Up Close and Personal from Genesis 28:10-18

Today I am commenting on Genesis 28:10-18 which tells the story of Jacob’s repentance.

The 1972 Olympic Games in Munich will always be remembered for the horrific terrorist attack on the Israeli team, but that was not the only history-changing aspect of that Olympiad. 

The coverage of that year’s games by ABC Sports introduced short personality segments in which various athletes were interviewed and even followed by the camera during their training for the games. The idea was to give a glimpse into the competitors’ lives and allow the television audience to see them as persons rather than just athletes. These segments were called “Up Close and Personal” and it revolutionized modern sports coverage. This phrase is now in common use and it has become a part of our vernacular. 

While ABC used the phrase to introduce these segments, for Jacob, “up close and personal” would have had a totally different meaning!

Jacob was a Schemer:

Jacob was the kind of guy whom you would nickname “Slick”. He was not someone you would want to turn your back on. He was devious and deceitful. He knew what he wanted, and he found a way to get it.

 

To show exactly the type of man he was, he schemed to cheat both his brother and his father. He had tricked his brother into giving up his birthright. Next, he had tricked his dad into giving him the firstborn’s blessing. Now, he was on the run. Verse 10 tells us that, “Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran.”

I remember the announcer interrupting scheduled programming with breaking news during the OJ Simpson case. As corny as it sounds, the news anchor intoned that, “The Juice is on the lam.” In our passage today, it was Jacob who was “on the lam.”

It is obvious that Jacob’s scheming backfired. We can make plans and schemes, but we can’t control how they turn out. In the Army there is a saying, “No plan survives contact with the enemy.” Jacob learned the hard way that even a skilled schemer, like he was, can get caught-out.

So, how do we compare to Jacob?  Do we have a plan that we are following?  Whose plan is it? As a colleague of mine once said, “There is no right way to do the wrong thing!”

Jacob was Surprised by God:

Jacob got tired. Let’s look at verse 11: "He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. "

He’d been running and was physically tired. He was an outcast, so he was emotionally tired. He was spiritually isolated from God, so he was spiritually tired.

Jacob was in a dark place.

He was facing a dark night. He lay down in the open desert and used a rock for a pillow. He had real signs of being in despair. He was like the cartoon character Charlie Brown who would go home after an embarrassing experience to lie down in a dark room.

When Jacob quit scheming and running, God found him, as verses 12 through 15 tell us:

And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.  And the LORD stood beside him and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

In these verses, God revealed Himself to Jacob in a mighty way. He pledged His love and good intentions for Jacob.  He also revealed to Jacob a different purpose for his life. Instead of being a schemer, God wanted Jacob to be an agent of salvation.

What about us?  Have we gotten burned-out yet by following our own plans?  Have we been still yet so that God can confront us with His perfect plan for our lives?

Jacob Surrendered to God’s Will:

It is obvious that Jacob was tired of running. 

He saw that he had made a mess of his life; he was “sick and tired of being sick and tired.” He clearly saw that God’s way was better than his. He wanted to be carried up instead of sliding down.

Jacob made the best decision he could make at that time: he accepted God’s plan for his life: He saw what God wanted to do and he bowed his will to do it. He realized that God’s will is both sovereign and best and he gave into the inevitable. Let’s look at verses 16 through 18: 

Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place--and I did not know it!" And he was afraid, and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven." So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.

The tagline for an old oil filter commercial was, “You can pay me now or you can pay me later.” Jacob saw it was better to pay up front with his repentance and his obedience.

So, how do we know he did this? Because his life changed. He worshipped God at that place, but in in later passages we see even more:

He quit scheming.

He followed God’s path for his life.

He worked diligently for fourteen years for his father-in-law Laban; in the past he would have just cheated Laban out of his flocks and of the hand of Rachel in marriage.

He confessed his sin and he reconciled with his brother Esau.

God blessed him and made him a great nation and God lifted him up and raised him to the heights.

Do we have high goals for ourselves or our families? Are we scheming to try to achieve those goals? Are we climbing over others to get what we want? Only God can lift us to the heights!

Conclusion:

The experience that Jacob had when he got “up close and personal” with God is what we call repentance. He was headed in a direction that was dark and destructive, but then he reversed course to go in a direction that was full of light and blessing.

