Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost: Ten Commandments to Govern Relationships

Reading

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20

Devotion

Peace be with you!

We have different relationships with each person you interact with. Some individuals, we just pass on the street or in the hallway at work and quickly wave hello, while with others we may have a two-minute conversation about the weather. Some friends call us every day to discuss every part of our lives, while other friends only call once a week or month. Each relationship is defined by our interactions and mutual respect (or lack of respect) for the other person.

When God gives Moses the Ten Commandments, he shapes his relationship with the Israelites and gives them ethics to live by. These laws give the Israelites a base on which to live out their lives according to God’s will. The first four commandments deal with the relationship between God and the Israelites: no other gods, no idols, do not use the Lord’s name in vain, and remember the Sabbath (Exodus 20:3-11). God lays out what he expects from the Israelites and sets boundaries for the relationship. God wants to make sure the Israelites are faithful to him and only him. He does not want the Israelites running to other gods and making their own idols when things get tough. God knows we can only be faithful to one God. As his redeemed and holy nation, God expects the Israelites to honor him. In the same way, God redeems us through Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection as his holy nation and expects the same honor and respect from us.

The fifth commandment is to honor your father and your mother (Exodus 20:12). A relationship between two individuals should be based on mutual honor and respect. We need to respect the people in authority who work to pass laws to keep us safe, like the Lord. When we honor our relationships, we strengthen our relationship with God.

The last six commandments give guidelines to relationships between persons. We should not murder, commit adultery, steal, lie, or covet another person’s possessions or relationships (Exodus 20:13-17). When we break these commandments, we break the trust, the honor, and the respect we have with others. In his wisdom, God is giving us counsel here on how to build long-lasting relationships.

When we break the last six commandments, we go against God and those people we love the most. The Lord gives us these commandments to test our ability to be in a relationship with him and to instill fear in us to keep us from going against his will (Exodus 20:20). The Lord redeems the Israelites from Egypt and us from our sins. In return, the Lord asks us to keep the Ten Commandments in order to be in and maintain a relationship with him. The Ten Commandments explain the boundaries of our relationship with the Lord and build upon mutual honor, trust, and respect. In doing so, the Lord gives us the choice whether or not we want to be in a relationship with him.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for wanting to be in relationship with us. Help us to keep the Ten Commandments in order to strengthen our relationships with you and others. Lead us into relationships with mutual trust, honor, and respect. Thank you for helping us to live by honoring you and others. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

How do you work at strengthening your relationship with the Lord?
How do you model your relationship with the Lord through other relationships?

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Redefining God’s Presence

Reading

Exodus 17:1-7

Devotion

Peace be with you!

I am one of those people who get angry when she is “hangry” (“hungry-angry”). There is no reasoning with me when I am hungry. If I start whining over stupid stuff, it is time to feed me, or I will argue over [whatever “it” is] until I have made my pointless view known.

Once again, the Israelites are complaining. Last week they were hungry; this week they are thirsty. Desperate for water, the Israelites have become downright hostile toward the Lord and Moses (Exodus 17:1, 7). The Israelites demand Moses gives them water before they die (Exodus 17:2a, 3). Moses asks, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” (Exodus 17:2b NRSV). However, there is no way to reason with the Israelites when they are thirsty. The Israelites answer Moses, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” (Exodus 17:3b NRSV). Moses cries out to the Lord, “What should I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me” (Exodus 17:4 NRSV; italics added for emphasis). The Israelites are so aggressive to Moses that he fears for his life.

Despite there distrust and anger, the Lord takes Israelites’ complaint seriously. (If only they would have turned to him in the first place.) “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.’ Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel” (Exodus 17:5-6).

The Lord prevails over the Israelites by meeting their demands. The Lord gives the Israelites bread to eat (Exodus 16:12-14) and water to drink (Exodus 17:5-6). Both times the Lord finds a way to meet what seem to be impossible demands. The Lord does not want Israelites to die from starvation or dehydration. The Lord does not lead the Israelites out of Egypt only to abandon them in the wilderness. The Lord hears the Israelites’ complaints, and he takes action to deal with the problem.

