Into the Nations

Genesis 47:28-50:26, Vayechi, “And He Lived”

Moving into this week’s reading I am in a place of swimming in the depths of a perceived “understanding” that has helped me reconcile some questions that have been nagging at me for some time.  These questions are relative to traditional theology and the conflicts these theologies create in regard to what God “said” to and through Moses and how things operated within the context of the Mosaic Covenant.  The timing of these new perceived “understandings” fit perfectly into this week’s readings so, let’s dive in.

The challenge that sits before me is how to present this in a way that is streamlined, with continuity, not totally overwhelming, and makes sense.  The challenge is that the “questions” that led me to this ultimate understanding each pose their own struggle against traditional theology.  The image I have seen is that of taking a physical trip to Key West.  In an effort to get to Key West we must cross a series of bridges.  Ultimately, there is one final bridge that gets us from the second to last island to our final destination.  For me, I am feeling as if I have arrived at “Key West” although I know deep within this is still just another island along the way.  Regardless, this is how deeply this perceived “understanding” has rocked me and my view of the New Testament scriptures.  I will warn you; this is a long blog and you may want to break it up into a few readings.

So, let’s get started.  A few days ago, I was sharing this with my mom.  Because she has no attachment to, and only limited knowledge of, traditional theology, it was reasonably easy for her to follow along.  As such, we were able to take a boat ride from Miami to Key West without crossing over any bridges.  We simply set sail and landed on the beach where we spent some time basking in the sun.  The more attached people are to traditional theology the more time must be spent in crossing these bridges that ultimately lead us to where we are going.  I pray that I have found good balance in that regard.

In the context of this week’s readings, we can relate to the destination as Key West in that it isn’t exactly the physical destination that any follower of Christ should want to land except under the specific direction of the Lord for some work or purpose that He specifically has for us there.  This is a direct parallel to what we have been discussing in regard to the lives of Israel and his children as they were led through Joseph into Egypt where a purpose of “preserving life” ultimately became the enslavement of their future generations which God ultimately, in His amazing sovereignty, used for the purposes of “creating a nation”.

With all this considered, let’s look at some of the questions that led me to this perceived “understanding” that I find so monumental.  Each of these questions provided the foundation of the “bridges” that must be crossed in our journey to “Key West”, so let’s see where we go and how many of us are willing to travel this journey with me.  As you go through these you may find some that REALLY lead you into questioning if I have moved off into some heretical belief system that misses what Yeshua did for us on the cross or what He accomplished when He defeated sin and death and rose from the dead.  If your mind starts to go in these directions, trust me in how I am representing myself in your view of me; Nothing could be further from the truth!!

Here are the questions:

• What is the difference between a Gentile of the New Covenant and an “alien or foreigner who sojourns amongst you” in the Mosaic Covenant?
• If “aliens and foreigners” were welcomed into the “commonwealth” of Israel under the Mosaic Covenant, why do “gentiles” need the work of Yeshua on the cross for the same?
• If God expected the “aliens and foreigners” who sojourned amongst the people of Israel to honor Torah because it is “our wisdom” and “life”, why would He change that under the New Covenant?
• If God saw the Mosaic Covenant as “easy” and that He “should not have to send someone down from heaven or raise anyone from the dead” (from Deuteronomy 30) for the people to follow it, why do we believe that He had to do that very thing in Yeshua?  This is further emphasized when we consider that in Romans 9 & 10 Paul ties this scripture form Deuteronomy 30 to Yeshua.  He points out that the issue was that his brothers (The Jewish people) approached the Torah by works not Faith, and ties the “person” of Deuteronomy 30 to “Yeshuah” making it doctrine that God said, “I should not have to send Yeshua down from heaven or raise Him from the dead”.
• In Deuteronomy 30, what was God saying “should be easy, and in your mouth”?  Is it honoring Torah to the “T”, or walking in it in Spiritual relationship with Him, seeing the grace (Yeshua) in it, and leading the nations to His ways (wisdom and life) and to Him as outlined in what I would describe as the “first great commission” as revealed in Deuteronomy 4?
• If I am right in what I am proposing in the above, and the relationship between man and God, as outlined in the Mosaic Covenant, was complete and shouldn’t have needed the work of Yeshua coming down from heaven or being raised from the dead, why did God do it?  The theology of the Mosaic covenant foreshadowing or pointing to the work of Yeshua can’t exist in the light of Deuteronomy 30 and Romans 9 & 10.  So, what does Torah “foreshadow” and as such “point toward”?  Could it be “Yeshua” as He existed at the right hand of the father for all of eternity prior to His time on earth?  Could it be that this is the same Yeshua who He is at the right hand of the father right now?  In other words, could it be that both exist in the same context relative to the man/God relationship across both covenants?  Could it be that the first, prior to His coming, and the second, since His return, remain ultimately identical relative to who He is and His nature in what both the Mosaic Covenant and the New Covenant are foreshadowing and pointing toward?  Him!!
• And, if this is true, for Jews who walk in Torah in relationship with Yeshua in the same form of faith as believers do, how does Yeshua’s work on the cross change that relationship?

There are a lot more questions, and a few more minor bridges that I had to cross to come to where I am, but these are enough to get us onto the same page.  Again, I can imagine that some of you are beginning to wonder if I am about to lead us down a road of heresy.  I assure you that I am not. 

So, to that point, let me answer the last question first.  Simply put, there is no way for anyone to honor the Mosaic Covenant and a relationship with Yeshua (at the right hand of the father) as outlined in Torah since the destruction of the Temple without accepting what Yeshua did on the cross.  The Mosaic Covenant requires sacrifices performed by priests to maintain the “man/mediator/God” relationship outlined in Torah.  As such, without accepting Yeshua’s work on the cross and His role as High Priest, there simply is no way to honor the Mosaic Covenant as outlined in Torah.  There is a lot more to it, but in its simplicity, Torah observance without Yeshua simply is not possible for the past 2,000 years.

From here, let me answer the first question.  Yes, there is a difference between a “Gentile” and an “alien or foreigner” in that the “aliens and foreigners” were people who were living amongst the nation of Israel and who were living in harmony with Torah.  Over time they had the opportunity to graft themselves into the nation through the circumcision of the man of the house at which point the family became “just like the natives” (Exodus 12:48).  “Gentles” on the other hand are people who are not only not blood relatives of Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob, but they are also people who are not living in harmony with Torah.  The interaction of the Nation of Israel with this group of people is not clearly defined within the context of the Mosaic Covenant.

I am going to take another minute to share a few more explanations before I come to the final conclusion of where I am going with this.  The first is to explain where I stand on the statement that God said that Torah “is easy and in your mouth” and that He said that we should be able to walk in it without His sending Yeshua down from heaven or raising Him from the dead.  I kind of reconcile this to a father handing the keys of the family car to his 5-year-old son.  Granted, some 5-year-old kids might be able to drive the car, but very few.  I kind of see those few as those summarized in Hebrews 11, those who approached the promises of God by faith.  When it comes to the “Time of the Gentiles” (the last 2,000 years) I see something very similar.  Yeshua said “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).  It is true, if we approach this relationship with Him by faith and not works, it is “easy and in our mouths” just like God said through Moses relative to Torah.  Sadly, the vast majority of the Christian world is stuck in a helpless battle of behavior modification.  Ultimately, just as God “shouldn’t” have had to send Yeshua the first time, He “shouldn’t” have to send Him the second.  At the same time, as a cumulative people, this would be like a father giving a thirteen-year-old the car keys along with the owner manual and the state’s driving regulations.  Some thirteen-year-old kids would read the manual, study the driving regulations and pull off driving with no problem.  But the reality is, most wouldn’t.  The point is, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit along with the Word of God can only help us navigate this world if we remain in relationship with them.  Even such, we are still limited by our flesh and all fall short of the glory of God.  Ultimately God will use all this in His final making of “a nation” and do what He “shouldn’t” have to as he continues to provide mercy instead of justice.

So, with all this said, here is the perceived “understanding” that I am proposing.  What I am seeing is that God, in His wisdom and understanding of what He was about to do, provided us with a way to walk in Torah outside the land.  In other words, the New Testament writings and what God did through Yeshua on the cross was all provided beforehand so that His people would be able to, and know how to fulfill, the commission of Deuteronomy 4 (leading the world to His ways and Him) from within the “nations” instead of from within the “nation”.  I am proposing that He put all this into motion prior to the destruction of the temple and the spreading out of the nation across the world.  In other words, He provided the instruments and all the instructions for walking out Torah in the nations even before sending us out into the nations knowing beforehand what He was about to do!!!!!  From what I am seeing, this is foundationally why we needed the New Covenant and the New Testament writings. 

