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Blessed Are You - 2

Blessed are you (part 2)

Remember that the crowd that is listening to Jesus’ sermon is accustomed to religion as taught by their religious leaders. From what we read in the New Testament it doesn’t seem like the religious leaders of Jesus’ time were big on mercy.

The Pharisees majored on minors. They had rules for every minute area of life, while at the same time they forgot about the important things. It is usually the case that legalists are sticklers for details, but blind to great principles. This crowd thought nothing of condemning an innocent man, yet they were afraid to enter Pilate’s judgment hall lest they be defiled (John 18:28). - Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 85.

There is nothing wrong with paying attention to details, details are important. However, we must never lose our sense of priorities in spiritual matters. We must all resist the tendency to allow our zeal for God’s law to keep us from developing a well-rounded, true Christian character.

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! - Matthew 23:23-24 NKJV

Jesus addresses several of the issues He has with the religious leaders of His time in Matthew 23:1-36. Remember that with this sermon Jesus is setting the main tenets of His teachings, the core of His message, and the contrast with the expectations is sharp.

Let us turn our focus to the sermon on the mount picking up where we left off on my last post on this series. (Blessed are You)

Blessed are the Merciful

Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. - Matthew 5:7 NKJV

Even in our modern day, the merciful are not taken to be the wisest, oftentimes they are not the richest; yet Jesus pronounces them blessed. Paul encourages the followers of God to be merciful in his letter to the Colossians.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; - Colossians 3:12 NKJV

Ready to be made more uncomfortable?

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. - James 2:14-17 NKJV

But this message is not one of only duty and guilt. This is not meant to make you be merciful out of fear and a sense of fear. Your mercy towards others should be an expression of your love for God. Also, remember that Jesus said the merciful are blessed!

Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. 2 The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, And he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. 3 The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness; You will sustain him on his sickbed. - Psalm 41:1-3 NKJV

What do you think of this statement from Matthew Henry?

One of the purest and most refined delights in this world, is that of doing good. - Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 1629.

The Bible compares helping the poor to lending to the Lord.

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given. - Proverbs 19:17 NKJV

The generous soul will be made rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself. - Proverbs 11:25 NKJV

However, if we are merciful simply as an investment hoping to receive something better in return, we are doing the right thing for the wrong reason and may soon stop if we feel we are not receiving a good return for our investment. So what do we do? I would say continue to help, whether you feel like it or not, do it because it is the right thing to do. Also, realize that we can’t force ourselves to care, our natural tendency is to be selfish our ability to love is a gift from God.

 We love Him because He first loved us. - 1 John 4:19 NKJV

Exodus 33:18 Moses asks God to show him His glory and God replies that He would make all His goodness pass before him and that He would proclaim the name of the LORD before Him. I believe that the fulfillment of this promise of fully realized in Exodus 34:6.

5 Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” - Exodus 34:5-7 NKJV (bold mine)

When we show mercy to others, we are partnering with God. It is not about how much the other person deserves it, or what benefit we will receive from helping them, rather it is about us showing our love for God by extending mercy to those around us who are in need.

The merciful are “partakers of the divine nature,” and in them the compassionate love of God finds expression. All whose hearts are in sympathy with the heart of Infinite Love will seek to reclaim and not to condemn. Christ dwelling in the soul is a spring that never runs dry. Where He abides, there will be an overflowing of beneficence. -Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing p. 22.

Blessed are the Pure in Heart

Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. - Matthew 5:8 NKJV

It makes sense that Jesus cares about the purity of our hearts since it was understood to be the source of everything else we do in life.

Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. - Proverbs 4:23 NKJV

God cares about our hearts, not our outward appearance.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. Forthe Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” - 1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV

In our secular world it is normal to see people concerned about their reputation, their appearance, their public image. D.L. Moody used to say D.L. “If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself.” (Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 85.)

Paul, writing to Timothy, clarifies the purpose of the commandment.

Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, - 1 Timothy 1:5 NKJV

The religious leaders of Jesus’ time were so rigorous in regard to ceremonial purity that their regulations were excessively oppressive. Their minds were so occupied with rules and restrictions and the fear of outward defilement, that they did not perceive the stain that selfishness and malice impart to the soul.

As we grow and mature in our walk with Jesus, we experience a growing distaste for those things that defile the soul. Certain jokes stop being funny. Old sources of entertainment stop entertaining. It is not that someone approaches you with a list of what to avoid, but rather you begin to notice you no longer enjoy substances, activities, and environments you previously sought out.

The purity that Jesus describes here goes beyond the well-known sins, and extends to hidden motives and purposes of the heart, a pure heart is one that is free from pride and self-seeking, a humble and childlike heart.

The pure in heart live as in the visible presence of God during the time He apportions them in this world. And they will also see Him face to face in the future, immortal state, as did Adam when he walked and talked with God in Eden. “Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face.” 1 Corinthians 13:12. - Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing p.27. 

Peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. - Matthew 5:9 NKJV

Isaiah 9:6 describes several titles for Jesus and one of them is Prince of Peace. Sin has broken the peace that existed in a perfect world created by a perfect God, and we await the second coming of Jesus we do our best to live in harmony with others.

Those who work for shālôm (wholeness and harmony rather than strife and discord in all aspects of life) and who reconcile others to God and each other will “be called sons of God.” Others will identify them as God’s true ambassadors, as those who are being conformed to his likeness. - Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 100.

Jesus’ followers are sent into the world with a message of peace. This message of peace goes beyond spoken words and extends itself even to our silent influence and how our way of living and our interactions reveal the love of God to those around us. When we encourage others to turn from sin and to accept Jesus into their hearts we are being peacemakers. Our spirit of peace is evidence of our connection with heaven. Think of it as a perfume or cologne. The lives of those who follow Jesus have a special fragrance, our character has a certain quality that reveals to those around us that we belong to God.

Persecuted?

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.- Matthew 5:10-12 NKJV

As we have noticed, the characteristics that Jesus labels as blessed do not match what the secular world values or holds in high regard. Just like the world was hostile to Jesus, hostility will arise against Jesus’ followers, but Jesus considers even persecuted people as blessed. But it is important to highlight the reason for their persecution. The blessing exists for those who are persecuted for righteous living and not because of sin or tactlessness.

But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.” - 1 Peter 3:14 NKJV

14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. - 1 Peter 4:14-15 NKJV

When Jesus tells those who are suffering persecution, He is not talking about feelings, we cannot command our feelings, rather He is describing what our attitude should be. (see James 1:2) When we suffer we must resist the temptation of thinking that we are the only ones who are suffering. Jesus points out that the prophets that came before them also suffered. Modern-day followers of Christ also have the example of the early Christians and all the martyrs who have suffered for Jesus all over this globe, through the ages even down to today.

In a world where many fight for supremacy, with the worldview of survival of the fittest, Jesus calls His followers to live with inverted values, where instead of seeking supremacy at the cost of all who surround us, we are to actively help those who are struggling around us.

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Be Strong and Courageous

Be Strong and Courageous

Yes, I would love to be strong and courageous. I would love to be thought of and described as someone who is strong and courageous. But what happens if I don’t believe I am strong enough or am afraid to find out exactly how strong I am out of fear of failure?

As I have mentioned in other posts I am a sucker for self-help, motivational, and productivity content and there is an interesting “debate” (if you can call it that) that I have come across. Some argue that we are afraid of trying and failing, and others argue that we are actually afraid of discovering how strong and capable we really are and discovering that we have settled for so little of our potential for all these years.

I believe the same can be true of our spiritual lives. Maybe we are afraid of doing more for God or putting forth a greater effort for our spiritual growth because we are afraid that we will just fail. Or because we are afraid of what life could be like if we had a more vibrant walk with God. Maybe we are afraid of how much our life would change, and how much responsibility God might place on us so we settle for just a little bit of God in our lives.

I am not writing as someone who has figured this all out, I am writing as someone currently in the middle of this struggle. How much of a spiritual pursuit, or spiritual disciplines and practices is healthy, and at what point does it become unbalanced fanaticism? What is the balance between having a strong connection with God and also being present and active in the lives of those around me?

I have witnessed people go off the deep end. They start talking to God and claiming that God is talking to them (which I don’t always doubt) but the next thing I know they are struggling to function in society. It is not always obvious when someone is just super pious, or a little crazy.

As always, a good place to turn to for clarity is the Bible. If I am going to study about being strong and courageous then Joshua seems to be the perfect place to begin. Joshua was told repeatedly to be strong and courageous and he was a person who was faithful to God and useful in the practical world/society. Joshua exhibited the strength and courage that I wish to exhibit in my life.

The Key

One point that for me is extremely important is who is telling/commanding Joshua to be strong and courageous?

 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. - Joshua 1:1-6 NKJV

I started with verse 1 for context but verse 5 is the key of the first part of God’s charge to Joshua. God is giving Joshua a personal, heart-warming, promise. God is telling Joshua that he will succeed because God will be with Him just like He was with Moses.

As one scholar notes,

“Yahweh’s fidelity does not hinge on the achievement of men, however gifted they may be, nor does it evaporate in the face of funerals or rivers.” - D. R. Davis, No Falling Words: Expositions of the Book of Joshua (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1988), 18.

The first key point in being strong and courageous is a realization of God’s presence and support. As we study this further we will gain an understanding of this means. But I’ll just mention it now that it does not mean that you get to assume that God supports whatever you desire to do and that you can do whatever you want.

Moses changed Joshua’s name?

These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua. -Numbers 13:16 NKJV 

The fact that Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun the name Joshua makes Joshua the first person in the Bible to be explicitly given a name that incorporates God’s holy, personal name, “Yahweh.” (David M. Howard p. 73.)

Joshua’s name usually is given in the Hebrew Bible as “Yehoshua,” which means “Yahweh saves/delivers.” His name is rendered in the Greek traditions (LXX) as Iēsous, which is the same form as Jesus’ name in the New Testament. - David M. Howard Jr., Joshua, vol. 5, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998), 73.

It is important to keep in mind that God Himself is the deliverer of Israel. Joshua’s name is a reminder of this. This also brings up the second key point in being strong and courageous, and that is a realization that God is the one who delivers us. I am not talking about being strong and courageous based on your human abilities and physical strength, but rather being strong and courageous as God’s agent here on earth.

It’s complicated…

God is with Joshua and God is responsible for his success. How can Joshua know it is God’s will? Sure, God talked to Joshua, but how can we be sure it is God talking to us and not just the desires of our own hearts? We should always question messages we think are coming from God since we can easily deceive ourselves.

Some history (context) always helps. In Genesis 15 we have God making His covenant with Abraham. As a part of it, God tells Abraham some of the things that were to happen, including the 400 years his descendants would be slaves. God adds that once the iniquity of the Amorites reaches their full measure, Abraham’s children would return and take possession of the land (Genesis 15:16). So there is scriptural basis for what God is calling Joshua to do.

In Deuteronomy 7 God repeats the promise to Moses stating that no one would be able to stand against him (Deuteronomy 7:24). In Joshua 1:5 we have God repeating the same promise to Joshua. So a study of the scriptures reveals that what Joshua is being called to do fits perfectly with God’s plans.

I will be with you

Okay, but you’re not being called by God to lead the children of Israel across the Jordan into the promised land, at least not literally, like Joshua was. So how do we know if God’s promises to Joshua are applicable to us?

Great question!

The words “I will be with you” recall identical promises made to Isaac (Genesis 26:3), Jacob (Genesis 31:3), Moses (Exodus 3:12), and Joshua himself (Deuteronomy 31:8, 23). (David M. Howard Jr. p.83)

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” - Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV

And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” - Deuteronomy 31:8 NKJV

Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.” - Deuteronomy 31:23 NKJV

You’re probably feeling like there is a lot of repetition taking place here, but this is intentional. God is making this principle very clear. God is faithful to the words He spoke at earlier times. God is consistent and does not change.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. - Hebrews 13:8 NKJV

“For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. - Malachi 3:6 NKJV

“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? -Numbers 23:19 NKJV

The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” - Isaiah 40:8 NKJV

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. - Matthew 24:35 NKJV

Why is it important that God does not change? Because if He was always changing it would be impossible for us to know His will. We would always be wondering if He changed His mind. But knowing that He does not change, we can know if we are living in accordance with His will. All we have to do if familiarize ourselves with what He has revealed to us in the Bible and know His heart and character and plans and desires.

The verbatim repetitions of God’s promise that we find in the book of Joshua show how God was faithful to His words spoken in earlier times. God was faithful to every generation of Abraham’s descendants. On a similar note Jesus told his disciples “surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt 28:19–20), showing that God’s presence was not just promised to a particular generation, but to every generation of faithful believers. (David M. Howard Jr. p.84).

We have covered how God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6,7,9 echoing Deuteronomy 31:6, 7, 23). We established that Joshua can be strong and courageous because God is with him and will give him victory. There is only one more thing that God communicates clearly to Joshua.

Obedience?

7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:7-9 NKJV

God directs Joshua to live in obedience to the law that Moses had given him. Joshua would prosper, God guaranteed it. But Joshua’s prosperity was related to his obedience. In order to Joshua to succeed in the mission God had for him, the success that God would provide, Joshua had to keep the law. Obedience is important because victory is guaranteed by God.

The keys to Joshua’s success were the same as those for a king: being rooted in God’s word rather than depending upon military might (Deut 17:14–20, esp. vv. 16, 18–19). - David M. Howard Jr., Joshua, vol. 5, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1998), 85.

I love how everything goes together beautifully. God called Joshua and told him to be strong and courageous. God promises to be with Joshua and guarantees his victory. But also asks Joshua to be obedient to His laws.

Oftentimes we are tempted to believe that success lies in disobedience to God’s law. Like Eve, we believe the lies that God is withholding good things from us. We abuse our freedom and disregard God’s laws. We are free to disobey, and God does not immediately strike us with lightning, so we think He must not have really meant what He said. We take God’s patience as approval for our disobedience. We confuse grace with license to sin and as a result, we miss out on the success we could have enjoyed.

Takeaway

God told Joshua to be strong and courageous and promised to be with him. We see that Joshua’s mission was in line with God’s plans and God’s previous revelations to those who came before Joshua. We know that God does not change. Jesus spoke similar words to His followers and gave us a mission and a promise as well.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:9 NKJV

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. - Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV

God called Joshua for a special mission. Jesus gave all of us, His followers a mission as well. We are to go and make disciples. God promised to be with Joshua and we have the same promise. Our success is in the hands of God. Joshua was told to keep the law, and we are told to teach others to observe all things that Jesus commanded us.

So my challenge to you is to be strong in courageous. Not because you are able to do what Jesus called you to do on your own, but because He promised to be with you. God’s presence is the key to success. You don’t have to be afraid, it is not about you. Just be faithful to God and watch Him work in a mighty way in your life.

Has Jesus not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you always, even unto the end of the age.

Amen.

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Blessed Are You

Jesus taught them

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Let’s use our imagination to go back to that day, and, as we sit with the disciples on the mountainside, to listen to the words of Jesus. Try to enter into the thoughts and feelings that filled the hearts of the men and women who were eagerly listening to the words of Jesus, understanding what His words meant to those who heard them. This exercise will help us consider Jesus’ words in new vividness and beauty, and we may also gain for ourselves deeper lessons from this powerful sermon.

Cultural context can help us gain a new appreciation for a familiar sermon. Sadly, the spirit of true devotion had been lost in tradition and ceremonialism. These are sobering thoughts for me since any faith community experiences similar dangers throughout its history. Not only had God’s people become caught up with tradition and ceremonialism, but the prophecies about the Messiah were interpreted at the dictate of proud, world-loving hearts. The Jews looked for the coming One, not as a Savior from sin, but as a great prince who should bring all nations under the supremacy of the Lion of the tribe of Judah. John the Baptist called them to repentance with the heart-searching power of the ancient prophets, but his efforts were mostly in vain. Beside the Jordan, John the Baptist had pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world. Through the ministry of John, God was seeking to direct people’s minds to Isaiah’s prophecy of the suffering Savior, but they refused to hear. (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing 1-2).

Imagine yourself upon the green hillside, awaiting the words of the divine Teacher. The heart of the average listener was likely filled with thoughts of future glory. Remember that there were scribes and Pharisees who looked forward to the day when they should have dominion over the hated Romans and possess the riches and splendor of the world’s great empire. There were likely also poor peasants and fishermen who hoped to hear the assurance that their wretched hovels, the scanty food, the life of drudgery, and fear of going without, were to be exchanged for mansions of plenty and days of ease. In place of the one coarse garment which was their covering by day and their blanket at night, they hoped that Christ would give them the rich and costly robes of their conquerors. (ibid)

Imagine yourself sitting there, your heart thrilled with the proud hope that your nation was soon to be honored before the nations as the chosen of the Lord, and Jerusalem exalted as the head of a universal kingdom.

Now with this mindset read the words that came out of the mouth of Jesus.

 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. - Matthew 5:3 NKJV

Blessed

The sermon on the mount begins with what has traditionally been called “The Beatitudes” from the Latin word for blessed, beatus. These blessings are common throughout the Bible.

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; - Psalm 1:1 NKJV

Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; - Proverbs 3:13 NKJV

And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” - Matthew 11:6 NKJV

 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” - Acts 20:35 NKJV

 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. - Revelation 1:3 NKJV

The word “blessed” refers to people who are or will be happy or fortunate. Their happiness is related to God’s response to their behavior or situation. It is also fitting that Jesus introduces His sermon with a list of blessings since God blesses His people before He makes any demands on them. This is similar to what happened at Sinai where God delivered His people from Egypt and blessed them before giving them His law. (Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 97.

Poor in Spirit?

It may seem odd at first that out of all the ways that Jesus could have begun this sermon, He begins by pronouncing a blessing on those who are poor in spirit. I believe this caught many of His hearers by surprise, but when we consider the Bible as a whole we should not be surprised that there is a special blessing to those who are poor. This is not to say that the poor are superior, but rather that they seek and are open to receiving help. We can see this as a theme throughout the Bible.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; - Isaiah 61:1 NKJV

“The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. - Isaiah 41:17 NKJV

But I am poor and needy; Yet the Lord thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God. - Psalm 40:17 NKJV

But I am poor and sorrowful; Let Your salvation, O God, set me up on high. - Psalm 69:29 NKJV

 Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? - James 2:5 NKJV

as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. - 2 Corinthians 6:10 NKJV

This may sound almost offensive to some. Perhaps we long to be told that we are fine just the way we are. Maybe we want God to say that we are good enough. Yet the blessing is for those who realize their spiritual poverty. That is not a good feeling. It is not something you can be proud of.

