Bibledoorajar Extends Peace

    "Peace I leave with you, MY PEACE I give to you, not exactly as the world gives, give I unto you..."  ------ Jesus to his disciples in John 14

     Jacob has sent his son Joseph, dressed in royal garb, to bring words of peace to Joseph's brothers and to see if they might return words of shalom (peace) to their father through their special brother. The Word supports that Joseph wanted to extend his father's peace without malice in his heart. Extending peace was important within the culture and implied that all was well between parties. Joseph had gone to great lengths to extend this peace even to leaving Shechem and pursuing the brothers to Dothan. One wonders how much insight Joseph had into his dreams since it is clear that the brothers certainly got the drift. Further, their interpretations had not made them feel peaceful at all! Eleven brothers, all older than the young Joseph, were being told that their leadership would be less than that of a mere boy. It was more than they could contain. Just who did he think he was? And, why of all things, had their father given him such an elevated position in the family? Surely it was the father's fault that led to such discord. No way could they fathom that in their near future their very existence would be saved by the young man they so hated. They would instead not extend peace to the special son and his father and would plan the son's good riddance. So much for dreams and visions! Under the circumstances a lie to the father would be justifiable.

     The disciples had lived with and loved Jesus and knew Him to be a Man of Peace. When he told them it was going to be better for them for Him to go away He promised them even more shalom as a direct result of His provision. He would protect their very existence in what was to be tumultuous situations where peace would not be extended to them but that they were to continue to extend it. Later the Lord would speak to the apostle Paul, saying in a VISION:

        ".......Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace..."  (Acts 18). Living in and extending the shalom of God is very important. We are not to hold back from extending it to a world that often will not extend it back. Such is the situation, but God is active in the midst and will accomplish His will in every situation if we but believe and continue in peace.

                       "It is enough: earth’s struggles soon shall cease,
                        And Jesus calls us to Heaven’s perfect peace."

                                        Edward Bick­er­steth  1875

Bibledoorajar Shares News from Home and News for Home

      Jacob's older boys have been gone from home a while. They left to secure grazing for the family flocks. Jacob was anxious to share news from home and to get news that the boys might have for those left behind at home. He knows that they were planning to go near Shechem and surely he remembered the difficult happenings with the Shechemites over Dinah. News from home that assured the sons that they were being thought of would surely be a good thing. News for home that they were safely at work would be a great assurance for those left behind. So, Jacob called his beloved son in and told Joseph that he was going to send him to his brothers. Joseph agreed to go and see if all was well with them and bring back news from them.
      In the fullness of time, our Heavenly Father called His beloved Son in and asked him to share news from home and to bring news back from his brothers. We can all be grateful that the Son agreed to bring the Good News from Home, but He said things that were not well received by the brothers. He reported that He was greater than Jonah who spent three days in a big fish and who led the people of Ninevah to repent. He said He was greater than Solomon whose wisdom amazed his brothers. His news from home about His elevated authority was rejected as was Joseph's. It is indeed a sad thing when wonderful news from Home is not received or appreciated. And it is sad for Home, when those of us who have received the Good News, do not take the time to share timely news of our lives with our Father.
     Today, Bibledoorajar is sharing this good news with Home: Hannah Mary Jones has turned seven years old! Thank you Heavenly Father for her and please help her to always want to share her life with You.

Bibledoorjar Views Family Dynamics at Work

     Jacob is now much older. We have learned that Joseph, the knee baby, is now seventeen. In his older age, God has shaped Jacob's character as Israel, the patriarch, through both joys and sorrows. And now, his beloved son, has come to the Prince of Israel with evil reports of his other sons and is telling the patriarch about the content of his dreams. These evil reports were not tattling for tattling sake; the reports spoke the truth about Israel's sons. They had participated in many evil things even to the point of murder at Shechem following the rape of Dinah. Even Jacob knows in his heart of hearts that his sons went too far with that retribution. But now, Joseph was not only speaking the truth about his brothers, he was also implying that all his family, even his dead mother, would bow down to him. This was all taking place at a time when Joseph's greatest achievement to date was that of being a shepherd. How would their knee bow to such a one?

     A greater Son came to earth. He was the much beloved Son of his Father and He gained a reputation for being able to speak the truth about his brothers. And He was hated by them especially when He confirmed that He was the Messiah to whom every knee was to bow. He referred to Himself as the Good Shepherd, capable of finding the lost sheep and, through lovingly speaking the truth to them, bring them to safety. For many, this was wonderful news and they anointed Him with oils of love. For others, not so much. They hatched cruel plans. But still the truths endured. Does your knee bow to such a One?

My sins, my sins, my Savior!
How sad on Thee they fall;
Seen through Thy gentle patience,
I tenfold feel them all;
I know they are forgiven,
But still, their pain to me
Is all the grief and anguish
They laid, my Lord, on Thee.

My sins, my sins, my Savior!
Their guilt I never knew
Till with Thee in the desert
I near Thy passion drew;
Till with Thee in the garden
I heard Thy pleading prayer,
And saw the sweat-drops bloody
That told Thy sorrow there.

Therefore my songs, my Savior,
E’en in this time of woe,
Shall tell of all Thy goodness
To suff’ring man below;
Thy goodness and Thy favor,
Whose presence from above
Rejoice those hearts, my Savior,
That live in Thee and love.

Words by John S. B. Monsell

Bibledoorajar Says "Keep it in mind"

      Jacob's entourage had reached Canaan and the Word says that they settled there. With a little imagination, one can view an active life with a family that included 12 sons.  The Word wastes no time in telling us that Joseph, the knee baby born to Jacob's beloved Rachel, was now seventeen years old and was helping the sons of Zilpah and Bildah tend livestock. These brothers were envious of Joseph's position with his father and hated the fact that Jacob had made Joseph a multicolored coat which Joseph wore in their presence. Their feelings had increased to the point that the brothers actually hated Joseph himself even though a brother. When Joseph began sharing his dreams with them and informing their father of their behavior their hatred increased.

(Narrator)
Joseph's coat annoyed his brothers

(Brothers)
But what makes us mad
Are the things that Joseph tells us of the
Dreams he's often had

(Joseph)
I dreamed that in the fields one day
The corn gave me a sign
Your eleven sheaves of corn
All turned and bowed to mine
My sheaf was quit a sight to see
A golden sheaf and tall
Yours were green and second-rate
And really rather small

(Brothers)
This is not the kind of thing
We brothers like to hear
It seems to us that Joseph and his
Dreams should disappear

                         Joseph's Dreams Lyrics

When Jacob heard the first dream content, he had questions for Joseph and asked him if it meant that his mother and brothers along with himself would bow down to Joseph sometime in the future. Jacob did not totally endorse that they would, but the Word does say he "kept the dream in mind". Perhaps he viewed that there could be a future need that would need to be met and a son with royal attributes would be helpful and Jacob's  rest/peace would be preserved. Perhaps it would happen through this son so he kept it in mind.

The writer of Hebrews says that believers should not fear  but keep the following in mind for times of need:

"Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need"(4:16)

Thanks be to God's grace that through the work of the greater Son we have a resource in our times of need. Hallelujah! Let's keep this in mind always.