God in the Midst 1

John 13

Following on from the previous chapter, John 12, where we introduced the concept of “God in the midst”, the idea that we have to seek the spiritual man God the Father and where we have to move from a place of knowing Jesus the man, to knowing God the Father, moving to a place that is Spiritual.

Our starting point to knowing God has to be from a place of spirituality, because “God the Father is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth” John 4:24. It is true to say that in reality “Everything is Spiritual”, it is only when we recognise Spirit that we can begin our life’s journey towards and with Jesus. As John wrote at the outset of this gospel in John 1:12-13 “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God”.

To be a Christian is not just about what we do or what doctrinal position we take or have about the theory of “God in our midst”, it is about experiencing “God in our midst” and naturally working out the great work of salvation that God has worked in us, a work accomplished through His Son who willing trod a path to a cruel cross in order that you and I could have, and experience, eternal life.

Here in John 13 we have an account of both commitment to and betrayal of Jesus, an account that demonstrates to us today the seriousness of what the cost of discipleship really means.

Our story starts around a meal table, a place where conversation takes place. Jesus is celebrating with his disciples a meal we have come to know as the last supper. It is in this place of closeness with his disciples, those he had chosen to be with him on his three years of extraordinary ministry, that we encounter the man Jesus, demonstrating what true Christianity is all about.

The narrative tells us in John 13:3 that Jesus knew “that the Father had given him all authority” and “that his time had come to return to His Father.” With this knowledge of knowing what was ahead Jesus rises from his place at the table, takes a towel and a bowl of water and proceeds to wash his disciples feet. This act is demonstrating that Christianity is about service not ritual. He is also showing that for anyone of us to be able to partake of the “Kingdom of Heaven” we need the experience of washing by the hands and life of Jesus so we can be presented to the Father, spotless, by and in the person of Jesus Christ.

We read in John 13:8 that Peter protests at this demonstration of servant hood that Jesus is modelling and the narrative gives the impression that Peter was too proud and too full of self importance to allow this man, who he had come to know and revere as friend and Lord, to stoop so low as to wash his feet, a job that would have been the task of an employed servant in an established Jewish/Roman household of the time. Jesus response to Peter’s attitude was “you don’t understand now, but someday you will” and “if you don’t allow me to perform this act of service on you then you have no part with me.” At this point in the proceedings Peter has a light bulb moment where he demonstrates and reveals his ignorance to the whole situation and says “well not just my feet then, wash all of me.” The truth is that we are all clean through the word already spoken (as we will discover in John 15:3 later) but we need to be in a place of submission where we allow our feet, the area that is symbolically in contact with the world, to be washed in order for us to continue to live in this great freedom we call salvation.

It is true to say that everyone of us has the potential to betray, and as we know even Peter, who has just made a scene over the demonstration of servant hood, would betray Jesus in the not too distant future.

Judas was a man chosen by Jesus to be part of the twelve men that He called disciples, he was a man who obviously showed promise, rising to the rank of treasurer, a role that gave him authority, respect and responsibility.

This raises questions around how Judas had aspired to the role, was he naturally good with money? Was he a manipulator working to hold some kind of power? Was he a control freak? Did he have a heart of compassion for the poor and therefore was naively entrusted with the money? What ever the reason for Jesus choosing Judas will remain a mystery except for the fact that Judas was chosen to betray Jesus, it was God’s plan, which again raises questions around who God chooses and who betrays Him.

The truth is God does not choose people to betray Him. We all have the potential to do that ourselves and we are all vulnerable when we loose focus of, or stray from Christ Himself.

We have here in John 13 the ultimate betrayal, that of a man’s life for approximately half a years wage equivalent (we can assume there was quite a bit of money at Judas disposal as 30 pieces of silver would have been equivalent to half a years wage, a lot of money for one man but divided between 12 that would equate to about two weeks wages, and he was entrusted with it on their behalf).

Betrayal is the act of being unfaithful and in our case, as Christians, that is being unfaithful to Christ and His indwelling life within us.

What John is recording here in this chapter is that Jesus had called Judas out, He had shown him up for who he was, a liar and a cheat. The reality is that Judas had already strayed in his heart and head, the act had already been committed, Jesus just says “Go and do and do quietly”. Jesus knew Gods plan and no longer needed to or wanted to procrastinate the unfolding plan of salvation. We read in John 13:31-35 words that should drive us to our knees in acknowledgement that this man Jesus is without any doubt God. What Jesus was saying in John 13:31 was ‘now my Father’s work and my work is complete, from now on you will need to support yourselves’. Jesus says follow my example of love to you and extend this among yourselves so all those around you will know you are my disciples.

In John 13;36-38 we read the well known exclamation of exuberance by Peter, who is not unlike many of us, who rushes in where fools fear to tread”. Peter utters words that no man or woman can fulfil without the indwelling, ongoing work of the “Helper”, the Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus in chapter 14.

I have said many times before in different writings that salvation is worked out daily and the truth is that none of us can utter Peter’s words in John 13:37 “Lord why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for your sake” and ever hope to fulfil them without us living a life in and through the power of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus demonstrated in John 13;31 and through His life on earth, “laying down our life” involves us willing giving up all rights to our life and accepting that a life lived in God is first and foremost Spiritual which works out Salvation in and through our circumstances and therefore glorifies God and makes Him known.

God in the midst

John 12

In John 12 I want to draw your attention to a few points rather than connect the narrative as before.

