Bibledoorajar Observes Hope in New Life

Abraham and Isaac have now left Sarah, wife/mother, as the first to lie in the Cave of Machpelah. After the weeping and mourning they are left with their wonderful memories of her. Now Abraham must focus on newness of life via Isaac. The thought of this new life is a comfort to Abraham. He appeals to the guidance of God in whom he has placed his faith. His heart is assured that, though he is a self-confessed stranger and sojourner in this new land, he will go forward with God. Abraham sends for his oldest servant. The servant, some say Eliezar, was extremely loyal to the father of the chosen son. He was in charge of all that Abraham owned. He had every intent of assisting in assimilating this new lady into the family. He was willing to swear by the Lord God of heaven and God of earth, that he would go where Abraham wanted him to go to find a wife for Isaac. He received his instructions from Abraham and then asked questions to make sure of his assignment: "Suppose the woman isn't willing to follow me to this land. Must I then bring your son back to the land from which you came?" (Gen. 24:5).  Abraham answers, "Don't take my son back to that land." Here is the deal:  Servant, God has promised to be in charge of this process. He is sending and angel ahead of you to handle this. However, if the woman is unwilling to follow you, you are released of any obligations under the oath. (paraphrase Gen. 25:6 ff.)

God does not enter our realm to make us less human, but to bring newness of life and comfort to our weeping. As we stand before Him weeping for our sinful state, He comforts us with the thought of newness of life. The matter of our grieving hearts can be addressed. The suffering Servant who sojourned among us has the power to make our commonness holy. Christ can be assimilated into us, or as Paul the apostle said, "Christ is us, the hope of glory." So, just as Abraham dreamed of newness of life, so can we, if we be in Christ. And there is another Servant who will help us do just that. The Servant is the Holy Spirit.

"Jesus is the object to be assimilated, the Spirit is the assimilating power. Without the objective revelation given in Jesus, the Spirit would have nothing to fertilize in us; without the Spirit, the revelation granted in Jesus remains outside of us....from one without us, Jesus becomes one within us."
                                                                   Frederick Godet

The Spirit will take us to the Son if we willingly follow. It's a great plan, God.

Bibledoorajar Examines Matters of the Heart

       "Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had father Abraham,
 I am one of them and so are you, so let's just praise the Lord!"

                                           Lyrics by Chris Donato   

      God had placed Abraham in a strategic place with the intent to carry out a mighty mission. Abraham, while not a perfect man, had become a man of great faith and his prayer life and dependence on God is certainly to be admired. He knows that a great kingdom is to come through him via Isaac and his descendants:
         "For I have made myself known to him, so that he will give orders to his children and to his household after him to keep the way of Adonai and to do what is right and just, so that Adonai may bring about for Abraham what he has promised him" (Gen. 18:19).
       God refers to himself as Adonai which in Hebrew means, Lord or Master or Owner. Clearly from this verse we learn that God had found a man who would respect His Sovereignty. In this instance, His Sovereignty in matters of the heart will affect the human race for generations to come.This progeny, begun with Abraham, will be the righteous ones, walking in a new direction. Changed from their surroundings, they are not blinded to God's sovereignty in their lives. With all their being, they are seeking to live correctly as one of the many sons of Abraham. The admonition today is in the phrase "with all their being". If any have slipped away from this noble position in life, is it not wonderful to know that all we need do is repent and begin walking in the NEW DIRECTION again as God leads?