The Lord stays present in the Israelites’ lives, even when they are hostile, because he wants to build a relationship with them. When the Lord gives the Israelites bread, he gives them the sustenance to survive in the wilderness. This reminds me of when Jesus says, “Take and eat … Take and drink … This is my body and blood poured out for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, the Lord gives himself to the Israelites by satisfying their hunger. Every day, when the Israelites eat the bread, they are reminded the Lord is with them.

In the same way, the water coming out of the rocks reminds me of baptism and how God the Father makes us new again. The Lord wants to redefine the Israelites as his people. Water has the power to quench our thirst and wash away the dirt. The Lord wants to quench the Israelites’ every need and wash away their fears and worries; he is with them.

It rained all week in Florida, which seems fitting as I mourn the loss of my grandpa. Somehow, the rain washes away my sorrow and makes me feel my grandpa’s presence. God the Father is washing away my sorrow with the rain and is assuring me will he will provide the strength and courage to go on living without my grandpa’ physical presence. My grandpa is not physically in the world anymore, but Holy Spirit makes it feel as though he is wrapping his arms around me to tell me one last time, “It will be all right.”’

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for satisfying our hungrier and quenching out thirst. Help us to feel your presence in the world. Lead us to open our arms to those who need food, drink, and shelter. Thank you for being presence in the world. Amen.

Reflective Questions

How does the Lord satisfy your hunger and quench your thirst?
Next time you are feeling desperate and afraid, what is one way you can turn to God instead of away from Him?

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost: God Provides After all

Reading

Exodus 16:2-15

Devotion

Peace be with you!

For most of us, a day does not go by without us making a complaint to God about something:

“I need [whatever “it” is], because it will make my life easier.”

“Why do I have to be nice to that person? They have not done anything for me.”

“Why does that person have a better job than me? I work harder.”

“Can’t I just catch a break?”

“I am tired.”

We have all thought or said at least one of these statements. We always think the grass is greener on the other side of the street.”The Israelites complained to the Lord about the unjust Pharaoh, and he called Moses to lead them out of Egypt. Now that the Israelites are out of Egypt they are hungry – the wilderness does not have the luscious food of Egypt (Exodus 16:3). The Israelites take their grievances to Moses and Aaron, and they, in turn, bring them to the Lord.

Thankfully the Lord loves the Israelites and understands their needs. The Lord decides to make it rain bread each morning and instructs Moses to have the Israelites gather just what they need for the day. However, on sixth day, they are to collect twice as much in order to have enough for the seventh day, the Sabbath (Exodus 16:4-5).

The Lord is working to build a new relationship with the Israelites. The Lord shows the Israelites he understands their needs by providing bread each morning. He did not take the Israelites out of Egypt in order to starve them to death in the wilderness, but he provides food when they ask. The Lord also wants to gain the Israelites’ trust, because he will be asking of a lot from them in the future. By providing the Israelites with their basic needs, the Lord is expressing his love for them as his chosen people.

The Israelites will shape the Lord’s new community, which will worship on Mount Sinai. The Lord will lead the Israelites through the wilderness for forty years before they get to the Promised Land. The new community will be given the Ten Commandments and other laws in order that the Israelites live according to the Lord’s ways.

I am relieved that the Lord does not turn away from me when I complain and beg. The Lord understands how little we have to give him and is not put off by always giving and hardly receiving, especially when we are still building our relationship with him. All the Lord asks of us is to share the good news and to turn to him in times of need. For me this week has been a time not exactly of complaint, but of deep need for God. My grandfather has been near to death and finally passed away Friday night. As I went through the week and tried to mentally prepare myself to bury my grandfather, I found myself (emotionally) crawling into the Lord’s lap and seeking his comfort. He ministered to me in my worries and in my sorrow. I need Him as much as the Israelites needed manna. As I mentally prepare myself to bury my grandpa, I find myself climbing into the Lord’s lap when I pray to ask for comfort. I understand it is his time to go see the Lord, but could he hang on until he got one last letter from me? The Lord took my grandpa before he could have read it, though in my heart I believe the Lord will get my grandpa my letter.

