Fear from Sin vs. Fear of God (Photo credit: Bjorn Giesenbauer, Creative Commons)
Read Genesis 42:3-38
In our last post on Genesis, we saw how Jacob encouraged his sons to go to Joseph for help from the famine, and where you and I can go to receive help when we experience famine, be it financial, physical, or emotional famine. (see previous post: Help in Times of Famine)
In today’s post we’ll see what happens to Joseph’s brothers when they meet with Joseph, for the first time in years, to buy grain. Then we’ll look at the secret to eliminating fear from your life.
Genesis 42:3-38
After Jacob tells his sons to stop looking at each other for answers, and to go to Egypt for grain, ten of Joseph’s brothers head for Egypt. But Jacob keeps Benjamin with him, because he’s afraid something bad might happen to him. So Israel’s (Jacob’s) sons go to buy grain, because their area, Canaan, is one of the many areas devastated by the famine.
Joseph’s brothers will try to buy their grain, which will be their salvation, but they won’t be able to purchase it, because Joseph will give it to them for free. Our Joseph, Jesus, is the same. Our salvation can’t be bought, but we receive it freely, from the One who already paid the price, on the cross. (Isaiah 55:1)
So Joseph is the governor, and as the governor, it’s his responsibility to sell grain. So when Joseph’s ten brothers arrive, they bow down to him, all the way to the ground. Joseph recognizes his brothers immediately, but he pretends he doesn’t, and he speaks harshly with them.
Where are you from? He asks.
From Canaan, they reply. We came to buy food.
Joseph realizes, even though he recognizes his brothers, they don’t recognize him. It’s at this moment he remembers his dreams about them bowing down to him.
You’re spies! You come to scout our land to find where our defenses are weak. Joseph says.
Not so, my lord, the brothers answer. Your servants have come to buy food. We’re all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest. We’re not spies.
We’re honest, they say? Honestly, how can they claim such a thing. They sold their own brother into slavery, then lied to their own father about it. They told him Joseph was dead. Joseph had to test them, to reveal to them what was really in their hearts.
No way! Joseph says. You’ve come to see where our land is unprotected.
But they reply, Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man. We’re all from the land of Canaan. The youngest of us is still with our father. One of our number is no more.
Joseph says to them, It’s just like I said, you’re spies! And here’s how you’ll be proven to be so: On Pharaoh’s grave, you won’t leave unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of you to get him, the rest I’ll keep in prison, so your words can be tested to see if you’re being straight with me. If you’re not, then as sure as Pharaoh lives, you’re spies!
Then he puts them in prison for three days.
On the third day, Joseph says to them, Do what I say and you’ll live, because I’m a man who fears God: If you’re honest, let one of your brothers stay here, in prison, while everybody else goes back with grain for your starving families. But, you have to bring your youngest brother to me, so I can verify your words, and so you may not die.
So they say to one another, We see what’s happening here. We’re being punished because of what we did to Joseph. We saw how upset he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we wouldn’t listen; that’s why this distress has come upon us.
Reuben says, I told you! I told you not to sin against the boy. But you guys wouldn’t listen! Now we’re paying the price for his blood.
In Matthew 27:25 the descendants of these very brothers said of Jesus, “His blood is on us and on our children!” (see Matthew 27)
They don’t realize Joseph can understand every word they’re saying, (let alone he’s the very one they’re speaking of) because Joseph is using an interpreter.
Joseph turns away from them and begins to weep,
Jesus wept over his brothers in Luke 19:41.
…but then he comes back and gives instructions for Simeon to be taken from them and bound, right in front of them.
This is very interesting because Simeon’s name means hearing or hearkening. So the brothers leave Joshua without hearkening, even as the Jews left Jesus for crucifixion without hearkening. (Isaiah 6:9-10)
He gives orders to fill their bags with grain, and, to put the silver he received from them, back in their sacks with the grain. He also gave them provisions for their trip home. After all this is completed, they load the grain on their donkeys and head for Canaan.
On their way home, when they stop for the night, one of them opens his sack to get some grain for his donkey, and he finds his silver in with the grain.
My silver’s been returned, he says to his brothers. It’s right here in my sack with the grain.
Ohhhhhh man, their stomachs do flips, and they turn to each other trembling with fear and say, What has God done to us?
When they arrive home, they tell their father Jacob everything that happened. They say, The man who’s lord over all the land spoke harshly with us and treated us like spies. But we told him, We’re not spies, honest! We’re twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is gone, and the youngest is with our dad in Canaan.
Then the man who’s lord over all the land said, This is how I’ll know you’re telling the truth: Leave one of your brothers here and take your food home to your starving households. But bring your youngest brother back to me, so I know you’re not spies and are honest. Then I’ll give your brother back, and you can do business here in the land.
As they’re unpacking, when they empty their sacks, each one of them finds his silver in his pouch with the grain! When Jacob and his sons see the money, their frightened. Their father says, You’ve deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone, Simeon’s gone, and now you want Benjamin. Everything’s against me!
Then Reuben says to his father, You can put both my sons to death if I don’t bring Benjamin back to you. Entrust him into my care, and I’ll bring him back.
But Jacob says, My son won’t go down there with you; his brother’s dead and he’s the only one I have left. If anything bad were to happen to him on your journey, you would cause me to die from sorrow.
Fear from Sin:
All else being equal, the peace and absence of fear you experience is in direct proportion to how holy you live. Joseph’s brothers rightly determined their problems with the Egyptian governor were a result of their sinful behavior toward their little brother Joseph. As this dawned on them, their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling… (42:28)
Those who strive to live as close as they can to the words of Christ and the scriptures have less to fear. Think about it. Are you a heavy drinker? If you are, you fear getting nailed for a DUI — your heart sinks when you see the police officer’s light bar in your rear view mirror. Are you promiscuous? If you are, you fear catching an STD, or you fear pregnancy — you tremble when you see the pregnancy test strip turn pink. Are you someone who steals from work? If you are, you fear getting fired — your heart sinks when your boss calls you into his office. Do you like to look at porn? If you do, you fear getting caught — you tremble when your wife, or father, or mother walks in on you.
Fear is one of the inevitable byproducts of sin.
I’ll never forget the time a grade school age relative came to spend a few nights at a log cabin, owned by a friend of mine. This log cabin is deep in the mountains of Oregon, where cougars, coyotes, bobcats, and bears are found. This young boy was used to having his way with his parents and with his mother in particular. He was spoiled and not accustomed to living with limits and boundaries. When his mother dropped him off, she shared that she often had trouble getting him to go to sleep at night. At my friend’s cabin, when it came time for bed, this little boy put up quite a fuss. “I can’t go to bed because I’m afraid,” he said.
My friend didn’t wait for the boy’s excuses to escalate. Instead he bent down to his level, looked him in the eye, and said very deliberately, “Listen, I’ll protect you from everything. So when you’re with me, you don’t have to be afraid of anything — except for one thing — me. Do you understand?”
The little boy nodded, and within a few minutes he fell asleep. And he went to bed just fine every night, for the rest of his stay. In fact, when it was time to go back to his mother, he cried, because he wanted to stay with my friend at his cabin.
Fear of God:
That’s how it is with God. He wants you to know you don’t have to be afraid. He wants you to know He’ll protect you from everything. He wants you to know, when you’re with Him, you don’t have to be afraid of anything — except for one thing — Him. There’s a peace that comes with that. Fear of God results in obedience to Him. It results in a holier lifestyle. And a holier lifestyle results in less fear from sin.
God wants you to know fear of Him, so, like Joseph, you won’t have to live in fear of anything or anyone else.