As we begin chapter 12 we find that Jesus has just arrived back in Bethany, the place  where he had raised Lazarus, and back with his friends, Martha, Mary and Lazarus. He is attending a meal that has been prepared in his honour. John, the writer, takes great care in telling us exactly what each of his hosts are doing. Martha is busy making sure that everyone of the guests are fed and watered, ensuring that everything is happening, she is so preoccupied with service, appearance and protocol that she misses out on the presence of Jesus. Lazarus was reclining at the table that Martha was busy waiting at, I want you to note that this was quite normal and not out of place at this time in history, but more importantly he was revealing how steeped in tradition he was and therefore blind to the real person of Jesus, that of “God in their midst”. Mary, on the other hand, was preoccupied with Jesus, to the extent that she took an expensive oil and anointed the feet of Jesus. Mary had recognised that this Jesus was both Saviour and Lord and He was worth making this sacrifice for. It appears she was oblivious to the fact that this ointment could have been sold and the money donated to feeding the poor, a point that Judas Iscariot made and in so doing revealed his heart, he was more inclined to appearance and self pretence rather than worship. We read that he stole from the money purse for his own ends, he was living a lie, a lie that ultimately cost his sanity, peace and his life.
The point is that before any of us can serve the poor, who will always be there, we first have to fall at the feet of Jesus and recognise Him in our midst.

Martha was pre occupied with serving, Lazarus was content to recline and eat what was served but Mary went straight to the heart of the matter and anointed the feet of Jesus and demonstrated her love, respect and reverence for a man who she realised was the Messiah, the “God in the midst” who’s life was sent to demonstrate another way.

As we move through this chapter we find many things to pass comment on and in John 12:9-11 we read that many Jews knew he was in the house with Lazarus and so dropped by in order to observe Lazarus, a man raised from the dead, a phenomenon worth seeing. We read that many people believed in Jesus on account of Lazarus and this angered the chief priests, those in authority in the synagogue. How sad it is when one great act of mercy on a fellow human becomes the object of division and destruction and in this story results in a plot to even kill Lazarus. Surly the answer is to explore and accept that “God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform” and to acknowledge that Jesus is the messiah and has come to save us all and requires us to bear witness to who he is.

As we move into John 12:12-19 we encounter a very familiar story, the account of Jesus making a triumphal entry on a donkey’s colt, a colt that had never been ridden before.

Bethany is two miles outside Jerusalem, word had spread that Jesus was coming, the man who could raise dead men from their tombs. We see from this section that those people who had witnessed the miracle of Lazarus were the ones who bore witness (v17); that is what each and everyone of us has to do “bear witness” to the goodness and greatness of “God in the midst”. When we do that many will follow Jesus just like it is reported in v19, causing the Pharisees to question what they were actually doing who came to the conclusion that they were doing nothing and acknowledged that the “world had gone after Him”. The Pharisees, those who were supposed to be able to bring people to God, had recognised their failing in being able to “show the way” mainly because they had not witnessed or encountered “God in the midst” and had hardened their hearts to what God was doing in their vicinity. We all have to acknowledge what God is doing in our vicinity, it may not be to our liking, but we need to change our heart and attitude and discern with spiritual wisdom “God in the midst” and then give support and become a witness to the great outpouring of God’s  Grace and Mercy.

As we move on into John 12:20-26 we are presented with some Greeks who want to see Jesus. They are in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. They would have been Jews or of Jewish decent who had been scattered at some point in Israel’s history and were now Greek. They would not have been in Jerusalem celebrating Passover unless they knew what Passover was and it’s significance to them as Jews.
They approached Philip with the question “sir we want to meet Jesus?” These Greeks had heard about Jesus, His fame had spread as far as Greece. I want you to notice what Philip does, he goes to find Andrew, another disciple, and together they go and ask Jesus if these Greeks can have an audience with him. Jesus answer appears somewhat strange, rather than say “yes no problem”  he replied with “now the time has come for the son of man to come into his glory”. In other words its not me the man you need to seek it is God my Father who you really should be seeking. This is true for us all, in the absence of the physical man Jesus we all need to seek the spiritual man God the Father. Jesus recognised and knew that everything is spiritual and true life comes from the source, God the Father, “God in the midst”.

Trust and Service (Another perspective) 2

My name is Oscar and I have written once before of my recollections of an amazing journey I undertook with my employer’s servant, a man named Eliazer, who had been charged by our master Abram to find a wife for his son Isacc, a journey I undertook as an old camel who had been called back into service from retirement because of “my experience.” You can read this story here, at http://blog.steveford.me.uk/2011/03/trust-and-service-another-perspective.html.

I would like to recount another story my grandfather told me about which took place at the beginning of his employment with Abram.

His recollection started in a place called Haran, a town 600 miles north west of a place called Ur of the Chaldees, an ancient siemetic speaking nation which existed between late 10^th and early 9^th century BC and who were eventually absorbed into Babylonian.

Haran was a trading route from Ur to the Mediterranean, east to west, and the people shared the same deity, the moon god nanna or sin. For some reason my master’s family had moved from Ur to Haran and on the death of Abram’s father, Terah, Abram decided to move on, I say Abram decided but he says he was told by God to leave all that was familiar “and go to a land that I will show you.”

As a mere camel I am unsure and confused by this notion that you humans sometimes appear to have this “in built” need or desire or compulsion to attribute your actions to some higher authority, we animals just live and die, but you humans seem to have this hard wired third dimension, a dimension of spirituality, hence you need to worship anything that gives you satisfaction or security.

Oh I do prattle on so much, where was I? Oh yes, recounting my grandfathers story of the journey he undertook with our master Abram.

It seemed strange to my grandfather at the time why Abram found it necessary to break with the tradition of worshipping this ancient moon god, nanna, and start to explore a creator God. It would appear that Abram was not gaining a lot of “spiritual refreshment” from the popular and accepted worship to nanna but was increasingly seeking and developing a deeper more dimensional meaning and understanding of one true God, a creator God who required His subjects to worship Him in “Spirit and Truth.” So our master Abram began to live by faith and not by sight, something that would stand him in good stead in the years that would follow.

