Staying true even when wronged against

Genesis 39

No one is greater in this house than I am, and he has not kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

Genesis 39:9

Joseph was wronged by his brothers and sold into slavery, and yet he still held fast to following YHWH.

Then he was wronged again by Potiphar's wife, and yet he still held fast to following YHWH.

When I have been wronged, I tend to feel license to do wrong myself, as payback. But that's the wrong response. YHWH calls us to stay true to Him no matter what wrong has been done to us.

Father, when I am tempted to do wrong because I've been wronged against, may I stay true to You and repudiate the temptation! In Jesus' name, amen.

Reminder

Matthew 15

As I read this morning's passage in my YouVersion app, it reminded me of this reflection I wrote in 2016, Be Holy Inside. I reread the reflection and it is still very relevant.

Jesus went out from there, and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!” But he answered her not a word. His disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away; for she cries after us.” But he answered, “I wasn’t sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  But she came and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, help me.” But he answered, “It is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she said, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Be it done to you even as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Matthew 15:21-28 WEB

Did Jesus buy into the Jewish racism in the culture he grew up with, and had to grow in this area? (The Bible did say that he grew in wisdom - Luke 2:52.)

But he certainly crossed racial boundaries elsewhere—the Samaritan woman (John 4:4-26), the centurion whose servant was sick (Matthew 8:5-13), and the centurion incident was before the Syrophoenician woman incident, so it's not so plausible to say that Jesus was racist before this and then this incident taught him not to be racist.

Was Jesus using a question-and-answer method to teach? If so, who was he teaching? The Syrophoenician woman or the disciples?

Perhaps he was teaching the disciples, having word of knowledge that the Syrophoenician woman would not be put off by his line of questioning. (There is a danger that such a line of questioning could just hurt the Syrophoenician woman's feelings and push her away from the Gospel, if he didn't have special knowledge that it wouldn't.)

But I'm not sure, it’s not so clear-cut to me.

Double standards

Genesis 38

Judah and the other men in the society around him held a horrible set of double-standards. They were so open about soliciting prostitution that Judah could ask his friend Hirah of Adullam to go pay the assumed prostitute the young goat on his behalf, who could openly ask the men of Enaim “Where is the prostitute who was at Enaim by the road?”

But they did have a sense of shame about it, because when Hirah couldn’t find the assumed prostitute, Judah said, “Let herkeep it, lest we be shamed.”

And yet, when Judah discovers that his daughter-in-law Tamar had been involved in prostitution, he called for her execution! What a double-standard.

Fortunately, in the end, Judah admitted his sin and publicly repented in the end.

As Christians, we should be in the forefront of protecting the rights of everyone, and not holding on to double-standards, whether in sexism, racism, or other forms of prejudice.

What double-standards might I be harbouring myself? Father, show me when I am wrong, and may I repent and not try to hide my sin. In Jesus' name, amen.

We're all fallen and need God's grace

Genesis 37

They said to one another, “Behold, this dreamer comes. Come now therefore, and let’s kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘An evil animal has devoured him.’ We will see what will become of his dreams.”
Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand, and said, “Let’s not take his life.” Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.
...
Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, and let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites, and not let our hand be on him; for he is our brother, our flesh.” His brothers listened to him.

Genesis 37:19‭-‬22‭, ‬26‭-‬27 WEB

Reuben tried to save Joseph but Judah thwarted his plan. Nonetheless, Reuben's plan did save Joseph's life.

Yet at the end of Jacob’s life, he cursed Reuben “you shall not excel; because you went up to your father’s bed, then defiled it. He went up to my couch.” (Genesis 49:4) while he blessed Judah, “Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down before you.” (Genesis 49:8)

Reuben had dishonoured his father by having sex with his concubine, (and there's no evidence that he repented of it) while Judah repented of his sin against Tamar (Genesis 38:26) and Joseph (Genesis 44:33).

In the movies and stories there's often an obvious villain and an obvious hero, but real life is much messier than that, and it's not so clear cut.

After all, “There is no one righteous; no, not one.” (Romans 3:10) and “for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 )

We all think we're good, we're right, but actually, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but Yahweh weighs the hearts.” (Proverbs 21:2)

Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts.  See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. (Psalms 139:23‭-‬24) In Jesus' name, amen.