In verse 18 Joseph told his brothers, “…I fear God.” (Genesis 42:18) Joseph’s life is a great example of someone who lived with a fear of God. He’s one of only a few people in the Bible of whom there’s no mention of sin. Joseph lived in fear of God, so he didn’t have to live in fear from sin.
Over the years I’ve noticed something. The closer I am to God, the more I fear Him. And the more I fear Him, the less I fear everything and everyone else.
Draw close to Him, and learn to fear Him.
And He’ll deliver you from every other fear.
“But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”
-Jesus Christ, Luke 12:5
References:
Bible Gateway
Blue Letter Bible
Matthew Henry
Jon Courson
J.B. Jackson, A Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names (Bible Students Press 1908)
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Shocked by God — Seriously!
Photo by sea turtle, creative commons
Hi, I’m on vacation, hiking in the North Cascades National Park with family. So you’ll see a guest post today (with a short comment from me at the bottom) and a few posts with links to people who write better than I do, until Saturday, July 28. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
The following is a guest post by Kassidy Lane. Kassidy is the manager of Oregon Painting and Repair. He is a disciplined follower of the paleo diet and I’m pretty sure his body fat content is less than what you find in a carton of 1% milk. He lives in Springfield, Oregon with his wife, two kids, two dogs, and an undisclosed number of chickens. He is my favorite nephew (in a tie with all my other nephews, but don’t tell him that). Most importantly, he is a lover of Jesus Christ.
So I was in church last Sunday and I’m not proud to say that It was one of those services where I could not wait for it to be over so I could get on with my day. I had a long list of things I planned on doing and felt I did not have enough time for it all. My pastor said something to the effect of how some people think they don’t need God, how they have it all figured out, and how those people need to be shocked and completely surprised by God to see and feel his awesome power. One thing I know for sure and I’ll never forget, he used the word “shocked” when he shared this with us.
As the service ended I rushed out without talking to anyone so as to have more time to get my many tasks done.
Later that day I was up on a ladder, painting my neighbors house, and was electrocuted by around 220 volts/amps (don’t really know which), when my arm came in contact with a power line. I was lit up for about two seconds, then I fell 12 feet to the ground. It was by far the scariest thing that has ever happened to me. The electricity went in my right wrist and out my left wrist leaving a burn about the size of a quarter. The 220 volts passed directly through my heart and, from what I have read, could have killed me.
I just hugged my family and I cried like I have not cried in years!
God really got my attention and I hope to remember Him and His awesome power and His Grace in my future days!
-Kas
Kas’s story is so timely. As I’m posting this for Kas, I’m trying to find my Kindle. I’ve been trying to find it all day and it’s really bothering me. At the same time the wounding of the 59 and the killing of the 12 by the gunman at Dark Night Rises in Aurora, Colorado is all over the news, which really puts things in perspective. What’s a lost Kindle compared to losing a loved one? I’m betting there were more than a few families and friends of those who suffered, who let the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word — before the shooting. (Matthew 13:22) After the shooting, I’m betting most of these people have turned their hearts toward God. I’m betting the little worries of this life, and the pursuit of wealth don’t seem very important right now.
Turn your heart toward God. Don’t wait for the shock to come, or the tragedy.
You’ll be glad you did.
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Posted on July 23, 2012 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, I Wish Someone Had Told Me This When I Was Young
church, give yourself to God, God, God first, Jesus, Kassidy Lane, shocked, Surrender Yourself to God
The Holy Spirit and Warfare
Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
(Acts 2:13 — see Acts Chapter 2)
Let me begin by first saying, no one needs to hear this more than I do. After the last post on the Holy Spirit and how to know if you have him or not, I’ve had this one thing nagging at the back of my mind. There’s one other indicator to tell us when we’ve received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Opposition.
What the Opposition Looked Like for the Disciples in Acts:
Invariably, when you, or I, or anybody receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we’ll encounter spiritual warfare. For the disciples in Acts on the day of Pentacost, when they were speaking in foreign languages under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, some made fun of them and accused them of being drunk.
What the Opposition Looks Like for You and for Me (Often Times):
You’re at your keyboard and you’re on a roll. This is going to be an epic blog post. Suddenly the phone rings, it’s a family member you’ve been meaning to get a hold of for some time now. So you pick up and they have a lot to share.
After five minutes you look at the clock and think to yourself, “Did I spell Philippians right? Is it two Ls and one P, or the other way around?”
After 15 minutes you start to pace. You think to yourself, “I think I’m going to move the last paragraph up to the beginning of the first subheading. That is, if I can ever get off the phone with this person.”
By the 30 minute mark you’re ready to come out of your skin! “Doesn’t this person on the other end of the line realize I’m working on something that could save the world?”
Finally, after an hour or so your family member tells you they have to “let you go, because they have something to do.”
By the time you hang up, you’re frustrated. The roll you were on has slowed to a crawl. Your conversation with your family member wasn’t a very good representation of Christ’s love. You go back to your keyboard and continue to write your post about the fruits of the Spirit.
“Now where was I?” You think to yourself. “Oh yea, …love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness…”
Hah! The irony! How often do you find it to be so much easier to write about how to love people than it is to actually love people?
And that’s just one obstacle the enemy uses to frustrate your efforts to labor under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. There’s also the neighbor’s leaf blower, work responsibilities, your brother-in-law who needs a hand moving, ESPN, the family member who doesn’t value what you do or recognize the time and effort it requires, etc., etc.
And then there’s the more serious tactics of the enemy. Family members are taken ill, you’re taken ill, a loved one dies.
And then there’s that voice. That little voice in your head that says, “You’re not worthy. You’re not a writer. You’re an imposter.”
Take Heart:
Listen, I want you to take heart. In fact I want you to start rejoicing over these obstacles. Because facing opposition from the enemy puts you in the same camp as the disciples in Acts! After the Holy Spirit came to them the disciples faced all kinds of opposition. They not only were mocked and accused of being drunk, they were hunted, they were incarcerated, they were tortured, they were executed. Most of you reading this blog haven’t experienced anything like what they went through.
But still, you face opposition and that’s good.
It could mean you’re on to something. It could mean the enemy is alarmed, and has taken notice, and doesn’t like what he sees, and wants to stop you, or at least slow you down.
Your Primary Tactic for Defense:
The enemy’s primary weapons are always the same, lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and pride of life. He might want to distract you through your eyes with ESPN. Or he might want to entice my flesh with burgers from McDonalds, or he might want to tap into your pride by fostering an unhealthy desire for recognition.
The best tactic for you is to submit yourself, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7 — see James Chapter 4)
Your Primary Weapon:
If your primary tactic is to submit yourself to God, and to resist the devil, your primary weapon is love.
When you’re interrupted, fire up a prayer and find a way, dig deep, and disengage from writing about God, and love whoever interrupted you. Jesus didn’t say to love your neighbor, or your brother, or your sister, unless you’re working on something for Me that’s really important. He just said love one another. It’s not an option. It’s a command!
So do it.
When you’re on a roll it’s hard, I know, but do it.
The deeper you go when you write, the greater the fruit, I know, but do it anyway!
Jesus commanded it.
So no matter what,
Love people.
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Posted on July 19, 2012 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study
Holy Spirit, Interruptions, Jesus, love one another, Spiritual Warfare, warfare
Everything is against me! Genesis 42:35-36
Photo credit: Cheo70, Creative Commons
Read Genesis 42:35-36
Genesis 42:35-36
So the brothers are unpacking, and there, in each one of their sacks, is their silver! When their father Jacob sees their money pouches, they all freak. Jacob says to them, You deprive me of my sons. Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone, and now you want to take Benjamin. Everything is against me!
Everything is Against Me:
I’ve never done this before, but, I have a few things I’d like you to pray about if that’s OK with you. My family has had an interesting three months. In chronological order, here’s what’s been happening (I’ve listed these in such a way as to protect the privacy of each person):
An older close family member is diagnosed with cancer, she has only months, or even weeks left (I thank God this person’s a believer): 3 months ago.
