Trust in bear arms

 

     We are continuing our series “Things to think about.” This is not a series meant to sway toward any particular candidates, I believe that is not my job as your pastor. My goal is to remind us as Christians that our primary allegiance is to the Kingdom of God.

 

     When I first learned Nicole was pregnant with Jaedyn, we went to a sporting goods store and I bought a shotgun, which I have named Gauge, and jokingly say he is twelve. Fast forward six years, Nicole was pregnant with our third child, Emrys. Another girl. So for our gender reveal, I posted a social media picture of me sitting in a rocking chair wearing Minnie Mouse ears and holding Gauge. Both times trying to send a clear message, do not mess with this dad’s girls.

 

     Now, having Gauge is a right and responsibility. And there is comfort in knowing I can defend my daughters and family. However, there is a greater source of comfort and security. This source is shared with us through King David in the Psalms.

 

     Psalms 20:6-8(CEB):

 

     6 Now I know that LORD saves his anointed one; God answers his anointed one from his heavenly sanctuary, answering with mighty acts of salvation achieved by his strong hand. 7 Some people trust in chariots, others in horses, but we praise the LORD’s name. 8 They will collapse and fall, but we will stand up straight and strong.

 

This is the word of God

For the people of God

Thanks be to God

 

 

     This Psalm is labeled as a psalm of David by the Common English Bible. In this psalm, David has recorded a prayer. David is no stranger to battle. As a young shepherd boy, he fought lions and famously a giant named Goliath armed with only a sling and stone. Much of the historical books in the Bible record David’s many military conquests, most of which were successful. But in this prayer, David is not focused on his own skill, army, or military equipment as the source of his victory.

 

     Verse 6 begins with, “Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed one.” David is not saying “Now I know” as wishful thinking, he is speaking from experience. Standing in front of a nine-foot-tall giant, it was not David’s sling and stones that gave him confidence. When David was running for his life from King Saul, it was not David’s hide-and-seek skills that gave him confidence. In all of those moments, God is the one who enabled David to be successful.

 

     The prayer continues in verse 7 with, “Some people trust in chariots, others in horses; but we praise the name of the LORD.” 1 Chronicles records two different occasions (19:18 and 28:4) when David faced Syrians who had chariots and horses. It is very likely that David had an army equipped with horses and chariots, they were common instruments of war. The enemy had them and David had them. But David’s confidence was not in the horses and chariots, it was in God. When the prayer says, “The name of the LORD, it means David trusted in God’s character, reputation, and nature.

 

     While David trusts in God, the text implies his enemies trust in their chariots and horses. As a result, the prayer says in verse 8, “They will collapse and fall, but we will stand up straight and strong.” The prayer reads as though the outcome is already decided based on where each army has placed its confidence. David’s confidence is in God, but the enemy trusts in their power and the instruments in their control.

 

     What does all this have to teach us? Before we focus on David, we need to consider why David believes his enemies will fail. Their confidence is in their weapons, their ability to use them, and ultimately what is in their control.

 

     This makes me think of Jesus in the Garden, the night He is arrested. A crowd shows up with torches and weapons, so Peter takes a sword and chops off an ear. Rather than make a break during the confusion, Jesus reattachs the man’s ear before rebuking Peter. In His rebuke, Jesus says, “Put the sword back into its place. All those who use the sword will die by the sword.” Now, I do think there is a discussion to be had about the use of violence here, but I do not think that is Jesus’s main point. His main point is, “Peter, do you trust God?”

 

     David trusted God more than his preparation, skills, and equipment. And even though I joked about Gauge and my daughters, my trust is not in Gauge. Nicole and I are raising our daughters and sons to know God, trusting them to follow His direction, and trusting God will guide them, keep them, and protect them. This goes beyond just weapons but speaks to anything that believe can provide us with peace and security beyond God.