Although Jacob had been a schemer, and although he would have to seek the forgiveness of his brother Esau, he was no longer the man he used to be. Instead of being a scoundrel, he became a saint of God’s people. What a turn-around story!

What about us? In what direction are we headed? Do we need to create a turn-around story of our own? If so, the Good News is that God has not changed. The same God that got “up close and personal” with Jacob is willing to do the same with us.

The only question is, are we tired of running yet?

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

Suffering, the Unwanted Blessing from Romans 8

Today I am commenting on the idea that suffering is the “unwanted blessing.”

An old saying is that into each life some rain must fall.  I've been rained upon in at least a dozen states of the USA, and in eight other countries.  It has always been cold and uncomfortable!  The phrase “raining on my parade” shows that rain can be a negative experience.

When bad things happen in our lives, it is like spiritual and emotional rain.  Paul helps us to understand how God would have us see these things in Romans 8.  Let us look on this today and be both enlightened and encouraged.

The Reality of Suffering:

We only have to look around us to see suffering in our world. 

As I write this in July of 2020, we are still in the midst of a global pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus. Millions have been sickened and hundreds of thousands of people have died. Global economies and peoples’ ways of life have been upset. Yet, after six months of work we still don’t have a vaccine and COVID-19 is only one issue that besets us. 

We still vividly remember the attacks of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the April 2011 tornado outbreaks as well as many other natural and man-made disasters. I recently read of a church planter who was hit and kill by a vehicle while trying to help another motorist whose car had caught fire.

We only have to look in the Bible to see suffering.

A prime example of this is Job, as we see in Job 1:13-20:

One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.”

If that was not trouble enough, let’s see more of Job’s travail in Job 2:7 and 8:  “So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.”

Job, of course, was not the only character in the Bible to see suffering.  David, who had been anointed by God as King of Israel was falsely accused by Saul and mercilessly persecuted by him. Later, in II Corinthians 11:24-28, Paul describes the difficulties he had faced in serving God:

Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

Our greatest Biblical example of suffering, of course, is that of Christ Himself, who was sinless, and who had blessed many people during His ministry, yet He was beaten, scourged, and crucified. 

We only have to look into our lives to see suffering as well. Sickness, betrayal, unemployment, conflict are common experiences. Not for nothing did the Psalmist say that “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow . . .”

Or, put another way, “Life is pain,” said Westley in the movie The Princess Bride, “Anyone who says otherwise is selling something.”

The Human Rationale for Suffering:

Humans have tried to understand and explain suffering from the beginning of  time. The theology of suffering is called theodicy: Theo = God. Dike = righteous It explains why God is righteous even though people suffer.

Some say that only sinners suffer. This is not Biblical; Job was said to be “blameless and upright; he feared God and sunned evil.” We know that Jesus was perfect and without sin; yet both He and Job suffered tremendously. No, this idea is too simplistic; a cursory examination of the world system reveals that prosperity does not equal righteousness.

Some say that God is too weak to prevent suffering. He is good, but incapable of keeping bad things from happening to good people. This cannot be true of the God of the Bible who is presented as  the Creator, and Sustainer of the universe and who is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and omni-benevolent.

Some say that God is either partially or wholly evil in His essence. This can't be true of the God of the Bible, who died for our sins! This can't be true of the God who wept over Lazarus’s grave! This can't be true of the God who loved the little children! This isn't true of God who knows the numbers of hairs on our heads and who cares if a sparrow falls!

Finally, some say that suffering is illusory; that it doesn’t really exist.  This is simply a denial of reality! 

My dad used to say, “When all else fails read the instructions!” What does the Bible, our instruction book, tell us about suffering?

God’s Reasons for Suffering: 

God does not cause suffering, that comes from human sin, but God does make lemonade when life sends us lemons! Let’s consider Romans 8:28, which says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

As we parse this verse, some facts stand out. 

First, “all things” means “anything we can imagine.” 

“Works for good” means “our ultimate benefit.” 

“To those who love Him” means that these provisions apply only to the members of His family!