Another close family member is experiencing serious health problems — we’re still looking for answers: Also 3 months ago.
Another close family member is diagnosed with a serious health issue and undergoes major surgery, she’s still recovering: 2 months ago.
Another close family member, suffers an injury and requires help every few days: 1 month ago.
Another close family member is diagnosed with a serious health problem: Also 1 week ago.
Another close family member is admitted into ICU: Found out last night.
(I just realized, I need to set up a macro to type, “Another close family member”)
You might think this sounds kind of like a country western song. And similar to Jacob, I might be tempted to think, “Everything is against us.” But wait, thinking back, what have I been praying for over the last four or so months? As I ponder that question, I realize I’ve been praying to God: “turn our hearts toward You,” and “fill us with love for You, with all our hearts, and all our souls, and all our minds.”
When Jacob sees the silver in with the sacks of grain, he thinks back to what he thinks he’s lost. Joseph is gone! Simeon is gone! And now you want to take Benjamin!
Everything is against me!
But Jacob can’t see what our Lord sees. God sees what’s in store for Jacob. He knows the ultimate result of what’s happened will be good.
We’ll see in the following chapters, when Jacob travels to Egypt, he’ll be reunited with his son Joseph, who is now rich and powerful, and a hero to the nation of Egypt. Jacob will be received with honor. He and his family will be given the best land to settle in. God has in mind an extreme makeover of his entire family’s socioeconomic status. God has something spectacular in mind for Jacob, and his family. It turns out, by God’s grace, everything is not against Jacob. In fact, everything is working toward Jacob’s good, and toward a good way beyond Jacob.
That’s how it is for my family. And no matter what you’re going through, that’s how it is for you and yours. God used Joseph’s brother’s cruelty. God used Potiphar’s wife’s false accusations. God used Joseph’s time in the dungeon. God used the imprisonment of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker. God used all these for good.
God can use all these illnesses, injuries, and problems in my family. God can use what seems to be bad, from our human perspective, in your life too. The point is…
God uses everything!
When I realize this, I recognize, I can’t see what He sees.
When I get this, I begin to have faith He’ll use the problems I listed for His glory, and to draw people to Him.
When I understand this, I recognize, I may not even learn what good has come from these problems while I’m still this side of heaven.
But God knows.
I know my family doesn’t have it nearly as bad as some of you reading this blog. And I know we’re blessed, way beyond what we deserve. Believe me, I know.
Even so, we’re taking some pretty good hits.
We need your prayers.
I appreciate anything you offer up to the Lord on their behalf.
I thank you in Jesus’ name.
And concerning whatever difficulty you or your family might be going through, have faith, because…
God uses everything.
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Posted on July 14, 2012 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis
All things work toward good, Everything is against me, Genesis 42, Romans 8:28
Fear from Sin vs. Fear of God: Genesis 42:3-38
Fear from Sin vs. Fear of God (Photo credit: Bjorn Giesenbauer, Creative Commons)
Read Genesis 42:3-38
In our last post on Genesis, we saw how Jacob encouraged his sons to go to Joseph for help from the famine, and where you and I can go to receive help when we experience famine, be it financial, physical, or emotional famine. (see previous post: Help in Times of Famine)
In today’s post we’ll see what happens to Joseph’s brothers when they meet with Joseph, for the first time in years, to buy grain. Then we’ll look at the secret to eliminating fear from your life.
Genesis 42:3-38
After Jacob tells his sons to stop looking at each other for answers, and to go to Egypt for grain, ten of Joseph’s brothers head for Egypt. But Jacob keeps Benjamin with him, because he’s afraid something bad might happen to him. So Israel’s (Jacob’s) sons go to buy grain, because their area, Canaan, is one of the many areas devastated by the famine.
Joseph’s brothers will try to buy their grain, which will be their salvation, but they won’t be able to purchase it, because Joseph will give it to them for free. Our Joseph, Jesus, is the same. Our salvation can’t be bought, but we receive it freely, from the One who already paid the price, on the cross. (Isaiah 55:1)
So Joseph is the governor, and as the governor, it’s his responsibility to sell grain. So when Joseph’s ten brothers arrive, they bow down to him, all the way to the ground. Joseph recognizes his brothers immediately, but he pretends he doesn’t, and he speaks harshly with them.
Where are you from? He asks.
From Canaan, they reply. We came to buy food.
Joseph realizes, even though he recognizes his brothers, they don’t recognize him. It’s at this moment he remembers his dreams about them bowing down to him.
You’re spies! You come to scout our land to find where our defenses are weak. Joseph says.
Not so, my lord, the brothers answer. Your servants have come to buy food. We’re all the sons of one man. Your servants are honest. We’re not spies.
We’re honest, they say? Honestly, how can they claim such a thing. They sold their own brother into slavery, then lied to their own father about it. They told him Joseph was dead. Joseph had to test them, to reveal to them what was really in their hearts.
No way! Joseph says. You’ve come to see where our land is unprotected.
But they reply, Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man. We’re all from the land of Canaan. The youngest of us is still with our father. One of our number is no more.
Joseph says to them, It’s just like I said, you’re spies! And here’s how you’ll be proven to be so: On Pharaoh’s grave, you won’t leave unless your youngest brother comes here. Send one of you to get him, the rest I’ll keep in prison, so your words can be tested to see if you’re being straight with me. If you’re not, then as sure as Pharaoh lives, you’re spies!
Then he puts them in prison for three days.
On the third day, Joseph says to them, Do what I say and you’ll live, because I’m a man who fears God: If you’re honest, let one of your brothers stay here, in prison, while everybody else goes back with grain for your starving families. But, you have to bring your youngest brother to me, so I can verify your words, and so you may not die.
So they say to one another, We see what’s happening here. We’re being punished because of what we did to Joseph. We saw how upset he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we wouldn’t listen; that’s why this distress has come upon us.
Reuben says, I told you! I told you not to sin against the boy. But you guys wouldn’t listen! Now we’re paying the price for his blood.
In Matthew 27:25 the descendants of these very brothers said of Jesus, “His blood is on us and on our children!” (see Matthew 27)
They don’t realize Joseph can understand every word they’re saying, (let alone he’s the very one they’re speaking of) because Joseph is using an interpreter.
Joseph turns away from them and begins to weep,
Jesus wept over his brothers in Luke 19:41.
…but then he comes back and gives instructions for Simeon to be taken from them and bound, right in front of them.
This is very interesting because Simeon’s name means hearing or hearkening. So the brothers leave Joshua without hearkening, even as the Jews left Jesus for crucifixion without hearkening. (Isaiah 6:9-10)
He gives orders to fill their bags with grain, and, to put the silver he received from them, back in their sacks with the grain. He also gave them provisions for their trip home. After all this is completed, they load the grain on their donkeys and head for Canaan.
On their way home, when they stop for the night, one of them opens his sack to get some grain for his donkey, and he finds his silver in with the grain.
My silver’s been returned, he says to his brothers. It’s right here in my sack with the grain.
Ohhhhhh man, their stomachs do flips, and they turn to each other trembling with fear and say, What has God done to us?
When they arrive home, they tell their father Jacob everything that happened. They say, The man who’s lord over all the land spoke harshly with us and treated us like spies. But we told him, We’re not spies, honest! We’re twelve brothers, sons of one father. One is gone, and the youngest is with our dad in Canaan.
Then the man who’s lord over all the land said, This is how I’ll know you’re telling the truth: Leave one of your brothers here and take your food home to your starving households. But bring your youngest brother back to me, so I know you’re not spies and are honest. Then I’ll give your brother back, and you can do business here in the land.
