One Lie Spoils Many Truths

Sometimes it is easy to understand something by working backwards instead of forwards. Such seems to be the case with the Fall of Man. Yes, it seems pretty
straightforward in Genesis 3 but often we fail to understand where it
all leads in order to sense the importance of what happened in the
Garden.  Let’s look at a passage in Romans…

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God
made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His
invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been
clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they
are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor
Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their
speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be
wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible
God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and
four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them
over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies
would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for
a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator,
who is blessed forever. Amen.  Romans 1:18-25 (NASB)

This passage is very rich in information to help us understand the
Fall.  To say it simply, man denies God and everything about Him even
though God made everything evident to them they still choose to do
this. They wanted to be wise and became fools. Instead of believing
God, they chose to worship something that sounds a whole lot like
evolution here.  God tells us that they exchanged the truth of God for
a lie and dishonored themselves. Keep these points in mind as we
“rewind” back in history to when Adam and Eve were still in the Garden
of Eden. While we are at it, we’ll grab some important information as
well.

The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He
placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God
caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for
food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil.  Genesis 2:8-9 (NASB)

Let’s note that God caused the trees that are pleasing to see and are
good for food are in the Garden with them. There are also two
particular trees that fit that description as well; the tree of life
and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Yet there was a problem
with one of them.

The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden
you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely
die." Genesis 2:16-17 (NASB)

Now all these facts are important to the story of the Fall. Now let’s construct the scene as the scriptures tell us.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the
LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said,
'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"  Genesis 3:1 (NASB)

The serpent opens the dialog with a question that focuses the woman on
the forbidden fruit. The woman responds in a way that lets us know that
she knew about the prohibition but she’s added something to the rule… “not to touch it”… which was not
specifically said. The serpent responds to this by saying…

The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! For God knows
that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will
be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:4-5 (NASB)

The serpent says in effect… you will not die (a lie, Gen 2:17)… LIE #1,
God knows when you eat it your eyes will be opened (true, Gen 3:7)…
TRUTH #1, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. (true, Gen
3:22)… TRUTH #2. So for those inclined to use logic, let me put it in a
way that we can use in a more general fashion…

We have the proposal:     LIE #1 + TRUTH #1 + TRUTH #2 = LIE   -  The proposition is a lie.

Said another way, any lie added to any amount of truth is still a lie.

However, we are not done here.  Let’s keep looking for some truth that’s still there for us.

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a
delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise,
she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with
her, and he ate.  Genesis 3:6 (NASB)

The tree was good for food… (true, Gen 2:8-9)… TRUTH #3. The tree was a
delight to the eyes… (true, Gen 2:8-9)… TRUTH #4. The tree was
desirable to make one wise…  (lie, Gen 2:16-17)… LIE #1 as its
essentially the same point made by the serpent except from the woman’s
point of view. Now the serpent said nothing about the tree’s
characteristics.

Now we have the justification:  TRUTH #3 + TRUTH #4 + LIE #1 = LIE     -   The justification is a lie.

Why did I go into detail about all this? We have four true things that
God has said and we can verify it by reading the text. We have one lie
discoverable by the same method. Our first parents fell into sin by the
ONE LIE not the four truths.

What can we glean from this? First, the man and woman had full
knowledge of God and the truth He told them. Second, there was a
proposition presented to them which contains one lie and more than one
thing that was true. Third, in full knowledge of what they knew they
chose to disregard the God of the universe to believe their own wisdom
in order to gain more wisdom and fell in the process.

Now why might we suppose that God arranged the whole situation in the
Fall of Man right after the Creation account?  Do you remember what we
read in Romans 1 above? Did you catch the fact that in both cases the
participants wanted to be wise? Its obvious now, isn’t it. It is the
same thing; only the names and particulars have changed.  Both cases
did not believe what God had clearly said. God outlines the “start to
finish” decline of man into unthinkable depths of moral depravity in
the rest of Romans 1 to more exactly describe what we really could not
yet see would be the results of what Adam and Eve did to themselves
(and us) at that point.

Now let’s consider some more “advanced God denial” that leads to the same thing.

What does this mean when somebody tells us that God’s word is
undependable concerning any matter especially with Creation? What does
it mean when other people tell us that the Bible contains poetry or
figurative language which dilutes or contradicts what the words themselves say clearly especially to those in the Creation account? Isn’t the
proposition to use any sort of method to change what God has clearly
said saying the very same thing as what the serpent said in the Garden
to our first parents? It certainly is.  Isn’t the justification just
the same sort of thing that we do when we believe that and add more
truths to the situation to make the “truthful statements outweigh the
lie”? Yes, it is.

You might say, “So Mr.Vee, what are you going to do with all the information science has discovered proving evolution?”

I would say this. I am older than many and younger than many. I have
heard all sorts of people say this or that proves evolution or
something very near that claim. The theories keep changing and we keep
learning what “really happened” again and again and sometimes it starts
getting embarrassing for “science” and the matter gets quickly covered
up.  The biblical account hasn’t changed.  As I read recently in the
Bible, “Its not the same to claim victory when one ‘puts on their
armor’ as when ‘they take it off’”. God has already said what He has
said. And the question, just like that set before Adam and Eve, is set
before us… everyday. Do we believe God and what He has said about
everything?  Jesus said to the devil in the wilderness…

But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD
ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" 
Matthew 4:4 (NASB)

He didn’t say some words… He said our lives depend on “every word of
God”. In essence, we must trust God’s truth verbatim. That’s no joke. 
Mr.Vee

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!!!
Hi! There's been a lot of things going on in preparation for work
activities this week. I'll will be out on business for a couple of
days yet. I hope to see you all again later in the week! 
Have a great day and take care!     Mr.Vee

Discovering God’s Character – Part 23



Jacob in Egypt

Genesis 46 finds Israel (Jacob) setting out for Egypt with all he had
and en route came to Beersheba and offered sacrifices to the God of his
father Isaac. God met with Israel there…

God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob."
And he said, "Here I am." He said, "I am God, the God of your father;
do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great
nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely
bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes." Genesis 46:2-4
(NASB)

So we find that there were 67 persons in Jacob’s caravan headed for
Egypt. There were 70 persons total in Jacob’s family counting Joseph
and his two sons.

Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with
Jacob; they came each one with his household: Reuben, Simeon, Levi and
Judah; Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
All the persons who came from the loins of Jacob were seventy in
number, but Joseph was already in Egypt. Exodus 1:1-5 (NASB)

Now Jacob sends Judah to have Joseph show them where in Goshen to go.
Can you picture the sight when Joseph meets his father after so many
years?

Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to Goshen to meet his father
Israel; as soon as he appeared before him, he fell on his neck and wept
on his neck a long time. Then Israel said to Joseph, "Now let me die,
since I have seen your face, that you are still alive." Genesis
46:29-30 (NASB)

Joseph leaves and makes arrangements for his brothers and his father to meet Pharaoh. And as we enter
Genesis 47, Pharaoh first meets with five of Joseph’s brothers (we are not told which ones). Pharoah tells them…

The land of Egypt is at your disposal; settle your father and your
brothers in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen;
and if you know any capable men among them, then put them in charge of
my livestock.  Genesis 47:6 (NASB)

Then Pharaoh meets with his father. Jacob tells Pharaoh he is 130 years old. Then Jacob blesses Pharaoh and leaves. 

We find that the famine is so severe that all the Egyptians sell their
lands and themselves to Pharaoh for food. So Joseph bought all the land
of Egypt for Pharaoh except for the priests who had an allotment from
Pharaoh and they lived off what they received from that.

Now as far as Jacob’s life is concerned, he will be living in Egypt
another 17 years before he dies at 147. (Genesis 47:28)  So Joseph
would be about 39 when his father arrives in Egypt and about 56 when he
dies.  As the time drew near to Jacob’s death, he has Joseph swear that
he will not bury him in Egypt but instructs Joseph to bury him where his
fathers were buried i.e. the cave in the field of Machpelah.

Now it came to pass that Jacob became sick and would die soon, so
Joseph comes and brings his two sons with him, Manasseh and Ephraim,
neither one being more than three years old.  Now his father gathered
his strength and sat up in bed. He tells Joseph something rather
different than usual concerning his two sons. They will be considered
his own sons in the matter of inheritance and will be as Reuben and
Simeon, his own sons. Even Joseph’s own sons born after them would be
named after these two sons in regards to that inheritance. He mentions
the death of Rachel, Joseph’s mother, and interrupts himself when he
sees Joseph’s sons and asked who they were.  Joseph presents them to
his father and his father kisses and hugs them. He tells Joseph he is
so surprised that he was able to see not only Joseph but his children
as well. Joseph takes them from his father’s knees and presents them
before his father. Joseph places Ephraim on the left and Manasseh on
the right of Israel so that his father’s right hand would be placed on
Manasseh’s head, him being the first born. Yet his father crosses his
hands and this bothered Joseph and he tries to correct his father to
have him switch the hands so that the right hand is on the firstborn. 
His father tells him that he knew what he did and it was intentional.
Both his sons would be great. It would be that the younger would be
greater than the older.

Jacob (Israel) announces to Joseph that he is about to die but God will
be with him and bring him back to the land of your fathers. Joseph will
receive one portion more than his brothers so that both Ephraim and
Manasseh would each have a portion in the inheritance. Now it is here
that we find that Joseph’s inheritance will be in the land of the
Amorites. Do you remember Shechem in the earlier studies?

Now they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought
up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the piece of ground which Jacob had
bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred
pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of Joseph's sons. 
Joshua 24:32 (NASB)

In Genesis 49, we see Israel’s prophecy concerning his sons.  We had
made mention of this in some earlier studies where we noted that Jacob
had remembered Reuben’s sin with his concubine. Also, Simeon and Levi’s
destruction of the men of Shechem was remembered. Also, it is here
where we see the scepter will not depart from Judah, clearly
prophesying through whom the Messiah will come. The rest of what Jacob
says to his sons is recorded there and is worthy for study to see how
it all comes about.  The scripture says that each blessing was
appropriate to them. At its conclusion, Jacob tells his sons where to
bury him, in the field of Machpelah in Hebron and then drew his feet
into his bed and breathed his last.

In Genesis 50, the mourning for Jacob begins. Joseph has his father
embalmed (which took 40 days) and even the Egyptians wept for him for
70 days. That’s quite a while for a people who didn’t hold much regard
for Hebrews. (see Genesis 43:32)  After the mourning was over, Joseph
asks Pharaoh for permission to bury his father in Canaan as he
requested. Now it wasn’t just Joseph’s family and brothers, it was a
huge company of the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household,
and all the elders of the land of Egypt complete with chariots and
horsemen. It was even noted by the Canaanites, who saw them in great
mourning at the threshing floor of Atad. So they buried Jacob as he had
told them in the cave of the field of Machpelah.

After it was all over, Joseph’s brothers pleaded with Joseph through a
message concerning forgiving them of their evil deed after their
father’s death.  Joseph weeps upon hearing this. When they meet
together, Joseph reassures them that God arranged all that had
happened. While they had meant evil against him, God meant it for good
to bring about the saving of many people. He tells them that he will
care for them and their little ones.

Now all of Jacob’s family stayed in Egypt and Joseph lived 110 years
and saw the third generation of Ephraim’s sons and the second
generation of Manasseh’s sons. As Joseph nears his own death, he made
the sons of Israel swear to him that they would carry his bones up from
Egypt when they leave.  So Joseph dies and was embalmed and placed in a
coffin in Egypt.

We have now reached the conclusion of the book of Genesis and the end
of the “patriarchs”. While we have seen much and as we close on
Genesis, we are not lost. We have learned the ancient beginnings of a
nation that will emerge as “Israel” in the book of the Exodus. Where we
leave off in Genesis is the beginning of the portion of time told to
Abraham concerning the fulfillment of a promise and a covenant.

God said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be
strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and
oppressed four hundred years. But I will also judge the nation whom
they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many
possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you
will be buried at a good old age. Then in the fourth generation they
will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete. 
Genesis 15:13-16 (NASB)

As we look forward into the book of Exodus, we find that things went
well for Joseph and his family and his brothers’ families until they
all died.

Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the sons
of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and
became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them.
Exodus 1:6-7 (NASB)

And all their trouble began when a new king arose over Egypt who knew
nothing at all about Joseph and he began to worry about the people of
Israel. So they took measures to beat them down and oppress them in
order to prevent them from aligning with another nation that would come
against them to fight against them and depart from the land. In
reality, they just needed a lot of slave labor because we are told…

So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor
And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses. Exodus
1:11 (NASB)

but we will leave that part of the story for another time. 

While we might only see the things before us in this story, the
wickedness done to a brother, his being sold off in Egypt, a mourning
father, an interpretation of a dream that leads to bringing the family
back together, and things are resolved even though ominous things lie
ahead, we see a strong parallel to what God is going to do with Israel
again. Israel was cast out of the land and dispersed and according to
prophecy God has been bringing her back into the land… even while
ominous things lie ahead.  God seems to use every means of tying each
part of history back with another piece so that it is very clear what
He intends to do and will accomplish. God displays a masterful hand in
His working throughout history and as we have seen in Genesis,
everything fits so precisely even when looking forward in time.  It is
clear that God is not in a hurry but will accomplish what He will in
the time that He has deemed appropriate.

We can clearly see that God is working toward “closure” with regards to
providing a redeemer, the seed of the woman, and blessing all the
families of the earth, making an end to sin and its defilement and
bringing us into the glory that He had prepared for us to experience
from the very beginning.  While it would be difficult see if we were at
the point of time when Joseph was alive, it is much easier to see
looking backwards in time and see how God actually pulls it off even
with the opposition of the Enemy of God and man’s sin.  We see a God
who is intent on redeeming man and will let nothing stop Him from
delivering hope to a lost and dying world.  If He was that intent on
delivering the solution to our sin problem, don’t you think He is just
as intent on you receiving the blessing that comes from it and all the
benefits that result from it? You better believe it.  Mr.Vee

Discovering God’s Character – Part 22



Reconciliation

Finally, in Genesis 45, we pick up where we left off last time with
Judah pleading with Joseph to take him to be his slave instead of
Benjamin so that his father would not die from sorrow from the loss of
both of his sons from his beloved wife, Rachel.

