Creating an Avenue for Trust - Genesis 44-47

 Creating an Avenue for Trust 

Genesis 44:1-5 (ESV)
1 Then he commanded the steward of his house, “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 and put my cup, the silver cup, in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with his money for the grain.” And he did as Joseph told him.
3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away with their donkeys. 4 They had gone only a short distance from the city. Now Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men, and when you overtake them, say to them, ‘Why have you repaid evil for good? 5 Is it not from this that my lord drinks, and by this that he practices divination? You have done evil in doing this.’”

In the above text Joseph sets up an elaborate test to find out the heart of his brothers.    He wants to see if they will give up his brother Benjamin, to save their own skin.  He wants to know if their hearts have changed since the day they sold him into slavery.   There is no doubt the brothers had done him wrong.  He was treated unjustly.   But, he wanted to create an avenue by which the relationship with his brothers could be restored.   He knew in his heart God wanted him to forgive them.  Note what he will say to them:

Genesis 45:5 (ESV)
5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.

Genesis 50:20 (ESV)

20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

God had placed forgiveness in his heart, prior to them coming back to see him.   In the above passage God is restoring trust in his heart for his brothers.   When God forgives, God restores (see Romans 5).   When we forgive, like God, we, too, must begin the restoration process.   In this text we see that the test was equivalent to the offense.  They had turned their back on him and he wanted to see if they had changed.   We might wonder if this deception was right or wrong.   It should be noted that Joseph, prior to this test, had already come to the conclusion that God had used the evilness in the hearts of his brother for His sovereign good.   Joesph was NOT in a place of struggling with forgiveness.   He knew his brothers had done wrong.  He knew it came from their evilness.  But, his time in prison and slavery had allowed him to see God’s hand in his life, even in spite of that evilness of his brothers.  He truly had come to believe:

Romans 8:28 (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

You can’t trust someone who has wronged you if you can’t first trust that God has allowed it for His greater purpose.  That’s what made this “test” for the brothers okay.  Joseph had already come to the point to understand that God, in His sovereign way, was using the evil to bring Him glory.   Yes, Joseph conducted the test.  Those who do wrong will always have to have the change in their hearts verified FOR US.  But, not for God.   God was working the the life of Joseph, but also in the lives of his brothers.   The brothers had an avenue to demonstrate the change in their hearts.  If the heart has changed the avenue to show that change is not offensive to the person(s) needing to demonstrate that change.  The brothers did not return to Egypt and complain that Joseph “set them up.”  They returned to prove the change hearts they had and the purity they now wanted to show.   Creating an avenue for trust is a must, but it has to start with forgiveness.   We can’t create an avenue and then forgive if they pass the test.   Forgiveness is not open for option.   Trust, however, is something that must have avenues to travel and to demonstrate the change in heart.  Remember the sexual deviance in Corinth.  After he repents, Paul tells the church to “bring him back” into fellowship.   Once he repented Paul wants him to have full restoration of fellowship:

2 Corinthians 2:5-11 (ESV)
Forgive the Sinner
5 Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. 6 For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, 7 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. 9 For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

Forgiveness is not an option.   Creating an avenue for trust, is a must.  If we don’t, note what Paul states:  We are in jeopardy of being outwitted by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his designs.   Satan takes advantage of unrestored relationships.   

One Dead Fly Ruins a Great Meal - 1 Corinthians 5-6

 One Dead Fly Ruins a Great Meal

1 Corinthians 5:6 (ESV)

Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

Most of us would not eat a food item that contained a dead fly.  Some would not even eat a food item if live flies landed upon it.   We don’t like things that are contaminated.   We like things pure.  We like pure water.  We like pure air.  We like pure clothes.  Most people don’t wear soiled clothes.    This is the point of the above text.    Paul it addressing a problem in the church at Corinth with a principal from God’s Word.   We are all familiar with leaven and baking ... maybe.   Leaven is the “yeast” we put into the bread dough to make it rise.    We don’t need to put a lot in, just a tad, a pinch, a thimble amount.    Paul, in this section, is addressing an overt sin in the church at Corinth that the rest of the members of the church were happy to ignore.   Paul wants them to realize that like a small pinch of yeast makes the bread rise, so too, a single sin can cause bring shame and contempt on the Body of Christ.   Paul might be thinking of something Solomon stated in the book of Ecclesiastes:

Ecclesiastes 10:1 (ESV)
Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

If you found a dead fly in your perfume, would you still use it to freshen your body?   Neither should we allow a single sin in our lives to cause us to stink before God:

2 Corinthians 2:15 (ESV)
15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,

When we allow sin in our lives or in the life of those in the church we allow a dead fly to corrupt a great meat.   