What hit me is that, Torah (the Mosaic Covenant) is fully based on the nation being “in the nation”.  As such, the people who are not of “the nation” would be the minority living amongst the majority.  Walking in obedience to Torah would be what would be naturally expected for all the people.  This is very similar to what we expect when other people come to live in this country.  When they do, we expect them to learn English, right? 

With this thought in mind, consider that when God gave us Yeshua, it was already in His plan to disperse the Nation of Israel across the face of the earth.  We (as a natural seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) were about to have no access to the temple, no access to the priesthood, and no opportunity for annual sacrifices.  At the same time, we would be the minority.  We were about to become the aliens and the foreigners living amongst other people, in their lands, and in the atmosphere of their laws, and cultural traditions.  With this frame of reference, it is easy to understand that it would simply be unrealistic to expect all the nations to instantly come into Torah observance just because He sent His people to go live amongst them.  With this in mind, what I am seeing is that it was critical to re-establish Torah observance without re-defining it.

If we accept that Torah observance always had Yeshua at the center and has always been a faith-based covenant, we can then conclude that that allowing Yeshua to be a one-time sacrifice and a replacement for the High Priest provides the opportunity for Torah compliance during this dispensation (the last 2,000 years).  The only major exception to this would be in the laws surrounding how people who are not descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are to come into the fold (the commonwealth of Israel). 

What I came to see is that, Torah only provides instruction on this for those who have been living amongst the people of Israel, who have been walking in Torah observance, and who have taken on the mark of the covenant (circumcision).  These prerequisites are simply not realistic expectations when “the nation” is living “amongst the nations”.  As such, through the New Covenant and writings of the New Testament, God added a section to Torah that had previously not existed.  This section could be labeled “how to graft the nations who you are living amongst into the commonwealth of Israel without Torah compliance as a prerequisite”.  For the most part, how I see it, is that in nearly every other respect, things remain as they forever have always been.  Life is still life, death is still death, holy is still holy, unholy is still unholy.  Clean is still clean, and unclean is still unclean.  God doesn’t change and I don’t believe He changes the definitions of these things.  I believe God still desires the world to come to a Spirit led understanding of what He defines these things to be, to see this as “our wisdom”, and to walk with Him in faith as He grows us into His image.

With this understanding, let’s move back into the context of Joseph, Israel, and the people of God.  As noted in last week’s summary, God sent Joseph to Egypt to preserve life.  As I continued down this path it came to me that God distributed “His people” across the face of the earth for the very same reason.  Isn’t it through us that God is bringing “life” to the rest of the world?  When I first started pondering this, I missed that point. Then it hit me, it isn’t about us.  It is about them.  When we make it about us, we tend to miss our purpose in being in the world and what we see as blessings for us, ultimately enslave us.

For this I am going to take us back to the thirteen-year-old with the car keys, the vehicle manual, and the state’s driving regulations.  Just like most kids in this situation who wouldn’t read the instruction manual or the driving regulations and simply jump behind the wheel and give it a go, we too tend to do the same with the Word and the Holy Spirit relative to life.  This is the same thing we see in the lives of the biblical characters.

In this week’s readings we find Israel knowing where he belongs but unable to simply go there.  We see Joseph doing the same.  Both knew they belonged in the promised land, both wanted to be there in their deaths, but neither had the strength to pick up the family and go while they were still alive.  What was keeping them bound to Egypt?  Why couldn’t they just leave?  As far as we know it was nothing more than their flesh.  They knew where they belonged but they just couldn’t get up and go.  In David’s blessing of Solomon, we see David at his death bed telling Solomon to do what he had not been able to do.  Throughout Ecclesiastes, we hear Solomon giving us the wisdom that he spent a lifetime unable to follow.

Deep down inside we all instinctively know that we have been sent out into the world to offer life to those around us and that to do that we must put our faith in God and His ways, to demonstrate what He calls life as life, and what He calls wisdom as wisdom. We know we must lean into the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance, and that we must stay in the Word so that we do not lose our direction.  But, just like those that have come before us, we tend to allow the ways of the nations to overtake us.  We allow the influence of sin to lead us to death and what God calls foolishness to be our guide.  Deep down inside we know what is true.  And, deep down inside we know where we want to be after we are dead.  At the same time, as we walk out this journey in the lands where He has sent us the struggles are great and the temptations are strong.  Afterall, Satan does mascara as an angel of light.

The reality is, to some degree it is possible, and to the other, it is what He will use to make us what He has created us to be.  With His strength we can do this, it is easy and it is in our mouths.  We can hold on to life for ourselves and be a light shining in a dark world.  The darkness does not have to overcome the light because in Him, the light overcomes the darkness.  We just need to focus in on Him, remember who we are as His, and keep our focus on His Word.  As we spend time in relationship with Him, He will lead us, guide us, and most importantly, keep us free.  At the same time, we must accept that covenant observance is not defined by flawless perfection.  We must be willing to accept His forgiveness when we fail, and trust in Him as He inflicts our souls with truth.  In this, we can live in harmony with Him and His ways, fulfilling our purposes, preserving life wherever He sends us, and walking out Torah in the same Spirit led way it was intended to be understood.

As a final thought, and I know this has been long, but it is important.  In crossing his hands in the blessing over Ephraim and Manasseh I see something very special being said by Israel.  I believe that when Joseph named these children, he was making a statement of turning away from his identity, his calling, and his purpose.  These two children were gentiles based on their mother’s birth line.  And the prosperity that came to Joseph from Egypt was in harmony with the tribulations of his journey in Egypt. 

Israel on the other hand, when blessing these two, referenced his journey with God and how his wrestling with God through his life experiences of affliction had led him into the land of promise.  In crossing his arms and blessing the youngest then the oldest I believe Israel was reversing the order of the names from forgetting the promised land and the heritage and being prosperous in the land of affliction being Egypt (sin).  In this reversal, I believe Israel was saying, one day you two will leave this place, and when that happens, you will forget about this gentile life and embrace your new identity as my children, you two will wrestle with God, it will be a time of affliction, but you too will be prosperous in a new land, just like I was, just like my father, and just like his father.  But the land you are going into will be a land flowing with milk and honey and a land that will never enslave you.  This is the promise that Yeshua has for all gentles through our father Israel. 

Yeshua came first for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  We (speaking as a natural descendant of the covenant) were lost sheep in that we didn’t have a shepherd.  In Him, we have a shepherd.  We should be able to be in the nations without being “of” the nations.  And, in this we can be a great light and be used by Him to “preserve life”.  In this, those who grab ahold of that life and graft themselves to us as His become a part of what He is doing.  Most of you who are reading this are of that group.  This is the image of what it is to be His, let’s walk this out together, encouraging each other, and cheer each other on as we push on toward the day that each of us will ultimately see the journey of our affliction lead us to the land of our promise where during that age, He can bring the full redemption to the “nations” as promised in Deuteronomy chapter 4.

I pray this has been a blessing.

 

Time To Draw Near?

 Genesis 44:18-47:27, Vayigash, “And he drew near”

Again, this week I am feeling that the title of this Parsha really captures several key concepts that I have been contemplating over the past several days.  Coming off last week’s readings I found Joseph “drawing near to his new home” as he “pushed away from his past”.  As I read this week’s readings, I see Pharaoh encouraging Joseph’s family to do the same.  I see Israel and all his children “drawing near” to Joseph and all of them “drawing near” to Egypt and all it has to offer.  With all of this, the main concepts of where I feel led is in how God’s plan for our lives and the lives of the “nation” that He is creating takes into consideration who we are, and how He knows we will respond in particular situations.  How we respond in those situations is what ultimately leads us to “pushing away form the world” and finally “drawing near” to Him.  This is the process of becoming all that He has created us to be.  This process works on an individual basis and a corporate basis as we are all walking out this journey together.  In this week’s readings we see this in the lives of Joseph, Israel, and ultimately the “nation”.

Years earlier God showed Abraham that his descendants would end up in Egypt and that they would become slaves there.  In this week’s readings we find God telling Israel “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there.”  “I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes.” (Genesis 46:3-4 NASB)

For me, there are a few key points to what God tells Israel:

• Of course, He lets Israel know that He is the God of his fathers,
• He assures him that there is nothing to be afraid of,
• He tells him that his family will become a great nation while in Egypt, and
• He tells him that ultimately, He will return Israel to his homeland.