This was simply too much for Joseph and he told everyone (of the
Egyptians) to leave. So when they all had left, Joseph begins to weep
loudly enough that the Egyptians and the household of Pharaoh hear it
and he revealed his identity to his brothers. At this point, this is
absolutely the last thing that his brothers wanted to hear. Their
brother had so much power as the 2nd in command of all Egypt and they
were the ones who had planned harm for him and sold him to the
Ishmaelites. They had to be feeling terror at this point. They were
speechless and utterly dismayed.

Joseph sees their fear and tells them to come closer. He tells them he
is Joseph again, the one who they sold into Egypt and continues saying
for them not to be grieved or angry with themselves for having done
that because God sent him there first to preserve life. He explained it
this way and had further instructions for them…

Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come closer to me." And they
came closer. And he said, "I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into
Egypt. Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold
me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine
has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in
which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God sent me before
you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive
by a great deliverance. Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me
here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all
his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to
my father, and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, "God has made me
lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. You shall live in the
land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and
your children's children and your flocks and your herds and all that
you have. There I will also provide for you, for there are still five
years of famine to come, and you and your household and all that you
have would be impoverished. Behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my
brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth which is speaking to you. Now
you must tell my father of all my splendor in Egypt, and all that you
have seen; and you must hurry and bring my father down here." Genesis
45:3-13 (NASB)

This is an amazing example of what true forgiveness is all about. We
most certainly see that Joseph is not held captive by bitterness here.
He understands that God used extenuating circumstances to bring Joseph
to the place he needed to be and that his brothers were not even aware
that their evil deed was transformed into God’s working in the end. One
cannot stress this sort of thing too much.  When bad things come and
they most assuredly will, NOTHING is too big for God to make right in
one way or another if we will be patient and trust in him.

At this point, Joseph hugs his brother’s neck and weeps and Benjamin
also weeps. He kisses all his brothers and weeps with them as well.

Now the news that Joseph’s brothers had come was heard in Pharaoh’s
house and it pleased Pharaoh and his servants.  So Pharaoh tells Joseph
to tell his brothers…

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Say to your brothers, 'Do this: load your
beasts and go to the land of Canaan, and take your father and your
households and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of
Egypt and you will eat the fat of the land.' "Now you are ordered, 'Do
this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for
your wives, and bring your father and come.  'Do not concern yourselves
with your goods, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.'" 
Genesis 45:17-20 (NASB)

What an emotional rollercoaster for the brothers and Joseph! His
brothers being fearful in coming the first place and then being in the
present of a great ruler in Egypt and finding out it’s the brother
you’ve sold off years earlier and now there’s reconciliation and even
Pharaoh sends a message to them to bring everything they have to
Goshen, the best in the land of Egypt, is theirs. Once this sinks in,
the sons of Israel did exactly what they were told. Joseph fully
provisioned them, gave them changes of clothing, and gave them all the
wagons they needed. Now to Benjamin he gave 300 pieces of silver and
five changes of clothes. To his father, he sent ten donkeys loaded with
the best things of Egypt and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and
sustenance for his father on the journey.  Joseph then sends his
brothers away with a brotherly admonition… “Don’t quarrel on the
journey.”  So his brothers went back home to their father in Canaan. 

Jacob was stunned when he heard that Joseph was still alive and he
didn’t believe them. However, when they told him what Joseph had told
them and saw all the wagons that he had sent back with his brothers to
carry him, we are told “Jacob’s spirit was revived.” When he finally was able to let it sink in a bit, he says “It is enough
that my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”
From this statement, we learn that Joseph’s brothers never told their
father the “secret” of what really happened.

So what might all this tell us about God’s character?  God is with us
when we go through the trials necessary to accomplish the things He
calls us to do.  God works in all things so that there will be peace in
families if they will let him do it. He does ask us to do things like
“forgive” and not wanting revenge. Why? Because that is how He works.
He asks us to be patient for the same reason. God is not in a hurry.
Remember that it has taken 22 years to get to this point where Joseph
and his brothers are reconciled and his father learns that he did not
die.  We also see that God is setting up the fulfillment of what He
told Abraham many years earlier…

God said to Abram, "Know for certain that your descendants will be
strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and
oppressed four hundred years. But I will also judge the nation whom
they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many
possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you
will be buried at a good old age. Then in the fourth generation they
will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete."
Genesis 15:13-16 (NASB)

Now while this does not sound like good news, at least in the shorter
term of their enslavement, however at this time, it is a life saving
event that brings them to Egypt. However, we should not fault God in
doing this because this is the very sign and experience that gives
Israel, the nation, its identity and its own past… the deliverance from
Egypt. It is the sign that these people, the sons of Jacob, who are the
ones to whom Canaan was granted as an inheritance and no other has
legitimate claim to it not even the other sons of Abraham.  From this,
we see that God keeps His promises even though its going to take a
while to fulfill. In fact, it will take some 400 years of bondage to
bring Israel into such a bond that they can become a nation from these
12 sons.

Today, God has promised us certain things.  For instance, through
Christ, we have eternal life yet we still have to wait to attain it at
the end of our earthly lives.  We like Israel, sojourn in this life,
struggling with all sorts of things that oppress us and attempt to
enslave us but as surely as Israel left Egypt for the land of Canaan,
so it will be for us when we wait in hope for the inheritance that
comes with our faith in Christ. What we see here is God wants us to
know that we can depend on Him to keep His promises even if it takes a
long time to realize them. He keeps them even if we aren’t the model
servants of His since we have seen (and will see) that Israel fails at
times as well.  This is a matter of His faithfulness. When we fail in
our faithfulness, we see more clearly how He is faithful to us… even
through our trials.  Know this for certain… it is the firm knowledge
that He never fails, that gives us solid hope in Him. Hold steadfast in
the faith. He is worthy of your trust.  Mr.Vee

Discovering God’s Character – Part 21



Joseph’s Brothers Travel to Egypt

The first verse of Genesis 42 has to be a “classic” if one can say that
about scripture. Now we know that there’s a famine going around all
over including the area where Jacob and his 11 sons lived in back in
Canaan. The chapter opens up with Jacob saying something like “Don’t
stand there looking at each other! There’s grain in Egypt. Get down
there and buy us some so we don’t starve to death!”  So ten of the
brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.  Now Jacob would not let
the youngest, Benjamin, go. He was afraid some harm would befall him. 
Considering that Joseph had disappeared and he was a son of Rachel and
so was Benjamin, and that Rachel was Jacob’s favorite wife, these were
likely some of the reasons that went on in the back of Jacob’s mind. 
If we remember, Jacob took Joseph’s apparent death very hard and
mourned bitterly over it.  There were probably some doubts and
suspicions as to what really happened to Joseph given that the brothers
did not treat Joseph very well before he disappeared.

Anyway, the 10 sons of Israel arrived in Egypt to buy grain. It
happened that those who wanted to buy grain from Egypt had to talk to
him since he was responsible for its distribution and was ruler over
the land.