This self-emptying conviction, that “before God we are void of everything,” lies at the foundation of all spiritual excellence, according to the teaching of Scripture. Without it we are inaccessible to the riches of Christ; with it we are in the fitting state for receiving all spiritual supplies. - Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 17.

In support of this, consider the following verses:

17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. - Revelation 3:17-18 NKJV

12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” - Matthew 9:12-13 NKJV

This is great news since God does not require anything from us as the price for His saving gifts. We just have to recognize our universal destitution and cast ourselves at His mercy and compassion.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - 1 John 1:9 NKJV

In other words, Jesus said the equivalent of

Happy are they who recognize their spiritual poverty and feel their need for redemption.

The proud heart strives to earn salvation; but both our title to heaven and our fitness for it are found in the righteousness of Christ. The Lord can do nothing toward the recovery of man until, convinced of his own weakness, and stripped of all self-sufficiency, he yields himself to the control of God. - The Desire of Ages, 300.

Those who mourn

Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. - Matthew 5:4 NKJV

As Jesus continues His sermon, it continues to take unexpected turns.

One might almost translate this second beatitude ‘Happy are the unhappy’ in order to draw attention to the startling paradox it contains. What kind of sorrow can it be which brings the joy of Christ’s blessing to those who feel it? It is plain from the context that those here promised comfort are not primarily those who mourn the loss of a loved one, but those who mourn the loss of their innocence, their righteousness, their self-respect. It is not the sorrow of bereavement to which Christ refers, but the sorrow of repentance. - John R. W. Stott and John R. W. Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7): Christian Counter-Culture, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 40–41.

We struggle with what Jesus means here, it must mean more than those who mourn the loss of a loved one, though I do not believe it excludes that.

This “mourning” must not be taken loosely for that feeling which is wrung from men under pressure of the ills of life, nor yet strictly for sorrow on account of committed sins. Evidently it is that entire feeling which the sense of our spiritual poverty begets; and so the second beatitude is but the complement of the first. - Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 17.

Do we mourn and experience true heart sorrow for our sins? Sometimes we get so used to our favorite sins they don’t even feel that bad anymore.

The mourning here brought to view is true heart sorrow for sin. Jesus says, “I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” John 12:32. And as one is drawn to behold Jesus uplifted on the cross, he discerns the sinfulness of humanity. He sees that it is sin which scourged and crucified the Lord of glory. He sees that, while he has been loved with unspeakable tenderness, his life has been a continual scene of ingratitude and rebellion. He has forsaken his best Friend and abused heaven’s most precious gift. He has crucified to himself the Son of God afresh and pierced anew that bleeding and stricken heart. He is separated from God by a gulf of sin that is broad and black and deep, and he mourns in brokenness of heart. - Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing p9–10.

Meek?

Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. - Matthew 5:5 NKJV

If the first two blessings were challenging to interpret and apply this one is even more so. Once again, this is not a new idea from Jesus’ mind but rather a repetition or continuation of a biblical theme.

But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. - Psalm 37:11 NKJV

In this, Jesus is also our example, though in Matthew 11:29 the New King James Bible translates the same word as “gentle.”

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. - Matthew 11:29 NKJV

Here is what John Stott has to say about this word. (see also 2 Corinthians 10:1 and Zechariah 9:9)

The Greek adjective praüs means ‘gentle’, ‘humble’, ‘considerate’, ‘courteous’, and therefore exercising the self-control without which these qualities would be impossible. Although we rightly recoil from the image of our Lord as ‘gentle Jesus, meek and mild’, because it conjures up a picture of him as weak and effeminate, yet he described himself as ‘gentle (praüs) and lowly in heart’ and Paul referred to his ‘meekness and gentleness’. - John R. W. Stott and John R. W. Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7): Christian Counter-Culture, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 42,

Dr Lloyd-Jones sums it up nicely: ‘Meekness is essentially a true view of oneself, expressing itself in attitude and conduct with respect to others … The man who is truly meek is the one who is truly amazed that God and man can think of him as well as they do and treat him as well as they do.’ (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. The combined edition. Vol. I;II. IVP, 1977. p.68-69) This makes the followers of God gentle, humble, sensitive, and patient in all their dealings with others. If you are struggling with the idea of meekness one passage that helps provide perspective on this topic is Psalm 37.

Patience and gentleness under wrong are not characteristics prized by the world. Jesus’ sermon seems to be backward or upside down, the opposite of what everyone expected to hear. How could self-renunciation be the way to world dominion? This is the struggle of the believer, trusting that God will give them the desires of their heart when they commit their way to Him. Do you believe that Jesus is able to do this? Can you believe that the little you have is better than the riches of many wicked? (Ps 37:1–24)

Righteousness

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. - Matthew 5:6 NKJV

I had often wondered about this one, and once again there are other texts in the Bible that help clarify its meaning.

In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. - Jeremiah 23:6 NKJV (bold mine)

He shall say, ‘Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, And all shall be ashamed Who are incensed against Him. - Isaiah 45:24 NKJV (bold mine)

just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: -Romans 4:6 NKJV (bold mine)

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. - 2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV (bold mine)

The Bible is clear that not only does righteousness come from God but also that it is highly valued by God (Psalm 11:7; 23:3; 106:3; Proverbs 12:28; 16:31; Isaiah 64:5)

Hunger and thirst are felt deeply, to the point that we perceive we might die if we do not drink or eat. Now imagine craving spiritual blessings in the same manner!

One text that ties this in nicely with the other points made by Jesus up to now is Luke 1:53, which is part of the Magnificat or Mary’s Song.

51 He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. - Luke 1:51-53 NKJV

We experience spiritual hunger and thirst when we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) As you can tell by now there are several things that are included when we talk about righteousness in the realm of theology. There’s righteousness as justification or a right relationship with God. There’s also moral righteousness, which is the righteousness of character and conduct that pleases God. Expanding on this John Stott adds:

For biblical righteousness is more than a private and personal affair; it includes social righteousness as well. And social righteousness, as we learn from the law and the prophets, is concerned with seeking man’s liberation from oppression, together with the promotion of civil rights, justice in the law courts, integrity in business dealings and honour in home and family affairs. Thus Christians are committed to hunger for righteousness in the whole human community as something pleasing to a righteous God. - John R. W. Stott and John R. W. Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7): Christian Counter-Culture, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 45.

There is a blessing for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness much like there is a blessing for those who are poor in spirit. Our hunger and thirst should direct our gaze unto Jesus and He will supply all of our needs.

The Holy Spirit never leaves unassisted the soul who is looking unto Jesus. He takes of the things of Christ and shows them unto him. If the eye is kept fixed on Christ, the work of the Spirit ceases not until the soul is conformed to His image. The pure element of love will expand the soul, giving it a capacity for higher attainments, for increased knowledge of heavenly things, so that it will not rest short of the fullness. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.” - The Desire of Ages p.302.

Takeaway

Though we only made it through the first six verses of Matthew 5, a few key ideas have stood out. One of them is that Jesus was not giving out self-help advice. Jesus was not telling the multitude to simply try harder and be more disciplined, though sometimes we live as if that is what Jesus taught. Another key idea is directly related to the first, our blessings come from recognizing that we cannot do this on our own. From the start, Jesus makes it clear that our blessings come from recognizing our complete dependency on God. Our blessings come from recognizing we are spiritually poor, from mourning over our spiritual poverty and hungering and thirsting for what only God can offer us, righteousness. The good news is that God always holds up His end of the bargain. God will comfort those of us who mourn, those of us who wait for Him will inherit the earth, our thirst and hunger will be satiated by God, and ultimately, when we seek God in our spiritual poverty He gives us the kingdom of heaven.

I would summarize the message so far like this,

You need Jesus and the sooner you realize this the sooner you can receive what only He can provide for you.

[mrlnsfrt]

Life, the Universe, and Everything

42?

The title for this post is based on Douglas Adam’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. In this satirical work of science fiction, Douglas Adams describes how many millions of years ago a race of hyperintelligent pandimensional beings got fed up with the constant bickering about the meaning of life so they built themselves a stupendous super computer that was the size of a small city and amazingly intelligent. The computer’s name was Deep Thought and its creators asked it for the answer to the Ultimate Question, of Life, the Universe, and Everything. Deep thought replied it could give them the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything, but it would take some time, seven and a half million years! Seventy-five thousand generations later the beings gathered to hear deep thought speak, they would finally know the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything. The answer to the great Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything is 42. (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy chapters 25-28)

If you are familiar with The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy you may have thought my post would be on the number 42. There are many opinions online about 42 being the answer to the ultimate question about Life, the Universe, and Everything but I am not going to chase the meaning of 42. I would rather consider the author. Douglas Adams described himself as a radical atheist, and this shows in his writing.

“If you describe yourself as 'Atheist,' some people will say, 'Don't you mean "Agnostic?' I have to reply that I really do mean Atheist. I really do not believe that there is a god — in fact I am convinced that there is not a god (a subtle difference). I see not a shred of evidence to suggest that there is one. It's easier to say that I am a radical Atheist, just to signal that I really mean it, have thought about it a great deal, and that it's an opinion I hold seriously." —Adams interview, American Atheist (Winter 1998-99)

The universe in Hitchhikers’s Guide to the Galaxy is characterized by randomness and absurdity. The entire series of fiction novels mocks modern society with biting humor, cynicism, and quite a bit of pessimism. (Britannica.com) I remember reading Douglas Adam’s work and finding it both funny and somewhat depressive. But it is consistent with his worldview. If everything is random and absurd then there is no inherent meaning in life, your life means whatever you want it to mean. That may sound liberating at first, but it seems to me that the ultimate conclusion is rather depressive.

In the Dust of This Planet

In the Dust of This Planet is an academic treatise about the horror humanity feels as we realize that we are nothing but a speck in the universe. (Radiolab.org) Interestingly this academic book looking at philosophy and horror had quite an impact on pop culture. Whether or not you’re familiar with nihilism you have been exposed to it.

Here is an excerpt from an interview with Eugene Thacker, the author of In the Dus of This Planet

BROOKE GLADSTONE: Your hypothesis is the greatest horror is that nothing exists and nothing matters. And the world that we live in that we define in terms of humanity doesn’t care about us. 

EUGENE THACKER: Right. What in philosophy is often referred to as nihilism or pessimism. That there might not be a purpose to things or to your life or to our existence or to the cosmos. There might not be an order to things. We might not be here for a reason. This all might be purely arbitrary, an accident.

JAD: That there's no inherent meaning to anything.

EUGENE THACKER: That it just doesn't matter.

JAD: This is what Nietzsche called-

EUGENE THACKER: The most difficult thought.  (Radiolab.org)

Nihilism

According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. It is often associated with extreme pessimism and a radical skepticism that condemns existence. A true nihilist would believe in nothing, have no loyalties, and no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy.

When you remove God from the picture, I can see how nihilism would be the logical approach to life, the universe, and everything. Everything is made up, it is all social constructs, made by people wanting to control other people. Who can tell you that you are wrong? What you feel is your reality and that is as real as it gets. Why should anyone else impose their reality on you? All you have is this life and you should be allowed to live it any way you please. Another way of looking at it is that other lives are only as important as you decide they are. If there is a life that inconveniences you, why not end it? If the fittest get to survive, should not the weak die? What makes it wrong? Who gets to decide? When there is no God, who gets to decide what is right and wrong? What makes one conclusion superior to another? What happens when we can’t agree on how we should live our lives?

I am not sure how many of you have played with these thoughts, it gets really dark real quick.

So how do I navigate life?

I am glad you asked.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. - John 3:16 NKJV

Maybe some of you roll your eyes at my answer. How cliché of me to quote John 3:16. It does seem simplistic to quote a well-known Bible verse, but maybe there is a reason this verse is so well-known, perhaps it encapsulates the biblical worldview succinctly. My approach to Life, the Universe, and Everything is to think about it in relationship to Jesus’ death on the cross. I do this because as Jesus hung on the cross it revealed the heart of God like nothing else in the history of the universe.

not just a god

It is not enough for God to exist as an intelligent designer or a cosmic force. A distant and uncaring God is not much better than no God at all. I don’t seek God simply to answer the questions that physics and biology are unable to answer. I don’t seek God to simply fill in the gaps that science inevitably leaves. The God of the Bible is a personal God who cares about us. God does not only care about us enough to create us, but cares enough to guide us, to provide for us, and to rescue us. God is not only all-powerful and all-knowing, God loves me personally and He loves you also. God loves us enough to send His unique Son to die so that we might be redeemed to live forever with Him.

When I consider Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for me and you I am filled with not only hope but the assurance that everything will work out in the end.

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? - Romans 8:32 NKJV

I love how Paul puts it. Since God was willing to deliver His Son for us, would He withhold any good thing from us?

Peace and Hope

This understanding gives me peace when God answers my prayers with a “no” or a “not yet.” This also helps me get up in the morning and face the day, because I know I am not alone. When I look at the cross and I see how far God is willing to go to save me, I face my day with confidence that God is with me and will provide for all of my needs.

In light of the cross, consider the words of Jesus spoken in the Sermon on the Mount.

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. - Matthew 6:25-34 NKJV

Since Jesus was willing to die on the cross to freely offer me salvation, I do not have to worry about the uncertainties of life. This also helps me live a generous life that is oriented towards blessing others, rather than an anxious life focused on selfish desires and gain at the expense of those around me. My awareness of God’s love for me brings me not only peace and hope but also gives me a purpose in life.

Purpose

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:8-10 NKJV

The God of the Bible offers us salvation as a gift. We do not have to do good works in order to earn our salvation. However, God has created us for good works. We do good works because in doing so we fulfill our calling and find joy and satisfaction. We do not have to be kind and generous and stand up for the truth in order to one day receive some reward, rather we do all those things because we are going to receive a great reward, but our reward is thanks to God’s grace and His great love for us, and not because of anything we have done to earn it.

We are selfish and foolish, we chase pleasure and happiness but never find it. God tells us how we should live our lives in order to maximize our existence in this sinful world.

6 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? 7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

“If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. 11 The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. - Isaiah 58:6-11 NKJV

You have a choice

You can reject the Bible and the picture of God it conveys as nothing more than made-up stories or mythology. You don’t have to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You can go through life chasing pleasure. Try being your own God, master of your destiny. See how that works out. Perhaps that’s where some of you are. Maybe you have broken every rule and guideline that God has given humanity, and you have realized that it never satisfied you and it only caused pain and suffering.

Another option is for you to give the God of the Bible a try. The God who loves you so much He sent His one and only Son to die for you. The God that offers you eternal life, but not only that, God also promises to take care of you and provide for you all the days of your life. The God of the Bible not only created us but also redeemed us. He is not a distant God. He is interested in your life, He wants to bring you comfort, healing, and strength. God wants to give you a hope and a purpose.

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. - Jeremiah 29:11-13 NKJV

The cross of Calvary teaches us a clear lesson. God loves us, He loves you. The resurrection teaches us that Jesus has conquered the grave and we do not have to fear death. As you consider these truths about God and His plan to save you, how will you respond?

A knock at the door

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. - Revelation 3:20NKJV

Jesus knocks at the door. He chose to come and die for you, you did not have to force Him. He wants to have a relationship with you, He wants to save you, give you eternal life, and forgive all your sins. But Jesus remains at the door knocking. He will never knock it down. You have to open it.

Why not give God a try?

Why not open the door, invite Jesus in, and enjoy dinner with Him? Why resist someOne who loves you so much and wants what’s best for you?

I believe that everything that you are searching for, whether you know it or not is found in the God of the Bible. There are things you don’t even realize you need in your life that you will discover as you walk with God.

One possible answer to Life, the Universe, and everything is 42. Another possible answer is a life characterized by fairness, compassion, and a close relationship with God.

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 NKJV

[mrlnsfrt]

The Lord's Supper

23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. - 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 NKJV

The Lord’s Supper commemorates Jesus’ last supper with His disciples before He was taken away to be crucified. (Matthew 26:14-30; Mark 14:12-26; Luke 22:7-30; John 13:1-30) When we participate in The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, also known as Blessed Sacrament; Communion of the Lord’s Supper; Eucharist; Holy Communion; Sacrament; Table of the Lord… we remind ourselves of the great sacrifice that God made for us. Yes, our salvation is a gift freely given to us by God, but it cost God dearly.

Sadly, when we become familiar with the story of God’s great love and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to save us from our sins, we can begin to take God’s love for granted. When we simply go through the motions we are in danger of missing out on what God wants to do in our lives. It is our love for God that motivates us to obey and follow Him. When we fail to appreciate His great love for us, we eventually fail to desire to live for Him. This was a problem even in the early church. This is partly what Paul is dealing with in his first letter to the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 11).

Examine Yourself

27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. - 1 Corinthians 11:27-28 NKJV

There is debate regarding what it means to participate in communion in an unworthy manner. My understanding of this is that you ought not to participate in communion mindlessly, it is not snack time. The Communion service is an opportunity for self-examination, humility, confession, restoring relationships, and for recommitment to God. Everyone who desires to surrender to God and receive His gift of forgiveness of sins and salvation should participate in the communion service. But if you don’t feel inclined to serve God, if you don’t have any desire to allow God to come into your heart and transform it according to His will, then you’re better off not participating.

Eating and Drinking Judgment

29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. - 1 Corinthians 11:29-32 NKJV

When you participate in Communion, do not do it dishonestly. You may fool those around you, but God does not appreciate you making a mockery of the death of His Son. God sends the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin (John 16:8), and if we listen carefully, we know what we need to repent of. We know who we have to forgive, we know what we have to surrender to God. Please do not let this opportunity pass you by. Make the most out of this great gift God has made available for you at such an infinitely high cost.

Please allow God’s love, especially as demonstrated by Jesus’ death on the cross, to fully impact your heart. Do not change based on fear, but allow God’s love to draw you closer to Him, and to transform you into His likeness. When we judge ourselves and come to God for forgiveness, we do not have to fear judgment.

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? - Romans 8:31-35 NKJV

Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. No one can condemn us when Christ justifies us. But when we make a mockery out of Christ’s death, we insult God’s love. Though no one can separate us from the love of God, God will not force His love on someone who is not interested. No one can separate us by force from God’s love, but God allows us to refuse His love.

