It is surely no coincidence that just as there were twelve sons of Israel there were twelve apostles of Jesus. The twelve patriarchs were the foundation of national Israel just as the twelve apostles were the foundation of spiritual Israel. So it has been very interesting to read the narratives of Joseph's relationship with the sons of Israel (Gen. 41-42) in juxtaposition with Mark's account of Jesus' relationship with the apostles, especially in today's reading in Mark 16.
The thread that connects these two passages is the failure to recognize. In the case of the sons of Jacob, it is their failure to recognize Joseph as the governor over the land distributing grain. Of course, they could hardly be blamed for this. When they last saw him he was a seventeen-year-old Hebrew boy sold into slavery, and by Gen. 41-42 he was a thirty-year-old Egyptian man serving as Pharaoh's number two man.
In the case of the apostles in Mark 16, their failure was to recognize the truth about Jesus' resurrection. This failure is much more difficult to excuse. Not only had Jesus explicitly told them - three times! - that He was going to die and be raised from the dead (8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34), but multiple eyewitnesses told the apostles they had seen the empty tomb and the risen Lord (16:9-13). Yet the disciples were slow to accept this truth, and were rebuked by Jesus for "their unbelief and hardness of heart" (16:14).
Yet it seems to me that both groups of twelve deserve a lot of credit. Joseph's brothers were grieved at the memory of what they did to their brother, and fully accepted responsibility for their actions, a change of heart which deeply touched Joseph long before he revealed himself to them (Gen. 42:21-24). And the great thing about the apostles is that immediately after Jesus rebuked them, they accepted His commission to go and take His gospel to the whole creation (Mark 16:15-16). God can work with people who are humble enough to admit their mistakes.
Most impressive in these accounts, however, is the gracious spirit of Joseph and Jesus. Both were willing to forgive people who had viciously betrayed them. Indeed, both of them displayed grace to those who offended them even before there was actual reconciliation. Joseph gave his brothers grain, returned their money, and even supplied them with provisions (Gen. 42:25). And Jesus told the disciples in the garden that they would scatter in fear, but that He would see them again in Galilee (Mark 14:26-28).
In the world in which we all live, we have plenty of opportunities to learn from the twelve, and from Joseph/Jesus. The nature of life in a sinful world means that we all have moments of hardness of heart, of reluctance to belief what God intends for us to believe, and so we all have many occasions to experience God's grace as He forgives us for our stubbornness. And a world like ours is one where others will hurt us, and like Joseph and Jesus, there is no lack of opportunity to show others the same grace, patience, and mercy that we have been shown.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Daily Bible Reading - January 22 - A Book About a Promise
A couple of years ago I read a suggestion from one of my favorite authors, Scot McKnight, that really had an impact on how I read the Bible. He suggested that it is really helpful to read the book of Genesis with the promise to Abraham in Gen. 12 in mind, and that the entire book could be analyzed on the basis of that promise. He may have even suggested reading the entire Old Testament in this light, which would also make lots of sense.
In Gen. 12:1-3 God promised Abraham that He would make him a great nation, that he would make his name great, that he would give him and his offspring land, and that he would be a blessing to all the families of the earth. Think of how these promises relate to today's reading from the OT (Gen. 38-40)-
-The tawdry story of Judah and Tamar is really a story about lineage, and illustrates the "great nation" aspect of the promise.
-The story of Joseph illustrates how Abraham's offspring would be a blessing to all nations, as everyone for whom Joseph works is blessed by the prosperity the Lord brings through Joseph.
-And of course, the Joseph narratives serve to explain how Abraham's offspring ended up in Egypt, a prelude to their inheriting the promised land.
The same principle can be applied to the New Testament as well, since it shows us the ultimate way in which Abraham's offspring blesses the world. And today's reading in Mark 15 is the capstone of that promise. Jesus, a descendant of Abraham through Tamar and Judah (Matt. 1:2-3), became a curse for us, "so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith" (Gal. 3:14).
In Gen. 12:1-3 God promised Abraham that He would make him a great nation, that he would make his name great, that he would give him and his offspring land, and that he would be a blessing to all the families of the earth. Think of how these promises relate to today's reading from the OT (Gen. 38-40)-
-The tawdry story of Judah and Tamar is really a story about lineage, and illustrates the "great nation" aspect of the promise.
-The story of Joseph illustrates how Abraham's offspring would be a blessing to all nations, as everyone for whom Joseph works is blessed by the prosperity the Lord brings through Joseph.
-And of course, the Joseph narratives serve to explain how Abraham's offspring ended up in Egypt, a prelude to their inheriting the promised land.