Well I digress, lets get back to the recounting of my grandfather’s story. Just so you have some facts to help you understand the context, my grandfather was acquired as a young working camel to join Abram’s team as he obeyed God’s voice which had said to him “get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land I will show you.” A journey that was going to be life changing and transforming, not only for Abram and his closest companions but also for my grandfather, one of his trusted workers.

It was a task and a half I tell you, my grandfather said, packing up all the possessions accumulated by Abram in Haran to begin our journey south west on instruction from our master, who in turn was following instructions, well more like a whim really, based on some words that Abram said God told me, “Leave your country and go where I show you”, not really very responsible I hear you say.

Anyway packing up took us days to organise, Abram you see, was comparably rich and successful. This creator God that Abram had started to believe and trust in appeared to have really blessed him with possessions and servants, yes we called ourselves servants but really we were his employees. We were happy to serve this God fearing, righteous man and thankful for the security his employment provided for us, so we, including us camels, were happy to be called servants, it was an honour to work for such a man, a man who trusted God and lived a righteous life.

There was much excitement amongst us all, especially us camels as we heard that we were preparing for a journey to a land of green fields and plenty of water, what more could a camel ask for?

There I go again, off on a prattle that deters me away from my recollections, memory and age just don’t go together, where was I? Ah yes, packing up the caravan (that’s what we called our group of camels) ready for our journey heading who knows where.

You see God, the mysterious figure that Abram believed in, and in whom he had complete faith, while all his contemporaries believed in many different gods, was the thing that set him apart from everyone else around him. He believed and trusted in one true God and was prepared to set out on a journey, not knowing where he was going, other than ‘a word from God’ which said “get up and go, leave all you know and trust me and I will bless you.” Not many people did it then and I guess not many people will do it in the future. I suppose you have to be pretty simple or pretty stupid?

To us it appeared a bit of a whim, yet to Abram it was obedience, he had no idea what was before him, if he did he may never have started this journey, but hey, you know what? I am so glad he did. I for one have a story to tell and I am sure others do as well, all because this one man was obedient to God.

You know that Abram was 75 years old when he set out on this journey don’t you? I mean it put us younger ones to shame. I for one was a young camel and a lazy one at that, I had grown accustomed to always having what I wanted, never had to take any responsibility for my actions. Life was easy, I was looked after and fed well, I had no need to over exert my self. I could sit around and watch all those adult camels going about their daily grind and all the young camels playing their games. What a life!

Little did I know that my adolescent life was about to change, I was going to enter the grown up male world which I should have entered when I was weaned from my mother some 10 years earlier. What a shock, suddenly I found myself having to do back breaking work, carry loads meant for experienced camels and go days without water. My father used to say this was man’s work not meant for boys and I suppose I should have entered it sooner instead of believing the lie that I could exist without taking any responsibility.

Well, off we set and after what seemed like days we arrived at Shechem a place in the hill country of Ephraim. It was here that we witnessed some kind of “spiritual awakening”, well Abram did anyway. Abram appeared to become so certain that “The Lord” had promised him all he could see. What I witnessed was a man who, whilst on the one hand appeared grateful and offered a sacrifice, yet on the other hand there seemed to be a restlessness about him, so off we set again to make our camp, of all places between Bethel and Ai, well I ask you, who would camp in no man’s land between the house of God (Bethel) and ruin (Ai), but, you know this is exactly where God wanted Abram, a place where he would have to trust Him implicitly for his very survival, you see, there where Canaanites living here as well, they could have over run us at any time. As I observed all this I began to realise that this God of Abram was someone who wanted to care and trust for those who obeyed and put their trust in Him.

It is difficult to say how long we were there but what I do know is that we were getting rather hungry, a famine was taking hold so my master decided, right or wrong, to pull out and take control, something you humans are rather good at. We mere animals just live for today and make do but you humans seem determined to be in control, I am so glad I don’t have your intellect, trying to work out life's problems. So off we set, heading south towards food, towards Egypt. It was as we were getting close I overheard Abram talking with his wife, Sarai. Well what I heard nearly made me want to vomit. Here was a man I had grown to love and respect and who had looked after me well, telling his wife that she had to tell the authorities that she was his sister just so HE did not get killed because of her beauty, how selfish, I thought, think of number one why don’t you. I actually found out later that Sarai was in fact Abram’s sister, well half sister anyway so may be it wasn’t so bad after all, small lies are not full blown lies are they and God forgives doesn’t He? I thought to myself at the time what is it about this God of Abram’s that just wants to go on loving and forgiving, loving and forgiving, those who put their trust in Him despite their obvious failings. I don’t think I ever did come to a satisfactory answer other than I am glad He does for Abram’s sake and for all of us who were fortunate enough to be called his servants.

Do you know the little trip down to Egypt made a big impression on me as I saw that this mighty God that Abram, my master was engaging with, learning from and learning about on each new day just cared for him and his family in a way that seemed unjustified and undeserved.

So off we set again, after being ticked off by the Pharaoh for misleading him, he instructed his guards and footmen to release Abram and his family together with all, yes all his possessions, I mean usually the top brass would retain something for themselves, but no Abram was yet again being protected by the almighty.

What Abram did next just demonstrated that he knew that God had kept and sustained him and that taking matters into your own hands just does not work. he set out from Egypt and headed straight back to the place where God had settled him in the first place, the place of security between Bethel and Ai, the place that God had promised to Abram that He would give him all the land. Abram did the only thing that can be done when Almighty God steps into our disasters, he built an alter and worshipped. He gave thanks for all that had been entrusted to him from above.

What I saw in this man, my master was someone who believed God and God counted him righteous because of his faith. It gave me, one of his trusted camels a sense of security knowing that my master served a greater master who even cared for me.