Communion is a great opportunity to increase our deep and sincere connection with God. God loves us more than we could ever comprehend. Why would we not want to connect with Him? Jesus died for us so that we could live eternally with Him. Yet, He invites us, never forcing us into that saving relationship with Him. What do you feel Jesus is calling you to do?

Is there something you have been wrestling to give up? Why not give it to Jesus today and ask Him to take it away?

Is there someone you need to forgive? Maybe you have been holding on to bitterness and anger for far too long. Why not offer forgiveness? Not because the other person deserves it, but because of what Jesus has done for you.

Last time we had our Agape Feast (Communion service) one person who participated at our church came by to talk to me afterward. They had messaged someone they had not talked to for over a year. They had been very close for a long time but a few years back they stopped talking after a big disagreement. All previous efforts had been fruitless but since they were participating in communion they felt like they should try one more time and to their surprise, the next day the person replied! The conflict is not solved, but for the first time in a while, there is hope of restoring an old relationship.

God is in the business of restoring relationships.

God is in the business of healing.

God wants to save and bless, but He will not force you. Do not miss this opportunity to examine yourself, to humble yourself, and receive fully what God desires to give you.

[mrlnsfrt]

The Ultimate Productivity Hack

Do you like productivity hacks?

Productivity and efficiency are areas of interest and my social media and email are full of tips and book summaries etc.

Some “productivity hacks” are very practical and straightforward. For example:

Plan your day ahead of time.

Write down the three most important tasks for the day.

Have a clear goal for each day.

Set a specific time for checking your email and social media.

I like these tips, they are practical and beneficial. Other productivity hacks are a bit questionable in my opinion.

Use red and blue colors more often (they supposedly improve brain performance)

Listen to productive music (what classifies as productive music?)

Some life hacks are very practical, while others are more philosophical. One of the benefits I get from “productivity content” is a reminder to consider my goals and priorities. What I am trying to achieve today? What do I want to accomplish as a person? As a husband? As a father? As a pastor?

Specific, measurable outcomes are a great place to focus, and a place where I struggle. How exactly do you measure spiritual growth? How do you measure the health of a church? What is the tangible result of a helpful conversation? Opinoins on this vary a great deal.

Also, productivity and efficiency, like any other area that you study for a while, has contradicting views and opinions. Do you optimize for money? Growth? Power? Control? Influence? What if you become really efficient in doing something that should not be done at all?

In my opinion it all depends on where you are in life and what you are trying to achieve. Time spent clarifying your goal(s) is time well spent.

Personally, my approach is to define your ultimate goal and identify daily habits that will lead you there. Small habits repeated daily will have a greater impact in your life than a big event that might happen once in a lifetime. Especially when that big event is beyond your control. You can spend your days wishing for your big break, or you can show up daily and improve even if by 1%. I am a fan of small, doable, simple, habits, and they have a significant impact on your life.

In this post, I will biblically tackle the big ultimate goal as well as the small actionable habits. Please take my position and recommendations as a conversation starter, and feel free to push back or modify it according to your current stage in your spiritual journey.

The Ultimate Goal

The Bible is clear, from Genesis to Revelation that the ultimate goal in life is to be with God (John 3:16; Isaiah 40:31; Proverbs 14:27; Micah 6:8; Revelation 21:3). A personal and close relationship with God is the ultimate goal and also will lead to the best possible life while here on this sinful earth.

How do I get there?

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. - Acts 2:38 NKJV

 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, - Titus 3:5 NKJV

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. - John 3:16 NKJV

There are many verses on salvation including but not limited to Acts 4:12; 16:30-33; John 14:6. Essentially salvation is a gift from God made available exclusively through Jesus to all who believe. You don’t earn your salvation, you receive it.

Ok, so if I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I believe in Him, and I choose to be baptized for the remission of sins and to receive the Holy Spirit. Now what?

Just Remain

Are you ready for the productivity hack?

The key to incredible success in all areas of life is really simple. Stay with Jesus.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. - John 15:1-4 NKJV

At first glance, Jesus’ words may sound threatening. If you don’t bear fruit, you will be taken away! But I believe that is not the emphasis of Jesus in this passage, and I’ll explain my reasoning as we continue to study this passage.

Pruning?

Interestingly the branches that bear fruit are not left alone, they are pruned, to produce more fruit! I am slowly learning about gardening and pruning. I did some digging online and my understanding is that in the pruning process, you want to eliminate old and unproductive branches. There’s a lot more to pruning, but in a nutshell, you want to help the plant maximize the use of its nutrients and energy.

The word used for pruning (καθαίρω kathairō) is also used for cleansing and metaphorically to remove guilt. (Blue Letter Bible Lexicon). This makes sense since Jesus proceeds to say that His disciples are already clean because of the words He has spoken to them. The words of Jesus have the power to cleanse, to purify, to remove useless shoots. But He also described this as the Father’s doing.

This means that reading the Bible and being exposed to the word of God in other ways will not always be a pleasant experience. If the words of Jesus have a cleansing power, and if the Father prunes the branches that produce fruit, this means change will take place. Abiding in Jesus is not comfortable. I never said it would be easy, but this is the path to the greatest success in all areas of life. Abiding in Jesus in remaining in a relationship that will slowly but surely impact every single area of your life. Abiding in Jesus will change your relationship with everything in life, including your own self. You will no longer be at the center of your universe, Jesus will be there. You stop living for yourself and you begin to live for Jesus. All other relationships take a backseat to your relationship with Jesus. But don’t worry, you don’t have to do this on your own. God will work this out in your life (Philippians 2:13), just don’t walk away. Jesus’ word will cleanse your life and remove the things that should not be there. Everything that hinders the production of fruit will be removed. This removal is for our own good, but it does not mean it will be comfortable or easy.

The reason why I do not believe Jesus intended to scare His disciples into producing fruit is that He is the only one who can cause them to produce fruit. In other words, followers of Jesus cannot produce fruit on their own. All we can do is remain connected with Jesus, the source of everything that we need to thrive in life. therefore you do not need to worry about producing fruit, that will take care of itself. Focus on remaining in Jesus and He will make sure you bear fruit.

What about the “takes away” part?

The text clearly says “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;” (John 15:2a). What do we do with that part? Interestingly the word used for takes away can be translated differently. Some Bibles will have a small “a” or a small “1” next to “takes away” and when you read the translation note, either on the bottom of the page or on the margin somewhere, it will say “or lifts up.” The Greek word used here is αἴρω (airō) which means to raise up, elevate, lift up, to raise from the ground, (Blueletter Bible Lexicon). This way Jesus’ words are understood as the Father lifts up from the ground the branches that are not producing fruit.

This makes sense to me since the branches cannot bear fruit on their own. As Jesus said, the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, and neither can we unless we abide in Him. The message is clear, abide, remain, stay in Jesus.

60-year wedding anniversary

I remember one time, while I was living in Texas, that my senior pastor and I carpooled for a pastors’ meeting. It was a long drive because everything is far in Texas and as we were driving back to Weslaco we stopped by a small town. My senior pastor was driving and said whenever he drove by this town he stopped by to visit his uncle and aunt. We pulled up to a nursing home. We signed the book indicating who we came to visit and were led to a large room with two beds. The room was filled with pictures spanning many decades. My senior pastor introduced me to his uncle and aunt and told me they had been married for over 60 years! As they talked I walked around the room and looked at all the pictures. These two had spent more of their life together than apart.

I was recently married and was curious about the secrets of spending 60+ years with your spouse. So I asked him how he did it, and what advice he would have for someone newly married.

He looked at me and said,

“Marlon, it’s really simple you see, we just never got divorced.”

He and his wife laughed and laughed after that. Then they told me briefly their story. Needless to say, there are numerous variables involved in a marriage lasting that long. I do not wish to oversimplify marriage in this post or to put down those who have gotten divorced. Life is messy and complicated.

However, the answer that he gave me stuck with me all these years and it came to mind as I was reading John 15. This makes the point much more clear, since Jesus is perfect, there is no good reason for me to ever leave Him. So when it comes to our relationship with Jesus we know that He wants to save us, He wants to guide us, and to provide for us. We know Jesus wants what is best, so all we have to do is not leave the relationship.

Abide in Me.

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. - John 15:5-8 NKJV

Jesus repeats the same concept making His point even more clear. We are completely helpless without Him. Jesus said that without Him we can do nothing. This is very humbling and is rather unpopular in modern times. Everyone wants to talk about empowerment. Everywhere you look you are told that you can do it, you can do whatever you want. Then we come to Jesus and He tells us that without Him we can do nothing. In my personal experience, this has been the case. Everything that I have is thanks to God and His rich mercies. I can take credit for none of it. I don’t succeed because I work so hard or because I am so smart. I just humbly come to Jesus daily begging for the Holy Spirit and wisdom and strength. I do this every single day, multiple times throughout the day. I am very aware that I cannot do this on my own. I don’t succeed in life because of my superiority, I succeed despite my weaknesses because of God’s mercy.

I believe this is the beauty of Christianity, it is all about Jesus and what He does for me daily. Not only do I abide in Jesus but I also have His words in me. When the words of Jesus are in my heart I begin to desire what He desires. As I pray and ask for those things that are aligned with the words of Jesus, God is more than happy to do those things. After all, God is glorified when I bear much fruit.

As the human will co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent.

Abiding in Jesus and having His words abide in me cause me to be an unstoppable force for good in this world. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I check the news and it makes me sick to my stomach. I feel helpless, or I feel anger and outrage, but there seems to be nothing I can do to bring about any meaningful change. These experiences tend to ruin my day if I allow it. Suddenly my focus is on everything that is wrong with the world, my community, my family, my life, etc. Or, I can turn to Jesus and look for what He is doing in my life and in the lives of those around me. When I focus on Jesus, I begin to look for opportunities to partner with Him. How can I help? How can I help bring healing? How can I share hope? I s there someone I can encourage? What can I do with what God has given me for the benefit of those around me?

I cannot change others, only Jesus can do that. But I can partner with God in the work He is already doing in the lives of those around me. What is God doing in my community? At my work? In my school? In my neighborhood? In my family?

Suddenly the focus is shifted away from self. Anger turns into a willingness to make a positive impact. Instead of being motivated by anger or frustration, I find myself motivated by a desire to bless, and to partner with God to alleviate suffering. And this is what makes me get out of bed in the morning. This is what makes life worth living. A desire to partner with God and help others is what makes dealing with all the challenges of life worthwhile.

What if I don’t want to?

Just to be clear, I am not talking about trying but failing. I am not describing someone who wanted to but was too weak. I am describing someone who simply does not want to be in a close and personal relationship with Jesus.

Maybe you question whether or not you are abiding. I know, it is difficult to measure spiritual growth. If only there was a thermometer that could reveal my spiritual condition to me. But since there isn’t how do I know?

It is both simple and complicated.

Here is my current understanding of this topic. If I have given my heart to Jesus and have not decided to walk away from Him, I am confident in my salvation.

With that said, I need to be honest with myself. I can fool others by behaving like a follower of Jesus, but I need to know my true intention. Do I desire to spend eternity with Jesus? Do I desire to do His will? Struggling, and failing is not a sign of abandoning Jesus.

I am married and every so often my wife and I disagree on something. Too often I do something she has asked me 947,593 times to not do, like leaving my shoes in the wrong place, or taking out the recycling etc. That does not mean that I considering divorce. I want to do these things, I just forget sometimes. This is very different from me not wanting to be in a relationship with her and secretly wishing I was with someone else, or even trying to start a relationship with someone else without her knowledge.

Do I love Jesus but struggle in some areas? Or do I resent Jesus and would rather follow my own heart and desires? Do I long to be my own God?

These questions are worth considering.

In my personal experience, the more I get to know Jesus the more I love Him and desire closeness to Him. On the other hand, the less I think about Him the less important He seems, until something goes wrong in life and I feel the need for God’s help.

The main point I want to make is that I am not forced to abide in Jesus. I am allowed to walk away if I want to, but Jesus tells me what will happen if I walk away. A branch, separated from the vine withers and is only good as fuel for a fire. Some may say that God is using fear tactics, but the way I see it, God is simply explaining things the way they are.

Back to the marriage analogy. Imagine being married to someone who loves you unconditionally and is always there for you and wants what’s best for you. Your spouse, understandably, does not want you to be in an intimate relationship with anyone else. You are free to leave any moment you want to. Now imagine you want to leave, but you also want your spouse to continue to provide for you as you cheat. You want this because the person you are having an affair with is unable to provide you with those things. So you want to cheat on your spouse who provides everything for you, but you want your spouse to continue to provide for all your needs as you cheat with someone who is unable to provide for you.

Judges 10:11-14 illustrates this principle clearly.

So the Lord said to the children of Israel, “Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the people of Ammon and from the Philistines? Also the Sidonians and Amalekites and Maonites oppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand. Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more. “Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress.” - Judges 10:11-14 NKJV

Being away from God is its own punishment. Living a life completely focused on self is its own punishment. Going through life without God’s help is its own punishment. Life with God is not easy, but without Him, it is exponentially worse. Finally, there is a judgment, and it does involve fire. But since God is the source of life apart from Him we perish. (For audio of me talking more about what the Bible says about hell fire visit Revelation’s Lake of Fire)

Conclusion

If your ultimate goal in life is to live eternally with God the life hack is to not only give your life to Jesus but also to choose Him every day.

This is simple. But not necessarily easy. Choosing Jesus daily means placing Him and His will above myself and my desires. The good news is that Jesus will never give up on me and that He is responsible for all the changes that need to take place in my life. In other words, my spiritual success is guaranteed by Jesus. Jesus wants me to bear much fruit because this bring glory to God.

You don’t produce fruit by trying really hard. You produce much fruit by remaining in Jesus. Jesus is the One who will cause you to bear much fruit.

Whenever you question your salvation. Whenever you are frustrated for not bearing as much fruit as you would like or as quickly as you would like, just shift your focus from yourself to Jesus. Ask yourself, am I remaining in Jesus? And focus on that. Find activities that help you connect with Jesus. Try prayer, Bible study, Bible journaling, prayer journaling. Try drawing, singing, and listening to Christian music. Join a prayer group, go on a hike and pray as you walk. Focus on Jesus and let Him transform every aspect of your life according to His will. Jesus not only saves you but He will also transform your life, you just have to not walk away.

The ultimate life hack is simple. Don’t give up on Jesus. Don’t walk away. Just remain, and He will take care of everything else.

[mrlnsfrt]

Holy Spirit Promise

Giving good gifts

What is the favorite gift you ever gave someone else?

Every now and then I manage to give my wife or one of my kids something that they really like. I love seeing the joy in the face of someone I just gave something they love. I also like to give others good things. I always try to give someone something that will help them, something that will make their lives better. I never want to give someone I love something that would somehow hurt them.

Taking this a step further, as a father, I desire to give my son what he needs to succeed. If he needs help and I can provide the help, I am glad to do it. I want my son to succeed in life, especially in the things I ask him to do. If he needs a pencil to do his schoolwork, I will gladly get him a pencil. If he needs help lifting the trash bag out of the trash can so he can take the trash out, I’ll gladly help him.

If my daughter is hungry and asks for an apple, I’ll gladly get it for her. If she can’t reach something she needs I’ll gladly get it for her. If she is trying to carry something heavy and asks for help I am glad to help.

How willing is God to give us the Holy Spirit?

11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” - Luke 11:11-13 NKJV

Luke 11:11-13 give us a great example of what is referred to in Jewish thought as the “qal wahomer” principle.

Kal va-homer (sometimes written “kal v'chomer“ or “qal wahomer”) (Heb. ‘light and heavy’). - Principle of determining Jewish halakhah: it means that what applies in a less important case will certainly apply in a more important one. The phrase has come to mean an inescapable conclusion. (Encyclopedia.com) - all the more so; surely, used to indicate if an earlier premise is true, the second will certainly be. (Jewish English Lexicon)

In other words, if we fallen, selfish, sinful human beings are willing to give good gifts to our children, then surely, your Heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.

Unless you believe that human parents are more loving than God, you realize that this is one of the great promises of the Bible. God wants us to have the Holy Spirit. God wants to give us good things.

Then, how come we don’t feel like we have the Holy Spirit?

The Purpose of Prayer

Part of our frustration likely arises from a misunderstanding of prayer. I grew up in the city of Salvador in Brazil. There I experienced a mixture of Christianity/Catholicism and Candomblé (Wikipedia) the whole thing is very complex but suffice it to say that the lines between what the Bible teaches and pagan rituals are very blurry in the culture. People would pray to the God of the Bible, to the saints, to the spirits, and whoever else would help them get what they want. In this confusion, the same approaches would be carried over from one religion to the next as part of the culture. (Example: Bom Fim)

I share this because though I no longer live in Salvador, or Brazil I find that we all struggle with separating culture from biblical teachings. The culture is the natural and easy way, it is what everyone is doing, and it takes a special sensitivity and attention to what the Bible is teaching to allow the scriptural text to challenge our culture, regardless of what denomination we belong to.

What this means in a practical sense is that though we pray to the God of the Bible in the name of Jesus, our approach can be similar to a pagan approach. Here’s what I mean. In pagan religions, you have to appease the gods, bribe them, get their attention, and somehow manipulate them to do your bidding. You have to offer the right sacrifice, pay money, say the correct magic words, wear the right clothing, etc. The God of the Bible is our Lord and Creator. We do not bend God to our will, we submit to His. I understand that God wants what is best for me and I know that the best possible life I can live is one that is in accordance with His plans for my life.

This changes everything.

The true purpose of prayer is not to change God but to bring about a change in me so that I will desire both to will and to do His good pleasure. And even that change is brought about by God. So prayer is more about coming to God so that He may shape our lives and bring us into harmony with His will for us.

for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. - Philippians 2:13 NKJV

Fasting and prayer are about humbling myself before God and submitting to His will. My acts of service are an expression of my life for God and for those around me, they are not an attempt to purchase God’s favor and somehow make Him more likely to give me what I want. I trust God to give me what I need and what is best for me in the best possible time. My time in prayer is about me learning about God and investing in that relationship and it is not about me telling God things He does not already know.

So why do I need to pray? The way I see it is to partner with God. God is interested in a relationship. As I pray I learn to pray and as I begin to ask for the right things. When I begin to witness more answers to prayers it is not that God now loves me more, but it could be that I am finally asking for the right things, or that I have matured enough to handle the responsibility of what God is entrusting to me. (I do not claim to have all the answers but this is where I am at the moment in my understanding of answered prayers.)

