January 16
Gen 32:13-34:31 | PS 14 | Prov 3:19-20 | Matt 11:7-30
In Matthew 5:16 we read, "In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." We in Christ, are God's ambassadors, are God's light in a very dark place, are His representatives, are to be set apart unto Him. As such, we are called to something higher. Our actions, our behavior will often either attract people to seek or run from God. Sadly, many weaponize prayer not for God, but for themselves. Rather than communicating with God they say words which sound godly to sway the masses. Much has been done in the name of religion to fleece people financially with promises of blessings and cures. Holy days, or as we call them holidays, have become anything but holy. When we consider how most so-called Christians celebrate Christmas and Easter why would those who don't know Jesus want to follow Him? They have become empty celebrations devoid of the real Jesus. God has given us so much. Jesus offered up His life for us. With that we have much responsibility to reflect Him properly.
We come across a terrible situation in the town of Shechem as Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, is raped by Shechem, the local prince. This action should be judged, but not the deceitful way that two of Jacob's sons chose to do it. In Genesis 17:9, the act of circumcision was the mark of God's covenant relationship with Abraham and his descendants. This was a holy act, setting them apart from all others. We read how this beautiful act was weaponized by Jacob's two sons in Genesis 34:15-17, "But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are, then we will give you our daughters, and we’ll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live among you and become one people. But if you don’t agree to be circumcised, we will take her and be on our way." Shechem was so desperate to obtain Dinah as his wife that he convinced the townspeople to agree. We see the result in 34:24-26, "So all the men in the town council agreed with Hamor and Shechem, and every male in the town was circumcised. But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, who were Dinah’s full brothers, took their swords and entered the town without opposition. Then they slaughtered every male there, including Hamor and his son Shechem. They killed them with their swords, then took Dinah from Shechem’s house and returned to their camp."
This was not brilliant strategy; it was a mockery of God's holy covenant. May we never adopt the familiar motto that "the ends justify the means", because they don't. Our actions do matter. How we accomplish what we do does matter. As God's representatives people notice. Many are looking to see if our walk matches our talk. They want to know if this faith of ours is real. Interestingly, Jacob misses the point as we read in 34:30, "Afterward Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have ruined me! You’ve made me stink among all the people of this land—among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will join forces and crush us. I will be ruined, and my entire household will be wiped out!”" It is not about Jacob, but about God. Rather than being a light for the surrounding pagan people, they would hear about what happened and want nothing to do with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. May we realize that we must be careful when others know us as Christ's representatives and our actions are anything but godly. Our calling is a beautiful thing, may we honor it and boldly move forward in Him and for Him in a world that is in desperate need of Him.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: