Last Words for First Words

“And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers”

~Genesis 48:21

It’s been several months since I’ve written anything, and for that abrupt stop I apologize. While I love writing about God’s word, there was another writing project that needed my full attention. But that is done, and I’m back.

So today, when I cracked open my Old Testament again, I saw these words of Jacob/Israel before he blessed the two sons of Joseph, and I fell in love again:

“And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.”

~Genesis 48:5

Israel is claiming Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons. This is what God does. He claims us.

Even when we have children, in a way, they really aren’t ours, are they? God, through the suffering of His Son, has claimed them as His own. And I’m more than okay with that. We are all, first and foremost, children of God, our Father. And not only is He okay with that, but Jesus sacrificed and bleed and gave everything so that we could be a family. Under God, parents and children, all humankind is equal.

It’s nice to be wanted.

(photo credit)

And so I start this new year with some of Jacob’s last words: “Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.”

Parents, children–those around us will eventually die. But, God with with us, and He will bring us back home, where those parents and children will be waiting for us. God is with us.

Recognizing Jesus (Gen.42-45)

“And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.”

~Genesis 42:8

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In a time of famine, death, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt, to him, and they did not know him. They did not recognize their brother, the man whom they had sold to make themselves feel better. This brother was now to be their Savior.

We have all partaken in the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, we have all rebelled and gone our own way at some time or another. And we find that we can’t sustain ourselves, so we go to where we think the substance is that will save us. And when we come to the throne of God, will we recognize that it was the same man that we have trampled under our feet?

Amazingly, He recognizes us. And even if we can’t see it,

” his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there”

~Genesis 43:30

And sometimes, that scary and distant provider will ask something hard of us, such as a beloved younger brother. He will ask an Abrahamic sacrifice. And it will be hard, we don’t know what’s going to happen, if the ram will appear in the bushes or not. But God does not ask these sacrifices to punish us, but to exalt us. We may not recognize Him, and we may not know why He is asking what He asks of us, but He knows, and He loves, and it’s all for our good.

And even then, even then, when God has asked of us, He provides a redeemer, a substitute. Judah takes the place of his brother, the punishment, to appease Joseph, even though he was innocent. Be not afraid to follow through with what God asks of us. Because either Jesus will step in, or the result will lift us higher to God.

Don’t be afraid. Even if we don’t know, He does. And when He reveals His face and we see our Savior as he really is:

“Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him”

~Genesis 45:15

God Talks to Outcasts (Gen.41)

“And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.”

~Genesis 41:25

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Since I’m fairly confident that my grandmother will never read this, I want to tell a quick story about old Grandma Betty. I was over at her house one evening visiting, and we got to talking about Church. She is a very devout LDS member (Mormon) and was telling me about a friend of hers from another Christian faith.

“My friend told me that they prayed for someone to be healed, and that person in their congregation recovered. She said it was a miracle. I wondered how I was supposed to tell her that obviously it was not.”

Excuse me?

When I asked Grandma Betty why it wasn’t a miracle that the sick got healed from the prayers of faithful followers of Christ, she just said that they weren’t ‘Mormon’ so how is it possible?

This is what I wish I would have said to dear Grandma:

Mormons, or any Christians or anyone of any faith, does not have a monopoly on God. They do not have a say on who God gets to talk to. He is God, He talks to whoever He damn well wants to talk to.

At least, these were my thoughts as I was reading about Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams. Sure, God could have given Pharaoh these dream-vision with the sole purpose of getting Joseph out of jail and exalted to a high position of authority, cause that happened. But it could be that God was blessing Pharaoh because Pharaoh is one of His sons, and deserving of interaction with his Father. God talking to him surely blessed his life just as much as it did Joseph’s.

I know that I’ve said it again and again, but can it really be said too much? God loves all his children, and even people outside of the covenant He will bless and interact with and provide miracles for. We don’t get a say in who God does and doesn’t love. And He made his opinion pretty clear when He sacrificed His own beloved Son for every single person that has or ever will live.

Forgetting our Ancestors, our Brothers, our Jesus (Gen.40)

“But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house”

~Genesis 40:14

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The dead are the ultimate outcasts of this world. But those on the ‘other side’ who have not received ordinances of salvation, have not received Jesus Christ, are real outcasts. Christ has declared that He is the way to salvation, and the way to Him is being born again through the ordinance of baptism. Among our deceased ancestors are those who were never baptized, who had never even heard of Jesus Christ. They are in prison, because how can the soul be free without Jesus Christ?

