10/27/2024 I Know nothing of this so-called God

Sermon: I Know nothing of this so-called God

Scripture: Exodus 5:1-2

Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’” Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”

Stubborn or headstrong is to persist without changing one’s opinion or thoughts. The heart becomes as hard as a stone and hardens. The word “hardened in heart,” “hardened,” or “hardened” means “heavy,” kabed. Moses says at Exodus 4:10: “I am a man of a dull mouth and a dull tongue.” When Kabed uses this for the body, it is referring to his tongue being heavy and slow to speak. On the other hand, when the word is used for God, it has a completely different meaning, and it is used to express something that glorifies God or that God must accomplish. Pharaoh was hard-hearted, and God was glorified through it.

The plagues that came upon Pharaoh for Israel’s deliverance were all related to the idols of the land of Egypt. The Nile River was the god of fertility for the Egyptians who practiced agriculture. The fact that the Nile River, considered the god of all the food of Egypt, is covered with blood shows that it is nothing in the sight of God. The plague of frogs was the second plague that befell Egypt, who believed it to be the god of fertility. The Egyptians, who worshipped cows as idols, even worshipped the ‘gnats’ attached to the ox. There will be a plague of flies, the death of livestock, malignant boils, hail, locusts, and even a plague of darkness.

The ninth plague, the plague of darkness, was when Moses stretched out his arms to heaven and darkness fell on the land of Egypt for three days. The Egypt people were worshipping the sun god, and darkness had fallen. The god they revere most can’t help them when they really need it. Darkness fell, and the sun god, who was supposed to reveal the light, was helpless. In the sight of God, the sun god is nothing.

Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had a proud, stubborn, and hardened heart. Pharaoh is stubborn and unyielding. Moses and Aaron appear before Pharaoh and tell him to send God’s people, the Israelites, away. “The Lord God of Israel said, ‘Let my people go. They must keep my feasts in the wilderness.’ But Pharaoh replied: ‘Who is the Lord, that I should listen to him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go.’” (Exodus 5:1-2). Pharaoh gives reason for not letting Israel go, saying, “I do not even know the Lord.” Pharaoh, who is in opposition to God, begins to see Israelites as an opponent of him. Pharaoh’s stubborn determination of heart becomes very savage.

That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and overseers in charge of the people: “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”

In the eyes of the proud Pharaoh, Israel who sought to escape his rule was his enemy, a lazy slave. It’s mad to see them, but you want them to go? If you made them suffer more with more hard work, could they just let you go? His stubbornness was getting stronger as time went on. The reasons for not sending it out have become clearer. The worse the situation gets, the more corrupt the mind becomes. It becomes more and more stiff. There is only one thing that God wanted from Pharaoh. Let Israel go. God’s people are told to be sent out to rule by God, but Pharaoh refuses to be ruled by that God.

“I will do my will,” says God. “But I will do my will,” says the sinner Pharaoh. Pharaoh would not have wanted to know that there was another king above him. For Pharaoh, Israel was his property, his national power. To free his property, the slaves, would have been tantamount to forsaking his power and glory. So Pharaoh’s response to all the plagues God brought upon him was stubbornness, hardness, and barbarism toward the Israelite slaves. Because he is resisting God, he cannot help but think that the Israelites are challenging and resisting his authority.

Why did Pharaoh say, “I know not the Lord”? These words represent the decision of his heart to refuse to know the Lord in order to fulfill his purpose of not sending Israel. It’s not that he didn’t let Israel go because he didn’t know the Lord, but that he didn’t have the heart to let Israel go. So he shouldn’t know the Lord. If he had humbled himself and sought to know who the Lord was, then the previous nine plagues would have been unnecessary. However, his pride and stubbornness of heart eventually lead to the 10th calamity.

It is a plague in which his firstborn and all the firstborn of Egypt die, and Pharaoh sends God’s people, the Israelites, away because of this. When you say, “I don’t even know the Lord,” what are the events, people, and relationships that are now hardening your heart and resisting God? If you have financial difficulties and you think that the reason for this is your spouse’s poor financial management and business management, the more you think about it, the more you will look at your spouse in the same way that Pharaoh looks at the Israelite slaves.

When you look at the existence of the person you want to blame and see them solve problems in such a strange, slow, wayward way, without priority, without logic, it seems that you just can’t stand their existence and you can’t let it go. Looking at them, your determination to “I must change my habits” deepen, and my resentment, anger, and bitterness grow stronger.

So how do we deal with the stubbornness or hardening of the heart? If you exercise repeatedly, your body will be healthy. In the same way, if we give in to the temptation of sin and sin repeatedly, we become stubborn in it. We can’t just let go of a hard heart. If the heart is hardened, the price is too high. Pharaoh’s hardened heart was not caused by God or Israel. It was in himself.

So when we recognize a problem or fact that happens to us and want to change, there is nothing more personally painful than examining our inner self. Because introspection comes with pain. God’s Word is God’s perfect guide to our lives and growth. How do we deal with hardness or hardness of heart? The first is the desire to know God.

Rather than increasing our own stubbornness by saying, “I don’t know the Lord, and I’ll never forgive him,” we should come to the Lord to know what He wants from this event and how we can submit to His will. Pharaoh showed us how ignorant and unwilling to know God can make us ruthless. When we refuse to know the Lord, we lose the image of God.

The problem is that God is inviting you to meet with him. If you don’t know God, if you don’t have wisdom, if you don’t have knowledge, if you don’t have advice, then you’re going to fall apart. The Word of God is near you. When you listen to and read these words, you can see the way, how to train, and God’s will.

Why, to whom, and under what circumstances are you stubborn? Because of your stubbornness, you keep hovering in certain situations, and the darkness is deepening because you do not seek to know God or listen to His word. Pharaoh, who would not let Israel go, made the excuse that he did not know the Lord. But in the presence of God, we must cultivate a heart of stone with the Word.

Second, ask God questions so that you do not fall into the temptation to sin and become obstinate. In 2 Kings 1:1-4, we read the story of King Ahaziah, the son of King Ahab. He falls from the railing of the king’s palace in Samaria and is injured. But he sends an envoy to ask Beelzebub, the god of Ekron, if he can be healed. In a word, they were sent for divination. God gives Elijah a message and commands him to deliver it to Ahaziah.

When the prophet Elijah met with the delegation, he says: “When you go to inquire of Beelzebub, the god of Ekron, is there not a God in Israel? Therefore says I, the Lord. You will not get up from the bed where you have gone up and lain down, and you will die.”

Beelzebub means King of the Flies. It is not pleasant for him to go to God and ask questions about his life and death. Because God will not only give him comfort. For him and his royal family to inquire of God and obey Him is a matter that requires fundamental reform, such as repentance of sins and spiritual renewal.

King Ahaziah’s father was King Ahab, the most wicked king of northern Israel, and Jezebel, Ahab’s wife and Ahaziah’s mother, was one who spread Baal worship in northern Israel, which God considered abomination. Jezebel was the woman who made Baal worship the state religion in northern Israel and led Israel down the path to ruin. Ahaziah, who has such a family background, was unwilling to ask God; his tasks may include repenting of the sins of his family, the sins of his fathers, the sins of his parents, and his own sins.

It’s an acknowledgment of sin, a display of shame, and a humiliation. It was a process that he had to go through in order to be saved, to be healed. But Ahaziah took the easy way. If you ask a foreign god, you don’t have to humble his heart, and you don’t have to take responsibility for looking back on your life. He found a way to live without reflecting on his family’s shame and without lowering himself. He sent his servants to the god Baal. Then God intervened. He sends Elijah to rebuke King Ahaziah.

“When you go to inquire of Beelzebub, the god of Ekron, is there not a God in Israel?” After hearing Elijah’s prophecy, King Ahaziah sent 150 of his men three times to kill the prophet Elijah, who had proclaimed the word of God, and 100 of them died when fire fell from heaven. King Ahaziah died without turning to God, just as God had prophesied.

The God who saved you is here with you, so who do you go to seek answers to know your life, death, and future? Don’t be an idolater. Instead, seek God and ask Him what to do.

Third, you have to let go of your own thoughts and controls that are in opposition to God and the way you want to achieve your own goals. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. “Our weapons in battle are not physical weapons, but God’s mighty weapons that break down strong fortresses. We defeat sophistry, we crush every pride that hinders the knowledge of God, and we bring every thought captive to Christ.”

What are the things that resist God? His providence and purposes, Christ, the way of salvation, the wisdom which seems to be greater than all the truths of the gospel, the exaltation of oneself, all the arrogant thoughts of the heart, the vanity, the haughty gaze and arrogance, the arguments that are developed against the gospel of Christ, are those things that are opposed to the knowledge of God.

All these thoughts are taken captive and brought into subjection to Christ. How can we submit them to Christ? Why is it difficult to obey? It depends on your sense of Christ. What have you received from Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ gave Himself to us, who were dead in trespasses and sins, so it is natural that we should give ourselves to Him.

But if we don’t have a sense of what Jesus has given us, then this call to take every thought captive and submit to Christ is meaningless. Therefore, if you first have the consciousness of death in sins, and then the joy of a new life in Jesus Christ, then the passion of self-surrender or self-denial is natural. But without a sense of Jesus’ death, there is no joy in a new life, and therefore no enthusiasm for self-surrender.

Are you a sinner deserving of trespasses and sins, and do you feel that Christ gave Himself for you? Those who profess that Jesus Christ is the Christ do not fight with the world’s weapons, the swords and spears, when they fight against thoughts that oppose God. Instead, we fight with God’s weapons: the Bible of truth, the sword of the Spirit, and the Word of God.