What about the Holy Spirit?

What jumps out at me is Jesus telling His followers to ask the Father for the Holy Spirit. Why should we ask for the Holy Spirit? When I read the Bible I realize that the Holy Spirit brings with Him everything I could possibly need.

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” - Acts 1:8 NKJV

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. - John 14:26 NKJV

11 “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” - Luke 12:11-12 NKJV

Do you believe that the passage of time has weakened Jesus’ promises regarding the Holy Spirit?

Do you think that God is restricting the flow of the riches of His grace towards us?

Could it be that the fulfillment of the promise has not been experienced as it might be, because the promise has not been appreciated as it should be?

Perhaps we don’t experience more of the Holy Spirit because we don’t ask for Him. We fail to think about the Holy Spirit, to talk about Him, and to long for Him so we fail to experience Him. This neglect on our part causes spiritual declension and death. We begin to major in minors and the divine power which is crucial for spiritual growth and would bring all other blessings with it gets neglected though offered by God in abundance.

When we pray for the Holy Spirit we become more aware of our great need of Him. When we talk about the Holy Spirit, we are reminded of our mission, our purpose, our reason for living. I can pray and ask for health. I can ask God for money, a promotion, a degree, a spouse… these requests are not bad. I am not saying that you should never pray for those things. But if that is all you pray for could you be missing something more important?

Could you be praying for God to increase your strength and your speed, power, and influence, but be missing direction from God regarding what to do with your strength, speed, power, and influence?

Imagine you are walking and asking God for a fast car, and and fuel, all the while you’re headed in the wrong direction. God doesn’t give you a car, and you continue to lack fuel. Then you begin to wonder if God really exists. Maybe you begin to pray to other gods. Maybe you don’t get an idol or change religions, but slowly your business becomes your god, your degree becomes your god, your relationship… you get the idea. Slowly you replace God with things on earth that you think might get you what you want.

Maybe you begin to think God doesn’t love you or God doesn’t want you to have a fast car or fuel, or perhaps God hates cars… all the while, the main problem is that you have not learned from God the direction you should go. Maybe once you’re headed in the right direction you will have the fastest car and the best fuel possible, because now you are achieving what God has prepared for you to accomplish.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:10 NKJV

Have you ever imagined how many times Joseph might have prayed to God to take him back home to his family? Yet all those no’s were because God had a plan to make Joseph the ruler of Egypt. (The Bible does not say that Joseph ever prayed to go back home, this is speculation on my part) This gives me peace when God answers my prayers with a NO. I just have to trust that God knows better and He loves me even more than I love myself. God will not withhold anything that is good for me.

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32NKJV

This is why we should pray for the Holy Spirit. He will teach us how to pray and give us all that we need to succeed in the path God has set for us.

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. - Romans 8:26 NKJV

[mrlnsfrt]

Your Sins are Forgiven

"The miracle of salvation has to be the greatest miracle of all, for it meets the greatest need, brings the greatest results (and they last forever), and cost the greatest price"  -- Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 p.199

An invitation for a meal.

Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. - Luke 7:37 NKJV

Who were the Pharisees? Pharisees were the most influential of the three major Jewish sects (the other two being the Sadducees and the Essenes). We first read of them in the second century b.c. (see Josephus, Antiquities13.10.5–6 [13.288–98]). In contrast to the Sadducees, the Pharisees believed in the resurrection, the existence of angels and demons (Luke 20:27; Acts 23:6–9), predestination as well as free will, and the validity of both the written and the oral law. Politically they were more conservative than the Sadducees, but religiously they were more liberal due to their acceptance of the oral law. (Robert H. Stein, Luke, vol. 24, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 175.

This is not the only time that Jesus ate with Pharisees. Luke 11:37; 14:1 also mentions Jesus eating with Pharisees. They “reclined to eat” is a better translation than “sat down to eat,” since “sat down to eat” invokes a mental picture of European-style tables and chairs, when they were more likely reclining at a short table. This detail will come in handy later on. That they reclined at the meal indicates that it was a banquet or Sabbath meal. Concerning the latter, it was quite common to invite a visiting rabbi or teacher to the Sabbath meal after he had taught in the synagogue (see Mark 1:29–31). If it was a banquet meal, Jesus may have been invited because of his reputation as a prophet. (Robert H. Stein, p. 235–236.)

According to Wiersbe, “It was customary in that day for outsiders to hover around during banquets so they could watch the “important people” and hear the conversation. Since everything was open, they could even enter the banquet hall and speak to a guest. This explains how this woman had access to Jesus. He was not behind locked doors. In that day women were not invited to banquets.” (Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 198.

Commenting on this passage, Bruce Larson points out that the Pharisee did not invite Jesus as a social equal since he did not provide the usual amenities for Him: the anointing of oil for the head, the ritual footwashing, and a kiss of greeting. This would indicate that the Pharisee invited Jesus out of curiosity. He had heard that Jesus was a prophet and he wanted to see for himself who this questionable celebrity was. (Bruce Larson and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Luke, vol. 26, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1983), 141.

Along these same lines Robert Stein shares that while it was not mandatory, it would have been a kind gesture for Simon (the Pharisee) as the host to have had his servants wash the feet of his guest (foot washing Gen 18:4; 19:2; 24:32; 43:24; 1 Sam 25:41; John 13:13–14) Simon was not necessarily being rude in neglecting to do this, but he certainly did not go out of his way to show hospitality to Jesus. It is evident that Simon in no way expressed any affection toward Jesus when he came to his home. (Robert H. Stein, Luke, vol. 24, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 237.

Behold, a sinner.

37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. - Luke 7:37-38 NKJV

Sometimes people are referred to as sinners because of their occupation. For example, tax collectors, tanners, camel drivers, and custom collectors, among others were considered ceremonially impure because of their occupations and could be labeled “sinners.” However, as it will become clear as the story progresses, her sins were not simply a matter of ceremonial uncleanness. (See Luke 7:47-50)

This sinful woman had undoubtedly repented and changed her life and wished to show her gratitude to Jesus who had rescued her. Her bad reputation as a harlot clung to her and made her an unwelcome visitor in the Pharisee’s house. - A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), Lk 7:37.

When this woman, who was a sinner, knew that Jesus was at the Pharisee’s house she brought fragrant oil and came to Jesus’ feet. This is where the height of the table and “sat down” vs. “reclined” at the table makes a significant difference. If Jesus and others were sitting down in a European-style table and chairs she would have had to crawl under the table by everyone else’s feet and make her way to Jesus’ feet. However, if it was a low table and everyone was reclining, perhaps on some pillows, their feet would be behind them, away from the table and not underneath the table.

This woman, who is a sinner, makes her way to Jesus’ feet and begins to weep, she then uses her tears to wash his feet, and her hair to wipe them. This is very humbling, and if that were not enough, she also repeatedly kisses His feet and anointed them with fragrant oil. It is very likely that she had knelt by Jesus’ feet to anoint them with the fragrant oil and did not expect to weep and to have her tears reach His feet before the fragrant oil.

If this man were a prophet…

39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” - Luke 36:39 NKJV

The Pharisee doubts that Jesus is a prophet. According to the Pharisee’s thinking, if Jesus were a prophet, then He would know that this woman was a sinner and He would not have allowed her to touch Him. Jesus addresses similar issues in Luke 7:34, where He recognizes that people accuse Him of being a friend of sinners. The Pharisee believes that he knows something that Jesus doesn’t, except that Jesus not only knows exactly who this woman is, He even knows what the Pharisee is thinking.

Let me tell you something.

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.” - Luke 7:40 NKJV

I find it interesting that the Bible says “Jesus answered,” yet no question was asked of him, at least not out loud. Jesus is answering the thoughts of the Simon. Jesus had come to Simon’s house, not because it would be an honor to do so. Jesus did not come looking for support or resources. Jesus came to the Pharisee for the same reason he hung out with tax collectors. Jesus knew Simon also needed the forgiveness and peace that He came to offer to all of humanity.

Story Time

41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.”

Jesus used stories as a non-threatening way to engage his audience, see for example Luke 10:36 (Parable of the good Samaritan). This parable revealed to Simon that Jesus was indeed aware that the woman was a sinner. The parable also revealed that Jesus was aware of Simon’s thoughts, and not only that, the story revealed that Simon was also a sinner in need of forgiveness.

We don’t know how Simon reacted, but he is exposed. He knew everything about religion, liturgy, theology, ethics, temple worship, and the law. He knew all about the things of God but somehow he missed the essence of it all, which this woman captured. The woman knew how sinful she was. Simon’s problem was that he thought he was better than he was and he misunderstood the nature of God who is the giver of unconditional love. - Bruce Larson and Lloyd J. Ogilvie, Luke, vol. 26, The Preacher’s Commentary Series (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1983), 141.

Do you see this woman?

44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. - Luke 7:44-46 NKJV

Simon thought he knew something that Jesus didn’t, that the woman who was touching Him was a sinner. In reality, it was Simon who had failed to see. Simon had failed to see that Jesus was the Messiah, something the woman clearly saw.  

Everything that Simon neglected to do, the woman did—and she did it better! - Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 198.

It is worth noting that “The parable does not deal with the amount of sin in a person’s life but the awareness of that sin in his heart. How much sin must a person commit to be a sinner? Simon and the woman were both sinners. Simon was guilty of sins of the spirit, especially pride, while the woman was guilty of sins of the flesh (see 2 Cor. 7:1). Her sins were known, while Simon’s sins were hidden to everyone except God. And both of them were bankrupt and could not pay their debt to God. Simon was just as spiritually bankrupt as the woman, only he did not realize it.” (Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 198. Bold mine)

The main difference between Simon and the woman is not the amount of sin they had committed, but rather that she accepted God’s free offer of salvation and expressed her love openly. While Simon rejected Jesus’ offer and remained unforgiven. What a tragedy, to be so close to Jesus, yet fail to benefit from what Jesus had to offer.

What a tragedy to know so much about God, yet fail to understand the heart of God.

How tragic to have an intellectual and theological knowledge of God but miss the practical and relational understanding of our great need for the salvation that God offers us.

Have you ever wondered why, out of all the possible ways Jesus could have begun His sermon on the mount He chose to begin with “Blessed are the poor in spirit?” (Matthew 5:3) Because it is those who realize their need of Jesus that benefit from what Jesus has to offer. Simon probably knew much more about God, prophecy, the laws, and history than the woman did, but because that knowledge failed to cause Simon to recognize his need for Jesus it was all worthless. Maybe even worse than worthless, it was dangerous for his theological knowledge gave him a false sense of security. His hope was not found in Jesus or God’s great mercy, but rather in his intellectual prowess and religious discipline.

It was true that the woman had sinned more than Simon (according to the parable) but she is the only one who recognized her need for forgiveness and received it.

Your sins are forgiven

47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” - Luke 7:47-48 NKJV

Jesus did not downplay the sinfulness of the woman. Indeed, she was a sinner who had committed many sins. However, the multitude of her sins did not make her more lost than Simon. How many sins do you have to commit in order to be classified as a sinner? There are degrees of consequences on a human, physical, and emotional level. However, when it comes to salvation, a small or large sin, or one or one million sins don’t make much of a difference. Once again, here on earth, there is a difference, the more you sin or the different types of sins cause varying levels of pain and suffering. But when it comes to salvation, one is all it takes for you to need to be rescued by Jesus.

The fact that the woman had many sins did not matter because she came to Jesus who was more than happy to forgive her of all her sins! Simon, on the other hand, had different sins, sins people would probably refer to as smaller sins, less offensive, less disruptive. However, Simon was also in desperate need of the forgiveness and salvation that Jesus had to offer. His failure to notice that prevented him from experiencing the deep love the woman had for Jesus.

All true penitents have a dear love to the Lord Jesus. - Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 1847.

As you read this you might identify with the woman with many sins, or you might identify yourself more closely with the Pharisee. Maybe your life has been pretty good, you might have never done anything terrible. Maybe you don’t feel a great need for Jesus and as a result, you don’t particularly feel much love towards Him. Maybe you look down on those who have more sins, those who have caused more pain and suffering and have also experienced a greater degree of pain and suffering. This story is a warning, lest you forget how you need Jesus’ salvation just as much as the worst sinner this world has ever seen.

Your faith has saved you.

49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” - Luke 7:49-50 NKJV

Though the woman was forgiven much and loved much, her love was a result of her salvation, not the cause of it. She loved much because she had experienced forgiveness. Her forgiveness was a result of her faith.

We are not saved by faith plus works; we are saved by a faith that leads to works. This anonymous woman illustrates the truth of Galatians 5:6, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (NIV). - Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 198.

Onlookers who had not experienced forgiveness to the degree that that woman had probably thought her behavior was over the top. We must be very careful not to judge someone else’s spiritual journey. They may seem fanatic to you, over-zealous, but perhaps they have just experienced God’s love in a way that is still foreign to you. Some dedicate their lives to God in such a passionate way that others wonder how it can be possible for anyone to live like that. Others live lives that barely give any evidence of their love for God.

I am still learning how to live my life in a way that is dedicated to God but sustainable. By this I mean I want to live in such a way that I will be around a long time to serve and bless those around me. However, I want to allow the Holy Spirit to move in me and make me uncomfortable as often as necessary for me to minister to those that God sends my way.

What about you?

What is your spiritual journey like? Is it vibrant and alive? Is your love for God passionate yet sustainable?

Or are you satisfied with a cheap and easy religion? Are you just sitting in your comfort zone judging those you consider less worthy of salvation? Do you love little and judge those who seem to love God way too much?

These are difficult questions. I am always asking God to guide me in this. I invite you to do the same. Ask God to reveal to you what you need to surrender to Him. Ask God to remind you of who you once were, and who you are now thanks to Him and His great love for you.

Instead of grudging greater sinners the mercy they find with Christ, upon their repentance, we should be stirred up by their example to examine ourselves whether we be indeed forgiven, and do love Christ. - Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 1848.

Practical application

Jesus is not here for us to anoint his feet. Some of us don’t have hair long enough to wipe His feet, so what should we do?

Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ - Matthew 25:45 NKJV

Though Jesus is not here, there are those in need that we can help because of our great love for Jesus.

So here is my challenge for you. Pray that God will send you someone to help this week. Someone you can help in the name of Jesus. You will help this person not because of anything they can do or has done for you, you will help this person simply because of what Jesus has done for you, a selfless act of kindness, that will reflect your great love for Jesus and your recognition of all that He has done for you.

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Unstoppable

What the dreams did not make known was that grace, love, and forgiveness—not submission enforced by power—achieved the benevolent outcome of the ruler over his subjects. - K. A. Mathews, Genesis 11:27–50:26, vol. 1B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), 807.

The Big Reveal

Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, “Make everyone go out from me!” So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard it.

3 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph; does my father still live?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his presence. - Genesis 45:1-3 NKJV

Judah’s speech had accomplished its goal. Joseph was convinced that his brothers indeed had changed and he no longer could control himself. Joseph reveals his true identity to his brother and they are terrified. I imagine Joseph’s brothers were already afraid of Zaphenath-Paneah ( the Egyptian name Pharaoh gave Jospeh Genesis 41:45), but surprisingly they are terrified to find out that this powerful “Egyptian” is their long lost, and thought to be dead, brother Joseph.

They were likely terrified because they realized how much power Joseph had. Joseph can have them all killed, thrown in prison, or turned into slaves. Joseph could have all of his brothers serve him as slaves for the rest of their lives, or even for generations to come. What will he do to them? They are completely at his mercy. I wonder how often they thought about what had become of Joseph. Did they ever desire to meet him again? Did they sometimes wish that Joseph would make his way back home? Ultimately, we don’t know. But it seems clear that they never expected him to have become one of the most powerful men in the region.

His brothers stood motionless, dumb with fear and amazement. The ruler of Egypt their brother Joseph, whom they had envied and would have murdered, and finally sold as a slave! All their ill treatment of him passed before them. They remembered how they had despised his dreams and had labored to prevent their fulfillment. Yet they had acted their part in fulfilling these dreams; and now that they were completely in his power he would, no doubt, avenge the wrong that he had suffered. - Patriarchs and Prophets vol. 1, Conflict of the Ages Series (Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1890), 230.

God Sent Me

4 And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. - Genesis 45:4-8 NKJV (Bold mine)

Joseph got the sense that his brothers had already suffered enough for their cruelty towards him. Perhaps God impressed this truth upon Joseph’s heart? Now Joseph wanted to dismiss the fears and bitterness of self-reproach his brothers were experiencing. He calls his brothers close to him and repeats that he is their brother, the one they sold into Egypt. I do not believe he mentioned the fact he was sold as a slave to make his brothers feel worse, but maybe was proof that he was who he claimed to be.

Joseph proceeds to tell his brothers to be neither grieved nor angry for their previous evil actions. Joseph interpreted his life events as guided by God to bring about the preservation of life. Joseph understood that God has the power to transform human misery into wonder and salvation.

 The challenge for the believer is to accept the efficacy of God’s thoughts (Isa 55:8–9), waiting by faith for the dawning of the new day. We can be assured that in whatever path the Lord directs us, it will lead us to the same place, his heavenly household. - K. A. Mathews, Genesis 11:27–50:26, vol. 1B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), 808.

Joseph fills his brothers in on the details, the famine will continue for five more years. This means that they cannot simply go back home and hope to be able to grow anything any time soon. Joseph is their only hope, yet not only theirs but the hope for salvation for the entire region. This is why Joseph believes so strongly that God sent him there and made him a leader over Pharaoh and the entire land of Egypt. Joseph correctly sees the hand of God guiding in all of this and he recognizes the good that will come of it.

Joseph explains that the purpose of God, “to save lives” (lĕmiḥyâ), surpassed the malicious intent of the brothers. - K. A. Mathews, 813.

Who is in Control?

How do you feel about Joseph’s statement? On the one hand, recognizing God’s sovereignty makes it easier for Joseph to forgive his brothers.

The certainty that God’s will, not man’s, is the controlling reality in every event shined through as the basis for reconciliation. No doubt Joseph had consoled himself many times with this principle of faith. He who is spiritual can perceive the hand of God in every event, and therefore is able to forgive those who wrong him. - Allen P. Ross, “Genesis,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 94.