I was thinking about those who never heard of the gospel of Christ, and read Genesis 40. In that chapter, Joseph is in jail and interprets the dreams of two other prisoners. He asks the chief butler to remember him when he goes before Pharaoh, to release him from prison. The dream is fulfilled, the chief butler is saved from death, and forgets about Joseph.

I wonder how many of my guardian angels have been my ancestors, have been the dead on the other side assisting me to make the right decisions, that I so when I approach Christ, I will mention them, the prisoners. But have I forgotten them?

When Jesus first openly declared His messiahship in the synagogue, He did it by quoting Isaiah (seen in the image above). He promised that He was sent to free the prisoners. This is people from sin and guilt and addiction and pain, and the dead from their spirit prison.

The LDS Church not only does baptisms for the living, but for the dead, so that all will have the opportunity to accept Christ. We are that chief baker, and we have forgotten our fellow prisoners.

(photo of baptismal font in LDS temple)

I guarantee you, when Christ approaches His Father the King, He won’t forget to mention you or me:

“

3 Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him—

4 Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;

5 Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.”

~D&C 45:3-5

He won’t forget you. He will mention your name to the very King of Heaven.

When we come before Jesus, our King of kings, will we forget our ancestors? Will we mention our brothers and sisters who still live in the prison of their sins? Will we forget even Jesus Himself in the freedom He gives us? When God gives you wings, don’t fly away from Him. Don’t fly away from those who helped you, but can’t help themselves.

Pray for them. Mention them. Jesus has already mentioned you.

A History of Rape (Gen.39)

Joseph is accused of rape. How does he survive that accusation? How did he get a jail sentence and not a death sentence, or at least a castration? The Bible doesn’t make it clear. Which is why I love this movie that I came across in youtube that focuses on that question.

In this movie, Potiphar says that he wants to believe Joseph, but needs a reason why Joseph wouldn’t commit rape. And I love this fictional answer: because his sister Dinah had been raped. Not only was it against God’s commandments, and against his master/benefactor Potiphar, but Joseph had first hand felt the effects of rape in his own family.

Joseph, in the movie, goes on to give other examples of sexual misconduct that have occurred in his family, and convinces Potiphar that not only didn’t he rape Potiphar’s wife, but he wouldn’t. He knew personally that rape is damaging, an unacceptable act.

This isn’t canonical, but it does add perspective. It is not just Joseph’s natural goodness and obedience that wins out, but his own life experience. I love that idea. Maybe Joseph learned from past experiences how to respect women, that rape is never an option, no matter how good the excuse. He was punished for a wrong accusation of rape, because he wouldn’t sleep with his master’s wife.

Joseph respected Potiphar, he respected God, but I suspect that he also respected Potiphar’s wife, respected that intimate act that happens between a man and a woman.

The “Naughty” Women of Christ (Gen. 38)

“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ […] And Judas begat ^aPhares and ^bZara of Thamar”

~Matt. 1:1,3

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Several women are mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus, most with questionable backgrounds, and today we’ll take a look at the first: Tamar.

After her husband dies, by Levitical law (Deut.25:5-10–“And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the ^aname of his brother which is dead, that his ^bnamebe not ^cput out of Israel”) if they have no children then one of the deceased’s brothers will have intercourse with the widow and produce a son, but the child will be raised as if he was the deceased’s legitimate son and heir. This also means that the resulting son will get his father’s inheritance, reducing the size of his uncle’s inheritance. Which explains why Tamar’s brother-in-laws were so reluctant to get her with child.

This explains why Judah, after her ‘playing’ the harlot to get what was lawfully hers, says: “She hath been more righteous than I” (Genesis 38:26).

Whew, so now that that is out of the way, we can get on with the good stuff.

(Also, before judging Tamar too harshly, remember the Virgin Mary who did everything right but who’s situation looked very, very questionable)

All the women in Christ’s genealogy have unique stories. Isn’t that amazing? The women were just as dynamic as the men, full of personality and the ability to overcome adversity.

What really amazes me about Tamar is how much like Jesus she actually is. Her husband is dead, but by having ‘his’ child, the man has a legacy, a continued ‘existence’ on the earth. We are dead. We are all spiritually dead. We cannot continue, we cannot produce. But, through the power of Christ we can be made alive again, a spiritual rebirth. With Christ, it is like we didn’t die at all.

Judah thought Tamar was a harlot.