This arsenal can be used with all kinds of weapons, both offensive and defensive. It is a weapon used to establish the doctrine of the gospel, to protect it, and to refute the errors of the wicked. Do not allow your physical ways, your past patterns of behavior, to control you any longer. When a thought comes in, think of Christ instead of the way you handle it based on past experiences. You will surrender your mind and will to Christ according to the degree to which He has surrendered for you.

Obedience on the cross of Christ is complete freedom, not by force, nor by any chains. It was done only by love. Therefore, it is only when you allow Christ’s perfect love for you to control you, that you will be able to truly surrender yourself.

Pharaoh’s hardened heart was a refusal to know God. The heart that resists God is on the path of opposition to God’s will. He wanted to do their own thing, so he refused to know God. A heart that is higher than God becomes stubborn and hard, and it becomes more and more ruthless. It is to let go of your own stubbornness in resisting God, and your attitude and control to achieve your own purpose and will at all costs. Instead, you confess to live according to God’s will.

“I will forgive the person who hurt me, because I have received the love from the Lord.” “Because I know the grace of God, I am going to break this relationship and addiction that is not pleasing to the Lord.”

Finally, exhort one another. There is a temptation to sin, and when sin is repeated, we become hardened in it. “Exhort one another, that day, that day that may be called today, that no one may be hardened by the temptations of sin” (Hebrews 3:13). Be good at gathering, and share your life. Share your struggles in God’s presence, speak of your temptations to sin, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another.

Be grateful as the Word reads and listens to one another, illuminating the darkness within you. The darkness revealed in the light is healed. Do not ignore the loving exhortations of the members. Share each other’s burdens. That is God’s will for you in the Lord Christ Jesus. Amen.

10/20/2024 [English] Not you, but God

Acts 31 - Sermon

Date: 10/20/2024

Title: Not you, but God

Text: Acts 7:9-16

9 His fathers were jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt, but God was with him.

10 And he delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt, and Pharaoh appointed him ruler over Egypt and over all his house.

11 At that time there was a famine throughout Egypt and all the land of Canaan, and there was great distress, and our ancestors had no food.

12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors first.

13 And he sent again, and Joseph became known to his brethren, and Joseph's kinship was revealed to Pharaoh.

14 Joseph sent and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five of them.

15 Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died.

16 They were brought to Shechem and buried in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a price of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

Summary of past stories

We have been able to take a detailed look at key figures in the Old Testament. While preparing the message, I reflected deeply on the ancestors of faith and how God led them, connecting their lives to ours. What stood out was not only their greatness but also how God trained and grew them. Their journey of obedience, failure, and eventual growth, along with their limitations, became clearer. Jesus, who lived a perfect life, took our place, and we now have the privilege and duty to live as God's children.

The term "children," like "disciples," means growing to resemble a parent. Thus, when we examine the figures in the Bible, we must view them as people undergoing growth, and this perspective is essential.

If we don't see it this way, what might happen?

We could view Abraham abandoning his wife for survival, Rebekah and Jacob scheming for blessings, David succumbing to sexual temptation, and other sins of Old Testament figures too lightly. These were people God used and blessed greatly, but if we simply see them as heroes of faith, we might trivialize their sins. This mindset has dangerous outcomes, and we continue to witness this today.

Just in this past year, four prominent megachurch pastors in the U.S. resigned due to inappropriate behavior, and the sins of many Catholic priests are too unspeakable to mention.

Jesus Christ didn’t wait for us to become clean; He died for us while we were still sinners, and He called us in that state. He came to our sinful lives and knocked on the door first. This is immeasurable grace.

When He healed and forgave sinners, He always said, "Your sins are forgiven! Sin no more! Now, live a new life!"

Of course, He wasn’t demanding instant perfection, but He was commanding an immediate change in attitude. While some things can be stopped right away, other transformations may take a lifetime. This is the journey toward holiness, and the standard becomes clearer as we progress.

In the process, we become more humble as we recognize the changes we haven't achieved. Rather than viewing this journey as rigid rules, it becomes a path we walk with the loving Lord! Even amid our persistent limitations, we live with gratitude, knowing that we are still loved by God. In this way, we follow the way of Jesus.

It is by grace that we are not only saved and given eternal life, but also by grace that we are restored to our original identity as children of God.

If the word "children" means that we are people who must grow and mature as we follow our parents, then "disciples" are those who learn and become like their teacher.

No other religion uses the word "disciple" as much as Christianity does. As a result, the word "disciple" has accumulated various meanings, like "someone chosen" or "someone who demonstrates exceptional abilities." However, the original meaning of the word disciple, "one who follows and learns from the teacher," cannot change.

When Jesus called His disciples, what He required of them was nothing other than "Follow me!"

Therefore, we are people who continually follow Jesus as our example, being transformed along the way. This is the meaning of being a "disciple of Jesus."

We must view ourselves and one another through this perspective that Jesus taught. When I see myself as someone who must continue growing as I follow Jesus, I can genuinely be humble, not pretending to be holy or humble. And when I look at others, I won’t fall into the pride of judging them with an unfair, impossible standard of perfection.

Looking at the forefathers of faith, another important point is that God never demands from us something He doesn't first give. This aligns with what Paul later said: "The Lord only gives trials we can bear."

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were people who received many blessings, and thus, their faith was also greatly tested.

But were they more blessed than we are? Their encounters with God and the coming Savior were brief moments, but we, as Christians, live with the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of God, dwelling within us. We live in a time when the things they only dreamed about have already happened or can happen.

Therefore, the faith and obedience required of us are incomparable to theirs. With both the Old and New Testaments completed, our knowledge of God is beyond comparison.

After closely observing the forefathers of faith, we realize that Jesus is the One who fulfilled what God delighted in within their lives more perfectly. He is the Son of God who took upon Himself all their flaws and sins! We rediscover Jesus, the perfect Abraham, the true Isaac, the true Israel—the Son of God. And through this, we come to know more deeply the Jesus who lives within us.

We begin to realize the depth, size, and vastness of the grace we enjoy.

I hope that this journey will continue to deepen and expand as we meet more figures in the future. Amen!

Today, we will take a look at Joseph, another person in Genesis who occupies the most space and is shown to be greatly blessed.

Joseph

Joseph is also a figure who reflects many aspects of Jesus, but he too had several limitations. His story clearly shows how he grew through God's providence.

Joseph, with childlike innocence, told his brothers about the dream he had where they bowed down to him. He also proudly wore the special multicolored coat his father had made just for him, a naive but self-centered child who lacked consideration for others.

Moreover, as the eleventh son and nearly the youngest, Joseph often acted as a messenger for his father to check if his brothers were doing their work properly, which naturally caused his brothers to dislike him.

One day, while his brothers were working in Shechem, a place that required several days' journey, Joseph was once again sent by his father as a messenger to check on them.

But when his brothers saw Joseph approaching from a distance, they began plotting to kill him. The eldest brother, Reuben, intervened to stop them.

Genesis 37:22
"Do not shed any blood," Reuben said. "Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him." Reuben said this to rescue him from their hands and take him back to his father.

However, while Reuben was away, some Midianite traders passed by. Judah, one of the brothers, suggested, "Let's not kill our brother and leave him to die. Instead, let's sell him to the slave traders." The brothers agreed to this plan.

In the end, it was Judah who saved Joseph's life, and this event became one of the reasons the tribe of Judah was given special status among the twelve tribes.

By the time Reuben returned, Joseph had already been sold to the slave traders.

The brothers dipped Joseph's multicolored coat in goat's blood and deceived their father, Jacob, into believing that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. Jacob was devastated and lost all hope in life.

However, Joseph was still alive. He had been sold into the household of Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard in Egypt. There, Joseph worked diligently and earned Potiphar’s favor, eventually being put in charge of the entire household. But soon, Potiphar's wife became infatuated with Joseph because of his competence and hard work.

Genesis 39:8-10
8 But Joseph refused and said to his master's wife, "My master does not concern himself with anything in the house. He has entrusted everything he owns to my care.
9 No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?"
10 Though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

Potiphar's wife persistently tried to seduce Joseph, but when she couldn’t succeed, she falsely accused him of attempting to assault her, leading to Joseph being thrown into prison.

Satan Speaks in Reverse

Satan falsely accuses in this way—not by twisting words slightly, but by convincing people to believe the exact opposite of the truth. The charges that led to Jesus being nailed to the cross and the accusations that imprisoned and killed Paul and the other disciples all claimed they had blasphemed against God. In reality, these were the very people who loved God the most, yet they were condemned for the exact opposite crime.

This is how Satan operates. For instance, someone might love and care deeply for another, giving them space and waiting patiently, even suppressing their own desire to reach out—only to be misunderstood as being indifferent or neglectful. Satan twists the truth into its complete opposite.

On the other hand, in the church, when someone is given a responsibility or asked to help, it is often because the opportunity to serve the Lord in love is being offered. However, Satan makes people believe that they are being used for someone else’s personal gain or ambition. This is Satan's method—lying by reversing the truth.

Take a look at what the man who received one talent said to his master in Jesus’ parable.

Matthew 25:24-25
24 Then the man who had received one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

This person viewed his master as harsh, as someone who gave him work merely for his own personal gain. He misunderstood his master as being selfish and ambitious.

This is precisely Satan’s lie and deception. But what is the truth? What is the essence of the situation? Why did the master actually entrust the talents? Wasn’t it out of love? Didn’t he return the profit to those who multiplied what they were given? The master entrusted the talents not for his own benefit, but for theirs.

How to Defeat Satan

Let’s look at how Joseph ultimately overcame Satan.

Genesis 39:20-21
20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison,
21 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.

Joseph didn’t plead his case to people, nor did he try to manipulate his situation. Instead, he trusted in God and accepted his circumstances. He remembered how God had saved him from death at the hands of his brothers, how he had been sold as a slave but was raised to manage Potiphar’s entire household by God’s grace. He had experienced how even evil events worked together for good.

