Chronological Study (010/365)

Genesis 28:10 – 30:24

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JACOB’S LADDER
(Genesis 28:10-22)

While Esau was attempting to gain his parents’ approval by marrying Ishmael’s daughter, Genesis 28:10-11 informs us that Jacob had left Beersheba and started his journey to Haran but eventually stopped to camp at some location when the sun went down. As Jacob slept, 28:12 says that in a dream, he saw a “ladder”. That word could be translated as such from Hebrew, but because it also means something that is raised up, it could also be translated as a “staircase”. In fact, given what we already know regarding the Tower of Babel being related to a ziggurat, and how the purpose of the ziggurat was to act as the connecting gate to GOD, I believe the raised up structure between Heaven and earth that Jacob witnessed was probably a staircase similar to a ziggurat. After all, the prideful people who attempted to get to Heaven via the Tower of Babel could not get to Heaven, and yet Jacob, who is sleeping flat on the ground, receives a vision from Heaven, showcasing how only the Lord is capable of making this connection. Regardless, this “ladder” or “staircase” stretched from the ground of the earth all the way to the heavens where the stars were seen. Jacob witnessed some angels descending from the heavens to earth and other angels ascending from the earth to the heavens. And 28:13 says that at the top stood the “Lord” יְהֹוָה [H3068] YHWH. And so man is unable to reach Heaven via their efforts of a tower or a stairway, but the Lord is able to come down to man. In 28:13-14, the Lord promises Jacob that the land belongs to him, his descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth, and that all families of the earth will be blessed through his descendants. If those promises sound familiar, it’s because all those promises to Jacob echo earlier promises the Lord gave to both Abraham and Isaac (12:2-3,7; 13:14-17; 17:7-8; 18:18; 22:17-18; 26:3-4).

Within the one verse of 28:15, the Lord states four promises in that the He is with Jacob, He will protect Jacob wherever he goes, He will bring Jacob back to the land he’s now on, and He will not leave Jacob until He has done what He has promised. When YHWH says, “I am with you”, it reminds me of what Jesus will later say to His disciples prior to His ascension in Heaven in Matthew 28:20 when He says, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” But why wouldn’t He be with His disciples just as He had been with Jacob? After all, Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” In fact, in John 1:51, while Jesus speaks to Nathanael, He declares that He is the connection in this story with Jacob when He says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” Therefore, this event with Jacob foreshadows how Jesus is the connection to Heaven and the only way to get to Heaven. And of course, for this reason, Jesus will later say in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Now, when the Lord said He would bring Jacob back to the land, Jacob had no way of knowing that the Lord’s promise would not be fulfilled for another 20 years. However, the promise that the Lord would not leave Jacob until He had done what He promised is interesting because it seems to imply that at some point, the Lord’s favor or blessing will depart from Jacob after the Lord’s promises have been fulfilled. Well, I believe that moment will be seen later on in the great famine which will force Jacob to follow the Lord to Egypt, which we will see starting in Genesis 42.

The conclusion of Jacob’s vision jolted him awake, the fear of the Lord came upon him, he considered the location to be “awesome”, that it was the house of GOD, and the very gate of Heaven (28:16-17). So, what did Jacob do in response to his vision? In 28:18-22, rising early in the morning, Jacob took the stone that he used as a pillow, set it up as a pillar, and then poured oil on top of it, seemingly anointing the location. This action is interesting because this is the first time anyone has performed this anointing action with oil thus far in our chronological journey. So, how did Jacob learn to do this? Was he instructed to do this by Isaac or did he merely watch someone else do it and he is now copying that person’s behavior? This passage doesn’t say, but it seems to have been a Canaanite practice, which GOD will later prohibit in Deuteronomy 16:22: “You shall not set up for yourself a sacred pillar which the Lord your God hates.” Whatever the case may be, GOD will later clarify in great detail as to what to do and why to do certain things within the Mosaic Law. Noteworthy is the fact that while Jacob continues this practice during his stay in Paddan Aram (31:45,51-52) and after he returns to Canaan (35:14,20), following his next encounter with GOD at Peniel (32:22-32), he will construct altars (33:20; 35:1-7), just as Abraham (12:7-8; 13:4,18; 22:9) and Isaac (26:25) had done, with one of these altars being located at Bethel. This shift to making altars may indicate that Jacob undergoes a deep spiritual experience and a personal encounter of correction, but we don’t know for certain. Regardless, Jacob’s motive is pure and his intentions are good in that he truly wants to serve the Lord. The truth of the matter is that Jacob only knew what had been revealed to him, and because the Bible’s salvation story is a progressive revelation which culminates in Christ, Jacob truly did not know much by which the Lord would judge him.

After anointing the pillar with oil, Jacob called the name of the place Bethel, which means “house of God”, and then he made a vow to the Lord. But what is a vow? Vows are binding promises made to GOD while awaiting GOD’s help (Numbers 21:2; 1Samuel 1:11). When GOD’s answer comes, worshipers fulfill their vow by performing what they have promised (1Samuel 1:21; Acts 21:23-24). Later on, Mosaic regulations will address how and by whom vows are to be implemented (Leviticus 7:16; 22:17-25; 23:38; 27:2-11; Numbers 30; Deuteronomy 12:5-28). And since vows are intended to distinguish GOD’s faithful worshipers (Psalm 116:14,17-18), Scripture condemns rash or unfulfilled vows (Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 23:21-23; Proverbs 20:25; Ecclesiastes 5:5-6; Judges 11:30-39). But in this current story, Jacob makes a vow that if GOD does what He says, when Jacob returns in safety, “²¹ then the Lord will be my God. ²² This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You” (Genesis 28:21-22). And so yet again, this practice of tithing to the Lord can be seen, and this practice will continue with the future generations of the Israelites. But if we pay attention to details, we will notice that Jacob says YHWH will be “my God”. Why is that significant? Because when Jacob was in the process of deceiving his father in 27:20, Isaac asked how the meal arrived to him so quickly, and Jacob said, “the Lord your God caused it to happen to me.” So, at first, Jacob referred to the Lord as Isaac’s GOD, but now that he encountered the Lord for himself, he promises that the Lord will be his GOD if the Lord brings him back in safety. It’s amazing what a personal encounter with the Lord can do for a person, isn’t it?