His brothers came and bowed before him but did not recognize him yet
Joseph did recognize them.  Joseph spoke to them harshly asking them
where they had come from.  They told him from the land of Canaan to buy
food. As they were bowing, Joseph remembered the dreams he had had
about them long ago but told them that they were spies coming to check
out the undefended parts of their land.  They insisted they were the
sons of one man and that they were honest men who have come to buy
food. However, Joseph wouldn’t let them get off that easy and continued
to say they were spies. The pressure was on and they not only insisted
that they were brothers but also began to tell Joseph a little more of
the truth but not yet all.  Joseph maintains they are spies and puts
them all together in prison for three days.

After the three days, Joseph sees them again and gives them strict
instructions and informs them that he fears God.  He tells them that
they must leave one of the brothers in prison and the rest may go to
take grain back to their homes and that they must bring their youngest
brother to him so that their words would be verified and they would not
die. They agreed to do this.

Now the brothers began to talk between themselves and began to realize
that their sin against their brother, Joseph, was the cause of what was
happening to them. Reuben spoke up and said that he had told them not
to sin against the boy and they wouldn’t listen and now comes the
reckoning for what was done. Now they still did not realize it was
Joseph there and that he could understand what they were saying since
Joseph was using an interpreter even though he didn’t need one. This
was too much for Joseph as he turned away and wept for a bit and
returned. He then took Simeon and bound him before their eyes.  Then
Joseph had everything prepared for them, having their grain bags filled
for them and their money returned and gave them provisions for the
journey. So they loaded up their donkeys with their grain and departed.

As one had opened his sack to feed his donkey when they stopped for the
night, he saw his money inside and told his brothers that his money had
been returned and they became discouraged and began to be fearful and
wondering what God was doing to them.

When they got home, they told Jacob everything that had happened to
them and related the conditions that they were told to verify who they
were… to bring Benjamin with them the next time they came. They even
showed Jacob that all their money was returned to them and they were
all dismayed.  Reuben spoke to his father and said that he could put
both his sons to death if he did not return with Benjamin.  Jacob wouldn’t even think of it. He had lost
Joseph, now he lost Simeon, and it was unthinkable that he would let
them take Benjamin to Egypt.

After a little while (Genesis 43), they had finished eating the grain
and they needed to go back to buy more.  Jacob told them to go back and
Judah said that they were warned not to come back without Benjamin.  If
Benjamin went with them, they would go.  Their father asked why did you
have to tell him that you had a younger brother and they said “the man”
questioned them in detail about their family and they just answered his
questions and didn’t know he would make them do what he was requiring
of them. Judah tells his father to send Benjamin with them and they’ll
go before everyone dies of hunger. He also says that he himself will
bear the blame forever if something happens to Benjamin.

So Jacob relents and lets Benjamin go and further instructs his sons to
take some of the best products of the land as a present and take double
the money with them in case there was a mistake when they were there
before. So all 11 sons went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.

Now Joseph saw Benjamin was with them and made preparations to dine
with them at noon. So the brothers were brought to Joseph’s house and
they were very afraid and was fearful that the money that was returned
in their sacks was going to be the reason they were going to be taken
captive.  So they approached Joseph’s house steward and spoke to him
and explained the problem with the returned money. The steward said to
them not to worry. It was God and the God of your father who has put
the treasure in your sacks because he (the house steward) was one who
did it.  Then he brought Simeon out to them. So they were invited
inside Joseph’s house and were refreshed and their donkeys were taken
care of. So they prepared the present they had brought for Joseph when
he would come at noon for they had heard that they were to eat a meal
there.  When Joseph came, they brought the present into the house they
had made and bowed before him.

Joseph asked them about how they were all doing and asked about the
welfare of their father. Now as they were bowing in homage to him,
Joseph sees Benjamin and asks them is this the one but he has to leave
since he is so emotionally moved he had to find a private place to weep
and then wash his face and returned and controlled himself.  Then the
meal began. Now they all ate in separate groups as was the custom and
prejudice. Now they were astonished as they noticed that they were seated
according to their birth order from oldest to the youngest and that
Joseph took portions of food from his own table to give to them but
Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as any of them.

In Genesis 44, we find that the 11 brothers stay the night and while
they were there Joseph has his house steward fill the men’s sacks with
as much food as they can carry and put each man’s money in the mouth of
his sack. He also tells him to put his silver cup in the mouth of the
sack of the youngest and also his money for the grain. So his house steward
did as he was told.  At daybreak, the men were sent away with their
donkeys. When they had just left the city and not very far away, Joseph has his
house steward catch up to them and accuse them of taking the silver cup.

Now the brothers say that they had no need to take the cup and they had
even brought the money back from last time with them. So when they all
checked their sacks and the cup was, of course, in Benjamin’s sack.
What frustration for them! So they loaded up their donkeys and returned
to the city and to Joseph’s house.

After Joseph queries them about the deed, its confession time for
Judah. He responds to Joseph like this: “There is no way we can justify
ourselves. What can we say? God has found out our iniquity and now we
are all your slaves.”  However, Joseph says that only the one who had
the cup will be his slave. The rest are to return to their father. Now
Judah gets really serious and begs for Joseph to listen to the whole
story and
pleads that Joseph take him as his slave in place of his brother
Benjamin so that his father Jacob wouldn’t die in sorrow. We’ll stop
here for now.

It has been a long time, hasn’t it? Joseph has been in Egypt for 22
years now. They are two years into the famine with five left to go.
Three years earlier we learned from Chapter 41 and from the name of his
sons, Joseph is feeling better about life having gotten past his
troubles and all that happened with his family and he’s finally feeling
fruitful.  Now God has brought his brothers back on the scene. Now is
where Joseph’s character would either shine or be tarnished.  Joseph’s
treatment of them seemed a bit interesting and we might even wonder if Joseph is playing "cat and mouse" with them. Yet he never harmed them and
often did them good and this puzzled and troubled them.

God is at work here.  Sometimes it takes us a long time to get over
the pain and bitterness that comes from other people mistreating or
abusing us. Joseph would have been the same as anyone else.  God begins
mending Joseph’s heart and mind by giving a new frame of reference. His
troubles started with his brothers mistreating him and selling him off
and they ended with God giving him the opportunity of his life and
giving him the wisdom and knowledge to pull off the saving of countless
lives by the work he would do.  Well, into this task, God blesses
Joseph with two sons who apparently gave him great joy. The combination
of being busy with good work and valuing simple things such as children
helped him gain a good perspective on life.  God also gave Joseph time
to heal the wounds of his past.  This worked because it is clear that
Joseph did not want to harbor bitterness as we have seen small glimpses
and will see fully in short order. He instead patiently worked with the
situation until he could, with heartful thankfulness to God, forgive
his brothers for what they had done to him.  Its also important to know
that God gave him his dream that his family would be bowing down to him
back when he was 17 to let Joseph know some time later (22 years) God
was behind all this plan from the beginning. God was gracious to Joseph
and let him in on the plan so he wouldn’t be discouraged and also to
let him know that God put him in that high position to save them. I wonder if he almost expected his brothers to
show up at some point… and they did. Have you ever had God help you by
giving you insight to get through hard times or to perform a difficult
task? He will do that if you’re paying attention.  He knows when the
way gets rougher than we’re able to deal with and let’s us know He
still loves us and helps us through it. Haven’t we seen God do this
already when Joseph encounters various difficulties… He gave him favor
in the eyes of his master, in the jail keeper, and Pharaoh… and then
later with the people as the famine started and they knew for sure that
God had told Joseph what to do to save their lives.