 

     As Christians, there is no doubt we are in a spiritual battle. But Paul tells us, “Though we live in the world, we do not wage war the way the world does. The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. They have divine power to demolish strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4) In Ephesians 6, Paul also tells us to put on the armor of God. Even though Paul uses the battle rattle of his day, the armor of God is not physical armor but spiritual. Our minds are guarded by the knowledge of God’s salvation. Our hearts are protected by His righteousness. Our pants are held up by the belt of God’s truth. Our feet are carried by His gospel. Our instruments are our faith in Him and His Word.

 

     Let me be clear, my message is not about guns or gun control. That is a hotly debated political issue. I am not trying to dictate to you how you prepare yourself and your family for worst-case scenarios. It is not about violence, although God’s Word is clear that His Kingdom is not one based on violence. This is about us saying, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done.” But that can only be our words if we trust God with our families, peace, security, and everything.

 

     David faced lions, a giant, rival kings, and a rebellious son. He had strength, skills, weapons, horses, chariots, and an army. But David’s confidence was not in those things. While David certainly used those things, his confidence was in God. His faith in God allowed David to faithfully use what God had provided. The same can happen with each of us!

 

What is your confidence based on? Is it guns? Money? Your success? Your abilities? Or can you with David, “Some trust in chariots, some trust in horses, but I praise the name of the LORD”? Those other things provide a temporary sense of peace and security, but they are subject to the winds and waves of life. But God is not, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God does not leave us because of the winds and waves, He calms them and us in them. Will you put your confidence in God?

What is a God like you doing in a place like this?

 

     In a few short weeks, as Americans, we will have the opportunity to exercise our right to vote. I think it is important for me to share that I am your pastor, not your politician. My goal over the next few weeks is not to advocate for any particular candidates, but to remind us as Christians of things we should have in mind.

 

     There is one truth I believe is critical for us to keep in mind. It is an important detail that can become lost in all the chaos that surrounds the political season. This is a lesson Jacob, a forefather of faith learns.

 

     Genesis 28:16-19(CEB):

 

     16 When Jacob woke from his sleep, he thought to himself, The LORD is definitely in this place, but I didn’t know it. 17 He was terrified and though, This sacred place is awesome. It’s none other than God’s house and the entrance to heaven. 18 After Jacob got up early in the morning, he took the stone that he had put near his head, set it up as a sacred pillar, and poured oil on top of it. 19 He named that sacred place Bethel, though Luz was the city’s original name.

 

This is the word of God

For the people of God

Thanks be to God

 

 

     Our passage focuses on when Jacob wakes up from an intense dream, one that has him in the presence of God. But is important to note what has happened in Jacob’s life leading up to this moment. He was on the run from his father’s (Isaac’s) house because Jacob had robbed his brother Esau of his birthright. Jacob is all alone in the wilderness when he falls asleep with a rock for a pillow.

 

     Verse 16 tells us “When Jacob woke from his sleep, he thought to himself, the LORD is definitely in this place, even though I didn’t know it.” The dream was so intense, that Jacob still held in the power of what it revealed. What the dream revealed was God’s presence. Jacob believed he was all by himself, on the run because of tricking his brother. But the dream made Jacob aware that God was right there with him. Not only was this a powerful realization, it was transformational.

 

     The rock that had been Jacob’s pillow now became an important symbol in his life. Verse 18 says, “Jacob got up early, he took the stone, set it up as a sacred pillar, and poured oil on it.” This is not Jacob setting up an idol, but a reminder of the moment he encountered God’s presence. When Jacob was alone God met with him unexpectedly in this place.

 

     This entire event happened in an area called Luz. The name Luz had no meaning to Jacob until this encounter with God. Jacob renames the area Bethel, meaning “House of God.” The house of God means it is a place of safety because God’s presence is there.

 

     What does this have to do with us? Where is the truth that is important for us to remember as believers heading into an election season? Verse 16 is the key. Jacob wakes up from this dream where he encounters God, thinking, “The LORD is definitely in this place, but I didn’t know it.” He met with God in a place he did not expect.

 

     Jacob had swindled his brother Esau. He was in the wrong, now on the run because of it. This excursion into Luz attempted to outrun the trouble of Jacob’s own making. He is trying to get a night of rest before returning to his escape. It is in that place physically, mentally, and spiritually that God meets with Jacob in a dream!

