Remembering to Forgive

We left the Jacob and his family yesterday right after the birth of his twelfth son, Benjamin.  His twelve boys would become the twelve tribes of Israel.  We also showed why Joseph was the favorite.  He was REALLY the favorite.  His brothers did not like that at all.

One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. "Listen to this dream," he said. "We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!" His brothers responded, "So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. (Genesis 37:5-8 NLT)

The brothers didn’t just hate him.  They wanted to kill him!  Well, at least some of them wanted him dead.  Others just wanted him hurt.

So when Joseph arrived, his brothers ripped off the beautiful robe he was wearing. Then they grabbed him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. Then, just as they were sitting down to eat, they looked up and saw a caravan of camels in the distance coming toward them. It was a group of Ishmaelite traders taking a load of gum, balm, and aromatic resin from Gilead down to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain by killing our brother? We'd have to cover up the crime. Instead of hurting him, let's sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother--our own flesh and blood!" And his brothers agreed. (Genesis 37:23-27 NLT)

Joseph was sold into slavery.  Everywhere he went, he was faithful to God and did what was right in God’s eyes.  God blessed his life, even when he was hurt, falsely accused, and even just forgotten for a long time.  God gave Joseph the ability to interpret dreams, which brought him in front of Pharaoh (the king) who was having dreams that no one could interpret.  Joseph knew how to interpret them.

The next seven years will be a period of great prosperity throughout the land of Egypt. But afterward there will be seven years of famine so great that all the prosperity will be forgotten in Egypt. Famine will destroy the land. This famine will be so severe that even the memory of the good years will be erased. As for having two similar dreams, it means that these events have been decreed by God, and He will soon make them happen. (Genesis 41:29-32 NLT)

God used this interaction to bring Pharaoh to a place of trust with Joseph.  Joseph suggested putting someone in charge of the food program so that the people would not starve over the seven years of famine.  Pharaoh agreed.

So Pharaoh asked his officials, "Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?" Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, clearly no one else is as intelligent or wise as you are. You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours." Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt." Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck. Then he had Joseph ride in the chariot reserved for his second-in-command. And wherever Joseph went, the command was shouted, "Kneel down!" So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt. (Genesis 41:38-43 NLT)

When the famine hit, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to get food.  They didn’t recognize Joseph but he recognized them.  Now, Joseph wasn’t immediately kind about the meeting.  He certainly fought a roller-coaster of emotions and put his brothers through their paces for awhile.  But Joseph eventually told them who he was, brought the whole family to Egypt, and they settled into Hebron (a “suburb” of Egypt) where they flourished as a family.  When Jacob (Israel) died, the rest of Joseph’s brothers were terrified that Joseph would punish or kill them for what they did.  Joseph’s response is worthy of our attention:

But Joseph replied, "Don't be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don't be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children." So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them. (Genesis 50:19-21 NLT)

Joseph forgave his brothers.  He reminds us that many times, especially inside our families, walking with God means forgiving one another when we do not.  All of us have our good times.  All of us have our failures.  When we blow it, forgiveness is the tool God provides that allows us to stay family, get rid of the hurt, and reconcile the relationship again.

So Joseph and his brothers and their families continued to live in Egypt. Joseph lived to the age of 110. (Genesis 50:22 NLT)

So, how about you?  Are you willing to forgive…family?  It is a part of remembering our heritage.

Remembering Soap-Opera Family

Yesterday, we talked about crazy days in our families.  Sometimes the days were “good” crazy and other times they were “bad” crazy.  All in all, though, we learn how to love one another through those days.  I like to remember, too, that no matter how crazy things get for our families, Scripture gives us examples that are even more crazy.

Take a look at how Jacob ended up with twelve boys.  (You may want to pull out a pen an paper for this one.  Try drawing a family tree as you read.)

Finally, the time came for him to marry her. "I have fulfilled my agreement," Jacob said to Laban. "Now give me my wife so I can sleep with her." So Laban invited everyone in the neighborhood and prepared a wedding feast. But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her. (Laban had given Leah a servant, Zilpah, to be her maid.) But when Jacob woke up in the morning--it was Leah! "What have you done to me?" Jacob raged at Laban. "I worked seven years for Rachel! Why have you tricked me?" "It's not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn," Laban replied. "But wait until the bridal week is over, then we'll give you Rachel, too--provided you promise to work another seven years for me." So Jacob agreed to work seven more years. A week after Jacob had married Leah, Laban gave him Rachel, too. (Laban gave Rachel a servant, Bilhah, to be her maid.) So Jacob slept with Rachel, too, and he loved her much more than Leah. He then stayed and worked for Laban the additional seven years. (Genesis 29:21-30 NLT)

Notice, now, that Jacob has two wives: Leah and Rachel.  Rachel is the one he loves.  Rachel is the one he worked to receive in marriage.  Each girl also has a maidservant.  Leah has Zilpah. Rachel has Bilhah.