• In 28:11, it is written that Jacob used a stone as a pillow for his head while sleeping in the wilderness. When was the last time you used a stone for a pillow or slept outside in the elements? I recall even as recent as last night how I woke up because I thought my pillow was lumpy and uncomfortable even though my pillow is soft and not hard like a stone. I also sleep on a soft bed, but Jacob slept on hard ground. I felt conviction in that moment while reading his story. But what about you? When was the last time you paused in your busy life to reflect on all the blessings you take for granted? Truly, how much do we possess that we simply don’t deserve? Are you truly grateful? Lord, thank You for my blessings that I truly don’t deserve.
• Jacob used a stone as a pillow for his head. When a person is willing to use a stone as a pillow, that person is either harder than woodpecker lips or that person is obviously exhausted. But Jacob – not the outdoorsman (25:27) – fled for his life and ran from his mistakes. Running from your mistakes can lead you to feeling drained and in need of a reset. But what about you? Do you keep running from the mistakes in your life? Are you still running from your mistakes? Do you need to rest in the knowledge of GOD’s saving grace? Take notice of where Jacob rested. On The Rock. You may have mistakes in life, but when you decide to rest on the Rock (Christ Jesus), you’ll be ready for an encounter with the Lord. In fact, this is why Peter says in 1Peter 5:6-7, “⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, ⁷ casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” For this reason, Jesus will later say in John 15:5, “apart from Me you can do nothing.” So, are you ready to rest on the Rock?
• In Jacob’s sleep, GOD gave him a personal encounter through a vision. Jacob’s response to this vision is interesting: he was afraid. Perhaps the best parallel to this situation is when Adam hid in the garden because he had been afraid due to the realization of sin in his life (Genesis 3:10). When Jacob woke up, he realized for the first time that he had always been asleep and unaware of the Lord’s presence in his life. And so it is with everyone else in life: we are all asleep until we wake up to the Truth of the Lord in our lives. It was not enough for him to be Abraham’s grandson or Isaac’s son; Jacob had to establish his own personal relationship with GOD (Matthew 3:9; Luke 3:8). It is not enough to hear wonderful stories about Christians in the world or even in your own family; you need to become part of the story yourself (Galatians 3:6-7). Are you asleep or are you awake? Where is the Lord right now?
• In 28:15, when the Lord promised Jacob He would bring him back to the land he was on, Jacob didn’t realize that the Lord’s promise wouldn’t be fulfilled until about 20 years later. But what about you? Is there a promise you’re waiting on? How long has it been? How long are you willing to wait? What if GOD’s perfect timing requires you to wait a little longer?
• In 28:16, Jacob started with a thought-provoking confession: “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” Why didn’t Jacob realize that the Lord was at that place? Did he consider that location to be too common? Did he believe that the ordinary couldn’t become extraordinary? But what about you? How many common or ordinary locations do you take for granted? Isn’t the Lord also at those locations? And if the Lord is there, how can it be common or ordinary? Wouldn’t that location be extraordinary? I don’t know about you, but the location that comes to my mind is my current place of employment. I often think of my job as being so common, ordinary, mundane, meaningless, and without purpose that this story filled me with conviction. I need to have the mindset while at work that the Lord is there and so that place cannot be ordinary. I should expect an encounter with the Lord no matter where I happen to be. But what about you? What place do you take for granted as being too common or ordinary for an encounter with the Lord?
• In 28:18-19, Jacob took the stone — the hard and uncomfortable part of his life — and dedicated it to the Lord. What are the hard and uncomfortable parts in your life you need to dedicate to the Lord as you strive to know GOD better and grow closer in relationship with Him? Jacob dedicated the hard part of his life and called that place the “house of God”. Do you realize that the hardest parts of your life are where the best experiences of worship can be discovered?
• In 28:21, due to his personal encounter with the Lord, Jacob vows that the Lord will become his GOD and no longer merely the GOD of his father. Do you remember your personal encounter and what changed your mind to proclaim the Lord as your GOD rather than merely the GOD of your parents? What was that encounter? What did you experience?
  

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THE BIRTHING OLYMPICS
(Genesis 29:1 – 30:24)

In Genesis 29:1-2, Jacob, finally reaching the end of his journey “to the land of the sons of the east”, sees the same well that Abraham’s faithful servant Eliezer had seen many years ago (24:11). However, whereas Eliezer had prayed for guidance, Jacob does not. The description of “sons of the east” is an unusual way to refer to the inhabitants of Paddan Aram in northwest Mesopotamia. However, throughout the book of Genesis, the “east” is often associated with those who are expelled or move away from GOD’s presence (3:23-24; 4:16; 21:14; 25:6). Thus, this brief comment is a possible indicator that Jacob’s relatives do not worship the one true GOD (YHWH). In fact, we will later see that Laban does not (31:19).

In 29:4-8, seeing a large stone over the mouth of the well, and men with flocks of sheep and goats standing idly by the well, Jacob asks the men where they are from. After discovering they are from Haran, he asks them if they know “Laban the son of Nahor”. Now, this is interesting because Laban’s father is Bethuel and his grandfather is Nahor (24:24). And so yet again, Scripture passes over Bethuel for some reason unbeknownst to us (24:29,55). But after confirming that they did in fact know Laban and that he is doing well, they point out that his daughter Rachel is actually walking toward the well with sheep at that very moment. Jacob, noticing that it was still in the middle of the day, determined that it was not time for the livestock to be gathered and so he said, “Water the sheep, and go, pasture them.” But they responded, “We cannot, until all the flocks are gathered, and they roll the stone from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”

Rachel then appears at the perfect time for Jacob just as Rebekah had appeared at the perfect time for Eliezer (24:15). But the fact that it was the middle of the day made this an unusual scenario because, as learned earlier in 24:11, evening time is when the women go out to draw water, not in the middle of the day. So, why was Rachel there? Why were the other men there? I don’t know, but they all had animals. Perhaps this was the time when animals were to receive water and later on in the evening is when the women will come to get water for households.

In 29:9-14, when Rachel arrived at the well, Jacob looked at her and Laban’s sheep with her (for Scripture states she was a shepherdess), and Jacob decided to roll the stone from the mouth of the well and then provide water for her flock. Thus, this is a role-reversal from the story of Rebekah. Whereas Rebekah had provided water for Eliezer’s camels (24:19-20), Jacob is now providing water for Rachel’s sheep. But didn’t the men nearby state that the stone couldn’t be removed until all flocks had gathered? So, why did Jacob move the stone and provide water for Rachel’s sheep? Perhaps with the arrival of Rachel, all flocks had gathered. Further, the men stated that the shepherd would move the stone. Perhaps Rachel (a shepherdess) had intended to move the stone yet Jacob moved it for her. Some commentators suggest that Jacob’s action might have been to show his strength and prove that he would be an asset to Laban’s family. Regardless, after watering her sheep, “Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted his voice and wept” and told her that he was a relative of her father, and that he was Rebekah’s son. After hearing this, she ran and told Laban – just as Rebekah had done in 24:28-29. And just as it happened in the story of Rebekah, Laban came to investigate this time also. Laban then greeted Jacob and invited him to his house. Once in Laban’s home, “he related to Laban all these things”. Afterwards, Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh.” And then Jacob stayed with him for a month.

Now, I find 29:13-14 interesting because there seems to be two possible interpretations for these verses concerning the conversation between Laban and Jacob, and it’s possible that both could be true. The first interpretation is that when Scripture states Jacob “related to Laban all these things”, it could mean that Jacob merely shared the details of how he was related to Laban. However, the second interpretation could imply that Jacob told Laban the entire story as to why he was there, just as Eliezer had done when he visited (24:33-49). But if Jacob explained his entire story, then Laban’s response of “Surely you are my bone and my flesh” might mean more than the mere recognition of being related; rather, Laban could have implied that because Jacob was a man determined to be blessed by any means, then Laban saw a lot of himself in Jacob and he gave Jacob his approval. However, because Scripture does not state as much, it’s best not to read into the text what isn’t clearly stated unless other evidence proves the point and that point provides reason for something that happens within the main storyline. In this case, both interpretations could be true and they don’t affect the main story either way.

In 29:15, Laban says to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” Now, keep in mind that 29:14 informed us that Jacob had stayed with Laban and served him for an entire month before Laban spoke those words to Jacob. So, Laban had already used Jacob for labor for an entire month without compensating him for his labor. In an alpha male dominant display of power, Laban took advantage of Jacob’s desperate situation and treated him as if he were a servant, apparently only providing him with the food he needed to live. So, why did Jacob endure such treatment for an entire month? Well, not only had Rebekah not yet sent for him to return home (27:45), but 29:16-18 informs us that Jacob became infatuated with Laban’s younger daughter, Rachel, and desired to have her as his wife. Thus, Laban and Jacob had both been scheming as to how to receive a blessing. However, because of Jacob’s Aperture Appetite for Rachel, he didn’t notice Laban’s deception in the blurred background.

In 29:17, Scripture informs us that “Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face.” The word “weak” is the Hebrew word רַךְ [H7390] raḵ (rak), which means tender, soft, delicate, weak, or frail, and has the implications elsewhere in Scripture of being timid, fearful, or fainthearted. Though the description is brief, it seems to imply that Jacob found Rachel to be more attractive in both form and face. Some people have misinterpreted this verse to mean that Leah had a lazy eye, but the Hebrew doesn’t state this to be the case.

In 29:18, responding to Laban, Jacob presented an offer to work for him seven years to be able to marry Rachel. But why did he offer to serve for seven years? That’s a long time. Well, as we learned earlier in our chronological study, a bride price was paid by the groom to the family of the bride as surety that the marriage would take place. However, Jacob didn’t own anything and so he had nothing to offer except his labor. In 29:19, Laban agreed. And then 29:20 says, “So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.”