 

     Jacob’s God is our God. God is the Almighty. He is unrivaled and unlimited in where He can go. When Jacob was alone and on the run, God surprised Jacob with His presence. Our God does that all the time. Three men were tossed in a fiery furnace, they believed God could save them, and they met with Him in the fire. Daniel was in a lion’s den, God’s presence was in that lion’s den. Two disciples were mourning the death of Jesus when they were surprised Jesus was walking beside them. Our God is a God who shows up in unexpected places.

 

     As Christians, the enemy is not necessarily seeking to make us believe God does not exist or that God is absent, the goal is to make us indifferent to God’s presence. Not even indifferent to God, but the possibility of His presence. If we are indifferent, we will not notice God is there. And if we do not notice, we lose sight of hope.

 

     God will surprise when and where He shows up. When sin feels overwhelming, God shows up with grace and mercy. As the chaos of life tosses us about, His Spirit sweeps in like the wind to guide us through and calm the storm inside of us. In the intensity of a political climate, God can reveal He is there with us.

 

     Jacob was surprised by God’s presence. It transformed him. The same can happen to us if our hearts are open. Just as God made with Jacob, He can meet with you! May God give us faith to see Him in the unexpected places.

Joseph & the Honest Men--part 3

     There is an old folktale about how to catch a monkey. You take a jar with a small opening and fill it with treats a monkey would love. When the monkey sees it, they will reach in to take the treat but its hand will be stuck. The jar opening is big enough to fit the monkey’s hand in, but when the monkey clinches its fist their hand is too big to get out. It is not a physical trap, but a mental trap.

 

     Today we are closing out our three-part series in Genesis 42. And I promise the monkey’s mental trap connects with what I believe today’s text wants to teach us.

 

     Genesis 42:29-38(CEB):

 

     29 When the brothers got back to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan, they described to him everything that had happened to them: 30 “The man, the country’s governor, in the country. 31 We told him, ‘We’re honest men, not spies. 32 We are twelve brothers, all our father’s sons. One of us is gone, but the youngest is right now with our father in the land of Canaan.’ 33 The man, the country’s governor, told us, ‘This is how I will know you are honest men: Leave one of your brothers with me, take grain for those in your households who are hungry, and go. 34 But bring back your youngest brother to me. Then I will know that you are not spies but honest men. I will give your brother back to you, and you may travel throughout the country.’”

 

     35 When they opened their sacks, each man found a pouch of his silver in his sack. When they and their father saw their pouches of silver, they were afraid. 36 Their father Jacob said to them, “You’ve taken my children from me. Joseph’s gone. Simeon’s gone. And you are taking Benjamin. All this can’t really be happening to me!”

 

     37 Reuben said to his father, “You may put both my sons to death if I don’t bring him back to you. Make him my responsibility, and I will make sure he returns to you.”

 

     38 But Jacob said to him, “My son won’t go down with you because his brother’s dead and he’s been left all alone. If anything were to happen to him on the trip you are taking, you would send me—old as I am—to my grave in grief.”

 

This is the word of God

For the people of God

Thanks be to God

 

 

     The good news about this message is the text itself recaps most of what we have been studying the last couple of weeks. But I will add a key missing detail. “The governor” mentioned by the brothers to Jacob is actually their brother Joseph, only the brothers do not know it. Joseph knows it is them because how could he forget? These “honest men” were the brothers who had sold Joseph into slavery twenty years ago.

 

     Verses 29 through 34 share what the brothers do when they return from Egypt to Canaan. They spill the whole story to their father Jacob, who I am sure noticed there is one less of his sons that left. The “honest men” were honest in this moment, unlike the last time they came to Jacob with news about a missing brother. We see a little personal growth on their part.

 

     In verse 36, Jacob reacts to the news. He says to the brothers, “You’ve taken my children from me. Joseph’s gone. Simeon’s gone. And you taking Benjamin. All this can’t really be happening to me!” In other words, Jacob is saying, “This is all too much!” Every time this group of brothers goes out collectively, something happens to one of them. Jacob does not trust them with Benjamin.