With Christ in the vessel, we can smile at the storm

Matthew 14

But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, distressed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea.  When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It’s a ghost!” and they cried out for fear.
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Cheer up! It is I!  Don’t be afraid.” 
Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters.” 
He said, “Come!” 
Peter stepped down from the boat, and walked on the waters to come to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” 
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 
When they got up into the boat, the wind ceased. Those who were in the boat came and worshiped him, saying, “You are truly the Son of God!”

Matthew 14:24‭-‬33

Disciples: “Hantu!!!!”
Jesus: “Bukan, Tuhan.” 🤪

I take two lessons from this incident:

1. Peter was the only disciple bold enough to say to Jesus, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the waters.” and then to actually step out of the boat when Jesus told him to. So let us be bold like Peter to trust Jesus even in  turbulent times.

2. After taking the bold step, Peter got his eyes off Jesus onto the storm, and started to sink. But Jesus still rescued hiim. So we need to keep our eyes on Jesus, and keep trusting Him.

Father, thank You that You are reliable even in the midsts of a storm. Our country is going through a storm right now, so help me to keep my eyes on Jesus and keep trusting You. In Jesus' name, amen.

God can still bless even when people cheat

Genesis 36

Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, with his livestock, all his animals, and all his possessions, which he had gathered in the land of Canaan, and went into a land away from his brother Jacob. For their substance was too great for them to dwell together, and the land of their travels couldn’t bear them because of their livestock.

Genesis 36:6‭-‬7

In spite of Jacob stealing Esau's blessing, God still blessed Esau so much that they couldn't stay in the same place because their flocks were so big there wasn't enough grazing land for both.

Father, as we see people plot bad things against us, may we still rest in the trust that God can still take care of us nonetheless. In Jesus' name, amen.

No other gods

Genesis 35

Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, change your garments. Let us arise, and go up to Bethel. I will make there an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me on the way which I went.”  They gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands, and the rings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. They traveled, and a terror of God was on the cities that were around them, and they didn’t pursue the sons of Jacob.

Genesis 35:2‭-‬5

All these years of supposedly following YHWH, they still had teraphim and other idols with them.

Finally they are putting YHWH first and getting rid of them. Finally they are worshipping YHWH alone.

We as Christians are  unlikely to worship physical idols like teraphim, but we are still succeptible to putting other things first before YHWH, things like success and money and power.

My own selfishness is a danger as I too often seek to do what I perceive as being to my advantage instead of seeking to do what God wants.

As the old song goes:

I will have no other gods before You

Only You will reign as my heart's King

I will have no other gods before You

I will put You first in everything

With all my heart

With all my soul

With all my might

I want to love You, Jesus

Father, may I put You first in my life and run away from the temptation to put anything else before You. In Jesus' name, amen.

Keep on sowing

Matthew 13

As I read the parable of the sower as a believer, I can safely rule out being the roadside because I have received the Word and come to Christ.

But I am still in danger of being the rocky ground - beware of withering in the face of persecution. So I need to be well-grounded in Christ to weather that.

And  I'm still in danger of being the thorns -- this one is probably the most dangerous for me right now -- I must beware of  letting the cares of this world choke out my devotion to Jesus. I need to daily take time to renew my faith in Him, and to put that faith into action.

In the end, I want to be that good soil, bringing forth fruit -- 100, 60, 30 times as much. I only have had a handful of people come back to tell me that I was instrumental in their journey of faith -- certainly not even 60. But I know I have been an influence on many people, both before and after they come to Christ, so I take heart that though I may not know on this side of heaven how many I have helped, I need to keep helping influence people towards God's goodness.
Father, may I stay faithful to You and don't allow the heat of opposition nor the stress of daily living keep me from being Your salt and light. In Jesus' name, amen.

Two wrongs don't make a right

Genesis 34

What Shechem did was wrong, but in a sense, it was a lesser wrong - either the rape or seduction of one young woman, as opposed to what Simeon and Levi did - massacre or genocide of the entire city.

