Normally a lot of people skip Genesis 36. Essentially it is the genealogy of Esau's descendants. Esau, if you remember, was Jacob's brother. Esau was not the chosen son, and when he got cheated out of the blessing of his father Isaac by Jacob, Esau wanted revenge. That's why Jacob went to find a wife in a country far far away.
When Jacob returned to the land of Canaan he did so in the very real fear that Esau's promise that he would kill Jacob would come to pass. It didn't, though Jacob avoided living near Esau and only saw him at their dad's funeral.
So you might conclude that the feud was over. You'd be wrong.
One of the reasons why Esau's descendants are mentioned in Genesis 36 is that they later form the Edomites and the Amalekites. These two people's were ruthless against Israel and caused them no end of grief.
So why is that important to us? We too have an enemy, Lucifer, who hates anyone who loves God. Don't be fooled into thinking that just because it seems the enemy's temptations and attacks have ceased that he has forgotten about you. He hasn't. Like a descendant of Esau, he is just waiting for a chance to trip you up.
That's why Peter says in 1 Peter 5:8-11:
"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen." ESV
The word isn't to be afraid, to watch under every rock and around every corner, but to resist temptation and cling to God..
James 4:7 Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Pastor Tom
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Provision and Protection
I was reading about the life of Jacob in Genesis. Jacob really deserved a lot of what happened to him. He lied and cheated his way through life and when he wanted a wife he met an uberJacob in Laban who out-lied and out-cheated the cheater!
The wonderful thing about Jacob is that through it all, God was teaching him to trust, not in himself and his own wits, but in God.
The thing I noticed was that when Jacob was in the midst of being mistreated by Laban in Genesis 31, Jacob said: "But the God of my father has been with me." Jacob got the "bad" spotted and speckled sheep in Laban's flock for his wages and suddenly all the strong ones were spotted and speckled. Then when Jacob fled from Laban and was pursued by him, God appeared to Laban and said "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad."
So what we find is that God provided for Jacob and protected Jacob, but it was in the presence of Laban. Often times we want God to bless us and protect us but we want to be as far away from temptation and attack and trial as possible. But God, it seems, provides for us in the midst of bad circumstances. He protects us while under attack.
Don't worry about the Laban's in your life. Trust God anyway. You may feel cheated, but God will provide you with rich spiritual blessings despite what the world wants to do to you. You may feel attacked but God will make sure you arrive safely to His heavenly kingdom.
Pastor Tom
The wonderful thing about Jacob is that through it all, God was teaching him to trust, not in himself and his own wits, but in God.
The thing I noticed was that when Jacob was in the midst of being mistreated by Laban in Genesis 31, Jacob said: "But the God of my father has been with me." Jacob got the "bad" spotted and speckled sheep in Laban's flock for his wages and suddenly all the strong ones were spotted and speckled. Then when Jacob fled from Laban and was pursued by him, God appeared to Laban and said "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad."
So what we find is that God provided for Jacob and protected Jacob, but it was in the presence of Laban. Often times we want God to bless us and protect us but we want to be as far away from temptation and attack and trial as possible. But God, it seems, provides for us in the midst of bad circumstances. He protects us while under attack.
Don't worry about the Laban's in your life. Trust God anyway. You may feel cheated, but God will provide you with rich spiritual blessings despite what the world wants to do to you. You may feel attacked but God will make sure you arrive safely to His heavenly kingdom.
Pastor Tom
Monday, March 29, 2010
As You Are
In reading the book of Genesis, especially in the middle portion of the book, I'm struck by a theme: deception. Both Abraham and Isaac lied about the fact that they were really married. They did it because they were afraid. Later, Jacob lies to Isaac about his true identity in order to get the blessing. The tables get turned on Jacob as Laban lies about who he is giving to Jacob as a wife.
But what is interesting is this idea of not presenting who you really are. Why is that? I think that deep down we are ashamed of who we are before God. We want to put the best face forward, we want to justify ourselves, we want to hide the truth because we are disappointed in who we are.
We think that if we get ourselves to looking good that God won't see the real person. How foolish is that? God knows not only what you say and do, He knows what you think and even the intentions of your heart - things that many of us don't even know.
