Chapter
and Verse
Mary Hamrick, Teacher
Genesis
25-28
"Jacob
and Esau"
Prayer is
the key that unlocks faith. How else can we come to know our God
in a closer way? When we pray, or talk to God, we open the communication
lines between ourselves and Him. And if we will be still and listen,
we often hear His voice as He answers our prayers.
Isaac
and Rebekah were married for twenty years before God answered their prayer
for children. And when the prayer was answered, he gave them twin
sons – sons that were as opposite as day and night. In Genesis
25:23, God explained to Rebekah before the sons were born that her sons
would develop into two nations, and that the older son would serve the
younger. The sons were named Jacob and Esau. Let’s look at
a few characteristics of each son.
ESAU
Firstborn
son
As firstborn,
he was positioned to receive the family birthright and blessing
Red
and hairy skin
Outdoorsman
and skilled hunter
Short-term
thinker
Materialistic
Favored
by his father, Issac
JACOB
Second
born son
Grabbed
Esau’s heel at birth
Quiet,
stayed near the home
Long-term
thinker
Understood
the value of family birthright and blessing
Favored
by his mother, Rebekah
In Chapter
25, we read how Jacob tricked Esau out of his birthright. What was
a birthright? It was a special honor given to the firstborn son,
which included a double portion of the family inheritance - this included
material possessions and spiritual blessings. In this case, it included
the covenant promise that God had given to Abraham, “his descendants would
be as numerous as the stars and all nations would be blessed through his
offspring.”
Jacob
understood the value in owning the birthright; Esau didn’t. Esau
traded the birthright for a bowl of stew.
As time
passed, Rebekah determined in her heart that she should take matters into
her own hands and acquire the family blessing for Jacob (Jacob had already
tricked Esau into selling the birthright to him). So she devised
a scheme, and Jacob was able to trick his father and brother and receive
the family blessing.
Jacob’s
blessing:
“May
nations serve you and peoples bow down to you; be lord over your brothers,
and may the sons of your mother bow to you.”
When
Esau learned that he had been tricked out of his blessing, he was filled
with anger and bitterness. Jacob had grabbed his heel at birth, and
had grabbed his birthright … now Jacob had grabbed Esau’s blessing.
Esau cried out in anger, “Bless me – me too, my father.” “Haven’t
you reserved any blessing for me?” “Do you have only one blessing,
my father? Bless me too, my father.”
Esau
was angry with Jacob and talked of killing his brother. So Jacob
was sent to Haran, to his grandfathers home, to find a wife from his uncle
Laban.
Isaac
blessed Esau – not with spiritual blessing, but with material prosperity.
In hindsight, this was really all Esau wanted – the spiritual blessing
meant nothing to him – he was a short term thinker and wanted only to satisfy
the natural desires of his heart, not the spiritual. He wanted only
material riches. Does that speak to your heart? What are your
priorities? Would you sell your spiritual blessings for earthly wealth?
On Jacob’s
way to Haran, he laid his head on a stone at Bethel to rest. While
he was sleeping, he had a dream. In his dream he saw a stairway that
began on earth and went into heaven. The angels of God were 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 father Abraham, the God of
Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you
are living. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth,
and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to
the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your
offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go,
and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until
I have done what I have promised you.”
Jacob
received the birthright and blessing from Isaac, then he set out on a journey
to find a wife, and found God along the way. God’s covenant with
Abraham that had been handed down to Issac had now been handed down to
Jacob. God was confirming to Jacob that the covenant was now between
himself and God.
I love
what Jacob said when he awoke. “How awesome is this place!
This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
And Jacob believed God’s word and committed to follow and obey Him as his
father and grandfather had done.
God speaks
to all of us in different ways. Some, like Jacob, through dreams.
Some, like me, with stuff like dragonflies. I once heard someone
say that we hear God speak to us wherever we are looking for him.
Some hear God through words – while reading the Bible or while writing;
others hear God through nature; others through song. Wherever you
look for God, be still and listen so that you can hear His voice.
