Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

 

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:8-14 ESV).

 

Our meme today is an apt illustration of the truth in our reading. I have often been asked “why?” Typically it is the first question anyone asks when they are enduring trials and difficulties. Some of the time I have heard others express the thought that health issues are a punishment for sin. The truth of Scripture is that God does not authorize our suffering because we haven’t faithfully followed his law. This ages-old question plagues people who wonder if God follows a cause-and-effect policy: You sin, you suffer. In short… bad things happen to both good and bad people. While there are consequences for all our decisions, good and bad (cf. Galatians 5:6-7), God is not punishing us when we have difficult experiences whether they are of our own making or not.

 

In the Old Testament we read of a man named Job who loses nearly everything but his life to prove that his righteousness was not a result of his good behavior. Job’s friends accuse him, saying he must have brought this on himself by sinning against God. Job even asks God, “If I have sinned, what have I done to you? Why have you made me your target?” (Job 7:20). And God responds by showing him that all these things ultimately bring him good. This is what the psalmist means when he declares that God “does not treat us as our sins deserve.” Instead, God uses a sin-removal policy based on his everlasting love: God pays the price of our sin.

 

The answer to the question of “why?” is simply not as important as that of “who?” If it is God who ultimately directs and ordains our journey, then we can know the truth of the Apostle Paul’s answer to “why?” It will always be for the working together of our good (cf. Romans 8:28). Heaven does turn toward you when all the world turns against you!

 

Lions and Tigers and Bears!

 

But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” (Isaiah 41:8-13 ESV).

 

I’m sure you remember the scene in The Wizard of Oz as Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, and Tin Man were going through the dark forest. They begin to think of all the terrible things that might befall them and begin to chant together, “Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh my!” Perhaps a part of your journey has been through such dark path. But, it is not the thought of wild animals attacking that scare you. It’s the bigger risks that seem all too common in our day. These are natural disasters, health concerns, or financial destruction. For many it is the specter of death that looms as we age. These fears grip us in what seems to be an unbreakable fist, choking our hearts to the point of paralysis. Like Dorothy and her friends we can learn to overcome these fears.

 

Our heavenly Father knows how fears can cripple us. In the Scripture we find the message “Do not fear” some 365 times in one phrasing or another. Our reading comes from the prophet Isaiah. He is speaking God’s words to God’s chosen people, encouraging Israel to trust God—even though they will suffer in captivity—and not to fear, because God has an amazing rescue plan.

 

When we lose our job, learn that we have a serious illness, face a big financial loss, or watch a family member make dangerous choices, we naturally experience fear for the future. What is going to happen to us—or to them? How will we get through this? God’s words in Isaiah invite us to look at the big picture, the overarching story. Our God promises, in effect, “I am with you; I am your God; I will strengthen you and help you. My right hand will take hold of your right hand, so do not be dismayed.” It is His unfailing promise of good that will disperse our fear!

 

Don't Pray for Patience

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. (Psalm 130:1-6 ESV).

 

I have been asked many times how one might develop patience. Usually I jokingly reply, Well, never pray for it!” Typically that brings a vacant stare and I explain that when God desires to help us develop patience it is always accomplished through trials of “various kinds” (cf. James 1:2-4). The truth is all of us could use more of this wonderful discipline. We simply are not very good at waiting, whether it’s for food to be served, a traffic light to change, or test results to arrive. In our fast-paced world, waiting is usually an irritating inconvenience.

 

My favorite time of the year has long been the fall. It signals the start of several months of some of my favorite pastimes. Football season begins, the landscape bursts with color, hunting seasons of various kinds commence, and some of the best holidays of the year are contained in this quarter of the year. So, I pass the rest of the year looking back with fondness on past experiences and anticipating new memories. As a child, I eagerly anticipated Christmas.

