Honor – Running After Papa

Keeping Promises (Gen 35)

Genesis 35

In reading this chapter, I was struck by the fact that God held Jacob’s feet to the fire… God held Jacob accountable for his promises. Back in chapter 28, when Jacob was in a pinch, he made a promise to God.

Gen 28:20-22 (NKJV)
20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, 21 so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. 22 And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”

Guess what? Everything Jacob vowed – all the “if God will… then I will…” – came true. God was faithful to completely deliver in it. Now it was time for Jacob to hold up his end – even 20 years later. It could be that Jacob forgot about his vow. It had been 20 years since he made it. It could be that Jacob was just continuing to live out his M.O. of deceiving and that he never had any intention of going back. That was what his name meant. His whole life was built around deception and scheming: Esau’s birthright; Esau’s blessing; his wives – he was deceived this time; his fortune of sheep from Laban;

Jacob may have forgotten about his vow – but God did not forget. Jacob may have intended to scam God – but God had other intentions. Not only did God remind Jacob to go back to that place, he enabled him to do so by prevented Jacob’s enemies from attacking him(Gen 35:5); blessed him again; and changed his name (again) to Israel (Gen 35:9-14). This was the second time God had changed his name to Israel (see Gen 32:28). He confirmed the change of his name from from Jacob (which means “Deceiver, or Schemer”) to Israel (which means “God prevails”).

Isn’t that just like God? He wants to bless us, just like any good Father would… but he also wants to teach us to be men of integrity… to finish what we start… to fulfill our commitments and vows… to be men of Honor…. no matter how long ago we made the promise. He wants us to recognize and know that HE WILL PREVAIL.

We’ve all done it. We’ve all send up those requests to God. Something like: “God, if you’ll just ___(Fill in the blank)___ then I will ___(Fill in the blank)___.” I know I’m guilty of it. I imagine we all are.

Challenge: Ask Father what vows are unfulfilled in your life.

Daddy, I open myself to you. I ask you to show me any unfulfilled promise I’ve made to You or anyone else that I need to make right, so I might be a man if Integrity, a man of Honor, the man you want me to be.

Running After Papa…

Keeping Promises (Gen 35)

Genesis 35

I was struck by the fact that God held Jacob’s feet to the fire. Back in chapter 28, when Jacob was in a pinch, he made a promise to God.

Guess what? Everything Jacob vowed – all the “if God will…” – came true. God was faithful to completely deliver in it. Now it is time for Jacob to hold up his end.

Jacob either had forgotten about his vow – I mean it had been at least 20 years – but God did not forget. Not only did God remind Jacob to go, he prevented Jacob’s enemies from attacking (Gen 35:5), blessed him again and changed his name to Israel (Gen 35:9-14).

We’ve all done it. “God, if you’ll just ___(Fill in the blank)___ then I will ___(Fill in the blank)___.”

Challenge: Ask Father what vows are unfulfilled in your life.

Daddy, I open myself to you. I ask you to show me any unfulfilled promise I’ve made to You or anyone else that I need to make right, so I might be a man if Integrity, a man of Honor.

An Honorable Rapist? (Gen 34)

Genesis 34

This is the account of Dinah’s rape by Shechem.

Three things stand out.

1. Soul Tie?

v3 “³ His soul was strongly attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke kindly to the young woman.” Is this a soul tie?

2. Generational Curse?

Funny how the sins of the father become the sins of the sons… Jacob was a deceiver. So here are two of his sons who deceive the man who raped their sister. Here the deception leads to much more than just a blessing. Here these two men murder all the men of a community and take all their possessions.

3. An Honorable Rapist?

Simeon and Levi deceive Shechem and his father Hamor saying that they will cross-pollinate with their countrymen if all the men of their city/province would get circumcised. For whatever reason, they they do.

v 19 “¹⁹ So the young man did not delay to do the thing, because he delighted in Jacob’s daughter. He was more honorable than all the household of his father. “

The “young man” referenced is Shechem. HE IS MORE HONORABLE? What is up with that? I don’t understand. It must not say much about Hamor, his father.

vv 25-31

²⁵ Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came boldly upon the city and killed all the males. ²⁶ And they killed Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went out. ²⁷ The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and plundered the city, because their sister had been defiled. ²⁸ They took their sheep, their oxen, and their donkeys, what was in the city and what was in the field, ²⁹ and all their wealth. All their little ones and their wives they took captive; and they plundered even all that was in the houses.

³⁰ Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have troubled me by making me obnoxious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and since I am few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and kill me. I shall be destroyed, my household and I.”

³¹ But they said, “Should he treat our sister like a harlot?”

Who’s right here? Simeon and Levi who avenged their sister’s honor and innocence or Jacob whois now fearing for the life of himself and his family/clan?