Prayer is the key that unlocks faith. When you pray, be still and
listen for His answer … listen for His voice. As you begin to hear
His voice, your faith will grow.
Return
to top of page
Genesis
29-33
"Love
Worth the Cost"
How committed
are you in getting what you really want out of life? Would you work
for someone for fourteen years in order to marry their child? Would
you risk your life in order to receive a blessing from God or to be reunited
with your family? In the life of Jacob, we see true commitment.
He was born a “heel grabber”, a deceiver. He deceived his twin brother
twice, and then fled from home to protect his life. He left all that
was common and comforting behind and headed to a new country to meet distant
relatives and start over. Remember the profile of Jacob that we reviewed
last week? Jacob was quiet and stayed close to home, he was favored
by his mother, Rebekah. You might call him a “mama’s boy”.
A
Love Worth the Cost – Rachel
Jacob
met Rachel at a well – the same well where Eliezer had met Jacob’s mother,
Rebekah. Rachel was a shepherdess, tending her fathers’ sheep; Jacob
assisted Rachel in watering the sheep. “Then Jacob kissed Rachel
and began to weep aloud. He had told Rachel that he was a relative
of her father and a son of Rebekah.”
Why did
Jacob weep? These are my thoughts - he had traveled more than 400
miles away from home – from Beersheba to Haran. He had stayed close
to home while growing up. I imagine that Jacob was overcome with
homesickness and loneliness; perhaps he was overwhelmed by his dream of
God and the blessing given to him; plus he had 400 long miles of travel
to meditate on the way he had tricked his father, Isaac, and his brother,
Esau. The story tells us that Rachel was “lovely in form and beautiful”,
a woman who could provide comfort to Jacob. Jacob fell immediately
in love with his cousin Rachel. I wonder if Rachel carried any resemblance
to Jacob’s mother, Rebekah. That’s just a thought. Genesis
24:16 says that Rebekah “was very beautiful”.
Jacob
was so in love with Rachel that he pledged to work for Laban for seven
years in order to marry her. Genesis 29:20, “So Jacob served seven
years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because
of his love for her.”
And when
the seven years were up, it was time for the wedding. Only now, the
deceiver was deceived. What a slap in the fact to marry the wrong
sister and not know about it until it was too late. What a wake-up
call for Jacob of how it felt to be deceived … tricked … out of something
so valuable – something so precious – the love of his life had not been
given to him, as had been promised.
Jacob
was angry with Laban, but in order to marry his true love, he agreed to
work for Laban for seven more years. He was allowed to marry Rachel
a week after the wedding to Leah. (NOTE: Monogamy is the biblical
ideal for marriage – that is why God only created one wife for Adam <Genesis
2>. The Old Testament reports things that did happen, but, as in
this case, not necessarily as examples of what should happen.)
Genesis
29:30-31, “Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah … but Rachel was barren.”
And the jealousy, competition and separation of family began.
Jacob
had learned favoritism from his mother – we now understand how that favoritism
separated her family. Jacob fled from home, never to see his mother
again – a family separated.
Jacob
showed favoritism toward Rachel, which stirred up jealousy and feelings
of being unloved in Leah.
Genesis
29:31 – “Leah was not loved”
Genesis
29:33 – Leah said, “I am not loved”
Genesis
29:34 – Leah said, ‘Jacob will come attached to me”
Genesis
30:19 – Leah said, “Jacob will treat me with honor”
Leah’s
life ambition and goal was to make Jacob love her – she thought that by
giving him children she could win his love. How impossible a task
that is. If you have ever had feelings for someone and tried to make
them love you, you know how impossible that is. It’s just as impossible
as trying to make yourself love someone that you do not have feelings for.
Leah’s advantage over Rachel, however, was that Leah could bear children-Rachel
was barren. Leah tried to win Jacob’s love; Rachel had Jacob’s love.