However, when the time had come for Jacob to receive Rachel as his wife, Laban prepared a feast during the day (29:22), waited until evening, and then sneaked Leah into Jacob’s place under the cover of darkness, and Jacob consummated the marriage with her (29:23). And because this occurred after an entire day of feasting, it might be possible that Jacob had been somewhat inebriated, though Scripture doesn’t state that to be the case. Unfortunately, Jacob didn’t discover that he had taken Leah as his wife until the next morning. Angry, he asked Laban why he deceived him (29:25). Thus, Jacob had once been the deceiver and now he has been deceived. In 29:26, Laban told Jacob that it was not their custom for the younger to be given in marriage before the firstborn, as if to imply that Jacob should have known this and Laban is free of any guilt. Thus, Jacob’s deception won him the blessing of the firstborn birthright, yet now he has been deceived by Leah, who is the firstborn. In 29:27, Laban told Jacob that he would be willing to also give Rachel to him as his wife after Leah’s one-week marriage celebration if he agreed to work another seven years for him. Jacob reluctantly agreed and then 29:30 says, “Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah.”

Now, I find it interesting that at this point in the story, it has been a little over seven years since Jacob arrived at Laban’s home and yet Rebekah has still not sent for Jacob to return. Why not? Is Esau still so angry that Rebekah cannot send for Jacob to return? Is Rebekah even alive or has she died by this point? Did she send a messenger and yet the messenger somehow died and never arrived? Did Laban receive the message yet refuse to share it with Jacob? And what about Isaac? Why didn’t he ever send for Jacob? Scripture is silent. We don’t know.

In 29:31, the Lord saw that Leah was unloved and so He enabled her to become pregnant, yet Rachel remained barren. This reminds me of when the Lord saw that Hagar had been unloved (16:7-11). Clearly, the Lord is the One who sees the unloved. And Rachel being barren reminds me of when both Sarah (11:30) and Rebekah (25:20) had been barren. Clearly, the Lord is the One who gives life in His perfect timing.

In 29:32, Leah gave birth to a son and named him Reuben (reh-oo-bane’), for she said, “Because the Lord has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” The name Reuben means “Look! A son!” But it also sounds like the Hebrew for “He has seen my misery.” However, Leah confesses in this statement that she believes Jacob will now love her because she gave birth to his firstborn, and the firstborn is a son.

In 29:33, Leah gave birth to another son, naming him Simeon (shim-own’), saying, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” The name Simeon means “He heard.” In this statement, Leah confesses that Jacob’s love for her did not change and grow greater after she gave birth to Reuben and GOD heard that she is still unloved.

In 29:34, Leah gave birth to another son, naming him Levi (lay-vee’), saying, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” The name Levi means “being attached” or “joined to” something/someone. And so yet again, Leah has hope that because she has now given Jacob three sons, he will realize that his love for her should be greater than his love for Rachel.

In 29:35, after giving birth to her fourth son, Leah said, “This time I will praise the Lord”, and she named him Judah (yeh-hoo-daw’). The name Judah is similar to the Hebrew term for “praise”. And so finally, Leah turns her attention from Jacob to the Lord, no longer declaring that giving birth to a son will make Jacob love her more than he loves Rachel. Now, noteworthy is the fact that our Lord and Savior Jesus will come from the line of Judah (Genesis 49:9-10; Isaiah 11:1; Micah 5:2; Luke 3:33; Hebrews 7:14; Revelation 5:5). And so the moment Leah chose to praise the Lord, the Lord chose that line to be the one from whom He would come because only praise is appropriate for Him. Leah felt unloved and yet the Lord chose her to the be the divine line from whom Christ would come. So, was she loved? Yes. More than she even realized!

In Genesis 30:1-4, Rachel becomes envious of Leah, demands Jacob to give her children, and then he becomes angry with her, telling her he is not GOD and has no control over her womb. Noteworthy is the fact that unlike Isaac who prayed for his barren wife (25:21), Jacob does not pray for his barren wife. In response, Rachel tells Jacob to have sexual relations with her servant, Bilhah, so that through her she may have children. But would the baby truly be her child or would the baby be Bilhah’s child? Well, repeating the mistake Abraham and Sarah made with Hagar (16:1-2), Jacob and Rachel now do the same thing with Bilhah. In 30:6, after Bilhah gave birth to a son, Rachel said, “God has vindicated me, and has indeed heard my voice and has given me a son.” Therefore, Rachel named the son Dan (dawn), which means “he judged”. In 30:7-8, Bilhah gives birth to a second son and then Rachel says, “With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and I have indeed prevailed.” Therefore, Rachel named the son Naphtali (naf-taw-lee’), which means “wrestle” or “struggle”.

Now, I find it interesting that Rachel declares to have prevailed over her sister in a wrestling match, as if giving birth to children was an Olympic sporting event to be won. But even if it had been some type of sporting event, the scorecard would say that Leah has four points, Bilhah has two points, and Rachel still has zero points. But why was Rachel envious of Leah anyway if Jacob loved her more than Leah and Leah was unloved? And why did Jacob allow this wrestling event to go on between the sisters?

In 30:9-13, Leah, accepting the challenge of this childbearing ‘sporting’ competition, continues to wrestle against her sister. However, no longer getting pregnant herself, Leah gives her servant, Zilpah, to Jacob as a “wife”. Zilpah gave birth to a son, and then Leah said, “How fortunate!” Therefore, Leah named him Gad (gawd), which has a meaning that implies being overcome by troops and receiving good fortune through distribution. So, in other words, Leah declared that she was adding to her troops and to her good fortune via Zilpah’s contribution. Later, Zilpah gave birth to a second son and Leah said, “Happy am I! For women will call me happy.” Therefore, Leah named him Asher (ah-sheer’), which means “happy”. But was Leah truly happy or was she merely bragging, hoping to hurt Rachel?

In 30:14-17, after an unknown amount of time passed, Reuben finds mandrakes during the wheat harvest and brings them to Leah. Rachel then asks politely if she could have some of Reuben’s mandrakes, however, Leah, filled with resentment toward her sister, says, “Is it a small matter for you to take my husband? And would you take my son’s mandrakes also?” (Obviously, Leah was not happy.) In response, Rachel presents Leah with a proposition that if she can have the mandrakes, then Leah can sleep with Jacob that very night. Leah agrees, later informs Jacob of the trade, and Jacob complies. And because of that night, Leah conceived and gave birth to a fifth son.

So, Leah claimed that Rachel stole Jacob from her even though the truth of the matter is that it was Leah’s and Laban’s deception that stole Jacob away from Rachel (29:23-27). Leah got angry at Rachel and claimed that Rachel wanted to steal her son’s mandrakes even though the truth of the matter is that Leah later steals the mandrakes from her son so she can sleep with Jacob that night. And Rachel’s Aperture Appetite for the mandrakes causes her to trade Jacob for some food, which seems to be a similar situation we witnessed with Esau’s Aperture Appetite when he traded his birthright for some red stew (25:32-34). Thus, Rachel traded a potential blessing of conceiving that night for some food and then Leah received the blessing of conception, which Rachel despised.

In 30:18, Leah said, “God has given me my wages because I gave my maid to my husband.” Therefore, she named the son Issachar (yis-sahs-kawr’), which means “he will bring a reward” or “there is recompense”. But did GOD truly bless Leah because she had given her servant to sleep with Jacob? No. In 30:17, it is written, “God gave heed to Leah”. So, the Lord’s decision to bless Leah with conception was directly related to her desire to be with Jacob and to be loved – it had nothing to do with Leah allowing Zilpah to sleep with Jacob.