Thanks be to God! s

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for providing for our every need. Lead us through the wilderness as we face many tribulations in this world. Guide us through the storms in our life, and lead us to your kingdom. Thank you for your love and compassion in the midst of our deep neediness. Amen.

Reflective Questions

What do you complain to the Lord about?
How does the Lord answer your prayers?

Fourteenth Sunday of Pentecost: God’s Protection

Reading

Exodus 14:19-31

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Have you ever done something and then wondered how you did it? I am always amazed when a colleague or a friend introduces me as a disability advocate and a scholar of God’s healing presence in the world. My words seem to have a greater impact than I realize.

God calls Moses as a prophet to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. After ten plagues, the Pharaoh finally honors Moses’ request to allow the Israelites to leave Egypt. On the night of the Israelites’ mass exit, God appears as a pillar of cloud leading them out of Egypt (Exodus 14:19). Then when the Pharaoh changes his mind and has his men go after them (Exodus 14:5), the pillar of cloud goes behind the Israelites (Exodus 14:19). God in the pillar of cloud becomes a barrier between the Pharaoh’s men and the Israelites. God protects the Israelites from being caught by the soldiers and being put back into slavery.

When the Israelites come to the sea, God instructs Moses to stretch out his hands over the waters. When Moses does this, God divides the sea with an east wind (Exodus 14:21). The Israelites cross the sea on dry land (Exodus 14:22) to safety in the wilderness. After the Israelites finish crossing the sea, Moses stretches out his hands again, and the waters go back to normal (Exodus 14:26). God in a pillar of fire and cloud causes the Egyptians’ chariots to get stuck in the mud (Exodus 14:25) and drown in the receding waters (Exodus 14:26). None of the Pharaoh’s men survive (Exodus 14:30).

Surely the Israelites must be disoriented the next few days as they struggle to get their bearings as newly free people. They are happy to no longer be slaves, but they wonder why their freedom was brought about under the cover of night. They wonder what the future holds. The Israelites see the power of God and are learning to fear the Lord as well as believe in him (Exodus 14:31). God provides them with a new future.

God works in mysterious ways to lead us to where we need to be, even if we do not understand why. There are times when we are disoriented as we consider how an event happened or how we got somewhere. We do not always understand why or what we are supposed to be doing, but God calls us to do his work in the world.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Protect us from Satan’s power. Be presence in our lives and lead us to do your work in the world. Thank you for your mysterious ways in the world. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Where and how has God lead you to do his work in the world?
When have you felt God’s presence?

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Sharing a Meal

Reading

Exodus 12:1-14

Devotion

Peace be with you!

I love gathering around a meal with friends. Every January, I brave the cold to go to Convocation at Luther Seminary in St. Paul where I see many of my friends and colleagues. Each night, we pick a restaurant and gather as many people as possible. Our dinners usually last two or three hours as we catch up on the last year. We debate, cry, discuss, and laugh together. These dinners bring together friends and colleagues who do not get a chance to see each other during the year and give us a chance to be reenergized and refreshed.

The Lord instructs Moses to have the Israelites gather and roast a lamb together for the Passover. Each household is to take an unblemished, one-year-old male lamb (Exodus 12:5). Once the Israelites have the Passover, they are not turning back. The Passover begins the transition between being slaves in Egypt and being free in the Promised Land. The Lord has heard the Israelites’ cries and is ready to set them free. Now the Israelites have to commit themselves to the Lord and be his people.

The family is told to put some of the lamb’s blood on the doorposts (Exodus 12:7) and roast it over a fire with its head, legs, and organs (Exodus 12:9). The doorposts provide protection from the outsiders – those who do not follow the Lord. The doorposts also symbolize the Israelites’ exit as they prepare to leave Egypt. The lamb is to be roasted over a fire to remind the Israelites of the Lord’s presence in the world. The Lord spoke to Moses in a fiery brush (Exodus 3:2) to call him as the first prophet. As a pillar of fire, the Lord will lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Fire symbolizes the presence of the Lord.