The same principle can be applied to the New Testament as well, since it shows us the ultimate way in which Abraham's offspring blesses the world. And today's reading in Mark 15 is the capstone of that promise. Jesus, a descendant of Abraham through Tamar and Judah (Matt. 1:2-3), became a curse for us, "so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith" (Gal. 3:14).
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Daily Bible Reading - January 21 - The Deception of the Deceiver
The story of Jacob can be frustrating to read because it seems like he gets away with so much. He took advantage of the profane Esau to obtain his birthright, and he deceived his own father to receive Esau's blessing. The tide begins to turn, however, in his dealings with Laban, as his uncle proves to be more than a match for Jacob (whose name means "deceiver").
But in Genesis 37, the deceiver reaped the bitter fruit of what he sowed earlier in his life. His favored son, Joseph, was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, and they hid the truth of their actions from their father by lying to him. In fact, as my old teacher Phil Roberts pointed out, the lie of the brothers bears many striking similarities to Jacob's deception.
-Both involved a lie about the favored son (Isaac favored Esau; Jacob favored Joseph)
-Both involved the deception of a father.
-Both involved the use of a goat (the skin of the goat in the case of Isaac; the blood of the goat in the case of Jacob).
-Both led to great sorrow (Esau's sorrow over the loss of the blessing; Jacob's sorrow over Joseph).
Sometimes dishonest people get away with their lies, but many times, maybe most of the time, they do not. And just as in the case of Jacob, those who live by deceit often suffer deceit themselves.
But in Genesis 37, the deceiver reaped the bitter fruit of what he sowed earlier in his life. His favored son, Joseph, was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, and they hid the truth of their actions from their father by lying to him. In fact, as my old teacher Phil Roberts pointed out, the lie of the brothers bears many striking similarities to Jacob's deception.
-Both involved a lie about the favored son (Isaac favored Esau; Jacob favored Joseph)
-Both involved the deception of a father.
-Both involved the use of a goat (the skin of the goat in the case of Isaac; the blood of the goat in the case of Jacob).
-Both led to great sorrow (Esau's sorrow over the loss of the blessing; Jacob's sorrow over Joseph).
Sometimes dishonest people get away with their lies, but many times, maybe most of the time, they do not. And just as in the case of Jacob, those who live by deceit often suffer deceit themselves.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Daily Bible Reading - January 20 - One Generation to Another
I haven't written much about the various psalms that are a part of the daily Bible reading schedule we are using at Woodland Hills, but it is really enjoyable to have various psalms interspersed in the reading schedule. They are a great change of pace from the narrative sections we are currently reading in Genesis and Mark, and as we get further into the year, the schedule often synchronizes the readings with the narratives (especially in the life of David).
I was really struck by one phrase in today's psalm: "One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts" (Psalm 145:4). Every generation has a responsibility to pass on a rich spiritual legacy to the next, and central to that task is teaching. Each generation must teach - "commend" - "declare" - to the next who God is and what He has done. You can sense the urgency of this task in Moses' farewell speech to Israel, Joshua's farewell address to Israel, and Paul's letters to Timothy.
This is not just a responsibility, however. Psalm 145:4 says that one generation "shall" pass on the message of God's greatness to the next. In other words, it is assumed that each generation will be so awed and moved by the mighty acts of God that it shall - of course! - tell the next generation about them.
Some of you may have stories in your family that have been passed down about the great exploits of your ancestors. You don't share those stories with your children because you have to. You share them because you want to, because that link in the chain of family history was so special all future generations should know about what they did. And that is the way we should feel about the stories in our spiritual family. We have a great Father, who does great and marvelous things, and how can we do any less but to declare that to those who come after us.
I was really struck by one phrase in today's psalm: "One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts" (Psalm 145:4). Every generation has a responsibility to pass on a rich spiritual legacy to the next, and central to that task is teaching. Each generation must teach - "commend" - "declare" - to the next who God is and what He has done. You can sense the urgency of this task in Moses' farewell speech to Israel, Joshua's farewell address to Israel, and Paul's letters to Timothy.
This is not just a responsibility, however. Psalm 145:4 says that one generation "shall" pass on the message of God's greatness to the next. In other words, it is assumed that each generation will be so awed and moved by the mighty acts of God that it shall - of course! - tell the next generation about them.