But does this theology make Joseph’s brothers blameless? After all, it was not them, it was God who sent Joseph to Egypt. I believe the brothers are very much responsible for their behavior and I see Joseph’s tests of his brothers as evidence that he also understood them to be in control of their behavior. If their brothers had no autonomy there would have been no need to test them.

I appreciate David Brown’s take on Joseph’s words.

This statement must not be interpreted more strictly than the general tenor of the history warrants—certainly not as implying that the commission of the outrageous abduction of Joseph by his brethren was necessitated by anything like a direct, compulsory influence upon their minds. The strong phraseology in which the declaration was made is to be ascribed to the peculiar circumstances of the speaker; and the meaning which underlies the expression is evidently this—That as nothing, whether great or small, important or trivial, can happen without God’s will, His wisdom and providence had ordered a train of circumstances, so that bad and malignant individuals, subjected to their influence, were induced to commit the crime of selling Joseph.  - David Brown, A. R. Fausset, and Robert Jamieson, A Commentary, Critical, Experimental, and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments: Genesis–Deuteronomy, vol. I (London; Glasgow: William Collins, Sons, & Company, Limited, n.d.), 254.

This is tricky for me. I believe that God is in control of history, otherwise, how would He have revealed to Joseph in a dream (Genesis 37:5-8) that one day his brothers would bow down to him? (For more on this see Dysfunctional Family) Though Joseph would have supremacy over his brothers, I believe his brothers freely chose how they reacted to Joseph’s dream. Though his brothers could not keep the dream from being fulfilled, nobody forced them to be mean to Joseph, to plot to kill him and to sell him as a slave. We don’t know how the story would have turned out if the brothers had loved and supported Joseph, but that doesn’t mean that they had to sell Joseph as a slave.

I don’t want to chase this rabbit in this post but there is a book that does a great job in explaining freedom of choice and how to reconcile that with God’s sovereignty. The book is called Theodicy of Love by John C. Peckham.

But here is what I take from this story.

Becoming Unstoppable

Joseph did not deserve the way he was treated by his brothers (Betrayed by Family), and later by Potiphar’s wife (Wrongfully Accused). Joseph was betrayed by members of his family those who would have been the first to love and protect him. If that was not bad enough he was later wrongfully accused by someone who had power and authority over him. Though he was betrayed by his brothers and thrown in prison for something he didn’t do, Joseph still became the ruler of Egypt and the hope of salvation for those living in that portion of the world. How could Joseph succeed under those circumstances?

I believe that if we follow a few key principles we can, like Joseph, succeed despite all odds.

I am not saying you will become wealthy and powerful. I am saying you will succeed in accordance with God’s plans for your life. And God’s plans are great!

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. - Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. - Romans 8:28 NKJV

But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” - 1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:10 NKJV

God has a plan for us and based on what happened with Joseph I believe that no one can frustrate God’s plans for our lives. So if someone betrays you, falsely accuses you, and intends to do you harm, they can never frustrate God’s will for your life. By this, I mean that God can use whatever is meant for evil and still bring some good out of it.

Please understand that I am not saying that God wills for bad things to happen. I am saying He does not allow them to frustrate His plans. He can bring good out of the evil that others wish upon you. Joseph’s brothers were jealous of Joseph. They could have focused on their lives and God’s plans for them, but instead, they focused on their hatred for their youngest brother. Their hatred in turn caused them to desire to kill their brother, and eventually, they sold him as a slave. As a result of their behavior there was great suffering. Jacob suffered, Joseph suffered, and even the brothers later were full of remorse and guilt. From their interaction with Joseph, we notice that they were filled with remorse and guilt for their actions. Yes, God indeed used their actions to bring about good and to deliver many from starvation. But this does not mean that Joseph’s brothers had to be mean and sell him as a slave.

We only know what God did, we do not know what would have happened if Joseph’s brothers had been loving and supportive. Joseph realized how God blessed him and noticing how repentant his brothers were he tried to ease their guilt. Joseph understood his life as guided by God to bring a greater good. This view allowed him to remain positive and to forgive his brothers.

Joseph’s understanding that God was ultimately in control allowed him to live generously. He understood that God was his provider, and he remained faithful to God and allowed God to provide at the right time. As a servant in Potiphar’s house, Joseph was the best servant and God blessed him and he prospered (But God was with him). When tempted to sin, Joseph resisted, and his right behavior did not keep him from being thrown in jail (Wrongfully Accused). While in jail, Joseph continued to be generous and kind and hard-working and God was with him and he prospered again. Whether at home with his father, as a servant/slave in Potiphar’s house, or in prison, Joseph always rose to the top. The Bible is clear that God was with Joseph, but I also believe that Joseph chose to behave in accordance with the will and character of God. I believe that God is with us in the same manner, and if we are, like Joseph, willing to be kind and generous and work hard we too will prosper in accordance with God’s will.

Hurry and go tell Dad!

9 “Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph: “God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. 10 You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children’s children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. 11 There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.” ’

12 “And behold, your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13 So you shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that you have seen; and you shall hurry and bring my father down here.”

14 Then he fell on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. 15 Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him. - Genesis 45:9-14 NKJV

Joseph’s brothers are not sure what to do with all the information they just received, so Joseph helps them by telling them what to do next. “God tell Dad, and bring everyone back to Egypt.” Joseph hugs them and kisses them, starting with Benjamin. After this, his brothers finally find the words to talk to Joseph. I would have loved to know what they talked about and how well that conversation went.

Pharaoh’s Reaction

16 Now the report of it was heard in Pharaoh’s house, saying, “Joseph’s brothers have come.” So it pleased Pharaoh and his servants well. 17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Say to your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals and depart; go to the land of Canaan. 18 Bring your father and your households and come to me; I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land. 19 Now you are commanded—do this: Take carts out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and your wives; bring your father and come. 20 Also do not be concerned about your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.’ ”

21 Then the sons of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them carts, according to the command of Pharaoh, and he gave them provisions for the journey. 22 He gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments. 23 And he sent to his father these things: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and food for his father for the journey. 24 So he sent his brothers away, and they departed; and he said to them, “See that you do not become troubled along the way.” - Genesis 45:16-24 NKJV

I was surprised by Pharaoh’s generosity. I had underestimated Pharaoh’s appreciation for Joseph. Maybe it’s my familiarity with the Pharaoh that Moses interacts with in the book of Exodus that caused me to view all Pharaohs in the same light. But here we have a Pharaoh who is kind to Joseph and in favor of having his entire family move to Egypt. Joseph was such an amazing person to work with that Pharaoh and his servants were happy to have Joseph’s family join them. Here we also witness Pharaoh commanding Joseph to do something, to take carts from the land of Egypt for the women and children. Pharaoh also commands Joseph’s family not to be concerned with their good since the best of the land of Egypt is theirs. So Joseph and his brothers obeyed the Pharaoh.

I am blown away by Pharaoh’s generosity. How wonderful it is for someone who works hard to be appreciated for the work she or he does. Pharaoh values Joseph and his leadership and so he is very generous with Joseph and his family. One powerful and positive witness opened the doors for many blessings. Sadly, a powerful negative witness is also able to close doors for many. Your interactions with others are never just about you. You are opening or closing doors for those who will come after you.

Heart Problems?

25 Then they went up out of Egypt, and came to the land of Canaan to Jacob their father. 26 And they told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt.” And Jacob’s heart stood still, because he did not believe them. 27 But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived. 28 Then Israel said, “It is enough. Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.” - Genesis 45:25-28 NKJV

I was worried for a moment about Jacob because his heart stood still while he struggled to believe the news his sons brought him. But as they talked and he saw the carts from Egypt, he finally believed and his spirit revived. Jacob had gained new vigor and a new life goal, he was going to see his son Joseph before he died.

Practical Application

Joseph found himself on the receiving end of a series of unfortunate events. That puts it too mildly. Joseph suffered at the hands of those who were more powerful than him. But instead of becoming bitter, vengeful, and rebellious, Joseph prospered and became more powerful than anyone who had ever hurt him. Joseph’s rise to power was not motivated by a desire for revenge, nor was it by hatred. Sure, hatred and revenge may make for blockbuster movies and best-seller novels, but the story of Joseph’s life is not about hatred and revenge, but rather about salvation and forgiveness. Joseph used his power and influence to bless others and not to repay evil for evil.

Joseph could have made his brothers, Potiphar and his wife, and even all of Egypt feel his wrath. Joseph could have been a cruel ruler and even attempted to overthrow the Pharaoh. Joseph’s story had all the characteristics for the making of a supervillain, yet he became the hero. Through Joseph nation and peoples were able to survive a seven-year famine!

Similar to Joseph, many of you who are reading this have likely been betrayed and wrongfully accused by those who have more power than you. Chances are that you have been mistreated even though you did nothing to deserve such treatment. You are unable to control those around you, so what do you do? Joseph’s brothers were stronger than him and outnumbered him. He pleaded with them but they did not listen to him. There was nothing Joseph could do and he was sold as a servant. Similarly, Potiphar’s wife had more power and authority than Joseph, despite his pleas he was sent to jail. Yet as a servant and as a prisoner Joseph rose to the top and was placed in charge of everything. I believe the only way this could happen was if God was with him. Yet, I believe that Joseph had to choose to be kind, dependable, generous, and work hard every day. Joseph had to choose to not be bitter, to not be vengeful, to not be angry, and to not drown in sorrows in some substance that would numb the pain.

Joseph remained engaged and continued to do good and to learn from each situation he found himself in. Joseph trusted in God to provide and judge, and focused on doing his part.

What do I take away from Genesis 45?

I may not be able to control those around me, especially those who have more power than me. Instead of spending my time wishing I could control them or that they would behave differently, I can focus on what I can do. Instead of wishing others would behave differently I can choose to behave in the best way possible. Luck is oftentimes on the other side of hard work.

Life is not fair. People will not always appreciate your worth. Many times it may feel like no one notices that you’re working hard and going the extra mile, but God is watching. It could be that the situation you are in is preparing you for what God has in store for you next.

How do you become unstoppable?

Believe in God’s promises and claim them in prayer. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. - Romans 8:28 NKJV

Work for God and not for people. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. - Colossians 3:23-24 NKJV

Leave vengeance to God. 17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. - Romans 12:17-21 NKJV

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Life More Abundant

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. - John 10:10 NKJV

When you think about your life, during what moments have you felt the most alive? What were you doing? Who was with you? Where were you? How much effort did it require?

“Life” includes the physical, intellectual, and spiritual. Physical life is regarded as abundant in a body that is full of vigor and in perfect health. Jesus’ miracles of physical healing gave an abundant physical life to those whose life forces were ebbing. But physical restoration was by no means the complete fulfillment of Jesus’ mission. Man also has intellectual and spiritual life, which must also be made alive and abundant, for “man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord” (Deut. 8:3). Important as the physical and the intellectual aspects of a well-rounded life are, no life is fully complete unless the spiritual nature is nurtured. - Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5 (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1980), 1005.

I believe that Psalm 103 paints a beautiful picture of a God who provides life and provides it abundantly.

 Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. - Psalm 103:1-5 NKJV

Once again, I would like to highlight that this is not a new approach that Jesus ushered in, but rather it has been God’s modus operandi from the very beginning. The God of the Bible, the God we worship, is a God who desires us to experience life to the fullest, and keeping this in mind as we read the Bible helps us better interpret His will for our lives.

Jesus shares His mission of giving us a more abundant life in John 10. Context is always important when we interpret text and in this case, Jesus is speaking these words after a blind man He healed was excommunicated, or disfellowshipped. This took place in John 9 and I have an entire blog post dedicated to it entitled The Gospel as Judgment?

John chapter 10 has been surprisingly challenging for me to grasp. What I take away from it is that Jesus is setting Himself apart from the religious leaders of His time. Given the harsh words Jesus uses “thief” and “robbers,” it does not surprise me that so many are careful to trust organized religion. However, we cannot simply do away with organized religion since disorganized religion seems even more troublesome. I say that tongue-in-cheek but I hope you get the idea. Organization is not the problem, the main concern should be the reason or mission of the organization. In other words, what motivated the church to be organized? Is the church organized to build itself up? To accumulate power and wealth? Or is the church organized for a mission? To serve, and help those in need.

Distrust of organized religion, government, or large companies, that greedily exploit the people for profit is understandable. I have a limited voice regarding what happens in my denomination worldwide, but I have greater influence over what happens at my local church. If Jesus came so that we might have life and have it more abundantly, what should we do as His church?

“Authorities who seek to gain possession of the sheep are not the true shepherd.” - Keener, Craig S. The Gospel of John. Vol. 2, Peabody, Mass., Hendrickson, 2003, p. 812.

We do not serve the church. We are the church. We do not come to be served, but to serve others. There are so many that I have talked to who stopped attending church because they were not treated as they expected to be. This reminds me of the story of a husband who did not want to go to church. It was Sabbath morning and his wife was telling him to get up and get ready to go to church. He just rolled over in bed and began to mumble complaints.

“But I don’t have any friends at church. The service is long and kind of boring. The music is not great, some of the people there are mean, and some are judgmental. I had a long week, I am tired, and I don’t want to go. Give me one good reason why I should go to church.”

His wife looked at him and replied.

“Well, for starters, you’re the pastor…”

I have heard this story a few times, sometimes it made me laugh, and sometimes it made me want to cry. No church is perfect. Even at a great church, you’re not guaranteed to have a great experience. Chances are you’re going to meet someone who rubs you the wrong way or disagrees with your political views or parenting philosophy. There will be people who have different tastes and ideas of how you should live, dress, talk, eat, vote, etc.

Why go to church?

So why do we keep coming to church? One of the reasons is to worship God. Another is to learn, to be instructed, comforted, challenged, and motivated. Another one is that we can do more as a community than on our own. I believe God is calling each one if us to join a church and be a part of what is good about it.

Is your church not friendly enough? Start a trend. Volunteer to greet. Choose to smile, and introduce yourself to those around you. Make a special effort to meet and talk to someone you haven’t talked to before.

Is your church not doing enough to serve the community? What could the church be doing? What do you need to begin doing? Find some other church members who have the same passion and begin, make a plan, and begin a new ministry.

This is part of my challenge in interpreting John 10. I understand that Jesus is the shepherd and that He gave His life for me.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. - John 10:11 NKJV

Part of the life more abundant that Jesus makes available for me is the eternal life that He died to give me. But I also believe that Jesus is our example and He calls us to live as He lived and that our mission as His followers includes doing our very best to also help those around us have a more abundant life. Part of that, of course, includes introducing people to Jesus, but it does not stop there. Life more abundant includes healthier relationships, a healthier body, and better education, it involves all areas of life.

Here are some questions I would love to pose to you.

What if a more abundant life is not found in idleness? What if rest is found in meaningful service? What if life more abundant comes from concentrated efforts in the right areas?

In order to work for God successfully, we must die to self, surrendering all to God. In words of great tenderness, Christ invites us, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” When you respond to this invitation, when you learn what it means to find rest by lifting the cross and bearing it after the Lord, you will be true witnesses for Him. But until this lesson is learned, self will appear, and Jesus will be kept in the background. - The Crucifixion of Self (published April 9, 1902 - Signs of The Times)

We experience life more abundantly as we serve, and those we serve also benefit and experience a more abundant life. It all flows from God, His great love, and His desire to save and bless us. I am not saying you should never rest physically, we all need to rest, and we all need to take breaks. What I am saying is that idleness is not the way. When all we do is rest and only live for ourselves we miss out on what living life more abundantly could be.

When we live focused on self we will never find a church that is good enough to belong to. Also, we will struggle to maintain relationships because no one treats us as we expect to be treated all the time. The more I focus on myself the more I feel sorry for myself. I can always compare myself to others and feel inferior. I can help others expecting to receive some reward and when I don’t I become sad. In a way, it all stems from pride. I believe that I deserve better from those around me than what I am getting so I grow resentful. I could begin to attack everyone who fails to treat me the way I believe I deserve to be treated and be lonely and bitter.

Once again, to be fair and balanced, we are created in the image of God and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

This is tricky. I do not want to offend anyone. I also do not want to encourage anyone to stay in an abusive relationship. So please take what I say with a grain of salt and contextualize it to your experience. So I will try to say it as carefully as I can. I pray that you do not misunderstand me. Here’s an example.

Let’s say I get home before my wife and there is a pile of dishes in the sink. Also, let’s suppose those dishes are mostly mine. I see that pile and I decide to wash them all. So I feed the kids, put them to bed, and wash all the dishes, dry them, and put them away. My wife then comes home tired from a 12-hour shift at the hospital and dealing with all kinds of stressful and challenging situations. She goes to shower and change and we eat dinner together. She is happy to be home, and the kids are in bed, but she never mentions how amazing I am for doing all those dishes. After all, she had not seen the pile of dishes that were there from breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Now imagine if I get upset with her for not praising me. Especially if I regularly expect her to do what I did when I am at work and she is home and I never praise her for being super amazing.

This is a hypothetical situation but it’s not too far from reality. How many people say nothing positive when all goes well, but are quick to complain when something goes wrong?

How often do we thank God for not having to visit the hospital? How often do we complain to Him when we find ourselves sick?

What if part of experiencing a more abundant life comes from our efforts to bless those around us?

I may expect to receive life more abundant while sitting at home and doing nothing. And yes, Jesus gives us eternal life and we do not have to earn it in any way. However, what if there are further blessings, especially this side of eternity, that I am missing out on because of my focus on myself? What if I could be experiencing an overflowing sense of joy and aliveness, but I am missing out because I have not ventured out of my comfort zone to help someone who is in need?

What if a sense of responsibility toward others is what is missing from my Christian experience? What if I am experiencing spiritual stagnation because I consider myself too weak, too shy, too young, too old, too busy, too important, or not important enough, or whatever my excuse may be for not being involved in helping others?

What kept me in church my whole life was being too busy being a part of the solution to be thinking about the problems. Service has just been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My family has always been involved in helping others in some way or another. I don’t know another way to live. This can be difficult because I don’t always have healthy boundaries and have come close to walking away from it all a few times in life. Some of you know what I am talking about. You begin to help someone who always needs help with everything all the time and you can only do so much… then you begin to feel like you failed, you didn’t do enough. Guilt is not a healthy motivator. You should help because you genuinely desire to help. Your motivation should stem from the love you receive from God and a desire to alleviate the suffering of the one you’re serving. Also, pray for wisdom to know when to step back and recharge.