In 30:19-20, Leah gave birth to her sixth son and said, “God has endowed me with a good gift; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.” Therefore, Leah named her son Zebulun (zeb-oo-loon’), which means “honor” or “exalted”, but it originates from the word meaning to “dwell with me”. Sadly, by Leah giving her son this name, she once again believes that she will be honored by Jacob and that he will choose to dwell with her and love her more than he loves Rachel. From Leah’s perspective, knowing that she is also counting the children who come from the servants, she has given Jacob eight sons whereas Rachel has only given Jacob two sons, both of which were from her servant Bilhah. So, Leah essentially thinks, “How could I not be the clear winner of this competition against my sister? Certainly, Jacob will finally realize that I am the blessed and favored wife and he will finally love me more than he loves Rachel.”

Interestingly, 30:21 says, “Afterward she bore a daughter and named her Dinah” (dee-naw’). But if genealogy is counted and determined by the males, why mention this? Because it’s going to become important in chapter 34.

It is written in 30:22-24, “²² Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb. ²³ So she conceived and bore a son and said, ‘God has taken away my reproach.’ ²⁴ She named him Joseph, saying, ‘May the Lord give me another son.’ ”

The name Joseph (yo-safe’) is the future tense of “increase” or “add” and means, “YHWH shall add”. Essentially, Rachel said, “The Lord did this and the Lord will do it again.” Therefore, Joseph, born in GOD’s perfect timing, is the product of GOD’s love and faithfulness. Rachel was not forgotten just as Leah was not unloved. Therefore, both Leah and Rachel were wrong in their beliefs because GOD remembered Rachel and Leah was loved.

Now, if this story were to be summarized as if a sports announcer was commentating on a baseball game, the sportscaster might say something like this: “Well, here in the bottom of the ninth inning, Rachel just smashed a home run; however, Leah is still dominating the game with the score of 8-3. Rachel might have some good momentum right now, but if she’s going to pull off a major comeback, she’s going to need to score six more points. I hate to be a Debbie-downer, but unless a miracle happens, I think Rachel is going to be knocked out of the bracket soon.”

Now, that is the way Leah and Rachel viewed this story, but GOD did not see it as a sporting competition. In fact, envy never should have existed between Leah and Rachel, but that conflict was merely a natural consequence of choosing to live apart from GOD’s design of marriage as one male and one female for one lifetime. And because of Jacob’s disregard for GOD’s design of marriage, Jacob currently has four wives and children from each one of those women. However, Jacob only has one son from Rachel (whom he loves the most [29:30]). Consequently, Scripture is setting the stage for further conflict which will inevitably arise due to favoritism.

LEAH	ZILPAH	RACHEL	BILHAH
Reuben (01)	Gad (07)	Joseph (11)	Dan (05)
Simeon (02)	Asher (08)		Naphtali (06)
Levi (03)
Judah (04)
Issachar (09)
Zebulun (10)
[Dinah]

• Jacob deceiving his brother and father, and listening to his mother’s misguided words had never been GOD’s plan, but GOD created good from the bad Jacob chose to do in order to create a new plan and fulfill His ultimate plan. Take comfort in knowing that your bad choices don’t have to be the end of your story — GOD can and will create good from the bad if you dedicate your life to His will. So, what bad decision did you make in your past that you now regret and pray for GOD to use in a better plan for your future? Do you trust in the Lord?
• Mistakes often take time to correct. A 1990’s advertisement said, “Do the crime, do the time.” Jacob’s bad decisions caused him to serve Laban for 14 years just so he could marry Rachel. If you’ve made mistakes in your life, it’s reasonable to expect that it will take some time to make right the wrongs. Making a big mistake is similar to knocking over a domino. Sometimes, we’re able to prevent all the dominoes from falling, but sometimes all of them fall. Either way, it takes time to rebuild all that has fallen because of one mistake. But in this process of rebuilding, GOD was helping Jacob to build what he never would have otherwise been able to build by his own efforts. But what about you? Can you recall a time when everything seemed to fall apart only to discover that it was GOD’s plan and everything was actually falling into place?
• For seven years, Jacob worked hard for a woman he was not allowed to be intimate with [physically]. Yet it is written that his love for her was such that the seven years seemed to him but a few days. Are you committed enough to endure seven years for someone you love? What do you think the conversations between Jacob and Rachel were like during those seven years?
• Laban benefited financially by using Jacob, but he never benefited spiritually. What good will that do? Jesus will later say in Mark 8:36, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?”
• Jacob waited 7 years for Rachel, but worked a total of 14 years just to have Rachel as his wife. Most marriages nowadays don’t even last 14 years, but Jacob worked for 14 years just to be married. Many males wouldn’t be willing to work 14 minutes for a woman, let alone 14 years. Actually, allow me to rephrase that: Many men would never be willing to work 14 minutes to earn their places in the privileged place of women’s hearts; however, many men would work countless hours to cheat their way into women’s vaginas. What are you willing to do in the name of love? Not lust. Love. There’s a big difference.
• If you are married, did you work hard for the one you wanted to marry and then stopped working for the one you married? Who is more important and sacred? The one you want to marry but have not yet married? Or the one you have married? So, who should be treated as being more important and sacred? If you do not treat the one you are married to better than you treated that person prior to marriage, you’re living against the design.
• Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend or husband/wife? How much effort did you put forth to earn entrance into that person’s heart? Were you truly grateful to have been invited into such a personal and private place? How much time has passed since you were granted access into the private sanctum of his/her heart? How much effort do you put forth now in comparison to how much effort you put forth when you were first given access into his/her innermost being? Do you take your access for granted? Are you aware that, if at any time you are no longer welcome there, you would be guilty of trespassing? Are you aware that you are not entitled to be there? Do you understand that it is a privilege and an honor to be there? Act accordingly. When was the last time you thanked your partner for granting you access into the most important area of his/her life? The lesson to be learned here is that love is worth the sacrifice. After all, GOD loved you enough to willingly sacrifice Himself just so you could be with Him (John 3:16-17).
• Ishmael/Isaac and Jacob/Esau taught us that favoritism in children create identity crises. But through Leah and Rachel, GOD reveals to us that having more than one spouse also leads to envious, sad, and bitter consequences. But these consequences are not limited to the spouses; they affect the children as well. In fact, the worst fighting and rivalry will occur between Leah’s children and Rachel’s children, and among the tribes who will descend from them. And all this trouble comes into being because Laban put his daughter, Leah, in a horrible position: he forced Leah upon a man who neither wanted her nor loved her. And the Lord saw that Leah was unloved. Leah, like Ishmael, was put in a position in life she didn’t have much control over. But Leah, like Ishmael, also allowed herself to become part of the problem rather than the solution and she allowed the situation to create an identity crisis. If she wasn’t the favorite and most loved wife of Jacob, then who was she? If she was the throwaway daughter and no one’s desired prize, then who was she? But what about you? Who are you? Do you know who you are?
• Leah felt unloved and so she tried to earn Jacob’s love by having children with him. But what about you? In what ways do you try to earn love from those who simply don’t love you? Do your attempts work? Does it bring satisfaction and fulfillment or does it eventually leave you empty once again? Do you truly understand that love is not something that you need to earn but it is something that is freely given to you even though you didn’t earn it?
• GOD’s timing had to be perfect for Rachel to give birth to Joseph. Can you trust GOD when nothing seems to be happening? Are you able to be content with what you have while patiently waiting for whatever GOD has prepared for you?
• Sin seduced siblings and a rivalry reduced relationship to a race to reproduce. Understand this: competition and comparison comes from the conniving counterfeiter. But what about you? Are you comparing yourself to anyone? Are you competing against someone? If you are, do you think that’s what GOD desires for you?
• Jacob would have been wise to reject the servants of Leah and Rachel, even though this was an accepted custom in the ancient Near East. Can you think of anything in your current culture that society has deemed to be acceptable even though GOD declares it to be wrong?
• If our society states that what is wrong is right and what is against GOD’s design is to be accepted, would you do those things? If the sin that would bring you pleasure would become legal and accepted by society, would you indulge in that sin simply because there would be no consequence from society? Or would you act according to GOD’s will? How important is it to know GOD’s will?