 

When the psalmist writes that his “whole being waits,” perhaps you, like me, can relate to that feeling. His heart and soul long for a sign from God, a flicker of light while hanging out in the depths of darkness. He wanders back and forth between calling out to God and reminding himself of the goodness and faithfulness of God. This is that time of our lives when we are in the most dangerous position for fear to grip our hearts. It creeps into our waiting when there’s a possibility of bad news or failure. That can make the situation feel unbearable. Like the psalmist, we must keep our eyes fixed on God, the source of hope for this life and forever. There is no outcome that God will not help us handle.

 

The easiest method I have found in waiting on the future blessing of God to come is in reflecting on the past blessings. He has never failed me, nor will He begin to do so in the future. Try it for yourself!

  

When Your Heart Sinks

I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints. You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I consider the days of old, the years long ago. I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.” (Psalm 77:1-6 ESV).

 

My hope is that you have never had one of those moments… the phone call... the knock on the door... the doctor’s words… the death pronouncement. However, if you have lived any of life you will be like so many of us and can easily remember times in our lives when you received news that you immediately knew would change the course of your future. Waves of dread ran through your bodies, and you could barely stand. Your heart sank. All you could think was “Oh, God!”

 

That’s the context of our reading today. I have had those moments. I’m often reminded that is simply a part of living over seven decades on our broken world; however, there must be more to the follower of Christ. For us, calling out to our God, who is the source of our life and strength and hope ought to be the natural response to shock, fear, disbelief, and grief. The psalmist says, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart” (v. 6). Sometimes “Oh, God!” is all we can say as our mind races and our world blurs; however, that is our 911 call to the God of the universe.

 

One of the wonderful things about the Psalms is that, by example, we are granted permission to cry out to God in desperation. It’s human to fear death when we’re diagnosed with cancer. And it’s human to want to die when we lose a precious child or spouse. God’s people are not required to be stoic in difficult times. Instead, we are invited to collapse into the arms of God, who will hold us tightly, catch our tears, and carry us through whatever lies ahead.

 

The writer of this psalm does not rush to resolution but lingers in the distress and sleeplessness of overwhelming grief. He merely asks God to help and to hear. And that’s more than enough. In the coming days I will be writing about how that can happen. In the “thick-middle” of your pain, God is there. I hope to help you find all of Him!

  

Jacob - Pt. 14

 

God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had, and the rings that were in their ears. Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree that was near Shechem. (Genesis 35:1-4 ESV).

 

Sometimes we don’t fully understand an event until we have the wisdom of hindsight. Many years earlier, as he fled for his life, Jacob had experienced a vision of God at Bethel (cf. Genesis 28:10-22). He had heard God’s promise to watch over him wherever he would go. Then later, while returning to his homeland, Jacob again encountered God and received a new identity: Israel, “one who wrestles with God” yet receives blessing (cf. Genesis 32:22-32). Now both experiences come together as Jacob leads his family back to Bethel for a time of worship and renewal before God. Previously Jacob’s experiences of God were solitary and personal. Now he shares his testimony of God’s faithfulness with his household, calling them to wrestle with repentance and faith too. Here he builds his altar.

 

Perhaps you, like Jacob, have had a long and roundabout journey with God. Maybe you always sensed that God was there, but then in hindsight you have seen how faithful God has been. In spite of our sins and scheming ways, in spite of the pain and difficulty of your journey, God has always proven ready to forgive and bless you. He has given each of us a new identity by grace through Christ. This is what we celebrate.

 

I have found that I can do that best in my “cathedral.” This place is usually not made of brick and mortar. It is always that place where I can most easily see the hand of God as He has worked mightily in my life. These are the places where I “build an altar.” While the altars I’ve built have never been literal, they are just as important. It is when I return to the moments in my life when God was so apparent that He was undeniable and inescapable. Find your cathedral and build an altar so that you can easily have the flood of wisdom gained from your past to face whatever your future might hold!

 

Jacob - Pt. 13

And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him rand fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it. (Genesis 32:1-11 ESV).

