God’s Love, Part 3

 Genesis 37:29-36

“29 When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes. 30 He returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone, and I, where can I turn?” 31 Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat, and dipped the robe in the blood. 32 They had the ornamented robe taken to their father, and they said, “This we have found; see now whether it is your son’s robe or not.” 33 He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A wild animal has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.” 34 Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and all his daughters sought to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, “No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.” Thus his father bewailed him. 36 Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.”

Josephs’ brothers had to lie to their father about Joseph’s fate.  They could never admit to him what they had done. He would disown them, and cast them out.

So, they presented him with the blood soaked robe that Jacob had given to Joseph to suggest that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.  In a way, the old Joseph that they knew had, indeed, been killed.  The new Joseph that walked with God was in Egypt.

Jacob’s grief for his favorite son could not be consoled and seemed limitless. 

But only God’s love is limitless. 

And Joseph, his brothers, and his father were going to discover this.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

God’s Love, Part 2

 Genesis 37: 17b-28

“17b So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. 18 They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them they conspired to kill him. 19 They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20 Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.” 21 But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22 Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand and restore him to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the ornamented robe[b] that he wore, 24 and they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. 25 Then they sat down to eat, and looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels carrying gum, balm, and resin, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers agreed. 28 When some Midianite traders passed by, they drew Joseph up, lifting him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they took Joseph to Egypt.”

Joseph, Jacob’s favorite son, was sold by his brothers into slavery.  And for all they knew, he was to live out the rest of his life in misery as someone else’s property..

But they did not care.  All they knew was that they would not have to listen to his boasting and watch him parade around in his fancy coat of many colors, flaunting his father’s special love for him.

It seems strange to us today that siblings would do such a thing to their brother.  And the simple answer is they were jealous of him, but it goes a little deeper than that.  During Joseph’s day, a father’s blessing meant everything.  It meant food, clothing, wealth, power and even survival.

So, Joseph’s brothers did what they thought needed to be done to ensure their and their families’ survival.  They put their self-interest above their brother’s welfare; their feelings above those of their father’s; their hatred above Godly love and forgiveness.

But, as we shall see, Joseph and Joseph’s brothers would encounter God’s love and forgiveness in a powerful way.  

And hatred never stood a chance.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

God’s Love, Part 1

Genesis 37: 1-4

“Jacob settled in the land where his father had lived as an alien, the land of Canaan. 2 These are the descendants of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a helper to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives, and Joseph brought a bad report of them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children because he was the son of his old age, and he made him an ornamented robe. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.”

Jacob did not learn from his parents mistakes.  Isaac’s favorite child had been Esau.  Rebekah’s favorite had been Jacob.  This caused a terrible rift to exist between the two sons.  And Jacob committed the same error with his children.

Jacob loved Joseph more than his other children and gave him gifts that displayed this favoritism before them.  As a result, they hated Joseph and could not speak to him without contempt.

Human love is flawed.  I am sure that Jacob loved his other children.  But the son that he had conceived and raised in his old age, his last child, had a special place in his heart, and he could not hide that fact.

Divine love is perfect.  God loves all of His children, and gives them all the same kind of love…

 a love that is sacrificial, unfailing, and never ending.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Jacob and Esau Part

 Genesis 33:12-17

“12 Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go alongside you.” 13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds, which are nursing, are a care to me, and if they are overdriven for one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.” 15 So Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “Why should my lord be so kind to me?” 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 But Jacob journeyed to Succoth and built himself a house and made booths for his cattle; therefore the place is called Succoth.”

Reading this scripture, we discover that Jacob still does not trust Esau. After they hugged and Esau forgave Jacob, Esau invited Jacob and his family to travel with him back to his home in Edom, a region that is south of where they met and reconciled.  

Jacob made polite and flimsy excuses as to why he could do this.  Was he fearful that Esau still wanted to kill him? Jacob even refused Esau’s offer to leave some men with him to accompany him to ensure his safety while they traveled to Esau’s home.