Genesis 40:6-7
6 When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw that they were dejected.
7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officials who were in custody with him in his master’s house, “Why do you look so sad today?”

Even in his miserable and unjust situation, Joseph had grown to the point where he could care for the concerns of others. He was no longer the self-centered child who failed to consider his brothers’ feelings and only focused on himself.

Jesus’ life was never about serving Himself. Likewise, as His disciples, becoming more like Jesus means becoming people who live for others.

As those who believe in Jesus and have received eternal life, the only reason we remain on this earth is to live for others. What in this world could compare to even a moment in heaven? That’s why every moment we live here is not for our own pleasure but for someone else. This is the transformation we must undergo. But the world tells us the exact opposite. “Me, me, me!” It insists that even when we make sacrifices or pretend to be humble, it’s all ultimately for our own benefit.

However, such a life will never lead to God’s blessing. When love and grace flow not just to ourselves but to our brothers, sisters, and neighbors, we will experience true freedom, real joy, genuine peace, and abundant blessings.

Eventually, Joseph met one of Pharaoh’s close officials while in prison. His ability to interpret the man’s dream opened the door for him to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, and after over ten years in Egypt as a slave, Joseph became the second-in-command, the prime minister of Egypt, the most powerful nation at the time.

Throughout this process, Joseph’s deep respect and reverence for God consistently shone through.

Genesis 41:16
Joseph answered Pharaoh, “I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”

This shows that Joseph had reached a level of faith beyond that of his ancestors, even his father. Standing before Pharaoh, the man who could either elevate him or condemn him to death, Joseph didn’t just accept Pharaoh’s praise. Instead, he boldly corrected Pharaoh, stating that it was God who held the power to interpret the dream.

Genesis 41:38-40
38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?”
39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.
40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”

Joseph adapted to his circumstances but never compromised his faith. He boldly praised God and placed Him above all, no matter who he stood before. In doing so, Joseph demonstrated a faith more complete than that of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob combined.

This explains why so many Christian parents choose the name Joseph for their sons.

God’s Providence

Amid Joseph’s busy life as a powerful ruler, some familiar faces suddenly appeared before him—his brothers. These were the very brothers who had once tried to kill him and ultimately sold him into slavery. Now, due to a severe famine in Canaan, their father, Jacob, had sent them to Egypt to buy grain.

It was a fateful reunion.

However, the situation was now completely reversed.

To summarize, Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. Now a high-ranking Egyptian official, Joseph’s appearance and mannerisms were so different from the young boy they had sold. As Egypt's prime minister, Joseph questioned them—asking if their father was still alive and whether the youngest brother, Benjamin (the only other son of Rachel), was safe. To ensure Benjamin’s well-being, Joseph demanded they bring him to Egypt, keeping Simeon as a hostage in the meantime. Joseph was concerned that, like himself, Benjamin might have suffered from his brothers’ jealousy.

In a dramatic twist, when the brothers, who had thought they could just buy grain and return home, were met with this unexpected and personal interest from the Egyptian ruler, they began to argue among themselves. They thought this trouble was the result of their sin against Joseph. Speaking in their own language, believing no one could understand them, they discussed their guilt—but Joseph, understanding everything, had to leave the room to weep in secret.

Eventually, the brothers returned home to tell their father, Jacob, what had happened. However, Jacob refused to let Benjamin go despite Reuben’s pleas. Time passed, and the grain they had brought back ran out. With the famine persisting, they had no choice but to go back to Egypt. This time, Jacob reluctantly agreed to let Benjamin go.

Upon seeing Benjamin, Joseph was relieved, but he wanted to test his brothers to see if they had truly changed. He framed Benjamin for theft and threatened to imprison him. The brothers were horrified and tore their clothes in despair. They couldn’t bear the thought of returning to Canaan without Benjamin, knowing it would destroy their father, Jacob.

At this critical moment, Judah stepped forward and explained the entire situation in great detail, which is recorded in Genesis 44. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to read Joseph’s story in the Bible. In summary, Judah expressed that if Benjamin didn’t return, their father, who had already suffered from the loss of Joseph, would not survive. He then offered himself as a substitute for Benjamin, saying:

Genesis 44:33
“Now then, please let your servant remain here as my lord’s slave in place of the boy, and let the boy return with his brothers.”

Judah was pleading to take Benjamin’s place as a prisoner.

Does this scene remind you of anything? It is because of this act that Judah became the forefather of Jesus Christ, the One who would later take our place as sinners. From Judah’s lineage, Jesus would come. The Bible’s grand narrative of salvation is astonishing in its depth and beauty.

Genesis 45:1-3
1 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone leave my presence!” So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers.
2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.
3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.

This is an overwhelming moment.

Can you imagine the brothers’ shock? The powerful Egyptian prime minister they had been dealing with turned out to be the very Joseph they had once tried to kill and sold as a slave, thinking he was long dead. What an emotional storm—regret for their past sins, fear of revenge, and perhaps a glimmer of gratitude for the opportunity to be freed from their guilt—all mixed together, leaving them speechless.

Yet Joseph, in this moment, said something truly remarkable:

Genesis 45:5
“And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.”

Genesis 45:8
“So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.”

Joseph reassured his brothers not to worry or feel guilty, explaining that everything that had happened was part of God’s providence. The dreams he had as a boy were coming true—God had sent him to Egypt to become prime minister and save lives during the famine, including the lives of his own family. It was all part of God's plan.

However, we must be careful not to misunderstand or justify human sin through this story.

What does this mean? Even if Joseph's brothers had willingly let him go, he could have fallen into a pit on his own and been discovered by slave traders. Or, even if Potiphar’s wife hadn’t tried to seduce him, Joseph, already recognized for his abilities in Potiphar’s household, could have been recommended by Potiphar to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. These are all hypothetical scenarios, but what Joseph realized is that God’s providence will always be fulfilled, no matter what happens.

In the end, Jacob’s entire family was invited by Pharaoh to move to Egypt, where they lived in comfort and were treated with great honor. Imagine how joyful Jacob must have been to reunite with the son he thought was dead, now standing before him in royal splendor.

A similar scene will unfold when we arrive in God’s kingdom.

Isn’t it incredible that from the very first book of the Bible, we see God’s astounding providence at work? In Joseph’s life, although it involved many sinful acts, the ultimate message is that even when we make a mess of things, God will still accomplish His purposes.

At first, the brothers tried to kill Joseph, but God prevented that through Reuben. The Lord allows us to mess things up only to the extent that it can still be redeemed. That’s what He shows us.

This means that even if I feel like I’ve ruined my life beyond repair, the Lord can still restore it. Amen.

Is there any more comforting message than this? There is a limit to suffering, and even to how much we can mess things up. Knowing that all these stories will ultimately lead to a beautiful conclusion of grace for those who are in the Lord—doesn’t that bring us eternal peace?

With this in mind, I can forgive those who seem to have ruined my life. I can even reconcile with God, who I might have felt abandoned me in my times of need. My past, which may have seemed bleak and colorless, will now shine with varied and beautiful meanings.

There’s no need to live struggling to protect myself or my pride. If we are Christians and believe in God’s providence, we trust that the Lord knows all our grievances. Like Joseph, we can trust in Him.

When we shift our focus from ourselves to others and live for them, we will reach a point where even small problems no longer trouble us. At that point, we will experience God’s fullness in our lives.

Look at how magnificently God’s promise to Abraham—that his descendants would be a source of blessing—was realized through Joseph. Joseph wasn’t just the recipient of blessings but became the conduit of those blessings.

When we surrender the pursuit of personal wealth and focus on bringing life to others, we will experience true abundance.

This is what it means for the God of Joseph to be my God. Those who live not for themselves but for their brothers, sisters, communities, and neighbors will see the blessings of God pour out upon them. Amen.

Let us pray.

10/13 [Kor] 벧엘의 하나님

성경 읽기: 호세아 12:3-6, NIV

3 그는 태에서 형의 발꿈치를 잡았고, 사람으로서 하나님과 씨름하였습니다.

4 그는 천사와 씨름하여 이기고, 울며 하나님의 호의를 간구했습니다. 그는 베델에서 하나님을 만나 그곳에서 대화했습니다—

5 전능하신 여호와 하나님, 여호와가 그의 이름이시라!

6 그러나 너는 네 하나님께로 돌아가야 합니다. 사랑과 정의를 지키며 항상 네 하나님을 기다리십시오.

서론

만약 당신에게 수백 명의 형제와 자매가 있다면, 자신을 소개할 때 “나는 현석의 형제입니다”라고 말할 것입니다. 이는 현석의 형제가 된 것을 자랑스럽게 여긴다는 의미입니다.

그것이 내 이름이기 때문에, 내 이름으로 자신을 소개하면 영광을 받을 것입니다.

상상해 보십시오, 만약 하나님이 저의 이름으로 자신을 소개하신다면, 예를 들어 “나는 현석의 하나님이다”라고 말씀하신다면,

그것은 저에게 엄청난 영광과 영예가 될 것입니다.

분명히 제가 하나님께 매우 중요하게 여겨진다는 뜻입니다.

구약에서 하나님은 자신을 소개할 때 세 가지 이름을 사용하셨습니다.

나는 아브라함의 하나님, 이삭의 하나님, 야곱의 하나님입니다.

그러므로 하나님은 이 세 사람을 매우 자랑스럽게 여기셨고, 우리도 그들처럼 되고 싶다면 그들로부터 배워야 합니다.

아브라함

먼저, 가장 중요한 이름은 아브라함입니다.

우리는 어젯밤 그에 관한 영화를 보았습니다.

아브라함의 이야기는 하나님께 선택받은 자들도 실수를 하고 믿음 안에서 성장해야 함을 강력하게 상기시켜줍니다. 기독교, 유대교, 이슬람에서 믿음의 아버지로 존경받지만, 아브라함은 완벽하지 않았습니다.