Superhero: Never Give Up

 

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If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below…

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This is Part 9 of my Superhero series. In the introduction of this series, I provided the argument that heroes are real and then I distinguished between heroes and superheroes. I also provided a list of what defines a superhero. In Part 1, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute standard of Good and realize that evil is a mere privation of what is good. In Part 2, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute moral standard and realize that what is wrong can only be known by the standard of what is right. In Part 3, I defined and expounded upon love because all superheroes are full of love and are compelled to act out from love. In Part 4, I explained that superheroes desire to save people from all forms of danger and/or death and this desire comes from love. In Part 5, we learned that superheroes are solution seekers. In Part 6, we saw that solution seekers are willing to sacrifice if necessary. In Part 7, we saw that sacrificial love steps forward and offers service. In Part 8, we saw that superheroes go above and beyond the call of duty.

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But what good would it do for a superhero to start traveling the extra mile journey if he/she quits halfway through? If we make a commitment to go the extra mile, then we need to follow through and see that we go the distance to complete the second mile. In this message (Part 9), we will see that superheroes might get tripped up and fall down. Superheroes might even get beaten up and knocked down, but they do not stay down! Superheroes never give up! To help us understand this message, let’s examine two examples from real life situations: boxing and racing.

Boxing: Get Back Up!

Muhammad Ali, who is arguably the greatest boxer of all time, said, “You don’t lose if you get knocked down; you lose if you stay down.” One of the greatest victories I’ve ever seen was in the 2005 boxing match of Corrales vs. Castillo. Corrales got knocked down twice in the 10th round, only to get back up and walk away as the winner:

Another one of my favorite boxing matches was the 1990 match of Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas. Tyson was undefeated and had a 42-0 record. Douglas – the obvious underdog – was knocked down in the 8th round and didn’t even get back up until it was almost too late at the 9-second mark. But in the 10th round, Douglas managed to knock Tyson down and out for the win.

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”
(2Corinthians 4:8-10) –NIV

We are not impervious to attacks from the enemy. We’re going to get tripped up and fall down. We’re going to get beat up and knocked down. Unless you’re Rocky Marciano or Floyd Mayweather, you’re going to experience a loss at some point in your life. But truth be told, even if you are undefeated in life, you can still lose in death. Are you living life in preparation for death? Rocky Marciano died on August 31, 1969 (the eve of his 46th birthday) in a plane crash. Did Marciano go to Heaven or Hell? Only GOD knows. But even conquerers in life can end up being conquered in death. And this is why it is of utmost importance that we never give up and finish the race well. And if I could tell Floyd Mayweather and anyone else currently undefeated only one thing, I would share this:

“For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”
(Luke 9:25) -ESV

Those who are motivated by money or propelled by the pursuit for power typically stay down if the winnings of their worldly ways comes to an end and they experience a loss. Because if your treasure is only found in this world, you are destined for disappointment.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
(Matthew 6:19-21) -ESV

Where is your heart? If you know your ‘why,’ then you will refuse to lose, you will get back up, and you will never give up. In a post-fight interview with Buster Douglas, it was later revealed that he won the fight against Mike Tyson because his ‘why’ was more powerful than Tyson’s punches. Only 23 days before the legendary fight took place that took Tyson’s “0” and gave him a “1” in his losses, Douglas’ mother died. Before she died, she told Douglas that he was going to beat Mike Tyson. Simply put, love is what won the fight for Douglas. And truth be told, love is what we need to persevere! Love compels us to get back up and never give up. In the amazing 2005 movie, Cinderella Man, based on the boxer, James Walter Braddock, there’s a scene where the press is asking him why he’s winning fights. Russell Crowe (Braddock) states he knows what he’s fighting for: milk. The motivation behind the action was love for his family. This movie showcases the power of the ‘why.’

Racing: Finish The Race!
A man by the name of John Stephen Akhwari represented Tanzania in the marathon at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. He wounded his knee and dislocated a joint in a fall, but he got back up and continued the race. He finished last place. By the time he crossed the finish line, it was dark outside and most of the audience had already gone home. When later interviewed and asked why he continued running, he said, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.”

It was the greatest last place finish ever! John Stephen Akhwari didn’t come in first place in that race; however, he was a winner because he finished the race! There are many people in this world who do not finish the race. In fact, suicide prevents many people from finishing the race. Too many people give up before reaching the finish line.

This world teaches that in order to win we must be first or the greatest. But is that true? Even if you are the last person to arrive in Heaven, you still achieved what others who never arrived never achieved. Last place can most certainly be the best finish. In fact, Jesus told us that those who are now last would be first and the first would be last (Matthew 19:30; 20:16; Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30). Jesus also told us that If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all (Mark 9:35).

When John Stephen Akhwari finally finished the race, it was dark outside and most of the audience had already left. And so it is with life. The majority of people that will be around when you start the race might not be there when you finish. Also, people typically only want to be with you during your greatest moments and tend to disappear during your struggles. And when that happens, it may feel like it’s dark outside and the empty bleachers might make you feel as if no one cares. But the people who truly care about you will stay with you while you are down, struggling, and out of the spotlight. But even if you feel alone and abandoned, know that love will help you finish the race so that you may finish well. Be encouraged: Jesus’ disciples abandoned Him when He got arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50). But Jesus’ love for others was the ‘why’ that compelled Him to finish what He started (John 19:30).

As I have written before in one of my songs, I don’t care to win over the crowd – I’m fulfilling all that I have vowed. With or without audience applause, I’m going to do what I do because I do it for the cause. Love compels me to continue and because of that, I care to finish the race so that I may finish well.

I am grateful for John Stephen Akhwari and for many other people like him for being an inspiration and reminding me of what is truly important in life. Indeed, the struggle is real, but our GOD is greater than our problems. What’s truly important is finishing well.

I may not be the best at anything or ever receive praise for any of my efforts, but if I get knocked down, I will always get back up after I fall. I will not stay down. And even if I get injured along the way, I will finish the marathon that is known as life! GOD did not bring me here to merely start my journey – GOD brought me here to finish the race and to finish well! It doesn’t matter how long it will take me to cross the finish line. The goal is to do my best until my last breath.

Persistence, Purpose, Endurance, Eternity:

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
(2Timothy 4:7) -ESV

The apostle Paul wrote these words near the end of his life. These three statements reflect Paul’s struggles in preaching the Gospel of Christ and his victory over those struggles. In the 1st century, the Romans celebrated both the Olympic Games and the Isthmian Games. Competitors would spend up to ten months in demanding and difficult physical training. Because the Corinthians were familiar with these events, Paul used the games as an analogy for a believer’s life of faithfulness. He wrote to the church in Corinth saying, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable” (1Corinthians 9:24-25). Paul’s exhortation is that believers should be as focused and dedicated as those ancient runners in the games. Our motivation in serving Christ is much higher; we “run” not for a temporary crown, but for an eternal one. So, by declaring “I have finished the race,” Paul told Timothy that he had put every effort into the work of proclaiming the Gospel. He had completed the course set before him; he had left nothing undone; he did his best. He was ready to cross the finish line into Heaven. And to finish the race well is to experience victory.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
(Hebrews 12:1-2) -ESV

If we are to finish well, we will need persistence with purpose and endurance for eternity. First, we need purposeful persistence in prayer. In seeking GOD’s will, we will find all we need:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
(Matthew 7:7-11) -ESV

But here is the special stipulation to this promise:

“You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.”
(James 4:2-3) -ESV

Our desires need to be in alignment with GOD’s will. But knowing GOD takes faith, focus, and follow-through. Jesus promises a reward for the passionate pursuit of seeking GOD’s will. We should be asking ourselves three important questions while being persistent in our prayers:

1. What are you asking for?
2. Why are you asking for it?
3. Will it benefit the Kingdom of GOD?

In order to finish the race well, we also need endurance. In fact, GOD calls us to endure until the end. Each of the seven letters to the churches in the book of Revelation contained a promise to the “victor.” In order to receive the promises, you must be a victor. How do we become a victor? Stay in alignment with GOD’s Word and His absolute moral standard! Keep the faith and endure until the end! The only way to be a victor is to fight the good fight, endure it until the end, and finish the race. Everyone who finishes the race will be exhausted, but they will also come into rest. Just as GOD rested from His work on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2), we too will come into rest on our ‘seventh day.’ We can picture this life here on Earth as our six days of work and the New Earth under the new heavens will be our seventh day of rest. Everything we accomplish in life here on this Earth within our ‘six days’ falls short of perfection. It is only in our ‘seventh day’ that we will come into perfection and receive rest. Along with the good news of Christ’s return and ultimate victory, the main theme found in the book of Revelation running parallel to the good news is that we must endure until the very end, remaining faithful and obedient (Matthew 10:28; 1Corinthians 9:24-27; Philippians 3:14-16; 1Timothy 6:11-16; 2Timothy 4:3-5; Hebrews 10:35-39; 2Peter 1:5-11; Revelation 3:16).