Some of you may have stories in your family that have been passed down about the great exploits of your ancestors. You don't share those stories with your children because you have to. You share them because you want to, because that link in the chain of family history was so special all future generations should know about what they did. And that is the way we should feel about the stories in our spiritual family. We have a great Father, who does great and marvelous things, and how can we do any less but to declare that to those who come after us.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Daily Bible Reading - January 19 - Two "Much-Tried" Women
I was very excited when the recent Sherlock Holmes movie came out since I have been a big fan of the Conan Doyle stories since I was a child. In one of my favorite Holmes' cases, The Abbey Grange, Holmes meets a woman whose husband has been murdered, a woman who displayed various marks and bruises that indicated she was herself a victim of abuse. When the great detective starts to piece together what actually happened, he says to her, "I am convinced that you are a much-tried woman." In today's Bible reading, there are stories about two "much-tried" women, Leah (Gen. 30-31) and the widow who gave all she could (Mark 12).
Each time I read the story of Leah I feel greater sorrow for her plight. She was betrothed to a man who did not love her, overshadowed by a younger, shapelier, prettier sister. The Lord saw that "she was hated" and "opened her womb," leading Leah to believe that "now my husband will love me" (Gen. 29:31-32). But this was not to be. By the next chapter of Genesis, Leah literally has to pay in order to have relations with Jacob (30:16). No woman deserves to be treated like Leah was treated.
In Mark 12, there is another "much-tried" woman - the widow who "put in everything she had, all she had to live on" in the offering box at the temple. Previously I have looked at this story as a stirring example of sacrifice commended to the disciples by Jesus. But it is also possible to see this account as a condemnation of the temple system, which was corrupt (earlier in the chapter Jesus denounced what took place in the temple), and that corruption was financed by people who were in dire poverty. Whether this account illustrates that corruption or not, plenty of other passages in Scripture describe those who would take advantage of widows (Deut. 24:17; Isa. 10:2; James 1:27, for example).
Treating women like a commodity is a fundamental insult to God, who made "male and female" in His image (Gen. 1:27). Today we need heroes, not fictional ones like Sherlock Holmes, but real heroes - real men - who know the value of women, and treat them as "heirs together of the grace of life" (1 Peter 3:7).
Each time I read the story of Leah I feel greater sorrow for her plight. She was betrothed to a man who did not love her, overshadowed by a younger, shapelier, prettier sister. The Lord saw that "she was hated" and "opened her womb," leading Leah to believe that "now my husband will love me" (Gen. 29:31-32). But this was not to be. By the next chapter of Genesis, Leah literally has to pay in order to have relations with Jacob (30:16). No woman deserves to be treated like Leah was treated.
In Mark 12, there is another "much-tried" woman - the widow who "put in everything she had, all she had to live on" in the offering box at the temple. Previously I have looked at this story as a stirring example of sacrifice commended to the disciples by Jesus. But it is also possible to see this account as a condemnation of the temple system, which was corrupt (earlier in the chapter Jesus denounced what took place in the temple), and that corruption was financed by people who were in dire poverty. Whether this account illustrates that corruption or not, plenty of other passages in Scripture describe those who would take advantage of widows (Deut. 24:17; Isa. 10:2; James 1:27, for example).
Treating women like a commodity is a fundamental insult to God, who made "male and female" in His image (Gen. 1:27). Today we need heroes, not fictional ones like Sherlock Holmes, but real heroes - real men - who know the value of women, and treat them as "heirs together of the grace of life" (1 Peter 3:7).
Monday, January 18, 2010
Daily Bible Reading - January 18 - "Behold, It Was Leah!"
It is hard to suppress a grin at the exclamation in Genesis 29:25, "Behold, it was Leah!" The conniving Jacob met his match in his shady uncle Laban, who perpetrated the classic "bait and switch." At the end of the marriage feast for Jacob and Rachel, Laban gave an apparently inebriated Jacob his older daughter Leah rather than Rachel (who was "beautiful in form and appearance," verse 17). We can probably infer that Leah was not as attractive as her younger sister, and Jacob was upset that such a deception was the way he was repaid for seven years of hard work. He went to bed expecting to be with Rachel, but soon realized his new wife wasn't what he was expecting.
The NT portion of today's reading is Mark 11, the "Triumphal Entry." In some ways, the people's reaction to Jesus that final week mirrored Jacob's experience in Genesis 29. They saw Jesus come into the city, they believed that He represented "the coming kingdom of our father David" (11:9), and they shouted "Hosannas" to welcome Him into the city.
But just a few days later, popular sentiment shifted wildly. It is almost as if one night the people went to bed thinking they had their Messiah, only to awaken to discover they had been misled. Their trusted leaders, the chief priests and scribes, insisted that this man was a phony, a pretender, a false prophet who threatened to destroy the temple. So the people reacted as any good Jew should. Instead of shouting Hosannas, they cried out, "Crucify him!"