Jesus’ Ministry is the Gospel - Mark 1-2

Jesus’ Ministry is the Gospel

Mark 1:14-15 (ESV)

Jesus Begins His Ministry
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

We might want to add to the above verse, the following:

Mark 1:21 (ESV)
And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.

Mark 2:2 (ESV)

2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.

Mark 2:25 (ESV)

25 And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him:

When Jesus came to the earth He not only came to fulfill the Word, He came to preach the Word.  The Gospel message was throughout the Old Testament.   Both John the Baptist and Jesus quoted the OT frequently.    Jesus, bound by the Word to fulfill the Law, was also the teacher of the Word.  Make no mistake about earthly ministries today, we are bound to preach God’s Word.  The world neither wants our opinion or is moved by our vain thoughts.   The only thing that moves the world to repentance and knowledge of the truth is THE TRUTH of God’s Word.  Even the Son of God came to preach the Word.  How can we do less?  

What Happens When We Prioritize God? Isaiah 56-61

 What Happens When We Prioritize God?

Isaiah 58:13-14 (ESV)

13 “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,

from doing your pleasure on my holy day,

and call the Sabbath a delight

and the holy day of the LORD honorable;

if you honor it, not going your own ways,

or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;

14 then you shall take delight in the LORD,

and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;

I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,

for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

The world is rushing around to get the latest version of the latest gadget and misses the very thing they need.  We rush to get our Starbucks coffee so we can relax and enjoy, but then drink it as we drive in haste to another meeting.   We work day and night to accumulate so we have, but we can’t enjoy what we have because we work day and night.   The nation of Israel was not so far different than us.  They had come to place in their lives where the world had attracted them and the shinning things of life had mesmerize them.   When the world’s goods take priority in our lives we lose sight of what is important.   

In the above text the prophet Isaiah is speaking to Israel.  He is telling them what will happen if they prioritize God in their lives.    They were abusing their relationship with God.  God had told them not to work on the Sabbath and trust Him instead.  He wanted one day that they would be totally focused on Him.    He wanted the other days, as well, but the Sabbath was intentionally set aside.  They became so distracted by what the world could offer, they failed to obey God.  It should be noted that they had no technology, entertainment systems, or fast transportation.  Never-the-less they were still drawn away from God and His Word.  It is not “things” that change our priorities, it is our hearts.   In the above passage Isaiah tells them that God will do the following if they prioritize God in their lives:

1.  God will take delight in them.  Imagine having the God of the universe “delighting” in you!

2. God will make you ride on the heights of the universe.   Note Habakkuk 3:17-19

3.  God will supply the very substance you need to survive and maintain your legacy.   Remember, Jesus said He was the Bread of Life.   This is how God meets those needs. 

When we prioritize God in our lives, God prioritizes His care for our lives.   

Pious Judgment - Job 22

Pious Judgment

Job 22:17-18 (ESV)

17 They said to God, ‘Depart from us,’
and ‘What can the Almighty do to us?’
18 Yet he filled their houses with good things—
but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

In chapter 22 of Job, one of Job’s friends, Eliphaz, gives his final speech to Job.   Eliphaz is caught in the mindset that only wicked suffer.  So, since Job was suffering, Job was wicked.  They had no context in their mind for the suffering of the innocent (which we know Job was based upon the first two chapters of the book).   Eliphaz begins this chapter by outlining all the things Job has apparently, in his eyes, done wrong.  He states:

Job 22:6-9 (ESV)

6 For you have exacted pledges of your brothers for nothing
and stripped the naked of their clothing.
7 You have given no water to the weary to drink,
and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
8 The man with power possessed the land,
and the favored man lived in it.
9 You have sent widows away empty,
and the arms of the fatherless were crushed.

All of these Job denies in chapter 23.   Yet, Eliphaz is on a mission to fit Job’s situation INTO HIS theology.   As Eliphaz describes Job’s life it is interesting to note that in chapter two of the book we read the Eliphaz came from a far distance to talk to Job.  It is interesting the depth of knowledge of Job’s life (in the above condemnation) that Eliphaz claims to have.   