Conclusion:
Remember: opportunistic predators wait until either you are too weak to fight or complacent and cannot see the attack coming. Demons don’t need to beat you while you are at your best; rather, demons simply need to slowly chip away at your defense until you become too tired and weak to defend yourself.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”
(1Peter 5:6-10) -ESV

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”
(James 4:7-8) -ESV

Satan only cares about the outcome, the final decision. Do not give up. Do not ever give up. We are in it to win it. It’s not over until it’s over. We must finish well. Starting is pointless unless we finish. We must fight the good fight. Get back up, go back in. Love never dies (1Corinthians 13:8).

GOD passionately pursues us with the mission of relentless rescue. And if we are to accurately reflect the love of Christ, we need to go above and beyond in love and endure until the end.

“Bow down to the Lord. He will lift you up.”
(James 4:10) –NIRV

“When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”
(Ephesians 3:14-21) -NLT

The person who kneels humbly before GOD can stand up confidently in the name of Christ and resist the devil and watch him flee. GOD provides us with a way to escape temptations and to live through any circumstance until He calls us Home (1Corinthians 10:13; Philippians 4:11-13). Never give up!

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
(Galatians 6:9) -NLT

Listen! If I can’t inspire you, then I’ll just let Shia LaBeouf do it:

Was GOD In Greece?

While doing laundry one day, I began reading a textbook by Oxford University Press on Ancient Greece history. In the introduction, the authors presented their case so as to prove the validity of their text as being historically accurate and reliable. Using those same points, I found it easy to use the authors’ own words to make the case for Christianity. Was GOD in Greece?

In reference to the virtually indestructible clay pots that have been found: The pot was able to hold more than the potter ever intended for it to hold and capable of storing more than he ever imagined. If the potter would have known that his creation could hold the historic time period in which he lived, what would he have placed inside that pot? Would he have stored it in an aryballoi (perfume flask) or maybe a pithoi (much larger container)?

In reference to how the written records make for a solid case due to them having been written and copied by hand yet preserved so well so that it’s a miracle, it must be said that the the writings of the Bible are reliable and accurate.

The soil in Greece may not have been good at preserving things, but what about a Qumran cave? Weren’t the Dead Sea Scrolls found within a clay pot? In this case, I believe the Potter knew the potential of His creation. That particular pot held more than mere words – it stored sacred Scripture and did so securely for centuries. Wordless objects can tell us only so much about how people lived, what they experienced, or what they thought. Thus, “It is written” is the necessary revelation of GOD and the chosen method for what has been revealed.

As the story goes, a shepherd of the Ta’amireh tribe left his flock of sheep and goats to search for a stray. Isn’t it interesting that the Biblical concept of the Shepherd leaving His flock to seek the lost is how Biblical text was found? Isn’t it interesting that a shepherd would be used for GOD’s glory? Isn’t it interesting that a book written to essentially glorify Greece still ended up glorifying GOD as the Potter and the Shepherd and also His written Word? Truly, the written Word is a miracle!

• The Potter •

Isaiah 29:16; 64:8;
Jeremiah 18:6;
Lamentations 4:2;
Zechariah 11:13;
Romans 9:20-21

• The Shepherd •

Psalm 23; 78:52,70-72
Isaiah 40:11
Jeremiah 23:2-3; 31:10
Ezekiel 34:11-16,22-24; 37:24
Micah 2:12; 5:4
Zechariah 9:16
Matthew 2:6; 9:36; 25:32; 26:31
Mark 6:34; 14:27
Luke 12:32; 15:4-7
John 10:7-18
Hebrews 13:20
1Peter 2:25
Revelation 7:17

A lesson to be learned from ancient Greece and ancient Rome: Alpha male dominance is primal animal instinct. This primal priority, which is formulated from fear, permeated the people. Consequently, competition, if not confined and controlled, becomes conquest. This demonic desire for dominance will later be showcased in the weeping of Alexander the Great and in the cheering crowd of the Roman Colosseum. If your desire is to dominate and lord over the rest, to hear others declare that you are best, then you will never know what it is to be blessed. If your desire is to control and conquer, to claim your own kingdom, your ears may hear people proclaim your name; however, your eyes will never see the true Kingdom of the Name above all names. How can you reign as king when Christ is already King? To truly conquer, you must master your sinful desires and align yourself with GOD’s will. (see, Matthew 23:11-12; Philippians 2:9-11; Matthew 10:32-33; Genesis 4:7; Revelation 3:5)

A lesson to be learned from archaic Greece can also be learned from a child’s book. Allow me to link the two together for you.

As population grew in the archaic time period of Greece, each new generation of oikoi (households) found it increasingly difficult to gain access to good land. The result was the widening of the existing economic and social gulf between the small group at the top – about 20% of the families – and all the rest. Most significant for the profits of those on top was their ability to exploit the plight of the poorest farmers, who made up a third or more of the demos (region). Many got reduced to the status of thetes.

Division of classes separated people. The ‘higher’ class tended to protect their economic and social exclusiveness by marrying only among themselves. They also cultivated an image of group superiority, calling themselves “the good” (hoi agathoi) and the ones beneath them “the bad” (hoi kakoi) and “the many” (hoi polloi). From a number of poleis come various slang terms denoting persons of inferior status. An example would be “dusty-feet” (Epidaurus). So here’s my question to you: What has changed in 2,500+ years?

The Sneetches, by Dr. Seuss, will teach you all you need to know about this. The hoi agathoi have stars upon thars.

A difference between then and now is that now our sinful and superficial society of those ‘above’ feed the fear of those ‘below’ with false hope. Now, instead of describing the inferior status of those ‘below,’ the ones ‘above’ offer the opposite in that the elites encourage effort for those ‘below’ to reach for their dreams – the dreams that are being dangled down by those above, just slightly out of reach from those below. Those below are reaching for the stars – the stars upon thars. And so long as the ones below have stars in their eyes, they will never realize that what is out of reach is their prize. Those below are carrying the ones above and being pushed down yet they foolishly believe that the ones above will soon pull them up. It is that hope that keeps them afloat. Therein lies the mistake of eternal significance: the ones below invest their hope in the people above rather than the Lord above.
(Read Psalm 118:8-9 & Romans 8:28; 12:2)

Reflection: How do the Scriptures relate? What is the goal you’re trying to achieve? Why? For yourself? For the praise of others? For GOD?

The Spartans were not allowed to get drunk because inebriation could lead to death in conditions of perpetual warfare. The hoplites were ready for the helots or anyone else for that matter. Unlike the rest of the Greeks, who made war only in the summer, the Spartans were perpetually at war with the helots and therefore needed to be prepared to fight year round. Always be alert and ready. Even the simple Spartans understood the need to always be ready. Don’t you get it? Don’t you understand? We are in perpetual warfare! That’s why Peter told us to be sober-minded and to be watchful (1Peter 5:8). That’s why Paul told us to put on the whole armor of GOD (Ephesians 6:10-20)! Complacency kills. Are you ready for what’s coming?