When we see the intimate interaction of God working in Joseph’s life and realize that we, like Joseph, are key instruments in God’s plan to do things which
He Himself has sought to create us for to perform in that plan. In His
genius, He takes our situations like He did with Joseph and not only
accomplishes the direct and pressing need of millions of starving
people but is not so busy to demonstrate how He can overcome the abuse
and bitterness we experience in our families and friends and make
things new again. With God, nothing is impossible. Personally, I’m glad
that’s so.  Mr.Vee

Discovering God’s Character – Part 20



Joseph in Egypt

As we start Genesis 39, we find Joseph has been taken down to Egypt and
was bought by Potiphar, the captain of the bodyguard from the
Ishmaelites to whom his brothers had sold him.

The Lord was with Joseph so much so that Potiphar’s house was blessed
by the Lord on account of Joseph. Potiphar ended up trusting everything
to Joseph to manage except what sort of food he would eat. So this went
on for a while and so did the Lord’s blessing.

Now it turns out that sometimes good things turn into those that don’t
seem so good.  Joseph was a handsome man and he had caught the eye of
Potiphar’s wife.  And the situation that develops looks like Potiphar’s
wife is guilty of sexual harassment. Even with all this going on a
daily basis, Joseph did not give in.  She finally cornered him and she
pulled off his garment and attempted to force him to have relations
with her but he just ran off without his garment. Since she didn’t get
what she wanted she screamed in order to frame Joseph and accuse him of
what he didn’t do.

If there were ever a case of injustice, this is a good example of it.
This woman was intent on getting rid of Joseph. Why did she even bother
to scream except she was going to get caught at her own game or it was
simply hate of being rejected?  Anyway, she told her husband her
version of the story and he became angry.  So Potiphar takes Joseph to
jail and placed him in there where all the king’s prisoners were kept.
If we were to read ahead, the jail itself is in Potiphar’s house
(Genesis 40:3).

Even though Joseph was now in jail, the Lord blessed Joseph and was
kind to him and gave him favor in the eyes of the chief jailer, who
gave him responsibility over all the jail and all its prisoners.  He
trusted Joseph so much that he didn’t supervise anything under Joseph’s
care because the Lord was with him and caused whatever he did to
prosper.

Now in Genesis 40, it turned out that Pharaoh, the king of Egypt,
became angry with his cupbearer and baker. So he had Potiphar, the
captain of the bodyguard, put them in jail in the same place where
Joseph was imprisoned and put him in charge of them.  The cupbearer and
baker were held there for quite some time and Joseph took care of them.

Now both the cupbearer and baker had a dream in the same night and both
woke up dejected and Joseph noticed this and asked them about it.  They
were sad because there was no one to interpret their dreams for them. 
Joseph tells them to tell him the dreams. The interpretation of the
cupbearer’s dream meant that in three days, he would be restored to his
office and his former duties. Joseph asks the cupbearer to remember to
mention him to Pharaoh to get him out of jail.  Now when the baker
shared his dream, it wasn't going go as well for him. Although he was
hoping for an equally favorable interpretation, his dream meant that in
three days, he would be hanged.

The third day happened to be Pharaoh’s birthday and he had a feast. He
restored the cupbearer to his former position and hanged the baker just
as Joseph had said. Unfortunately, the cupbearer forgot about Joseph.

Now as we move to Genesis 41, we find it took two full years before
Joseph would find release from the prison. It came about when Pharaoh
had a dream about the seven fat cows and seven starving cows that ate
the fat ones. Pharaoh awakes from the dream and then falls back asleep again. This
time he dreams seven plump heads of grain being eaten by seven thin and
scorched heads of grain. Pharaoh awakes again and now he’s troubled. So
he finds out that all his magicians and wise men cannot interpret these
dreams for him.

It is at this point the cupbearer remembers Joseph and mentions to
Pharaoh what had happened to him and the baker. Now Pharaoh wants to
see Joseph at once. So they get Joseph all cleaned and dressed up and
take him to Pharaoh. Pharaoh says that he’s heard about Joseph’s
reputation for dream interpretation. Yet Joseph claims nothing for
himself and says dream interpretations belong to God. So Pharaoh tells
him about the dreams.

Joseph tells Pharaoh that the dreams are really one and the same dream.
He says that God is telling Pharaoh about what He is about to do. There
is going to be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine
so severe that the seven years of plenty won’t be remembered. In
addition, because it was repeated it meant that God had determined it
and would not delay in making it come to pass.  He tells Pharoah to
find a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. This
man would appoint overseers in charge of the land and take 20% of all
the produce of the land in the seven years of plenty and store it up
for the coming seven years of famine. Pharaoh was impressed with the
interpretation and liked the idea and so did his servants.

So when Joseph is 30 years old, Pharaoh, while retaining his position
and throne, appoints him over all the land of Egypt. Pharoah gives
Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah and gave him Asenath, the daughter of
Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife. Joseph did exactly what he told
Pharaoh should be done and has all the abundance of the first seven
years stored up.  At some point, the quantity of the harvest was so
vast they stopped keeping track of it. In the sixth year of the seven
years of plenty, Asenath bore him two sons, first Manasseh and second
Ephraim.

When the seven years of plenty came to an end, the seven years of
famine came just as Joseph had said. There was famine everywhere
including Egypt yet they had bread because of what Joseph was able to
do. At the proper time, Joseph then opens up the storehouses to begin
the distribution during the seven years of famine. As one might have
guessed, other people besides the Egyptians came to buy grain from them.

So to put this into perspective, Joseph has been in Egypt for at least
20 years. At 17, his brothers sold him off to the Ishmaelites. At 30,
he was second in Egypt, only under Pharaoh in authority (Genesis
41:46). By the time the famine started, he was 37.  We’ve seen a young
man who has weathered adversity well and honored God with his actions
even refusing to have relations with Potiphar’s wife. He would save the
lives of many people through his work including his own family.

While we don’t see the personal appearance of God here, it is obvious
that He is working behind the scenes. While we see Joseph as the
obvious person involved in doing this work, none of it would have been
started or accomplished except by His hand helping him do it. From
this, it is clear that God intends for us to be a part of accomplishing
what He wants done.  From the story, we again see God’s goodness even
toward a nation that worshipped other gods.  We see that God was not
only interested in saving a nation and region of people, he was also
interested in bearing witness of Himself through Joseph in the house of
Potiphar. God was kind to Joseph through the trying experiences that he
had to pass through before being exalted to the position of leadership
that came upon him. God had enabled Joseph to understand dreams and
dreams were written all through the account concerning Joseph up to
this point.  The Lord had given the man who He was going to give
leadership the information he needed to be able to lead. He did not let
Joseph figure out what needed to be done.