하나님께서 그에게 가나안으로 가라고 명령하셨을 때, 그는 가족이 그곳을 좋아해서 하란에 오래 머물렀습니다. 그는 중도에서만 순종했지만, 절반의 순종은 여전히 불순종이었습니다.

그의 아버지가 돌아가신 후에야 아브라함은 드디어 하란을 떠나 가나안으로 갔습니다. 그러나 곧 그는 또 다른 실수를 저질렀습니다. 권력 있는 사람들이 그의 아내 사라에게 관심을 가지자, 아브라함은 자신을 보호하기 위해 그녀가 단지 그의 여동생이라고 거짓말을 하고 그들이 그녀를 데려가도록 허락했습니다. 보시다시피, 그는 얼마나 비겁했는지 알 수 있습니다.

그러나 시간이 지나면서 아브라함은 성장하고 더 대담해지며 타인에 대해 더 배려하게 되었습니다. 

그러나 하나님께서 아브라함의 삶에서 정말로 다루고 싶어 하셨던 것은 그에게 가장 중요한 것이었습니다.

삶에는 많은 것이 중요하고 그 중 많은 것이 좋은 것입니다. 그러나 좋은 것들이 하나님보다 더 중요해지면, 그것들은 우리에게 해를 끼치기 시작합니다. 

그것들은 우리 삶을 축복하는 대신, 우리와 다른 사람들에게 고통과 해를 초래합니다.

그들의 위치가 잘못되었기 때문입니다.

하나님은 실제로 아브라함이 스스로를 파괴하는 것을 막고자 했습니다. 그래서 그는 아브라함에게 큰 시험을 주었고, 아브라함은 이를 통과했습니다. 

그는 삶의 모든 것보다 하나님을 우선으로 두기로 선택했습니다. 그 선택은 그의 삶의 다른 모든 좋은 것들이 진정으로 좋게 남을 수 있는 축복이 되었습니다.

아브라함의 삶에서 배울 수 있는 중요한 교훈은 이것입니다: 아무리 어려운 일이거나 원하지 않는 일이더라도, 하나님의 뜻을 완전히 순종하는 것이 우리와 우리가 사랑하는 사람들에게 항상 최선이라는 것입니다. 

우리는 모든 것보다 하나님을 우선시해야 합니다. 진정한 축복이 그곳에 있기 때문입니다.

이삭

아브라함의 아들 이삭은 깊이 뿌리내린 신앙 가정에서 태어났으며, 단순히 아브라함의 아들이었기 때문에 축복을 받았습니다. 이삭 자신이 항상 특별한 믿음을 보이지는 않았지만, 아브라함을 축복하신 하나님의 은혜가 자연스럽게 이삭의 삶에 흐르곤 했습니다.

그러나 이삭의 가장 큰 도전은 그가 온 마음으로 하나님을 찾을 긴박한 필요를 느끼지 못했다는 것입니다. 하나님이 자신과 함께 하시는지, 자신의 기도 때문인지, 아니면 아브라함의 축복 때문인지 분명하지 않았습니다. 그 결과, 이삭은 종종 도전에 직면하는 것을 피하고 상황에 의존하여 하나님을 찾는 대신 자신의 상황에 따라 행동했습니다.

그러나 이삭이 마침내 여호와의 이름을 부르고 경배할 때, 하나님은 그 순간 그를 만났습니다. 곧, 그가 가나안의 왕과 군대 지휘관을 만났을 때, 이삭은 굳건히 섰습니다. 적대감 대신 그들은 도리어 그를 찬양하며 “너는 여호와께서 복 주셨도다”라고 말했고, 이삭은 그들을 위해 잔치를 준비하기도 했습니다. 

바로 이때 이삭은 하나님과 가장 가까워졌습니다. 그는 축복을 받았을 뿐만 아니라 이웃에게 축복이 되었습니다.

불행히도, 그 후 이삭은 더 수동적인 믿음으로 돌아갔고, 하나님을 직접 찾기보다는 자신의 상황을 해석함으로써 하나님의 뜻을 조심스레 따랐습니다.

하나님이 이삭을 가장 기뻐하셨던 순간들에서, 하나님이 그에게서 원하시는 것이 무엇인지 분명해졌습니다: 

하나님은 이삭이 단지 아버지 아브라함의 믿음에 의존하는 것이 아니라, 스스로 하나님을 적극적으로 찾고 인격적으로 하나님을 알고 추구하기를 원하셨습니다.

이삭이 스스로 하나님을 찾을 때, 그는 대담해졌습니다. 자신을 사랑하시는 하나님을 알게 되면서 그는 두려워하지 않게 되었고, 왕들과 군대를 상대할 때에도 두려움이 없었습니다. 대신, 그들은 그를 존경하며 하나님이 실제로 그와 함께 계심을 인정했습니다.

우리 중 많은 사람들, 특히 신앙 깊은 가정에서 태어난 사람들은 비슷한 도전을 경험합니다. 하나님은 단지 우리의 신앙의 유산을 통해 축복을 받는 것뿐만 아니라, 

우리와의 직접적이고 인격적인 관계를 통해 우리가 다른 이들에게 축복의 통로가 되기를 원하십니다.

야곱

이삭의 아들 야곱은 종종 그의 형 에서와 비교되어 열등함을 느꼈고, 이는 그를 깊이 원망하게 만들었습니다. 그래서 야곱은 에서를 이기기 위해 자주 다른 사람들을 속이고 기만하려고 했습니다.

반면, 항상 우위를 점했던 에서는 하나님이나 그의 아버지, 또는 다른 누구도 두려워하지 않았습니다. 그래서 야곱이 하나님의 축복을 갈망하는 동안, 에서는 그것을 가볍게 여겼습니다.

아브라함처럼, 자신의 약함 때문에 야곱은 간절히 하나님의 도움을 원했고, 결국 그는 축복을 받았습니다.

창세기 28:14: “너의 후손은 땅의 먼지와 같을 것이며, 너는 동쪽과 서쪽, 북쪽과 남쪽으로 퍼져 나갈 것이다. 온 땅의 모든 족속이 너와 네 후손을 통해 복을 받을 것이다.”

하나님은 야곱에게 그가 단순히 축복받기를 원하신 것이 아니라, 다른 이들에게 축복이 되기를 원하신다는 것을 상기시켜 주셨습니다.

야곱은 형제 에서의 축복을 훔친 후 도망쳐 지치고 돌에 머리를 대고 잠이 들었습니다. 그곳에서 하나님을 만난 야곱은 그 돌에 기름을 부으며 그 장소를 “베델”이라 이름 지었는데, 이는 “하나님의 집”을 의미합니다. 하나님과 야곱 모두 기뻐했고, 야곱은 하나님이 함께 하신다면 그곳으로 돌아가 그가 가진 모든 것의 십일조를 드리겠다고 서약했습니다.

목적지에 도착한 후, 야곱은 정착하여 가족을 이루었습니다. 20년 후 그는 가나안으로 돌아왔습니다. 

그러나 한 가지 문제가 있었습니다—그를 죽이겠다고 맹세했던 에서가 그곳에서 기다리고 있었지요.

이것은 20년 동안 야곱이 에서의 두려움 속에서 살아왔음을 보여줍니다. 에서를 만나는 전날 밤, 야곱은 간절히 하나님을 찾았고, 하나님의 천사가 그에게 나타났습니다. 야곱은 천사를 꼭 붙잡고 새벽까지 놓아주지 않았습니다.

그 순간 천사는 야곱에게 새로운 이름 “이스라엘”을 주었습니다. 이 이름은 “하나님과 씨름하는 자”를 의미하며, 하나님을 간절히 붙잡아 결국 하나님의 호의를 얻는 사람을 상징합니다.

야곱이 마침내 에서를 만났을 때, 적대감 대신 에서는 그를 껴안고 울었습니다. 

현실은 야곱이 상상했던 20년 간의 두려움과는 완전히 달랐습니다. 하나님은 야곱을 보호하신다는 약속을 지키셨습니다.

이제 야곱은 자신이 서약했던 십일조를 드리기 위해 베델로 돌아가야 했지만, 그는 즉시 그곳으로 가지 않았습니다.

대신, 야곱은 형 에서에게 그의 소유의 십일조 이상을 주었습니다—그가 하나님보다 더 두려워했던 사람에게요!

그 후 야곱은 수콧이라는 곳에 10년 넘게 살았습니다. 그곳에서 안전하지 않다고 느낀 그는 다시 이사했지만, 다시 베델로는 가지 않았습니다. 이번에는 세겜으로 이사했습니다.

야곱은 위험할 때에는 절박하게 하나님을 붙잡았지만, 상황이 편안해지면 거의 하나님을 무시하는 패턴을 보였습니다. 

그는 자신을 위해 살았고, 하나님과의 서약을 지키기보다는 자신의 방식대로, 자신이 선택한 장소에서 경배했습니다.

야곱이 하나님과의 약속을 계속 무시하고 자신의 삶의 주인이 될 수 있을까요? 물론 아닙니다. 

결국 그의 가족에게 큰 고난이 닥친 후에야 야곱은 자신과 주변 사람들을 세겜의 영향에서 깨끗이 정화하고 마침내 베델로 돌아갔습니다.

이스라엘의 하나님,

“하나님의 집”을 의미하는 베델은 단순한 장소 이상의 것을 나타냅니다. 하나님은 야곱이 단순히 가끔 방문하는 것이 아니라, 진정으로 “이스라엘”이 되어 하나님의 임재 속에서 온전히 사는 사람이 되기를 원하셨습니다.

하나님은 야곱이 하나님의 식구가 되기를 원하셨습니다—하나님 안에 거하며 하나님의 가족으로 함께 계시기를 원하셨습니다.

