Bibledoorajar Examines Proper Foundations

     Jacob and his large family left Laban's home. The story gives us one more possibility as to why God wanted them to leave. Laban kept idols. These household items as they were called were used by Laban and his family to discern things. Maybe Rachel took the idol because she did not want her Dad to be able to discern information about their whereabouts. Or, sadly, Rachel may have been an idolator. The story is not clear as to why she took it, but it is clear that she wanted to keep it, for she hid it under the saddle of her camel. God sees to it that Laban searches and finds the idol. So the party got underway with Laban having the ability to seek help from his idol.  Rachel was pregnant with her second child. Pregnancy and riding a camel, Ouch! I rode one of those animals while in Israel and it is not the most comfortable ride around even when you are not pregnant. 
     Once, when frustrated, Rachel had told Jacob to give her children lest she die. Now, she rode a camel carrying her second child. Along the way she gave birth to her second son and when weak and dying she named him Benjamin and commented: he is the son of my sorrow. But her husband took his twelfth son and held him toward God and proclaimed: this is the son of my right hand. With the birth of the 12th, the foundation of the nation Israel was accomplished. God Himself was involved with this earthly endeavor to ensure that there would be twelve tribes of Israel. Twelve was the proper number from God's point of view for this plan to move forward.
    Many years later, the Messiah that Leah, Rachel, Zilpah and Bilhah all wondered about would come to earth as the Son of God's Hand. Before He returned to Glory, he would establish His church with pillars of twelve apostles. How wonderful is God's intent that spiritual foundations be established properly. We can believe the lessons we learn as we follow the twelve tribes each having their distinct role in the Israeli experience. Likewise, we can believe the lessons and instructions left for us by the twelve apostles as we live out the vision God has for the Church of Christ. The apostle Peter declared that we are living stones being added all the time to the structure. Israel was a masterful and colorful nation as they marched out by their tribes each with their distinct images. So, as God looks down surely He has an image of a church built on a proper foundation seeking to do His will. Each stone shines with a gift or gifts to help move the kingdom of God forward, achieving great things for Him. Today, remember your gifting(s). Walk in them. Please God because you are built on the proper foundation and give Him praise that He has graced your life with gifts to help others see and find the life giving words of Christ and His twelve apostles.

Bibledoorajar says "When God Remembers..."

     Jacob now had 10 sons. Leah and her maid servant had been the most productive. Rachel, although her maid had given sons, had remained unproductive no matter how often Jacob "put his shoes under her bed".  But now, now something other worldly would happen. God would remember and a baby was coming because of His remembrance of her. Jacob's eleventh son would be very special with a God ordained destiny and he would at last be born to Rachel. Although all of Jacob's wives presented him with sons, each to be a part of the 12 tribes, this son, the eleventh son, was destined to show forth an example of what God intended to do in the fullness of time with  his own Son. When he was born, Rachel named him Joseph which means God will add or increaser. Rachel  said, "God will add to her another son". The Bible does not record a comment from Jacob at this son's birth, but later in the story we will see just how beloved he was by his father. But for now Jacob had a lot on his mind.
     For a long time, he had watched his father-in-law treat him unfairly in their business arrangements. Even amidst this unfairness, Laban had had to admit that he was only being blessed because of Jacob. This was true because every time Laban changed the plan in order to get the upper hand, God remembered his servant Jacob and gave him increase opposite of Laban's plans. Although Jacob had asked Laban once to let him leave, God had not told him to do so. Laban plotted again. Jacob had been patient during all Laban's maneuverings to get and keep the upper hand, but now Laban's sons were also adding to Jacob's misery.  Now, God told Jacob to leave Laban's home and to return to the promised land and to live out his destiny there.  Now, there was a future savior of God's people to think about in the mix. It was God's time for Jacob to take his wives and his children and leave.  Jacob called his wives out to the field where he was at work and shared the reasoning for leaving. No doubt as they listened, each woman wondered if one of the children before them would be the promised Messiah. Yes, Laban was their Dad, but a future king must be protected at all costs.
     Laban had been blessed because of another. You too, have been blessed because of another.  "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only son (John 3:16)". One day He will come and take us to the Promised Land because God will remember. You can count on it. Hallelujah!