Israel thought Jesus was a blasphemer, a false prophet, a drunkard, a criminal, an outcast.

But life came through Tamar; life comes through Jesus. Because of Tamar, Judah was redeemed of that particular sin, and the Messiah came from Tamar. Because of Jesus, Israel will be redeemed, and the Messiah will return to His people.

Don’t ignore the women in the Bible, especially those ‘naughty’ women from Jesus’ genealogy. They gave birth, and so also Christ has spiritually ‘given birth’ to all who come unto Him. Because of His body and blood and agony we are born. He is the mother and father of our rebirth.

Tear Off Your Clothes (Gen.37)

So when I started reading Genesis, I also started reading Matthew. Today I finished the Gospel of St. Matt, reading the last few chapters of the trial, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I was moved, again. Then I went to read Genesis 37, and I noticed something similar–everyone was tearing their clothes.

“And Reuben[…] rent his clothes.” (Gen.37:29)

“And Jacob rent his clothes” (Gen.37:34)

“And the high priest rent his clothes” (Matt.26:65)

and finally,

“behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom” (Matt.27:51)

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Now, both Joseph and Jesus are in a similar situation. They were sold by their brothers (Jesus by Judas), but while Joseph only suffered a symbolic death in the eyes of his father, Jesus was in reality killed. But, as I’m writing this, perhaps we could say that Jesus death was a temporary thing in the eyes of His Father, it did not last long. But it changed the world.

Either way, in both of these stories, the emotions run high, and people are ‘rending’ their clothes. This is an outward gesture of how one feels inside, and is literally bearing the chest where the emotions would metaphorically be. And some, like Joseph and Jesus, have their clothes taken from them, being almost naked.

And then there is the whole renting of the temple veil in two. Again, an outward symbol of what the death and resurrection of Jesus has bought us: access to God.

19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

(Hebrews 6:19-20)

Following Christ, we may come boldly before the throne of God. We are not worthy, but He who is worthy has bought our admission price, washing our feet, cleaning us in His own blood.

There are different reasons for bearing our souls, for rending our clothes, exposing ourselves. But God rent His clothes when the veil was rent, He exposed Himself to His children through Jesus Christ. Maybe it’s time we went before God and bared our souls, rent our clothes.

I did this once, actually ‘rent’ my clothes when I prayed one time. I have this tendencies to try and act out what the prophets and people did in the Bible, just to see what it is like. I have gone into mountains to pray, rent my clothes, sang for the Lord and praised Him, tried to walk on water (felt a little of what Peter must have when he started to sink), even dance. These have all been private actions, but I’m trying to expand my experience and my communication with God.

I’m not saying go out and rip up your favorite shirt, or that you even need to do this. Rending your clothes is just an outward gesture of what’s going on inside. What I am suggesting is that you open yourself up to God. If you’re angry, let Him know. If you’re sad, let Him comfort you. If you’re happy, praise Him. There is no need to close ourselves off from God, not when He has opened Himself to us.

Go, pray, bear your soul. Let Him in.

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Love that Empowers (Gen.34)

“And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.”

~Genesis 34:8

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I don’t know if Dinah, daughter of Jacob and Leah, was raped or not. I don’t know if he kept her a prisoner in his house, or if she just ran away with her lover (Gen.34:26). I don’t know if the revenge of killing all the men in the city after having circumcised them so they couldn’t fight back was considered murder committed by Simeon and Levi. I wasn’t there, and we don’t have everyone’s side of the story.

Either way, Dinah and Shechem should not have been doing the dance without pants before being married.

So whether it was rape or not, it was a defilement. Both of these young people were defiled, for the law was broken, and they are no longer clean (but to be clear, Dinah would be completely innocent if it was rape, a crime against her body and soul with a price no person should have to endure).

Sometimes we court the world, and the world courts us. Don’t be decided, the world wants you. You are wonderful, and the world hurries to consume you, starving for your light but always being in darkness. And whether it is our fault or not, no matter how real this love it, it is a love that cannot save you.

Only the love of Christ has power, power to save and power to deliver.

Once i was teaching Sunday School, and a young girl asked, ‘what if you fall in love with someone who isn’t a Mormon/Christian? What do you do?’

I told her, you could marry that person, with the hope and prayer that your good example and influence will help bring them to Christ. That has happened, I’ve seen it happen. But I’ve also seen marriages fall apart as both partners sabotage the other, unhappy.