It's unclear how much Jacob's other sons were  in on this over-the-top act of revenge.

Two wrongs do not make a right.  If someone wrongs us, if criminally, we can go to the authorities, but we should not take the law into our own hands and definitely should not exact revenge, especially over-the-top revenge.

Father, if I am wronged, help me to respond in a godly manner and not take revenge. In Jesus' name, amen.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us

Genesis 33

Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. He divided the children between Leah, Rachel, and the two servants. He put the servants and their children in front, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear. He himself passed over in front of them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 
Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept. He lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, “Who are these with you?”
He said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” Then the servants came near with their children, and they bowed themselves. Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves. After them, Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed themselves. 
Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?”
Jacob said, “To find favor in the sight of my Lord.” 
Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; let that which you have be yours.”  Jacob said, “Please, no, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present at my hand, because I have seen your face, as one sees the face of God, and you were pleased with me. Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” He urged him, and he took it.

Genesis 33:1‭-‬11

What a dramatic moment! The Jacob that Esau remembered was the old deceiver who had cheated him of his inheritance, and his father's final blessing. Esau probably didn't know Jacob had changed in the years with Laban.

And yet, Esau was ready to extend forgiveness. Perhaps it helped Esau that in the end, he got back all the inheritance as Jacob ran away. Perhaps Jacob's gifts helped. But in any case, Esau did the godly thing and extended grace and forgiveness to Jacob in spite of the past hurts.

Is there someone you are upset with and continue to nurse a grudge? A grudge is like poisoning yourself and hoping it'll hurt the other person. God calls us to be a forgiving people, as He is a forgiving God.

Father, thank You for Your forgiveness. "Forgive us our sins, even as we forgive those who sin against us," Jesus taught us to pray. Sometimes this can be hard to do, so help me to quickly see things Your way when I'm hurt and forgive. In Jesus' name, amen.

The Pale Blue Dot

Psalm 8

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained;  what is man, that you think of him? What is the son of man, that you care for him?  For you have made him a little lower than God,  and crowned him with glory and honor.

Psalms 8:3‭-‬5

In 1990, as Voyager 1 left the solar system, it took a photo of Earth that is now known as the "pale blue dot" photo. It showed how small the Earth is in the vastness of the universe.

Carl Sagan said of it, Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds."

How awesome is YHWH and His love for us! He has created the entire universe, but yet He pays attention to us.

"With great power comes great responsibility," as uncle Ben told Peter Parker in Spiderman.

God has given us humans great power over our planet, and so we have a great responsibility to look after it well.

Father, thank You for loving us. Let this remind me of Your awesomeness, and appreciate Your special care for us human beings in spite of how small we are. When I am tempted to sin, let me remember this and respond to Your love with obedience. In Jesus' name, amen.

I need reminders

Genesis 32

When Jacob realized Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men, his faith in what YHWH promised was shaken.

But his faith in YHWH had grown since those conniving days of old. He reminded YHWH of His promises -- not that YHWH could forget -- and in doing so, reminded himself of YHWH's promises.

He then took some actions to try to placate Esau. I'm not sure if this was showing a lack of faith in YHWH's deliverance, or just prudence.

This is followed by the famous incident of Jacob wrestling with the angel at Jabbok Ford, and his renaming to Israel, i.e. "Contends with God".

O Lord, when I am afriad, remind me of Your great promises. As the father of the deaf, dumb and epileptic child said to Jesus, "I believe. Help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24) In Jesus' name, amen.

God's faithfulness in spite of our unfaithfulness

Genesis 31

Laban had teraphim, which apparently refers to household idols. Some contend that possession of these idols guaranteed the right of inheritance, but others think they were just considered to be protective deities. In any case, it is clear that both Laban and Rachel believed in them to some extent, and so their worship of YHWH was imperfect.Yet, YHWH seemed to acknowledge their faith.

By this point in the story, YHWH had taken Jacob a long way in his faith. He no longer tried to cheat, but just tried to protect himself and his family. He did know about Rachel’s theft of the teraphim, and could honestly tell Laban he had not cheated him, in spite of Laban attempting to cheat him many times. So YHWH spoke to Laban to tell him not to harm Jacob.