When I read this my mind immediately goes to Matthew 28:18-20 (NASB) “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

When I overlay this with Luke 21:27-28, Mark 13:24-27, Matthew 24:29-31, and specifically Deuteronomy 30:3-5, I see a very similar overlay between what God showed Moses and clarified through Jesus with what God showed Abraham and clarified through Israel:

"that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you. "If [any] of you are driven out to the farthest [parts] under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you.  "Then the LORD your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.”  (Deuteronomy 30: 3-5 NKJV)

When I think about Israel taking his entire family and moving to Egypt it is a very similar image to God taking His “nation” and spreading us out over the face of the earth.  When God tells Israel that his family will become a great nation while in Egypt, it makes me think of how Jesus gave the great commission to go and make disciples across the face of the world.  And, when God and Jesus tell us that at the end of this age, He will re-gather us back to Him in the promised land, it parallels God telling Israel that He will bring him up again (to his homeland).

With all these parallels I think it is reasonable to consider that there are somethings that we can take from the experiences of Joseph and his family and apply those to our own lives while waiting on His return.  It is here where we will want to investigate the concept of “drawing near”.

Let’s read Genesis 45:5-7 and ask ourselves these two questions:  According to what Joseph heard from God, what is the purpose for his being brought down to Egypt, and how long would his family need to remain in Egypt to accomplish this purpose?

“Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.  “For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.  “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.”

For me, I would say that Joseph was led to Egypt to provide a reproof for his family from the famine which was to last another five years.  But, after making these points to his family, Joseph called his family to come live “near” to him in the land of Goshen, in the land of Egypt.  He then reminds them that the famine will last another five years.

From there a few interesting things take place.  In verse 13 we find Joseph telling his brothers that they must tell their father about all the splendors of Egypt.  Then it gets even more interesting when by verse 19 we see Pharaoh ordering Joseph to take wagons loaded with the best of the land back to Israel.  All of this could have been done in gratitude toward Joseph’s family.  At the same time, there could be some manipulation going on here.  In any case, the promise of prosperity is a strong enticement to leave “the promised land” and “draw near to Egypt”.

This is when Israel has his conversation with God and where God assures Him of the promises noted above.  As the story unfolds, the family arrives in Egypt and Joseph tells his brothers that he is going to go talk to Pharoah.  He tells them that during this conversation, he will tell Pharoah that his family are shepherds.  He then tells them that ultimately Pharoah will call upon them and ask them what their occupation is and that when this happens, they are to say that they are shepherds.  Joseph reasons that because Egyptians see every shepherd as loathsome, this would guarantee that they would be allowed to stay in the land of Goshen.  Ultimately, these meetings take place and Pharoah not only gives them the best of the lands of Goshen, he even asks that any capable men be put in charge of his personal livestock.

This week’s reading ends seventeen years later with a summary of how Joseph did business with the people of Egypt throughout the time of famine, how this led to Pharoah owning all the land of Egypt, and how through the transactions, how each family would owe Pharoah 20% of their harvest each and every year for all time.  Apparently, the only exception to this would be Israel and his family who acquired their own property, were fruitful, and become very numerous during this seventeen-year period.

So, here is my question:  How did an assignment of “preserving life for five years” become a reality of “acquiring land, being fruitful, multiplying, and remaining for seventeen”?  Ultimately, we know that seventeen years extended out to 430 where the future descendants of Israel and his family were deeply enslaved to the very system that this generation was enticed into.

I think the issue comes down to what happens when shepherds start acting like sheep.  In this case, Israel’s family was not just given a place to live for five years so that they could be safe and return to their homeland.  Instead, they were enticed to “draw near” to Egypt and all that Egypt had to offer.  In this, Pharoah got his shepherds who would ultimately become slaves of the Egyptian system.  There is no doubt that sometimes God move us out of an area of safety and protection for some greater purpose.  But the question we must always ask is, “Why”?  It is so easy to believe that God is simply blessing us, giving us a gift, that it is all about us, and as such, is what we are to “draw near” to.

In Matthew 6:24 we are reminded “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.“ (NASB)

At the end of the day, there is nothing wrong with the things of this world.  There is nothing wrong with enjoying the life that God has given us.  The problems come in when we allow our hearts to “draw near to those things” because when our hearts are “near them”, they can’t be “near God”.  Sadly, very often, the very things we “draw near to” are the very things that enslave our future generations.

Instead, in these times when God is providing wealth or some other opportunity to live in a more prosperous way, maybe He is challenging us to keep our hearts “near” Him, and not be “drawn” away to the things that He has given us.  Maybe we have just been given these things as an opportunity to shepherd others through our testimony so that they will “draw near” to Him.  Maybe we have been given some opportunities so that we can provide for others.  Maybe our character is being tested.  Maybe we have been “drawn” into a place that is full of temptations just so we can reach those who reside there.

This is the other aspect of the great commission that I see in this story.  You see, we have been called to live in the world, to be shepherds, and to lead others to Him.  At the same time, the world is just like Egypt.  The people are loathsome toward true shepherds, the entire system has been designed to entice us toward “drawing” our hearts away from God and “near” to the things that take us away from our assignment as shepherds.  As we allow ourselves to “draw near” to those things we set the stage for the powers of this world to enslave our children and our children’s children to those very things that we found so enticing.

 The interesting thing is that just like Israel and his family, God is with us.  He is the God of our fathers, and He knows that we will “draw near” to the things that the world will ultimately use to enslave us.  He knows that in and through this process we will learn, we will grow, and our character will be transformed.  In the end, by the time He returns, we will have been broken, we will be a great nation ready to return to the promised land, and we will be ready to rule and reign with Him as a mature bride.

So, with all this said, where are each of us in this process?  Are we working with God as He is using these things to make us that “great nation”?  Are we so ensnared that we can’t even hear Him?  Or, are we hearing but not paying any attention?  I guess this would be a good time to ask ourselves some hard questions. 

Are there some things that you have “drawn near” to that have in turn enslaved you?  Are you seeing some attitudes, behaviors, and lifestyle choices that you know will ultimately get passed down to your children where they will become even more deeply enslaved to the very same things?  Are there some beliefs and patterns that it is time to die to so that God can build your character and lead you one step closer to the “nearness” that He desires we all have with Him?

Becoming a part of a great nation isn’t something that happens overnight.  It is something that takes place one step at a time, one revelation at a time, one place of brokenness at a time, and ultimately, one victory at a time.  What has God revealed to you through this blog, and what victory is waiting for you today?

I pray that the Holy Spirit has shown you some things, that you are feeling a new power over them, and that you are resolved to push away from them and become free.  I pray that as you have the courage to push away from those things that you know you need to push away from that you feel Him drawing you near to those things that will truly satisfy, that will give you freedom, and return to you the liberty that the enemy tried to steal.  I pray that you remain strong on your journey, and that each day sees more victories, and that your victories today present the path to your children’s freedom on the future.  Amen Amen

Time For A Break?

Genesis 41:1-44:17, Miketz, “The End”

Once again, this week’s Torah portion is packed full of concepts and ideas that could lead to a wonderful discussion and challenging concepts that would facilitate an opportunity for God to speak into our lives.  As such, this has been a week of incredible opportunity for me as I have allowed the circumstances of life to reveal where I am at in relationship to each.  Because there are so many, I was really being challenged in where to go with this blog.  As I moved through my morning prayer time the concept of “breaking points” came to me.  Then I read the title “The End”.   This seems to be a good confirmation as “the end” and the point at which we are “broken” tend to come about at the same time.  Interestingly, there was another concept that I was feeling very led toward in my time of prayer and was contemplating the relationship between the two concepts.

The second concept stems from some emotions relative to how various characters of the bible are glorified to the point that their thoughts, beliefs, and actions are used as a road map for the lives of those who read about them.  I have talked with people who were justifying thoughts and behavior based on portions of the psalms being “Godly instruction” because “they are in the bible”.  In several instances, the scriptures referenced were simply the author expressing their own deeply human and flesh led feelings.  These psalms are wonderful and serve an amazing purpose.  It is a purpose that is fulfilled when we can see the fallen/flesh led nature of these characters to the point that allows us to relate to them.  On the other hand, it is an abuse of scripture when we allow the fallen/flesh led patterns of these individuals to become a road map that leads us deeper into our own fallen/flesh led lives.