So, whatever comes into our lives (death, unemployment, hardship, disputes, traffic jams, illness), God can and will use to bless us!  This has caused author Phillip Yancy to call suffering the “Unwanted Blessing” because while it is painful, suffering also brings us a blessing we can receive in no other way. 

As James 1:2 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

So, will we always understand, step by step, what God is doing through the circumstances of our lives? No!  Job didn’t. David didn’t. Paul didn't! 

Do we need to?  No, we just need to know and trust Him. We don't know what our doctor knows but we must trust our doctor will work to heal us.

One of the greatest promises of Christ applies directly to this discussion. In John 10:10 Jesus told us of His purpose: 

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” 

Jesus wants to give us abundant life, and while we know this can happen here on earth, it definitely will happen to all of His family in the hereafter in heaven. As Jesus taught the Disciples in John 14:1 and 2, 

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”  

Conclusion:

God’s work in our life is like a star in the night sky. It's light disappears at dawn, but it is still there, unseen. 

C.S. Lewis, who knew a thing or two about suffering, said, “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities, brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”  

All these things make sense if we know and trust God.  Do you? 

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

Moans and Groans from Romans 8

Today I am commenting on Romans 8:18-26:

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

One sign of getting older is when you have to grunt and groan to stand up!  In fact, moans and groans can often speak better what we feel than our words do.  They can express our pain, disappointment, disbelief, misery, and dissatisfaction.

In our text for today, Paul wrote about groaning from three different perspectives:  creation groans, believers groan, and the Holy Spirit groans.  Let me explain.

Creation Groans:

God created a perfect world in which all species were in balance. No killing was needed, and every creature was nurtured and walked without fear.

Sadly, mankind's sin upset that finely tuned and exquisitely balanced world. Sin caused death to enter to harvest skins to covered nakedness and it caused death to feed us. Sin also resulted in the death of animals to protect us from wildlife out of balance. It also caused imperfect, sinful humanity to have dominion over what was designed to be ruled by humans created in the image of God.

What Does Creation Groan About?

Suffering (Verse 18).

Vanity (Verse 20).  Man does some very silly things to nature. As an illustration of this, humans introduced the mongoose to Hawaii to kill rats. The problem is that they don’t hunt rats, and so they multiplied and became a pest themselves without reducing the number of rats.

Bondage and decay (Verse 21).

Pain (Verse 22). We certainly see plenty of pain in the Year 2020, but creatures have experienced pain since the fall of Adam and Eve.

Believers Groan:

The ironic and counter-intuitive fact is that revolutions don’t begin when life situations are bad and getting worse. Revolutions actually get ignited when things are bad, but they are starting to get better. People get impatient and they can’t wait. This was first observed at the time of the French Revolution, but it has been documented numerous times over the centuries.

Believers groan because we've tasted the glories of God. We can't wait to feast in heaven. Like the free samples that bakers use to entice us to buy their products, we have been given the first fruits of the Spirit, but we must wait to enjoy the balance of our blessings. 

So, what do we groan about?

Imperfect families, spouses, and friends.

Imperfect schools or jobs. 

An imperfect environment. Maybe we don’t have enough rain, or maybe we have too much rain. Maybe it is too hot, or maybe it is too cold.

Imperfect churches. I've been a member of a number of churches and I have been the pastor of four.  None were perfect, but all were used of God in some way or the other!

So, what can we do?

First, we can be patient as Paul says in Verse 25. 

Next. we can do what we can! Like the Serenity Prayer says: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can't change, the courage to change those things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” I have found that it is easier to act myself into feeling better than it is to feel myself into acting better.

Finally, as Paul tells us in Verse 24, we should have hope in the Lord.

The Holy Spirit Groans:

Why can we have hope in the Lord? Because God knows what life is like. Jesus lived among us; as the saying goes, He has “Walked a mile in our moccasins.” Jesus also groaned like us, in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the Via Dolorosa, and on the Cross!

Why can we have hope in the Lord? Because the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. When we don't know how to pray; He prays for us. When we don't know what we need; He prays for us. When we don't know why things happen: He prays for us.

Why can we have hope in the Lord? Because we have expert help. 

When my wife was in school, she struggled in algebra. Fortunately for her, her brother-in-law had a Bachelor of Science in Math, and he could tutor her. Without his expert help she would have failed. In the same way, we need to bring God into our lives to sort us out with His expert guidance!

