Tag: Advent

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Prominence set in perpetuity.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked. And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.” Genesis‬ ‭25‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

As we read through the story threads of God’s great plan, we realize something – these high moments were planned before time began! Even the novice reader knows about the famous big-three players in the Old Testament. Abraham, Isaac and who? That’s right – Jacob. These historical story is not remembered as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Esau! It would be and always was Jacob – the second born.

This plan was in place BEFORE Issac pleaded and prayed to God for an heir. Issac knew his own story well. His own mom and dad, geriatricaly had him l-a-t-e in life. Isaac didn’t want that to be his story with his beloved Rebekah. He saw what his mother, Sarah, had gone through and did not want that to be Rebekah’s experience. So yes he PLEADED, begging God, on behalf of his wife, to give them children. We think infertility is hard today! Infertility then meant the erasure of the family name and the vast wealth that had been passed on through each generation.

Rebekah became pregnant with twins! Double answer to prayer, but the children began fighting within her womb. Sibling rivalry started well before birth! In our current cultural war of women’s rights over their bodies, these two “not quite human until birth,” were obviously behaving like humans within Rebekah’s protective womb. This sibling squabblery prompted Rebekah to pray as well. “Why?” She asks! Rebekah simply asked the creator of all things, “What is going on in here?” pointing to her own swollen belly.

God tells Rebekah about her future, the boys future, and the future of the nation of Israel! You don’t just have twins Rebekah- you have NATIONS within your womb! Wow. They are fighting now because they will be rivals for the rest of their lives. One will be stronger and your first born will serve your second born. Whoa – that’s a lot of information to share with a momma pregnant with twins that are already tangling within. Oh, and by the way, Issac wouldn’t be much help because he was SIXTY when the boys were born! It would be up to Rebekah to maintain civility in the home and steer the future according to what God shared with her in those moments of desperation.

True to what God had told her, Esau certainly was a twisted pickle – “He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.” Question: Is it possible that the boys’ character was already evident in their womb story? It even showed up at birth, when Jacob grabbed at his brother Esau’s heel as they were coming out! Our job as parents is to steer the strong qualities of our children best we can. Esau was a difficult child, youth and young adult! He purposely married Hittite women, against his father’s wishes and just to give his parents grief! One of those women was a daughter of Ishmael, his father, Issac’s half brother and sworn enemy of Israel. “Esau’s wives made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah.” (Genesis 26:35).

Parents, don’t beat yourselves up too badly, some of you will have an Esau! And some of you will birth and raise a Jacob who will take their prominent place in the future and in history!

Prayer

​Dad,
Oh how powerful are the origin stories of our lives and the lives of our children! To think that Rebekah bore the beginning of nations who would forever be at war. This is such a fascinating story to read as we come into this Christmas season, this advent, when Mary brings the Messiah, Your son into the world. Just as Rebekah bore waring twins, Mary bore the Savior who would end all wars. The Son of God who embodied hope, peace, joy and love! What a fantastically beautiful story with the “red-thread” of history that culminates in victory! Thank you for Your grace and fulfillment of every promise to us. Amen.

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The root survives.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of his word, and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked. He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an undergarment.” ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In the language of ancient agricultural days, everyone would know what the “root” represents. In more modern concepts, we might think of it as kind of a sourdough “levain,” or “starter.” Of course using leaven or yeast is probably not the best object lesson because yeast was often compared to sin in the Bible. You can see how this mysterious mold is alive and incredibly enduring, but no one knows why.

The root survival object lesson is much more aligned with spiritual endurance. Plants or tree roots can be dormant for years and even appear to be dead. If you’ve ever cut down a tree in your yard, but did not pull up the roots, you know how durable the tree can be. The root was a common illustration used to describe the nation of Israel, the people of God.

The once flourishing, life- giving tree would be burned or cut down, but underneath there would be this enduring root. In Biblical writings this type of durable root was called the “root of Jesse.” Jesse, being King David’s father, the patriarch that began the kingly lineage so long ago. The unique and amazing thing about the particular family lineage, this “root” survival is that it would endure until its spectacular reemergence as the tree of life, otherwise known as the Messiah – Jesus.

The root illustration always gave the people of God hope, that although things looked awful, dead in fact, they knew that one day a young, healthy, green shoot of life would come out of this root, this promise of God. The reality is this root would not just survive, it would wait until the proper time to burst into new life, thriving, giving shade and bearing fruit for all of humankind!

This is yet another ancient illustration that gives hope still today. Even cooler than that, this glorious tree of life, personified by the Son of God means that we as non-Jews, heathens – Gentiles can be grafted into this tree! This would become our own heritage, our adoption, our salvation! The Apostle Paul extensively writes about this powerful miracle that God planned before the world began in Romans 11. So whether the tree is trimmed, burned or destroyed, the root of our faith – Jesus, yet endures!

Prayer

​Dad,
As I have discovered in the later days of life, your stories are VERY long. To think about the eternal story-arch of the Bible is amazing, yet hard to grasp. This idea of our human effort and cyclical failure, even after Jesus’ work on the cross is both expected and disappointing. We are broken, and healed… but not yet fully so. It does make me ache for finality, fulfillment and truly an end to my ​constant disorder desires and failures. Come quickly Lord Jesus! Amen.