Both accounts involve deception (Laban's lie and the false witnesses of the chief priests and scribes). Both involve an innocent victim (Leah, who surely becomes a victim in this sad love triangle, and Jesus). Both involve mistaken identity. And both stories describe the vindication of the innocent, as the Lord opens Leah's womb and Jesus' tomb.
It is hard to be sympathetic to Jacob, who reaped what he sowed in his own disingenuous dealings with his father. It is much easier to sympathize with the Jewish people who were manipulated by the leaders (although they were still accountable). But most of all it is crucial for us to make sure we see Jesus for who He truly is, not for who we think He ought to be. To fail to know the true Christ is to face a truly rude awakening.
The NT portion of today's reading is Mark 11, the "Triumphal Entry." In some ways, the people's reaction to Jesus that final week mirrored Jacob's experience in Genesis 29. They saw Jesus come into the city, they believed that He represented "the coming kingdom of our father David" (11:9), and they shouted "Hosannas" to welcome Him into the city.
But just a few days later, popular sentiment shifted wildly. It is almost as if one night the people went to bed thinking they had their Messiah, only to awaken to discover they had been misled. Their trusted leaders, the chief priests and scribes, insisted that this man was a phony, a pretender, a false prophet who threatened to destroy the temple. So the people reacted as any good Jew should. Instead of shouting Hosannas, they cried out, "Crucify him!"
Both accounts involve deception (Laban's lie and the false witnesses of the chief priests and scribes). Both involve an innocent victim (Leah, who surely becomes a victim in this sad love triangle, and Jesus). Both involve mistaken identity. And both stories describe the vindication of the innocent, as the Lord opens Leah's womb and Jesus' tomb.
It is hard to be sympathetic to Jacob, who reaped what he sowed in his own disingenuous dealings with his father. It is much easier to sympathize with the Jewish people who were manipulated by the leaders (although they were still accountable). But most of all it is crucial for us to make sure we see Jesus for who He truly is, not for who we think He ought to be. To fail to know the true Christ is to face a truly rude awakening.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Daily Bible Reading - January 15 - A Tale of Two Blind Men
Today's reading (Gen. 26-27 and Mark 10) includes accounts about two blind men, Isaac and Bartimaeus. Their stories could not be more different. Isaac was a wealthy man; Bartimaeus was a beggar. Isaac was taken advantage of in his blindness; Bartimaeus was miraculously delivered from his blindness.
But perhaps the greatest difference between the two men is their faith in God. I don't want to needlessly disparage Isaac, but in my view, he is not a model of faith in God's word. Even though God told Rebekah that the older (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob) in Gen. 25:23, Isaac was intent on blessing Esau with the exact opposite intent. To the man he thought was Esau, Isaac said: "Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you" (Gen. 27:29). I suppose you could defend Isaac by arguing that he did not know about the prophecy God made to Rebekah, but the fact that Isaac favored the profane and godless Esau (Heb. 12:16) does not speak in his favor.
By contrast, Bartimaeus had great faith in Christ, the kind of childlike trust Jesus spoke of earlier in the chapter which records his story (Mark 10:15). Bartimaeus insistently cried out for Jesus' help, even when "many rebuked him, telling him to be silent" (10:48). And as soon as Jesus called for him, the blind beggar threw off his cloak, "sprang up," and came to Jesus (10:50). This blind man could see what so many others could not - Jesus was the great David's greater Son, and could heal him of his blindness. His faith made him well (10:52).
May God help us to have the conviction of the certainty of His word, the spiritual vision to spring to our feet in complete willingness to do whatever He wants.
But perhaps the greatest difference between the two men is their faith in God. I don't want to needlessly disparage Isaac, but in my view, he is not a model of faith in God's word. Even though God told Rebekah that the older (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob) in Gen. 25:23, Isaac was intent on blessing Esau with the exact opposite intent. To the man he thought was Esau, Isaac said: "Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you" (Gen. 27:29). I suppose you could defend Isaac by arguing that he did not know about the prophecy God made to Rebekah, but the fact that Isaac favored the profane and godless Esau (Heb. 12:16) does not speak in his favor.
By contrast, Bartimaeus had great faith in Christ, the kind of childlike trust Jesus spoke of earlier in the chapter which records his story (Mark 10:15). Bartimaeus insistently cried out for Jesus' help, even when "many rebuked him, telling him to be silent" (10:48). And as soon as Jesus called for him, the blind beggar threw off his cloak, "sprang up," and came to Jesus (10:50). This blind man could see what so many others could not - Jesus was the great David's greater Son, and could heal him of his blindness. His faith made him well (10:52).
May God help us to have the conviction of the certainty of His word, the spiritual vision to spring to our feet in complete willingness to do whatever He wants.
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