 

     And this is where we find our connection with the monkey trap. This is where we discover the lesson for us. Jacob responds to the honest men with distrust, which seems to be for good reason. He refuses to let Benjamin go to Egypt with them. Benjamin is like the treat in the jar, Jacob will not let him go.

 

     Jacob not letting Benjamin go is a big deal. The brothers brought back grain this time, but they cannot go back to Egypt again with Benjamin. Whether Jacob realizes it or not, his not letting Benjamin go jeopardizes the family’s future. And we cannot forget about Simeon, one of Jacob’s other sons. Simeon is being held prisoner in Egypt. Is Jacob willing to sacrifice Simeon in the name of Benjamin’s protection?

 

     Reuben attempts to persuade Jacob in verse 37, “You may put both my sons to death if I don’t bring him back to you. Make him my responsibility, and I will make sure he returns to you.” Now I do not think Reuben wants to sacrifice his sons, nor do I think Jacob wants anyone else in his family to die. But Reuben is willing to do what his father is not, risk what is his for the betterment of everyone.

 

     Unfortunately, that is how chapter 42 ends. Jacob is unwilling to risk Benjamin. In verse 38, Jacob says, “My son won’t go with you because his brother’s dead and he’s been left all alone.”

 

If we continue reading, we discover that Jacob let Benjamin go to Egypt. And to make a long story short, Jacob’s letting go of Benjamin makes way for a mighty move of God. Not only is Simeon saved, not only is the whole family saved, but Jacob and his brothers discover that Joseph is alive! This one decision leads to a family reunion that the Hallmark channel could not even imagine. However, for it to happen, Jacob had to let go.

 

Many of us can relate to Jacob here. He had reasons to doubt to the “honest men.” Jacob was still grieving the loss of Joseph, now enduring Simeon being gone. Fear of suffering more loss caused Jacob to hold tighter to Benjamin. But holding on was not saving Benjamin, it was breaking him along with the rest of the family. It was ultimately hindering Jacob from receiving the blessings God had for him.

 

We do the same thing with loved ones, jobs, successes, our reputation, and things we hold dear. They add value to our lives and we cannot imagine if they were gone. Hurts from past losses have us hanging onto them like the monkey with its hand stuck in the jar. This keeps us trapped in a prison of our own making, away from the good things God has for us.

 

In Philippians 3:7-8, the Apostle Paul wrote, “These things were my assets, but I wrote them off as a loss for the sake of Christ. But even beyond that, I consider everything a loss in comparison with the superior value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have lost everything for him, but what I have lost I think of as sewer trash, so that I might gain Christ.” Paul is referring to those things that are most valuable to him. It is not that they are “sewer trash”, but that those things pale in comparison to knowing Jesus and experiencing His power through life fully surrendered to Him.

 

Jacob had a similar realization. I am sure it was a gut-wrenching decision to let Benjamin go with his brothers to Egypt. And I do not think Jacob let Benjamin go because he trusted the “honest men.” He let go because the path God had laid out for him required it.

 

If we want to experience all that God has for us, we have to let go of whatever we are clinging to. I know it is valuable, and I know the idea of letting it go is terrifying. The thought of trusting the “honest men” all around us seems hazardous. But God is not asking us to trust the “honest men”, He is asking us to believe in Jesus and love him more. By choosing to cling to our relationships, kids, money, reputations, and all those good things we end up using them to break the first commandment, “Thou shalt have no other gods besides me.” While they could become idols themselves, more often they become objects used in the worship of ourselves. Love lets go, trusting God with the gifts He has given us.

 

Let us not be like monkeys caught in a trap. Instead, let us be like Jacob letting go, even into the hands of “honest men”, to make way for the fullness of what God has for us. Let us be like Paul, knowing the value of God’s gifts to us, but knowing the value of knowing Jesus is greater.

 

What are you holding onto? Can you trust God with whatever it is? The altars are open, and God is inviting you to open your hand and surrender whatever it is. Will you open your hand and allow your heart to receive the deeper blessings of His grace.