My grandfather concluded his story with some interesting words, words I later learnt were written down and would make their way into the the Christian Bible. They are words that I found, when applied to one’s life , give tremendous freedom and enable me to trust in a magnificent creator God. The words can be found in Genesis 13:17 and read “Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you.”

It would be many years later before this promise would become a reality.

Steve Ford has written about this on his blog site and you can read it by visiting http://blog.steveford.me.uk/search/label/Lessons%20from%20Joshua and scroll to the bottom and read from there upwards.

11 Jacob to Israel, A life transformed

Genesis 35:16-29

Jacob then encounters another devastating blow in his tumultuous life, his beloved Rachel dies in child birth, the girl he had served Laban 14 years for. What is God doing now? How can this Almighty God be in such tragedy? The truth is that we all die therefore the issue is not why but what. What can God teach me through such times. We don't read much about this time in Jacobs life except that we know that there was one child of around 3 -4 years old. A son that had been given by God as an answer to a cry 'Give me children or I die', a cry that needs to go up from all those who are truly filled with the Spirit of God, those who claim to be 'Christian'. God does nothing against free will and He certainly does nothing except in answer to prayer. Prayer is something that can be praise, thankfulness, gratitude, guidance or even distress as in Rachel's case.

This cry from Rachel ultimately cost her her life. Had she known this would she still have asked for children? The motive of the ask was not one from a selfish heart but from a heart that wanted her maternal instincts to be fulfilled. In a spiritual sense each one of us has desires within us that need to be fulfilled. By the Grace of God, through a transformed life, our desire is to bear spiritual children and to then nurture that life so that it matures into a life that bears fruit.

We are all spiritual, we cannot say "I am not into spiritual stuff", its too late because God created us spiritual. We are a spirit with a body not a body with a spirit. We need God to enlighten and possess that space for His glory. The on going experience will change our lives for ever.

So as Rachel cried 'Give me children or else I die' so we need to echo that cry and be moved so that we have this spiritual desire that 'all mankind might be saved'

Jacobs response to this tragedy was that he would not allow the name of his son born at this time to bear the name of "Son of my Sorrows", Benomi, but he called him "Son of my right hand", Benjamin. What do we do in these difficult situations, do we  give the devil the glory by dwelling in the past or do we give God the glory by pressing through and claiming victory.

Jacob never stayed at the place of his loss, he remembered Rachel and he took the two boys that he knew he was responsible for and moved on to a place that God had predestined for him, a place of reconciliation.

We read that Jacob went on to the place of firm ground, that is the place where Isaac his father still lived, it was also the place where Abraham, his grandfather had settled. The place was mamre which means 'place of firm ground' or 'firmness'.

It is at this place that Jacob, Esau and Isaac where reunited and where Jacob and Esau buried their father.

God has a wonderful way of bringing about repentance and reconciliation. God brings a man or a woman through many trials that causes them to face and challenge who they are and who they are meant to be in God.

It is only in God that we can find true meaning of life and it takes a lifetime to accomplish it.
Are we willing to follow Him who set us free through His Son or are we going to sit on the side lines and miss out on the action?

God wants to bring all of us into an ongoing relationship with Him that not only transforms our lives but also that of those around us.

On reflection let us look afresh at our lives and ask, "Does it reflect what God desires of me and do I honour Him and give Him what He rightly deserves based on what I know He has done for me?".

Lord show me where there are hindrances in my life and help me to address them. Give me this clear vision and purpose in my life that despite disastrous events or my sinful failings I am able to take the necessary steps that will bring me back to you, to the place where I know that I am safe in your loving arms, however great the cost.
Oh Lord thank you for your protection and thank you for your sustained Mercy that keeps me in your way and causes my enemies to flee from before me. Help me oh God to be thankful and grateful for all you have done in my life and in times of need cause me to remember the place where you first met me, my 'God Encounter'

This is the final instalment of "Jacob to Israel, A life transformed"

10 Jacob to Israel, A life transformed

Genesis 35:1-15

After all the problems of the previous chapter God is still in control and Jacob is still listening and following Almighty God. How is it that God is so patient with us? What is it that caused Jacob to hold fast to his 'God Encounter' and not give up? The answer is because God had not given up on him.

We find Jacob, in chapter 35, having to move on because of the disastrous actions of his sons. But he is not alone, the chapter starts "Then God said", "Arise, go up to Bethel". God is at work in all our situations and here He is bringing Jacob back to the place where he started his changed life, the place of the 'God Encounter'. God wants to remind Jacob that he has not forgotten him and that He is still interested in his life and surprisingly that of his family. It is comforting to know that God does not give up on us even when we fail Him.

Jacob has really learnt what it is to follow Almighty God. He instructs all his household in Genesis 35:2 to "Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments."
We can read more about this 'putting off' and 'putting on'  in Colossians 3:8-11.

What Jacob is doing is calling his household to repentance.

• Put away
• identify what it is that is getting in the way of God working in our lives.
• Purify yourselves
• take action call on God to free us.
• Change your clothes.
• take off the old, the condemned, that which causes the problem and put on new fresh clothes, clothes supplied by God's amazing work of salvation.

True repentance will cost and requires action. We have to be willing to acknowledge that there are things in our lives which constitute as idols, things that get in the way of us following God. We then have to confess and "get right" which is to bring ourselves back into line with God. We call this being justified, we do this in conjunction with God not without Him. Jesus died to bring an end to Sin and in one selfless act justified us, or in other words made it possible for us to be right with God. That act of justification alone is useless if we as individuals do not allow ourselves to be justified.

Hebrews 12:1-3 talks about laying aside the things that hinder us from having a relationship with God. It calls us to look to Jesus the author and finisher of FAITH and then to consider HIM.