Bibledoorajar Considers the Disposal of Children

     I recently saw a report about families in India who give their daughters, some as young as eight or nine, in marriage to young boys. Some of these girls had be be carried into the wedding ceremony by their fathers as they cried out for their mothers. Needless to say, I was shocked and appalled by this practice. The children's lives were being molded by a social convention that has apparently gone on in India for many years.  One mother said that she too had married young and that her crying daughter would adjust. I'm sure that either adjustment or acceptance will be the case since the bride is expected to bear children just as soon as she reaches puberty. The only bright spot was the child couple would continue to live with boy's parents while they grew into their roles. At least I can be assured that they will be fed and clothed and I hope many mature into a happy marriage. This report underscores the importance of how parents dispose of their children. I certainly hope that Christian parents are doing all they can to dispose of their offspring in a way that will increase their furtherance in the kingdom of God.
     We begin the story of Rebecca with a father's desire to secure a good wife for his son. Abraham had been called out of his home land by the grace of God. In Canaan, he had achieved old age. He longed for his son Isaac to have a good wife as God had advised him that it would be through Isaac that His purposes would be continued. The future was at stake. He wanted a marriage that would
be open to God and one in which Isaac and his wife would be recipients of God's blessings.
     God, the Father, has also acted on behalf of His Son. He is securing and maturing a bride to be a suitable match for Him. She is being called to leave one kingdom for another. The Son prepares "many mansions" while He waits on the timing of the marriage, a decision reached only by the Father. Everyday, somewhere in the world, He calls for someone to agree to this wonderfully arranged relationship. He loves this "faraway bride" so much that He is helping us in our infirmities by giving us traits that we will need in our future life.

                                    "We are one in the bond of love,
                                     We are one in the bond of love,
                                     We have joined our spirits with the Spirit of God
                                     We are one in the bond of love."

                                                                   Otis Skillings

Bibledoorajar Bids Thanks Esther For Her Life Hidden in God

"Do not store up for yourselves wealth here on earth, 

where moths and rust destroy, and burglars break

in and steal. INSTEAD, store up for yourselves

wealth in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys,

and there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of

the body. So if you have a 'good eye' your whole body

will be full of light; but if you have and 'evil eye' your

whole body will be full of darkness."

Matthew 6: 19-21

As we leave the book of Esther, I would like to end on the note of her generosity, her "good eye." Some would say that, amazingly, life had placed Esther in the king's palace with all its' riches and they would be right. Others would say that, amazingly,  God had hidden her there "for such a time as this" and they, too, would be right. But beyond that, Esther was a person in a palace who chose to live with a "good eye." All the wealth the king made available to her did not supersede her way of living in proper alignment with God's eternal kingdom. Esther became suited to deal with the huge task of saving others because she came to see clearly. She could see far into the future to a place where important treasures can be laid up. She valued her lofty position in the palace and all that it gave her most importantly because it allowed her to serve her God when His people were undergoing the severest of trials. And from that position she drew upon His riches in glory to solve the problem. Yes, she might perish, but that did not diminish the fact that He and His eternal resources were forever entwined in her life. This she believed and she chose God, hidden with Him and for Him, and she accomplished much!

"So if you were raised along with Christ, then seek the things above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Focus your minds on the things above, not on the things here on earth. For you have died, and your life is HIDDEN with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you too will appear with Him in glory!"

Colossians 3:1

Long ago people discovered that death was inevitable. Archaeologists have discovered that the Egyptians packed a lot of earthly wealth into their tombs hoping to use it "on the other side." But alas, the archaeologists found it all hidden away in their tombs centuries later. Let us be sure to stay HIDDEN in Christ, living this life with a "good eye" storing up treasures in heaven, so that when the glorious one appears we too will appear sharing in His glory.

Many have discovered Rebecca's Bible Lessons while browsing the web for a good lesson on Rebecca. Therefore, I think it appropriate that we begin a visit with her in our next lessons.

Bibledoorajar Observes Behavior More Closely

    Last week we talked about Esther and her willingness to change and to take on new behaviors. She moved forward continuously, carrying out her plan. Because of changes made quietly and on the inside, she was able to act overtly when brave actions counted. Thus, she was prepared to expose the terrible work of Haman and to secure justice for God's people. But only God could move the king's heart and cause him to change his behavior. Only God can illumine truth and give mercy to those who desire to honor it. Good could not have come from the Queen's behavior if she and her uncle had not fully enjoyed God's power to move in the affairs of men. Without such faith, their efforts might have failed. Without such faith it is impossible to please God. But, instead, their behavior seemed to mirror that of God. They moved forward slowly and persistently to accomplish their goal. They did this without panic; they did this without demanding or commanding. And then they waited for God to transform the king's heart.

According to the great prophet, Isaiah, God the Father anointed Jesus with great and gentle persuasion necessary to bring about human change. Many people followed Jesus as a result and He brought about great change in many lives.