같은 방식으로, 예수님은 교회가 조직이 아닌 가족이 되기를 원하십니다.

그러나 사람들은 보통 교회를 어떻게 생각할까요?

어떤 사람들에게 교회는 정기적으로 가서 영적 건강을 유지하는 체육관과 같습니다. 

다른 이들은 성경적 가치를 배우는 학교로 봅니다. 

또 다른 사람들은 비슷한 믿음을 가진 친구들을 만나는 장소로 여깁니다. 

이 모든 것은 좋고 가치 있는 기능이지만, 교회의 본질은 아닙니다.

교회의 본질은 이것입니다: 교회는 하나님의 집이며, 우리는 하나님의 자녀이자, 서로에게 형제자매입니다. 교회는 하나님 아버지에게 속한 사람들이 모이는 가정이며, 이것이 베델이 나타내는 것입니다. 

이것이 하나님이 교회에서 보길 원하시는 본질입니다.

구약 전반에 걸쳐 아브라함과 나중에 이스라엘에게 약속된 모든 축복은 이제 교회로 흘러가야 합니다.

하나님은 “아브라함의 하나님, 이삭의 하나님, 야곱의 하나님”으로 불리기를 원하셨습니다.

그러나 하나님이 비교할 수 없이 더 많이 사용하신 이름은 ‘이스라엘의 하나님’이었습니다.

예수님은 자신이 이 땅에 오신 이유가 잃어버린 이스라엘 자녀들을 찾고 구원하기 위해서라고 말씀하셨습니다.

그러므로 우리가 영적 이스라엘이 되지 않는다면, 성경의 약속과 축복은 우리에게 아무런 관련이 없게 될 것입니다.

그렇다면 우리는 어떻게 이스라엘이 될 수 있을까요?

야곱은 천사와 씨름한 후 자신이 이스라엘이 될 것이라는 예언을 받았지만, 그는 훨씬 나중에야 진정으로 이스라엘이 되었습니다. 

긴 여정을 마친 후 그는 마침내 베델로 돌아갔습니다. 그곳에서 그는 진정으로 이스라엘이 되었습니다.

이것이 우리에게 일어나기 위해서는, 우리 교회가 진정으로 베델이 되어야 합니다.

그리고 여러분은 단지 여기에서 예배하는 것뿐만 아니라, 이 가족에 속해야 합니다.

요한복음 15:7, NIV: “내 안에 거하고 내 말이 너희 안에 거하면 무엇이든지 원하는 대로 구하라 그리하면 이루리라.”

이는 우리가 그리스도 안에 거하고 그리스도께서 우리 안에 거하신다는 것을 의미합니다. 이 구절의 “너”는 단수가 아니라 교회, 가족 공동체를 지칭하는 복수형입니다.

예수님은 “내 이름으로 두세 사람이 모인 곳에는 내가 그들과 함께 있느니라”고 말씀하셨습니다. 그리스도가 우리 안에 온전히 거하실 때, 이제 우리는 아브라함, 이삭, 야곱보다 더 큰 자가 될 수 있습니다.

우리는 아브라함보다 더 깊이 하나님을 사랑할 수 있습니다. 우리는 이삭을 넘어 축복을 받는 자가 되는 것을 넘어서 다른 이들에게 축복의 원천이 될 수 있습니다. 

하나님을 더 추구하고 이 교회를 우리의 집—우리의 베델—으로 삼음으로써, 우리는 그리스도와 함께 매일 살 수 있습니다!

이 일이 일어날 때, 세상은 우리가 가진 사랑을 보게 될 것이며, 그들은 우리가 예수님의 제자임을 알게 될 것입니다. 

세상은 마침내 이 교회가 그리스도의 영광의 충만함임을 인식하게 될 것입니다. 도시의 중심에서, 그리고 세상의 중심에서 말입니다.

기도합시다.

10/06/2024 To Return to the Lord

Sermon: To Return to the Lord 

Scripture: Judges 16:28-30

28 Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 

29 Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 

30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.

"Conflict, pain, psychotherapy All this leads us to look at ourselves, to look more carefully and more closely, to find what we have missed, to understand something. And all this expands awareness. But whether this greater awareness increases or decreases freedom depends on what we perceive and how we use it," quotes a man named Allen Wheelis in How people change.

 I failed one course in the pastoral examination in April. I can say, "If the professor hadn't asked me questions that didn't come up in class, I wouldn't have failed," or if I had studied harder, I wouldn't have failed. Both statements are dealing with the same experience. Both asked, "Why did I fail?" and both may be true. If I want to make excuses for my failures, I'll take the former, and if I want to avoid the same mistakes in the future, I'll choose the latter.

Here's a more summary of the contents of the book: In the same way, if we talk about failures in life, and ask why, we can arrive at an answer that is quite different but equally true. But the truth does not provide a criterion for our choice. The choice between two equally truthful accounts of the same life depends on the outcome you want and the future you want to create. If we have pain and a desire to change, we will choose that history, written from the perspective that determined the past. This is what makes the current selection. That's because it emphasizes both the understanding of how you became and the freedom to make yourself different. 

Joshua, a great leader of Isreal, died, and all the people of his generation fell asleep too. The new generation was being distributed and conquering the land of Canaan. They must now live out the field with the mission of making this earth the kingdom of God. If there is a territory, if there are citizens, if there is a king, then a state is formed. Canaan is its territory, Israel is its citizen, and the Lord God is the King. This is called the kingdom of God. However, when the Israelites lived in the land of Canaan, they did not follow God, the King of that nation. God was the king of the Israelites, but Israel did not choose God to be their king. They did not yet have a human king because they had not yet formed as a nation, but God was the king of their forefathers, is their king now, and is their king forever. It is historically true that Jehovah God is the Savior of their forefathers. Nevertheless, the new generation rejected God's kingship. So they fell into sin, and God delivered them into the hands of their enemies. Then Israel cried out to God. The Lord did not abandon His people, but appointed judges to rule Israel for about 400 years. The central message of the book of Judges is that Israel fell into sin, that God delivered them into the hands of the enemy, that Israel cried out to God, and that God raised up judges to deliver Israel from the hands of the enemy. However, when the judges die, Israel again worships idols and follows those idols. God's warning to Israel, who would not forsake their wicked deeds and hardened conduct, was:

 21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. 

22 I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” 23 The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua (Judges 2:21-22).

This is the main content of the book of Judges. Among them, the author of Judges tells the story of Samson in four chapters, chapters from13 to 16. When we look at the story of Samson, it seems that the problem of Samson as a judge is more serious than the problem of Israel. Samson, the last judge in the age of the judges, is born with the faith of the mother and the mission of the Nazirites. The angel of the Lord appears to the barren wife of Manoah, of the tribe of Dan, and tells her that she will conceive and give birth to a son. The angel tells her to forbid to drink wine or other fermented drink that she should not eat anything unclean, and that she should not put a razor to a child's head. It is said that the child is born and consecrated to God from birth (Judges 13:4-5). Who are the Nazirites? Numbers 6:1-21 discusses the discipline of the one who will be born. I'm going to read up to verse 8.

The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the Lord as a Nazirite,

 3 they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins.

 4 As long as they remain under their Nazirite vow, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins.

5 “‘During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long.

6 “‘Throughout the period of their dedication to the Lord, the Nazirite must not go near a dead body.

 7 Even if their own father or mother or brother or sister dies, they must not make themselves ceremonially unclean on account of them, because the symbol of their dedication to God is on their head.

 8 Throughout the period of their dedication, they are consecrated to the Lord.

The Nazirite vow is made by an individual who voluntarily sets apart his or herself and commits himself to God. He is holy to the Lord. The Nazirite vow in the book of Numbers has five characteristics. It is voluntary, it can be done by men or women, it has a specific duration and certain requirements and limitations, and in conclusion, it is a dedication that sets itself apart and focuses on the Lord. Restricting behavior during a dedicated period means focusing on God. Therefore, it can be said that a Nazirite is a person who focuses only on God, a person of devotion and sacrifice. At that time, the Israelites betrayed the Lord again, and God delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for 40 years. Against this backdrop, Samson was born to save Israel, and so he was given the mission to live a life of distinction and consecration.

 Samson, a Nazirite, grows up blessed. When he is grown up, one day he goes down to Timnah and sees a Philistine woman and asks her parents to marry her. The Bible says this is God's plan. Samson's parents opposed the marriage because they did not know God's plan, but they eventually allowed it to him. As he and his parents go down to Timnah to meet the Philistine woman's family, Samson kills a young lion that lunges at him. Parents don't know that. Later, as he went down to marry again, Samson saw honey from the lion he had slain last time, took it, ate it himself, and gave it to his parents. Samson's parents do not know if this came from the dead body of the lion. Thus, Samson violates the Nazirite law against eating unclean things. That's how he married a Philistine woman. However, Samson does not make it through the first night because of a riddle he has tricked on himself, and he returns home angry. Later, when he went back to the land of the Philistines to find his wife, she had already become someone else's wife. Enraged, Samson captures three million foxes, sets them on fire, and drives them into the Philistines' fields, where they burn all their crops. In retaliation, the Philistines burn to death the woman who had married Samson and her father. In addition, when the Philistines try to capture Samson, he hides in a cave but is eventually captured by the Philistines. But when the Spirit of God came upon him, Samson loosed the bonds with great force and killed a thousand Philistines with a single donkey bone. Samson then reigns as Israel's judge for 20 years. The Philistines and Samson were becoming enemies.