 

Perhaps the most difficult journey is the one that leads home after conflict and separation. Twenty years had passed since Jacob and Esau had seen each other. Back then, Esau had threatened to kill his brother, and Jacob had fled for his life. We can understand that the idea of meeting again made Jacob nervous, especially since Esau came with 400 men. But while Jacob is afraid and still trying to control the situation (vv. 1-3, 8), we can see that something has changed in him. He is more humble and realizes that his gift cannot ultimately win Esau’s favor. Quite possibly, Jacob’s struggles with Laban have helped him to realize the great wrong he had done to his brother long ago. He now acknowledges that all that he has comes only from God, by grace, and he recognizes that he needs grace from Esau if they are to reconcile.

 

Perhaps you are someone who has a strained relationship with family members, friends, or others. Perhaps you recognize the need for reconciliation but aren’t sure how to go about it. Relationships are always by grace. We cannot control how others respond to us; we can only show grace and enjoy the grace shown to us. In a similar way, our sin has ruined our relationship with God, and no amount of scheming on our part can restore us. But in Christ we find the unexpected and merciful embrace of God. Perhaps it is time to make your way home. 

Jacob - Pt. 12

 

The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh. (Genesis 32:22-32 ESV).

 

Perhaps one of the most familiar stories from the life of Jacob is found in our reading today. Many have taken it and emphasized the wrestling with God rather than understanding the better principle at work. It is here that Jacob learned to lean on God. This resulted in a change of heart and name. Here he becomes Israel. It underscores one of the hardest things for any of us to do. We find great difficulty in admitting our faults. It’s much easier to tell ourselves that life’s problems come from outside, from the people or circumstances around us. Inevitably that leads to denial; and, that leads to destruction and defeat.

 

Jacob had become very good at hiding. Throughout his life, he had been a schemer. He knew how to manipulate people to get his way. But finally, in this strange wrestling match, God forced Jacob to recognize who he was. In the Bible, names are a big deal. A name says something about a person’s identity and character. The name Jacob means “deceiver” (cf. Genesis 25:26). And in this story Jacob has to admit to himself and God, “Yes, that is who I am.”

 

God asks the same question of each of us, not because he wants to embarrass us, but because he longs to redeem us. When we come to God, when we admit our sin and our need for God’s grace, God gives us a new identity in Christ. Jacob may have walked away from his wrestling match with a wound, but when God does the wounding, it is always for our good. And from that day onward, Jacob began to live with a new identity, one given by grace. The real work of repentance is in admitting we need it! God has provided the solution… trust Him!

 

Jacob - Pt. 11

 

And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’” And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.” And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. (Genesis 32:3-11 ESV).

 

Fear can be a powerful force in our lives. For much of his life, Jacob had tried to act as a person in control, someone who could figure his way out of any hard place. After he successfully navigated his recent awkward encounter with Laban, we might think he would have felt confident in his abilities. But now, as reports suggested that Esau, his brother, was coming to meet him with 400 men, Jacob was terrified. What more could he do to save himself? For the first time, we hear him praying the desperate prayer of a man who knows he can do nothing apart from God’s help and power.

 

We often imagine that we have the resources to deal with any problem that might come our way. Perhaps we even say that we depend wholly on God’s power, but we so often live as if our efforts and our know-how are what really matter. When we face a situation we cannot control, we realize that we cannot rescue ourselves from our deepest fears. We cannot preserve our health. We cannot redeem our reputation. We cannot reconcile our broken relationships. We cannot save ourselves from our sin. We can depend only on the grace and power of God.

 

Have you come to the point of desperate faith? As powerful as fear is, God’s grace in Christ is far more powerful. Praise God for his amazing grace!

 

Jacob - Pt. 10

 

Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has gained all this wealth.” And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” (Genesis 31:1-3 ESV).

 

Responding well to life’s challenges is a complicated subject, of course. Jacob begins preparing to leave for home because of a revelation from God. But then he sneaks away without telling his uncle about his plan to leave. ometimes even our obedience to God is tainted with our own tendencies to sin and our reactions to fear.

 

But in the midst of his fear and uncertainty, Jacob begins to understand something of the faithfulness of God. He hears again the voice of “the God of Bethel,” reminding him of that night long ago when God showed Jacob, the runaway with nothing to his name, a stairway to heaven. Now again, even in the midst of another scheme, Jacob is reminded that God’s favor comes as a gift.