Ultimately, the tying together of these two concepts comes in the brokenness.  The stories of the biblical characters, the psalms, and even the journey of Israel ultimately become an opportunity for us to relate and use their spiritual journeys toward brokenness (The End) to become a testimony that speaks into our lives.  The reality is, the vast majority of the “testimony” we find in the bible is NOT in the form of doing as they do, thinking as they think, or living how they live.  Sure, there are opportunities, but all in all, the greatest lessons for us come in seeing the points of change, the points of transition, and the points of brokenness.  Very often both lessons can be drawn from the very same experience.  If we are careful not to overly glorify the characters, but instead, pick up on the hints and clues that the bible offers, we can be led toward deeper insight into the mindset of the individuals.  In this case, we may see how to behave or respond in a particular situation through their example, while also learning how not to allow flesh led tendencies to be the driving factor in our decision to do good.

Overlaying the story of Chanukah (which just ended) with this week’s readings led me to seeing some very interesting parallels that have become the foundation of where I am ultimately going to go with this blog. 

As the Greek empire conquered the region, they imposed a Hellenistic way of life that is idol centered and flesh led.  As this influence increased, led by a physical and real pressure to acclimate, the vast majority of the nation of Israel fell to the pressures and were “broken” away from a life dedicated to Torah.  These “pressures” included the seductive nature of temptation alongside the threats of persecution, torture, and death. 

There were some who held out and were martyred through their resistance.  One of the these hold outs was an old priest by the name of Mattityahu.  Ultimately, he called his sons together to fight the Greeks and to defend God’s Torah.  One of the sons was named Judah.  He was known as “Judah the Strong” and “Maccabee”.  “Macabee” was selected to lead the warfare under the wise council of his brother Shimon.  (https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102978/jewish/The-Story-of-Chanukah.htm)

Through the revolt, the temple was liberated and re-dedicated to God.  This is when the miracle of Chanukah took place.  But this is not the end of the story. 

By the end of the war, Simon was the only one of the five sons who survived the conflict.  He and his family, called the Hasmoneans, claimed the throne of Judah and the post of High Priest.  “This assertion of religious authority conflicted with the tradition of the priests coming from the descendants of Moses' brother Aaron and the tribe of Levi.  It did not take long for rival factions to develop and threaten the unity of the kingdom. Ultimately, internal divisions and the appearance of yet another imperial power were to put an end to Jewish independence in the Land of Israel for nearly two centuries.”  (https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/history-and-overview-of-the-maccabees)

In this story, I see a repetitive pattern being developed.  Let’s go back to the “pressure” that the Greek’s were imposing on the land.  One side of the “pressure” simply appealed to the flesh and as such was a temptation to follow where the flesh wants to go in its desire to be rebellious to the ways of God.  The other side of the “pressure” was a real threat of persecution including imprisonment, torture, and death.  These “pressures” also speak to the flesh, but in a way that is a bit less obvious.  In the first case, the temptations are obviously in opposition to the ways of God.  They are unholy, His ways are holy.  The second form of “pressure” also speaks to the flesh but not until we see the second level. At the first level we could argue that the threat of harm makes us run from what the flesh does not like.  But, if this is true, then isn’t the flesh still running toward what it does like?  In the threat of harm, it runs to where it is going to find peace, comfort, and well-being.  If the only place this can be found is in a life that is less than holy, well, so be it.  The flesh desire for comfort wins out at the sacrifice of the spirits dedication to God and His ways.

Ultimately where I am going with this, is to see how these two forms of “pressure” and “temptation” reveal themselves in the lives of the people of Israel, the Hasmoneans from the Chanukah story, the lives of Judah and Joseph in our Torah portion, and in other characters of the bible that we tend to glorify.  In and through this discussion we will resist the temptation to either demonize or glorify these characters.  This will allow us to find rest in our companionship with them in their humanity while we seek to allow the testimony of their “breaking point” moments, and the spiritual experience of those moments, to speak deeply into our being.

As noted above, the Chanukah story exposes us to several groups of characters.  We have those that allowed the simple temptation of fleshly living to “break” them from a dedication to holiness and “end” their lives of Torah observance.  Later we learn about those who, under the threat of persecution, “broke” and “ended” their journeys in the very same way as the first group.  At the end of the day, the reality is that this group really isn’t that much different than the group that came before them as the truth is, they too allowed a promise of flesh desires (safety and comfort) to “break” them.  The third group is those that held out and fought.  They remained strong and were used by God to “break” the enemies hold on the Temple.  However, in their victory, the Hasmonaeans allowed themselves to be appointed into positions of religious authority and priestly roles that they were not eligible for.  This ultimately led to the “breaking” up of the nation and the “end” of the Jewish independence forfeiting all that had been accomplished only a few years earlier.

As I think of these three groups, I can’t help but wonder what they each thought as different things unfolded around them.  How did those who chose the Hellenistic life feel when the revolt succeeded?  Did God use this to “break” them and lead them back to Him?  How did the Hasmoneans feel when God showed them that it was their own misappropriation of power that led to the destruction of everything they had worked so hard to restore?  Did God use this revelation to “break” them of some aspect of pride?

Looking back at last week’s reading we go back to Judah.  In all honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if Judah didn’t put much faith in the institution of marriage.  Afterall, he was one of Leah’s sons.  Leah was not favored by Israel who had children from two wives of his own choosing.  He also had children from two maid servants who were given to him as wives from Rachel and Leah as they competed with each other in the race to produce more sons for Jacob (Israel).  Ultimately, Judah reached his “breaking” point when he came to the “end” of the story with Tamar where he noted that “she is more righteous than I”.  By the end of this week’s parsha we see Judah willing to offer himself and all of his brothers as slaves to Joseph in exchange for letting Benjamin return to his father’s house.  I wonder what God showed Judah in that experience with Tamar that led him to such a dramatic change of character.  I wonder how many experiences God showed him where if he would have had eyes to see and ears to hear he could have been “broken” so much sooner?

As all this was going on, Joseph was going through his own journey.  Joseph’s story is somewhat unique in that he does have a deep relationship with God and as such he is one of those characters that is commonly glorified.  I have some issues with this and will share why.  For me, I think there is a lot of evidence that Joseph had a lot of growing up to do.  It is true that he loved God and that he did have a strong sense of morality and resolve.  At the same time, it appears to me as though he looked to use the gifts God gave him to bring glory to himself.  Again, just like I can understand why Judah lived the way he lived; I can understand why Joseph might have looked to use the gifts God gave him for his own glory. 

Ultimately, Joseph is given the opportunity to truly benefit from his giftings and he takes it.  Some would argue that he was only doing what he had to do.  This leads me back to the Chanukah story and the two groups that were led into the Hellenistic lifestyle.  Some were led by being tempted one way, the others were tempted another.  Ultimately, both groups were “broken” by the temptations and moved away from the life God had called them to by their flesh desires.  

I would argue that God gives us some real clues to Joseph’s heart.  In naming his two children Joseph tells us that he believes “God has made him forget all his toil and all of his father's house” and that “he has become doubly fruitful in the new land where he has come to live”.  Later, in his discussion with Judah, he reveals that he no longer credits God with his insights, but that he “practices divination”. (Genesis 44:15).  I would argue that the “toils” of his past were a set up that allowed his promotion under Pharaoh to become a “breaking” point in his life.  He married the daughter of the High Priest of a pagan culture, he completely assimilated, rode around in a chariot, had the people bow down to him, and allowed himself to be glorified by them as “savior”. 

Toward the end of this week’s parsha we find Joseph weeping (Genesis 43:30).  I would argue that this is another “breaking” point moment for Joseph.  I would argue that in the blink of an eye he was hit with all that he had not understood, that he had not understood what God was showing him in his dreams of a youth, that he had gone astray, and that he had fallen to the temptation of being led away from the very purposes God had destined for him and his life.  I wonder how much of this was in his mind when he told his brothers not to feel bad about what had happened because he had come to see that God had orchestrated the events for good, possibly understanding that he needed to go through the brokenness to become all that God had called him to be.

Ultimately, we can look at Solomon and all his wisdom and wealth in a similar way.  We can glorify him in all his accomplishments, accolades, psalms, proverbs, and wisdom.  At the same time, there is an opportunity to move into companionship with him and his testimony.  We can do this when we read Ecclesiastes and discover how God used all of those things that we use to glorify him as a catalyst to “break” him and move him into a deeper relationship with Himself.