Another way of thinking about this is

Can you truly be satisfied eating from the banquet that God offers while those around you go hungry?

I don’t invite others to church for my benefit. I only invite someone else to church if I truly believe they will benefit from it. I share the gospel, the good news of salvation in Jesus, not because it benefits me. I do it to benefit the one I am sharing with. I have to truly believe that life is better with Jesus if I am to honestly and genuinely share Him with others.

Takeaway

My challenge for you is to make service a part of your spiritual discipline. Do not be satisfied with Bible study, prayer, and church attendance. I encourage you, I challenge you to add a dimension of service to your life at whatever level you can. Who can you help today? This week? What keeps you from doing it?

[mrlnsfrt]

40th Birthday

I turned 40 today!

As part of the celebration, I invited you to ask me questions. You might have read my Personal Posts post where I left a link for you to ask questions anonymously.

Below are the questions I was asked, in the order I was asked. The answers, however, are very short on the written post. For the full (long) answers I invite you to watch the video or listen to the audio. The audio is also available as a podcast. Wherever you listen to podcasts just search for Pr.Marlon. I am on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and pretty much everywhere else.

What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months (or in recent memory)? - Journals, Bluetooth headphones (podcasts & audiobooks)

How has a failure or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a favorite failure? - I lost a $4K scholarship during my first semester of college. Humbling experience. I’ll need a miracle to graduate. 

In the last five years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has most improved your life? - drinking water first thing in the morning. Mobility exercises. Intentionally moving more throughout the day.

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession or area of expertise? I can’t think of any (I talk about it more in the audio/video)

When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you do? - go for a walk, clean, work out, take a nap. 

You were hesitant to have kids. How do feel now? Did being a father come naturally or did you have to put in work? What's the biggest blessing your kids have brought so far? - I am glad to have kids. I tend to work at everything I do. I am still working on it. Father = new identity, new responsibility, weight of responsibility that motivates me to be a better version of myself. Keeps me from being selfish 

What do you feel your greatest achievement is? My family and my friends. Lifelong investments. 

Do you ever have conflict in your life? If so, how do you handle it? Relatively few conflicts. Open dialogue is my preferred way to handle conflict. Structured, honest, kind, generous dialogue. 

When you look back on your life, is there anything you would do differently? Anything you'd change? - more humility as a teen. 

What advice would you give to a person having to decide between different paths in life and navigating the big change that would follow? - do your homework. Journal. Make lists. Ask the opinion of people in those areas. As the opinion of those who know you well. Ask the opinion of those you admire and respect. Talk about it with someone you trust. 

How did you know you were meant to be in ministry? Did you ever think about switching to something else? - we are all meant to be in ministry. The tricky part is figuring out what kind of ministry you should engage in. I have thought about switching many times. But I do not feel called to do anything else. I want to do what God is calling me to do. I enjoy ministry and apparently, I am not terrible at it. Feedback is important to me. 

Is it possible to go into ministry and speak at church without having a degree in it? If so, what steps would you recommend taking to start? - you don’t need a degree. Prayerfully prepare and make yourself available. Start small, prayer meetings, vespers, smaller churches. Pray and God will lead you.

Are there any questions you would like to ask me? Feel free to leave them as a comment below or go to https://ngl.link/mrlnsfrt and ask them anonymously.

You can also find me on social media.

[mrlnsfrt]

The Final Test

Life is not so much about what you did in the past as it is about what you are doing now. You may have done things you are not proud of. Oftentimes, there isn’t much you can do about your past, but you are in control of what you do now. You can learn and grow from your past mistakes and become a better version of yourself.

The Test

 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, “Fill the men’s sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put each man’s money in the mouth of his sack. 2 Also put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, and his grain money.” So he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3 As soon as the morning dawned, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys. - Genesis 44:1-3 NKJV

Previously Joseph had served Benjamin 5 times as much as their brothers (see my post Family Drama) and now Joseph has another test along the same lines. Joseph is determined to discover how his brothers feel about Benjamin. Joseph had been the favorite son, and his brothers had hated him for it (see Genesis 37:3 and my post Dysfunctional Family). Benjamin is likely the favorite son now and Joseph wants to know if his brothers will betray Benjamin like they did him.

The text makes it clear that Joseph cares for his family. He makes sure that their sacks of grain are filled to the brim and he also returns the money. Joseph is providing for his brothers and father and their families. Joseph’s primary interest is the character of his brothers. Are they still evil and selfish? Are they willing to betray and abandon their youngest brother?

Not so fast

4 When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Get up, follow the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and with which he indeed practices divination? You have done evil in so doing.’ ” - Genesis 44:4-5 NKJV

Place yourself in the shoes of Joseph’s brothers, how would you feel? Scared? Confused? Angry?

Supplement: Divination

Divination is the practice of foreseeing the future or discovering hidden knowledge. Hydromancy, the art of interpreting the liquids (water) in a cup or bowl, was widely practiced in the ancient Near East (other liquids included oil and wine). The common methods were interpreting the patterns of moving liquids or the patterns of floating objects in the liquid (cp. tasseomancy [tea leaf reading]). That Joseph is said to use the cup for “divination”351 (cf. comments on 30:27) is unexpected since this practice is outlawed in Israel (Lev 19:26; Deut 18:10). There is no instance of this practice in the Joseph narrative (cf. comments on 43:33), and since Joseph’s wisdom relies on the interpretation of dreams, it is best understood as part of the elaborate ploy. The importance of the divination cup is its personal ownership by the Egyptian lord (“my cup,” v. 2). By stealing the cup, the steward concludes, “This is a wicked thing you have done” (v. 5). Verse 6 is typical of good Hebrew narrative style, indicating that the messenger carried out his instructions. - K. A. Mathews, Genesis 11:27–50:26, vol. 1B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), 798–799.

What are you talking about?

6 So he overtook them, and he spoke to them these same words. 7 And they said to him, “Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing. 8 Look, we brought back to you from the land of Canaan the money which we found in the mouth of our sacks. How then could we steal silver or gold from your lord’s house? 9 With whomever of your servants it is found, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves.” - Geneis 44:6-9 NKJV

Joseph’s brothers are so sure that they are innocent that they make a hasty vow, that if they find anything, whoever has it should be put to death and all of them will become Joseph’s slaves. We, the readers/audience, know something that the brothers do not know. We know that Joseph placed his cup in Benjamin’s bag. What will happen next? Will Benjamin be killed? Will the brothers be taken as slaves?

Notice how all the brothers assume collective guilt. Even though only one among them would be found guilty they decided that they would stand or fall together. This could be a sign of restored family loyalty

An easy out?

10 And he said, “Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my slave, and you shall be blameless.” 11 Then each man speedily let down his sack to the ground, and each opened his sack. 12 So he searched. He began with the oldest and left off with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. 13 Then they tore their clothes, and each man loaded his donkey and returned to the city. - Genesis 44:10-13 NKJV

Joseph’s servant says that it will be done according to their words, but then he changes it slightly. Only the one with whom he finds the cup will be taken as Joseph’s slave, the remainder of the brothers will remain blameless. This is great news! No one has to die, and the brothers have the perfect way to get rid of their father’s favorite son. This means that they will each receive a larger part of the inheritance. This also means one of them could possibly become the new favorite. They could tell their father exactly what happened and they would be innocent. After all, had not Jacob said “And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!” (Genesis 43:14 NKJV)? The brothers now have an easy out with their father, Jacob.

Joseph’s officer here delivers an Oscar-worthy performance. He could have just gone straight to Benjamin’s sack and found the cup, but no, the search begins with the oldest brother. We already know that the cup will be found in the cup of the youngest brother, but they don’t know that. With each bag that is searched, the brothers experience relief, and their confidence that everything will be okay grows. They are sure that none of them have the cup, and they can’t wait to resume their journey home when suddenly something terrible happens.

The cup was found in Benjamin’s sack! How could this be? I imagine Benjamin pleading and explaining that he did not do it, that he did not take Joseph’s cup. Imagine how the brothers feel. We get a sense of it by how they react. They tore their clothes and loaded their donkeys and they all came back together with Benjamin. Once again we see evidence of the loyalty among the brothers. They were free to go. Only Benjamin had to stay. But all the brothers return to Egypt, and there is no grumbling or disagreement among them. Perhaps they have changed after all.

This turn of events calls our attention to the way in which it reveals the changed character of Judah and his brothers. If we assume that Benjamin was guilty, his act had brought disgrace upon all the brothers. If the brohter’s had been as they were of old it would have been perfectly easy to settle the question by killing Benjamin on the spot and clear themselves of any possible accusation of collaboration. But this was exactly what they did not and would not do. Instead, they returned to Egypt, and even more incredible, there was no reproach of Benjamin. They were certainly conscious of their own greater guilt, and so they returned to suffer together. At last, they were a united family; ready for God’s further and higher purposes concerning them. (W. H. Griffith Thomas, A Devotional Commentary: Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1946), 420.

What were you thinking?

14 So Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house, and he was still there; and they fell before him on the ground. 15 And Joseph said to them, “What deed is this you have done? Did you not know that such a man as I can certainly practice divination?”

16 Then Judah said, “What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God has found out the iniquity of your servants; here we are, my lord’s slaves, both we and he also with whom the cup was found.”

17 But he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave. And as for you, go up in peace to your father.” - Genesis 44:14-17 NKJV

“What is this that you have done?” (See also Genesis 3:13–14; 20:9; 26:10; 29:25) Joseph continues to play the part. Joseph does not really practice divination and he does not really need the cup. But he plays this role to test the character of his brothers and to see if they have changed since they betrayed him and sold him as a slave.

Notice how the text (Genesis 44:14) describes Judah and his brothers coming to Joseph’s house. Reuben was the oldest brother, Jacob’s firstborn, and the first child of Leah (Genesis 29:32) (see my blog post He loves me, he loves me not). Judah was Leah’s 4th son (Genesis 29:35), why does the story portray him as the leader of Jacob’s sons? The text describes the brothers following Judah and Judah is the one who speaks for the group. How come?

It was Judah who had suggested to his brothers that they sell Joseph (Genesis 37:26-28 see also Betrayed by Family) You could argue that Judah stood to gain by accepting the Egyptian’s judgment to incarcerate only Benjamin (Genesis 44:17) as he had gained from Joseph’s sale (Genesis 37:27–28). Judah’s self-serving plan resulted in a life of guilt that included his own sad experiences of losing sons and of suffering deception (Genesis 38, Strong Female Character). Judah, faced with a second chance, seizes his opportunity to do the right thing. Judah is done acting in a selfish and self-serving manner.

Judah’s cruelty towards Joseph proved to be Judah’s “cross” to bear. But unlike Jesus, who was innocent of wrongdoing, bearing the undeserved punishment of others (1 Peter 3:18), Judah was not innocent. Granted, he had not stolen and had no knowledge of the silver chalice, but he interpreted the judgment against the brothers as God’s just retribution for their unanswered crime against Joseph. Judah especially took the lead in doing away with his brother Joseph (Genesis 37:26–28), and now he fittingly takes on the weight of the responsibility (Genesis 43:9; 44:33).

Judah is neither a hero nor a villain. The character of Judah is too real, too complex for such facile categories. […] Judah has undergone a moral reformation, not through a single event here or there but through the cumulative effect of life’s vicissitudes - K. A. Mathews, Genesis 11:27–50:26, vol. 1B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), 794.

Judah does not claim to be innocent, but he also does not confess to stealing the chalice, they did not steal it. However, Judah knows they have not atoned for the sin of betraying their brother Joseph. For Judah, this mistaken charge against them is the recompense for their crime against Joseph.

Judah’s Plea

18 Then Judah came near to him and said: “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh. 19 My lord asked his servants, saying, ‘Have you a father or a brother?’ 20 And we said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, who is young; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.’ 21 Then you said to your servants, ‘Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.’ 22 And we said to my lord, ‘The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.’ 23 But you said to your servants, ‘Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you shall see my face no more.’

24 “So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord. 25 And our father said, ‘Go back and buy us a little food.’ 26 But we said, ‘We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down; for we may not 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 and the one went out from me, and I said, “Surely he is torn to pieces”; and I have not seen him since. 29 But if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you shall bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.’

30 “Now therefore, when I come to your servant my father, and the lad is not with us, since his life is bound up in the lad’s life, 31 it will happen, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die. So your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father with sorrow to the grave. 32 For your servant became surety for the lad to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.’ 33 Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad as a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. 34 For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that would come upon my father?” - Genesis 44:18-34 NKJV

What do you think of Judah’s speech?

Here’s what some Bible commentaries had to say.

“[Judah’s] lengthy plea to be imprisoned in place of Benjamin is among the finest and most moving of all petitions.”  - Allen P. Ross, “Genesis,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 94.

This speech has appropriately been called one of the masterpieces of Hebrew literary composition, one of the finest specimens of natural eloquence in the world.” - Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1 (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1978), 460.

Truly has Luther said: “What would I not give to be able to pray before the Lord as Judah here interceded for Benjamin, for it is a perfect model of prayer, nay, of the strong feeling which must underlie all prayer.” And, blessed be God, One has so interceded for us, Who has given Himself as our surety, and become a bondsman for us. His advocacy has been heard; His substitution accepted; and His intercession for us is ever continued, and ever prevails. The Lord Jesus Christ is “the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David,” and “hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.” - Alfred Edersheim, Bible History: Old Testament, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1975), 171.

The speech of Judah in behalf of his young brother Benjamin has been fittingly characterised as “one of the masterpieces of Hebrew composition” (Kalisch), “one of the grandest and fairest to be found in the Old Testament” (Lange), “a more moving oration than ever orator pronounced” (Lawson), “one of the finest specimens of natural eloquence in the world” (Inglis). Without being distinguished by either brilliant imagination or highly poetic diction, “its inimitable charm and excellence consist in the power of psychological truth, easy simplicity, and affecting pathos” (Kalisch) - H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., Genesis, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1909), 490.

The pathos of the recital is also deeply touching and almost perfect as he goes on to show how the old man, bereaved of his two favorite sons, will be brought down to his grave in sorrow. Then the appeal closes with the heroic offer to become a bondman in the place of Benjamin, to sacrifice himself on behalf of his brother. “For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father.” - W. H. Griffith Thomas, A Devotional Commentary: Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1946), 420.

One of the aspects of the speech that caught my attention is Judah’s self-sacrifice. He voluntarily submits himself to servitude on behalf of his younger brother, from a different mother, who enjoyed a higher degree of parental affection. He does all this in order to save his aged father from experiencing fresh sorrow and anguish. He knew that his father would miss him less than he would miss Benjamin. That’s gotta hurt. Judah’s self-forgetful magnanimity is admirable. Judah emerges from this terrible trial as a truly converted man, a worthy ancestor of the promised seed, and worthy to give his name to the chosen people of God.

Joseph could no longer doubt that a complete change had come over his brothers, and over Judah in particular, since the day when he had so eloquently urged the sale of Joseph into slavery. Joseph’s tactics had proved eminently successful. He was now convinced regarding the attitude of his brothers, and satisfied that their conversion was genuine. There was no further need to test them, and he was therefore ready to reveal his identity. (Francis D. Nichol, ed., p.461.) (H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed. p.490–491.)

Takeaway

So what do you take away from this story?

After reading Genesis 38 it would be difficult to imagine Judah ever recovering from such a shameful situation. Yet in Genesis 44 Judah arises as a leader and delivers a moving speech in behalf of his brother Benjamin. I believe this chapter highlights that life is not about how far we fall, but about how willing we are to change, grow, and become a better person.

Judah had strayed from God and done terrible things yet he returned to God and over time God molded and transformed him into a leader that unified his brothers in the right path.

It does not matter how badly you have messed up in the past. The question is, are you willing to humble yourself and admit your faults before God? Are you willing to allow God to transform you into the person He desires you to be?

God desires to bless you and to use you in a mighty way. God will by no means clear the guilty, but He will forgive the sins of all who humbly come to Him.

Your best days are ahead of you when you choose to follow God today.

I did not say easy days, I said your best days. What Judah did was not easy, but it was the right thing and it continues to impact lives to this day. His transformation was so significant that it is out of his descendants that King David and ultimately Jesus will come. (Matthew 1:3-6, 16)

Choose God today. God has already chosen you. Let God mold you into the best version of yourself.

[mrlnsfrt]

God With Us

“His name shall be called Immanuel, … God with us.” (Matthew 1:23) “The light of the knowledge of the glory of God” is seen “in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6) From the days of eternity the Lord Jesus Christ was one with the Father; He was “the image of God,” (2 Corinthians 4:4; Colossians 1:15) the image of His greatness and majesty, “the outshining of His glory.” (Hebrews 1:3) It was to manifest this glory that Jesus came to our world. To this sin-darkened earth He came to reveal the light of God’s love,—to be “God with us.” Therefore it was prophesied of Him, “His name shall be called Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

By coming to dwell with us, Jesus revealed God to us. He was the Word of God (John 1),—God’s thought made audible. In His prayer for His disciples He says, “I have declared unto them Thy name,” (John 17:26)—“merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,” (Exodus 34:6)—“that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:26)

God’s wonderful purpose of grace, the mystery of redeeming love, is the theme into which “angels desire to look” (1 Peter 1:12). Both the redeemed and the angels find their science and song in the cross of Christ. The glory shining in the face of Jesus is the glory of self-sacrificing love. In the light from Calvary, it is seen that the law of self-renouncing love is the law of life for earth and heaven. The love which “does not seek its own” (1 Corinthians 13:5) has its source in the heart of God; and that in the meek and lowly One is manifested the character of Him who dwells in the light which no one can approach (1 Timothy 6:16). (For more along these lines, check out The Desire of Ages, chapter 1)

The problem

A failure to understand God causes pain and suffering. Separation from God brings death (James 1:14-15; Romans 5:12). In order to bring the world back to God, Satan’s deceptive power must be broken. This can not be done by force. People cannot be forced to love God. You can try to force others to obey God’s laws, or at least your interpretation of His will, but obedience is not enough. Not to mention that the exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government. God is only interested in the service of love, and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority.

The solution

If we can’t force anyone to love God, and if we can’t save ourselves by discipline and self-control what can we do?

Only by love is love awakened. To know God is to love Him. If you do not love God, then you must not know Him well enough. This is very tricky because I have seen people take the wrong approach at this juncture. Instead of studying the Bible in an effort to better know God, they distance themselves from the Bible and create an image of God that they find pleasant.