 

How do you respond when life is disappointing or difficult? Do you stay and face your struggles, or do you turn and run? I don’t ask that question in a way that indicates you have the power within yourself to control every circumstance. This is the preamble to a message of “pull yourself up by your bootstraps.” It is a word intended to encourage you that you are not alone in your trial or challenge. God has not forsaken or forgotten us. He sees us and directs every experience toward our good.

 

The apostle Paul helps with the explanation that our desire to do good is always frustrated by our sin (cf. Romans 7:18-25). And when we are sinned against, we tend to respond in sinful ways. We run away from our disappointments, and we become resentful and mean-spirited when we face difficulties. Still, God faithfully pursues us with his loving presence. He reminds us of the way to heaven, the finished work of Jesus, which covers even our misguided efforts to follow God’s ways. Thus the correct answer is neither running nor staying in our difficulty; it is finding our strength and hope in the One who stays with us!

 

Jacob - Pt. 9

 

When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I shall die!” Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?” (Genesis 30:1-2 ESV).

 

Some of us are old enough to remember the days when television was not available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and every day of the year with hundreds of channels and programs to choose from. I’m one of those old folks who remember when television stations stopped broadcasting late at night going off the air until morning. They would end the day with a picture of the US flag waving and the playing of the national anthem. If you stayed on the channel a bit you would see a test pattern until programming resumed. You may remember the pattern from the example I’ve included here. These test card were originally physical cards at which a television camera was pointed, and such cards are still often used for calibration, alignment, and matching of cameras and camcorders. It was completely out of our control, but completely for our good. It guaranteed a good picture the following day.

 

Sometimes God puts us in situations completely beyond our control designed for our good (cf. Romans 8:28). For Jacob, this began with his own family. His uncle tricked him into a marriage with Leah, whom he failed to love, creating a rivalry with Rachel for his affection. Nowhere was this rivalry felt more strongly than when Leah began having children and Rachel reacted with predictable bitterness. While Jacob rightly points out that it is beyond his ability to ease Rachel’s pain, his response is one of anger. Like many of us, Jacob is accustomed to leaning on his own ability to solve problems. But his inability to help Rachel frustrates him, and it leads him to frustrate and hurt the people around him. Confidence in our own abilities often does that.

 

But Jacob’s words are truer than he knows: “Am I in the place of God?” While he has not yet fully grasped this truth, these words reveal a growing awareness that Jacob is not God. Life is beyond his control. We can be frustrated and we can frustrate others when we find ourselves in situations outside of our control. Or we can admit that we are not God, and we can begin to embrace his gracious care for us.

 

Jacob - Pt. 8

 

Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!” Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother. (Genesis 28:1-5 ESV).

 

Today I need to backtrack a bit in the story of Jacob’s life. Our reading today helps us understand an essential characteristic of faith. Here we see that Jacob’s stated purpose in fleeing to Harran was to find a wife (v.2). It did not take him long to fall in love. Jacob’s polygamy and some other marriage customs described here may be foreign to many of us today, but they were not unusual in Jacob’s day. The fact that they are included in the Bible does not mean God approves of them; it simply means that God can work to redeem people’s hearts even through existing cultural realities.

 

On the night of his wedding, Jacob the deceiver is himself deceived. In the morning he finds that he is married to Leah instead of Rachel. Laban has played a nasty trick, and it will hurt his daughters as well as Jacob. But Jacob’s favoritism will also take a toll, setting the stage for resentment and bitterness that will plague his family for a long time.

 

It is easy to see the wrong in others. Jacob is quick to name Laban’s fault. But Jacob seems to miss the fact that only a short time earlier, he had committed a similar sin against his own father and brother. We are responsible for the sinful ways we act, and we are more like Jacob than we might like to think. We get irritated when others sin against us, but we are quick to justify our own wrongdoing. Thankfully, God kept working on Jacob, and he keeps working on our hearts too.