We can do the same with King David.  There is no doubt that David was a great warrior, and that he was always willing to talk to God, to hear His voice, and to move into repentance and accept whatever rebuke God put before him.  At the same time, there are moments like when he was dancing and exposing himself to all the women and children, were we find an opportunity to see David in his fallen/flesh led nature.  We could argue that he was justified in praising God, or that his relationship with Michael was fractured and as such, she was rebuking him from a place of self-righteousness.  At the same time, we have to ask, how might have things been different if David would have been able to allow the rebuke, even if it wasn’t presented properly, to speak into his life and walk the long road of self-reflection.  Maybe he would have seen an aspect of his sexuality, been “broken,” and “ended” a cycle that instead was not dealt with until years later.  

I can't help but wonder how many lives would have been impacted if David could have moved beyond his personal feelings and allowed God to speak to him through Michael?  I wonder if God took him back to this experience when he was praying that Bathsheba’s first son would live?  Or, maybe when his own son violated his wives as Nathan told him would happen as a result of the affair with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of Uriah her husband.

Ultimately this is where I am going here.  The point isn’t to prove what each of these characters was thinking, where they were right, where they were wrong, if they were or were not of good moral character, or what discussions God had with them during these pinnacle moments of life.  The point is, if we move beyond demonizing those who were weak, or glorifying those who were strong, we can approach their lives in a new way.  As they walked through life, they had no ability to see where God would have to use later events to “break” them and “end” various patterns of brokenness in their lives.  We have the advantage of knowing the whole story and seeing what could have been.  We also have the advantage of an indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  If we allow ourselves to move into relationship with these people and open up our minds to the voice of the Holy Spirit, maybe we can see how we can tend to respond in the same ways they did.  Maybe we can let the Holy Spirit show us how the experiences that “broke” them are given as an example to “break” us, and maybe in and through this, we can protect our families and our loved ones from being the focal point of our future “breakings”.

I pray that each of us grow in our ability to have eyes that see, ears that hear, and hearts that are willing to change.  I pray that we each continue to grow in our ability to become broken, and that in and through the process we each move beyond self-destructive patterns and into more wholesome and God honoring lives.  I pray that each of us grow in all these things to the point that none of us see a day where God uses the pain and suffering of others to “break” us of the patterns He is attempting to set us free from.  I pray that this has been a blessing and an encouragement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feeling Settled?

Genesis 37:1-40:23, Vayeshev, “And he settled”

This weeks reading takes us through the time period between Israel settling into the land of Canaan (where his father Isaac had lived), and into his elder years.  It is primarily focused on the lives of his children.  Specifically, the lives of Joseph and Judah.  Of course, we can’t really look into our lives without discussing the relationships that we encounter along the way.  At the end of the day, isn’t it the relationships that tend to mold us, grow us, and transform us as we progress through this experience we call life?  Sure, I could sum up my life by talking about all the things I have done, the things I have bought, the things I have sold, the things I have won, and the things I have lost.  But, would that really tell you much about my life?  So here to, I think it is important to not just look at the comings and goings of these men, but to look deeply into the relationships and interactions, and as we do, try to understand what God might be trying to communicate to each of us through the relationships of their lives.

One of the first things that came to my mind this week regarding this week’s reading is the name.  “And he settled”.  I understand how these readings are assigned names based simply off the first few words of the reading. At the same time, I like to consider how those first few words might sum up some major concept within the reading.  At first thought, I didn’t see much that fit in this week’s reading relative to “and he settled”.  Then it started opening up to me.  I realized that the word “settled” can have a few different meanings.  We can “settle” in a place to live, we can “settle” into a lifestyle, and we can “settle” for what life gives us.  Settle can take on a meaning of accepting less as in “When he sold the boat, he settled for less than it was worth”, or it can take on a meaning of something positive as in “He is so settled in his relationship with God, nothing knocks him off balance”. 

Ultimately, I came to see that in this section of reading we are given examples of all of these.  Israel “settled” in the land.  He apparently “settled” in his acceptance of the relationship between his children.  And, he settled for his own attitudes of favoritism relative to his own relationships with his wives and their children.  Several of his children were settled in their hatred toward Joseph, and Joseph was settled in what God revealed to him through his dreams and what this all meant to and for HIM.  Later, all the brothers, except Reuben, settled on a plan to kill Joseph.  After throwing him into a pit where he had no choice but to settle in until the circumstances changed, they all were so settled in spirit (after killing their own brother) that they were able to settle down to a meal and eat together as if it was all in a day’s work.  From there, they settled up with a band of Ishmaelites when they sold Joseph into slavery.  And ultimately settled on a lie and deception that they would share with their father Israel as to what happened to their brother.

From there we read about Judah's life.  Presumably, Judah was somewhat settled on his views of sexuality and in regard to how what was right for him was wrong for another.  His story unfolds with him seeing a woman who he “took and went into”.  Typically, the Word is very clear in telling us when someone “takes a wife” and when they just “go into them”, so it is reasonable to interpret this passage as Judah only sleeping with this woman and that he did not marry her.  After raising a family, life settles in for Judah.  His oldest son, Er, marries a woman named Tamar.  Er dies.  Judah understands the importance of continuing the family line of each of his sons so, he encourages his second oldest son, Onan, to go into Tamar and raise up a child in Er’s name.  Onan however wants nothing to do with continuing his older brother’s family line and acts selfishly.  He intentionally settles for his own views of righteousness and is blatantly rebellious against doing the right thing in behalf of Judah, Tamar, and his older brother Er.  For this, God was displeased and took his life from him.  Judah becomes fearful that if he gives Tamar Onan’s younger brother in the same way he gave her Onan, he too might die.  So, he settles in on his own plan of deceit and lies to Tamar about his intentions.  Later, he settles on compromise in regard to his own sexuality when he takes what he believes to be a prostitute when he is on a trip away from home.  He and this “prostitute” settle up on a deal, and they settle into bed with each other.  From there the plot thickens when Judah attempts to deliver payment and the “prostitute” can’t be found.  In this case he gives up the search for her and settles for not being able to repay his debt.  Later, he finds out that Tamar was pregnant out of wedlock and settles for his own hypocritical views as he accuses her of being a harlot deserving of burning.  Ultimately, he discovers that the child is his when Tamar proves that he is the one who impregnated her when she tricked him into sleeping with her.  This leads him into a place of deep introspection where he settles into what God has used all this to show him, he is humbled, and sees his gross unrighteousness.  Through all of this it is interesting to me that Tamar knew Judah well enough to know that all she had to do is show up as a prostitute and he would sleep with her.  It kind of gives me the impression that maybe this was more than a one-time thing for him.  It is also interesting that Tamar was used by God in a way very similar to how God used Rebekah and Laban in their deceitful plans and how each of these characters were so settled in their plans of deceit and manipulation.

Moving on, the reading takes us back to the life of Joseph.  We learn that he ends up in the home of Potiphar.  Potiphar is a high up official in the ranks of Egypt.  Potiphar has a wife who settles her eye on Joseph and decides she wants to sleep with him.  Joseph is settled in his ways and understands that compromising would bring discredit to God.  Ultimately, Potiphar’s wife becomes enraged when Joseph rejects her, she lies about what happened, and settles in on her own selfishness as she stands by and watches Joseph get thrown into prison for something he did not do.  I have to believe that Potiphar knows what is going on or he would have had Joseph killed.  As such, Potiphar settles for compromise when he chooses to save his own reputation and not deal with the deceitfulness of his wife.  The story continues as Joseph is forced to settle into the life of a well-favored prisoner.  Through all of this it appears as though he is well settled in his relationship with God and trust in Him. At the same time, when given the opportunity to self-promote on the coat tails of the revelations God has given him relative to dream interpretation, he attempts to do so. This, I believe is the same pattern he had as a youth when he settled in on the image of his entire family bowing down to him.  Ultimately, he is forced to settle for another life blow when his attempt to self-promote fails when the cup bearer does not remember him before Pharaoh.  In this, the cup bearer, in his selfishness, settles right back into the life he had before being thrown into prison and meeting Joseph.

Believe it or not, there are many more levels of “settling” that I was seeing throughout this summary that I just couldn’t go into.  This summary is long enough and I think the point has been made.  The reality is, life is a never-ending series of opportunities to “settle”.  Sometimes settling can be a positive thing, sometimes it can be a negative thing.  Regardless, the most important thing is knowing when we are doing it.  So often, we go through life not even realizing that we are settled.  Sometimes we don’t realize that we are not settled and that maybe we should be.  Sometimes we know that we should, but we just don’t have the character to be so.