Bibledoorajar Talks of Mandrakes and Sexuality

     Reuben, Jacob's oldest, has now matured to the point that he has some understanding of the supposed ability of mandrakes to make one fertile. While Reuben later used his sexuality inappropriately with Bilhah, at this point in the story he has harvested the plants and has brought them to his mother, Leah. One wonders if he was now old enough to sense or know the rivalry between Jacob's two wives and had decided to help his mother. Rachel saw the boy with the plants and negotiated with her sister for some so that she might become fertile. Jacob must have been spending most of his time with Rachel because Leah commented: "Isn't it enough that you have taken away my husband? Do you have to take my son's mandrakes too?" So a deal was struck. Rachel would get the mandrakes in exchange for Leah getting to sleep with Jacob that night. The text does not say if the mandrakes were used by Leah in some way before she slept with Jacob, but it does reveal that she conceived and bore a son whom she named Issachar which means hire or reward. Her words were "God has given me my hire, because I gave my slave-girl to my husband."

     The race to have sons; the use of exotic plants to have sons; the blessings and judgments of God in the race. What a mix!!! It certainly points up the old human adage "do all you can and let God do the rest!" This is the fifth son that Leah has given to Jacob herself. With men, blessings and judgments come from God. Clearly, Leah is seeking vindication against her sister in the race to produce the line from which God said to Abraham that a Messiah would come. And just as clearly God is involved in Leah's affairs with or without the mandrakes. All of this leads us to ponder the old human adage and to assure ourselves that we have elevated God to the top in all our plans and efforts. It truly is, "If the Lord wills." Isn't it?

Bibledoorajar looks at Happiness

"I'm Happy today, oh yes I'm happy today

In Jesus Christ I'm happy today

Because He's taken all my sins away

And that's why I'm happy today."

Unknown

     Zilpah's second son with Jacob is linked to her first. Leah named him Asher because she said she was "happy". Asher was the eighth son of Jacob.  This made perfect sense to Leah because happiness depends on good fortune, something that she thought she possessed through the birth of her Zilpah's sons.  Happiness in one's life depends on chance and with the coming of two sons through Zilpah Leah thought she had found happiness. If I chance to find a buried treasure, it will indeed make me happy. But my happiness is not dependent on finding buried treasure. Rather, I look to Jesus who never assured me of happiness unless I made sure I was bouncing off His term--blessedness. It is far different because He does not promise good fortune, He promises a condition within that has peace of soul no matter what our life fortune is. Good or bad fortune matters not if Jesus lives in my heart even though it is human nature to want only good fortune. You might take a moment to read the Beatitudes of Jesus again this week. They can be found In Matthew 5 and Luke 6. Jesus consistently uses the term blessed. So, our little song above is accurate if, and only if, we know our happiness does not come by chance, but by the wonderful involvement of our Heavenly Father in our lives. Are you including Him? Can you be assured of a happy (blessed) week?

"Blessed are the hearts that can bend

They will never be broken."

Camus

Today we have an opportunity to be at peace within, able to bend with what life brings because He lives. Could there be a greater blessing? Have a great week walking in peace and happiness.

Bibledoorajar Salutes Fathers In the Struggle to Provide

      With the score four to two and with Rachel having declared she had prevailed against her sister, Leah took action. She thrust her handmade Zilpah forward to Jacob and encouraged him to bring another child into the world with the maid. Jacob complied and soon Gad arrived. Gad was Jacob's seventh son and at his birth Leah observed, "a troop cometh " and she called him Gad which means "in fortune".
     On yesterday, I was privileged to share a meal with four fathers. As we sat and ate and visited together there was much laughter and joy. Big children and little children were everywhere. But as I sat there and looked at each father, I realized that I knew a lot about the oppositions and struggles each man had faced in the life time of his children. One had endured the "troops coming" against him and his children and had reached older age having six children who had given him grandchildren who were now giving him great grands. I had personal knowledge of some of the agonies that he had had to endure. Though not a perfect man, he had certainly been patient in the face of adverse times within his family. He had not left; he endured. Another had faced life's difficulties and had considered ending his difficulty through death. However, he overcame those thoughts and continued his struggle finding joy in his progeny and their children. Next was a young father, virile and capable. A hard worker, he sees a bright future and is yet to see the many "troops coming".  The last was a man I do not know too well, but I know the "troops" came and he lost his children to be raised by others. Now he lives alone, seeking to find happiness through the children and family of another man.
     The Bible declares that in this world we will have tribulation. The spirit of God moved through Leah to declare this with the birth of Jacob's seventh child. With things coming at them from all directions, people have to find that last direction, the one where from deep within ourselves we look up and find good fortune in believing that God will sustain us and shape us. He will bring us to a place of peace and joy if we let Him prevail in our lives. Remember, God sees the end of our lives and He knows the plans He has for us. Center down and endure the storms with Him at the helm.