When the LORD saw that Leah was unloved, he enabled her to have children, but Rachel could not conceive. So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, "The LORD has noticed my misery, and now my husband will love me." She soon became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. She named him Simeon, for she said, "The LORD heard that I was unloved and has given me another son." Then she became pregnant a third time and gave birth to another son. She named him Levi, for she said, "Surely this time my husband will feel affection for me, since I have given him three sons!" Once again Leah became pregnant and gave birth to another son. She named him Judah, for she said, "Now I will praise the LORD!" And then she stopped having children. (Genesis 29:31-35 NLT)

In case you stopped counting, Leah has four boys.  This is Jacob’s first wife – the wife he didn’t want to marry in the first place.

When Rachel saw that she wasn't having any children for Jacob, she became jealous of her sister. She pleaded with Jacob, "Give me children, or I'll die!" Then Jacob became furious with Rachel. "Am I God?" he asked. "He's the One who has kept you from having children!" Then Rachel told him, "Take my maid, Bilhah, and sleep with her. She will bear children for me, and through her I can have a family, too." So Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob as a wife, and he slept with her. Bilhah became pregnant and presented him with a son. Rachel named him Dan, for she said, "God has vindicated me! He has heard my request and given me a son." Then Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son. Rachel named him Naphtali, for she said, "I have struggled hard with my sister, and I'm winning!" Meanwhile, Leah realized that she wasn't getting pregnant anymore, so she took her servant, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob as a wife. Soon Zilpah presented him with a son. Leah named him Gad, for she said, "How fortunate I am!" Then Zilpah gave Jacob a second son. And Leah named him Asher, for she said, "What joy is mine! Now the other women will celebrate with me." (Genesis 30:1-13 NLT)

The count is now up to eight.  Two boys were added to the mix through Rachel’s maidservant, Bilhah.  Two more were added through Leah’s maidservant, Zilpah.  What a mess!  Oh, hold on.  It gets better.

One day during the wheat harvest, Reuben found some mandrakes growing in a field and brought them to his mother, Leah. Rachel begged Leah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes." But Leah angrily replied, "Wasn't it enough that you stole my husband? Now will you steal my son's mandrakes, too?" Rachel answered, "I will let Jacob sleep with you tonight if you give me some of the mandrakes." So that evening, as Jacob was coming home from the fields, Leah went out to meet him. "You must come and sleep with me tonight!" she said. "I have paid for you with some mandrakes that my son found." So that night he slept with Leah. And God answered Leah's prayers. She became pregnant again and gave birth to a fifth son for Jacob. She named him Issachar, for she said, "God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband as a wife." Then Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth son for Jacob. She named him Zebulun, for she said, "God has given me a good reward. Now my husband will treat me with respect, for I have given him six sons." (Genesis 30:14-20 NLT)

Leah is now up to six sons.  (It’s a goo thing she was able to buy a night with her husband using those mandrakes, isn’t it.)  The total is up to ten now.  Jacob can field a whole baseball team and have a batter for practice.

Then God remembered Rachel's plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. "God has removed my disgrace," she said. And she named him Joseph, for she said, "May the LORD add yet another son to my family." (Genesis 30:22-24 NLT)

Jacob finally had a son through his favorite wife – the one he worked 14 years for the right to marry.  It is no wonder that Joseph is the favorite son.  By the way, Jacob has twelve sons in total.  Later on in the story we find out that Rachel has the last son with great pains in childbirth.

Rachel was about to die, but with her last breath she named the baby Ben-oni (which means "son of my sorrow"). The baby's father, however, called him Benjamin (which means "son of my right hand"). (Genesis 35:18 NLT)

Benjamin, even though he was the youngest, was not the favorite.  That’s because he was a constant reminder of Rachel’s death.

These twelve boys, the twelve sons of Jacob, became known as something different throughout history.  Later in his life, Jacob was renamed by God.  His new name became Israel.  His twelve boys became the twelve tribes of Israel.  Crazy, right?  God can work through the craziest family circumstances, even ones that look like a soap opera.  Praise God!

Remembering Family Crazy Days

My family used to vacation in Summerset, KY every year at Lake Cumberland.  First, we camped there.  Then, we had a houseboat.  When we went to the lake for a longer period of time (like a week or so) we would take the houseboat out and tie it up in a cove.  One rope to each shore would “suspend” the boat out in the middle of the cove.