The blood on the doorposts is a sign to the Lord to spare the household’s first-born child (Exodus 12:12). When Pharaoh refuses to let the Israelites go, the Lord promises to kill the firstborn of the Egyptians who forced the Israelites into slavery. The blood on the doorposts symbolizes freedom for the Israelites, while the lack of blood on the Egyptians doorposts symbolizes judgment.

By celebrating the Passover, Jews are reminded how the Lord freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. In the same way, Christians celebrate communion to remember how Jesus Christ walked, suffered, and died on earth to ensure our freedom from our past transgressions. In Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection, we receive forgiveness of our sins through his grace and love. We gather around the Lord’s Table to remember we are forgiven by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Help us to feel your presence as we go out into the world. Lead us to comfort those who are lost. Use us to share the good news with them. Thank you for forgiving us of our sins through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Reflective Questions

How are you slaves to the world, sin, or the devil?
When and how has the Lord freed you from [whatever “it” is] that kept you from knowing him?

Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost: Raise Your Hands to Volunteer as a Prophet

Reading

Exodus 3:1-15

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Your identity is your own; it is what makes you you. When you are adopted, your identity is something with which you struggle. I was adopted and while my appearance and talents are different from my parents, I act and think like my adoptive family (I have a German temper!). It took me thirty years to become comfortable answering the questions about my heritage; now I claim to be German, like my adoptive mother.

As an individual who was adopted as an infant, I understand Moses’ confusion between his Hebrew birth family and his Egyptian adoptive family. On Working Preacher, Amy Merrill Willis describes Moses as “the lost soul.” Moses is a stranger to his own people and to the people among whom he lives. Born in a time when Pharaoh was attempting genocide on all male Hebrew babies, Moses’ only hope of survival comes when his birth mother sends him floating down the Nile River and into God’s hands. The Pharaoh’s daughter finds and adopts him, allowing his birth mother to care for him until he is weaned (Exodus 2:9-10). But Moses is forced to flee Egypt when he kills an Egyptian to protect a fellow Hebrew man from being beaten (Exodus 2:12). The Hebrews reject Moses, and the Pharaoh ordered him to be killed (Exodus 2:13-15a). Now Moses resides in the land of Midian where he calls himself “an alien residing in a foreign land” (Exodus 2:22).

God finds Moses in the land of Midian, tending to his sheep by the mountain of God (Exodus 3:1). God comes to Moses in a blazing bush that is not consumed by the fire (Exodus 3:2). Moses is intrigued by the phenomenon and goes to the bush to investigate. Suddenly God calls out, “Moses, Moses!” and he answers, “Here I am” (Exodus 3:4). God says, “Do not come any closer, and take off his sandals” (Exodus 3:5). Anathea Portier-Young, Associate Professor of Old Testament at Duke Divinity School explains that this mountain is a holy place where Moses will lead his people to worship and where he will receive instructions for the tabernacle. Portier-Young explains God’s request to Moses to remove his sandals to “Draw away the covering that has protected you. Clear away the barrier between yourself and the earth so that your bare feet may touch and sink and take root in this holy ground. Let this living soil coat your skin.” The presence of God is experienced by all five senses. God wants Moses to wrap himself in his presence, because he has an important task for him as the first prophet.

God hears the cries of the Hebrews who are slaves in Egypt (Exodus 2:23) and comes to Moses with a plan to free his people (Exodus 3:9-10). However, Moses is not so sure of this plan and asks, “Who am I to do this?” (Exodus 3:11). Every prophet and called person asks this very question of God. Who am I to lead your people? Who am I to preach the good news? Who am I to tell others to repent when I am a sinner? Who am I? Prophets have a tough job description: tell God’s people he is not happy with them and lead them to repent. Who really wants to volunteer for that job? [no hands go up]

Yet God says, “Calm down, Moses. I am not sending you alone. I am going with you to bring my people out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:12). Sometimes when it is overwhelming, we forget God is with us, surrounding us with his love, peace, and grace when we are hopeless. God goes with us wherever he sends us, because he is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of Moses, and the God of us. God the Father is our God who is with all with us.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for calling Moses to be a prophet and to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. Lead us to show others your love, peace, and grace. Be with us as we go out into world to share your good news. Thank you for your love, peace, and grace. Amen.