              "Here is my servant, whom I have chosen,
               my beloved, with whom I am well pleased;
               I will put my Spirit on him, and he will
               announce justice to the Gentiles. He will
               not fight or shout, no one will hear his
               voice in the streets; he will not snap off a
               broken reed or snuff out a smoldering wick
               until he has brought justice through to
               victory. In him the Gentiles will put their
               hope."
                                         Matthew 12: 18-21 quotes from Isaiah 42:1-4

Esther allowed herself to slowly be prepared for a great purpose--a purpose larger than herself. Safety of others became greater than her own safety and when she realized it she was ready.  Such is God's purpose: He so loved the WORLD that He gave His son. How willing are we to be used in His purposes? Are we seeking to move in great and gentle persuasion learned from God?

Bibledoorajar Ponders: does what we think really matter?

There is one question that is prominent in Esther's story. Did she know something that the rest of us do not? How was she so very effective in her efforts? It seems to me the main point of her story is that she was willing to be changed. First, she was willing to be changed from a simple Jewish girl into a queen. Then, she was willing to SEE herself as a QUEEN. This involved changing her mind. It was necessary for her to think differently--about herself, her family, her people, her king, her enemy and, most importantly, her God.

As the dynamics of Esther's life unfolded, she realized she had a major calling. She had been placed (hidden) in the king's palace in order to defeat an enemy of God's people. As the enemy advanced, her duty to thwart his advancement became increasingly clear to her. She had to change her perspective and she had to do some serious tactical planning. Would she "choose this day whom she would serve" and would she begin to plan her strategy? Yes, she would!!

When I was in graduate school, I took a course on critical thinking. In this course, I learned that critical thinkers do not start with answers; they start with questions. In order to get the best answer, thinkers are encouraged to "think outside the box." That is, thinkers are encouraged to not just give the first easy answer, but to list as many possible answers that come to mind. This tactic, we learned, was called brainstorming. Of course, no one could force us to think like this, storming our minds, taxing them with possibilities. Some recoiled at the brain taxation, but others could see the advantages.

God placed before Esther (and us) commandments replete with possibilities. These commandments require choice, discipline, desire, and a need for tactical thinking. Right thinking will produce wise and holy possibilities. But not everyone pursues such thinking. Esther could have chosen to allow her people to remain in danger of ultimate annihilation. She was free to do so. She was not being pressured by the king. We can choose to leave the widows and orphans without help. We are free to do so. We are not being pressured by the King. However, our choice won't be without a price. God has set before us both blessings and curses. If we use our critical thinking, if we choose wisely and pursue brave godly strategies, we have blessings. If not, we have curses. Curses imply God's back turned away from us. How sad.

Bibledoorajar Considers Associates and Conspirators

In our story of Esther, she found herself with a king who was successfully building a kingdom. At the time of the story, his kingdom extended over 127 provinces. Obviously, the king was hoping that many loyal subjects would be found in his kingdom but he had to be on the watch for those who wished to conspire against him and against that for which he stood. He prided himself on having a good kingdom made up of loyal subjects who served him faithfully. For those, he took joy in seeing that they had the best in order to serve him better. Those who could not serve him faithfully like Vashti, his queen, were banished. But conspirators, like Haman, when found out, were dealt the greatest punishment: death.

In the kingdom of God, knowing Him as the Creator is important but it is not enough. The Holy Spirit is transforming us into becoming loyal associates of the King capable of completing many important tasks. The power to do this is that we are being made like Him.

       "But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being TRANSFORMED INTO THE SAME IMAGE FROM GLORY TO GLORY." 2 Cor. 3:18

In the Austin Powers movies, A 1/8 size of Dr. Evil was made. He called him "Mini-'Me" and declared that he was breathtaking. Conspirators like Mini-Me like to disrupt good kingdoms. But those of us who are being transformed into loyal subjects filled with the glory of Christ within, must help break the chains of "Mini-Me" within His kingdom. As the preachers say, our Head has no hands or feet but ours. We can take on Mini-Me with the courage of Esther and Mordecai and if we perish, we perish. But like Paul, our death will be our gain, forever with the Lord. Take courage my friend. We can succeed if we do not veer from the commands of Jesus and from continually reading the Book of instructions (Bible).