Jacob has called his household to repentance in Genesis 35:2 and in Genesis 35:3 he intercedes for them and leads the way back to Bethel, "The House of God", and to the place where Jacob had his first encounter with God Almighty. By his actions, Jacob assures his household that he will stand in the gap, he will take the initiative and call on God Almighty who had heard his cry and had held faithful to the promise that He would be with him.

We then find this decisive action and leadership that Jacob was demonstrating is the very thing that causes his household to heed his command in Genesis 35:2 "Put away the strange gods among you". Then in Genesis 35:4 they bring all their strange gods and their earrings in their ears and Jacob buries them underneath a great oak tree. When Jesus calls us to repentance the cost is great but necessary if we are to see the hand of Almighty God at work in our lives and situations. The call of repentance will always call us back to the original place where we first encountered God. We know that this ground is secure and that God can reiterate His original calling on this piece of land, He can also refresh us and equip us for the future as this is sacred, hallowed ground, the ground of our 'God Encounter'. Jesus takes all our "strange gods", those things that hinder us from getting to know Him and buries them at the foot of the cross, gone forever out of sight.

Jacob has called his family to repentance, he has dealt with 'the foreign gods' by buying them under the great oak tree, they are gone forever, and he is now set to move on. The cross is not the end of our life it is just the beginning we cannot always live in the shadow of the cross, yes we may need to return to it through out our lives but only to remind ourselves of the wonderful work of Salvation, to refresh ourselves and to equip ourselves for our continued journey.

Jacob had proved his faith, the Faith that had been imparted to him in his 'God Encounter', "Christ in you the hope of glory".

What we find here in Genesis 35:5 is that it would have been useless for Jacob's household to continue their journey had the repentance and justification not taken place. This one act of 'getting right', allowing themselves to be justified was the very act that protected them along the way. We read in Genesis 35:5 that "the terror of God was on the cities around them and they did not pursue them". This demonstrates that when we walk with God, in His ways, confessing our sin before Him then He is at liberty to protect us. Notice I use the word liberty because God does nothing to violate free will. In other words there has to be a partnership, a working together with Almighty God.

Jacob arrives at the place of his 'God Encounter', how many of us have ever revisited that place, the place where we first heard God speak, that decisive, defining moment when everything became clear. We need to hold onto that place as there will be times in our lives when we will need to remind ourselves of God's absolute faithfulness. Times when all seems lost yet as we see with Jacob he returned and built an alter for the second time and called it El-Bethel, God of the house of God.

Jacob has arrived at Padan-Aram, the place where he started out from some 20 years earlier. His troubles are not over, yet there is this kind of acceptance that God Almighty is in control. Jacob has come a long way from the days when he wanted to be in control, to a place where God is now in control.

God has a way with mankind that when we seek after Him He accomplishes within us that which causes us to be able to follow Him, even through adverse circumstances.

God appears to Jacob again at the same place where he had had his 'God Encounter' and blesses him. We can imagine God reminding Jacob of the wrestling match that they had together, you know the one where Jacob got injured, and says to him "your name is now Israel". In other words Jacob, "start living as a prince", "be different", "you have wrestled and prevailed and I love you and care for you".

It's as if God is saying things like "through all the trials of your life I have been with you, I have given good things to you because I love to give, I can't do any thing else, that is what I do, I give and I create".

God then says something that He says to all mankind. "Be fruitful and Multiply". This command was given to the first beings, Adam and Eve, and has been given down through the ages to all who would choose to follow Christ. 'Be fruitful and Multiply' God wants us to exercise that which is in Himself, to give and give and enable others to live.

Jacobs response is one of thankfulness, one of gratitude and worship. He builds an alter and pours a drink offering over it in recognition of the Almighty God who is over all and in all.

9 Jacob to Israel, A life transformed

Actions and Reactions

When God deals with us and our spirits are determined to follow Him and His guiding, ultimately we will change. Jacob experienced a place where God had met him and changed his character. This change meant that he would see things in a different light, he would act and react differently.

The incident that takes place here in Genesis 34 is one that most of us will find distasteful and unjust. How we deal with these kind of incidents is entirely dependant on whether we have had 'God Encounters' or not and whether we are willing to allow our hard, conditioned hearts to be changed by Almighty God.

As we have seen previously Jacob wrestled with God and prevailed, in other words he had come through with God not without God.

Dinah, Jacobs daughter is on a night out with the girls (Genesis 34:1) where she is seduced, raped and violated by a young man. Heard this kind of thing before?

The man who has violated her seems to then be repentant and wants to marry Dinah. Oh that he had kept his selfish desires and motives in check. This tells us something of the rebellious, sinful nature that is inherent in all of us as a result of Sin that entered the world through Adam. Not that we are in any way as depraved as the young man in our story, yet, nevertheless Sin in us is capable of anything. Sin reproduces what it is.

It is very difficult to right wrongs, no matter how good our intentions. We need to daily ask God for His Grace to enable us to go through life without sinning. A tall order, and one that seems impossible, but through God all things are possible. Whether we subscribe to the possibility of a life without sin depends on our perspective and relationship with Almighty God and whether we believe that He has done what He said He would do by sacrificing His Son who terminated Sin forever. What I do know is that my life is not perfect and also what I know is that God through His Grace sent His Son to die for me and set me free from the power of Sin and Death, so that I could live a life of freedom and power to the glory of God. It is an ever on going process, the question is am I willing to change?

It is through the daily situations and circumstances that I find myself in that I have to work out my salvation with fear and trembling, it is in fact God working in and through me for His good pleasure and purpose. (Philippians 2:12-13)

Sin does not only harm us and our relationship with Almighty God it also damages our relationships with our neighbours and friends.

So back to our narrative.
What does Jacob do when he hears that his daughter has been violated. Genesis 34:5 tells us that he kept his silence and waited till his sons had come in from the field.

