may go, for you know the service that I have given you.” 27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you. 

When Jacob had served Laban seven more years for Rachel, after being tricked into marrying Leah (see yesterday's post), Laban kept finding ways to keep Joseph around. Not willing to say so at the time, Laban realized that he was being blessed through Joseph. There was something about Joseph's birth which prompted Jacob to finally leave.  Of course, he was in no hurry to go back where his brother Esau was, fearing that bitterness had settled in and his elder brother would envy his success.  It probably was a key time for Rachel as well, not that she had proved to her family she could bear a son, she could now leave with no shame. Joseph was more than due overtime pay. Sometimes God keeps us places and we wonder why so long. He has His plans and purposes. Besides preparing us for greater things, He is preparing special blessings to take along with us.

The Trickster is Tricked

 

Genesis 29:25 And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 26 Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” 28 Jacob did so and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 

We have been following along in the historical record how God brought about His people Israel, working out His plan for man.  We have seen Jacob the heel-grabber take his elder brother's blessing by deception, but now the shoe is on the other heal. Verse 26 sticks out like a slap in the face: the younger does not marry before the firstborn.  Jacob has been beaten by his own game.  Some call this karma, but it is more "learning a lesson the hard way."  If we think we are in total control of our lives (and others around us) we are sadly mistaken.  Stop trying to play every angle to get your way.  Seek God's way first, and He will work things out for your good.

Has It Come to This?

 Genesis 27:26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” 27 So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said,
“See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed!
28 May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine.
29 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”
30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 

We saw the other day how Jacob was born holding on to the heal of his older brother - always trying to keep up with him. Here we find him making that final tug to pull him back and get ahead at the finish line. The problem was, God had already promised the things Jacob (and his mother) connived to get. God promises and provides. He doesn't need us to cheat to receive what He says He will give. Do we trust Him enough to wait for His time and His way? 

Back to Beersheba

 Genesis 26:26 When Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army, 27 Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, seeing that you hate me and have sent me away from you?” 28 They said, “We see plainly that the Lord has been with you. So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.” 30 So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths. And Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him in peace. 32 That same day Isaac's servants came and told him about the well that they had dug and said to him, “We have found water.” 33 He called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

We could also have called this passage "Like father, like son."  Abraham had faced a similar situation years before, have those who had harassed him do a 180 and want to have a covenant between them. Here they came to see God was blessing Isaac and they wanted him (and Him) on their side. Isaac was the perfect host, and during the celebration the covenant was made. Word also came that the water they needed was found. It was a true celebration.

Holding on to the Heel

Genesis 25:24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob.

Sometimes, the promises of God seem to take a long time to arrive.  The promise of God to give Abraham a heritage like the stars and sand did not happen overnight or without struggle. Abraham had finally been given "the son of promise," Isaac, who had two sons. This would at first glance be seen as doubling the process of growing the nation - except that it became not cooperation but a competition. Jacob was the one who would lead the way, but he was always trying to get ahead by holding Esau back. Of course, God had told the parents ahead of time that the younger would be more prominent, but often we think we need to "make it happen" our way.  Our way forward in life and in faith is not by holding others back, but allowing God to work and allowing others to run forward the race God has set before them. This is true at work, in the family, and especially the family of God.

The Great Matchmaker

Genesis 24: 26 The man bowed his head and worshiped the Lord 27 and said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his steadfast love and his faithfulness toward my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master's kinsmen.” 28 Then the young woman ran and told her mother's household about these things.

Besides directing people of promise in where they should go, another interesting thread throughout scripture is how God brings together husband and wife.  Abraham had sent his servant to a distant country to find and bring back a wife for his son.  I do not envy that servant.  It is no small thing for a man and his family to be able to choose wisely, let alone someone else. Fortunately, this servant had learned to not "lean on his own understanding," but to seek and trust God to lead him to the right woman. God had a plan, a wife in mind and in store for Isaac, and He had a way to bring them together. The key is to always let Him arrange the time, way, and method.

Keeping Things Settled

 Genesis 21:25 When Abraham reproved Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech's servants had seized, 26 Abimelech said, “I do not know who has done this thing; you did not tell me, and I have not heard of it until today.” 27 So Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them to Abimelech, and the two men made a covenant. 

Things were going well for Abraham.  His flocks and herds where thriving. People recognized God's blessing on his life.  And now he finally had a son.  When everything is going well, Satan is sure to send some sort of problem to mess things up.  Such it was with water rights in southern Canaan.  Some of Abimelech's men had laid claim to a well Abraham and dug.  Rather than start a war, the two men worked out an agreement, committed to a covenant, and place became a prominent location - Beersheba or "Land of the Oath."  One of the greatest things we can leave behind in this life are promises made and kept.

Don't Look Back

 Genesis 19:23 The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. 25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

In the context of all the things we have been talking about so far this year - including breaking resolutions, one key is to not look back.  The people of Israel did it often after their Exodus, and many warnings are given in the New Testament to Christ-followers to not "fall back" into either their old sinful ways or their trust in anything but Christ.  What is the symbolism of salt? Possibly as a sign of purification and preservation.  In order for the family to be led forward, she needed to be left behind. Whatever the case, Lot's wife became nameless and her end a warning to us all. Don't look back, turn back, or fall back from what God has called us to. Let us go forward.   