 

Be quick to admit your own sin. Take responsibility for your part in any disagreement or contentious relationship. Perhaps it’s time to realize that none of us can claim perfection in any area of life. We must build on our relationship with the One who is perfect… His name is Jesus.

 

Jacob - Pt. 7

 

Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, “We are from Haran.” He said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” They said, “We know him.” He said to them, “Is it well with him?” They said, “It is well; and see, Rachel his daughter is coming with the sheep!” He said, “Behold, it is still high day; it is not time for the livestock to be gathered together. Water the sheep and go, pasture them.” But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.” While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father. As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things, and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” (Genesis 29:4-14 ESV).

 

Perhaps you have heard me say, “La famiglia e tutto.” It is a long taught and learned principle from my dad. It is Italian and translates as “Family is everything.” This is the background of our reading today. After a long journey, Jacob, running for his life, arrives at the home of his uncle. These are “his” people, his mother’s family. This, surely, should be a good place to begin rebuilding his life. The fact that God had guided him to this spot where he finds Laban’s warm welcome must have reassured Jacob. He would have a home away from home.

 

It is somewhat baffling to me when I find people who don’t seem to have such a safe haven. Of course, I am not denying that some of the greatest hurts and betrayals are performed against those we are closest to biologically. Certainly that was the case with Jacob and his brother Esau. However, forgiveness and restoration ought to prevail within the family. All of us need a safe place to land when we’ve made a mess of our life. We need our people.

 

Perhaps “your” people are a group of friends to whom God has led you, people who will stick with you through good times and hard times. Perhaps you’ve made a mess of your life, but God has led you to find reliable support in a recovery group or even in prison. Sometimes God graciously provides us safe places, as he does for Jacob, so that we can begin growing and rebuilding our lives. But the most important change God works in our lives is not in our circumstances or our location; it is in our hearts. God may sometimes grant a reprieve from the effects of our sin. But as Jacob will learn, God continues to pursue us until we rest in his grace alone. The only place to truly be at home is at the cross of Christ, where sins are forgiven and messed-up lives are made new. That should be our family as much as any blood relation!

 

Jacob - Pt. 6

 

Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran. And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, “I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (Genesis 28:10-17 ESV).

 

When Jacob arrives at Bethel, he is a broken young man. Supposedly he has inherited the covenant blessings from his father: the promise that God will be with him, give him a great name, and make him a blessing to all nations (cf. Genesis 12:1-3; 28:3-4). But as he goes to sleep that night, he is alone and discredited, hardly a candidate to bless anyone, much less all peoples on earth. But that night, in his dreams, Jacob catches a surprising glimpse of the God who has far more in store for him than he has ever understood. The text points out that this occurred in “a certain place,” so this was not some imaginary or dreamed-up location. And here, in this ordinary place on the earth, Jacob sees a stairway reaching from earth to heaven, an open passageway to God. And God assures Jacob that all of his covenant promises will be fulfilled.

 

What an incredible truth about the character of God. Remember yesterday I encouraged you to run to God, not from Him. The distance is so near and so ordinary. God will meet you in the ordinary, unexpected places of life. Sometimes we, like Jacob, imagine that we need to work harder, feel more holy, or storm heaven to seize God’s promises. And, like Jacob, we find that our efforts leave us broken and alone. God reminds us that we don’t need to build a stairway to get to heaven. In Jesus, he has constructed a way for broken people to return to him (cf. John 1:51). The “ladder” is already in place… and He has come to us! Welcome Him!

 

Jacob - Pt. 5

 

Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran and stay with him a while, until your brother’s fury turns away— until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?” (Genesis 27:41-45 ESV).

 

Jacob’s deception got him his father’s blessing. But it also damaged the relationships he had with the people around him. Today’s reading drives home the tragedy of Jacob’s deception. Jacob’s brother, Esau, now plans to kill him after their father has died. Again Rebekah steps in to advise her younger son. “Run!” she says, in effect; “go to live with my brother’s family far away.” She even offers a rationale to Isaac: there are no potential marriage partners here (cf. Genesis 26:34-35). This is an attempt to make it sound like she is concerned about maintaining the family’s faith in God, but Rebekah is using this as an excuse to avoid dealing with the deadly breakdown in her sons’ relationship.