In time, Samson again falls in love with Delilah, a Philistine woman, a prostitute. When the Philistines find out about this, they bribe Delilah to find out the secret of Samson's immense power. Samson is reluctant to tell the secret of his power. That's why he lied few times. Eventually, however, Samson reveals the truth to Delilah. When Delilah reveals the secret of the source of his power, she betrays Samson and delivers him to the Philistines. Because of this, Samson was cast out by the Philistines and his eyes were gouged out. He is now in prison as a millstone. The Philistines considered Samson to be their enemy. They had a reason to kill Samson. So when they bound Samson, they even praised their god (Judges 16:24). When the Philistines gathered to sacrifice to their god, the god Dagon, they called for Samson to perform tricks. When Samson was taken out of prison, he was forced to perform tricks in front of them. The Bible said there were 3,000 people gathered at the temple. Here, Samson prays to God:

28 Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Please, God, strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 

29 Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, 

30 Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived (Judges 2:21-22). 

When Samson sees the Philistine women who have betrayed him, who bound him, gouged out his eyes, and put him in prison, and the Philistines cheering at his feats, he begins to pray and supplicate to God the King. Lord, I ask you to remember me and give me strength once again. The power of the Holy Spirit that God gave to Samson was not for his personal benefit, but for the salvation of Israel. However, Samson used it to satisfy his personal desires, and his life failed. Samson's time in prison must have been painful. Forced to meditate on why he was falling apart like this, and the shame of having to go out and grind in the face of the enemy, the suffering there probably demanded some change in him. Change must be accompanied by suffering. Now that Samson, who used his God-given power only for the desires of the flesh, comes out of prison, the choices he makes will depend on the outcome he wants and the future he wants to create. Samson's choices in the past made him who he is and what he is today. But now Samson still has the freedom to make himself different. 

Samson lost his mission because of the lusts of the flesh, and he failed in life. It seems that Samson learned that God had allowed him to marry a Philistine woman in order to make him know that the Philistines were enemies of God and the Israelites. If you like someone and she or he betrays you, and that happens over and over again, you'll hate everything that has to do with that person. Now bound and unable to do anything, and the shame that awaited him, Samson prayed and pleaded with God. He wants to be strong again. He prayed for this strength, not this time for personal desires, but for Israel. Samson cried out to his King, the Lord God. Samson finally learned that the Philistines, whom he thought were his enemies for personal reasons, had long been enemies of God and Israel, and that God had called him to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines. Now, if He really wanted to deliver Israel from these Philistines, he needed God-given strength.

Samson's desires, his missing mission, his conflicts, his pain, and his prisons tell the truth about the question of why his life turned out the way it did. However, such facts do not give him a criterion for future selection. Samson's choice depended on the outcome he wanted and the future he wanted to create. Samson returned to the God in history who determined how the salvation of his ancestors was accomplished. So he would cried out to God and prayed to Him. “Lord, I now know that you are my King. God the Savior, who freed my forefathers from slavery and delivered them from Pharaoh's hand, is also my King, so remember me, and give me strength to help me avenge this Philistine.”

Is it because of the Canaanites, the unbelievers around you, or the idolatrous people around you that you have betrayed the God who saved you, the King of God, and left to serve another god? There are curses, murders, violence, and ruthlessness in the land apart from God. So is to Israel and individuals who leave God will eventually fall into the sin of worshipping other gods and will decline.

Why am I falling apart like this? If I ask why, I can arrive at an answer that is quite different but equally true. The truth in me does not provide a criterion for choice. My pain, my conflicts, my greed, my desires will be true. It is also true that the circumstances and conditions that force me to fail are also true. My laziness, boredom, and inability are also true. But if I have a desire to change, I have to make a choice. I'm not talking about emotional choices. Choose that history that is written from the perspective of "the one that determined the past." That's what makes my current choice. Because the choice I make now is an understanding of how I became and the freedom to make myself different. 

Joshua did not appoint a leader to lead Israel after his death. Because he knew that the only king of God's kingdom was the Lord God. Consider. If we reject God as King in the kingdom of God, is there a way for Israel to live? It is natural for the world to choose a king, and for a king to protect his people as much as possible, but rejecting God was an act of cutting off the lifeline. 'Return to the Lord’ is not just a nice slogan, but a matter of our lives. YOU also dwell on this earth, but our King is only the Lord God. Your neighbors are worshipping and following the gods of Baal who seem to be prosperous to you, and you live with them with faith in the Lord God, your Savior and King. Gradually & slowly you admit their splendor is not bad, then your mission is wavering, and you may even follow and serve their idolatry, which seems easy. How can you serve two kings in one country? That's why you have no choice but to reject God. It is only the Lord God who saves me and you.

Israel has never been without thorns and snares that afflict them. But God has never failed to save new generations. Every time they cried out, God delivered Israel from the neighboring nations of the land of Canaan, from Amalek, from Jabin king of Hazor, from the hand of the Midianites, from the hand of Moab, from the Ammonites, and from the Philistines. You and I must return to Bethel, where we have promised to live in the service of God. If you know what outcomes you want and what future you want to build. So far, your choices have made you who you are and who you are today. But you still have the freedom to make yourself different. 

I will try again in April next year for the subjects that I failed this time. What will be my choice? It depends on the outcome I want and the future I want to create. Are you becoming like Samson? Or, like Jacob, are you still looking only for your own good? Jacob chose to go to Bethel. He has a history of encountering God at Bethel. The path he wanted and the future he wanted to create was a continuing walk with God that he had met at Bethel, so he decided to go up there. When Samson returned to the Lord as King, God strengthened him again to avenge  Philistines, who were not only his enemies but also enemies of God and Israel. By so doing Samson completed his mission as a savior to save Israel. What about you?

Let us pray: 

Jesus came to this earth and proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of God. He proclaimed that he came from God, and that whosoever believed in him would be saved from his sins. This is the gospel of the kingdom of God. Satan, who tempted Jesus as he did to Adam, temped Jesus but He overcame the temptation. Afterward the first work of Jesus was the rebuilding of the kingdom of God, which had been destroyed by Adam's sin. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17). Since Jesus is King, where He is the kingdom of God. Jesus preaches the Sermon on the Mount and the life, culture, and relationships of the citizens of God's kingdom. When he came down from the mountain after preaching on the mount, the first person he met was a man with leprosy. As you pray at this time, I want you to think of yourself as a leper who meets Jesus as our King. In Matthew 8:2-3, a leper comes to Jesus. “Lord if you are willing, you can make me clean. Jesus reached out his hand, and touched him, and said, I am willing. “Be cleaned.” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.” This man is an isolated leper. The world locked him up because his leprosy is a symbol of sin, unclean, and contagious. The word he has heard in the world was "you are unclean." There is no one in the world who can save him. No, rather, they would try to kill him, they would turn away from him and would ignore him. There is no place for him in this world. Then how could he come before Jesus? 

He must have gone into hiding and listened to the gospel of the kingdom of God proclaimed by Jesus. What might he have been thinking when he heard the gospel? What kind of courage did he find? He would have known that Jesus was the Savior who could save him from sin, from his current condition. Recognizing does not make any difference in his future. He came before Jesus. When this leper came out after hearing the gospel of the kingdom of God, confessing that he was sick and that he was a sinner who needed to be cleansed, Jesus healed him. 

We have become arrogant. "Blessed are the poor in spirit. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." It became a hope for the leper to live, so he came to the Lord, and we don't know how many times we don't have the hope of living even though we are not like that leper. Those who acknowledge Jesus as the King of God's kingdom and come before Him hold on to the hope of living. Poor spirit and salvation are so a pair. Even if you are hiding because you are afraid, or if you have betrayed God in a blatant way, if you humbly return to the Lord when you need to come to Him again, you will be saved and healed. 

Lord, let the kingdom of God come here! When we come to the Lord the King, heal us, restore us, help us regain hold of our mission. Restore worship to hear the Word, and open our spiritual eyes with the Holy Spirit to discern and obey His will. In the name of Jesus, who has delivered us, who is delivering us, and who will continue to deliver us from sin, from the powers of death and hell, from the schemes of Satan, I pray. Amen.

09/29/24 Let Us Arise and Go Up to Bethel

**Sermon Study 30

**Date:** September 29, 2024

**Title:** "Let Us Arise and Go Up to Bethel"

**Text:** Genesis 35:9-15

**[Genesis 35:9-15]**

9 God appeared to Jacob again when he returned from Paddan Aram, and He blessed him.

10 God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel." So He named him Israel.

11 And God said to him, "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will come from you, and kings will descend from your body.

12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you."

13 Then God went up from him at the place where He had spoken with him.

14 Jacob set up a pillar at the place where God had spoken with him, a stone pillar, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it.

15 Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

### The Ages of the Old Testament Figures

One of the remarkable things we’ve noticed while studying the history of Genesis over the past few weeks is that these people, though they lived thousands of years ago, in many ways aren’t so different from us.

We live in an age of space shuttles, the internet, A.I., and self-driving cars, while they had no means of communication and traveled mostly by foot. Yet the differences between them and us aren’t as significant as we might think.

This fact challenges evolutionists, as it suggests that humanity has not undergone substantial changes over thousands of years. Despite the rise and fall of many civilizations, the moral and ethical foundations of these people remain very similar to our own. This is largely due to the Bible, which has become the most important moral guide throughout human history.

Even today, thousands of years later, the stories of these biblical figures are still the most widely read and shared across the globe, with the same scriptures being proclaimed today as they were then.

However, one key difference we’ve discovered while looking into the lives of these people is that they lived much longer than we do. When viewed through the lens of our modern age, many of the events in Genesis seem hard to comprehend.

For example, when Pharaoh wanted to take Sarah as his wife, she was in her late 60s. Later, when Abimelech desired her, Sarah was almost 90 years old. Of course, it’s also quite shocking to think that Sarah gave birth to Isaac at such an advanced age.

It’s almost unimaginable.