Ultimately, there are some questions that we can draw from this week’s readings as we give it the opportunity to speak into our lives:

• Are we settled into our approach to family relationships that we know show favoritism and/or dynamics that lead to hurt and perpetuates dysfunction in the lives of our loved ones?
• Are there areas in our lives where we have settled into how we view ourselves while deep down inside knowing that how we view ourselves simply isn’t true or healthy?
• Are there areas in our lives where we are settled over how we hold onto unforgiveness, resentment, or hatred?
• Are we settling for a thought life that does nothing more than lead us into places of temptation, bitterness, envy, and a thankless approach to life?
• Are we settled in how we respond to these thoughts and how those thoughts lead us to justifying lying, deceitfulness, conspiracy, manipulation, or some sort of addictive behavior?
• Are there areas in our lives where we are perpetually in stress and anxiety while never being able to find peace and a place of being settled in the circumstances that life has us?
• Are there times that we settle for compromise when we know that God has called us to a higher level of living?
• Do our moment-by-moment decisions provide proof that we have settled for a life that is far below where God has called us to be, what He has created us for, who He knows we are capable of becoming, or a life free of the bondages we have lost hope of overcoming?
• Do we settle on our views of things in such a way that hinders us in our ability to understand others or be open to new understandings and growth?
• Are there areas where we are settled in on our own needs to self-promote even though we know that this need is coming from a place of woundedness or from a lack of faith?

Ultimately, we must come to understand that every day we have countless opportunities to see where we have settled, where those areas of settlement are good, and where they are not so good.  Every day we have the opportunity to move beyond those areas that are not so good, and settle on making some changes.  I pray that this blog has been an eye opener to some area of your life that God has called you to move on, to break a pattern of settling, and to become more settled in Him.  I pray that you lean on His strength as He holds you by the hand and leads you along the way.  I pray that none of us ever become stagnate in this relationship with Him and that we are ever remaining open to moving beyond those places where we have had a tendency to settle.

Beyond the Barter

Genesis 32:4-36:43, Vayishlach, “And he sent”

This week’s reading picks up in the story of Jacob, with his family, as they travel back to Jacob’s homeland.  Jacob has settled things with Laban and sends word to Esau.  The message is intended to let Esau know that Jacob would like for Esau to greet him with favor.  The only other thing included in the message is that Jacob has the messengers tell Esau that he has spent the last twenty years with Laban and he is now wealthy.

I can’t help but wonder what Jacob was thinking.  The last he knew; Esau was still really angry with him.  I wonder why he thought the announcement of his wealth and a simple request to be seen with favor would actually bring about that result.  Regardless, the messengers return with a message from Esau.  They tell Jacob that Esau is going to come to meet him and that he is bringing 400 men with him.

The thought of this leads to Jacob becoming afraid and distressed.  In this place of fear, he divided all that he had into two companies.  He reasoned that if Esau attacked one company, then the other would escape.  AFTER doing this Jacob went before God with the following prayer:

Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will prosper you,' I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant; for with my staff [only] I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies.  "Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me [and] the mothers with the children.  "For You said, 'I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be numbered.'" Genesis 32:9-12 NASB

In this place of total fear and distress he first leans on his own understanding, but then turns to the Lord in prayer.  In this prayer he acknowledges that he is unworthy of the favor that God has shown him, and gives full credit for the great wealth that he now has to Him.  There is no hint of any kind of grumbling or discontent with the difficulties of the last twenty years of his life, and there is nothing but thanksgiving.  He is open with God about his fears, and even leans on the promises of God showing faith that God is true to His promises.

Before he gives God the chance to honor his prayers, the very next day, Jacob takes things back into his own hands.  He decides to send three droves of livestock consisting of 550 plus animals as a ‘gift” to Esau. He sends this “gift” to Esau with the intent of “appeasing” him.  

From there, the scriptures tell us that the very same night that the droves of animals were sent out of the camp, Jacob arose, separated himself from all that he had, was left by himself, and subsequently spent the rest of the night wrestling with a “man’.  The “man” was not able to defeat Jacob so he touched Jacob’s thigh socket and dislocated it.  Jacob insisted on being blessed, the ‘man’ asked Jacob his name, Jacob said ‘Jacob” and the "man" told Jacob that he would no longer be called Jacob, but ‘Israel”.  When he gives Jacob this new name, he tells him that the new name is based on the fact that ‘he has striven with God and with man and has prevailed’.  Israel askes the “man” his name, the “man” does not say, but he does bless Israel.  Israel names the place Peniel based on his view that “I have seen God face to face, but my life has been preserved”.

I don't think anyone could argue that this is a major milestone in Jacob's life.  At the same time, I think the truth is, Jacob was changing all along.  Maybe Jacob had been striving with God longer than we can see from the outside.  Maybe, he prevailed before we could really see the change manifesting in his life choices.  As we move forward, let's read between the lines and see what we might have missed that was an important part of allowing Jacob to become Israel.  In the process, maybe we can learn some things that we can apply to our own relationship with God.

The first thing I pick up on is what happens when Esau shows up and they are about to meet.  Even though Israel puts his favored wife and children behind his less favored wife and children which were behind his least favored children and the maid servants who bore them, he went out in front and approached Esau himself.  When I read this my mind went to Abraham going down to Egypt, then Abraham going to Gerar (where Abimelech was king), and then when Isaac went to Gerar. In all three of these cases Abraham and Isaac were both fearful and sacrificed their wives to protect themselves.  I wonder if “Jacob” would have hidden behind his wives just like Abraham and Isaac hid behind there’s.  What we do know is that Israel didn’t.  Even though he was fearful, he approached his brother first.

The next thig that jumps out is what happens next.  After Esau runs to Israel, embraces him, and kisses his neck, they weep.  At this point Israel introduces Esau to his maids, wives, and children.  As each is introduced, they bow down to Esau.  Finally, Israel and Rachel approach Esau last and do likewise (bow down before him).  With a little help form a teaching from Rabbi Foreman at Aleph Beta, I am convinced that this final gesture is truly sincere and that at this point Israel was no longer attempting to appease or manipulate.  I believe he was in fact, in some small way, saying “I’m sorry”, and attempting to, through this gesture, “return” to Esau the blessings that he had received from Isaac during the deception.  When we go back and look at that blessing, we notice that it included “May peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you; Be master of your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you.”

All of the animal gifts that were sent to buy his brother’s forgiveness simply did not carry an image of repentance.  Repentance isn’t just about feeling bad about something because we don’t like the results as they apply to us.  Repentance includes doing what we can to right the wrongs done to others and changing our behaviors in such a way that we don’t impact others in the same way again.  In the simplicity of having all his family bow down to Esau and then ultimately bowing down to him himself, Israel is in essence saying, “I give you back what I took from you through deceit”.

In this God shows us that Israel truly had wrested with man and God and that he had prevailed.  Through the course of twenty years, I believe that Jacob had leaned on his own strength, his own wisdom, and his own talents.  I think he had worked tirelessly, and God blessed those efforts.  Ultimately, I think he came to the place where he knew that all that work, all that effort, and all that pain was hanging in the balance.  All his dreams of returning to the land of his fathers, with his wives, with his children, and with his wealth all hinged on getting passed Esau.  And in that moment of truth, I think he knew that there was nothing he could do. 

Ultimately, I believe he had to accept that he was totally dependent on God.  When I think back to the if/then deal that Jacob made with God as he was just beginning this journey, I see a man who believed that he was still in control.  “OK God, I know you want me to worship you, so let’s make a deal, if you do all these things for me, I will do that one thing for you.”  And God went right along with that agreement right up to the eleventh hour and then he called Jacob’s bluff.  “OK Jacob, now what are you going to do?”  “Will you make me your God before I deliver you back to the land?”  “Or, are you going to go at this yourself and see if I bless you in your ways?”  In the end Jacob had no choice but to simply go before God in humility.  In this later prayer we see no hint of any kind of bargaining, pride, or grumbling.  We simply see a man broken, humble, and in full awareness of his total dependency on God.  He was finally starting to see God for who He is.

