1.13.8 "The Promise and the Preparation"

"The Promise and the Preparation"

Genesis 28:1-29:35
Matthew 9:18-38
Psalm 11:1-7
Proverbs 3:11-12

Two days ago we looked into "The Pain and the Promise". Today's theme is very similar. The stories of the descendants of Abraham are fascinating. There are so many things that seem so quirky at first glance, but to see how God lays out his plan and completes his work is very cool.

Here's a question for consideration: Does God give vision to disciplined people, or does God give vision so people develop discipline? Today's passages bring an element of that discussion to light.

Jacob, the son of Isaac & Rebekah has "stolen" the birthright of his brother Esau. Esau gave up everything for the bowl of chili. Isaac, is very upset about this, but as we read yesterday, he honors it. This "deceiver" now holds the promise of Abraham.

So now what? What should happen? Well, because of the angst between Jacob & Esau, Isaac & Rebekah feel it's in the best interest to send Jacob off to find a wife. As he's alone in the countryside, he sets up camp. He uses a stone for a pillow. The keeper of the promise alone at night with his head on a rock. Up to this point he is carrying the promise that he has received from his father. He's about experience the promise for himself.

You know the story, he has a vision of a stairway to heaven. It's incredible! "For you will have descendants as many as dust!... All the nations of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. What's more, I am with you and will protect you wherever you do, and will bring you back safely to this land; I will be with you constantly until I have finished giving you all I am promising you."

How cool is that! How would you react to that vision? What was his father's promise has now become his!

Each one of us have the call of God on our life. There is a plan. There is direction. We may be more or less aware of it. Why doesn't the promise "just happen"? What's the delay? We can learn so much from Jacob.

First, note that he must begin with an EXPERIENCE with God! This experience placed the fire of the promise deep within Jacob. He took that stone pillow and stood it on end, and called the place "Bethel". That place was never forgotten. Notice how often it is referred to throughout scripture. It means "the house of God". For him to have this experience, he was out of the routines of life. He was alone. We need to get alone with God. We need to set ourselves apart from the craziness to experience him. To see him for who he is. We need to get the fire within us.

In the next chapter (Gen. 29) Jacob encounters Rachel & falls in love. The next events may seem unrelated to the promise, but I find something very interesting. You know the story, Jacob works for Laban for 7 years for the privilege of marrying Rachel. At the end of 7 years, Laban pulls a "switcheroo" and gives him Leah. Jacob ends up working another 7 years to marry Rachel.

What's the significance of this? Notice how Jacob got the birthright. It was through deception. He has an experience with God, and now he needs to go through a time where God refines his character. What's his biggest flaw? Deception. What does Jacob go through? Being deceived.

Through this 14 year experience the Lord is bringing Jacob through a time of discipline. Now, it's our nature to think that this is a time of "punishment". Not so. Remember to "discipline" means "to bring into alignment". Jacob must discipline himself to work for 14 years to be prepared for the promise of Rachel.

What's that mean for us? We need to stop looking at daily circumstances and trials as something that is contrary to the plans God has for us. EVERY event in our life must be treated as an opportunity for God to complete his work in US. So often we get on the "victim" path and we whine about how Laban tricked us, and how we think God forgot us and how this should be easy. We miss the point. God NEEDS to refine us! Heaven forbid we go out as before and pass on to future generations the flaws in our spiritual DNA.

Remember the story of the woman to touched the hem of Jesus' garment? That's in today's reading as well. That story is famous. We talk about it all the time. Do remember the circumstances of when that happened? Jesus was on his way to do something else! A rabbi had asked for his daughter to be raised from the dead. Jesus could have just said from where he was, "go home, she's alive", but he didn't. For "some reason" there was travel involved. There was a path. And now a woman sick for years is healed.

Some time ago, a friend of mine was in a new job. He knew it was for a plan... a purpose. Having only been there a couple days, he lead a drug addict to the Lord. It's AMAZING what can happen "on the way" if we get the big picture of what God is trying to accomplish.

Too often we get the advice that David gets in Psalm 11. Friends (or even the enemy) can tell us this is to hard! This is hopeless. We need to have the response of David. "How dare you tell me, 'Flee to the mountains for safety,' when I am trusting the Lord?...'Law and order have collapsed,' we are told. 'What can the righteous do but flee?' But the Lord i still in his holy temple; he still rules from heaven."

In all situations, however bleak, God is on his throne!

The Proverb for today says, "Young man, do not resent it when God chastens and corrects you, for his punishment is proof of his love. Just as a father punishes a son he delights in to make him better, so the Lord corrects you." Again, too often we look at difficulties as punishment for the sake of punishment. We must look at it as God's way of bringing us into alignment.

Jacob wasn't being "punished" for being a deceiver, he was experiencing an opportunity to be brought into alignment. He was experiencing the re-alignment of his character.

The principle of Empowered through Biblical Training is discipline. We must bring ourselves into alignment of the word to experience the fullness of the promise God has for us.



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


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