What was going through his mind at this point? Did he feel any compassion towards his daughter? I believe he did, from what I read of Jacob I find a changed man.

To understand Jacob's actions we have to understand his circumstance. Jacob is in a hostile place, he is few in number compared to all those that surround him. One false move and he, his family and his livelihood would be taken away. He had no walled city, just tents in the fields, his only protection was his relationship with Almighty God. He had begun to imbibe the 'faith' that was so evident in his grandfather Abraham and too some extent was in his father Isaac. It was this belief and knowledge that kept him going Genesis 35:3 tells us that Jacob acknowledged that God answered him in his time of distress and was with him in the way that he went.

Sometimes it pays to wait, especially wait on God. We see in this chapter that Jacob's sons did not appear to share the same conviction with regard to Almighty God as their father. That may be something to do with the fact that they had not had 'God Encounters'. All of us need 'God Encounters' that move our lives from relying on our parents encounters (if they have had them) to that of our own encounters. If we do not have this kind of relationship with Almighty God then we are in grave danger of making disastrous decisions that will have lasting consequences through out our lives.

The situation here in chapter 34, although awful, could have been used for the glory of God and demonstrate that this God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was the living God and did change lives. But unfortunately youthful hot headiness and arguably justified anger got in the way.

The young sons never had any intention of trying to rectify the situation other than through the shedding of blood. They had premeditated to kill those that had offended their family. Retribution and retaliation, this is not Gods way. Jesus demonstrated a different way on a cross.

The sons of Jacob used the act of circumcision Genesis 34:15 (circumcision was the sign that God had established His covenant with His people, it was the outward sign that these son's of Abraham had been set apart to Him), as a way of weakening those that had offended them Genesis 34:25. 

After two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, had seized the moment and destroyed all the males that had been weakened by the physical act of circumcision and "rescued" Dinah their sister, the rest of the sons of Jacob plundered the city and took what was not rightfully theirs thereby bringing disgrace and reproach on Jacob and his family.

Jacob responded to this situation with a very heavy heart indeed. He said "You have made me obnoxious among the inhabitants", "I shall be destroyed, my household and I" Genesis 34:30. The response from his sons was "they had it coming", it was one of retaliation and not forgiveness. Now I know that this story could repulse us and many of us in reality may want revenge, but Jacob realised that revenge was not always sweeter and that acceptance, forgiveness and loving your enemies was far more profitable both to the soul and the flesh. 

Despite all of this we will see that God comes to the rescue yet again.

Almighty God deliver us from all the Sin that stops us from allowing you to work the miracle life changing experience in our lives. Wrestle with us that we may be able to make a difference to those around us and those we meet. Grant us self control together with a peace and knowledge in Your gift of Salvation that we may be able to live a righteous and holy life before you and those we come in to contact with in our daily lives. Give us patience and wisdom to know how to act and react. Grant us your peace, a peace that transcends all logical reason so that we can be your effective witnesses, demonstrating your way, the way that your Son so selflessly demonstrated on a cross. Giving up His right for the greater good of humanity. In the difficult experiences of our lives help us Lord to forgive our enemies and those that misuse us. Help us Lord to be doers of the word and not just hearers so that our actions speak louder than our words.

8 Jacob to Israel, A life transformed

Genesis 33

Jacob still has this nagging feeling that his brother, Esau is out for revenge, Genesis 33:1 says that 'he lifted his eyes and saw Esau with 400 men'. His immediate reaction is to divide his children according to their mothers, placing the maidservants in front, followed by Leah then Rachel. This time, unlike before, when he ran away from danger he faces it as a changed man and goes before his family to meet his brother Esau placing himself in a very vulnerable position. What happens next is nothing short of a miracle. God has not only been at work in Jacob's life and changed his nature and name, He has also been at work in Esau's life, not to the same extent, as Esau's heart was not God centred. But God had been at work to allow and enable this momentous reconciliation to take place. We must never underestimate or limit how God would want to work. Jacob was exercising the faith and trust that he had put into Almighty God, he moves forward with limited mobility, as a result of the wrestling match, to embrace one of the great moments in his life. How many times do we enter into situations without the knowledge that God is in control? Moving forward before the right time would have been disastrous for Jacob, yet here we find that God has gone before and is still in front preparing the way.

The meeting was sweet, we read that Jacob moved forward with his face to the ground in total humility and Esau 'ran to meet him', 'kissed him' and 'threw his arms around him'. What a transformation in these two brother's lives. One moves from murderous intent whilst the other from twisted self preservation.

This story shows us how important it is that we set our hearts after God. Through Jacob's willingness and tenacity not only was his life transformed but also that of his brother's. How this reunion must have thrilled the heart of their old father Isaac, just as Repentance and Forgiveness thrills the heart of Almighty God.

7 Jacob to Israel, A life transformed

Genesis 32

Jacob had taken a leap of Faith, maybe it was in desperation but never the less it was a leap of Faith. He had finally taken control of his own life, moved on the promises of the God of his fathers and begun to experience that this God was now his God. In chapter Genesis 31:42 as part of his rebuke to Laban he recognises and acknowledges that God had seen his affliction and the labours of his hands and had come to his aid. God always comes to our aid, He did the same when His chosen people were in bondage and slavery in Egypt (Exodus 3:7-8). He says to Moses from the burning bush "I have seen their affliction, I have heard their cry, I know their sorrows and I am coming down".

God knows our need He hears our cry and He is coming down, what a fantastic promise.

This is exactly what Jacob was experiencing, God had been watching over him, He knew his troubles and He had heard his cry and He comes down and meets Jacob who is on the way to his fathers house. Jacob immediately recognises that these angels that meet him in Genesis 32:1 represent some kind of security, a reassurance that everything will be all right and he calls the place Mahanaim meaning two hosts or two camps, a joining of God and man and ultimately a place of refuge and security. God has come down and provided that place for each and every one of us in the person of Jesus. When we meet Him we are in a place of safety.