As soon as Esau and his 400 men left, Jacob actually traveled north to Succoth, the exact opposite direction of Esau’s home in Seir.  

Jacob must have felt that something was not right.  Could it have been possible that while Esau forgave Jacob, Jacob did not feel forgiven, or could not believe he was forgiven?  Whatever it was, it prevented Jacob from having the relationship with Esau that God desired.

Christians often have this problem.  We cannot believe that God can forgive our past, or that people who say they have forgiven us can actually mean what they say.  This prevents us from moving forward in our relationship with God and with other people.

Forgiveness is God’s gift of love to us.  

He calls us to accept it, and to practice it.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Jacob Meets Esau

Genesis 33: 1-11

“1 Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. 2 He put the maids with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3 He himself went on ahead of them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near his brother. 4 But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the maids drew near, they and their children, and bowed down; 7 Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down; and finally Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. 8 Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor with my lord.” 9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” 10 Jacob said, “No, please; if I find favor with you, then accept my present from my hand, for truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me with such favor. 11 Please accept my gift that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have everything I want.” So he urged him, and he took it.”

Esau and 400 men approached Jacob’s camp.  Jacob assumed that Esau meant to harm him and his family.  At the same time, Esau must have assumed that Jacob meant to harm him, considering Esau’s experience with Jacob in the past, and the fact that it is no simple task to assemble and equip 400 men. 

Esau took offensive action and Jacob took defensive measures based on their knowledge of each other.  God, however, had other plans.  Over the years, God had worked in the heart and life of not only Jacob, but also his brother Esau.  

Through God’s help, Esau was able to overcome his anger and to forgive the sins Jacob had committed against him.

While God had been working miracles in the life of Jacob, He had also been working miracles in the heart of Esau.

God’s love is a love of peace and unity.

As Christians, we are to strive for these things.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Jacob Prepares for Esau

Genesis 32: 1-8

“1 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him; 2 when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called that place Mahanaim. 3 Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, 4 instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have lived with Laban as an alien and stayed until now, 5 and I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male and female slaves, and I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’ ” 6 The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed, and he divided the people who were with him and the flocks and herds and camels into two companies, 8 thinking, “If Esau comes to the one company and destroys it, then the company that is left will escape.”

It was customary for a father, on his deathbed, to bless the firstborn son, asking God to give him material abundance so that he could care for the extended family, and to make his brothers come under his authority so that order would be preserved within the clan.

This blessing was rightfully Esau’s as the eldest twin.  Jacob knew that Esau had sworn to kill him for stealing the blessing of their father from him.  Jacob had also taken advantage of Esau’s severe hunger and bargained food for Esau’s birthright.

Jacob walked with God now.  His eyes were open to his sins and he knew he had to face Esau and make amends.  When Jacob’s messengers told him that Esau was riding toward his camp with 400 men (an army), Jacob assumed the worst.

But, what Jacob did not know was that God had also been working in the life of Esau.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Road Home

 Genesis 31: 1-9

“1 Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s; he has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.” 2 And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him as favorably as he did before. 3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your ancestors and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” 4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was 5 and said to them, “I see that your father does not regard me as favorably as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I have served your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not permit him to harm me. 8 If he said, ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled, and if he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. 9 Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.”

Jacob was protected by God.  Laban, his uncle, had tried to cheat him but each time God shielded Jacob from any material harm and Jacob prospered in Haran.

But, God had other plans for Jacob.  God wanted him to travel back to the land of his ancestors, the land where his kindred still lived, the land where his brother Esau awaited him in the land of Canaan. 

The young Jacob would have remained hidden from Esau forever.  The mature Jacob, the transformed Jacob, the God strengthened Jacob, was ready to do as God requested.

Jacob was ready to turn away from his life of prosperity, and follow God wherever he led, as his grandfather Abraham had done many years before him.

And God led Jacob back home.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)