When I talk about knowing God, I am not talking about His appearance, I am talking about His character. God’s character must be understood in contrast to the character of Satan. There is only one Being in all the universe that could do this.

Only He who knew the height and depth of the love of God could make it known. Upon the world’s dark night the Sun of Righteousness must rise, “with healing in His wings.” Malachi 4:2. - The Desire of Ages, p.22.

Jesus is the answer

The best way to know the character of God is to know Jesus. Jesus came to reveal the Father (John 1:18; 6:46; 14:6-10; Colossians 1:15; 2:9)

 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, - Hebrews 1:1-3 NKJV

Who better to reveal the Father than the One who has seen Him? Just to highlight what I established in my previous post, Jesus did not come as an update on the character of God but rather to reveal the true character of God. Jesus did not come to destroy or do away with what the law of God taught or what the prophets wrote. Jesus came to fulfill it! What does a perfect life of obedience look like? It looks like Jesus.

Now keep in mind that children and sinners were drawn to Jesus. When you meet someone who claims to be living in obedience to the law of God but children and sinners are not drawn to them, they might have missed something, something essential. Following God is less about a concern about being contaminated by sin and more about a desire to bless those around us. Jesus had a habit of being at the “wrong places,” and talking with the “wrong people.”

Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” - Mark 2:15-16 NKJV

Now, it is important to understand that Jesus was not hanging out with sinners because He enjoyed or was indifferent to sin. Jesus was with sinners because of His mission. Jesus was there to call sinners to repentance.

When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” - Mark 2:17 NKJV

God with us

The idea of God with us is very messy. On the one hand, we are called to be holy, or set aside for a special use, to be blameless, or consecrated.

but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, - 1 Peter 1:15 NKJV

“Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. - Leviticus 19:2 NKJV

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; - 1 Peter 2:9 NKJV

Jesus was God with us. He spent time with sinners, yet He never sinned (1 Peter, 2:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15). This is the tension we find ourselves in as followers of Christ. We are to interact with sinners, yet without participating in the sin. We are to be an influence for good, without being influenced by evil. This is tricky.

There is a famous quote by Friedrich Nietzsche that comments on this.

Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. - Friedrich Nietzsche

My understanding of this is that we have to be careful not to become the very thing we are fighting against. Spend enough time with sinners and sin will begin to appear less sinful. Spend enough time in the world and the world becomes more and more attractive. But I can’t leave the word, not on my own. I was born a human, on planet Earth, what does it even mean to not spend time in the world?

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. - Romans 12:2 NKJV

If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. - John 15:19 NKJV

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. - 1 John 2:15-17 NKJV

Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:1-4 NKJV

So how do we manage this? How can we be in the world, but not be of the world? Be with sinners but not engage in sin?

A personal story

Do you know how to swim?

Do you remember how you learned?

I remember my father telling me how he learned. Growing up in a small town in a rural part of Brazil my dad, the youngest of six wanted to learn how to swim. His father was often gone, traveling for work. His mother was always very busy, she had six children after all (1 girl and 5 boys). So my father used to go to a creek that was close by. One hot summer day many of the boys were playing in the creek and my dad joined them. He didn’t know how to swim but he wanted to swim. So he went and watched all the other boys swimming and decided to give it a try. There was a current so my dad jumped in and began kicking and splashing as the current carried him downstream. After failing to swim, he would start trying to grab anything he could, low-hanging branches, tall grass, weeds, until he was able to pull himself out of the water. He would then walk back to where he had jumped in, observe his friends, ask some questions, and try again.

I told you that story to tell you this one.

When I was growing up in Brazil, at one point we lived in an apartment building that had a pool. My dad decided it was time to teach my sister and me how to swim. There was a kiddy pool where the water was about ankle deep and I was ready to play in the deeper pool. So my dad went in and called for me and I jumped into his arms. My father walked to a spot where the water was waist-deep for him, which was deep enough that I would have to swim. So my dad explained to me how I had to move my arms and kick my feet and at the count of three he threw me in the water, about an arm’s length away from him. I began to furiously kick and splash and made very little progress. My dad reached forward, picked me up, and told me, “no, no, no. Not like that, kick your feet and move your arms…” At the count of three, he threw me in again, and again I flailed, not making much progress and not able to breathe properly.

Eventually, I learned how to swim. Some people might be tempted to criticize my father’s methods, but in his defense, I had a much easier time than he did as a kid.

Why do I tell you this story?

I have vivid memories, or nightmares, of desperately trying to swim, making a lot of effort and very little progress, of experiencing fear as a desperation for air increased. But my dad would always pick me up. Sometimes I was crying or coughing water, but I trusted him to pick me up. Sometimes he took longer than I expected, but desperation is a great motivator. I learned to swim fairly quickly. Whenever my did lifted me from the water I took in a big breath. It felt good to breathe, it gave me peace, I was reminded that I was not alone, I was not going to drown, I had a father who loved me and would pick me up. I also wanted to learn how to swim. I could not just be in his arms the whole time, I had to learn how to swim. But he helped me, he gave me instructions, and he was there to make sure I didn’t drown.

Why tell you this story?

This story serves to illustrate a certain principle, though it is not a perfect illustration. The way I see it, we live in this sin-polluted world. It is toxic, and almost impossible to breathe, it causes panic, anxiety, depression, hatred, and violence. However, this world is not my home (Hebrews 13:14; 1 Peter 2:11; John 15:19; Philippians 3:20). It is important for us to be reminded of this, for us to not remain focused on the things of this world.

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. - Colossians 3:2 NKJV

When I read the Bible, when I spend time in prayer, for me this is the equivalent of being lifted above the smog of this world and breathing in the pure atmosphere of heaven. When I read the Bible, I am reminded that I have a heavenly Father who will not allow me to drown (Isaiah 43:2). God will never leave me nor forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:6, 8; Hebrews 4:16; Micah 7:7)

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say:

“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” - Hebrews 13:5-6 NKJV

When I read the story of Jesus I am reminded of the heart of God, of God’s great desire to be with me. I am reminded that God is my provider (Philippians 4:19) and that I can live a generous life from a place of abundance. From Jesus, I learn to be content.

6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. - 1 Timothy 6:6-12 NKJV

The Sabbath is a great reminder of that. When I take a break from work, from studies, from pursuing my desires and I rest, I am reminded that my assurance is found in Jesus.

Think about this with me. If God was willing to give us His Son, to be born in a manger and to die for us, will He withhold anything that we need?

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? - Romans 8:32 NKJV

Bringing it all together

The suffering and turmoil we experience in this world are caused by our separation and rebellion against God. The solution is a reconciliation with God. We need to get to know God because the better we know Him the more we love Him. But this is difficult because we have never seen Him. Jesus is the greatest revelation of who God is. Jesus came and revealed the character of God in all that He did, especially by dying for us and thus delivering us from the eternal consequences of our sins.

God desires to be with us. He humbled Himself and became one of us so that we might know Him and love Him. Now we are called to live like Jesus lived. To love and help those around us and, in doing so, reveal the character of God to them.

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. - Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV

It is impossible to live as Jesus lived unless we are in constant contact with God. Bible study, prayer, and worship are practices and activities that help us disconnect from this world of sin and remind us that there is more to life than the day-to-day business. Life is about more than the toys we accumulate. Life is more about giving than receiving. As we fall in love with God and invest in that relationship He enables us to live generous lives from a place of abundance as opposed to selfish lives lived from a place of scarcity.

The message of God with us elevates our value. God loves us so much that He desires a personal relationship with us. The message of God with us also elevates the value of those around us, causing us to desire their best. When I allow the principle of God with us to shape my life I experience greater love for God and for those around me. This does not lead to an easy life, but to a life more abundant, a life that is worth living, an adventure that is out of this world.

So the big question is,

Are you willing to allow God to come into your heart and mold your life so that it resembles the life of Christ?

[mrlnsfrt]

The Heart of God

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In the beginning

Genesis 1-2 has frustrated and perplexed many people. This is mostly due to people studying Genesis to find answers to questions the text is not concerned with. Many read Genesis looking for a detailed explanation of how God created the world, but the creation story in Genesis is not interested in answering that question.

The book of Genesis does not intend to explain anything; the mystery of the world’s coming into being is in no way made more intelligible by a statement such as At the beginning God created heaven and earth. The Bible and science do not deal with the same problem. Scientific theory inquires: What is the cause of the universe? […] The Bible is interested in teaching us about the Creator of all things and to reveal to us the knowledge of His will. The Bible teaches us that God is alive, that He is our Creator and Redeemer, Teacher and Lawgiver. - Abraham Joshua Heschel. God in Search of Man : A Philosophy of Judaism. New York, Noonday Press, 1994. p16

Studying the Bible in search of answers that the Bible is interested in giving can be quite frustrating. What should we do? How about studying the Bible interested in the truths it wants to teach us? Instead of searching for answers not found in the text, becoming interested in the truths the text provides.

For example.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. - Genesis 1:1 NKJV

Genesis 1:1 is the theological foundation of not only Genesis but the entire Bible. What does Genesis 1:1 tell us?

When you go back to the very beginning you have God, in contrast to atheism.

God created alone, in contrast to polytheism.

God rules over creation, in contrast to pantheism.

Matter had a beginning as opposed to materialism.

The ultimate reality is God, not humanity.

God created the universe out of nothing (see Hebrews 11:3)

God stands outside and beyond creation to undertake the act of creation.

God’s being is not confused with creation or dependent on it in any way.

Want to go deeper?

The entire story of creation is found in Genesis 1-2.

For the revelation of God in creation see Psalm 19:1-6 and Romans 1:20.

For creation as the basis for worship see Psalm 95:1-6 and Revelation 14:7.

I have an entire post on the creation story entitled In The Beginning which is part of my series in the book of Genesis.

The creation story is more concerned with describing God and His relationship with all of creation and us than with the detailed description of the physics, chemistry, and biology of how He accomplished it. I am not saying that those questions are not important, but rather that they are not the focus of the biblical text.

Another important aspect of the creation account that I want to highlight is found in Genesis 1:26-31

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. 31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. - Genesis 1:26-31 NKJV (bold mine)

Humanity, men and women, were created in the image of God and in that manner are not like everything else God created. Humans are to have dominion over all of creation, but that does not mean we should exploit and abuse creation, but rather care for it. It is also interesting to note that there is no death and both animals and humans live feeding on the plants God created.

Finally, everything God created is very good. God did not create lower life forms to struggle to survive and evolve over millions of years of suffering and death. God places humanity in a perfect world to enjoy and to be responsible for it.

The seventh day

Interestingly by the time we come to Genesis 2 everything that is physical has been created, yet the creation week is 7 days long, not six.

Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. - Genesis 2:1-3 NKJV

Why would the Bible include a description of God resting?

God does not rest until His work is done. There was no room for improvement in creation, no need for anything to evolve. God does not create things halfway, then becomes tired and needs a day to rest. God finished the creation of life on earth and rested from the work that He had done. Not because He is tired, but He is switching gears. Isaiah 40:28 reminds us that The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. Rest is not necessarily due to fatigue, but out of a desire for community.

Adam and Eve were created on the sixth day of creation, they would not need a day of rest the very next day of their existence. If God never gets tired, and if Adam and Eve were not tired either, why the big deal with the seventh day being a day for rest?

The seventh day of creation is not just a day for resting, but the Bible tells us that God blessed the seventh day, and made it holy. The seventh day of creation has a special blessing from God Himself. Also, God made it holy, which among other things, means it was set aside for a special use. The seventh day is a big deal because it gives us a glimpse of the heart of God. God created the world and humanity not to work for Him, to feed Him, etc. God creates then invites all of creation, especially humanity to rest and spend time with Him. We rest with God and in God because He is our creator and our provider.

Long before Abraham was born. Long before Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. Long before the Tabernacle was built and before the Ten Commandments were written in stone by the finger of God, God established a special day, set aside for a special use, a day He blessed, because He desires to spend time with us. God desires to be with us. God values relationships, and especially a relationship with you.

The fall

Genesis 3 records the fall of humanity, when Adam and Eve rebelled against God by disobeying His clear and explicit will. (For more on the fall, check out my posts Paradise Lost Part 1 and Part 2) Sadly, Adam and Eve now hide from God.

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. - Genesis 3:8 NKJV

Notice that God takes the initiative to seek out Adam and Eve, and they hide from Him. Notice how the story reveals the heart of God as One desiring a relationship. It is Adam and Eve who hide from God. But God is seeking them.

9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” - Genesis 3:9-11 NKJV

God is seeking, calling out, and asking questions. God knows all the answers, but He engages Adam and Eve in the process of learning. God causes Adam and Eve to ponder what they did. God could have just killed them immediately, God could have shown up angry and terrifying. But He walks in the garden in the cool of the day seeking them. He asks them questions. This is the God we worship. This is the God of the Bible, He desires to be with us, and He loves us. The first humans, created in God’s image, and placed in a perfect world, had just rebelled against God, distrusting His character and disobeying His word, His law. This act would cost the life of Jesus, yet God approaches Adam and Eve and engages in a dialogue.

The Promise

In the midst of the judgment of Adam and Eve God makes a promise, a prophecy of hope.

And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” - Genesis 3:15 NKJV

God places enmity between the serpent (Satan, Revelation 20:2) and the woman. Satan and his followers will always be at war with the woman and her children. The Seed of the man will crush the head of the serpent and the serpent will crush the heel of the Seed of the woman. (For more details see my post someOne is coming)

God promised Eve that someone born of a woman would defeat the serpent once and for all, though He would also be wounded in the process. Jesus, Son of God and born of a woman defeated Satan once and for all, though Satan (through his human agents) brutally killed Jesus.

Tunics of skin

God’s plan to deal with sin, the rebellion of Adam and Eve, is to send Jesus to die for our sins.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. - 2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV

But until that day God illustrated that He would have to cover Adam and Eve’s nakedness by covering them with tunics made of skin.

Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. - Genesis 3:21 NKJV

Though it is not all spelled out, we have a clear notion that an innocent animal had to die so that Adam and Eve’s nakedness would be covered. From the very beginning, our salvation has been a gift we receive from God. We sinned against God, yet He paid the price and He covers us with His righteousness. We don’t save ourselves. God saves us.

Adam and Eve did not go out and find and kill an animal to make the tonics for themselves. God did it for them. Adam and Eve tried covering themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7), but that did not work, because when God appeared they still hid themselves (Genesis 3:8-10). Adam and Eve must have understood the nature of substitutionary atonement (more details in my post One Story to Rule Them All) since by chapter 4 we have Cain and Abel offering sacrifices. The idea is that the innocent lamb dies in the place of the sinner.

God seeking us

In Genesis 4 we are introduced to Adam and Eve’s first kids, Cain and Abel. Eventually, Cain kills his brother Abel, but before he does so, God speaks to him.

So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” - Genesis 4:6-7 NKJV

Before Cain sins, God shows up and asks him questions, reasoning with him, and guiding Cain on the right path. Cain disregards God’s guidance and kills his brother. God once against speaks to Cain.

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”

He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” Genesis 4:9 NKJV

It is not that God did not know the answer. Once again, God is seeking a relationship. God begins a dialogue. God is interested in teaching and redeeming.

The Bible is not a list of behavioral rules that God has for us, it is a story of God desiring to have a personal relationship with us. The laws are secondary, they help the relationship, but they do not replace the relationship.

Personal Story

I am not sure how many of you reading this have a pet. All analogies fall short but I believe the pet owner and the pet can have some similarities between God and us. It is not the same, there are many differences but follow along and let me know your thoughts.

My family decided to get a rescue dog while we lived in Georgia. We got some sort of jack russel terrier mix. We are not sure what he is, but he loves to run! We lived in a house that did not have a fenced-in backyard and our dog took every chance he had to run.

One day, after I had dropped the kids off at school and had an intense workout I came home tired, hungry, and with my legs feeling rubbery from the workout. I don’t remember the details but the dog escaped. He took off running. I went out calling him, with treats in my pocket. I looked for him everywhere. Finally, I found him. We lived in a circle that was about half a mile and walking around it I spotted him running across the yards of our neighbors. I began to jog to keep from losing sight of him. I was concerned he would run across the street and get hit by a car. I called him, and I offered treats, but he was more interested in running and exploring. I continued to jog after him, calling out to him as I went. As I chased my dog around the neighborhood I met many of my neighbors who tried to help and laughed at the funny scenario. Here I am chasing after my dog who refuses to obey me. The run was rising in the sky, the day was hot and humid, my legs were tired, and my shirt was sticking to my skin. I went home and drank some water then came out again. I got my phone out and started texting the person I was supposed to meet. I told him I would be late. Eventually, my dog came back to our backyard but ran through the thicket at the back of our property and into the neighborhood behind ours. Now I had to push through the thicket, making my way around thorns, and all kinds of plants. Now I had a few scratches, portions of my skin were itching and I was hoping that the neighbors whose backyard I had just invaded didn’t own a gun. I continued to chase my dog and I began to wonder if that is how God felt chasing after me my whole life.

I imagine God, not with a pocket full of treats but with blessings He wanted me to enjoy, continuously calling out to me, as I ran around not aware of the dangers that surrounded me. Just like my dog had no idea he could get run over by a vehicle.

Now I was in a new neighborhood. I did not know anyone in this neighborhood. My voice was tired of calling out my god. I noticed some people watching from inside their houses. Some who were out would stare and ask if it was my dog they saw running across their property. I was so embarrassed, I was tired, and I could not understand why my dog was running away since I was the one who provided him with food, water, and shelter. I cared for him, played with him, and bought him a bed, food, and toys. Here he was running away, having a great time. He had run through some puddles, he was wet, and dirty and loving it. I was getting tired beginning to wonder if he was worth all this effort. I seriously doubted it at times, but the thought of having to explain to my wife and kids that the dog had run away and I had not brought him home kept me pursuing and calling after my dog.

I took to my phone and canceled the appointment I had that morning. It was getting closer to lunchtime. I was thirsty, I was hungry, my head hurt, I was embarrassed of chasing my own dog in front of all my neighbors and I wondered what they thought of me for not having any control over my dog.

Once again my mind turned to theology. I am familiar with the stories in the Bible and how they depict God as a living Father. I know the story of the prodigal son, and the good shepherd and the lost sheep (Luke 15). This is where I realized how far I had to go because if I got my hands in my dog I was thinking about rejoicing. To be completely honest, I wanted to punish him for everything he had put me through. Maybe this was why I sometimes struggle in my relationship with God.