Or, you could give up that love, and look for someone who will love Christ with you, together.

I don’t know the answer to this. God does. And it’s a personal thing, to be decided by the persons involved, and not me.

But, at the end of the day, I would say, don’t trade everlasting, saving love for anything less. Don’t get talked into sex before marriage, or a marriage that you might feel uncomfortable with just so you can have ‘legitimate’ sex. That is not love that enables, that empowers you.

Okay, so I know that Dinah’s brother’s killed a lot of people, mostly in cold blood, and it was awful. But I hope that God is willing to do what is necessary to pull me out from the house of sin, to save me. And I pray that I never get in the way of God going to rescue someone.

And I pray that I always choose a love that uplifts and empowers.

When We Meet God, again (Gen.33)

“I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.”

~Genesis 33:10

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I did this before here, and I’m going to do it again. In Genesis 33 Jacob is returning home after his years of being outcast. And although he has acquired wealth and wives, Jacob is nervous about reuniting with his twin, Esau. And by nervous, I mean Jacob is afraid Esau is going to kill him for having taken away his birthright and blessing.

So Jacob organizes his troop such that not all will be killed if there is an attack, and sends numerous gifts to Esau before the main group arrives. Time, it appears, has cooled Esau’s anger, and he wholeheartedly welcomes his twin back home.

So, let’s tell this story again, but change the names. As before, we are all Jacob. We have all offended our Older Brother who is Jesus, for we are all sinners and come short of the glory of God. We want to come back home, but that is only possible if our Brother recognizes and acknowledges us, knowing that He has the power to bar our return home to God.

Esau is Jesus.

We have all offended God at some point with our mistakes and rebellions. So on our journey home we start to repent, to send gifts, sacrifices, giving abundantly that we may assuage the wrath of God towards us. And when we enter His presence we do like Jacob did: “and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near” (Gen.33:3).

And, like Jacob, we are going to be astounded when the Lord responds as Esau did:

“And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.”

Genesis 33:4

Can you imagine meeting your Savior, who bleed and died because of your weaknesses, and He runs to meet you? Can you imagining Him embracing you, falling on your neck with joy at your return, kissing you? Will you weep tears of joy together at such a reunion?

I pray that I might meet my God like that. I pray that when I get to heaven, all my family reunions might be like that. All enmity and division will be forgotten, and we will all be swept up in the joy of being together again at last.

And this was Esau’s forgiveness, and his love of family. I cannot imagine how much greater will be my reunion with God, whose love and forgiveness are perfect, and everlasting.

Crisis of Faith, wrestling with God (Gen.32)

“And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, butIsrael: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.”

Genesis 32:28

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Jacob wrestles with a man, or angel, or God–it really doesn’t matter when for all intents and purposes Jacob wrestled with God and got blessed for it. Whatever happened to humility, submitting to the will of God?

Really, I would recommend Paulo Coelho’s novel “The Fifth Mountain” which provides the best answer I’ve ever heard.

But I don’t have time to write a novel, and you don’t have time to read one right now. I guess that we’ll have to navigate between a seeming paradox, but that is where truth lies. How do we balance God’s desire for us to submit to His will, and His desire for us to learn and grow and struggle and do somethings for ourselves?

God told Jacob that he “prevailed,” but he didn’t, at least not in the wrestling match. Jacob lost, but he wouldn’t let go of his heavenly visitor until a blessing was pronounced upon him. Jacob didn’t win, but he didn’t give up.

Does this mean that we pester God until He gives in? A parable of Christ would suggest that possibility (Luke 18:1-8), but I believe that it’s not about pestering, but about not giving up. God could have have said, No I will not bless you, and there is nothing Jacob could have done about it. Instead, his not-quitting attitude gave him a new name: Israel. This roughly translate to ‘prevails with God.’

But wasn’t Jacob wrestling against God?

We all have moments of doubt, crises of faith, teen rebellion, when we try to work with God but it just feels like we’re struggling, wrestling with Him. And sometimes it feels like He has laid us out in the dirt, dislocated a shoulder. That is when we shouldn’t give up. From the dirt we can still cry out, like Jacob did, bless me. Heal me. Show me.

Sometimes life is just hard, and even knowing that God exists is not enough to take away sadness and despair. But we struggle anyways.

“Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

Struggle until exhausted, until you have nothing left to give except not giving up. Don’t give up. The blessing is there. And at the end, you can say with Jacob: ” I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved” (Gen.32:30).