What do these three images have in common? What message do these three images convey? Well, the Justice League, a fictional group of superheroes, is the altruistic ideal that was created from the same concept by which the historic Peloponnesian League was formed: The purpose was mutual protection. Greater than the sum of their awe-inspiring parts, an alliance was formed to respond to threats too massive for any single hero. Each Spartan hoplite came together to form the phalanx; all Spartans came together to be one Sparta. Leonidas wasn’t great alone. (He was a great warrior, but that does not make him great.) In fact, Sparta wasn’t able to be great alone and that’s why the Peloponnesian League formed. Even Superman chose to be a single link in a mighty chain.

Christ Himself – the One who single-handedly defeated evil, conquered death and saved us – showed us the importance of teamwork by forming the ‘Righteous League,’ which consisted of 12 unique disciples (and expanded from there). Further, Jesus emphasized the importance of fellowship which highlighted humanity’s inability to live life alone. But then again, GOD made that evident when He created Eve for Adam (Genesis 2:18-24).

The Peloponnesian League remained in existence until the 360s when Corinth and other member states were obliged to quit and separate after Sparta’s defeat by Thebes. And why did the Peloponnesian League fail? The foundation was built on quicksand; Sparta only cared about itself. In stark contrast, It is the selfless and sacrificial love of Jesus that is the ultimate standard by which we should all strive to reflect. Christ is the Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20), the foundation on which all creation firmly stands; all other ground is just sinking sand.

The Righteous League’s Leader became a servant and sacrifice to insure the protection of everyone who seeks to be covered. Jesus Christ is the greatest insurance policy you will ever be able to obtain. Nationwide insurance might claim to be on your side, but they are more like a leech that latches onto your side to suck your blood. Jesus isn’t on your side – He leads the way in front of you, clearing paths before you, yet He also completely covers you! Christ doesn’t take your blood, didn’t require your blood for sacrifice like Sparta demanded of its hoplites; instead, He covered you with His own.

We (Christians) are the Righteous League! Rise in righteousness! Not as a self-righteous and self-proclaimed super saint who believes him/herself to be superior over others – no! In fact, we huddle together in humility, knowing we are saved by grace and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9)! We are not an elite group who excludes others; rather, we invite everyone to join. It’s time to form our own phalanx; however, rather than creating a wall of shields and spears, let us hold up our Bibles as our defense and outstretch our arms with love in order to combat evil. Get into formation! Peter instructed us to be sober-minded, alert, and to keep watch (1Peter 5:8). Paul instructed us to put on the whole armor of GOD (Ephesians 6:10-20). As a member of the Righteous League, I exhort you to heed the wise advice found in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12:

“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

What do these images have to do with GOD? Pisistratus, power, pride, Muhammad, manipulation, mafia, and typical tyranny… What can we learn from Pisistratus, Muhammad, and the mafia? Pisistratus was a manipulative man of Attica who wanted to be the boss, to lead and to lord. His desire for dominance led him to seize the Acropolis and with it the reins of government. Eventually, Megacles joined with Pisistratus’ enemies and drove him out. During his exile (555-546 BC), Pisistratus gathered a force of mercenary soldiers. When he returned, he conquered and became the new leader.

Muhammad, the founder of Islam, would have a similar story about 1,000 years later. Muhammad was driven out, exiled from Mecca to Medina. In both cases of Pisistratus and Muhammad, the exiles lasted nine years and ended with a victorious return due to the gathering of a large following of people willing to die for them. The major difference, of course, is that Muhammad claimed to be doing the will of the most powerful monotheistic GOD; thus, he could create his own rules while creating his own holy book.

Pisistratus, on the flip side, gave his tyranny legitimacy by maintaining Solon’s system in force while manipulating the laws so that his friends and relatives were elected archons, as mercenaries held in check potential opponents, whose children he used as hostages. Much of Pisistratus’ ways seem to be like those of the infamous mafia. The mafia members had been strategically placed in positions of power or influence and unless you were one of the ‘family’ or their friends, you were subject to them and had to play along with their rules. They could either offer you “protection” or “correction.” And believe me, you wanted the protection from the correction. If you had to be corrected, you might not have lived to learn from your mistake and might have ended up digging your own grave. Many people ended up “sleeping with the fishes” or simply disappeared never to be seen again.

But like the mafia (and every other tyrannical empire), the Pisistratids eventually crumbled, faded away, and then both Athens and Greece as a whole developed into the democratic new way. When the last of Pisistratus’ sons was expelled in 510 BC, the way lay open for the development of the democratic institutions that are associated with the city of Athens.

Humanity’s ways are finite and fallible and always subject to change. Islam, however, has always been revered as holy, and that which is holy is never subject to change unless the Holy One sanctions it. And because Islam branched off from Judaism and Christianity, they still exist even without Muhammad. (But is Judaism and Christianity complementary or contradictory?)

And this is why a secular society hates religion: the society that desires the world to change in order to suit their desires will never desire the absolute moral standard of the Holy One that is never subject to change. In a secular society, humans desire to be their own gods and make their own rules. But that is exactly what Muhammad did and it is what all cult leaders do. If the one who desires to be a god cannot convince others that he/she is a god, he/she must either convince others that he/she has been sanctioned by the monotheistic GOD (or one of the many polytheistic gods) and given authority or that GOD does not exist and all morals are relative. But we know that morals cannot be relative because to say that anything at all is either good or bad, there must be a best by which the comparison may be made. C.S. Lewis said it like this: “The moment you say that one set of moral ideas can be better than another, you are, in fact, measuring them both by a standard, saying that one of them conforms to that standard more nearly than the other.”

History has revealed that humans always associate their own prideful purposes with the idea of progressiveness, that the changes are accomplishments and that the accomplishments equate to progress. But are the changes made true progress if they only advance the agenda of the human’s concept of accomplishment? Should this be tolerated? And what of GOD’s will? Humans who desire to be their own gods are a prideful people. Pride desires power, but power can only be accessed from the Source of power. Have you considered the Source?

What does these images have to do with the Battle of Marathon of Ancient Greece and Jesus Christ? How can they possibly relate to form one message?

The Battle of Marathon of ancient Greece is one that should be remembered. But every battle is a marathon! What do I mean by that? What can be learned from that battle and the few that followed it? As told in Herodotus’ Histories, the invasion of the Medo-Persian empire upon Greece was imminent following the failed Ionian revolt, the burning of Sardis, and the falling of Eretria. Miltiades persuaded his fellow men to attack the incoming Medo-Persians at once rather than wait for the Spartans to arrive. Herodotus documented Miltiades’ stirring words: “We ten generals are split right in two, with half saying fight and the other half not. If we don’t fight now, I am afraid that a storm of civil strife will so shake the resolve of the Athenian people that they will go over to the Medes. But if we fight now, before the cracks can show in our society, and provided that the gods take no sides, why then we can survive this battle.”

And so, one particular morning in September of 490 BC, the Athenians and their Plataean allies attacked, sending the surprised and confused Persians back to their ships. I personally believe that Miltiades was right in what he said. The surest way for a united nation to become a conquered nation is for that united nation to become a divided nation. (See Matthew 12:25-30)

Unfortunately, the United States of America has become the ‘Divided States.’ The Great America is cracking; the cracks of division have become large enough to attract the attention of other nations who oppose the Western ways. Cracks that form usually get filled, whether in a good way so as to be repaired or in a bad way where what is unwanted wheedles its way in.

If I were at war with the Western ways, I would penetrate the cracks, break through the weakest points, infiltrate and then contaminate. I would seek to destroy from within. A large and mighty empire cannot be defeated by anything outwardly declaring battle against it. Even with cracks of division evident, a bold outward attack would cause the nation to unite in order to conquer the threat. And this is why the Medo-Persians lost the Battle of Marathon and the Battle of Salamis. Their attack was too bold, too blatant, and only caused Greece to unite together.

But it is not that way in our present day of AD 2017. It is extremely rare for anyone to boldly declare battle. Those who do, such as ISIS or other terrorist organizations, have most ignorantly made themselves to be targets of all civilized nations who desire peace and prosperity. Nowadays war is waged in subtle ways, the cracks of disunity allow access to the ants of anti-Christ invasion. Cracks get filled. But with what and by whom? If I, an American, am able to clearly see the division and stirring strife happening within my own nation, do you not think that those who oppose our Western ways also take notice? I assure you that they do. Ants seek to enter through the cracks, to find their way in by the path of least resistance. I assure you that the American empire is being invaded and slowly conquered. The complacent get conquered and/or killed. There is a leak and mold is growing.

George Santayana wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” It is true that we must learn from the past. It is written in 1Corinthians 10:11 that GOD’s Word was written so that we may all keep Truth alive in memory and learn from the mistakes of those in the past. That’s what the entire Bible is about: it’s loving guidance. For Greece, one of the lessons they learned was from a shipwreck Mardonius suffered in 492 BC; consequently, around 482, with the inevitable invasion of Xerxes on its way, the Greeks cut a canal across Athos so that the same type of shipwreck could be avoided in the future.

The invasion of Xerxes was coming and Greece knew it. At a congress held at Corinth in 481 BC, 31 states limited mainly to Athens and the Peloponnesian League formed an alliance that historians call the Hellenic League. Nevertheless, the fact remains that only a tiny minority of the more than 1,000 poleis actively opposed Xerxes, and many fought for him. Why would those in Greece fight for Xerxes? How many people fight for Satan or against GOD because they are ignorant and don’t know what they’re doing? (See Luke 23:34) How many people don’t fight for what is right out of fear? Fortunately, there exists people who are willing to stand up and speak out against evil. Xerxes was an evil man and his only desires were conquest and to be viewed as a god. The Hellenic League represented the good who were willing to stand up against evil and fight for liberty as opposed to slavery, and for responsible democratic government as opposed to capricious autocracy and monarchy. Though the Medo-Persians won the smaller Battle of Thermopylae, in the end, they lost at the Battle of Salamis and then Xerxe’s forces were totally destroyed at Plataea in 479 BC. They lost the war. Xerxes’ pride was the reason for the fall of the Persian empire as it had once been known. (See Proverbs 16:18) However, the Persians were not decisively defeated until their conquest by Alexander the Great (from 334-323 BC).

So, what are we going to do about our cracks of disunity here in America? If we don’t fill the cracks with the uniting cement of Truth and love (Ephesians 4:15), the cracks will either be filled with lies or they will only grow larger until separation is unavoidable. A divided empire will either become a conquered empire or two opposing empires constantly at war with each other. But if two empires are at war with each other, one of them always gets swallowed.

Just like Greece that had Greeks fighting for the enemy (Xerxes) instead of uniting with the Hellenic League, America has Americans who are fighting for the enemy (the Counterfeiter and false doctrines) when they should be standing in solidarity with the Righteous League. War is waging all around us (Ephesians 6:12) and we are being bullied into battle on a daily basis; therefore, we need to put on the whole armor of GOD (Ephesians 6:13-20). But being in perpetual war demands of us to do our due diligence so that we are prepared to fight, whether in season or out of season (2Timothy 4:2). First, we must have and know GOD’s Word. We cannot use what we do not have; however, what we have is useless unless we know what it is and how to use it (see the example in Matthew 4:3-11). Next, we must have an excellent defense as to why we believe (1Peter 3:15). If you don’t know why you believe, you shouldn’t expect anyone to believe what you believe.

Only after we do our due diligence can we be allowed to go into the battlefield as a warrior. Until you are a warrior, you are a student. But as warriors, we must use the double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) we have to cut people free from bondage (2Corinthians 10:3-5). GOD’s Word is Truth and only Truth can set people free (John 8:31-32).

This is war. Endurance is necessary. The war lasts for a lifetime; every battle is a marathon (Luke 21:19; Romans 5:3-5; 2Corinthians 6:4-10; Hebrews 12)! Therefore, run in such a way as to not burn out so as to win the race (1Corinthians 9:24-27). We already know who wins the war in the end – it is written! But each battle has its number of casualties. Don’t be an unnecessary casualty. Many members of the Righteous League have died so that the torch would remain lit when passed on. You can possess the wisdom that many died to pass along. But you must do your due diligence (Matthew 7:7-8).

What does a broken peace treaty have to do with your salvation? Ponder on all the broken peace treaties throughout history. Why were they broken? Well, a peace treaty of perishable paper produced by conditional policy, protocol, or procedure possesses no real power for permanence.

An example would be the “30 years peace” treaty of ancient Greece signed in 445 BC and yet was broken in 431 BC because of the Peloponnesian War. Would you consider that a 50% success or 100% fail? If the ultimate goal was to achieve lasting peace (and it was), then it was a 100% fail. Why did it fail? The treaty was formed by finite and fallible people who established reason for peace on the foundation of conditional selfish terms. Peace could only exist so long as they got what they wanted. Seeking to satisfy the self will never sustain a healthy relationship with someone else. To have a relationship with someone else, love needs to be the bonding agent that holds the relationship together. And love is unconditional and seeks the best for the other. Love is the only bonding agent able to sustain peace because love is unconditional (1Corinthians 13:4-8).

Also, ponder on this: who acted as mediator in the broken peace treaties? Who should be the mediator? Well, GOD, of course! The Mediator is the Mentor, the Teacher, the One and only undefeated Champion, the sacrificial Savior – the Messiah (or Christ) Jesus! Only in abiding by the absolute moral standard will everyone be on the same page of the real peace treaty. The real peace treaty (the covenant) has already been written. It’s called the Bible. Peace doesn’t exist because people ignore what is written. We entered a covenant with GOD and we continue to break that covenant every day. Let’s examine the real peace treaty. It is written in Matthew 22:37-40: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

It is in the absolute moral standard that GOD commands us to love and it is in love that true peace will be found. Why? Because love is unconditional. While abiding by the absolute moral standard, it simply is not possible to cheat, steal, hate or murder. And a true leader who desires true peace will lead by example. Did Jesus lead by example? Absolutely! It is written in Romans 5:8: “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Can be peace be attained? Yes. All you need to do is let go and let GOD be GOD. Let Jesus lead the way. Take rest in Christ and peace shall rest within you: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
(Philippians 4:7)

We don’t have to wage war anymore. There’s no need for war – Christ already won the war for us! The war was never against humans. A fellow brother or sister of humanity is not the enemy. The enemy has been defeated. Death couldn’t hold Him down. In Jesus, love is all that is to be found (1John 4:8). And where there is love, there will be peace. If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior, I invite you right now to accept Christ in your heart. “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28) -HCSB

Let’s get back to the question at the beginning of this article: Was GOD in Greece? Yes. History tells us so. GOD is our intelligent Creator (argument one and two). Philip II and the rise of Macedon was the reason for the foundation of colonies such as Philippi.
Philip –> Philippi –> Philippians –> Jesus.

Philip was the father of Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great had Aristotle as a teacher. From Alexander the Great, Greek spread throughout their entire known world. In a single decade, Alexander the Great established a Greek foundation that would later be integrated into the Roman Empire and used by the first disciples of Jesus to advance the Kingdom of GOD to grow what is now known as Christianity. Alexander founded Alexandria in 332 BC and it was at Alexandria in Egypt that the Old Testament was translated into Greek (A.K.A. the Septuagint). The Jewish people of the 3rd century BC produced the Septuagint which was used for reading aloud in many synagogues of the Roman Empire in Greek-speaking cities, such as Corinth, Antioch or Rome. Was GOD making decisions for all the conquest and murders? No. But GOD is Sovereign and used everything that humans did to our eventual advantage when Jesus was born from the virgin Mary. Jesus’ arrival was perfect timing and in the perfect location. The Greek domination laid the foundation for the Roman Empire and it is in the Roman Empire that the entire New Testament blossomed.

Can GOD reign while the Romans rule? (article coming soon…)