The thing that I am seeing the most as I get to the end of this story is that one of our biggest “wrestling” matches with God is getting beyond the belief that he is asking anything of us.  This is another aspect of “seeing His face”.  At the end of the day, we simply don’t have anything to offer Him.  At this pinnacle moment, Jacob prayed to God and offered God nothing in return for what he was asking.  He simply asked.  Maybe this is what the point of this story is really all about.  Jacob’s entire life had been about bargaining, deception, manipulation, and deals.  This isn’t who God is, and no matter how much we try to approach Him in this way, He simply won’t bite.  He simply loves us, wants to bless us, and wants us to live in a way that is free from the entanglements of this world.

With all this in mind, let's go back to that moment when Jacob reached out to God in prayer.  I'm going to go back to the point that Jacob was crediting God with all that he had acquired and that there was no grumbling or self-righteousness in his prayer.  I have to wonder if through those twenty years with Laban, Jacob had some discussions with God where there was some grumbling, some strong words, and some self-righteousness.  I guess we will never know, but I have to believe that there were.  I have been there, and I have gotten frustrated, I have called out to God, and I have said "Why me?"  I think this is another aspect of our "wrestling" with God, where in the end, we simply have to accept that He is more interested in growing our character than giving us our desires and making life easy.  I think Jacob had been striving with God long before the "man" met him in the night.  I'm thinking that what happened that night was just God putting the icing on a cake that had been baking already for a long time.

As we close this time together, I can’t help but seeing where there are so many places where this week’s readings have the potential to speak to us.  With this in mind, I pray that each of us take the time to look deep within and ask ourselves some really pointed questions, that we allow God to speak to us through those questions, and that as we hear what God is attempting to reveal, we lean on Him to have the strength to know how to move beyond what He is showing us and into something new.  Here are some questions to get us started:

• When we are in the midst of struggle, do we tend to question God's love, or do we lean on His strength as He uses the circumstances of life to mature us into all that He knows we can be?
• Are there areas in our lives where we are allowing fear or anxiety to lead us into getting out in front of God and taking things into our own hands?
• Are there things that we do or think that are following the dysfunctional patterns of our ancestors?
• Are there times in our lives when we are still wrestling with people and not seeing God’s hand of love working behind the scenes?
• Are there areas in our relationship with God that are still coming from an if/then mindset?
• Is there anything that we desire more than truly seeing "His face"?

It Just Takes Time

 Genesis 28:10-32:3, Vayetze, And He Left

This week’s reading is so jammed packed with deep and thought-provoking imagery that it is hard to know just where to start. 

For me, entering into this week’s reading, I am carrying the theme of introspection, vulnerability, and transformation.  These concepts are deeply rooted in a life of faith and dedication that overwhelms our natural tendencies toward selfishness and a flesh led perspective on time, space, and relationships.  I come off last week’s readings seeing Rebekah struggling through the dynamic of seeing Isaac’s favoritism of Esau and responding with her own favoritism of Jacob.  I see Isaac making the same mistakes as Abraham while adding a few of his own.  I see Jacob and Esau working through their own challenges of life and relationship while experiencing the same kind of family dynamics that can be so typical in a society that is focused on physical principles, comparison, measuring-up, and favoritism while being dominated by desire, fear, and all those other emotions that tend to drive our every decision.

With all this, last week’s reading ends with a few short verses that reveal a potential understanding that through Rebekah’s manipulation and subsequent expression of total frustration, Isaac is led to opening his eyes to what he has never seen.  This leads to Esau opening his eyes to some things that he too had never seen.  Ultimately both make moves in directions that, as far as we know, they had never moved. 

For Isaac, he freely, with total awareness, passes along the blessings of Abraham to Jacob.  For Esau, he appears to acknowledge his own disregard of the value and responsibilities that come along with being the elder son, and makes a choice to marry a woman who is at least in some form the image of what would be proper.

Following this train of thought, we enter into this week’s reading, by reading between the lines, seeing Rebekah’s introspection as she moves into a place of seeing why she led Jacob into deceiving Isaac.  She makes herself vulnerable when she shares those feelings, and she leaves room for transformation of the entire family as she waits to see how they respond.  I would argue that this moves Isaac into self-reflection of how he had favored Esau in spite of so much evidence that would stand contrary to him doing so.  I believe in that moment, through this self-reflection, Isaac was able to see some flaws in himself, and in faith to truth, was set free to pass the blessings of Abraham on to the one chosen by God from the beginning.  In this, I see Esau taking a long pause.  I can only imagine how that rocked his world.  It would have had to have been so much greater than the deceit of Jacob and Rebekah.  He sat by and watched Isaac move his favoritism from him to his brother.  In a blink of an eye, everything changed.  I believe this stirred something very deep in Esau, and just like Rebekah and Isaac, he was willing to see truth, he was willing to see himself for who he had been, and he was able to take some responsibility, and start moving in a bit of a different direction.

It is with this that we enter this week’s reading.  For me, I am seeing that of the four, we aren’t really left with any information as to Jacob’s spiritual journey through this experience.  So, I enter this week’s reading with anticipation as to what the Word is going to reveal in regard to introspection, vulnerability, and transformation relative to Jacob’s life.

I love how this week’s reading opens with God confirming that the blessings that Isaac sent Jacob out with truly had been transferred to him.  At the same time, I appreciate how Jacob responds with the “if/then” statement of “Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear, and I return to my father's house in safety, then the LORD will be my God.” (Gen 28:20-21).

At this point, I see Jacob still in that position of treating God as if he would be just like all the pagan gods.  “Hey God, if you do this for me, I’ll do this for you.”  From there, Jacob ends up in the region of Laban where he was to take a wife from the family of Rebekah.  As we discover, Jacob sees Rachel and shows her favoritism over her older sister Leah.  Jacob and Laban agree that Jacob will work for seven years upon which at the end of the seven years he will be given Rachel in marriage.  However, Laban tricks Jacob and in the dark of night Leah is substituted for Rachel and Jacob consummates the marriage with Leah.  Laban explains why he deceived Jacob; they agree that for another seven years labor Jacob could have Rachel as a wife.  This time, the waiting period is only a week.  They agree to the deal, Jacob marries Rachel, and follows through on his promise to work another seven years.   Through the course of the next seven years twelve children are born to Jacob.  The summary of these children is, one son from Rachel, two sons from Rachel’s maid servant, two sons from Leah’s maid servant, six sons from Leah, and one daughter from Leah.  Most of the children are born out of a competition between the women.  After Rachel has her son Jacob apparently has finished serving the seven-year agreement for acquiring Rachel as his wife from Laban.  Jacob goes to Laban and asks to leave and return to the land from where he had come.  Laban talks Jacob into staying and Jacob ends up staying another six years.  At the end of this six years, we read that Laban has cheated Jacob and changed his wages ten times through the course of their relationship.  Ultimately, Jacob breaks away from Laban, takes the wealth that he has acquired, his wives, and his children and makes way for home.  In this, Rachel takes her father’s family idols and hides them in her luggage.  Laban chases after them, the idols are not found, and Laban and Jacob make a covenant with each other.  From there, Jacob and his family continue on their way and ultimately are joined by the angels of God. 

Just as this week’s portion opens with God confirming that Jacob is the one whom through the blessings of Abraham would continue, the reading ends with the angels of God meeting him on his journey back home.  It is at this point that Jacob sends messengers to is brother Esau.  We discover that Esau is living in Seir which is in the country of Edom.

As we turn our sights to Jacob, I can’t help but wondering what he is thinking when he sends messengers to his brother Esau.  The last he had heard, Esau wanted to kill him.  If we ignore everything we know about the story we have to accept that we just don’t know what Jacob is thinking.  Is Jacob going to try to pull another deception?  Has he learned anything?  Is he trusting in his own strength or has the interactions that he has had with God over the last 20 years taught him anything?  Has his character changed?  Does he even know what is actually going on with all the emotions that are flying around within him?

We simply don’t know the answers to any of these questions, and this is really a beautiful place to be. 

The truth is, there are many times in life that we go through long periods of preparation and refinement.  To the outside observer or maybe even to ourselves it may look like nothing has changed.  But, deep within change has occurred.  It just hasn’t had the opportunity to make itself known.

This really makes me think about how life really works and gives me encouragement as I look at myself and those around me.  Sometimes I can get really impatient with myself and with others.  I started this blog off by stating that I was expectant on what would happen in Jacob’s life.  I wanted to see where Jacob was going to became introspective, where he was going to make himself vulnerable, and what his amazing transformation was going to look like.  At the end of the reading, I am really no closer to those answers than where we began.