And when we calculate Jacob’s age when he fled after receiving Isaac’s blessing, the results are just as astonishing. We typically think of Jacob as a young man during that time, as we picture him meeting Rachel, falling in love at first sight, and getting married after seven years of labor. But when you add up the years in the Genesis narrative, Jacob was actually in his mid-70s when he fled to Haran to escape from Esau.

For many people, this is a shocking reversal of the image they had in their minds.

Theologians explain that because the lifespan during that time was nearly double what it is today, it’s more accurate to think of their ages as roughly half of what we calculate by today’s standards.

This would mean that when Pharaoh found Sarah attractive, she was about 30 in today’s terms, and Abimelech desired a Sarah who was in her mid-40s.

Likewise, Jacob would have been in his late 30s when he left home, according to our standards. And when Jacob wrestled with the angel on his way back to his homeland, although he was nearly 100 in biblical terms, it’s easier to understand him as being in his late 40s by today’s standards.

This makes the story much easier to relate to.

### A World Corrupted by Sin

Geneticist and former Cornell professor, Dr. Sanford, in his book *"Genetic Entropy and the Mystery of the Genome,"* warns that humanity's genome is deteriorating due to accumulating genetic mutations, and that this weakening will eventually render human reproduction impossible.

In Genesis, after sin entered the world, we see that the first humans lived over 900 years, but after the global flood and subsequent environmental changes, the human lifespan drastically decreased. Noah’s son, Shem, lived to be 600, his son lived about 400 years, and Abraham’s father Terah lived to be 205. Abraham himself lived 175 years. These are remarkably specific numbers recorded in ancient texts, showing a clear trend of declining lifespans over generations.

The Bible attributes this shortening of life to the fall of creation due to sin. As we take a closer look at Genesis, it’s clear that even the great patriarchs of faith were marked by weakness and sin.

Despite their weaknesses, God still helped them, but He required a minimum level of faith. Yet God did not want them to stay at the minimum; He wanted them to rise beyond it. At times, we even see God’s joy when they exceeded expectations.

This was true when Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac in obedience, and when Jacob, despite being injured, held onto the angel all night, refusing to let go until he was blessed. This moment finally earned Jacob the name “Israel.”

### Back to Being Jacob

Jacob’s transformation into Israel is undoubtedly one of the most significant moments in the Old Testament, defining his life. But unfortunately, Jacob didn’t always live up to his new name.

When we look closely at Genesis 33, we see that Esau, by God’s grace, had no anger toward Jacob. Yet Jacob continued to act cautiously. He repeatedly referred to Esau as "my lord," and in one instance even said, "Seeing your face is like seeing the face of God," an excessive and insincere flattery.

To make matters worse, Jacob wasn’t being truthful. Esau invited him to come to his home in Seir, and Jacob agreed, saying they would follow shortly. However, Jacob had no intention of keeping that promise. Instead, he settled in Succoth, deliberately avoiding Esau.

In Succoth, Jacob and his family lived peacefully for about ten years before moving to Shechem. Although Jacob had promised to return to Bethel, where he had encountered God in his dream, he curiously chose to settle in Shechem instead.

Though no specific reason is given for this decision, one thing is certain: Shechem was the largest city Jacob would have encountered on the way to Bethel. It’s likely that Jacob was drawn to the city’s strategic advantages and chose to settle there instead of continuing on to Bethel.

**[Genesis 33:18-20]**

18 Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan, having come from Paddan Aram, and camped within sight of the city.

19 For a hundred pieces of silver, he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent.

20 There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.

Verse 18 says that Jacob arrived safely—“in peace”—at the city of Shechem. In ancient times, cities with walls and gates were considered safe havens. This indicates that Jacob’s family, after living for so long in Succoth, no longer felt secure there and sought out the safety of a walled city.

There, Jacob built an altar and called it “El Elohe Israel,” meaning “God, the God of Israel.” This scene is familiar, as Abraham and Isaac also built altars and called on the name of the Lord when they returned to the Lord.

However, this time, there is no response from God.

This silence from God foreshadows the tragedy that is about to occur.

The name “El Elohe Israel” is incredibly grandiose, even somewhat excessive. When translated literally, it means “The God of the God of Israel.” Since the word “Israel” already includes the name of God, Jacob seems to be using overly embellished language.

When religion begins to decline, the crosses grow larger and the symbols more ornate.

Jacob’s family settled in Shechem, bought land, and prospered. But soon after, tragedy struck. Jacob’s teenage daughter, Dinah, went out to visit the women of the city and was raped by Shechem, the son of Hamor, the local chieftain.

Shechem, however, became infatuated with Dinah and asked his father Hamor to request her hand in marriage from Jacob. Hamor approached Jacob, offering to pay a generous bride price. But Jacob, strangely, remained silent until his sons returned home.

When Jacob’s sons, particularly Simeon and Levi (Dinah’s full brothers), heard what had happened, they were filled with rage. Dinah was still staying in Shechem’s household, and her brothers began to plan a scheme for revenge.

They told Shechem and Hamor that they would only agree to the marriage if all the men in Shechem were circumcised. Shechem, eager to marry Dinah, persuaded all the men of the city to undergo circumcision.

On the third day, when the men were in the most pain, Simeon and Levi attacked and killed every male in the city, including Hamor and Shechem. They then took Dinah from Shechem’s house and returned home. Their brothers joined in, looting the city and taking its women, children, and livestock as spoils.

This violent and shocking story, which took place 4,000 years ago, is so dramatic that it could easily be adapted into a modern film and still be a hit.

Jacob, after this violent incident, finally found out what had happened. Upon hearing the news, he rebuked Simeon and Levi harshly.

**[Genesis 34:30-31]**

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed."

31 But they replied, "Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?"

Jacob's reaction shows that the reason he had remained silent when he first heard about Dinah's assault was because he was afraid. He feared for his life and his family’s survival in the foreign land.

Some might argue that Simeon and Levi appear to be heroes here—rescuing their sister and exacting revenge. But what they did wasn’t God’s will. Simeon and Levi’s plan of revenge wasn’t a matter of righteous anger. It was a mix of cunning deception and brutal violence, reflecting not just their father Jacob's tendencies but also the cruelty of the pagan peoples around them.

Though it might seem like Simeon and Levi acted justly, their actions led to a lifetime of consequences for them both.

Yet the root cause of all this tragedy, beginning with Dinah’s assault, can be traced back to Jacob’s decision to settle in Shechem rather than fulfill his vow to return to Bethel. Jacob had settled in a place that seemed good to him rather than where God had called him to go.

### The Call to Bethel

Finally, amidst his fear and distress, God spoke again to Jacob.

**[Genesis 35:1]**

1 Then God said to Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there. Make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau."

God recalled His earlier encounter with Jacob, as if it had only happened yesterday. He told Jacob to go to Bethel, where they had first met, and to build an altar to honor Him there. God reminded Jacob of the time when he had fled from Esau and made a vow to return to Bethel.

At long last, after enduring so much heartache, Jacob began to resolve the long-neglected issues in his life. We can now see why Jacob had not gone up to Bethel earlier—why he had delayed fulfilling his vow. Jacob's family had become entangled in the worldly ways around them, so much so that they were not ready to dwell in God’s presence. Their clothing and their appearance symbolized the internal state of their hearts; they had grown distant from God and resisted living intimately with Him.

What does "Bethel" mean? It means "house of God."

Jacob wanted the benefits of God’s protection and provision, but he was not ready to live in close fellowship with God. He offered sacrifices and worshipped, but he kept God at a comfortable distance, treating Him like a distant deity to be called upon only when needed.

This attitude is what grieved the heart of God. To believe in God but to keep Him at arm’s length, treating Him like any other god, and only seeking Him in times of crisis, is to misunderstand the relationship God desires with us.

**[Genesis 35:9-15]**

9 God appeared to Jacob again when he returned from Paddan Aram, and He blessed him.

10 God said to him, "Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel." So He named him Israel.

11 And God said to him, "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.

12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you."

13 Then God went up from him at the place where He had spoken with him.

14 Jacob set up a pillar at the place where God had spoken with him, a stone pillar, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it.

15 Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

Do you see the heart of God here? Like a father rejoicing over the return of a prodigal son, God embraced Jacob with joy, blessed him, and reaffirmed His covenant with him. Even though Jacob had taken detours and delayed his return, God welcomed him back, saying, "Well done for coming back."

Interestingly, though, God says that Jacob had come from Paddan Aram, when in fact, Jacob had come from Shechem. This is also mentioned when Jacob moved from Succoth to Shechem. The Bible consistently frames Jacob’s journey as though he had come from Paddan Aram, even though he had been in Shechem and Succoth before arriving at Bethel.

This isn’t a coincidence. God was showing Jacob that Succoth and Shechem had not been part of His divine plan for him. They were the result of Jacob’s own choices, decisions based on self-interest, rather than God’s direction.

**[Genesis 33:17]**

17 Jacob, however, went to Succoth, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Succoth.

While God didn’t stop Jacob from going to Succoth or Shechem, neither did He meet with Jacob there. God neither visibly guided Jacob nor prevented him from settling in those places. Jacob had interpreted this silence as God’s permission to go wherever he wished, leading him to rationalize that God had approved his choices.

Do we not sometimes do the same? How many people remain in that vague middle ground, living in a "Succoth" or "Shechem" of their own making? There are many who live their entire lives this way—holding on to the memory of past blessings, while believing that as long as God doesn’t explicitly stop them, they’re on the right path.

Like Jacob, we sometimes offer empty sacrifices, living in false peace, but avoiding the true encounter with God.

**Let us listen to Jacob’s call today:**

"Let us arise and go up to Bethel! To the God who answered me in my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone." Let us return to the house of God!

Not to the places that merely seem good in our eyes or paths that offer superficial comfort, but to the place where God has called us, even if the way seems steep or challenging.