 "The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will,
Peace, be still!
Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea,
Or demons or men, or whatever it be,
No waters can swallow the ship where lies
The Master of ocean, and earth, and skies;
They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,
Peace, be still! Peace, be still!
They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,
Peace, peace, be still!"
                                           Mary Baker

Bibledoorajar Looks at Wrestling for Power

I've got the power hey yeah heh
I've got the power
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh yeah-eah-eah-eah-eah-eah
I've got the power
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh yeah-eah-eah-eah-eah-eah
Gettin' kinda heavy

The Power by Snap

     When Bilhah had a second son for Jacob, Rachel commented: "With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed." (Genesis 30:8). Rachel exalts in the power she is feeling with the birth of Naphthali ("wrestling"). How common is wrestling for power and authority in our relationships? How much are we empowered by our passion to succeed? Rachel refused to suffer defeat at the hands of her sister. After two children to Leah's four, she declared that she had prevailed. It was as if after experiencing success with the first child by Bilhah (which spoke of God's judgement and His dealings with her), she takes that experience of having been dealt with by the Lord as a great spiritual accomplishment. Now she speaks of prevailing and she takes great pride in it. But be wary Rachel, having the power all by yourself can "get kinda heavy." We all have the capacity to wriggle and squirm and bring to bear every resource we can muster to accomplish what we want, can we not? We all have our "ways".
     Have you ever been around someone who spoke of their prevailing  over a difficulty repeatedly and with great pride? Sometimes you just want to say, "do you ever suffer defeat?" Have you ever just reached a point where you had to let God prevail? Careful. We will see this word prevailing again both in the life of Jacob and the history of Israel. Remember, as long as Moses held his hands up, Israel prevailed against the enemy?
     True spiritual prevailing is not that done in one's own power, but rather in submitting to God to give the power and to render to Himself the glory. When living in Alabama, I would often compliment the preacher on a fine sermon delivery. He was usually careful to say, "may God get the glory." I always liked that because he was really saying, "I did not prevail (do not have the power), God did (has the power)."  This week evaluate what you are doing in your own strength and how much you have let God have the power in your life. Continue to realize what it means to know the God of Jacob intimately and to allow His life changing power through work of the Spirit into your daily life.

Bibledoorajar looks at God and Envy

     "When Rachel saw that she was not bearing children for Jacob, she ENVIED her sister and said to Jacob, 'Give me children or I will die!' this made Jacob ANGRY at Rachel; he answered, "Am I in God's place? He's the one who is denying you children." She said, "here is my maid, Bilhah. Go, sleep with her, and let her give birth to a child that will be laid on my knees, so that through her I too can BUILD a family." So she gave him Bilhah her slave-girl as his wife, and Jacob went in and slept with her. Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Rachel said, "God has JUDGED in my favor; indeed he has heard me and has given me a son. Therefore she called him Dan which means He judged."
                         Genesis 30: 1-6

     The theme in the birth of Jacob's first four sons was one of mercy toward the unloved Leah. Now, in this scene, we see Rachel becoming envious of her to the point that she railed at her husband to give her children or she was going to die! John Michael Montgomery wrote a song about marriage until death and giving his spouse everything he could (I Swear). I'm sure when Jacob married Rachel, whom he loved so much, he wanted to give her everything he could. Seeing her so upset with his inadequacies to do so must have been very difficult to deal with. However, he turned her wrath from him by rightly pointing out that he could not be put in the place of God. He further was willing to say that God might be judging her because he, Jacob, did not mind participating in the production of a son with the woman he loved. So, considering the facts, which included God's involvement in the matter, she gave her slave-girl to Jacob with the intent of producing a lap child via her. So Jacob had intercourse with the girl and she produced a son. When it came to naming the child, Rachel chose Dan, citing that God had judged in her favor.
     We can now see a pattern forming that we will see over and over again in the history of Israel and of you, me, and the church. God is merciful to the sinful unlovable person, the sinful unlovable nation, the sinful unlovable church. But He also moves in judgement at times of envy and bad behavior. However,  he is always about His creative work of forming a person, a body, suitable to serve the One True Holy God.
     Scripture lists envy right up there with murder and adultery. It also declares that it is love that can drive these things from the heart of a person or a nation. Perhaps God saw Rachel's motives as Paul described in 1 Corinthians 13:1:

                   "If I speak in the tongues of men and angels and have not love, I am but a
                    clanging cymbal".

      Thank God for his great love that overwhelms our negative emotions that can lead to negative words!  Even in these early roots of God's dealings with people,  we see a wonderful, holy shaping taking place.  Everything, in the fulness of time, will be accomplished through His mercy and judgement. Today, I am thinking of how through Leah's sons we see the beginnings of the priesthood and Messianic tribes of Israel and we also become aware of God's judgement with the birth of Dan. Consider Romans 11:22ff.  this week and if you are pregnant think about not naming your baby girl Bilhah ("trouble, terror, worthlessness").God bless!