Reflective Questions

When and where do you feel God’s presence?
How has God called you to be a prophet?

Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost: The Divisions among Us

Reading

Exodus 1:8-2:10

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Divides run deep in societies: African Americans vs. Caucasians, rich vs. poor, abled vs. disabled, and [whatever “it” is] that divides your community. The events following the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Missouri have shined a light on the deep need for healing and reconciliation in the community. My step-dad, Kim, keeps asking if we have gone back to the 1960s when segregation was still prevalent. As the protests and other events continue in Ferguson, the deep-seated emotions overrun any peaceful resolutions in the near future.

Exodus opens with the oppression of the Israelites by the Egyptians. The new Pharaoh does not know Joseph and is fearful of the Israelites who are numerous and could join forces with the Egyptians’ enemies (Exodus 1:8-10). The Pharaoh’s goal is to weaken the Israelites’ numbers, and he tries to do so in three ways. First, the Pharaoh enslaves the Israelites to build two new supply cities, Pithom and Rameses (Exodus 1:11). The Pharaoh hopes the heavy labor would be too much for the Israelites and decrease their numbers. Second, when their numbers continue to increase, the Pharaoh instructs the midwives to the Hebrews, Shiphrah and Puah, to kill the male babies but to allow the female ones to live (Exodus 1:16). However, the midwives respect and serve God and allow the male Hebrew babies to live (Exodus 1:17). Third, the Pharaoh demands the Egyptians to throw all of the male Hebrew babies into the Nile River (Exodus 1:22). However, God and the women go against the Pharaoh. God blesses the Israelites with children, even when they are enslaved and physically exhausted (Exodus 1:12). Using God-fearing midwives who protect innocent life, God works against the Pharaoh to keep his promises to Abraham and Jacob.

When a Levite couple has a son, the wife hides the baby for three months until he grows too big (Exodus 2:1-2). The mother plasters a papyrus basket with bitumen and pitch and put the baby in it to float down the Nile River (Exodus 2:3). The idea must have been terrifying for the mother as she puts her faith in God by trusting he will protect her son in the river. However, the mother trusts God will send her son to a person and place where he will be able to grow up.

The baby’s sister follows the baby and sees the Pharaoh’s daughter take the basket out of the river when she goes down to bathe (Exodus 2:4-5). The baby’s sister approaches the Pharaoh’s daughter and asks, “Do you want a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby?” (Exodus 2:7). Pharaoh’s daughter says, “Yes, take the child and I will pay you wages” (Exodus 2:8a, 9). The Hebrew girl goes and gets her mother to nurse the baby (Exodus 2:8b). When the child grows up, the Hebrew woman gives him back to Pharaoh’s daughter who names him Moses – the one drawn out of the water (Exodus 2:10). Even the Pharaoh’s daughter has sympathy for the Israelites and saves the one who, in the providence of God, will rebuke the Pharaoh and take the Israelites out of Egypt.

God claims the Israelites as his people and continues to bless them, even when they live in a foreign land. God protects his people from genocide through the two midwives and Pharaoh’s daughter. As we continue exploring Exodus in the coming weeks, we will see the Israelites struggle with their identity as God’s chosen people.

As we struggle to understand the Ferguson situation, may God lead us to find long-lasting salvation. God sent Jesus to break down the divisions in the world by healing and lifting up the oppressed through peace and reconciliation (Ephesians 2:14-15). God hears the cries of the people in Ferguson, like he heard the Israelite’s cries in Egypt, and he will deliver the people out of oppression. God will heal the people in Ferguson through the peace and salvation of Jesus Christ.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for saving Moses through Pharaoh’s daughter. Help us to break divisions among us. Lead us to heal the oppressed through the grace, peace, and love of Jesus Christ. Thank you for giving us the identity as your people. Amen.