One thing that should be obvious at this point in our studies is that
often there are long periods of time between points when God is
powerfully using a particular person in His work. The cupbearer forgets
about Joseph until two years later when Pharoah has these remarkable
dreams about the coming famine. Two years can seem like an eternity
when one is in the middle of circumstances like that.

For those who have heard this account before, the biggest test of
Joseph will be when his brothers arrive, not only for himself but for
them as well.

Now as we step back and look at the things that are happening here in
this story, how has God worked in your life? Have you experienced
adversity that would seem to destroy any hope of things ever turning
out for good?  Have you ever been frustrated by things that seem to “go
wrong” at the worst times? Have you ever done good and the result was
that you were forgotten?  Have you ever experienced God revealing
something to you in advance that prepared you to minister to others
effectively?  God helped Joseph through all these things and He will
help you as well as you do the things He has intended for you to
accomplish for Him.


For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.  Ephesians
2:10

Do you think that He would have waited until this time, made you just
as you are, caused you to experience what you have, delivered you from
sin, and then would not prepare and enable you to do everything He
intended you to do just the way He wanted it done? Now that’s pretty
awesome, when one considers this. Why would He even choose to work
through us? The fantastic truth is that… He does.   Mr.Vee

Discovering God’s Character – Part 19



Judah’s Sons

In Genesis 38, after all the treachery and deceit concerning Joseph,
Judah takes a “vacation” and visits a certain fellow named Hirah, an
Adullamite. While Judah is there, he finds the daughter of Shua, a
Canaanite. Now we aren’t told that she becomes Judah’s wife until verse
12 and we aren’t told her name here. (In I Chronicles 2:3, her name is
Bath-shua.) This is a curious thing since she bears three sons for
Judah, Er, Onan, and Shelah.  Judah found a wife named Tamar for Er.
Yet Er was evil in the sight of the Lord so the Lord took his life. Now
Judah told Onan to perform his duty as a brother-in-law and raise up
offspring for his brother.  Onan didn’t like this idea so he refused to
do it. This also was displeasing to the Lord and He took Onan’s life as
well.  So Judah tells Tamar to remain a widow in her father’s house to
wait for his son, Shelah, since he hadn’t yet grown up. So she did that.

After a long time, Shua’s daughter, Judah’s wife dies and when the
mourning for her was over, Judah takes a “business trip” to see his
sheepshearers at Timnah with his friend Hirah. Now while Judah was on
his way he must have brought Shelah with him because the text says that
Tamar saw that Shelah had grown up and she had not been given to him as
a wife. Judah had broken his promise to her.

So Tamar changes from her widow’s garments to a veil and wrapped
herself and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which was on the road to
Timnah. Now Judah sees Tamar on his way to Timnah but he doesn’t know
this and thinks she is a harlot (she had covered her face) and
propositions her. After some negotiations, she is to receive a goat but
as a pledge gets Judah’s seal, cord, and staff until the goat is
delivered. As a result of their relations, Tamar conceives. So she goes
back home and puts back on her widow’s garments.

Now Judah has Hirah take a goat to this supposed harlot and receive
back Judah’s seal, cord, and staff.  Hirah finds that no one has seen a
harlot around there so he reports this to Judah.  So Judah, apparently
in an effort to keep the matter secret, lets her keep them.

In about three months, they discover that Tamar is with child and they
say it is by harlotry. Then Judah gets self-righteous and says to bring
her out and let her be burned. However, Tamar has wisely retained the
items Judah had left with her saying the father of the child is the
owner of the seal, cord, and staff. Now Judah recognizes these and
knows the ruse is uncovered.  He proclaims that she was more righteous
than he was since he had broken his promise to her to marry her to his
son, Shelah.  After this, however, Judah does not have relations with
her again.

In the end, Tamar has twins, Zerah and Perez. During birth, Zerah
sticks out his hand and the midwife ties a scarlet thread on his hand
but he withdraws his hand and his brother Perez comes out.  Then Zerah
arrives last.  So Judah ends up with two sons replacing the two that
had died.

Here we get a close up shot of Judah’s private life yet he apparently
forgets that the Lord sees it all.  From all appearances, Judah is
certainly living life on the edge and a couple of times “steps over the
line”.  We don’t see the Lord actively interacting with Judah in this
chapter and it may be because of the activities he’s engaging in. Yet
the Lord “takes out” two of his three sons and it is clear that Judah
is getting a bit fearful for his third son. It is curious that his good
friend, Hirah, seems to be around when Judah is up to “no good” and it
gives us warning to watch who we associate with.
 
God sees everything.  It’s a fact and one we often forget about. Judah
did. We get a little more information than we really wanted to know
about Judah. Yet God knows about us as well. David, through the Spirit,
said it well…

O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and
when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my
path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways
even before there is a word on my tongue. Behold, O LORD, You know it
all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon
me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot
attain to it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from
Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed
in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I
dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead
me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, "Surely the
darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,"
Even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the
day. Darkness and light are alike to You. For You formed my inward
parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was
not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought
in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me,
when as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your
thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count
them, they would outnumber the sand.  When I awake, I am still with
You.   Psalm 139:1-18 (NASB)

He knows you that well… and He still loves you… He proved it on the Cross. Mr.Vee

Discovering God’s Character – Part 18



Joseph and His Dream

After we’ve spent a good deal of time on the investigations of the
generations of Esau in Genesis 36, Genesis 37 opens up very quickly
telling us we’ll be looking at the generations of Jacob hereafter. Its
interesting how little hints like that don’t show up on our “mental
radar” as we read along casually but after our extensive look at Esau,
it stands right out at us.

Jacob is now in Canaan, Hebron, in fact. Earlier, we saw Esau coming
from Mount Seir when Jacob returned after his 20 year stint at Laban’s.
Esau had already established himself there so things are fine between
them at this point. So it would seem that life is good for Jacob, yet
it wouldn’t stay that way for long.

It appears that Jacob was having some issues with his family.
Favoritism between his sons was a problem with Joseph, now 17 years old
being his favorite. His father even made him a multicolored tunic,
something pretty special in those days. Yet Joseph’s brothers were
extremely jealous and pretty aggravated with him. He had brought a bad
report about them to their father… perhaps it was well deserved or
perhaps he was doing the “little brother” tattling thing.  Given the
history of Jacob’s son’s, it looks like it was probably  well deserved
as we’ll find out later. At any rate, the brothers were barely on
speaking terms with Joseph and even then it wasn’t civil. Things heat up
even more when Joseph reveals his dreams to his father and brothers.
His brothers hated him even more and Jacob rebukes him but keeps the
sayings in mind.

Now we find that his brothers went to pasture their flock in Shechem
(Nabulus, today), over 50 miles away from Jerusalem, longer yet from
Hebron. Jacob wants to know the status of the flocks and his sons so he
sends Joseph out to find out. Joseph gets there and finds that they
moved on to Dothan (near Ya’bad, today, west of Janin), northwest by
about another 16 miles. (BTW, using Google Earth and my Bible maps is a
fine combination when studying these things.) This is almost to
Megiddo. The point here is to let you know that Jacob’s flocks aren’t
grazing in his backyard. They are probably at least over 70 miles away
by foot.