Father, thank You that even if we’re faithless, You remain faithful. (2 Timothy 2:13) Thank You that You saved me even when I was Your enemy. And You began a good work in me and will complete it. (Philppians 1:6) In Jesus’ name, amen.

The Balance Between Following the Law and Grace

Matthew 12

Verses 1-21 shows Jesus teaching us that the Sabbath was made for humans’ benefit, not humans for the Sabbath’s benefit. It is important for us to have a regular rest every week. It's important for both our physical and spiritual health. However, we should not be legalistic about our observance of it, or of any of the other laws God had laid down in the Bible.

At the same time, we also need to beware of going too much with the flow until we stray away from God's principles.

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” and “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Father, help me to be discerning of when following the letter of the law strays from the spirit, and when trying to be too flexible stays away from Your will. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Trust God instead of Man

Genesis 30

Jacob's trials continue. His two wives contention with each other begets a series of children whose names are a record of their struggle. And the two handmaids dragged into it as concubines. What a sad situation.

And can you imagine being Leah? All through the wedding night Jacob must have been saying things like "Rachel, my love" and Leah had to keep quiet. How humiliating. She kept hoping giving Jacob sons would make him love her, and named her sons that way, until finally the 4th son, Judah, she realized she had to just praise YHWH and trust in Him. (Genesis 29:31-35)

Then the whole thing about the flocks. Laban continues to try to trick Jacob, even as he recognized that YHWH is blessing him because of Jacob. (Genesis 30:27) But in spite of Laban's trying to do him out of his wages, YHWH still blessed him. While this chapter seems to indicate that Jacob did some something to make the healthy animals become coloured, Genesis 31:10-12 shows that it was actually YHWH doing a miracle for him.

(If you're interested, check out https://answersingenesis.org/genetics/animal-genetics/jacobs-odd-breeding-program-genesis-30/ for some further details about this.)

Leah learned to rely on YHWH for her worth instead of her husband. Jacob learned to trust YHWH instead of his own cunning as a deceiver.

Father, may I trust You for Your providence, for Your validation, instead of people or my own machinations. In Jesus' name, amen.

Jacob the deceiver deceived

Genesis 29

In the previous chapters, we read how Jacob deceived his brother and father, and had to leave home and as a result lost all his physical inheritance, then we read how YHWH still loved him, but was nonetheless not willing to leave him in his sinful state. So began his trials and tribulations so that he would be reformed.

Here we see the first big step in his reformation - his uncle Laban deceived him! Did a bait and switch with Rachel and Leah. The first of many trials to come. The conman is conned.

Laban wasn't trying to help YHWH, and was doing this for his own selfish reasons, but YHWH, while not condoning sinful actions by sinful people, can nonetheless use those sinful actions to further His good plans.

Father, when I encounter various trials, may I count it all joy, knowing that the testing of my faith produces endurance. Let endurance have its perfect work, that I may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 2-4) In Jesus' name, amen.

[Lyrics of the above song]

Meditations on Matthew 11

Matthew 11

From the days of John the Baptizer until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Matthew 11:12

I was puzzled about the meaning of this passage so I looked up several commentaries, and all the ones I looked up said the same thing:

This is a figure of speech for how enthusiastic people were for the preaching that they crowded and thronged about like an army besieging a city.

“But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their companions and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you didn’t dance. We mourned for you, and you didn’t lament.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”

Matthew 11:16‭-‬19

As much as it depends on us, we are to live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18) But sometimes it doesn't depend on us, and sometimes people will find fault no matter what we do. So we are to follow Jesus even if people disapprove of our actions. We're not to deliberately cause trouble, we're to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16) but sometimes it's unavoidable.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28‭-‬30

Father, as we go through the difficulties of life, thank You for your comfort and rest. In Jesus' name, amen

Two aspects of God's love for us

Genesis 28

Verse 9, together with Genesis 25:9, shows that Isaac and Ishmael (and probably Ishmael and Abraham) maintained contact and relations in spite of Hagar and Ishmael being sent away years earlier.