Reflective Questions

What kinds of divisions are you affected by? How do they affect your life or identity? How can you be apart of the reconciliation God brings into the world through Jesus Christ rather than being part of the problem?
What does it mean to be God’s people?
How do you experience salvation?

Tenth Sunday after Pentecost: Awkward Reunions

Reading

Genesis 45:1-15

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Reunions are normally joyous and full of hugs and kisses. Videos of the homecoming reunion between Iraq war veterans and their kids have gone viral. A joyful, sobbing child jumps into their father’s arms, squealing, “Daddy!” Being reunited with a loved one is the best feeling in the world, because the missing part of you is back.

However, sometimes reunions have their awkward moments where you are not exactly sure what to say or do. Your relationship with the other person is complicated with feelings of betrayal, forgiveness, and love. You are not sure which emotion the other person feels, so you are not sure how to act and sheepishly say, “Hello.” The story of Joseph and his brothers’ reunion is full of this kind of awkwardness, but it ends with redemption.

Several years pass since his ten older brothers have seen Joseph when Jacob sends them to Egypt to buy grain during the famine (Genesis 42:1-2). Unknown to his ten brothers, Joseph is now second-in-command in Egypt and is in charge of distributing the grain (Genesis 42:6). His ten brothers do not recognized Joseph when they ask for grain (Genesis 42:8), and Joseph acts as though he does not know them and throws accuses them of being spies, throwing them in prison for three days (Genesis 42:9-12, 17). On the third day, Joseph tells them to pick one brother to stay in prison, while the other nine brothers take grain back to their families and bring back their young brother, Benjamin, to Egypt (Genesis 42:18-20). Before the brothers leave, Joseph gives back their money in their grain sacks without their knowledge; when they discover this, they are terrified (Genesis 42:25, 35).

When the brothers run out of grain, they are forced to return to Egypt with Benjamin despite Jacob’s fearful protests (Genesis 43:2-10). When Joseph sees his brothers again, invites them to a big feast (Genesis 43:16-17) and releases Simeon from prison (Genesis 43:23). His nine brothers confess their money was in their grain sacks and offer to make it right, but Joseph reassures the brothers (Genesis 43:20-23). Just as Joseph had dreamed years before, the brothers bow down and present Joseph with their gifts from their father and enjoy the feast he had prepared for them (Genesis 43:26).

As the brothers prepare to leave, Joseph tests them again, having his palace manager put Joseph’s personal silver cup in Benjamin’s sack (Genesis 44:1-2). Joseph sends his palace manager after them to accuse them of theft (Genesis 44:4-5). The brothers have no idea why they are being accused of stealing, and they offer to open their bags of grain (Genesis 44:6-9).

Of course, the palace manager finds the silver cup in Benjamin’s bag of grain and takes all the brothers back to Joseph (Genesis 44:12-14). Judah pleads with Joseph that Benjamin is innocent, saying they are being punished by God for their past sins (Genesis 44:16), but Joseph demands Benjamin stay as his slave while the others return home to their father (Genesis 44:17). Judah explains how his father will be heartbroken without Benjamin (Genesis 44:30-34). Judah even offers to stay as Joseph’s slave in Benjamin’s place to ease his father’s pain (Genesis 44:33).

The story of Joseph and his brother is a beautiful story, but also one of many deceptions. Some commentators believe Joseph is just as bad as his brothers because he planted the money and silver cup in their grain bags. I disagree because I believe Joseph needed to test them and see if they had changed their attitudes. Most of us can understand Joseph’s position; it is difficult to let people who have hurt you back into your life. Joseph’s brothers wanted to kill him but settled on selling him into slavery in Egypt. Who in their right minds would forgive and trust these brothers easily? Joseph has to protect himself from any more emotional abuse.