But Rachel also wanted to give Jacob children. Proverbs 30:15-16
says, “There are three things that are never satisfied … the grave, the
barren womb, and land – which is never satisfied with water.” Rachel
was unhappy and dissatisfied, and so she gave her maidservant to Jacob
to bear children. Hummmm, didn’t we just learn how that created
disaster between Sarah and her maidservant Hagar (Genesis 16).
So the
competition heats up and continues. Leah bore Jacob six sons and
one daughter; Her maidservant, Zilpah, bore Jacob two sons. Rachel’s
maidservant, Bilhah, bore Jacob two sons.
Genesis
30:22 “Then God … listened to Rachel and opened her womb. She became
pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.”
She named her son Joseph.
Jacob
had four wives and eleven sons when he departed Haran and headed back to
his home, Canaan. Can you imagine preparing to take a 400 mile trip,
on camelback, with herds and flocks, and with feuding and jealous wives?
Keep in mind that the eleven children were subjected to this feuding and
jealousy between the mothers – stay tuned to see how the attitudes and
lives of mothers can rub off on our children! We’ll start that lesson
next week.
Wait
… hold on. Jacob and his family are headed back to Canaan?
Is Jacob forgetting why he left Canaan in the first place? He left
because his brother, Esau, was angry with him for cheating him out of the
most prized family possession – the birthright and blessing. Sure,
that was twenty years earlier, but Jacob had no way of knowing if Esau
still carried that anger and the intent to kill him.
Enter
… prayer.
A
Love Worth the Cost – God
Jacob
knew what might be ahead. But he wanted to go home, and “the Lord
said to Jacob, ‘Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives,
and I will be with you.” Genesis 31:3.
“In great
fear and distress”, Jacob made preparations to meet his brother Esau.
Fear = “dread or anxiety”
Distress = “to wrap, tie up”
It sounds
like Jacob was a nervous wreck, with his stomach tied in knots, his thoughts
racing a mile a minute, dreading the point of contact with his brother
because he was uncertain of how he and his family would be received.
Have
you ever had those same anxieties, dreads or feelings? I have.
I get nauseous, my mind races, I feel overwhelmed and frightened.
Usually I’ve absolutely worn myself out with worry before I remember that
I have the answer to calmness and peace living right inside me – When I
pray and sincerely turn matters over to God, I find peace.
“Then
Jacob prayed, “O God of my father, Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord,
who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will
make you prosper’, I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you
have shown your servant. I had only one staff when I crossed this
Jordan, but now I have become two groups. Save me, I pray, from the
hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and
also the mothers with their children. But you have said, ‘I will
surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of
the sea, which cannot be counted.’”
Do you
see the change of heart and spiritual growth and maturity that has taken
place in Jacob during his past twenty years in Haran? Can you
see spiritual growth and maturity within your life over the past years?
Are you walking closer with God now more than ever, or are you running
away from Him? Consider the cost of living for God … consider the
rewards.
Jacob
wrestled with God. Jacob had learned to honor, worship and love God.
And when God appeared to Jacob in Genesis 32:22, Jacob grabbed hold and
would not let go until God had blessed him. The cost for the struggle?
Jacob’s hip socket was wrenched and he would forevermore walk with a limp.
Jacob’s reward – He received a blessing from God – that’s what he was fighting
for! His name was changed to Israel, which means “he struggles with
God.” Yes, it is the same Israel that a nation was descended from.
Remember God’s promise to him at Bethel, “Your descendants will be like
the dust of the earth.”
Jacob
was a fighter – he didn’t give up easily. He worked fourteen years
for Rachel; he wrestled with God for a blessing.
A
Love Worth the Cost – Esau
At the
family reunion, Esau’s anger and bitterness had disappeared. Esau
and Jacob were reunited. God had prepared Jacob’s heart to return
home. God had prepared Esau’s heart to forgive Jacob and to receive
him with love. Genesis 33:4, “Esau RAN to meet Jacob and embraced
him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.”
Talk
about a homecoming! Jacob had to feel a sense of relief to know his
brother had forgiven him. Imagine his joy in knowing he would be
reunited with his father and brother. Imagine his gratitude, praise
and humbleness before God in knowing that God had prepared the way for
him.