As they’re unpacking, when they empty their sacks, each one of them finds his silver in his pouch with the grain! When Jacob and his sons see the money, their frightened. Their father says, You’ve deprived me of my sons. Joseph is gone, Simeon’s gone, and now you want Benjamin. Everything’s against me!
Then Reuben says to his father, You can put both my sons to death if I don’t bring Benjamin back to you. Entrust him into my care, and I’ll bring him back.
But Jacob says, My son won’t go down there with you; his brother’s dead and he’s the only one I have left. If anything bad were to happen to him on your journey, you would cause me to die from sorrow.
Fear from Sin:
All else being equal, the peace and absence of fear you experience is in direct proportion to how holy you live. Joseph’s brothers rightly determined their problems with the Egyptian governor were a result of their sinful behavior toward their little brother Joseph. As this dawned on them, their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling… (42:28)
Those who strive to live as close as they can to the words of Christ and the scriptures have less to fear. Think about it. Are you a heavy drinker? If you are, you fear getting nailed for a DUI — your heart sinks when you see the police officer’s light bar in your rear view mirror. Are you promiscuous? If you are, you fear catching an STD, or you fear pregnancy — you tremble when you see the pregnancy test strip turn pink. Are you someone who steals from work? If you are, you fear getting fired — your heart sinks when your boss calls you into his office. Do you like to look at porn? If you do, you fear getting caught — you tremble when your wife, or father, or mother walks in on you.
Fear is one of the inevitable byproducts of sin.
I’ll never forget the time a grade school age relative came to spend a few nights at a log cabin, owned by a friend of mine. This log cabin is deep in the mountains of Oregon, where cougars, coyotes, bobcats, and bears are found. This young boy was used to having his way with his parents and with his mother in particular. He was spoiled and not accustomed to living with limits and boundaries. When his mother dropped him off, she shared that she often had trouble getting him to go to sleep at night. At my friend’s cabin, when it came time for bed, this little boy put up quite a fuss. “I can’t go to bed because I’m afraid,” he said.
My friend didn’t wait for the boy’s excuses to escalate. Instead he bent down to his level, looked him in the eye, and said very deliberately, “Listen, I’ll protect you from everything. So when you’re with me, you don’t have to be afraid of anything — except for one thing — me. Do you understand?”
The little boy nodded, and within a few minutes he fell asleep. And he went to bed just fine every night, for the rest of his stay. In fact, when it was time to go back to his mother, he cried, because he wanted to stay with my friend at his cabin.
Fear of God:
That’s how it is with God. He wants you to know you don’t have to be afraid. He wants you to know He’ll protect you from everything. He wants you to know, when you’re with Him, you don’t have to be afraid of anything — except for one thing — Him. There’s a peace that comes with that. Fear of God results in obedience to Him. It results in a holier lifestyle. And a holier lifestyle results in less fear from sin.
God wants you to know fear of Him, so, like Joseph, you won’t have to live in fear of anything or anyone else.
In verse 18 Joseph told his brothers, “…I fear God.” (Genesis 42:18) Joseph’s life is a great example of someone who lived with a fear of God. He’s one of only a few people in the Bible of whom there’s no mention of sin. Joseph lived in fear of God, so he didn’t have to live in fear from sin.
Over the years I’ve noticed something. The closer I am to God, the more I fear Him. And the more I fear Him, the less I fear everything and everyone else.
Draw close to Him, and learn to fear Him.
And He’ll deliver you from every other fear.
References:
Bible Gateway
Blue Letter Bible
Matthew Henry
Jon Courson
J.B. Jackson, A Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names (Bible Students Press 1908)
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Posted on July 7, 2012 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis
Fear, fear from sin, fear God, fear of man, Genesis 42, sin
Help in Times of Famine: Genesis 42:1-2
Photo Credit: tvstar.com.mk
Read Genesis 42:1-2
Last post on Genesis we saw what happened to Joseph after Pharaoh heard him interpret his dreams. We also examined how Joseph determined direction for the nation of Egypt and how you can determine direction yourself. (see previous post: God, Joseph, and Direction)
In today’s post we’ll look at where Jacob sends his sons for grain during a famine. And we’ll look at where we can go when we’re experiencing famine, be it financial, physical, or emotional famine.
Genesis 42:1-2
After Jacob figures out there’s grain in Egypt, he says to his sons, Why just sit around and look at each other? Go where the bread is, go to the source of nourishment. Go to where you, and me, and our families can be saved — from this famine. Go to where the bread is, so that we may live and not die.
Help in Times of Famine:
Jacob’s sons” reluctance to go to Egypt for grain reminds me of another story:
“Do you want to get well?” Jesus asked the lame man at the pool of Bethesda.
I want to get down to the pool, because I think it’ll heal me, but I have no one to help me. Someone always gets there ahead of me, the lame man said.
Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
The only problem was, Jesus did this on the Sabbath. So when the leaders found out, they were angry. That’s when Jesus said to them, concerning the Old Testament: “These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (emphasis mine, see John Chapter 5)
Jacob and his sons don’t know it yet, but it won’t be long before they’ll find out, Joseph is the source they’ll be receiving food from, so that they may live and not die. And we also know Jesus said of the Old Testament: “These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:39-40) So here we have another example of how the Scriptures testify of Jesus. We again see in Joseph, a divine prophetic expression of Jesus Christ.
Jacob’s sons looking at each other, and their reluctance to go to Joseph to be saved, is a picture of how Jesus’ brothers, the Jewish leadership, were reluctant to go to Jesus. It’s also a picture of what you and I so often do when we respond to famine. When the famine comes, we often look to each other, and other human beings, to be saved. But what God, our heavenly Father, would have us do, is go to Jesus for our bread. Christ is the source of our grain, if you will. He is the Word made flesh. He is the Bread of life. (John 1:14)
Jesus is our Joseph.
And Jesus is the Word. So God’s word is where God would have us go “so that we may live and not die.”
Maybe things are so bad right now, you feel like you’re going to die. Maybe you’re experiencing famine. Maybe it’s a financial famine: you’re unemployed or just struggling to make it. Or maybe it’s a physical famine: you’re sick, or injured, or the doctor came back with a diagnosis of cancer. Or maybe it’s an emotional famine: you’re dealing with a divorce, or she betrayed you, or they’re attacking you personally.
The question is, where do you go when there’s famine? Do you look at those around you for answers? Or do you go to where the bread is?
The Bible, is where the bread is, and God has good reasons for sending us there.
When I read the Bible I’m gaining insight into the very mind of God. That, in and of itself, makes it the most important book to read there is.
When I read the Bible I’m reading the very same words Jesus studied and read.
When I read the gospels in the Bible, I’m studying the very words spoken by Jesus Christ Himself.
When I read the Bible I’m reminded of great truths.
When I read the Bible I’m more oriented toward what’s important to God and less anxious about the things of this world.
When I read the Bible I’m more mindful of eternal things, heavenly things, things that will matter forever (and that’s a long time).
I know from experience, reading the Bible regularly, changes who I am. When I read the Bible I’m a different person than when I don’t. I know this because my wife says she prefers the kurt who reads the Bible regularly, to the kurt who does not.
It’s true for anybody. Reading the Bible regularly will make you less like your current self, and more like the person both you and God want you to become.
So why just sit around and look at each other? Go where the bread is, go to the source of nourishment. Go to where you and your family can be saved. Go to where the bread is, “so that you may live and not die.”
Read your Bible.
It will change your life.