 

It is important, of course, to have a marriage founded on a shared love for God. And we don’t know what violence Esau might have done if Jacob had stayed. But even legitimate concerns should not become an excuse to run from the effects of our own sins. We all have a tendency to devise “cover stories” to keep up appearances and make ourselves look better than we are. Thankfully, God’s Spirit can work in us even when we try to run away. God pursued Jacob, and he will pursue us until his redeeming work in us is complete.

 

Running from God creates a scenario where we are forced to deal with even more difficult circumstances. Jonah learned this truth. He tried to run from the truth and ended up taking the side road of the belly of a fish for three days. Perhaps you are in the unenviable position of having run. Change your direction. Run to God, not from Him! He is not far away. He is near enough to restore and set you right again.

 

Jacob - Pt. 4

 

So he went in to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.” But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the LORD your God granted me success.” Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.” So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. (Genesis 27:18-24 ESV).

 

Jacob is the deceiver in this portion of the story. He pretends to be his brother, Esau, in order to receive his father’s blessing, which includes special promises from God. Twice he blatantly lies to his father about his identity. He also lies about God helping him on a hunt that never happened. We can imagine Jacob nervously waiting while his father eats, knowing that in just a short time Esau will return and these lies will be revealed. Jacob was clearly a deceiver, adding one lie to another to trick his aged father. Jacob even faked the way he smelled, and that “smell of a field” reminded Isaac of God’s blessing. Jacob wanted to portray himself as someone worthy of his father’s approval, but he was not yet someone who could be trusted with the gifts of abundance and blessing that God had promised.

 

Before we are too hard on this Old Testament patriarch, we must ask ourselves if we are really so different? Don’t we often lie about our identity, to others and to ourselves? Thinking that God will be impressed with our achievements, we dress ourselves in the claim that we’re pretty good people. We lie about our own sins and the harm we do to others. And we too do not (yet) “smell” like the One who has received God’s blessing (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:15). Don’t we often quantify and rank the severity of sin before God. We must remind ourselves there is no one who is righteous before God.

 

That ought to prompt a great sense of repentance in us. Only in Christ can we admit our true identity: a deceiver, a sinner in need of grace. I am so grateful that the Scripture is honest in showing us both the failures and successes of those who have gone before us. It encourages me to be honest with God today, and receive his grace and forgiveness. I pray it will do the same for you.

 

Jacob - Pt. 3

When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son”; and he answered, “Here I am.” He said, “Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me, and prepare for me delicious food, such as I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.” Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, ‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the LORD before I die.’ Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you. Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves. And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.” His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.” (Genesis 27:1-13 ESV).

 

Today’s story brings us to a decisive moment in Jacob’s life. Isaac has grown old, and he is nearly blind. And now he intends to pass along his blessing to Esau as the firstborn, including special blessings and promises from God. So Jacob is spurred to action by his mother. Jacob rightly senses the potential for disaster: What if his mother’s plan doesn’t work? What if his father discovers the lie? But Jacob goes along with the plot anyway, and the result will be painful for everyone.

 

However there is a great lesson to be learned from the bad example of Rebekah. It leads us to the answer of whether a person can really scheme their way into God’s gifts of prosperity, success, and honor. It is the preeminent example of what is wrong with the prosperity gospel so popular today. Despite his misgivings, Jacob is willing to try. But he is not the only one. We too can ignore our conscience when we think that maybe our best bet is to cut corners, to stretch the truth, or to subtly undermine others. Like Jacob, our main concern is often only that we should get what we want, no matter how we go about it. But the Bible reminds us that the blessing of a relationship with God cannot be gained by manipulation. Honor and prosperity in God’s sight can only be a gift. All other efforts will set us on a painful course until we learn to live by grace through the Lord’s work.