Deception and Holiness

Genesis 27:1-4,15-17,27-29 Now it came about, when Isaac was old and his eyes were too dim to see, that he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” Isaac said, “Behold now, I am old and I do not know the day of my death. “Now then, please take your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me; and prepare a savory dish for me such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die”… Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. And she put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. She also gave the savory food and the bread, which she had made, to her son Jacob… So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments, he blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son Is like the smell of a field which the LORD has blessed; Now may God give you of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And an abundance of grain and new wine; May peoples serve you, And nations bow down to you; Be master of your brothers, And may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be those who curse you, And blessed be those who bless you.”

This is one of the Bible stories I wished dint exist. It seems to shake the core of our belief because Jesus Christ, the messiah of the world, was born in the lineage of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Makes one wonder why God would permit such people in his kingdom who make such a mockery of His holy name? Today’s chapter is a chapter of deception, revelation of the truth and blessings that went the wrong way.

The main characters are Isaac – the father, Esau – the son who deserved to be blessed by virtue of being born first, Jacob – the younger son who is also referred to as the deceiver and Rebekah – the mother who supported Jacob in deceiving Isaac.

In the context of a Holy God, what room is there for such deception and what is God speaking to us today?

The Everlasting God

Genesis 21:1-4,12-14,30-34 Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had promised. So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him… But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the lad and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her, for through Isaac your descendants shall be named. “And of the son of the maid I will make a nation also, because he is your descendant.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and took bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba… He said, “You shall take these seven ewe lambs from my hand so that it may be a witness to me, that I dug this well.” Therefore he called that place Beersheba, because there the two of them took an oath. So they made a covenant at Beersheba; and Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, arose and returned to the land of the Philistines. Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines for many days.

Three major themes are in today’s chapter and as always, I recommend you read the entire chapter rather than just the few verses I’ve used to bring in the essence of the chapter.

First is the birth of Isaac, which was a fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah, and their age did not come in the way of God delivering this bundle of joy at the right time, God’s perfect timing.

Next is the separation of Hagar and Ishmael from Abraham’s household and it seems rather cruel but God’s assured Abraham of Hagar and Ishmael’s welfare and therefore he goes ahead with it.

Lastly, the human covenant between King Abimelech and Abraham that gave Abraham the peace of knowing he was here to stay for a while and not move for a while.

What is God trying to teach us through the joyous birth, the painful separation and the peaceful covenant?

Against The Grain

2 Corinthians 5:13-15, 17, 21
If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again… Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!… God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

A few weeks back, the youth pastor in our church shared God’s word and the theme of his message was ‘Acting Crazy’! Yes, you read it right and I kid you not. He and a team of youth had just returned from Costa Rica where they went to paint and fix up a church in a remote village and then make a kids park near the village soccer field. Nothing too overt and yet a big deal for the young men and women who went along for whom the reality of life in a developing country was an eye-opener. His point was that in our new God transformed selves, we are called to be ambassadors of Christ and we should try to be different from the broken world, whether in word or deed. Is that what Paul is also saying here?

As a Christian, one of the challenges we face is to convince people that we are not of this world. Anyone who cannot understand what we are saying laughs at our beliefs because we look, act and react like anyone else. I was a mocker once but now after I realized what Christ’s death and sacrifice meant to me, I am the mocked and I praise God for it. The question we need to ask is are we living in the world as a part of it or walking against the tide? If we are one with the world and call ourselves transformed or ambassadors for Christ, anyone would laugh, but when we stand up for our faith and live for Christ and not for the world, the world sees the difference. Many will mock and taunt us but our God sees and uses our lives to touch the many needy around. We count it joy to die to the world and to live for Christ! Let’s stand up and celebrate the one who died for us and saved us from death.

In His Loving Service,
ServantBoy

Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.