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Posted on June 30, 2012 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis
bible study, bread, famine, Genesis 42, Jesus, Jesus and Joseph, joseph, read bible
God, Joseph, and Direction: Genesis 41:41-57
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Read Genesis 41:41-57
In our last post on Genesis we saw how Joseph, after living faithfully through all kinds of hardships: betrayal by his family, slavery, false accusation, and ten years in a dungeon, was ultimately raised up, raised up in one day, to second in command over Egypt. In today’s post we’ll look at what happens to Joseph and Egypt, after Pharaoh’s decision to appoint him as governor. Where Joseph’s life continues to paint a picture of Jesus, I simply couldn’t help myself, I just had to insert commentary to point out those scriptures. Finally, we’ll look at Joseph’s process for choosing direction as it relates to God’s Spirit and Joseph’s abilities.
Genesis 41:41-57
So after Pharaoh hears what the cupbearer says about how the Lord used Joseph to accurately interpret dreams, and after Pharaoh hears Joseph’s interpretation of his own dreams, he sees God’s Spirit is in Joseph. (Genesis 41:38) Just as soon as Pharaoh recognizes Joseph is led by God’s Spirit, he makes a command decision.
I’m putting you in charge, of the whole country, Pharaoh says to Joseph. Then he takes off his signet ring and puts it on Joseph’s finger. He orders up some clothes fitting for a man who’s second in command and has Joseph put them on. He gives Joseph a gold chain to wear around his neck. And he has him ride in a chariot, as his right hand man, and the people shout out before him, Make way!
And that’s how it went down when Joseph was appointed as the governor of Egypt, only with respect to the throne, was Pharaoh greater than Joseph. (Genesis 41:40)
After all the ceremony, Pharaoh says to Joseph, Yes I’m Pharaoh, but nobody will lift a finger in all of Egypt without your word. Pharaoh renames Joseph, he calls him Zaphenath-Paneah. And he gives him a wife named Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
Pharaoh says to Joseph, “,,,without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” (Genesis 41:44) Even as Jesus said in John 15:5, “…apart from me you can do nothing.”
Joseph is given a Gentile bride. Even as Jesus is given His Gentile bride, us, you and me, the church. (Revelation 21:9)
Then Joseph travels all over Egypt to learn about the land he’s governing.
He’s thirty years old when he enters into public service.
I can’t help but notice Joseph is thirty years old when he enters into serving the public, even as Jesus was thirty when he entered into public ministry. (Luke 3:23)
So he’s traveling throughout Egypt, and during the seven years of prosperity the land produces bountifully, just as God, through Joseph, said it would. And Joseph collects all the food produced in those seven years and stores it in the cities. Each city has it’s storage from the food produced in the fields around it. The quantities of grain Joseph collects and stores are like the sand of the sea; there’s so much that he can’t keep track of it so he stops keeping records. The crop production is so great, it’s beyond measure.
During these first seven years Joseph has two sons with his wife Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Joseph names his first son Manasseh (which means causing to forget). He says he named him that, “…because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” The second son he names Ephraim (which means I shall be doubly fruitful), “…because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”
Well, just as God’s Spirit predicted, the seven years of abundance come to an end, and the seven years of famine begin. All around people are hurting for food. But Egypt is prepared for the shortage. When Egypt begins to feel the famine, the people cry out to Pharaoh, who tells all the Egyptians, Just go see Joseph and do whatever he tells you.
When the people cry out to be saved, from starvation, Pharaoh directs them to Joseph. “…do what he tells you,” Pharaoh says to the Egyptians. (Genesis 41:55) Even as God, when the people cry out to be saved, from their own sin, directs them to Jesus. Speaking of Jesus on the mount of transfiguration God said, “…listen to Him.” (Luke 9:35)
When the famine is effecting the whole of Egypt, Joseph opens the storehouses and sells grain to the Egyptians. The famine is terrible, and everyone both inside and outside of Egypt comes to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine is so severe, everywhere.
Through Joseph, God saves the nations from starvation. Through Jesus, God saves the world from their sin.
God, Joseph, and Decisions:
It’s obvious Joseph was one in whom is the Spirit of God. (Genesis 41:38) And God’s Spirit in him resulted in his prospering and in an ability to make great decisions.
But maybe you’ve read about Joseph and you’re asking yourself, How does that work? Does Joseph use reason and wisdom? Or does he use the leading of God’s Spirit to make decisions?
I believe the answer is both. To gain insight, I think it’s important to see how Joseph had God’s Spirit two distinct ways.
1) First, he had God’s Spirit in the same way some of the craftsmen who built the tabernacle had God’s Spirit: …he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills, Moses said of the man chosen to lead the building of the tabernacle. (Exodus 35:30-35)
Joseph had skills born of God’s Spirit. Joseph was faithful to his duty, even in the beginning, in the day of small things. He was industrious and he had great integrity. Based on his rapid rise to prominence in Potipher’s household, and in prison, and in Pharaoh’s administration, I believe Jospeh also had great skills as a communicator, as an organizer, and as a problem solver. (see previous post Joseph’s 4 Steps to Success)
No doubt Joseph used all these skills in his decision making and problem solving wherever he worked. And I don’t think there’s any doubt these skills served him well.
But there’s a danger here. Sometimes the more skills God blesses you with, the more you tend to rely on those skills — at the exclusion of seeking God’s direction. Which brings us to the second way in which Joseph experienced God’s Spirit.
2) The second way in which Joseph had God’s Spirit was through connection. Joseph was connected to God in a way that opened communication with God’s Spirit. I believe Joseph was someone who was constantly seeking God’s direction. He was seeking God’s will in his life. He was sensitive to God’s Spirit.
Can you imagine the consequences, had Joseph relied solely on his gifts and skills, without tapping into the leading of the Spirit? Egypt’s economy would have gone into deep depression. The recovery from such devastation would have taken decades, if there even was a recovery. And most importantly, millions in Egypt and in the surrounding nations would have died of starvation.
I’m reminded of Joshua, another man gifted with great administrative abilities. When the Gibeonites came and requested of Joshua that Israel enter into an alliance with them, they told him they were from a far away country. Joshua, relying on his powers of deduction, saw they had worn clothes, and old wineskins, and moldy bread. What a seemingly simple decision. It’s so obvious. They’re from a far away country.
We’re not to ally ourselves with anyone local, Joshua told them, but an alliance with you? No problem. It’s easy to figure out, you’re not from around here.
Joshua 9:14 says, they checked out their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. (see Joshua Chapter 9)
Three days later the Israeli people find out the truth about the Gibeonites. And they’re protesting against Joshua and the others leading Israel, because they were duped.
Not long after that, Israel has to march all night, and risk lives in battle, to honor their alliance with the Gibeonites.
Like Joshua, Joseph was blessed with brains and abilities, but he recognized the value in seeking God’s direction. And like Joseph, like Joshua, and like anyone, you and I can’t see one single second into the future. Right now you can’t see beyond the four walls of the room you’re in, or if you’re outside, you’re limited to the strength of your eyesight. You can’t see into the past except for what others have recorded and what you remember. Even with television and the internet, your awareness of the time-space continuum is just the tiniest fraction of what God sees, which is everything.
Joseph recognized this. “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.” He said to the cupbearer and to the baker. (Genesis 40:8) When Pharaoh asked Joseph to interpret his dreams he immediately said,
“I can’t do it…”
“…but…”
“…God will give the answer…”
God had the answer. He saved millions of lives from death by starvation.
God has the answers still. For you and for me.
Thank God for the skills, gifts, and abilities He’s blessed you with. But don’t rely on your gifts exclusively. Don’t neglect seeking His direction.
Pray through life decisions.
Seek His direction constantly.
Pray for Him to direct your steps.
Pray for sensitivity to His Holy Spirit.
If you do you could be blessed like Joseph was.
If you do you could be led down a path that will save you and your people from disaster.