As Eliphaz unfolds Job’s life he begins to compare it with the life of the wicked.   His theory is that if he can make that connection (they look the same) then he has a reason for Job’s suffering (the sin the same).  But, note what he says in verses 17-18.   He states that the wicked live in contempt of God (not Job, based upon chapter one) and they claim that God is not in their affairs (not Job, based upon chapter one).   Then Eliphaz makes a bold statement.   He tells us that the wicked don’t recognize that it is God who gives them good things, prosperity.  This, too, is not Job based upon chapter’s one and two.   He goes on to say that the “counsels of the wicked is far from” him.  In our vernacular we would say, “Not that I know what the wicked life is like.”   Eliphaz is a pompous and pious soul who, instead of bringing comfort to Job, desires to condemn Job.   It is true that the wicked act as though God is not there.  It is true they fail to give glory for their blessings, that only He can give.   But, it is not true that JOb is wicked.   The pious (Eliphaz) love to claim knowledge of righteousness, but not experience of evil.   Their counsel is often judgmental at best and condemning at most.  Job will defend himself in the next chapter.  But, he should not have to.  It is the pious who demand a defense from their accused.  

God’s Love Secures God’s People - Psalms 30-32

God’s Love Secures God’s People

Psalms 31:21-22 (ESV)
21 Blessed be the LORD,
for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
when I was in a besieged city.
22 I had said in my alarm,
“I am cut off from your sight.”
when I cried to you for help.

In Psalms 31 we are reading a song of David when he was in a very bad place.   Earlier in the song he wrote:

Psalms 31:11-13 (ESV)
11 Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach,
especially to my neighbors,
and an object of dread to my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I have been forgotten like one who is dead;
I have become like a broken vessel.
13 For I hear the whispering of many—
terror on every side!—
as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to take my life.

Those who were his friends, were not.  Security he thought he had, was not.   The strength he thought he had, was not.  And, he confesses why all these failed:

Psalms 31:9-10 (ESV)
9 Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eye is wasted from grief;
my soul and my body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow,
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
and my bones waste away.

His “iniquity” had separated him from God.  Yet, it is God’s unfailing and steadfast love that brought David out of this siege of his soul.   He desires God’s mercy and receives it.   He receives it because God is loving.  He concludes the song with this stanza:

Psalms 31:23-24 (ESV)
23 Love the LORD, all you his saints!
The LORD preserves the faithful
but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the LORD!

David was cut off from God’s sight because of his own sin and the wickedness of those around him.  Yet, he pleas for mercy and grace and God’s loving kindness rescues him.   That should give us all, as David states, strength and courage.  

But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy

Why Didn’t Samuel Know the Lord Earlier? 1 Samuel 1-5

 Why Didn’t Samuel Know the Lord Earlier? 

1 Samuel 3:2-7 (ESV)

2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.

4 Then the LORD called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.

6 And the LORD called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.

Samuel is a key figure in the story of God’s plan with Israel.  He is a prophet that God uses to introduce God’s bringing a king into the lives of Israel (Saul and David).   To read verse seven, above, just seems odd.  Samuel, at this point in the story, is serving God in the Tabernacle.   He is an apprentice to Eli and Eli’s two sons.   Yet, it is stated that he didn’t “yet” know the Lord.  But, remember, his mother had dedicated him to the Lord at an early age.  He as constantly around the daily sacrifices.  He saw all the remnants of the sacrificial system and how it pointed to God.  Eli would have (should have) talked to him about spiritual things.   As the above passages states, Samuel was apparently old enough to be alone.  He was old enough to be called.  Yet, he still didn't know The Lord.  What does this say about salvation, election and child baptism?  His mother "committed" him to The Lord, yet, he didn't know The Lord. What does this say about Eli and his ability as a priest to teach others the knowledge of God?   What does this say about, “knowing the Lord?”   Jeremiah would later write (and quoted by the writer of Hebrews):

Jeremiah 31:33-34 (ESV)

33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

This is the moment God is writing His laws on Samuel’s heart.   From this point forward he would “know the Lord.”   In our above passages it states that at this point in Samuel’s life the word of the lord “had not been revealed to him.”  Now Samuel was hearing the word of the Lord, audibly.  God would write it on his heart and he would become the famous Samuel we all know.   God is the one who initiates His grace on those whom He will.  Samuel being dedicated as a baby did not cause him to know the Lord ... it did put him in a place to hear the call.  Samuel being in the Tabernacle everyday and assisting in serving the sacrifices everyday did not cause him to know the Lord ... but it put him in a place to hear the call.   Knowing the high priest did not cause him to know the Lord ... but it did put him in a place to hear the call.   Only God can write His laws on their hearts.