As one looks back across the canvas of the biblical story line, it’s easy to see a pattern emerge. Humanity has an incessant appetite for itself. There are glimpses of wonder and amazement (Abram’s faith), but from a general perspective the lot of even the chosen family has unveiled a comedy of errors. Last segment, we looked at the Jacob’s deception in cahoots with his mom to obtain God’s blessing from Isaac. While there was a promise that this would take place, it was nevertheless obtained in a contrived manner, which resulted in collateral damage and seemingly needless and self-inflicted suffering.
As you read through this part of the story line, are you encouraged or discouraged? Well, that probably depends on your view of humanity. If you hold a view that somehow humans are intrinsically good, then reading the error after blunder may be hard to accept. However, on the other hand, if you hold a low view of human goodness, and believe that man is intrinsically evil in need of saving, then reading these posts provides some hope. For instance, if God can bring about His ultimate rescue mission through a family that is more dysfunctional than you ever imagined, consider how God might use you as you struggle well through life’s ups and downs.
The bottom line, God’s promises never fail despite the fact that humans do! That’s a high view of God, and a proper view of man. God must intervene, and as we’ll soon see…He does! But, for now, let’s take another look at this chosen family’s relationships.
“When they saw him from a distance and before he came close to them, they plotted against him to put him to death. They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer! Now then, come and let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and we will say, ‘A wild beast devoured him.’ Then let us see what will become of his dreams!”
Genesis 37:18-20
This is a conversation between Abraham’s great-grandsons. Abraham and Sarah had the child of promise, Isaac, then Isaac and Rebekah had Jacob, and then Jacob had fathered 12 sons (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin). Up to this point, the family of Jacob had finally begun settling in the land of promise–the land of Canaan–and it is here that Joseph (2nd to youngest son of Jacob, whose mother is Rachel) tells his family that he had a dream that informed him that all his family will bow down to him. Not a way to win friends and influence people, but nevertheless this happened 2 times, and by verse 18 of chapter 37 in Genesis his brothers had heard enough. Picture this, you are in the land that was promised to you and your family, and you and your twelve brothers are eking out a living in a difficult place to live. It’s here that God manifests His power through a dream, and as you communicate this to your family you are shot down–to say the least. His brothers ultimately decided not to kill him, but rather to sell him as a slave to a long estranged group of family members on their way to Egypt. The dysfunction of this family is fascinating. Here’s a group of brothers–grandsons to Abraham & are children of promise–selling one of their brothers as a slave into the hands of some of their estranged family members who are traders on their way to Egypt. Utterly fascinating.
Application question: Are there times that you doubt God is at work in your life because of all the so-called needless difficulties you’re experiencing? Can addictions get you down and keep you down? Can unmet expectations with your spouse put you in a slump? Can the “grass-is-greener” mentality sap the vitality from your current responsibilities? Can you find yourself sick and tired of being sick and tired? And on, and on…
The sad reality is that we live in a broken world full of broken people. God must act to save us from ourselves, and He acts always according to His will. It’s His prerogative, and He will always use broken vessels in a broken world to bring about His perfect purposes!
What if? What if you accepted this fact–that God will act through broken humans–and in your faith in Jesus Christ (His finished work on the cross and resurrection from the dead) move into the fray, into the chaos, and into the unknown with head held high and heart lifted up in hope? What if we accepted people for who they are–a work in progress just like us–and believed the best in them?
What if?
— September 30, 2016