Conclusion: 

Are you tired of the year 2020? I am! Are you tired of moaning and groaning? I can relate!

All of us need to seek God and His help! He will if we just ask!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

What in the world is a Virtual Mission Trip?

Birthright from Genesis 25

Today I am commenting on Genesis 25:21-34, and the idea of “Birthright.” Let’s begin by looking at verses 21-28,

Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau.  After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. Isaac loved Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Back in the 1980s one of the most popular TV shows in the United States was “Dallas.” I remember my wife calling my mother-in-law one evening and she asked her what my father-in-law was doing. My mother in law said, "He's watching that trashy show Dallas.” Then my wife asked my mother-in-law what she was doing, and she replied, “I'm helping him.” You really can't make these things up!

Anyone who knows anything about the television show Dallas knows it was about a conflict between two brothers JR and Bobby Ewing. As popular as this show was it really was not groundbreaking. In fact, the struggle between an older son and his younger brother has existed for eons, including the passage of Scripture that we have focused on today. Let's look at four parts to this family drama.

A Birthright:

Some elements of life come to us simply by being born. For example, the law in the United States provides citizenship to anyone who is born in the country.  Therefore, American citizenship is the birthright of anyone born in the USA.

In ancient Israel, the birthright of the oldest son was to be the head of the family after the death of the father and to receive the biggest portion of the father’s estate. We know by the Parable of the Prodigal Son that the younger son was not totally neglected, but the lion’s share of the estate, and equally important, the blessing of the father, was given to the oldest son.

While the story of Jacob and Esau and the Parable of the Prodigal Son both focus on earthly blessings, we know that for those in Christ, greater, more spiritual blessings are our birthright. As 1 John 3:1a tells us, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” And Galatians 3:29 proclaims that, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” So, what are some of the elements of the Christian’s birthright?

• Matthew 27:37 shows us Christ’s compassion for His children.
• Luke 20:36 shows we will be resurrected in Christ.
• Acts 3:25 shows our responsibility to be a blessing to the world.
• Romans 8:16-18 shows that we will suffer with Christ but also share in His glory.
• Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4 all show that the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts.
• 1 Corinthians 9:25 shows we get a crown that will last forever.
• Galatians 3:28-29 shows that we will enjoy unity in the faithful.
• 2 Timothy 2:5 shows that we get a victor’s crown and 2 Timothy 4:8 shows that we also get a crown of righteousness.
• Titus 3:7 shows we have eternal life as the Children of God.
• Hebrews 1:2 shows we inherit all things in Christ.
• Hebrews 11:7 shows we inherit righteousness from God.
• 1 John 3:2 shows we can see Jesus as He is and be like Him.

And these blessings go on and on in the Scriptures. God’s children are blessed far beyond the earthly blessings enjoyed by the Children of Abraham, but they were quite well cared for regardless of their birth order. However, a plot twist is about to happen.

A Bad Decision:

Often, when a disaster takes place, one of the major factors in producing the tragedy is flawed decision making on the part of people. This is called “Human Factors” by accident investigators and we are about to see a bad decision as it takes place. Let’s look at Genesis 25:29-34,

Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!" (Therefore he was called Edom.) Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright." Esau said, "I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?" Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

The last sentence in that passage of Scripture is devastating. “Thus Esau despised his birthright.” A man who had everything he could ever want, the love of his father, physical strength and vitality, a powerful position, and wealth beyond what most of us could ever imagine, gave it all up for a bowl of stew! How sad! How gut wrenching! How awkward to be a bystander who knows what is about to happen! 

Esau demonstrated a lamentable lapse in judgment. He failed to control his passions and he gave away his future for immediate gratification of his fleshly desires. He, like Adam and Eve, gave in to temptation, and in doing so lost everything in an instant. In the time it took him to gulp down his lunch, his future was wrecked and there was no going back.

It is easy to look back with 20/20 hindsight and say, with voices dripping with pity, how stupid that was of Esau, and we would be right. He acted stupidly without thinking and it cost him greatly. But, what about us?