The cost
– taking a chance that his brother would kill him and his family.
The reward – strengthened faith and trust in God; being reunited with his
family.
Jacob
shows us that anything in God’s plan for us is worth fighting for.
We will have to make some sacrifices along the way, we will absolutely
need to depend on God along the way, but the reward is worth the cost.
Genesis
34-40
"Joseph"
In Jacob’s
old age, he and Rachel were blessed with their first son together, Joseph.
In Chapter 35, Rachel gave birth to Jacob’s youngest son, Benjamin.
Rachel died during childbirth, leaving Benjamin to be raised by Jacob and
his stepmothers.
When
our study of Joseph begins, he is 17 years old and is a shepherd in the
land of Canaan. He tends sheep alongside his ten older brothers.
Jacob,
his father, learned the pitfalls of parental favoritism from his own childhood
– his mother favored him over his twin brother, while has father favored
his twin brother, Esau. Pitfalls or not, Jacob favored Joseph over
the other sons, and he displayed this favoritism by making Joseph a “richly
ornamented robe” to wear. This is where the phrase ‘coat of many
colors’ comes from.
Because
Joseph was the favorite, his ten older brothers hated him; the robe only
made matters worse. Jacob’s favoritism must have been evident from
the birth of Joseph because the anger and hatred directed at Joseph from
his brothers was fierce. Can’t you just imagine the scorn and ridicule
Joseph received from his brothers when their father was not around?
“Daddy’s favorite”; “Joey’s wearing a girly coat” – those are my words
– you won’t find them in the Bible.
Joseph’s
immaturity and inexperience didn’t benefit him either. When he had
dreams, he bragged about the dream interpretations to his older brothers,
insinuating that one day his brothers would bow down to him. And
they hated him even more!
One day,
Jacob sent Joseph into the fields to check on his brother as they tended
the sheep. As they saw Joseph coming, they plotted to kill him.
Reuben, the oldest brother, didn’t want to kill Joseph; so instead, they
took off his ornamental robe and threw him into a cistern (an underground
tank for storing water). As a caravan passed by, they sold Joseph
to merchants headed to Egypt, where he would be sold as a slave.
To hide their sin, the brothers killed a goat and put the goat’s blood
on Joseph’s robe. Then they lied to their father and told him that
a wild animal had killed Joseph.
Now,
let’s stop here and reflect.
While
these boys were growing up, bickering and jealousy among their mothers,
Leah and Rachel, surrounded them.
Of Joseph’s
ten older brothers, none of them had the same mother as he, so he was automatically
outnumbered. (Leah gave birth to 6 sons; her maidservant gave birth
to 2 sons; Rachel’s maidservant gave birth to 2 sons).
Leah
and Rachel were in competition for the love and attention of Jacob.
It looks like these sons decided to eliminate their competition – Joseph.
Parents
please take note of this story and let it sink in. Our actions and
attitudes do directly affect our children and will affect their adult years.
What do your children see in your life? Do they see an example of
how to appropriately handle anger, frustration and disappointments?
Is your behavior fitting for your children to model and adopt as their
own behavior? The children of Jacob adopted attitudes of jealousy,
bitterness and hatred toward their brother, which was learned from their
home environment. Beware of what you are teaching your children by
example – actions do speak louder than words.
Back
to our reading! What the ten brothers intended for evil, God turned
to good. Joseph’s attitude in Egypt was apparently to make the best
of the situation since he couldn’t change it! Where did this characteristic
come from? While his brothers had uncontrollable feelings of hatred
and bitterness, somehow Joseph seemed to be guarded against those characteristics.
Perhaps this was the influence of his mother, Rachel … since he was her
first child and she had waited so many years for a son … perhaps she spent
many hours with him training him to trust and honor God; perhaps since
he was favored by Jacob, he spent many hours retelling the stories of how
he had struggled with God and how God had reunited him with his family
after being away for twenty years. I don’t know how Joseph turned
out differently … but it’s obvious from our reading that he trusted in
God.