The Jacob's Ladder incident shows that God reached out to Jacob even before he repented, just like while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

But God wasn't going to leave Jacob the way He found him - a crook, a heel-grabber. Coming up are 14 years of purification through trials and tribulation.

God loves and has a wonderful plan for our lives, but also because God loves us, He's not willing to leave us in our sinful state.

That's why James 1:2-4 says "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

Father, thank You for saving me. Thank You that you loved me while I was still Your enemy. As I encounter various trials in this life, let me see Your hand in it and grow in Christ-likeness. In Jesus' name, amen.

Jacob's blunder

Genesis 27

I feel like Jacob did not really know YHWH at this point. For example, he said "Because Yahweh your God gave me success." And his actions of deception are not godly.

I think he knew of YHWH, but didn't really know YHWH yet. YHWH had to used the trials and tribulations of the coming years to get him to know Him personally and to follow Him.

And, in fact, the law of sowing and reaping ("what you sow, you shall reap") brought about that Jacob didn't get the physical inheritance that he coveted. He didn't even get the single portion promised to the younger son, let alone the double portion of the elder son! He fled to Laban, and never got to see his parents again before they died, and Esau inherited all the physical wealth of Isaac.

And he never got to be "lord over" his brother, like the blessing of Isaac that he stole from Esau said. Esau never bowed down to him, and instead he bowed down to Esau many times when he finally came back from fleeing Laban.

And Esau's secondary blessing "you will serve your brother" but actually Esau never served Jacob. They lived separately, even after the reconciliation.

You might say that those blessings and curses were referring to their descendants, the Israelites and the Edomites, but nonetheless, Jacob and Esau never personally in their lifetime saw it.

So Jacob lost all he coveted for. His blessings only came when he surrendered to YHWH later, and YHWH blessed him separately from Isaac's wealth, which all went to Esau.

When we covet, lie and cheat, we are not following God's way. God will not bless such sin.

But when we surrender to YHWH, He will bless us, separately from any connivance.

Father, when I am tempted to be dishonest for my own gain, remind me of this truth. I must follow You, and trust You that You love me and has the best for me according to Your goodness and mercy.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Make me an instrument of Your peace

Matthew 10

Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans. Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, preach, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. Don’t take any gold, silver, or brass in your money belts. Take no bag for your journey, neither two coats, nor sandals, nor staff: for the laborer is worthy of his food. Into whatever city or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you go on. As you enter into the household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it isn’t worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 Whoever doesn’t receive you or hear your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. Most certainly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

Matthew 10:5-15

In the context of Jesus sending the apostles to the lost sheep of Israel, they were told not not to take any extra supplies and to rely on the famous middle-eastern hospitality, while they heal the sick and cast out demons.

And he tells them to greet them, "Shalom aleichem" i.e. "Salam alaikum".

We are to show God's peace to everyone - it is up to them whether they receive it or not. If they reject it, it is to their detriment, but nonetheless, God calls us to show His peace.

“Behold, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you. Yes, and you will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the nations. But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you will say. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

“Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end will be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man has come.

Matthew 10:16-23

We are like sheep among wolves, wise as serpents but harmless as doves. Jesus warned us of persecution, which we might have to flee, but at the same time told us not to be anxious about it. The Holy Spirit is the one who speaks through us. Father, may I always be a person of peace, regardless of the response. Help me to always return good even if people who don't know You show evil. May I always pray for those who are against me, and not be vindictive. Help me to see them through Your eyes, and be a good ambassador for Christ.

I feel like I'm not doing a very good job of sharing Your Gospel, but I know that that is also Your calling on our lives. Open my eyes to see the opportunities to sow, nurture and reap, and to take action.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Like father, like son. Well, well, well!

Genesis 26

Like father, like son, Isaac repeated his father's sin.

But also like father, like son, Isaac followed YHWH, so God prospered him.

In addition to jealousy, perhaps remembering Isaac's deception, Abimelech and the people of Gerar got upset with him and chased him away.

Things did not stop there. They followed him futher away and stopped up his wells - first the well of Esek (Argument) and then the well of Sitnah (Opposition).