We too, have acted with the same lack of judgment as Esau. The Scriptures tell us that there is none righteous, no, not even one. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Hebrews 10:26-31 describes our situation when we have despised our inheritance as the children of God:

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

In an instant, like the breaking of glass, we throw away our inheritance when we sin, when we violate God’s laws and when we breach His standards of righteousness. The next scene in our family drama illustrates our situation in our lost condition.

A Broken Heart:

Although it took some time, the day of reckoning finally came for Esau, as we see in Genesis 27:30-38,

After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, “My father, please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.” His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?” “I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.” Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him—and indeed he will be blessed!” When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me—me too, my father!” But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.” Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!” Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?” Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?” Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept aloud.

Esau discovered a harsh truth, which Paul put this way, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” Esau planted the seeds of his own destruction and now they were bearing fruit, and for Esau it was a soul-crushing experience. Those who have ears to hear, let them hear.

We all need to learn something else from this passage as well, and that is the words used by a parent with their children is of utmost importance. Esau lost his blessing and his soul was crushed. In the same way a parent can crush a child’s soul by the way they speak to them and by the way they treat them. After this bruising experience, Esau was never the same again, and this happens every day in the lives of children all over the world. This ought not be so! In Matthew 18:6, Jesus Himself said, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Again, those who have ears to hear, let them hear.

Even though this is a sad tale, there is good news. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Also, Isaiah 61:1-3 says,

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captive and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

So, how do we access this grace, mercy, and peace?

A Better Way:

To be an heir and to be blessed by a parent’s legacy, you must be part of the family.  Jesus makes this possible for us all, and Paul told the Ephesians,

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. (Eph 2:13-19)

The better way is this: Seek God through Jesus, and allow Jesus to make us a part of God’s Family and heirs to the great blessings that come from being a child of God. As 1 John 1:9 teaches us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” When we have been forgiven and purified, we are adopted into the Family of God.

So, what about those of us who are already family members. Does that mean we never make mistakes? Does that mean we never give into temptation and partake of the “red stew” of sin? No. We fail and fall because we are human and limited. When we do, we suffer the human consequences of our sin, and we temporarily lose the joy of our salvation as we hang our heads in shame and hide from our Father. Does that mean all is lost? No! And, in fact, the answer is the same: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

It matters not if we are estranged from God or if we have failed and made a mistake as a member of God’s Family, the solution is still the same because our God is still the same! Our God is the Good Shepherd who not only lays down His life for the sheep, but searches out the least, the last, and the lost.

Praise God for His love that conquers all!

Conclusion:

The story of Esau despising his birthright is one of the saddest stories known to humanity, but it also the oldest. Ever since Adam and Eve chose fruit over obedience to the God that gave them life, people have been making the same bad decisions repeatedly across and within every generation. People have not changed, but, again, praise God He has not changed either! 

As 1 Corinthians 10:13 reminds us, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 

Let us turn to God from whence comes our help and the ability to be forgiven of our sins and enjoy our inheritance as the children of God.

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

The Generation Gap in Matthew 11

Today I want to comment on Mathew 11:16-30. In this passage Jesus laments a generation gap in Israel.

As a child of the 1960’s I am well aware of what a generation gap is  . . .  The term was first popularized, if not coined during that decade. It is a truth that generational differences due exist. Some sociologists and societal observers have even categorized generations and they have described their characteristics. The fact that few of these scholars agree on any of these parameters does not give lie to the fact that generational differences do exist and that they provide both entertainment and aggravation in equal measures.

In our focal passage for today, Jesus, however, is not talking about a gap between His generation and the next, but about a gap between Himself and His own generation. Let’s consider this ironic situation.

A Petulant Generation:

Matthew 11:16-19 shows that Jesus was dealing with a petulant generation:

Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.  Whoever has ears, let them hear. "To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: “‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.”

This passage reminds me of a young man who had a habit of wanting to debate others when confronted with a difference of opinion. He was a good debater, but sometimes he irritated people with his persistence. One day, during a discussion, a friend told him, “You just like to argue!” The young man replied, “No I don’t.” His friend quickly retorted, “See what I mean!”