I remember one time when we were out skiing and running to the dock, we returned to the houseboat because a storm was brewing.  The winds were blowing pretty good, the water was getting choppy, and we returned to the houseboat just in time to watch a tree stump slide down the hill and into the water.  It was the tree stump connected to the houseboat!

Dad immediately went into Merchant Marines leadership mode, everyone did their part, and we “saved the ship” with some crazy antics and (after it was all over) a lot of laughter.  As a little boy, though, the real hero of the day was my mom.  A boat cushion blew off the boat and out into the water.  It was being swept back deeper into the cove where we could get it later, but I didn’t understand that.  I just knew the cushion was blowing away.  So, mom (already in her swimsuit) put on a life belt, dove in the water, swam over to the cushion and brought it back.  She saved the day!  What a day it was.

We have a lot of good memories from Lake Cumberland.  Adventures usually involved God showing-off through nature, like the storm in the story I just shared.  Sometimes the memories were of hard work, like grinding, sealing, and painting the steel hull of the boat.  Sometimes, though, the memories were not the best.  I can remember plenty of “discussions” between different family members at different times through the years.  I watched as marriages started, marriages struggled, and marriages ended on those vacations.  I watched as different family members got along, didn’t get along, talked, yelled, gave the silent treatment, and did everything else in between.

Through it all, though, we are still family.  This is what I like to remember.  I think this is what God likes us to remember, too.  There is a reason Paul says, “The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:14 [NIV84]).  In all the craziness, the neighbor we first learn to love is our family.

Remembering God Encounters

Abraham had Isaac.  Isaac had Esau and Jacob.  God’s plan to fill the earth with Abraham’s descendants has begun.

Now Esau and Jacob did not get along with one another.  Esau was a hunter and dad’s favorite.  Jacob was more the artistic type and mom’s favorite.  Even though Esau was the firstborn, Jacob tricked Esau out of his birthright (inheritance) and his blessing from dad.  When Isaac grew old and died, Jacob got out of town before his brother could kill him (literally).  He travelled to a land where there was extended family and he might be able to find a wife. 

Along the way, he stopped to sleep for the night.  He used a stone as his pillow and had an amazing dream.

As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway. At the top of the stairway stood the LORD, and He said, "I am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions--to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. What's more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you." (Genesis 28:12-15 NLT)

God encouraged Jacob and gave him a glimpse of his future.  The glimpse was not only of his future, but of the future for his children as well.  Jacob was encouraged by the dream and the words of the LORD God.

Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I wasn't even aware of it!" But he was also afraid and said, "What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, the very gateway to heaven!" The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it. He named that place Bethel (which means "house of God"), although it was previously called Luz. Then Jacob made this vow: "If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if He will provide me with food and clothing, and if I return safely to my father's home, then the LORD will certainly be my God. And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything He gives me." (Genesis 28:16-22 NLT)

The stone in that spot, many years in the future, would mark the site of God’s Temple in Israel.  The ten percent (tithe) would become his descendants’ way of fulfilling Jacob’s promise that day.  The nation of Israel would remember God’s communication, God’s promises, and Jacob’s promises that day, even until today.

How about you?  Have you had any encounters with God that were encouraging, challenging, and drove you to your next steps in your walk?  Do you remember those encounters?  How?

Isaac, Esau, and Jacob

We left last week with Abram becoming Abraham, which means father of many nations.  Abram and Sarai figured God was not coming through on the promise for children, since they were getting old.  So, Sarai gave her maidservant to Abram so he would sleep with her.  They had a child named Ishmael.  When Ishmael was 13, God told Abram that God’s promise would be fulfilled through Sarai, his wife.  The next year, they would have a boy and name him Isaac.  Abraham was 100.  Sarah was 90.  Even when Abraham was tested with Isaac, he trusted God from that point on.  Abraham now trusted God.

Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east. Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. (Genesis 25:5-8 NIV)

Isaac grew up, got married, and was blessed with twin boys – Esau and Jacob.

When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean. Isaac pleaded with the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The LORD answered Isaac's prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the LORD about it. "Why is this happening to me?" she asked. And the LORD told her, "The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son." And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau. Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau's heel. So they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born. (Genesis 25:20-26 NLT)

These twin boys would grow up to be nations who were rivals.  Have you ever experienced rivalry in your family?  Have you seen it in other families?  Does it help to see real families with real struggles in Scripture?  God worked with them.  God can certainly work with us.