But YHWH continued to bless Isaac as he continued to follow Him, and eventually he found enough room at the well of Rehoboth (To Make Room). The name was a reminder that God had made room for them. God's blessing had extended beyond the range of the people of Gerar - it was too far for them to grab it or stop it up.

YHWH reaffirmed His blessing to Isaac just before Abimelech and his friend Ahuzzah and his general Phicol caught up with him.

In spite of the enmity between them, they could see YHWH was with him and had blessed him, so they wanted to make an oath of peace with Isaac.

And the next day they dug a new well and found water so he named that well Shibah (Oath). So the place is known as Beersheeba (Well of the Oath).

This also repeats what happened with his father Abraham, who had made a treaty with another king named Abimelech many years earlier near here as well and also called it Beersheba (Genesis 21:31).

So we see Isaac having repeated many things that Abraham did, both good and bad. As it said in verse 18, Isaac's people re-dug many wells Abraham's people had dug that the Philistines had stopped up, and called them by the same names as his father called them.

Does this mean we are doomed to repeat what our parents did?

No. God's grace lets us overcome what is bad with good. We can follow the examples of our parents for what is good, but ask God to overcome those that are bad.

We have a tendency to do what our parents had done, so we need to beware and be discerning as to what they had done whether good or bad. Let us ask God for wisdom in these things.

Father, thank You for my parents. Thank You for the good things they have done and the good examples they have given me. I pray for discernment regarding things that they did that are not according to Your will, that I might not repeat my parents' sins.

In Jesus' name, amen.

God sees, God cares, God provides

Genesis 25

v1: There is some Jewish tradition that says Keturah is Hagar, and was given this nickname because she never gave herself to any other man and came back to Abraham after Sarah passed away. (Keturah sounds like the term for the fragrant incense burned to God in worship, as well as "bound" as in she was bound to Abraham.)

v11: Ironically (or perhaps providentially) Isaac ended up living where YHWH had rescued Hagar - the Well of Him who Sees Me.

So YHWH took care of Isaac, as He had taken care of Hagar.

v28: Did Isaac and Rebekah's favouritism sow the seeds of division between their children? Perhaps Isaac thought his favouritism was justified as it was less than how Abraham had treated his brothers (sending them away, though the younger ones were provided for when he sent them away.)

God indeed provided for Hagar/Keturah and her children, and He also provided for Isaac, though they had different callings.

Father, I trust You for Your provision. When I doubt, remind me of Your goodness. You are worthy of my trust. In Jesus' name, amen.

On Christ the Solid Rock I stand

Psalm 7

Yahweh administers judgment to the peoples. Judge me, Yahweh, according to my righteousness, and to my integrity that is in me.

Psalms 7:8

Wow, David wants God to judge him by his own righteousness and integrity? Perhaps this is just his cry in the middle of this difficult situation when he felt unjustly persecuted.

I will give thanks to Yahweh according to his righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of Yahweh Most High.

Psalms 7:17

O Lord, by Your righteousness do I stand. My own righteousness is like filthy rags,and will not save me.

Thank You for Your grace through Your Son who saves us.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Marry in faith

Genesis 24

I will make you swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live. But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.”

...

Then Laban and Bethuel answered, “The thing proceeds from Yahweh. We can’t speak to you bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before you. Take her, and go, and let her be your master’s son’s wife, as Yahweh has spoken.”

Genesis 24:3‭-‬4‭, ‬50‭-‬51

Why did Abraham tell Eliezer to go back to Haran to find Isaac a wife?

I think it may be because he wanted him to marry a woman who worshipped YHWH. Laban and Bethuel knew of YHWH, since they referred to Him by name. As we saw earlier, Abraham referred to God by that name. So probably Rebecca also knew YHWH.

That they worshipped YHWH doesn't mean they didn't have other theological errors. As we will see in the future, Laban actually had teraphim - household idols - in his house. So he had mixed worship of YHWH with idol worship.

But it does seem that they at least had some measure of worship of YHWH.

Throughout the Bible there is a theme that people of YHWH should marry people of YHWH and not people who do not worship YHWH.

When Solomon violated that rule, his wives eventually led him astray into idol worship. That doesn't mean every person who marries an unbeliever will end up that way, but the danger is greater.