After Judah pleads with him, Joseph is overwhelmed with his brothers’ repentance. Joseph weeps as he reveals his identity to his eleven brothers (Genesis 45:4). Joseph explains that God is the one who sent him to Egypt to preserve all of their lives and how he predicted the famine from Pharaoh’s dream and his rise to a powerful position (Genesis 45:5-8). Then Joseph tells his brothers to go back to their father, children, grandchildren, and flocks and herds, and bring them back to live in the region of Goshen (Genesis 45:10-11).

The brothers demonstrate to Joseph how they have changed. The brothers even admit their past sin and how much pain it has brought to their father (Genesis 44:16). Through their father’s daily misery, the brothers have been punished enough for their sins. This story demonstrates that it is possible to forgive people who have done [whatever “it” is] to you, but it takes time and space. Joseph did not forgive his brothers overnight; it took years – over a decade. Yet Joseph eventually finds it in his heart to forgive his ten older brothers. Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for having Joseph demonstrates forgiveness. Help us to forgive those who have sinned against us. Give us gentle hearts to be forgiven for our sins. Amen.

Reflective Questions

How have you deceived others?
How have you offered redemption to others?

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost: Family Feud

Reading

Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Jealousy causes the most put-together person to do crazy things. Cain kills Abe (Genesis 4:8) out of jealously. Sarah forces Abraham to throw Hagar and her son, Ishmael, into the wilderness (Genesis 21:9-11) out of jealousy. Jacob cons Esau out of the birthright (Genesis 25:30-34) out of jealousy. From previous devotions, we know that as sons of four different mothers, Jacob’s sons were at odds with each other throughout their childhood. Not only that, but one of the mothers, Rachel, was Jacob’s favorite wife. Put together ten young men who are all jealous of the same brother, and you have problems.

Joseph is Rachel’s only son at this point and Jacob’s favorite son. Joseph is also Jacob’s youngest son. Only adding to the tensions in the family, Joseph begins to have crazy dreams, including one in which his older brothers bow to him (Genesis 37:9-10). These dreams caused his brothers to be resentful against Joseph. Then Jacob gives Joseph a long, extravagant robe (Genesis 37:3c) gift that leads to more sibling jealousy.

In the midst of these swirling emotions, Jacob sends Joseph out to check on his brothers in the field (Genesis 37:13).His older brothers see Joseph coming from afar and start plotting to kill him. Reuben suggests throwing Joseph in a pit in the wilderness, hoping he could rescue him later (Genesis 37:21-22). When Joseph arrives, his older brothers strip him of his coveted robe and throw him into an empty pit (Genesis 37:23-24). While eating lunch, his older brothers notice Ishmaelites traveling with camels when Judah suggests selling Joseph to them (Genesis 37:25-27). When the Ishmaelites come by, his older brothers sell Joseph for twenty pieces of silver (Genesis 37:28).

Joseph continues to fall and rise throughout his life. He rises out of the pit and is taken down to Egypt to be sold into slavery (Genesis 39:1). God blesses Joseph by providing him a position of authority in Potiphar’s house (Genesis 39:2-4), but his wife falsely accuses him of raping her (Genesis 39:17-18) and so Joseph is sent to prison (Genesis 37:20). God blesses Joseph again by having the chief jailer put him in charge of all the prisoners’ care (Genesis 39:21-23).

While in prison, Joseph interprets dreams of a cupbearer and a baker, and both interpretations come true (Genesis 40). Two years later, the cupbearer remembers Joseph’s gift of dream interpretation when the Pharaoh has a confusing dream (Genesis 41:12). The Pharaoh calls Joseph up from prison and has him interpret his dream (Genesis 41:14). Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams as a warning from God that following seven years of good crop there will be seven years of famine (Genesis 41:25-31). Joseph suggests the Pharaoh collects a fifth of the produce during the seven years of plenteous harvest to be handed out during the seven years of famine (Genesis 41:34-36). The Pharaoh agrees with Joseph’s proposal and puts him in charge of the production (Genesis 41:39-40).