Jacob was on a mission from God, he was returning home, back to the place from where he had fled, back to the place of conflict that had been bought about by his own selfish making. He was going there because God had told him too (Genesis 31:3). God always brings us back to the place where we went wrong, the place where we disobeyed and disappointed God so that we can put right the wrongs. The great news is that God has come down and gone before us.

Jacob is destined to meet up with his brother who he has not seen for 20 years. The last time he saw Esau was when he was so mad that he was all set to kill him. As far as Jacob knew this was still the case. Sometimes we have to confront our situations with fear and trembling, yet with the knowledge that we are in God's will and that we are participating in His great plan for us. Jacob knew that God had spoken and told him to return to his own country where he might be killed.

God always steps in to our situations and provides the refuge, but this place is a lonely place, it takes place when we are left alone with God.

Jacob sends messengers ahead of his company to try to prepare the way. A cunning plan, a plan that Jacob thought might protect him from the wrath of his brother. There is still some of this cunning old self life left in him, even after 20 years since his 'God Encounter'. There is always some of this old cunning self life left in all of us. This cunning self life that God wants to release us from and the only place He can do that is in the lonely place of solitude. A place that Jacob would later find himself.

The messengers return with scary news, Esau is coming to meet you and he has 400 men with him. Jacob's immediate reaction is one of fear, so he divides his family, servants and flocks into two groups with the sole aim of at least retaining some of his acquired wealth. He then does something quite amazing, he calls on Almighty God and confesses his weaknesses and reminds God of His promise. Jacob has begun to recognise his weakness, his flaws. He has now come to a place where he understands that he cannot go through this ordeal alone (Genesis 32:9-12). It is in this weakness where Jacob finds strength and a God given answer of pure genius, the dividing of the company into two groups. The dividing of the company would not be the easiest of decisions as he would have had to decide who of his family would go into which group, who should he split up, who should he place in a position of responsibility etc etc. Jacob was able to do this because he had learnt the secret, "Those that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up on wings of eagles,they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" Isaiah 40:31

Jacob sends droves of presents in the form of livestock to go before him and his family with the specific instruction that they are to say "they are a present from your servant Jacob and behold he is behind us". Jacob is no longer seeking to be master but is prepared to be a servant. If we want to be great in God's kingdom then we must first learn to be a servant.

Jacob sends all that he has on before him over the brook Jabok and he is left alone, a place where God wrestles with him. Jacob is a very tenacious man he fights back and wrestles, he agonises with God and comes to terms with the fact that this could be the end, and in some ways it is. It is the end of the old man Jacob and the beginning of the new man Israel. All that he has he has placed in God's hands. The 'God Experience' that happened so many years ago is now finally beginning to become a reality. Instead of the 10% Jacob promised to God he has placed all he has into God's hands, his family, his wealth, his livelihood and above all himself. God wants all of us. He wrestles and wrestles till the break of day and utters words that some of us might find quite challenging "I will not let you go until you tell me your name". Do you want to know God like that. Charles Wesley the great poet and hymn writer supposes God's answer to Jacob's question and pens "My nature and my name is love". God deals with us on this ground of loneliness and wrestles with us through a nature and a name that is love.

Do we wrestle with God like that, have we got that kind of tenacity that demands to know who God is and are we prepared to hold on to Him until He reveals to us personally who He is?

This is when it all changed for Jacob, he had finally come to an end of himself and accepted that God knows best. Just like Abram to Abraham Jacob became Israel, his nature and his name had been changed by the Grace of God but Israel bore in his body the living proof that he had wrestled with God and prevailed. What a legacy, what a testimony to have this proof that God had touched him and he had prevailed. What is it that God has done for us in response to the wrestling that we have done with Him?

Oh God move on us so that we may bear the testimony of your loving Grace so all may see how great thou art.

6 Jacob to Israel, A life transformed

In Genesis 30 - 31 we find Jacob in a place where God has blessed him according to the promise from the 'God Encounter' some 20 years earlier. By no means has his journey been easy, God had a lot to teach Jacob as He does with all of us.
At the end of Genesis 30:43 we read that Jacob had become a wealthy man. God had blessed him, but some of what he had acquired had been by false means in order to survive.

Jacob was a survivor, a man who never gave up, whose heart wanted to follow and honour the God who had appeared to him on the ladder. Jacob's heart was after God, he had entered in to this contract with God and he was not taking it lightly, he was pursuing it, sometimes too religiously, but never the less he was pursuing this encounter.

Jacob was experiencing a backlash to his success, from his brother-in-laws, the sons of Laban. They were jealous and felt that Jacob had robbed them of their inheritance, in truth it had fallen into Jacob's hands due to their lack of desire and understanding. They had assumed that what was their fathers would be theirs. In much the same way we can never assume that SALVATION, the blessing from God which is rightfully ours, will automatically be given or shared with us. There has to be a spirit within a man or a woman that says 'I am committed Lord', "I submit myself to you and to your ways in order that I can gain your promised life. Remember that God gives unconditionally to those who diligently seek Him.

'Seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you'

Jacob now had no option but to flee, or had he?  Could he have faced Laban and talked it through?  I don't believe he could as Laban had not entered into any kind of experience with Almighty God like Jacob, he had not had a 'God Encounter' that had changed his life or character which meant that he was on a different level, a carnal level and not a spiritual one. The two can't mix, spirit can only understand spirit Romans 8:5-10 So Jacob runs away and the issue is bought to a head.

Laban pursues Jacob for seven days and during that time God appeared to him (Laban) (Genesis 31:24) and said to him do not speak good or bad to Jacob, in other words:-

• do not challenge him
• undermine him
• chastise him
• rebuke him
• agree with him

What God was saying to Laban was "you leave him to me, I am almighty God and Jacob is my property I will deal with him in my way and my time".