When I was still single, there were some young women who were not believers who were interested in me during times when there seemed to be no Christian women interested in me. The temptation was great to indulge in those relationships, especially with one who would keep taking opportunities to cuddle up to me.

I had to consciously say to myself, "I will step back and keep them at arms' length as friends."

Abraham was an Asian!

Genesis 23

We Asians often think of Abraham and other Biblical figures as “westerners”, but this passage shows that they’re really Asians!

In this passage, Abraham has a long protracted back-and-forth negotiation with Ephron the Hittite for the purchase of his field and cave to bury Sarah. There is no word in English to express this kind of interaction, but for me, there is a very apt word in my mother tongue, Hokkien: khek4khi3. There is a similarly apt word in Cantonese, haak3hei3 and Mandarin,客气.

This word is sometimes translated into English as “polite”, “formal”, “kind”, “courteous”, or “modest”, but none of those words really convey the meaning it has for us Asians. In fact, I cannot think of any English word or even short phrase that would express this concept. This is a cultural concept quite alien to Westerners, I think.

When an Asian comes to your home, if you ask them, “Would you like a drink?” they would always say “no”, even if they’re dying of thirst. This is khek4khi3. If you praise them, they would always deny the praise. This is khek4khi3.

Sometimes, when you share about Jesus to an Asian, they might say, “That’s the Europeans’ god. Nothing to do with us.”† But that’s not really true. Abraham was an Asian. Moses was an African of Asian descent. Jesus was an Asian. YHWH is God of all, not just of Europe and America.

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† This is getting less common as it has become more common for Asians to be Christians since the end of the European colonial period. It was a common concept during my great-grandmother’s time and my grandmother’ time, but is much less so these days.

Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.

Matthew 9

As he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Matthew 9:10‭-‬13

We should not stay isolated in our Christian bubble, but must be reaching out to people, including people who are “bad”.

But 1 Corinthians 15:33 warns us, Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.”

There is a balance to be held. If we avoid all contact with “bad” people, then how can they be reached?

So we need wisdom not to fall into temptation, but at the same time, reaching out to “bad” people.

But never mind about “bad” people, I am not doing enough reaching out to the “good” people who don’t know Christ. I need to be a good witness and ambassador for Christ where I am.

In my daily interactions, I see may who don’t know Jesus. I need to be conscious of their need and not just keep quiet.

Father, open my eyes to see as I interact with people daily, that I might be a channel of Your love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Clarity and trust

Genesis 22

Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go yonder. We will worship, and come back to you.”

Genesis 22:5

Abraham knew he would come back with Isaac:

By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up his one and only son, to whom it was said, “your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac”; concluding that God is able to raise up even from the dead. Figuratively speaking, he also did receive him back from the dead.

Hebrews 11:17‭-‬19

That's why he could obey God's command to sacrifice his only son. He already knew God promised his descendents would be through Isaac.

If we have clarity about God's promises, we can obey God's commands even when it's hard.

O Lord, I struggle when I don't have clarity. Sometimes, I am unclear what the right thing to do it. In those times, I need Your clarity. In Jesus' name, amen.

What if I'm not the one God chose for a position of honour?

Genesis 21

Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this servant and her son! For the son of this servant will not be heir with my son, Isaac.” The thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight on account of his son. God said to Abraham, “Don’t let it be grievous in your sight because of the boy, and because of your servant. In all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice. For your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac. I will also make a nation of the son of the servant, because he is your child .” Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder; and gave her the child, and sent her away. She departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. The water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. She went and sat down opposite him, a good way off, about a bow shot away. For she said, “Don’t let me see the death of the child.” She sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept. God heard the voice of the boy. The angel of God called to Hagar out of the sky, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Don’t be afraid. For God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Get up, lift up the boy, and hold him in your hand. For I will make him a great nation.”

Genesis 21:9‭-‬18

Even though Ishmael was not the chosen one, God still cared for him.

If God had chosen someone else for a place of prominence, we do not have to be jealous.

God cares for everyone and everyone in His kingdom has a part to play. It's ok if our part isn't the prominent one. He still loves us and cares for us.