References:
Bible Gateway
Blue Letter Bible
J.B. Jackson, A Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names, 1908
Matthew Henry
Walton, Matthews, Chavalas, (2000) IVP Bible Background Commentary, Old Testament
Jon Courson
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Posted on June 23, 2012 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis, I Wish Someone Had Told Me This When I Was Young
Direction, Genesis 41, God's direction, God's will, Holy Spirit, joseph, Joseph and Jesus, Joseph Egypt, Spirit led
How to Love Like Jesus — Show the Way: John 3:1-15
Nicodemus with Jesus at Night (Photo Credit: Eastminster Presbyterian Church)
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
John 3:1-15
How Jesus Loved People:
When Nicodemus came to Him Jesus referred back to the story in the Old Testament when the Israelites were traveling through the wilderness, and they began complaining. They complained about the food (manna), they complained about Moses, and they complained about God.
In response, the Lord sent venomous snakes among the Israelites, and many were bitten and died. “We sinned…” the Israelites said to Moses. “Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.”
So Moses prayed and the Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived. (Numbers 21:4-9)
Jesus told Nicodemus, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
Jesus tells Nicodemus that He, Jesus, must be lifted up in the same way as that brass snake. But not so people can be saved from snake bites, but so people can be saved forever, eternally!
How to Love Like Jesus:
Jesus loved Nicodemus enough to share the truth about how to attain eternal life. You and I must love people enough to do the same. Think about it: you know the way to eternal life, and you know people who don’t. God would have you share what you know! That person’s eternal life is at stake.
So be sensitive to those who might have questions like Nicodemus did.
Look for a quiet opportunity, maybe at night, like Jesus did.
Recognize the role of God’s Spirit, as Jesus did.
Then share the truth, about the way to eternal life like Jesus did.
Perhaps you’re knowledgeable about the Bible. Maybe you’ve been blessed with the opportunity to receive instruction from the Lord. Flesh gives birth to flesh, and Spirit gives birth to Spirit, but when a baby needs to be birthed, and the mother can’t deliver, there are problems. In the same way, if you’re not birthing spiritually, you’ll have problems. Over and over and over I see people who are saved, people who are Christians, who know God’s word, and believe in Jesus, but they aren’t sharing the way to eternal life as Jesus did with Nicodemus. Over time problems develop. It’s as though they’re breathing in but never breathing out. When someone does that physically, they become faint. When someone does that spiritually, they become spiritually faint. They lose spiritual strength. There’s a lack of responsiveness in their relationship with God. A spiritual sluggishness creeps in.
Don’t become that person.
Find a way, to share the way to eternal life, like Jesus did. Talk with someone you suspect has questions, when things get quiet, maybe at night. Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help.
Or make a phone call.
Or send an email.
Or start a blog.
But find a way.
Do it out of love for God.
Do it out of love for people.
Do it because you love yourself, because you’ll be blessed when you share.
But do it.
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Posted on June 14, 2012 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, How Jesus Loved People - How You Can Too
how to love like Jesus, Jesus, John 3:1-15, love bible verses, Love like Jesus, love verses
Forgotten
Forgotten (Photo Credit: davidknightwrites.blogspot.com)
Read Genesis 40:8-23
Last post on Genesis, we looked at Joseph’s comment about interpretation and how it relates to fire, and more importantly, how it relates to God. (see previous post: God, Fire, and Interpretation)
In today’s post we’ll see how Joseph is used by God to interpret the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s prisoners: Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer, and his chief baker. We’ll also look at even more parallels in Joseph’s life that continue to paint a prophetic picture of Jesus. Jesus Himself said in Luke 24:44-45, “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.
Finally we’ll look at what it feels like to be forgotten.
Genesis 40:8-23
Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and baker each have dreams on the same night. Joseph sees they’re dejected because they recognize the dreams as having meaning, but they can’t figure out the interpretation. So Joseph asks them the rhetorical question, “Do not interpretations belong to God?”
So the cupbearer decides to share his dream with Joseph.
He, the cupbearer, says, In my dream I see this vine in front of me, and it has three branches. As soon as the vine buds, it blossoms, and it’s clusters ripen into grapes. In my dream, Pharaoh’s cup is in my hand so I take the grapes, squeeze the juice out of them into Pharaoh’s cup, and put the cup in his hand.
Joseph says, This is the interpretation, The three branches are three days. Inside of three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and call you back up to your former position. You’ll put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand just like you used to. Now listen, when you’re back in Pharaoh’s good graces, remember me and do me a favor, mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. I was taken by force from the land of the Hebrews, and I’ve never done anything to deserve a life sentence in a dungeon.
When the baker sees that the cupbearer received a favorable interpretation he decides to share his dream as well.
I also had a dream, the baker says. In my dream I have three baskets of bread on top of my head. Inside the top basket there are all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, but the only thing is, birds are eating them out of the basket on my head.
This is what it means, The three baskets equal three days. In three days Pharaoh will have your head and impale your body on a pole. And the birds will eat your flesh.
Cut to three days later and it’s Pharaoh’s birthday. He gives a feast for all his officials. Pharaoh lifts up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, in front of all his administration. He restores the chief cupbearer to his old position, so he’s serving Pharaoh his cup once again. But he has the chief baker impaled. Everything happened just as God, through Joseph, had interpreted.
But the chief cupbearer forgot about Joseph and his request.
Joseph and Jesus:
The picture of Jesus painted in Joseph’s life continues as we see still more parallels between them:
1) Both were sentenced based on false accusations: Joseph accused of raping Potiphar’s wife, and Jesus of inciting rebellion against the established government. (Luke 23:1-4)
2) Both were numbered with two transgressors: Joseph with the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, and Jesus with the two thieves on either side of Him as He hung on the cross. (Mark 15:27-28)
The baker of bread and the cupbearer of wine also speak of Jesus’ command for us to take communion. And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” (Luke 22:19-20)
3) Both endured feeling forgotten: Joseph thought he was forgotten by the cupbearer, but he wasn’t, as we’ll see later. And Jesus, felt forsaken when He was separated from His Father for the first time in eternity. He cried out “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) (Matthew 27:45-50)
Forgotten
I spoke with a good friend of mine day before yesterday and he shared with me how he’s feeling forgotten. He’s separated from family, he has financial problems, and he has health problems. Maybe you’re feeling forgotten. Maybe you’re not stuck in a dungeon but stuck in a job, or stuck on unemployment, or stuck in a house that’s upside down financially, or stuck in debt, or stuck in a tough marriage.
You know, just one chapter previous, the Bible says of Joseph, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness. (Genesis 39:21) Given Joseph’s story so far, you might be saying to yourself right now, “Are you kidding me? The Lord was with him? The Lord showed him kindness? What kindness? Joseph’s family badmouthed him behind his back, they plotted to kill him, they tossed him into a cistern, they sold him into slavery, they told his father he was dead, then he was falsely accused of rape, tossed into a dungeon, and now… Now the cupbearer’s forgotten about him altogether and he’s rotting in this dungeon for who knows how long! Kindness you say?”
Speaking of God the Father, Jesus said, “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matthew 5:45)
In other words, we all have problems.
Jesus said it again, even more directly, when He stated, In this world you will have trouble. (John 16:33)
It’s not surprising then that Joseph has had trouble, serious trouble. We all either do have, or will have trouble. You either have, or are going to have trouble, serious trouble. Every single person on the planet experiences problems. No one escapes. Not one of us. No matter what we do.
Because we live in a fallen world, we have no choice when it comes to troubles, we’ll all have them. The choice we do have though, is whether or not we want the Lord with us in the dungeon, whether or not we want Him to show us kindness when we’re stuck in that tough situation, when we’re in the midst of our trouble. Walking through problems with Him can make our difficulties so much better than they would be otherwise.