Even when Joseph is down on his luck, God blesses him. How many times when you are down on your luck has God blessed you? Maybe that class in college you almost failed prepared you the most for the real world. Maybe you got divorced, and God blessed you with a better partner. Maybe you did not get your dream job, but God put you somewhere even more amazing. Maybe you just got diagnosed with stage four cancer and God blesses you with amazing supporters. Many people forget God continues to bless them, even if he feels far away.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for blessing Joseph, even when he was down on his luck. Help us to be mindful of how you bless our lives. Lead us to go where we need us to be, even when we want to go elsewhere. Thank you for sending Joseph to Egypt to help the Pharaoh prepare for the famine. Amen.

Reflective Questions

How has God blessed you?
In what ways has God prepared you for something in the future?

Eighth Sunday of Pentecost: A Journey of Transitions

Reading

Genesis 32:22-31

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Each transition in life changes you for better or worse. A transition takes you on a journey and challenges your opinions and view about the world. My divorce has made me more cautious about letting people into my life. In a past relationship, I became shut off from friends and family members who did not like my significant other. The months following my break up, loved ones started coming back around and invited me to different events again. I am still cautious about meeting new people and trusting them right away. I am no longer the carefree person I was in college, but I am no longer afraid to say what I am thinking. Transitions change your perspective.

We have seen Jacob go through several transitions. Jacob cons his older brother out of his birthright (Genesis 25:29-34) and is sent away by his parents (Genesis 27:41-45) and goes to Haran (Genesis 28:10) to find a wife among his kinsman. The Lord promises to give Jacob land and many descendents (Genesis 28:13-15). Jacob marries Leah and Rachel, who give him twelve sons and a daughter. Before leaving Haran, Jacob tricks Laban out of the strong sheep and becomes wealthy (Genesis 30:41-43). Over the course of twenty years, Jacob has gone through several transitions. However, he is about to face his scariest transition: going back home to face his brother.

Jacob sends his two wives, his children, and his possessions ahead of him and stays alone in the wilderness one night (Genesis 32:22-23). Biblical scholars debate why Jacob stays behind while sending his wives and his children ahead. Does Jacob hope Esau finds pity in his heart for his family? Is Jacob afraid of Esau? Maybe Jacob stays behind to make sure Laban does not come after them again. Nevertheless, the night gives Jacob time to wrestle with God (literally) and discuss his next transition.

A man comes to wrestle with Jacob through the night, and he knocks Jacob’s hip out of its socket (Genesis 32:24-25). The man demands to be let go, but Jacob refuses to release the man until he blesses him (Genesis 32:26). Jacob still demands to be blessed, even as he goes to face his brother. From one standpoint, Jacob is still out for himself. Yet the man blesses Jacob by changing his name to Israel (“the one who contends with God and prevails”). Israel will become a father of a nation, but first he has to face his brother, Esau.

Jacob joins his family and meets Esau and his four hundred men. Jacob goes in front and bows seven times in front of Esau (Genesis 33:3). Then Esau runs to Jacob and embraces him in a hug (Genesis 33:4). Jacob gives Esau the livestock (Genesis 33:8, 11) as a peace offering for his past wrongdoings.

Esau has every right to hold a grudge over Jacob, but instead he embraces him. The bond between brothers goes deeper than an argument and stands the test of time. Jacob and Esau reconcile and find peace.

This past week one of my mentees lost her brother in a diving accident. Her brother was seventeen with a bright future in the navy. When I heard the news, I tried to imagine the last decade – my wedding, my graduations, and my divorce – without my brother, the one constant in my life. I can’t imagine life without him; even with our fights, our bond is still so special. Just as Jacob and Esau were able to reconcile and find peace with each, may you also find peace and reconciliation in your relationship with your family. God can heal relational wounds and make us whole.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for wrestling with Jacob and blessing him with a new name. Help us to hold our relationships with our siblings in high esteem and not to take them for granted. Lead us to forgive when our siblings hurt us and to embrace them with love. Thank you for giving Jacob and Esau a chance to reconcile. Amen.

Reflective Questions

How have you wrestled with the Lord?
When and how have you reconciled with a sibling or a close friend?

1 Photo Credit: Amber Sue Photography, www.ambersuephotography.com