When
Joseph arrived in Egypt, he was sold as a slave to Potiphar, the captain
of the guard for Pharaoh. Joseph had to learn a new language and
a new lifestyle. In Canaan, he had been a shepherd. In Egypt,
he saw the world’s most civilized land – pyramids, beautiful homes, sophisticated
people – people who worshipped a lot of different gods.
Joseph
stood strong in his faith in God and carried the knowledge of the God of
his father, Jacob. In the duties and responsibilities given to Joseph,
he gave his best. The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and
everything in Potiphar’s house was blessed. So Potiphar put him in
charge of everything he owned.
We don’t
see Joseph wallowing in self-pity because of his situation - we see him
doing his best in every job assigned, as well as learning a new language.
His attitude was positive and the Lord was with him and blessed him.
In all that we do, we should do our best – we should do all things as if
we were doing them for God.
Potiphar’s
wife tried to tempt Joseph, but he refused. His heart was in honoring
God and not sinning against Him. Joseph’s life and actions demonstrated
a man who was relying on God for everything. When “sin” grabbed him
by the cloak and tried to “pull him in”, he ran away. We can all
learn a lesson by that – run from temptation – run from sin! Joseph
was an honorable man, an honest man. But
because
Joseph was honest and honorable, Potiphar’s wife caused him to be thrown
into prison. First, jealous brothers sold him into slavery; now an
unfulfilled woman was the reason he was in prison. Joseph sure was
learning some great lessons in human behavior!
“But
while Joseph was in prison, the Lord was with him.” Genesis 39:20-21.
The warden put Joseph in charge of all prisoners and all that was done
there. Stop here and determine how Joseph handled his new set of
circumstances. Trusting in the Lord, doing his best, with a good
attitude and honorable work ethic.
As Joseph
was in charge of the prison, two prisoners had dreams that deeply troubled
them. Remember how Joseph shared his dreams with his brothers in
Canaan? He bragged! With the prisoners, Joseph placed the responsibility
of dream interpretations on God. Joseph interpreted both dreams –
one good, one bad. And he asked the cupbearer to remember him when
he was restored to his position. Genesis 40:23, “The chief cupbearer,
however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.” Joseph was in prison
for two more years.
"Lord,
as we have learned in our reading, we can depend on your presence at all
times – during the good and bad seasons of our lives. Teach us, Lord,
to do all things with a grateful attitude and to the best of our ability.
Please bless us Lord. Teach us how to raise our children so that
they are respectful of others. Show us where our unhealthy habits
and attitudes are, and lovingly guide us in changing those things that
may negatively develop in our children. Teach us to praise and thank
you in all things. Amen."
Return
to top of page
Genesis
41-45
"Honesty
and Integrity"
When we
begin our reading, Joseph’s time in prison for an act he didn’t commit
was two years. Pharaoh had two troubling dreams that no one could
interpret for him. The chief cupbearer remembered Joseph and his
gift from God in interpreting dreams. In Genesis 41:15, please note
that Joseph did not take credit for this ability, but told Pharaoh, “I
cannot interpret dreams, but God will give Pharaoh the answer.”
While
Joseph was in prison for two years, he didn’t blame God for the hardship
he was facing, but instead his faith was strengthened. When his opportunity
came to help Pharaoh, he was ready, through faith, to allow God to work
through him. We need to make it a habit during our busy days to keep
the communication lines open with God. We don’t have to be in a formal
setting to pray – we can talk to God as we walk or work; He hears
our thoughts and our silent prayers. This “praying without ceasing”
will increase our faith and knowledge of our God, just as Joseph’s faith
was increased and strengthened.
Joseph
interpreted the dreams for Pharaoh – there would be seven years of plentiful
harvest and seven years of famine in Egypt. Joseph then laid
out a plan for survival for those fourteen years. Because of the
discernment and wisdom God had given to Joseph, Pharaoh placed Joseph over
his palace and over the land. In Genesis 41:46, “Joseph was 30 years
old when he entered the service of Pharaoh, King of Egypt.” (Joseph
was 17 when he was sold into slavery; he spent 2 years in prison; so he
must have been a slave for 11 years). Joseph’s faith and relationship
with God grew through every situation and all circumstances.