Last night a man named Louie Zamperini was interviewed on a talk show. Louie was a juvenile delinquent who seemed to turn things around when he became a track star as a teenager. He went to the Olympics and it appeared he had a bright future ahead of him. Many thought he’d be the first to break the four minute mile barrier. But before the next Olympics, World War II started. Louie enlisted as a bombardier. During a rescue mission his plane crashed into the middle of the Pacific Ocean. He was lost at sea on a life raft with two fellow soldiers for 47 days, longer than any other person in history. During that time he was nearly killed by starvation, sharks, storms, and a Japanese bomber that strafed his raft — twice.
But that wasn’t even the hard part. On the 48th day they were captured by the Japanese. Louie was tortured mercilessly by a Japanese guard, nicknamed “the Bird” by the prisoners. This went on for years.
During his time lost at sea and as a P.O.W. Louie prayed fervently for God to spare his life. In return, Louie promised he would serve Him.
Miraculously, Louie did survive the war but afterwards he suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. He had intense horrific dreams of his tormentor, the Bird, every single night. He even attempted to find him in Japan so he could kill him in revenge. He started drinking heavily. He had trouble holding a job. He was at rock bottom. Eventually his wife told him she was filing for divorce.
Then one day his wife attended a Billy Graham crusade. She made a commitment to Christ and came home a changed woman. She announced to Louie the divorce was off. She also drug Louie to the next crusade meeting. He was resentful and angry about it. But then she talked him into attending another, and as he listened to Billy Graham that second time, it hit him.
I have forgotten!
On the talk show he said, I thought to myself, what an idiot! Here I had told God if He saved me I’d serve Him for the rest of my life. God kept his end of the deal, but I had forgotten mine. So I committed myself to Christ. Up until that time I dreamed of the Bird every night. But since that day I committed myself to Christ, I haven’t dreamed of him once, and I haven’t had any drinking problems. (Unbroken)
The point is, God didn’t forget Joseph while he was in the dungeon. And God didn’t forget Louie Zamperini, not even while he was stranded at sea and suffering torture from the Bird.
But Louie forgot Him!
It’s not a question of God forgetting you. It’s a question of you forgetting Him!
I’m telling you right now, remember Him. Whatever you do, remember to TAKE HIM WITH YOU, into the dungeon you’re dwelling in currently. Remember Him. Remember to TAKE HIM WITH you out in whatever sea you’re stranded in. Remember Him. Remember to TAKE HIM WITH you into whatever torture you’re enduring.
Take Him into your heart and mind by reading His Bible. Take Him into conversation by praying to Him. Take Him into your company by worshiping Him at His house, with His people.
And do this in remembrance of Him — take communion.
He hasn’t forgotten you.
Remember Him.
References:
Bible Gateway
Blue Letter Bible
Matthew Henry
Chuck Smith
Jon Courson
Chuck Smith Blog Post: Not Abandoned
Laura Hillenbrand (2010). Unbroken, Random House
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Posted on June 9, 2012 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis
cupbearer, Genesis 40, Jesus Old Testament, Joseph and Jesus, Joseph Old Testament, Unbroken, Zamperini
Creative
The Card Players by Paul Cézanne: most expensive painting ever sold. Price: 250 million. (Photo Credit: Wikipedia)
What’s the best thing you’ve ever created?
Maybe you’ve written something, a blog post, or a poem, or a book.
Or it might be you’re a great cook, a creator of spectacular meals.
Or perhaps you’ve redecorated a room, or even built a house.
Or written a song, or drawn a great picture.
Think back with me to what’s been your very best creation so far.
Now consider God’s: http://htwins.net/scale2/ .
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Posted on June 4, 2012 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, I Wish Someone Had Told Me This When I Was Young
About Jesus, creative, God, why it doesn't make sense to
God, Fire, and Interpretation: Genesis 40:1-8
Read Genesis 40:1-8
In the last post on Genesis, we saw how Joseph, a young man, in the prime of his life and possessing all the desires young men in their prime possess, somehow avoided succumbing to the relentless propositions of Potiphar’s wife. (see previous post: Joseph’s 5 Steps to Avoid Temptation) At the end of the previous chapter, she (falsely) accuses him of rape. It was the word of a slave, against the word of the wife of a high government official, and, of course, she won. So Joseph finds himself in a dungeon. But, by God’s grace, he also finds favor with the warden of the dungeon. And after awhile, the warden puts him in charge of other prisoners.
In today’s post we’ll learn about two of Pharaoh’s prisoners, the cupbearer and the baker, and their respective dreams. And we’ll look at interpretation as it relates to fire, and as it relates to God.
Genesis 40:1-8
So Joseph has been in prison for some time when a couple of new convicts arrive. They were officials in the king’s court who had offended their master, the Pharaoh. One was the chief cupbearer, and the other the chief baker. And Joseph is assigned to take care of both of them.
They had been in custody for awhile when each of them, the cupbearer and the baker, has a dream on the same night, and each dream has its own meaning. The only thing is, neither of them can figure it out.
When Joseph shows up the next morning he can tell they’re both dejected. So he asks, Why so sad?
They both answer, We both had dreams but there’s no one to interpret them.
Then Joseph says, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”
Interpretation: Fire and God
On the topic of interpretations, and who they belong to: In my thirty years in the fire service, I have heard of only one person crazy enough to disregard the interpretation of a fire scene by firefighters. Unfortunately I experienced it first hand. The call came in around 7 in the morning, as a house fire with children trapped at 503 Alberts St. When we rolled up we saw the house was well involved with fire. I’ll never forget my surprise when, as we deployed off our fire engines, we were met by a man screaming obscenities. He was, if you will, challenging our interpretation of the fire scene — in no uncertain terms. He continued to scream obscenities at us while we removed three children trapped in a back bedroom of the burning house. Sadly, we were too late to save two of them. One survived.
Later we found out the man screaming was a neighbor, and Vietnam vet, suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. After it was all over, he apologized profusely. He felt terrible. I actually feel sorry for the guy.
Let me ask you something:
If your house was on fire.
And your family was trapped inside.
And you were standing out in the street next to me.
And a half dozen or so fire engines rolled up to the scene.
Would you interpret that fire scene — or would you rely on me, as a firefighter, to interpret it for you?
Of course, you would rely on my interpretation — even though you wouldn’t understand much of what I did. Undoubtedly you’d have questions. Why are you cutting a hole in my roof? you might ask. Why are you using precious time to take your fire hose all the way around to the back? you may question. What are you doing with those big fans? And what does all this have to do with saving my family?
Yes, you would definitely have questions. There would definitely be things you wouldn’t understand. But to give you and your family the best possible chance, you’d rely on my interpretation anyway.
You would put your faith in me, as a firefighter, and you would be wise to do so. If you tried to figure it out yourself, your family could die in the flames.
And yet, the difference between me and you isn’t that great. After all, I’m just a man. My time on the earth may not be as long as yours. My life experience might not be as extensive as yours. My accomplishments probably aren’t as great as yours.
But still, you’d rely on my interpretation.
How much more then, should we rely on Jesus Christ’s interpretation of the scriptures, because of who He is.
I’m not talking about checking your brain. I enjoy discussing questions concerning scripture with others, and also exploring questions about scripture myself. Romans 12:2 says we’re to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. And the Jews of Berea received Paul’s information, but they had questions. So they diligently researched to see if what he was saying was true. (Acts 17:10-12)
Asking questions about the Bible is healthy and should be commended. The people at Berea were said to be of more noble character than others.
What I’m talking about is recognizing who Jesus is compared to who you are and who I am.
So who does Jesus say he is?
He said, He was with God before the world even existed. (John 17:5)
Jesus said to His disciples, If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father. How can you even say, Show us the Father? (John 14:9)
In these and other places in the Bible, Jesus says He is God.