Before Joseph arrives at their camp, we find that his brothers have
been devising evil for him and planned to kill him but end up throwing
him in a dry pit.  When it says that they planned to throw him into one
of the pits, one has to wonder why these brothers are grazing their
sheep around a place where there are a lot of pits for them to fall
into.  Maybe we learn that Jacob’s sons aren’t so careful with Jacob’s
flock after all. Perhaps Joseph was right in telling his father about
what his brothers were doing… and they are at it again.

Now these brothers sit down for a meal. Now this hits me the wrong
way.  They take Joseph’s tunic off him and threw him in a dry pit after
planning to murder him and decide not to and they want to sit down to
eat.  If I had any respect for Jacob’s sons at this point, I just lost
it. Now if that isn’t enough they spotted an Ishmaelite trade caravan
traveling from Gilead and heading toward Egypt and Judah suggests
selling his brother into slavery. Now it turns out that they end up
selling him to some Midianite traders. Whether they were the same as
the caravan they had seen earlier, it is not clear. If it was, the term
Midianite and Ishmaelite would be considered about the same. Anyway,
Reuben is not aware that this is going on. So the rest of them agree
with this and sell their brother Joseph for 20 pieces of silver. 
Reuben finds out what’s going on and literally says something like,
“Ok, our father is going to ask me about this since I’m the oldest and
I can’t look him in the eye and tell him what we’ve done.” So they
devise a way to lie to their father about what they have done.  They
take a male goat, kill it and dipped the tunic in blood and took it
back to their father, saying something like “Check this out. We found
this tunic. Is this your son’s?”  It is, of course, and they let their
father invent the story in his own mind and do not tell him the truth. 
Now Jacob goes into deep mourning and no one in the family can console
him.

In the meantime, the Midianites sell Joseph to Potiphar, the captain of
Pharoah’s bodyguard.  We’ll pick up the story on Joseph in Genesis 39.
We’ll need to learn a few things about Judah in Genesis 38 before we
get there.

This reminds me of the old western movies on television of the
cattleman who’s sons have gone bad. What we’ve just witnessed is a
disaster for a family. We’ve witnessed treachery and deceit, two
powerful tools to decimate a family.  Yet God has an amazing way of
allowing these scenarios to work out for the good. This will be made
plain as we move along in the account.

God is aware of what we do. It may take years to see Him bring things
right again but He is aware of our deeds and why we do them.  The
severity of what was done amplifies the importance of what will happen
at the end. One cannot help but see that God even uses Joseph’s
brothers intent to kill him as a way to enhance the power of
forgiveness when years later Joseph has the power of life and death
over them and could do to them what they had planned to do to him and
more, yet he doesn’t.  God allows us to see the fruit of unforgiveness
in these brothers and what it does to their family even at the very
beginning of this part of the story.  We see its bitter dregs and the
power that it has dries up the soul as surely as the drought and
famine that will drive them to Egypt in search of food only to
encounter Joseph again. 

If there is anything we should learn from this story, it should be
this. If evil comes upon us, we have the option to forgive and be free
of the power of evil or not forgive and let the power of evil rule in
us and control our lives. So as we progress through the story, we might
be mindful of the thoughts that Joseph had while he was traveling in
that Midianite caravan. His whole world was changed and would never be
the same. He had an uncertain future and would most likely end up in
slavery. If he was like most of us, he reacted with a number of
different emotions over quite a long time yet in the end, when it
counted, Joseph will have overcome his own issues and will be able to
deal with the leadership tasks that God had awaiting him and save his
family from certain death.

Have you been wronged?  What would you do? Have you noticed that there
are times when the memory of the “wrong done to you” has controlled
your decisions and reactions? Have you been able to work past the hurt
and anger that it has caused? Have you ever felt the release of “true
forgiveness”? The memories of the past can be instructive to us and yet
not be destructive as we will see in the life of Joseph. We do not have
to live bound to them yet they can help us understand why God stresses
the matter of forgiveness. He wants us to be free… and certainly He
made sure we could be by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, in order that
we could be free indeed.  Mr.Vee

Discovering God’s Character – Part 17E



The Implications of the Prophecies Against Edom

We have been studying an interesting diversion that God puts in Genesis
36 about Esau’s lineage even though we are fairly well along with Jacob
and we’ll be largely focusing on him and his 12 sons to the end of the
book. We are in Part E now and winding down to what this ultimately
means. This diversion from the flow has shown us that God knows exactly
what is going on and what will go on. This even applies for us today.

Now there are a lot of words that could be said but let it be summed up
as this… Edom has not “gone away”. It did not disappear long ago in the
desert sands of southern Palestine. We have “Edom” with us here and
now. This is because the prophecies state that Edom will be judged
during the day of His wrath called “the day of the Lord”. Perhaps it
would be helpful to take a few corresponding points in the prophecies
(let’s use Obadiah) and word them as if they were meant for today.
Either we would get some ridiculous statements or some partially true
statements, or profoundly and stunningly accurate descriptions of the
things we see on the news every day. Ready? Let go…

1.    God’s mountain has being held captive and Gentiles are performing their religious customs upon it and Israel cannot.
2.    The people of  Israel are being killed and captured by certain
groups supporting “Palestinian” acquisition of the Holy Land.
3.    Israelis are being forced to give up the lands that God had promised them in exchange for peace.
4.    The groups associated with causing the trouble for Israel have:
a.    claimed the land for themselves and have threatened to take it by force.
b.    spoken arrogantly against God and have multiplied their words
against Him by having vowed to oppress and  exterminate Israel when the
real God Most High, the God of Israel has said otherwise by the
prophets.

There is much more that can be said. These statements don’t sound so
strange, do they? Rather they are on our evening news and on the
internet.  Their wicked deeds are yet among us.

Even if what we are seeing in our world today is not “Edom”, it still
would not matter. God would protect His people and their rights to the
land against whoever might make a claim to have their own rights to it.
To this, we leave God and His wisdom and power for His timing for
settling the score in judgment. As we have seen, the Prophets of the
Old Testament have already told us the certainty of this. So we have
the Edomites with us today.

Let me say this, these prophecies concerning Edom’s doom are so
intertwined with the rest of prophecy there wouldn’t be space on this
blog to account for all of it. In fact, knowing the hopelessness of
their situation, and their stubborn  rejection of Jesus Christ as the
Son of God and His death, burial, and resurrection, it isn’t surprising
they have resorted to writing their own “holy writ” with wording that
is favorable to their agenda and it continues to fuel their continual
hatred of Israel. It is so insane that they cannot see the folly in the
whole matter. This very action of making their own “holy writ” has
allowed Paul’s words in II Thessalonians 2 to be so prophetic:

Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the
breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His
coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of
Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the
deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not
receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason, God
will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what
is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the
truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. II Thessalonians 2:8-12 (NASB)

The amazing extent of how much this is true is again too much to put in
this blog. Yet those destined to perdition are the ones who are and
will be captured by it because they will not accept the love of  the
truth that Jesus Christ died for their sins, was buried and rose again
on the third day according to all that God had testified through His
servants the Apostles.