It is reassuring to know that God has a plan that includes you and me. A plan that He will accomplish. A plan that culminates around the cross where God allowed His Son to die so that you and I could enter into a relationship, so that you and I can have 'God Encounters', encounters that shape our lives and draw us into a closer walk with Christ through the continued outworking of the Holy Spirit that seeks and saves that which is lost.

Jacob is able to continue his life's journey not knowing that he is about to have another 'God Encounter' that will again dramatically change his life for ever.
Sometimes it's best not to know in advance how or when God is going to show up but just to live a life that trusts in Almighty God and His PLAN for each if us.

5 Jacob to Israel, A life transformed

Jacob starts to ask questions of himself and his family. He starts to realise that his life is becoming more complicated between him and Laben and his brother-in-laws and so life becomes restless.

We are now in Genesis 30

There is a sense that the Spirit of God within us is always restless, the 'God Encounters' will always serve as a homing device that draws us back to God Himself, yet we seem to fail to recognise that it is God working in us to accomplish His plan for us.

Jacob had this experience whilst working for Laban. He had faithfully served Laban even though he had been cheated and mistreated, the goal posts had always been moved by Laban his employer and made worse by the fact that Laban was his father-in-law. 

• Do we feel mistreated in our work place? 
• Do we feel this need to flee. To run away and change our circumstances? 
• Do we have the desire in us that wants to return to our Heavenly Father where everything will be OK?

Jacob felt all these things and had got to the point where he felt that he had to return home, return back to his own place and country Genesis 30:25.


Jacob had fulfilled his contract, serving Laban for 14 years so that he could have Rachel as his wife, he had been cheated by Laban yet he had faithfully served him as requested. God had worked a miracle in Jacob through the 'God Encounter' that had changed his character yet God still had more to do in Jacob's life. 

God always has more work to do in our lives. He will place these aches and longings in our lives so that He can be glorified. Jacob felt trapped in a job that was not allowing him to serve Almighty God in the way that he felt he should, he also felt the need, quite honourably, to be able to provide for his family. This was his first big mistake since his 'God Encounter', as up until now God had provided, yes it may not have been what he had expected or wanted. Jacob was an ambitious man, yet God had a plan. He was providing for Jacob and was looking after him and his large family and wanted Jacob to appreciate this. Our lives and our families well being are in God's hands. We need to trust in Almighty God and His plan for us, not in our own ambitious and sometimes honourable efforts. We must not allow ourselves to be thrown off track or be derailed from what God wants to accomplish in our lives. How often do we try to make our situations fit Gods plan when in fact the homing device, the Holy Spirit within us is saying 'come home',  'trust me with all your plans',  'my plans are for your good'.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

4 Jacob to Israel, A life transformed

In the last article we looked at the place that God met Jacob, "The Awesome Place" and we asked the question How do we respond to such an incredible God?

Genesis 29-31 gives us Jacob's response

Jacob journeys on (Genesis 29:1) in response to:-

   1. His obedience to his Father
   2. Running for his life
   3. His encounter with God
   4. His commitment to the encounter

Jacob arrives at a well, an oasis, a place where water is plentiful and a place where shepherds water their flocks. I imagine that Jacob must have been thirsty. 

This well of water would have probably been the same one that Eliezer had visited years before (Genesis 24) and where his thirst was quenched by Rebekah (The future bride of Issac). Rebekah is a parallel to us, the church, the bride of Christ and I would like you to note that the bride of Christ is always willing to quench the thirst of those who are thirsty.
Although Jacob had been bought up in a God fearing family, he had rebelled and run away yet God in His infinite wisdom and goodness reaches down and leads him to a well, a place of refreshment.

God will always lead those who have set their heart toward Him. Jacob had this encounter with God on route to Haran and had made a commitment to give the God of his Father and Grandfather a chance. What have we done with the 'God encounters' in our lives, have we committed ourselves to continue our journey to the place God has marked out for us or do we stay in the desert?

Thank God that Jacob had the desire and strength to complete what was in Gods plan for him. He arrived at the well, the place where God strengthens and refreshes. God had bought Jacob to this place in order to use him. God wants us to be used by Him and for Him, it is in our willingness to be engaged in helping to water the flock that we will be refreshed.

Jacob's life is changing because of his encounter with 'Almighty God'. God had a plan for this rebellious, scheming youth who had spent most of his young life getting what he wanted, by hook or by crook.

God has a plan for all of us, he wants to transform us from sinners to saints, to set us free from the power of cancelled sin so that we can be of use in His kingdom.

Jacob was now willing to serve, we read that after he had served Laban for a month, he had made such a good impression that Laban said  'Why should you serve for nothing, what shall I pay you?’ Wouldn't that be great if our boss came to us and said 'well done what pay rise do you want?’

God is in the business of rewarding, and remember Jacob had vowed a tenth of all that he accumulated he would give back to God.

Jacob by this time was totally besotted with his cousin Rachel, beauty beyond compare, so much so that he was willing to serve Laban for 7 years so that he could wed her. What a commitment not just on a physical level waiting for the person you love for 7 years but also on a spiritual level where Jacob had begun to realise that his life was in Gods hands not in his own. Before his "God encounter" Jacob would have tried to manipulate the situation for his own end.

Do we realise that when we have 'God encounters' as Jacob and the ladder or life struggles like being cheated by Laban, they are for the sole purpose of transforming our lives so that we can be of use to God?

What is it that keeps us and makes us stay where we are?

1. Is it fear of the unknown
2. Security in our current surroundings
3. Just plain ignorance.

Do we know that we are in the right place with God?

1. In our lives
2. Our marriages
3. Our work place