Joseph’s
survival plan was to store up grain during the seven years of plentiful
harvest so they would have grain during the seven years of famine.
And during the famine, people from all countries came to Egypt to purchase
grain.
Joseph’s
father, Jacob, and his 11 sons still lived in Canaan. The famine
had spread throughout all the world and was affecting Jacob’s family.
So Jacob sent ten of his sons to Egypt to buy grain. He did not send
his youngest son, Joseph’s full brother, Benjamin.
Joseph
was 44 at this time and governor of the land. When his ten brothers
came to Egypt to buy grain, they bowed down to him. (Remember the dream
of Joseph in Genesis 37:6-9, when his brothers bowed down to him?)
Joseph remembered his dream, and realized that this was God’s plan all
along – so that he could save the lives of his family.
In Genesis
42, we read the account of Joseph seeing his brothers for the first time
in 27 years. The last time he saw them, they stripped him of his
coat and sold him into slavery. Joseph was given wisdom and discernment
from God, and didn’t just jump out and reveal who he was. He wanted
to make sure that his brother, Benjamin, was still alive and he wanted
to see him face to face. Was he unnecessarily harsh on his brothers?
Considering the way they had treated him in the past, I would say no.
He sent nine of them home with grain and returned their money to them.
Simeon was bound and imprisoned – as an incentive for his brothers to return
with Benjamin, but I imagine that Simeon was treated well in prison.
I don’t see Joseph as a man who would physically torture anyone.
He was very tenderhearted toward his family. Genesis 42:24, “Joseph
turned away from them and began to weep.” He was overwhelmed at being
reunited with his family and with the possibility of being able to see
his father and Benjamin again. I suppose Simeon was well cared for
in prison.
Months
later, when the grain ran out, Jacob’s sons were allowed to return with
Benjamin to Egypt to buy more grain. How did they convince Jacob
to let his youngest son go with them?
Judah,
the fourth born son of Jacob, the son who in Genesis 37:26 suggested they
sell Joseph into slavery, took full responsibility for the welfare of Benjamin.
He was willing to give his life for the safe return of Benjamin to his
father. What a change of heart and maturity he had experienced since
selling Joseph into slavery.
When
Joseph saw Benjamin, “he hurried out and looked for a place to weep.
He went into his private room and wept there.” I believe he wept
because of an overwhelming sense of relief, of family and love, of humility
to God for allowing him to be reunited with family. Perhaps he was
grateful to be able to look into his brothers’ eyes and see a resemblance
to himself, his mother and father.
In Chapter
44, why did Joseph trick his brothers again? Was it to see if they
had changed since selling him into slavery?
Please
read Genesis 44:18-34. Judah is pleading for life – not for his own
life, but for the life of his beloved brother, Benjamin, and for his father.
I cannot read that scripture without becoming teary eyed. What an
account of love Judah showed. I believe Chapters 44 and 45 are my
favorite chapters in the book of Genesis. When Joseph was alone with
his brothers, he wept so loudly that “the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s
household heard about it.” And then, as he gained his composure,
he told his brothers, “I am Joseph.” “I am your brother, Joseph,
the one you sold into Egypt. And now, do not be distressed and do
not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save
lives that God sent me ahead of you... God sent me ahead of you to preserve
for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.”
Genesis 45:4-7
“Then
he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin embraced
him, weeping. And he kissed all his brothers and wept over them.
Afterwards his brothers talked with him.” Genesis 45:14-15
Joseph
is also one of my favorite characters in the book of Genesis. He
could have blamed his brothers for having to serve 11 years as a slave,
and being imprisoned for two years. But instead of blame, he gave
credit to God for working these events in order to save his family.
Joseph
was an honest man, a hard worker, a faithful man to God and family.
He didn’t place blame nor do we read of him indulging himself in self-pity.