Isaiah 1:18 says “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."
We don't come to God to reason with Him like telling him reasons why He should like us. We come in the nakedness of who we really are - the truth. And that's when God says "I can make you clean." He can do it through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
But don't try to lie to God about who you are. He knows you and still wants to receive you. Pretty cool, huh?
Pastor Tom
But what is interesting is this idea of not presenting who you really are. Why is that? I think that deep down we are ashamed of who we are before God. We want to put the best face forward, we want to justify ourselves, we want to hide the truth because we are disappointed in who we are.
We think that if we get ourselves to looking good that God won't see the real person. How foolish is that? God knows not only what you say and do, He knows what you think and even the intentions of your heart - things that many of us don't even know.
Isaiah 1:18 says “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."
We don't come to God to reason with Him like telling him reasons why He should like us. We come in the nakedness of who we really are - the truth. And that's when God says "I can make you clean." He can do it through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
But don't try to lie to God about who you are. He knows you and still wants to receive you. Pretty cool, huh?
Pastor Tom
Thursday, March 18, 2010
The Role of the Father
It's interesting to me when something in a familiar story hits you in a new way. That's what happened to me in Genesis 22. It's the story of Abraham taking Isaac to be sacrificed.
Here Abraham is in the role of the father, taking his son to Mt Moria in order to sacrifice him. It's a picture of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God's Son. In fact, it's likely it happened on the same mountain where the temple would be built, perhaps even at the site of the Holy of Holies, where the blood of the sacrificial lamb was sprinkled on the mercy seat.
The little thing that struck me in this picture was verse 9 where it says that "Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar on top of the wood." In this picture, God the Father bound His own Son to the wooden cross. The Father sent Jesus to the cross. Jesus, just like Isaac, went obediently to what would be His certain death.
Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
The Father had to "chastise" Jesus in order to gain peace for us. So next time you think of the cross, think of the Father's hands binding Jesus to it like Abraham did to Isaac, except the Father let it go all the way. It's a powerful picture.
Pastor Tom
Here Abraham is in the role of the father, taking his son to Mt Moria in order to sacrifice him. It's a picture of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God's Son. In fact, it's likely it happened on the same mountain where the temple would be built, perhaps even at the site of the Holy of Holies, where the blood of the sacrificial lamb was sprinkled on the mercy seat.
The little thing that struck me in this picture was verse 9 where it says that "Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar on top of the wood." In this picture, God the Father bound His own Son to the wooden cross. The Father sent Jesus to the cross. Jesus, just like Isaac, went obediently to what would be His certain death.
Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
The Father had to "chastise" Jesus in order to gain peace for us. So next time you think of the cross, think of the Father's hands binding Jesus to it like Abraham did to Isaac, except the Father let it go all the way. It's a powerful picture.
Pastor Tom
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
When God Says No (we think)
We're all pretty familiar with the story of Abram and Sarai, how God promised Abram "your very own son shall be your heir." (Genesis 15:4). Years passed and no child. Sarai finally said "The Lord has prevented me from bearing children." She told Abram to marry her servant and when she got pregnant she was jealous. The son Hagar had has hassled the children Sarai eventually had to this day.
So it's interesting to me that Sarai lacked two things: trust and patience. It seems she didn't fully trust that what God said He would do, He would do. She lacked patience because as time passed she concluded that God was purposefully not fulfilling His promise - that He had taken back what He earlier said.
In reality, God was waiting. A few years later He made sure Sarai was nearby when He proclaimed that in a year there would be a baby crying in their tent. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened.
God has made many promises to us, but we must trust that even when it doesn't happen in the way or the timing that we choose, it doesn't mean God doesn't care or has taken back His promise. Often times, like in Sarai's case, further revelation is needed. For you, perhaps God has things He is doing in your life or in the lives of others before it is time to fulfill a promise. Often times the fulfillment comes in a way we never would have guessed, but it is for our ultimate good.
It pays to trust and wait for God. The alternate isn't much fun at all. Just ask Sarai.
Pastor Tom
So it's interesting to me that Sarai lacked two things: trust and patience. It seems she didn't fully trust that what God said He would do, He would do. She lacked patience because as time passed she concluded that God was purposefully not fulfilling His promise - that He had taken back what He earlier said.