Since I became angry with my dog for being rebellious and running away and causing so much trouble, I imagined God felt the same way about me. If I am not careful, I believe that God wants me to suffer to make up for some of the suffering I caused. I feel that before I return to God I have to somehow atone for my sins. Instead of believing what the Bible says about God, that He loves me unconditionally, and that Jesus has paid the full price of all my transgressions on the cross, I feel like I better do something to appease God and that He must be angry because of the way I behaved when I knew better. Or even worse, for the times I told Him I would never do this again, and here I am doing it.

Eventually, my dog laid down in the shade of a tree and waited there until I came and picked him up. He was breathing hard, he was wet, he was dirty, and he was probably hungry. I picked him up and carried him back home. I had to cross the thicket again, getting my shirt snagged on thorns and sticks since my hands were now holding my dog, and getting my legs scratched once again. I carried my dog home. I gave him fresh water, and food, and bathed him. I had to call my afternoon appointments and re-schedule one of them and move some of the others. I may or may not have called my dog a bad dog a few times as I carried home, and as angry as I had been at him, I was glad he was okay.

As I showered and drank water and ate I also spent some time in prayer. I thanked God that my dog was safe. I also apologized to God for the countless times I behaved even worse than my dog, since I, as a human being should know better. I also thanked God that He is not like me but is infinitely more loving and gracious and forgiving.

As I said, this analogy is deeply flawed. But the experience of chasing after my dog caused me to reflect on my relationship with God, and how glad I am that I am not God, and how much more loving and gracious God is than me.

God pursues us

11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

12 “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? 13 And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. - Matthew 18:11-14 NKJV

Have you ever wondered if God is biased? He is! God wants to save you. Jesus describes God as actively seeking that which is lost. Jesus’ earthly ministry was a revelation of the heart of the Father.

38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” - John 6:38-40 NKJV

Jeremiah describes God drawing us to Him with love.

The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. - Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV

God wants to have a personal relationship with you. God wants to save you and to guide you. God wants to transform you into the best version of yourself. Will you trust Him? Do you believe that He loves you? Do you accept His love? Do you trust that His will is the best possible will for your life?

What keeps you from re-dedicating your life to Him today?

If you have any questions and would like to discuss this further feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll follow up with you personally. (or reach out to me through social media)

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Personal Posts

In January of 2024 I’ll be turning 40.

I will make a special post answering some of your questions and there will also be a podcast and video to accompany it.

Do you have some questions you would like for me to address? You can leave it as a comment on this post or ask anonymously here https://ngl.link/mrlnsfrt

Thank you for participating in this adventure. For other personal posts check out

Who I am

Perosnal thoughts on life, the universe, and everything…

I am grateful for my wife

34th birthday

The Relaitonship Post -part 1 (my wife joins me for these on this post there are links to parts 2 and 3)

Personal Reflections (35th birthday)

When life doesn’t go according to plan.

The Vasectomy (my wife thinks this one is too personal to be shared so feel free to skip it)

The woman I love (this one focuses on my wife)

Family and Relationships

Reflections 2020 - issues on my mind during a very challenging year.

Relationship Episode - 15th wedding anniversary

Personal Reflections - 39th birthday

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Peace be with you

Welcome back to my series on the life of Joseph. In this post, I will be following the tips I laid out in my post Making the Bible come alive but I will also be going beyond and using other resources I have at my disposal.

In this post, I’ll be focusing on Genesis 43.

Context - The famine was severe

Now the famine was severe in the land. 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back, buy us a little food.” - Genesis 43:1-2 NKJV

I covered Genesis 42 in my post A Dream Come True, and it ended with Jacob stating that he would not allow Benjamin to go down to Egypt with his brothers.

38 But he said, “My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If any calamity should befall him along the way in which you go, then you would bring down my gray hair with sorrow to the grave.” - Genesis 42:38 NKJV

The story picks up in chapter 43 with the need to return to Egypt and purchase more food since the severe famine remains. I imagine the entire household noticing that their grain is beginning to run low but no one wants to talk about it. Everyone knows how Jacob feels about it, no one wants to bring up the topic of needing to go back to Egypt, but Jacob realizes that the trip is necessary and he broaches the topic.

Yeah, about that…

I imagine all the brothers looking at each other, wondering who will remind their father about what Joseph had said, and Judah decides to speak up.

3 But Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man solemnly warned us, saying, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ 4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down; for the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you.’ ” - Genesis 43:3-5 NKJV

Judah addresses the elephant in the room. There is no point in going back to Egypt unless their youngest brother, Benjamin, is with them. Israel is distraught and laments his sons even mentioning their youngest brother to the Egyptian.

Israel

6 And Israel said, “Why did you deal so wrongfully with me as to tell the man whether you had still another brother?” - Genesis 43:6 NKJV

Whenever I read Jacob referred to as Israel I am reminded of how his name was changed and what Israel means.

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

Jacob did not simply become Israel one day as he was sitting comfortably at home. Jacob had spent a night wrestling with God (more details on that story here). When we face new challenges do we forget our previous challenges? Do we forget the faith lessons God has taught in the past? Personally, this happens too often. I know what God has done for me in my past but somehow I find ways to question His love.

Maybe I brought this on myself? - As if that limited God’s love and power and mercy (1 John 2:1)

Maybe my sin has separated me so far from God that He won’t answer my prayer this time around (Isaiah 59:2)? - God is able and willing to forgive me when I confess my sins 1 John 1:9.

Maybe I do not deserve His blessing? - We don’t deserve our blessings. God blesses us for His name’s sake. (Psalm 25:11; Psalm 31:3; Ezekiel 20:44)

I need to come to God just as I am, recognizing my great need for Him and especially remembering that I do not deserve the blessings that I seek.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. - Hebrews 4:16 NKJV

How could we have known?

It is really unfair to judge our past actions based on what we know now.

7 But they said, “The man asked us pointedly about ourselves and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Have you another brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?” - Genesis 43:7 NKJV

Too often I beat myself up for past “mistakes” that were not really mistakes, they only feel that way because of what is happening today. Given what they knew at the time, Jacob’s sons had done nothing wrong.

A matter of life or death

8 Then Judah said to Israel his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and you and also our little ones. 9 I myself will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever. 10 For if we had not lingered, surely by now we would have returned this second time.” - Genesis 43:8-10 NKJV

Judah speaks up again reminding his father this is a matter of life or death. This is not a game or a mere whim or desire, they must go to Egypt and buy grain or they will die, including their children. Judah takes full responsibility for the well-being of Benjamin and also points out that all this delay is not going to solve anything, they have to go so they can come back and bring food.

If it must be so…

11 And their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best fruits of the land in your vessels and carry down a present for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachio nuts and almonds. 12 Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight. 13 Take your brother also, and arise, go back to the man. - Genesis 43:11-13 NKJV

If you have to go, bring some gifts. After all Proverbs 18:16 says that “A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men.” Using gifts to help smooth a difficult situation is a familiar approach that Jacob has used in the past (Genesis 32:13-20 detailed post here). Jacob sent gifts that consisted of commodities typically exported from Canaan (Ezekiel 27:17), recalling especially the products borne by the caravan of Ishmaelite merchants (Genesis 37:25). (K. A. Mathews, Genesis 11:27–50:26, vol. 1B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), 788.) Jacob tells them to take double the money and finally agrees to allow them to take Benjamin with them to Egypt.

El Shaddai

14 And may God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved, I am bereaved!” - Genesis 43:14 NKJV

Jacob calls upon God almighty to give his sons mercy before “the man” that Benjamin and Siemon would be released and sent home. Little does Jacob know that “the man” is his son Joseph. Their sons are blessed to have a father who intercedes for them before God Almighty.

In Genesis El Shaddai (“God Almighty”) is usually found in the context of God’s revelation of covenant promises made to Abraham (Genesis 17:1), which was remembered by Isaac (Genesis 28:3) and reiterated to Jacob by God at Bethel (Genesis 35:11). Jacob appealed to the name in the setting of prayer and blessing (Genesis 43:14; 48:3). It was this revered name Shaddai that was chosen as the chief title for the God of the patriarchs at Sinai (Exodus 6:3). (K. A. Mathews, Genesis 11:27–50:26, vol. 1B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), 64–65.)

Mercy

Matthews also points out that this is the first use of “mercy” in the Bible.

Appropriately, this first occasion of “mercy” in the Bible appears in an invocation to God. The word occurs only twice in Genesis (vv. 14, 30). Ironically, the answer to Jacob’s plea, in which refers to (undisclosed) Joseph as “the man,” is Benjamin’s brother. Joseph’s emotional eruption (“deeply moved,” also from raḥămîm) evidences the compassion for which Jacob prayed (v. 30). - K. A. Mathews, Genesis 11:27–50:26, vol. 1B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), 788.

The Hebrew root word for mercy is רַחַם (raḥam) in the singular it means womb and shows up 4 times in the Old Testament, one of them being Genesis 49:25. Most often (30 times) this word shows up in the Old Testament in the plural רַחֲמִים (raḥămîm) which means compassion. A possible origin of the term is “brotherhood, brotherly feeling, of those born from the same womb […] or motherly feeling” (Francis Brown, Samuel Rolles Driver, and Charles Augustus Briggs, Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977), 933.) This word shows up 3 times in Genesis. 2 times in the plural meaning compassion (Genesis 43:14, 30), and once in the singular meaning womb (Genesis 49:25).

Good news?

15 So the men took that present and Benjamin, and they took double money in their hand, and arose and went down to Egypt; and they stood before Joseph. 16 When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, “Take these men to my home, and slaughter an animal and make ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.” 17 Then the man did as Joseph ordered, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house. - Genesis 43:15-17 NKJV

The sons of Israel took everything they would need for the trip and set off toward Egypt to buy the much-needed grain. Joseph saw that Benjamin was with them and decided to bless them with a special treatment, they would get to dine with him in his house at noon. But fear has a way of stealing the joy from moments that should be cherished and enjoyed. Here is a great family reunion, fantastic food, and a true blessing, yet fear and a guilty conscience steal the joy of the sons of Israel.

Fear is a thief

18 Now the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money, which was returned in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may make a case against us and seize us, to take us as slaves with our donkeys.” - Genesis 43:18 NKJV

Joseph’s brothers are so afraid they see this as a bad sign, a possible trap. They are anxious, nervous, afraid, and just waiting for something bad to happen. I have been there, unable to enjoy a pleasant experience because of fear or a guilty conscience. This makes me wonder, how many years have the brothers been suffering as a result of how they treated their brother. That is the thing with sin, it may seem so small, but we never fully know the extent of the suffering it will cause.

Do not be afraid

19 When they drew near to the steward of Joseph’s house, they talked with him at the door of the house, 20 and said, “O sir, we indeed came down the first time to buy food; 21 but it happened, when we came to the encampment, that we opened our sacks, and there, each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; so we have brought it back in our hand. 22 And we have brought down other money in our hands to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks.”

23 But he said, “Peace be with you, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. - Genesis 43:19-23 NKJV

They eagerly approached the steward of Joseph’s house to explain about the money. He assures them with a statement that God has given them a treasure. This reminds me of God showing up to bless Jacob, but Jacob is so afraid he wrestles with God all night (Genesis 32 Wrestling with God). The sons of Israel are receiving blessings from God but their guilty conscience causes them to experience the blessings with fear and anxiety. Perhaps they relaxed a bit once Joseph’s steward spoke to them and brought them Simeon.

Hospitality

24 So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys feed. 25 Then they made the present ready for Joseph’s coming at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there. - Genesis 43:24-25 NKJV

The brothers are treated well and prepare to have lunch with the Egyptian man. Perhaps they begin to relax a bit.

26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down before him to the earth. 27 Then he asked them about their well-being, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”

28 And they answered, “Your servant our father is in good health; he is still alive.” And they bowed their heads down and prostrated themselves. - Genesis 43:26-28 NKJV

Joseph comes home at noon for the meal and his brothers bring him the gifts their father had sent. Joseph asks them about the well-being of their father and I wonder if they answered carefully, concerned about how their words might be used against them in the future. (Genesis 43:6) Again the brothers bow before Joseph, fulfilling the dream Joseph had as a young man (Genesis 37:5-8 Dysfunctional Family).

Benjamin, is that you?

29 Then he lifted his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and said, “Is this your younger brother of whom you spoke to me?” And he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” 30 Now his heart yearned for his brother; so Joseph made haste and sought somewhere to weep. And he went into his chamber and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he restrained himself, and said, “Serve the bread.” - Genesis 43:29-31 NKJV

I recommend reading different translations for Genesis 43:30. You will notice that translators struggle with the use of רַחֲמָיו (rǎ·ḥǎmîm) the singular would mean womb, but Joseph is a man and the word shows up in the plural which would mean compassion, but it’s not like Benjamin is suffering and needs compassion so translations vary from deeply moved, to his heart was moved, he was overcome with emotion, to his bowels yearned for his brother. We can all agree that the sight of his brother, Benjamin had a profound impact on Joseph and he had to leave the room in order to weep. This is also the answer to the prayer Israel prayed to God Almighty back in Genesis 43:14 asking for “the man” who we know to be Joseph to be moved with mercy ( רַחֲמִים֙ rǎ·ḥǎmîmʹ).

“Deeply moved” (nikmĕrû raḥămayw, lit., “his compassion grew hot”) also describes the compassion of a mother for her son (1 Kgs 3:26) and of God for his people (Hos 11:8). The Joseph narrative often depicts Joseph weeping when restored to his family (45:14, 15, 28; 50:1, 17; cp. 29:11; 33:4).  - K. A. Mathews, Genesis 11:27–50:26, vol. 1B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), 791.

Enjoy the meal!

32 So they set him a place by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men looked in astonishment at one another. 34 Then he took servings to them from before him, but Benjamin’s serving was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him. - Genesis 43:32-34 NKJV

Apparently, there were lots of tables and seating arrangements were taken seriously.

 The segregated seating of Joseph, the brothers, and the Egyptians reflected the low status of the Hebrews (v. 32). The author’s explanation for the distinction informs the Hebrew reader of a ritual taboo in Egypt, which is explained further in 46:34 (cf. Exod 8:26[22]). That Egyptians exhibited such discriminatory practices has some corroboration in Herodotus’s Histories (fifth century B.C.). Egyptians, according to Herodotus, would not eat or sacrifice cows, who were considered sacred, and for this reason they avoided cohabiting with Greeks (2.18, 41; cf. 2.42, 46). - K. A. Mathews, Genesis 11:27–50:26, vol. 1B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2005), 791.

Joseph gets a place by himself, likely a whole table. His brothers are set at a table just for them and Joseph had them sit by birth order. The Bible does not tell us the details of how Joseph pulled this off but his brothers were astonished. At this point, I imagine Joseph having fun messing with their heads. Also, I imagine Benjamin hidden behind a mountain of food. If he is being served 5 times more food than his brothers I can’t imagine him being able to finish his food. I don’t know about you but I would have felt so guilty not finishing my food when there’s a famine in the land.

Genesis 43 ends almost like a predictable TV show or movie, and it all ends in pizza, or a meal, or they lived happily ever after. Except there is more coming in Genesis 44. But that will be covered in another post.

Takeaway

Joseph’s brothers are experiencing an emotional rollercoaster, and it is not over yet. They do not realize that God Almighty has answered their father’s prayer and “the man” has experienced compassion. They do not know that they are saved. They do not know that Joseph is alive. They do not know that great joy awaits them. God is in control, even in the midst of the mess that they have made of their lives.

When we place ourselves in God’s hands seeking to do His will we must trust Him to lead and solve our problems. There are so many unknowns, so many variables that we can drive ourselves mad. We don’t want to be completely careless, but if we are seeking God’s will in our lives, why do we stress so much about all the factors that are beyond our control?

This story is not over. There are a few more twists and turns coming. However, God is in control. The best each person can do is to be honest and kind along the journey. Whenever I find myself feeling anxious or uneasy about life’s circumstances I try to calm myself by asking myself the following questions.

Have I surrendered this to God? If not, what keeps me from surrendering this to God right now?

Have I done my part? This part is tricky because I am not sure how much of the work falls to me. I prayerfully ask God to show me if there is something I can do that I have not done. This portion helps me when there is something I know I should do but I have been afraid or just too lazy to do it.

Ask God to give me peace over what is beyond my control and thank Him in advance for the results. I know that God will take care of it. God has an amazing track record. I have no doubts that He wants what’s best for me. I just need to be willing to accept His will for my life.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. - Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. - Matthew 6:10 NKJV

He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” - Matthew 26:39 NKJV

But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. - Isaiah 40:31 NKJV

Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, Just as we hope in You. - Psalm 33:20-22 NKJV

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Making The Bible Come Alive

In the video above I read a story found on Luke 24 about two men on the road to Emmaus. I go verse by verse and describe the process I use when I read stories in the Bible (biblical narratives).

Watching the video I realized I did not pray on screen. I wish I had because prayer is a crucial first step and it makes all the difference. I always pray before reading the Bible, but I failed to do it out loud in front of the camera.

Some of the approaches I find helpful is asking myself the following questions.

What does this story teach me about God?

What does this story teach me about humanity/myself?

Is there a principle at play here that goes beyond this specific event and could be applied more broadly?

Why is this specific detail included?

I don’t always know the answer to all these questions. Some I discover as I study further, some I still don’t know, but the act of asking these questions causes the story to come alive. Asking these questions makes me slow down my reading, reflect on the content, and ponder the insights it reveals.

If you’re just starting to read the Bible for yourself congratulations! It is not easy to read the Bible, but it is so worth it. The more you read the Bible, the more you become familiar with God and some key themes begin to stand out. Don’t get discouraged, keep reading, it. With time and practice it gets better and you begin to gain insights that go beyond surface-level information.

If you have been reading the Bible for years. Try to set aside your preconceived notions of what the text says and actually read it for what it says. Try to read it with fresh eyes. Allow the biblical text to challenge previously held beliefs. Prayerfully ask God to reveal to you what He would like for you to take away from the Scriptures.

Journaling

I also find journaling helpful. I keep it simple and write down the main idea or the lessons I take away from a specific verse or verses or even a whole chapter, depending on how much time I have.

Let me know in the comments what are some of your favorite approaches to reading the Bible and that you have found helpful in your personal Bible study.