January 26

GENESIS 27
We begin the stories of parental favorites and sibling rivalry. When there is only one child in the family, there is no problem with parents playing favorites. When there is only one child in the family, there is no problem with sibling rivalry. I don't recall my parents ever playing favorites. Maybe my siblings would disagree. My wife says that as the youngest, I was spoiled. I guess that has made her job a little more difficult. Hey, I can't help it if I'm the smartest, biggest, strongest, best looking, most sociable, most self-confident of the pack. Sorry guys but sometimes we just have to face reality. Speaking of reality, let me get back to it here. Laura and I have always attempted to love our children equally and not play favorites. I tell my daughter frequently that she is my favorite daughter. Every once in a while she reminds me that she is my only daughter. Occasionally, I will tell my first son that he is my favorite first son, and my second son that he is my favorite second son, and my third son that he is my favorite third son, and my youngest is my favorite youngest son. I guess it is one of the ways that I have of trying to communicate to them that I love them for their uniqueness, even though I love them equally.
In Isaac's family there was a big problem. Isaac and Rebecca played favorites and it was obvious. Maybe being the only child of the promise blinded Isaac to the problems it would cause. Maybe seeing all his half siblings sent away from home caused him to think it okay. The parental favoritism only fueled the sibling rivalry, and it sky rocketed in full flames. Rebecca had asked the Lord when the boys were in the womb, “What is happening in my womb?” The Lord had told her then, “Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger.” How could Rebecca not tell Isaac of that experience? Isaac knew what the Lord had told Rebecca. Did he believe her? He is about to pass the blessing on to the older whom God said would serve the younger. Why didn’t God communicate the message directly to Isaac. Maybe it was because Isaac did not care enough to ask about the struggle in Rebecca’s womb. Rather than stooping to deception when Isaac was making a bad decision, why didn’t Rebecca go to him and remind him of what the Lord had said. I get the impression that they had had that conversation one too many times and Rebecca was convinced that it would be useless.
Esau was a man's man, wild at heart, but he put no value in spiritual things and thus despised God. Jacob was a conniving mamma's boy, large and muscular to be sure, but he preferred the flock over the hunt. He saw some value in spiritual things, but he felt he needed to connive to get those spiritual things for himself. Some mercy needed to be extended upon him. Esau married into the daughters of Heth. Remember Abraham would not allow Isaac to marry one of the girls of the land? I suggested it was because of the problems it would cause with the covenant. Esau and Jacob had known grandpa Abraham until they were 15, when Abraham died. I am sure that Abraham communicated the value of the covenant to them. Apparently Esau didn't care. All those stories about the appearances of God were probably in his mind just the fertile imagination of an old, old man. When his instinct for starting a family kicked in, it made no difference to him that who he married might affect the covenant. He married the one who pleased him most. So what if she was one of the ungodly Canaanites?
Well, you know the story. Jacob got the Abrahamic blessing. You know, neither Jacob nor Esau were worthy of the blessing. Jacob wanted the blessing, but he had a very conniving heart. That is where the glory of the Lord comes into play. In His mercy, the LORD comes to Jacob and meets him and promises to give the covenant of Abraham and Isaac to him. You know, there is nothing in me that is worthy of the way the LORD loves me. But He does love me. He has billions of children. None of us are worthy of the love that He has shed upon us. But He does love us. Some of His children are more talented than others, but He does not love the more talented ones more. Some of His children do greater exploits than others, but He does not love the ones who do greater exploits more. He loves us all genuinely, uniquely and completely. He comes to me and says, "You are my favorite six billionth son." I don't know what number I am. So He really doesn't say that. But He does say, "I love you genuinely, uniquely and completely." To hear that, is all I need. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John

Esau was to dwell in a desolate place. His descendants literally carved out a fabulous city in the mountains southwest of the Dead Sea. In Israel’s days it was known as Sela. Later it was called Petra. The Nabateans carved many fabulous buildings out of the sandstone. The picture below is the treasury building. When you exit the Sik, it is the first thing you see. To enter Petra you have to walk through an almost mile long canyon (the Sik) (The top picture) which narrows at times to be only a few horses in width. This gave it an incredible defensive position.