He had a positive attitude and trusted in God in all situations.
Can you list these as your own personal characteristics as well?
As you
read about people in the Bible, jot down characteristics that you would
like to establish in your life. Pray and ask God to help you learn
how to develop these characteristics. “I can do everything through
Him who gives me strength”. Philippians 4:13.
Return
to top of page
Genesis
46-50
"Tribute
to Fathers"
As we studied
Genesis 46-50 this week, I was touched by Joseph’s affection toward his
father; toward his family. As his father died, Joseph threw himself
upon his father and wept over him and kissed him. Joseph had such
a tender heart toward his father – toward his brothers. He wept openly
over them, and with them. He was governor of the land; powerful and
influential; yet he was not ashamed of his emotions. Joseph mourned
the death of his father for months.
Just
as Joseph was tender hearted toward his family, God is tender hearted toward
each of us. When we hurt, He feels our pain and if we ask, He will
comfort us and give us peace.
“Peace
I leave with you, My peace I give to you; do not let your hearts be troubled
and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
Joseph’s
tenderheartedness toward his father touched me so deeply. All I could
focus on during this study was his love and gentleness toward Jacob, his
father. Oh, how he loved his father – I imagine that he must have
celebrated every day of the seventeen years they had together after they
were reunited.
My father,
Johnny, is a beautiful man – inside and out. He and mom raised us
in a Christian home and surrounded us with gospel music, Bible teachings
and prayer.
Dad has
always been an example to me of how to walk with Christ. Just as
Abraham, Issac and Jacob, he had had his times when he stumbled in his
Christian walk, but God always pulled him back onto the path of righteousness.
Over the years he has taught me that faith in God is something that is
not seen but is just known. Faith doesn’t need proof of sight … it
is known in the heart. For as long as I can remember dad has been
the light of my life.
In 1988,
dad was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer. At that time, I was 28 years
old and a single mom. He was at times,my stability and sanity!
Due to the poor health of his lungs, the doctor’s didn’t give him much
of a chance of beating the cancer, but he began chemotherapy and radiation
therapy and the cancer went into remission. ‘Thank you, Lord, for
letting us have our father back! Thank you for answering our prayers
and letting us continue to hold him and love him.’
Around
1995, the cancer returned. Again, the doctors didn’t think
that dad’s weak body could handle the chemotherapy and radiation treatment,
but we lifted him up in prayer and asked God to let us hang onto him longer.
My heart was burdened for dad, and I traveled from North Carolina to Florida
to love him. He was having an exceptionally rough time with the treatments
and just sitting in the same room with him gave me comfort. His spirits
were up, but his body was tired and weak. In the midst of his weakness
and pain he had an inner peace. He knew that he was in God’s hands
and that he would be all right – no matter the outcome.
As I
lay in bed in his home in Florida, I began to weep. Life without
my father would be so painful – he was my light in darkness. He was
my “Jesus in the flesh” – because I could see Jesus living in him, and
I learned so much from his living example. When people ask me who
has influenced my life the most, my answer has always been ‘my dad’.
“Oh, Lord, please heal his body. Please don’t take him yet.”
As I wept, I felt God’s peace come over me, and I was reassured that dad
would be okay. His cancer did go into remission – again!
I am
thankful each and every time I hear my father’s voice and see his face.
There is neither face so dear, nor a sound so precious as the sound of
his voice. This week, I received a Christmas card from dad.
He addressed the envelope personally with his unique handwriting, now shaky
because of his weakness and pain. But the sight of his handwriting
on an envelope brought tears to my eyes – The effort that must have gone
into sending that card to my family – the love that card represented!
I know
that my father will not live forever. I know that one day, I will
place him in the hands of God and that he will be without pain forevermore.
But today, I am thankful – so thankful – that God has allowed me to have
him for just one more day.
This
verse is worth repeating, and a great closing:
“Peace
I leave with you, My peace I give to you; do not let your hearts be troubled
and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
In Him,
Mary
Click
on the mailbox to
send
us a note or your prayer request.
|