A Countdown of Compassion.

Genesis 18:26 And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” 27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 

God had come to show Abraham what He was going to do, and why.  Abraham was very aware personally of the great righteousness and compassion of God.  He was also very aware of his own limitations to judge others.  He really cared about the people around him.  On the one hand he was convinced of the holiness of God; on the other he was sure of His justice and mercy.  This passage proceeds with this "countdown" to see how low the number could go.  When not even ten could be found, Abraham realized the extent of the wickedness of these twin cities and was confident God knew what He was doing. Of course, this was more than a history less; it was a lesson in faith in the character of God and plan of God.  May we be willing to engage God in what He is doing and why and learn to trust Him more.

Detours on the Path

 

Genesis 17:21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.” 22 When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27 And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

A lot has happened in this biblical family since yesterday's post.  God called Abram to move away from the rest of the clan, receiving God's promise to make his line a great people. But Sarai had remained barren. Abram had tried various ideas to get a son, including taking Sarai's handmaiden to mother a son. It was successful, but God said: "This is a detour from My path; next year Sarai will have the son of promise." Interestingly, God gives Abram and Sarai new names, and a sign of His covenantal promise: circumcision, which is to include and cover their whole household, before this promised son is born. God allows detours, despite the dangers and disasters along the path, but He still has His perfect plan.

Is This a Dead End Street?

Genesis 11:26 When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran. 27 Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. 28 Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30 Now Sarai was barren; she had no child. 31 Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.

We are still caught up in these seemingly endless genealogies after the flood, when we come to what seems like dead ends: Sarai was barren and Terah died. Many of us know at least part of the rest of the story, but for Abram and Sarai it must have seemed hopeless.  At this time of year, you might already be feeling that way, but God has a different perspective and plan. Your "new year's resolutions may have already tanked or what you had hoped to see change has gotten worse. Do not lose heart. It's not a dead end.

What's in a Name?

 Genesis 10:21 To Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of Japheth, children were born. 22 The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arpachshad fathered Shelah; and Shelah fathered Eber. 25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided, and his brother's name was Joktan. 26 Joktan fathered Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. 

Often we come upon these lists of genealogies and think "oh no..." It's not just the pronunciation (the list above is not as bad as many), but also what we are to do with them?  In the list above we have the immediate descendants of Shem, whom we talked about yesterday.  He was the one blessed by Noah after the flood and his descendants became whom we call the Semitic peoples (as in antisemitism). They include the Jews. Since we are so busy stumbling over the pronunciation, we can easily miss what happens in verse 26 and following: Joktan had a LOT of sons. They became a lot of nations with a lot of languages, all going back to this blessed man, Shem. We'll see more of Shem tomorrow, but for today, remember this: there is a lot of hope in these names.

Let the Blessings Flow...

Genesis 9:24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, 
“Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”
26 He also said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. 

27 May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant.”

We saw yesterday the lasting impact - good or evil - one can have on those who come after him. Such is the case here.  After the ride of his life on the ark, Noah found himself in a shameful situation. This was brought about by his son Ham, father of Canaan.  But we cannot blame our ancestors for everything: Ham's failure led later to the fall of the land of Canaan to Israel, the descendants of Shem, but Japheth also would be blessed by the overflow of God's blessings on Shem.  May we leave behind blessings for those who follow (and not curses).

Lasting Influence

 

Genesis 5:25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech. 26 Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died. 28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son 29 and called his name Noah,

When it comes down to it, when the day comes that we die, we hope to have left some sort of positive lasting influence. Methuselah is the longest living recorded person in scripture, and his first named son Lamech is an important link in salvation history, as his first named son is Noah.  If we do the math, we find that Methuselah was 369 when Noah was born, thus he had 600 years of influence in Noah's life. He also had a lot of years of influence over his other children, grandchildren, and on down the line. Looking at the conditions in Noah's world, was the influence of Methuselah mostly good or evil? Let's make this the year that we live to have a lasting influence for good and for God.

Let's Start This Way...

Genesis 4:26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.

After the first two chapters of Genesis things really went south, with the Fall of Man and family infighting that followed.  Despite the exile from the Garden and constant "looking-over-the-shoulder" feeling of distrust between one another, we find here a ray of hope for man: people began to call upon the name of the Lord. Of course, that does not mean every hurt was healed or every thought was submitted to God's perfect will, but it was a starting point - the kind of starting point we all need: to admit we need God's help and are willing to seek Him.  May we all start with that same heart this year.

2026: Going Back to Our Roots

 Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

New Year's Day makes us reevaluate much about our lives: how we spend our time and money, how we take care of our bodies, how we view our achievements and purpose.  Let's go back to why God made us. He made us to resemble Him in His creativity, His character, and His care.  He wants us to make things, to develop Christlikeness, to care about everything He has made, especially our fellow human beings. We can never really deal with all the questions mentioned at the beginning of the paragraph if we do not understand how our lives relate to God and His plan. That is the great pursuit of our lives and of this new year. Let's make the most of it.