In John 10:33 we see clearly, the Jews understood Jesus claim that He was God: “We are not stoning you for any good work, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” they said.
So it makes sense for you to rely on me, a mere man, not much different than you, for the interpretation of a fire scene, and for the salvation of your family from a house fire. How much more then, does it make sense for you to rely on the Christ, who is God, as much as you possibly can, for your interpretation of scripture, as well as your salvation.
The only thing that makes sense is to rely on Jesus’ view of scripture.
And how does He see it?
I think it’s impossible to read the four gospels without coming to the conclusion Jesus viewed (and views) scripture as God’s word.
“But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.” Jesus said, substantiating the account of the destruction of Sodom. (Luke 17:29)
“Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died.” Jesus said, confirming manna fell from heaven (John 6:49)
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—” Jesus stated, validating Daniel of the Old Testament as a real and genuine prophet. (Matthew 24:15)
Let the reader understand, Jesus really did view the Old Testament as God’s word. He quoted from twenty four different books of the Old Testament. He quoted from it often and as having the weight of God’s authority behind it. He accepted the Old Testament as “that which was spoken unto you by God” (Matthew 22:31) But please, let me encourage you not to take my word for it. Read the gospels and see for yourself.
I don’t think there’s any question, we’ll never understand everything in the Old Testament, or the New Testament for that matter, this side of heaven. The interpretation of scripture is infinitely more complex than the interpretation of a fire scene. If you have questions about a fire scene, it’s only natural you would have questions about scripture. But because Jesus is God, the only thing that makes sense is to view the scriptures as He did.
I know how to rescue people from a house fire (IF, you give me a handful of fire engines and 20 or so trained firefighters). So you put your faith in me. Jesus knows how to raise people from the dead! I know how to extinguish the flames. So you put your faith in me. Jesus created fire, and everything in the earth, and the entire universe!
In fact, because Jesus is God, it makes infinitely more sense for you to rely on Jesus for your interpretation of scripture, than it does for you to rely on me to interpret a fire scene. In either case, if you try to lean on your own understanding, you and the people you love and care about will get burned. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
In the end, what you’re left with is a choice: Will you buy the secular criticisms of the Bible so prevalent on the internet today? Or will you believe God’s word in the same way Jesus did?
Will you believe the critics or Christ?
“Do not interpretations belong to God?” (Genesis 40:8)
Joseph said it well.
Put your faith in Him.
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Posted on June 2, 2012 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis
Bible interpretation, deity of Christ, Genesis 40, interpretation, joseph, Old Testament
The Story of Ian and Larissa
Ian was just a normal college guy in a relationship with Larissa. They dated for 10 months with the intention of getting married. But Ian’s car accident changed everything.
How Larissa handles it blows me away! I’m reminded of how undeserving and unworthy I am, yet in spite of that, Jesus desires me (and you) as His bride.
References:
desiringGod
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Posted on May 22, 2012 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, How Jesus Loved People - How You Can Too, I Wish Someone Had Told Me This When I Was Young, Marriage
bride of Christ, desiring God, Ian, John Piper, Larissa, marriage, woman marries disabled man
Joseph’s Seduction: Genesis 39:6-23
Who Has Your Heart? (Photo Credit: The Rooted Blog)
In our last post on Genesis, we saw, though Joseph began as a lowly seventeen year old slave boy, he rose rapidly to prominence in Potiphar’s household. And we explored the four steps Joseph took to get there. (see previous post: Joseph’s 4 Steps to Success: Genesis 39:1-6)
In today’s post on Genesis 39:6-23 we’ll see Joseph tested with seduction and temptation, then we’ll explore the question: Who’s seducing you?
Genesis 39:6-23
I don’t know what Joseph’s early responsibilities were when he first began at Potiphar’s house, but they may have been intensely physical, because Joseph was ripped (“well built” verse six tells us). He was also a good looking guy. And because of this, Joseph’s master’s wife notices him, and begins to proposition him, without much in the way of subtlety either.
“Come to bed with me!” she says to him.
But Joseph consistently refuses her. He says, Hey look, my master has such trust in me, he doesn’t concern himself with anything in the house; he’s put everything he owns in my care. I’m the top guy here. He’s kept nothing of his from me, except for you, because you’re his wife. So, with all that in mind, how could I possibly do such a terrible thing, and sin against God.
But in spite of his refusals, she persists. Day, after day, after day she continues to proposition him. But Joseph continues to refuse to go to bed with her, or even to be with her.
One day though, he goes into the house to do his work, and the place is empty. None of the other servants are around. Potiphar’s wife is the only one there. She grabs him by his cloak and says (for the one thousandth time), “Come to bed with me!” But he escapes out of his cloak, leaving it in her hand, and runs out of the house.
When she realizes Joseph left his cloak in her hand when he fled, she calls in her servants and says, Look! This Hebrew is making a joke of us! He came in here to have his way with me, but I screamed. When he heard me scream, he left his cloak laying here beside me and ran.
She keeps his cloak next to her until Potiphar comes home, and she tells him her story: That Hebrew slave guy you brought us came into my room to force himself on me. But fortunately, I screamed, and as soon as I did he left his cloak beside me and ran. This is how your slave has treated me!
After Potiphar hears the story he’s outraged. He takes Joseph and has him locked up in the prison where the king’s prisoners are kept.
But, while Joseph’s in the king’s prison, the Lord is with him again! God shows him kindness and grants Joseph favor with the warden. Eventually his situation is the same or similar to when he was with Potiphar. The warden puts Joseph in charge of all the prisoners and gives him the job of running the place. And like Potiphar, the warden trusts him completely, he pays no attention to anything Joseph’s responsible for, because the Lord is with Joseph, and gives him success in everything he puts his hand to.
Who’s Seducing You?
Potiphar’s wife was relentless in her efforts to seduce Joseph. But the question for you today is, who’s seducing you? Or more accurately, who or what is seducing you?
I think it’s important to see we can learn from Joseph’s example concerning relationships with the opposite sex, and we’ll explore that in the next post on Genesis. But there’s something even more important to learn here. I think the key words in this passage of scripture are Joseph’s words about God. (39:9) What’s most important here is the issue of fidelity, but not Joseph’s fidelity to Potiphar, or Potiphar’s wife’s infidelity, but Joseph’s fidelity to his God.
Through the incessant relentless daily seduction, Joseph maintained God as the ultimate in his life.
Which brings us back to the question.
Who or what is seducing you?
Who or what is tempting you to make them first in your life?
Who or what desires to take God’s place as the ultimate in your life?
It could be a person of the opposite sex, trying to seduce you, as Potiphar’s wife did to Joseph. Or it could be your career, or sports, or video games, or a hobby, or social networks, or TV, or food, or shopping.
You know it’s interesting, Potiphar’s wife wasn’t faithful to Potiphar, nor was she faithful to the truth when she falsely accused Joseph. It’s the same with whoever, or whatever from that list in the last paragraph, is seducing you. It promises fulfillment but, like Potiphar’s wife, it’s absent of fidelity to the truth. In the end fulfillment comes only when you devote yourself to God. Fulfillment only comes when He’s first in your life.
The ultimate, the most important, the top person or activity — who or what is it? What consumes your thinking? Where do you invest your time? Where do you invest your money?
Who or what has your heart?
Is it God?
Or someone, or something else?
Joseph kept God foremost in his life, through rejection by his family, through his being sold into slavery, through Potiphar’s wife’s attempts at seduction, through wrong accusation, and through imprisonment.
Joseph kept God as his ultimate.
Who or what is yours?
References:
Blue Letter Bible
Bible Gateway
Matthew Henry
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Posted on May 19, 2012 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis
Genesis 39, Genesis 39:6-23, joseph, Joseph imprisoned, Potiphar's wife, Seduction
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