For a better treatment of the matter, there is an “on-line book” (free) that covers the matter that has
endorsements from some pretty heavy hitters in Christendom with regards
to these matters including The Voice of the Martyrs. However, be
prepared to get the truth about what these “Edomites” believe about the
end times because their hope of salvation is the “lawless one” that
Paul’s talking about in the verses above. Here’s the website:

Will Islam Be Our Future? – A Study of Biblical and Islamic Eschatology

 http://www.answering-islam.de/Main/Authors/JR/Future/index.htm

I don’t believe all of what is on there but there’s enough there to be
of incredible value to the student of Biblical prophecy who wants to
relate those matters to real life issues and events.  It is an amazing
amount of research that’s been undertaken to learn of what Muslims
really hope for and what they plan to do based on their “eschatology”
(study of end time things). These things were learned through this man’s
personal ministry to Muslims over the years. He did not go in trying to
find this out but eventually he did and he’s sharing that with the
reader. If, after you have read this material, you don’t come away
understanding some portions of Revelation better, then you didn’t read
it well enough and it would be best to go back and read it again.

The bottom line is … the only hope of redemption is faith in the
sacrifice made by Jesus Christ on the behalf of sinners. This means
anyone who has gone against God in any matter, it doesn’t matter what
nationality you are or what you believed before now, the God who
promised Adam and Eve a redeemer, and saved Noah from the flood, and
gave Abraham the promise that through Him God would BLESS all the
families of the world (not kill them!) sent Jesus Christ to do what we
could not do for ourselves and He sent Christ through Israel, yet while
they were the “chosen people” to bring Him into the world, those who
respond in faith to what Christ has already done for them become the
“chosen” themselves!  The result of this is peace with God and eternity
with Him. The Bible has clearly told us how God Himself set it up for
you to believe in Him.

But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR
HEART"--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you
confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that
God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a
person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he
confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER
BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." For there is no distinction
between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in
riches for all who call on Him; for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF
THE LORD WILL BE SAVED." Romans 10:8-13 (NASB)

 
The One True God, the God of Israel still is patient and calling those
who remain to come out of “Edom” and become one of His own.  There is
no such salvation from the god of “Edom”.  Mr.Vee

Discovering God’s Character – Part 17D



Prophecies Concerning Edom: Obadiah


In our examination of Genesis 36, we’ve taken some time to
investigation the matter of Esau’s descendants, Edom. As we’ve seen,
the scriptures have a lot to say about Edom. In closing this section on the prophecies concerning Edom, I’d like to
draw our attention now to Obadiah. It is a tiny Old Testament book
having one chapter of only 21 verses and is a quick, easy read. Yet
with so few words, there are more than just a few interesting points
and it would be best if the whole text were read at one sitting. After
that, let’s get to the heart of the matter.

First, let’s consider that God had one prophet and one book of the Old
Testament especially for Edom and it speaks of judgment.  This ought to
get our immediate attention.

Now let’s look at verse 15… for when God is going to deal with Edom… and what He is going to do.

For the day of the LORD draws near on all the nations. As you have
done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own
head. Obadiah 1:15 (NASB)

The day of the LORD that draws near on all the nations is exactly what
we think it might be, the Second Coming of Christ and God’s wrath
poured out upon those nations. What “Edom” has done to Israel, it will
be completely repaid to them on their own heads.

We can find their offenses in the previous verses. We can see in verse
3, they were arrogant, saying in their heart “Who will bring me down to
earth?” Though they would build their nest like an eagle or set their
nest in the stars, God will bring them down.”  We know that God resists
the proud.

Now in verse 10 and 11, Edom had done violence to his brother Israel
and because of this Edom is covered with shame and will be cut off
forever. Edom stood back when Babylon brought the Jews into captivity.
In fact, it was as if Edom actually participated in the looting and
carried off Israel’s wealth. They even stood at a fork in the road to
kill fugitives and imprisoned their survivors during all this. After
His people were taken to Babylon, Edom took their land and property.
They boasted in Judah’s day of distress and they snubbed their noses at God Most High.

Because you have said, 'These two nations and these two lands will be
mine, and we will possess them,' although the LORD was there, …  
Ezekiel 35:10 (NASB)

Now let’s look at verse 16… this is how God describes the offense…

Because just as you drank on My holy mountain, all the nations will
drink continually. They will drink and swallow and become as if they
had never existed. Obadiah 1:16 (NASB)

Edom has taken “God’s mountain” and the Lord says that Gentile nations
will drink continually on His holy mountain. The concept of “drinking
continually” leaves us with the impression that they will have it for
some time and never want to stop possessing it and will continue to do
so until God settles the score… finally and completely. We have already
seen this in the prophecies we studied beforehand. They will also drink
and swallow the “cup” that He has prepared for them to drink which will
lead to their extermination.

As we look at verses 17 and 18… we see how God will execute His judgment…

But on Mount Zion there will be those who escape, and it will be holy
and the house of Jacob will possess their possessions.  Then the house
of Jacob will be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame; but the house
of Esau will be as stubble and they will set them on fire and consume
them, so that there will be no survivor of the house of Esau," for the
LORD has spoken.  Obadiah 1:17-18 (NASB)

Regardless of Edom’s intention, Mount Zion will be Israel’s possession.
The house of Esau will be cast out. Not only this, Israel will possess
all the territory that was once Edom’s and especially the mountain of
Esau. Also, did you notice how God is going to implement His plan…. the
house of Jacob will be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame and they
will “burn” the stubble of the house of Esau (Edom) and there will be
no survivor.

Let’s take a look at God’s character for a moment. God is insistent
that Israel obtains the promise that He has intended for her. In like
manner, He is insistent that each one of us obtains the promise that He
has intended.  Here is where the matter of God’s faithfulness is
rendered in righteous judgment. It gives us great comfort to know that
when God has promised something to us, we don’t have to worry about it.
It may take many millennia to get to the realization of it and many of 
those who waited in hope died in the meantime. That does not matter;
the righteous will be raised up from the dead and will enjoy it and
those who stole it will be wiped out. God does not forget His promises.

As we finish Part D, I’d like for us to focus in on something very
important about Edom. If we were to focus on verses 3-9, we see that
Edom was arrogant so much so that God says that they say in their heart
“Who will bring me down to earth?” He adds, “Though you build high like
the eagle, though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will
bring you down.” Interesting statement, isn’t it? This sounds like Edom
set itself up pretty high. I see a close analogy with Satan’s desire to
be above the throne of God.

How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn!

You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations!

But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven;

I will raise my throne above the stars of God,

And I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north.

'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'

"Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit.

Isaiah 14:12-15 (NASB)

And also the Harlot in Revelation 18…

To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the
same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart,
'I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.'
"For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and
mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord
God who judges her is strong.  Revelation 18:7-8 (NASB)

Perhaps even their religion made them feel superior to the God of Israel. God told us of this back in Ezekiel 35:13-14…

“And you have spoken arrogantly against Me and have multiplied your
words against Me; I have heard it.” Thus says the Lord GOD, "As all the
earth rejoices, I will make you a desolation.”  Ezekiel 35:13-15 (NASB)

There is one thing about all of this. It looks so much like we see today. More on this in the next post.  Mr.Vee