Do you see what happened there? If the young man said nothing, then he agreed that he was argumentative. If he resisted that charge, he was proving his friend right by his actions. Either way, the young man could not win. Jesus was in that exact situation. It didn’t matter what He did, someone was going to criticize Him. This was a common situation the Old Testament prophets faced, and it is a common situation that Christian leaders have faced since the founding of the church. Dr. Rick Lance, the Executive Director/Treasurer of the Alabama Baptist Convention once articulated the best advice I have ever heard about dealing with this kind of criticism, “Remember who your constituency is.” We serve God, and He is our ultimate constituency. If the world criticizes us for following the provisions of God’s Word and being led by the Spirit, and the Scriptures, that should not surprise us, for “Friendship with the world is enmity with God,” as James 4:4 teaches us and Jesus Himself said, “You will be hated by everyone because of my name . . . “ (Matthew 10:22a) While we should not try to irritate the people of our own generation unnecessarily, if we follow Jesus we should expect criticism. After all, Jesus was criticized, and far worse than we’ll ever be! An Unrepentant Generation: As Jesus continued to teach the disciples, He called out several cities for their failure to repent. Jesus had done numerous miracles in these places, but they had not repented of their sin. This is what He said about their unrepentant ways: “For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” The reason that the generation that Jesus dealt with was petulant is that they were unrepentant. To repent is to decide to make a 180 degree turn in your way of life; it is to realize you are on the wrong path, and then decide to turn around and reverse your course. The people of His generation had not repented, and so they rejected Jesus and the salvation He offered them. It is important to note that merely deciding to change your course is not enough. People are frail, weak, and limited. As Jesus said, our spirit may be willing, but our flesh is weak. Once we have repented, we still need the salvation, regeneration, and sanctification offered to us by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The first step, however, is to repent.

Jesus had done many signs and wonders, yet the people of His generation did not repent. His judgment on them was severe and it should have been a terrifying spectacle. It literally should put the fear of God into anyone who reads it today, yet our generation is really no different than the one to whom Jesus preached. The path to destruction truly is broad and the paths of righteousness are narrow! A Blind Generation: Jesus went on in verses 25-27 to describe His generation as blind: At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” One old preacher said that, “Before you can get a person saved, you have to get them lost.” What he meant by that was that before someone repents, they must realize that they are going in the wrong direction. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that it was easy for people to see others’ faults while still being blind to their own. He also called the Jewish religious leaders of the day “blind guides” because they were leading their people astray. These leaders could not see the truth, but even so they were determined to take a destructive path and they insisted that the people follow them. In truth, God has revealed the paths of righteousness to humanity. Consider this passage from the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man in Luke 16. From Hell, the rich man asks, “Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.“ Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.” “No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”

Also, consider what Paul taught us in Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” The sad part about the blindness on the part of Jesus’s generation was that it was self-inflicted. People in His day refused to see the truth which was being displayed right before their eyes. Equally sadly, the same thing is true today. God has not changed. The way He reveals Himself to people has not changed. Sadly, the willful blindness of people to His truth has not changed either. In the midst of this grim forecast, the Good News does shine through, however. A Relieved Generation: For those who do repent, however, relief is at hand. Jesus said in verses 28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” A former colleague of mine had a saying, “You can’t hide money.” Despite the stiff-necked generation with which he dealt, despite their blindness and their rejection of truth, the love of Jesus and the blessings of God still came out as Jesus taught His disciples. For those who see the truth of their sinful and rebellious lives, and then bow their knee to the Sovereign Lord of the Universe, tremendous blessing awaits! Jesus gives them rest and relieves the burden that comes from living a sinful, rebellious life. Jesus is the hero who can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, and He offered that wonderful outcome to the petulant, unrepentant, and blind generation in which He lived. And guess what? Jesus offers that same blessing to the petulant, unrepentant, and blind generation in which we live today. People have not changed, and, praise God, neither has the offer from Jesus to save us from our sin and bless our lives with the grace, peace, and mercy from Heaven that we all need, whether we realize it or not! Conclusion:

As the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Generations come and go, but the basic need of humans, the need to be forgiven of our sins and restored to fellowship with God, remains. If Jesus was incarnate among this generation today, He would have the same perspective on it as He did on the 1st Century generation, and that attitude is best described in Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” In short, the generation gap between people and God is closed by the Cross. Praise God for His love for us! Every blessing, Dr. Otis Corbitt