Bleurgh. Will it ever stop raining? Sorry for the lateness once again. I have little excuse beyond napping. I will endeavour to get back to my teatime schedule this week. Onto business then,
Today’s readings:
Genesis 27:1-28:22
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2027-28&version=MSG
Matthew 10:32-11:15
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2010:32-11:15&version=MSG
Psalm 9:1-6
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%209:1-6&version=MSG
So we start of with Jacob doing a bang up job of deceiving his father and cheating his way to being God's chosen guy. Now this is a bit troublesome isn't it? On Soul Survivor's blog they say that this is a contradictary example to what Jesus would do as a son but that doesn't explain how Jacob became such a fantastic man of God and was looked over by God... This whole thing seem very complicated because as much as Jacob is at fault for cheating his way to the blessing, his mum Rebekah is really not coming off well in this chapter. She's picking favourites and then has the cheek to go back to Issac with her concerns. So where's the truth? To me, Jacob isn't doing the right thing. But neither is Issac. I really feel for Esau because he's desperate to get some sort of blessing from his father. Esau realises that Issac's blessings carry the authority of God and will come to fruition and is aghast that Issac has given everything to just one son. I wonder if Esau would have been as understanding if he received the blessing first. But he's right, Issac shouldn't have put all the great things on one son, especially when his reasons are the two seconds that split them coming out of the womb and favouritism. I think the first lesson here is that God provides for us equally. Issac thinks of something for Esau eventually which leaves Esau annoyed but in a way this is a little like our relationship with God. Some people will appear to have got more than others and that can really upset us. But we've already read what Jesus said about wealth and we have to remember that the real treasures are in heaven waiting for us.
Second lesson to me is that Jacob did something wrong but he earned God's promise. Now God is a just God and could have judged against Jacob, maybe we would have done. But God knew what sort of a man Jacob was and would be and honoured His promises to him. That's good news. No matter how much we think we're not worthy of the promises that are made in the Bible, God honours them anyway.
Next Issac warns off Jacob from marrying a Hittite or Caananite like his brother. There's a little lesson here about going out with someone who doesn't believe the same things as you do. It can work, but it's blooming hard going and you need to make sure that God is still the main focus of your life. Jacob then has a fantastic dream, and just a small point on this that's never really occurred to me before. Jacob managed to sleep outside, in the wilderness where there are all sorts of scary beasties, using a rock as his pillow. Now that's impressive but I think that maybe the reason Jacob fell asleep was because God wanted to talk to him. I think that if God really needs to say something to you, He'll find a way. We just have to make sure we're listening! God then confirms that He's following through on Issac's blessing and Jacob's reaction is brilliant. He believes, he honours and he commits. Now that is how we ought to respond to the word of God!
Into the New Testament we have more teaching from Jesus. First of all Jesus points out that believing and following Him might make you fall out with family. I know a lot of you Connect chaps and chapesses are from non Christian families and I hope you take a real lift from knowing that Jesus understands and has planned for your family situation and how it might not be the easiest thing for you to deal with. But then as we were singing at Impact, if our God is for us then what can stand against? Jesus will honor that commitment to Him! Jesus also says not to pick son or daughter over Him. That's a little reminiscient of Issac to me. He picked sons over God's just way and ended up fracturing his family and hurting his favourite.
We then see what has become of John the Baptist. Trapped in a prison where he will see out the rest of his days, John's first thought is excitement at what his cousin Jesus is achieving. What a witness! Jesus spends a fair amount of time talking about John and what a great man of God he is. He talks about how John fulfils prophecies in the Old Testament and is a prophet himself. This is big praise because the prophets were incredibly highly thought of as God chose them to speak to. He also points out how John points the way to Him. A lot of people say Jesus never admitted to being the Messiah. This to me seems like Him not so much saying "Yes I am" but saying "Well what do you think?!" He lists all the reasons that point to him being the Messiah without specifically saying it so that it is still a matter of free choice. And what is interesting to me is verse 15 where Jesus checks that everyone is really listening to what He's been saying. As though that last bit might have been quite important!!
Finally our Psalm for today and David is full of joy at how God delivers justice to humanity. There are so many times when this world seems such a messed up and injust place and it can be hard to believe that God is keeping His justice. But David had been through a lot before writing this and he still had the passion and truth in his heart to know that God will always love and protect His people.
And that's the lot. Sorry it's so late again. I'm off out tomorrow evening so I really will have to squeeze the blog in around 5pm most likely. Questions, criticisms and comments welcome as always
Jon
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