In reality, God was waiting. A few years later He made sure Sarai was nearby when He proclaimed that in a year there would be a baby crying in their tent. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened.
God has made many promises to us, but we must trust that even when it doesn't happen in the way or the timing that we choose, it doesn't mean God doesn't care or has taken back His promise. Often times, like in Sarai's case, further revelation is needed. For you, perhaps God has things He is doing in your life or in the lives of others before it is time to fulfill a promise. Often times the fulfillment comes in a way we never would have guessed, but it is for our ultimate good.
It pays to trust and wait for God. The alternate isn't much fun at all. Just ask Sarai.
Pastor Tom
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Together We Can Do It! (Not)
If you've read Genesis 11 you know the story of Babel. Basically after the flood, God told the people to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth - God's "Control-Alt-Delete" reset of humanity. But given the fallen nature of humanity, instead of doing God's business, they went about doing their own.
In chapter 11 they decided to settle on a plain, build a tower, "so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."
God took a look at the building project and said "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them."
It sounds like God was panicking - that the people were going to do a hostile takeover and so God needed to do something quick! Nothing could be further from the truth of course. In reading this what struck me was that God was saying, "if I let them continue down this path they will think they can do anything and not realize how much they need a relationship with Me."
When mankind gets together we convince each other that nothing is impossible for us - that we can create a utopia here on earth and that everyone is okay and good on the inside and that we should just trust each other.
In truth humanity is fallen, our hearts are wicked, but deceive us into thinking we are okay. It's like a person who has terminal cancer but chalks up the symptoms to indigestion.
It is only by following after God that we find our true purpose and escape from our own endemic evil. That path out of our mess came not with the lifting up of a human-made building but the lifting up of a human being, a perfect human being, on a cross.
Pastor Tom
In chapter 11 they decided to settle on a plain, build a tower, "so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."
God took a look at the building project and said "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them."
It sounds like God was panicking - that the people were going to do a hostile takeover and so God needed to do something quick! Nothing could be further from the truth of course. In reading this what struck me was that God was saying, "if I let them continue down this path they will think they can do anything and not realize how much they need a relationship with Me."
When mankind gets together we convince each other that nothing is impossible for us - that we can create a utopia here on earth and that everyone is okay and good on the inside and that we should just trust each other.
In truth humanity is fallen, our hearts are wicked, but deceive us into thinking we are okay. It's like a person who has terminal cancer but chalks up the symptoms to indigestion.
It is only by following after God that we find our true purpose and escape from our own endemic evil. That path out of our mess came not with the lifting up of a human-made building but the lifting up of a human being, a perfect human being, on a cross.
Pastor Tom
Friday, March 12, 2010
In The Beginning ...
When Eve was presented with temptation by the serpent in Genesis 3, the serpent made a statement about what God had said.
Genesis 3:1 He said to the woman, 'Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden''?
Eve responded by saying "You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it."
Interestingly, what God "actually" said was "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in that day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
What I find interesting is that Eve misquotes God just as the serpent misquoted God. She did it in two ways. First she did not correctly identify the tree how God identified it. She just called it a tree rather than "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." Secondly she added that they were not allowed to touch it.
Had Eve correctly remembered and applied God's word, she might have thought more before taking a bite. She might have realized what she was getting herself into.
I think this is just the first of many examples that show us the importance of knowing and correctly applying the Bible, the Word of God. That's why at Calvary Chapel we study the Bible from beginning to end. It would do us all well!
Pastor Tom
Genesis 3:1 He said to the woman, 'Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden''?
Eve responded by saying "You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it."
Interestingly, what God "actually" said was "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in that day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
What I find interesting is that Eve misquotes God just as the serpent misquoted God. She did it in two ways. First she did not correctly identify the tree how God identified it. She just called it a tree rather than "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." Secondly she added that they were not allowed to touch it.
Had Eve correctly remembered and applied God's word, she might have thought more before taking a bite. She might have realized what she was getting herself into.
I think this is just the first of many examples that show us the importance of knowing and correctly applying the Bible, the Word of God. That's why at Calvary Chapel we study the Bible from beginning to end. It would do us all well!
Pastor Tom
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