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.