Stories like this remind me that sometimes it takes a lot of preparation deep within before the refinements start showing up externally.  At the same time, it is in those blink of an eye moments of great challenge that we finally discover who we and/or those around us have become.  

As I leave this reading and wait for next week’s, I am left in the same place that I find myself so often in life.  Have I changed?  Have I learned anything?  Am I going to try the same things that I have in the past only to get the same results?  Have I learned to trust in God and to not lean on my own strength?  With all these questions, will I step into the next experience with a little more courage knowing that maybe, just maybe, God as a real surprise in store for me.  Maybe he will use something really tough to show me that I have changed, maybe he will show me someone else has, and maybe what appears to be so overwhelming will be the very thing that leads to the greatest moments of introspection, vulnerability, and transformation as the seeds of a journey are brought to life through the tears of our human struggles.

I pray that this blog has been a blessing to you, that you are seeing areas where God has been planting seeds, and that through the struggles of life He will bring what He has been planting into fruition.  Maybe in your life, maybe in the life of someone you know.  Amen

 

 

It's A Family Thing

 Genesis 25:19-28:9, Toldot, Generations

When I think about “generations”, a few things come to mind.  I think of birthdays, weddings, family gatherings, and special events that tend to bring a family together, to catch up, and to reconnect.  It is during these moments in time that family members gather together, pictures are taken, and for a moment the images of those from various times are captured together providing memories to pass along to the next generations who may never have a chance to meet those who came before them.  I think about how these pictures are used to reveal the facial characteristics of a child or young adult as being linked to the generations of the particular family. 

At the same time, when I think about “generations” I think about all those things that pictures do not capture.  It is amazing how children repeat the patterns of our parents, how we struggle with the same things, and how we tend to be strong in the same areas of strength.  From this we get the phrase that an “apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree the produced it”.  At the same time, there are those that are different, who just don’t seem to fit in, and who seem to have fallen from a tree totally unlike the parents from whom they came.

This week’s Torah portion covers all of this and so much more.  In this parsha we find Isaac repeating the same pattern as his father Abraham in telling Abimelech that Rebekah, his wife, was merely his sister.  Not only does he tell the same king the same lie, he does it for the same reasons; he was fearful that if he told them she was his wife, they would kill him.  In the same way that God used Abraham’s fear and trusting in his own ways to bless him, so too does God bless Isaac when he makes the same mistakes. 

Interestingly, Rebekah was barren just like Abraham’s wife Sarah was barren.  Ultimately, just like Sarah, God intervened and Rebekah became pregnant.  In this, and in so many other ways, we can see how in spite of Isaac’s flaws, just like Abraham, God was with Him.  Several times, through the course of the reading, we are reminded of that relationship.  For me, this is what this parsha really comes down to and from a spiritual perspective, what I think about when I think of “generations”.

So often we believe that we need to make the right decisions, do the right things, say the right things, and make all the right moves.  It is so easy to believe that if we mess up and do something wrong, everything is going to fall apart and the end result will be a catastrophe.  What we see in this parsha is something very different.  What we see in Abraham’s life, and in what gets extended into Isaac’s is a pattern of action/reaction that simply does not make sense.  It is a pattern of action/reaction this is founded on the divine intervention of God and not simply based on the patterns of life that we would tend to see and expect.

As we continue reading in this week’s study, we find that God tells Rebekah that the younger of the two sons will be the one to rule over the older of the two.  Later we come to learn a little about the two boys.  The older is a manly man by today’s standards.  He is the kind of boy most fathers would tend to favor, you know the athlete, the one who knows how to hunt, fish, play football, throw a baseball, and work on cars.  At the same time, the younger son, by today’s standards, is one of those kids that just doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the boys.  He is the one who hangs out inside all the time.  He cooks, and reads, and hangs out with the girls.  When it comes to hunting, fishing, and the “guy” stuff, he just falls short.

Just like most parents, Isaac tends to favor the older son while Rebekah tends to favor the younger.  Their names are Esau and Jacob.  As the story unfolds, we read about Jacob taking advantage of Esau’s hunger and using the moment to barter the birthright away from him.  In this we see Esau’s lack of spirituality and/or appreciation of the birthright.  A little later in the story we find Esau taking on two Hitite women as wives.

When I think of “birthright” I tend to think of the double portion of the family inheritance and all the blessings that come with being the “favored” son.  As I read how Esau’s selection of wives brought grief to Rebekah and Isaac, I started to see something different.  I started thinking about the responsibility that comes with the one who is to be “favored”.  Ultimately, it is the son who carries the birth-right, that is also the one who carries the responsibility to ensure the right-births, and to ensure the proper extension of the “generations” and the family name into the future.

In spite of everything Isaac was seeing, he was still set to bless Esau with the blessing due the favored son.  The story picks up when Isaac is old and believing he is near death.  In this moment, Isaac asks Esau to hunt fresh game and prepare him a meal whereby upon the delivery he would bless him.  Rebekah takes the opportunity to convince Jacob to deceive his father, Isaac is deceived, and Jacob gets the blessing of the favored son. 

A little bit later Esau returns, Isaac discovers that he has been deceived, Esau becomes very angry, he asks his father to bless him, and Isaac offers Esau a token blessing.

In the heat of all this Rebekah tells Jacob to go to her brother’s land to stay for a time to allow the anger of Esau to subside.  But then she adds something very important.  In referring to Esau’s Hitite wives, Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am tired of living because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?” (Genesis 27:46 NASB). 

Following that, Isaac does something that I find very interesting.  He extends the blessing that he had already given Jacob under deception with an even greater blessing under full disclosure.  It is a blessing that he knew he had to offer and did not extend to Esau.  It is given to is in Genesis 28:1-4 as follows.

“So Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him, and said to him, "You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. "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. "May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. "May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, that you may possess the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham." (Genesis 28:1-4 NASB)

In this, not only has Isaac given Jacob the blessing of his own family, but he is passing on the blessings that God made to Abraham. 

The parsha ends with Esau seeing all these things take place.  He sees his mother speak of the pain his choices have brought into the family dynamic, he sees his father extend this greater blessing to his younger brother, he sees his younger brother accept the directions of his parents, and more importantly, he sees the error of his own ways.  He sees that his choice in wives had brought grief to his parents and seeks out what he perceives to be a proper wife from the descendants of Abraham and marries her.

There are so many things that I like about this story.  I like how the son who never really got the father’s favor, ultimately got it.  I like how the father who never really saw the value in the younger son, finally saw it, and did right by it.  I like how the father was able to hear the pain of his wife and understand why she did what she did.  I like how the wife had the courage to share her emotions in spite of the risk of being rejected.  I like how the older son was finally at least starting to take some responsibility for his own choices and moving beyond a victim mind set.  And I like how this is a story of redemption where a highly dysfunctional family made some really good moves and in that process God opened up their eyes and they started seeing things that they had never seen.  It is a story that reminds me of the thief on the cross next to Yeshua.  In the man’s acceptance of his fate, Yeshua looked at him and said, “today you will be with me in paradise.”

This truly is what it is to be blessed to be chosen by God to be of the “generations” of Abraham.  Through accepting Yeshua all those who believe are freely grafted into his “generations” just as those who are of direct descent.  It is a family where action/reaction just doesn’t always make sense, where things change in the blink of an eye, and where in the end, God’s will be done.  In being a part of the “generations” of Abraham we will not be free of fear, being led by our emotions, or making choices based on the physical principles of this world.  But in the end, we will be blessed knowing that He will use all things for good, and that our part is simply growing in humility and always being open to change.

To me this is what this story is all about.  It is a story that we can all relate to.  It is simply a story of life.  Through life things happen.  Sometimes we are the victims.  Sometime we are the ones taking advantage of others.  Ultimately, God’s plan will work its way out, and in the process, we will be given the opportunity to grow, to take responsibility for or own actions, and maybe have the chance to make things right.  I pray that when those moments come, we all have the eyes to “see” and the ears to “hear” and that as we see and hear, we ultimately have the strength to do what Isaac did, to do the right thing, to turn back from what we have done in the past, and to do a new thing moving forward.  Who knows what might come of it?  I bet Isaac and Rebekah were shocked to see Esau’s response and his change of heart.

I pray that this has been a blessing to you and that if you are seeing some things that you need to set “right” that you have the strength to do so.  If there are some things to let go of, that you let go.  I pray that your generations be blessed, and that your generations are a blessing to you.  Amen