PSALM 26
What makes me pure in His sight? How could I ever ask Him to judge me? I could make noise like David has made here about having walked in integrity. Comparing myself to other men, I might be able to make a pretty good case for being a man of integrity. But the problem is that the standard is not other men; it is God’s own character. David implores God to not gather his soul with bloody men. Yet God Himself would not allow David to build the temple because, as God put it, “You have shed much blood and have made great wars; you shall not build a house for My name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight.” How could David have the gall to say to God, “Vindicate me, O LORD, For I have walked in my integrity.” Even if this was written before he sinned with Bathsheba and murdered her husband, he was still responsible for the death of thousands of men and had multiple wives. How can he ever claim to walk in integrity?
His loving kindness is always surrounding me. Because of that, I will go about (walk in circles around) His altar. The altar is where sacrifices for sin were made. David was a man of integrity in one respect. He knew that the only way to have his sin covered was at the altar. He knew God was full of loving kindness as well as full of justice. He knew that he could meet God at the altar and be cleansed. Today I can rejoice in the loving kindness of the Lord. I constantly dwell at His altar, the cross of Jesus Christ. There I find and experience His loving kindness. There my sin is washed away and not just covered! There I am empowered to go and sin no more! I come to the cross for one purpose, to die with Him. When I die with Him, I am raised with Him. What loving kindness! What love! What glory! Lord help me to die with You for Your loving kindness surrounds me there and raises me to new life! Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Esther 3
There are times when we do not understand why other people do strange things. Mordecai refused to bow down and worship Haman as he walked by. He was raised a good Jew. A good Jew bows down to worship no one but the Lord. He was being faithful to the Lord. What was the result of his faithfulness? The result was not only was he endangered, but all the Jews of the whole kingdom were now targeted to be killed. It seems to be an odd reward for faithfulness from a sovereign God who controls the whole world. But the world would not know that He is worth laying down our lives, unless some people laid down their lives. Still he was probably perplexed.
Not only was he perplexed, but the whole city of Sushan was perplexed. Why? Why was one of the top officials of the king calling for the death of all the Jews? It just did not make any sense. But then why did Satan rebel? Why did Adam and Eve rebel. Why did Hitler order the execution of 6 million Jews? Closer to home, why do I sin? In the midst of perplexing issues of the world and my own personality, there is one underpinning principle. God is occupying Himself by showing His glory through the world. Wait to the end. We will see the glory of it then. Right now we don’t see it, but we will see it then! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

MATTHEW 17
Not long from now I am going to be getting city/county water. I'm kind of excited about it. I've lived on well water for 8.5 years now. Everything that gets my well water on it eventually turns orange. Yes, I have a water conditioner. Without it the water would be unbearable. I don't know how many white shirts & light colored shirts have eventually become dingy from being washed in my water. Even after just a few washings, you can see the difference. It doesn't' matter what detergent or bleach you use. Light colored clothes quickly start looking dingy.
Jesus was on a high mountain with Peter, James and John. Do you suppose His clothes were dingy? Were they light colored? Now think about it. No washing machines, constant traveling on hot dusty roads, no place to call his own to lay His head, all of these probably produced dingy clothes.
Suddenly, He was transfigured before them. Somehow His pre-incarnation glory began to shine through Him. Moses & Elijah showed up. They both had experienced the glory in their flesh life. Moses, in Exodus 34:29-35, was spending time with the Lord on Mt. Sinai. When he came down his face shone. The glory of the LORD was shining through him. The people of Israel were fearful. Elijah rode to heaven in a chariot of fire with horses of fire. These two were glimpses of the glory of the pre-incarnate Jesus.
Back on the mountain with Jesus, His glory was shining through His flesh and even clothes. No dinginess was left in Him. The disciples were convinced this was the beginning of Messiah's reign. Just then a bright cloud overshadowed them. (By the way, how does a bright cloud over shadow?) From the brightness a voice spoke. It was the Father. He said:

1. This was His beloved Son.
2. He was very pleased with Him.
3. The command was given to listen to Him.

Where else does God Communicate with people a place where His glory shines? In Exodus 25:21,22 God instructed that from the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant. He would meet and speak with people. The ark in the holy of holies was the dwelling place of the glory of God. Ark is an English word of box. In Genesis 50:26 it is translated coffin. In the coffin of the covenant was placed the tablets of the Ten Commandments. Once a year, the blood of the Lamb was sprinkled on the mercy seat. The glory shone from there and God spoke. Jesus is the ark, the coffin. The law is in Him and fulfilled in Him in His death. His blood washes away our sin. There He speaks with us.
The disciples fell on their faces at the sight of His glory and sound of the voice. They were full of fear. They were not to speak of the glory until He had risen from the dead. He speaks from the resurrection. Death comes first. That is where His glory shines.
Paul tells us Moses veiled His face because the glory would fade till he went back to the presence of God. He didn't want people to see it fade. Yet we can be transformed from glory to glory as we gaze upon His glory, 2 Cor. 3:7-18. This dingy flesh can be transformed into something of glory. I'm tired of drinking from old well water. I want to drink and bathe in His glory. Oh how we need to gaze upon His glory and speak it to others! That is how we are transformed! Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John