This is where God declared to Jacob, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel."

The name "Israel" appears about 2,600 times in the Bible—both in the Old and New Testaments. God spoke tenderly to Jacob: "Jacob, you who I created; Israel, you whom I formed—do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine."

This is a deeply moving testimony of how dearly God loved Jacob. And it is a reminder of why we, as Christians, must become spiritual Israel—those who possess and are possessed by the Holy Spirit.

### The Trials that Come Upon Israel

However, it may seem puzzling. As we’ve seen from Jacob’s life, it wasn’t always filled with blessings. In fact, Jacob faced many hardships.

In the final years of his life, Jacob moved to Egypt, and when he met Pharaoh, he said:

**[Genesis 47:9]**

9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my ancestors."

Jacob had come to realize that the true Promised Land, the place of ultimate peace, could only be found in the Kingdom of God. Until we reach that eternal home, we remain pilgrims, travelers, and strangers in this world.

This coming Wednesday, we will begin reading a book in our study group titled *"Suffering is Never for Nothing"* by Elisabeth Elliot. From the title alone, it may seem like it’s a book meant only for those who are going through great suffering.

But I believe that every Christian needs to grapple with this topic as part of their spiritual growth. The book helps us understand the true basis of hope for those who live as Israel, in a world full of "why?" questions.

Think about it: Is there any fear or anxiety greater than the desire to escape from all suffering and misfortune in life?

True peace, joy, and blessing come from a deep understanding of the meaning of this life.

Thus, the exact opposite of what we might expect begins to happen. If we see this world as the final destination—the land of promise where all blessings should be fulfilled—we will constantly find new sources of anxiety and fear. We will live our entire lives in an endless cycle of worry.

However, if we live in this world like travelers or pilgrims, we will find more peace, joy, and freedom. Even kings of this world, who seem to have everything, will eventually bow their heads and seek blessings from those who live as pilgrims, those who live for God's purpose.

**[Genesis 47:10]**

10 Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from his presence.

God’s promise to Abraham wasn’t just, "You and your descendants will be blessed." No, the greater promise was, "You will be a blessing."

When our lives align with God’s purpose, when we live not as wanderers wasting time in vague places like Shechem, but as pilgrims traveling towards our true home, then all things work together for good. Fear and anxiety will begin to disappear.

People who make God's house, Bethel, their home—those who live in the presence of God—will be spared many meaningless hardships.

Yet, there are certain trials meant to renew us, reminding us that we are temporary residents in this world. These trials keep us uncomfortable so that we don’t forget our true purpose as missionaries and travelers in this life. Such trials are like the refining process of metal, purifying us into gold. We must welcome this process with trust in our Master, who is perfecting us through these challenges.

No one can be sure that they will never face suffering again and, as a result, live in total peace and freedom.

Only those who trust in the Lord can love Him even in the midst of difficulties. Only they can truly praise the Lord and look forward to the genuine light of God’s presence, which will shine brightly in their lives.

### We Are Now at Bethel

You are now in Bethel. If our hearts reside in the house of God, if we dwell with Him in intimacy, then God’s heart will be with us. He will speak to us as well:

"I have called you by name. You are Mine."

Let’s pray.

09/22/2024 Study Guide

Acts 29 - Study Guide: The Blessing of Holding on to God and Overcoming

Quiz

Instructions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences each.

1. What is the significance of Esau's name in the context of the biblical narrative?

2. How does the passage compare and contrast the characters of Jacob and Esau?

3. Describe the circumstances surrounding Jacob receiving his father's blessing.

4. Why does the passage argue that Jacob's deception of Isaac was not inherently wrong?

5. How does Laban, Jacob's uncle, deceive Jacob?

6. What is the significance of Jacob's dream at Bethel?

7. How does Jacob's approach to facing Esau change after he leaves Laban?

8. Explain the significance of Jacob wrestling with the angel and the name change to "Israel."

9. What is the main point the sermon is trying to convey about the difference between "Jacob" and "Israel" in a spiritual sense?

Answer Key

1. Esau's name, derived from the Hebrew word for "to do" or "to complete," reflects his seemingly "complete" or mature appearance at birth, contrasting him with Jacob, who was born grasping Esau's heel.

2. Jacob is portrayed as cunning and persistent, willing to go to great lengths to obtain what he desires, while Esau is depicted as strong and impulsive but lacking foresight and spiritual understanding.

3. Jacob, disguised as Esau at his mother's urging, deceives his aging and blind father, Isaac, into giving him the blessing intended for the firstborn son.

4. The passage argues that Jacob's actions, though involving deception, were part of God's plan to fulfill His promise that the younger son would be greater. It cites examples like the Hebrew midwives and Rahab, where deception served a higher purpose aligned with God's will.

5. Laban tricks Jacob into working seven extra years for Rachel's hand in marriage after already working seven years, highlighting the deceitful nature of Laban and the difficult lessons Jacob learns about himself.

6. Jacob's dream at Bethel, where he sees angels ascending and descending a ladder to heaven and receives God's promise of land and descendants, signifies a turning point in his life, where he encounters God's presence and makes a covenant with Him.

7. Initially reliant on his own schemes, Jacob, after leaving Laban, turns to prayer and seeks God's protection and guidance when facing Esau, demonstrating a shift from self-reliance to dependence on God.

8. Jacob wrestling with the angel represents his struggle to surrender to God's will fully. The name change to "Israel," meaning "he strives with God," signifies his transformation from someone who relied on his cunning to someone who perseveres in seeking and wrestling with God.

9. The sermon emphasizes that moving from "Jacob" to "Israel" represents a spiritual transformation from relying on one's own strength and cunning to fully embracing dependence on God, clinging to His promises, and ultimately being transformed by His grace.

Essay Questions

1. Analyze the character of Jacob throughout the biblical narrative. How do his experiences, particularly his encounters with God and his relationships with others, shape him? Do you think his actions were justified?

2. Explore the theme of deception in the story of Jacob. How does the text portray deception? Is it always wrong? How do Jacob's acts of deception contribute to the larger narrative of God's plan?

3. Examine the significance of names and name changes in the story of Jacob. How do names reflect identity and destiny? What is the significance of Jacob's name change to Israel in light of his spiritual journey?

4. Compare and contrast the ways in which Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob experience and respond to God's call and promises. What do their stories teach us about faith, obedience, and the nature of God?

5. Discuss the significance of the sermon's emphasis on becoming "Israel" rather than remaining "Jacob." What does this transformation entail in a contemporary context? How can individuals and communities strive to embody the qualities of "Israel" in their relationship with God and others?

Glossary of Key Terms

TermDefinitionEsauThe elder twin brother of Jacob, known for his physical strength and skill as a hunter.JacobThe younger twin brother of Esau, known for his cunning and persistence. He later becomes known as "Israel."IsaacThe son of Abraham and Sarah, husband of Rebekah, and father of Jacob and Esau.RebekahThe wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau.LabanThe brother of Rebekah and father of Leah and Rachel. He deceives Jacob into working for him for 14 years to marry Rachel.LeahThe older daughter of Laban, given to Jacob as his first wife in a deceitful act.RachelThe younger daughter of Laban, loved by Jacob, and his second wife after working for Laban for seven years.BethelThe place where Jacob has a dream of a ladder to heaven and receives God's promise. It means "house of God."JabbokThe river where Jacob wrestles with God's angel.IsraelThe new name given to Jacob after wrestling with God's angel. It means "he strives with God."Lord's SupperA Christian sacrament also known as Communion, commemorating the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his disciples.CovenantA solemn agreement between God and his people, involving mutual promises and obligations.FirstbornThe first son born to a couple, often holding a privileged position in inheritance and succession.BlessingA divine favor, often bestowed on individuals or families, signifying God's grace and protection.

9/22/2024 The Blessing of Holding on to God and Overcoming

The Blessing of Holding on to God and Overcoming

I’ve been meditating on Isaac since last week, and it struck me that the generation we are living in here in America resembles Isaac’s generation.

On this continent, where the Pilgrims risked their lives to find a new promised land, they walked the pioneering path, much like Abraham. After many wars and historical challenges, by God’s blessing, an unprecedented new nation was born.

And we, the next generation, have been enjoying the prosperity of this nation, which has become the strongest in nearly every aspect — militarily, technologically, and economically.

Yet, this prosperity no longer moves us deeply. When autumn comes, the cool breeze, the abundance of water, the clean air, and the blue sky are all taken for granted.

Even among Christians who verbally acknowledge these rare conditions and prosperity as blessings from God, in reality, there is little deep gratitude for such abundance or for these long, peaceful days.

When we experience small inconveniences, the irritation and complaints that rise up so quickly reveal how long we’ve lived with countless blessings as our baseline, feeling no emotion.

No matter how intact it seems, if salt loses its flavor, it is thrown away. And even if the most delicious meals are prepared for us every day, if we no longer enjoy them or feel any excitement, it becomes a misfortune and a curse.

In this abundance, we have everything, yet we become spiritual blind men who can’t truly enjoy anything.

So if God blesses us, it will not be with a more stable and prosperous life that brings no deeper emotion. He will lead us beyond Isaac’s blessings to the blessings of Jacob, who held tightly to the Lord and lived depending on Him.

Today, we will encounter the God of Jacob — the God who completes an era of history through Jacob, following Abraham and Isaac.

This translation preserves the original message and tone of your reflection on Isaac, American prosperity, and the spiritual insights you drew from these observations.

As we saw last time, Jacob was born in the land of Canaan as a twin with Esau.

Esau’s name seems to be derived from the Hebrew verb ‘עָשָׂה’ (’asah), which means “to do,” “to complete,” or “to make.” Therefore, Esau’s name can be interpreted as describing his appearance at birth as “already complete” or “mature.”

In contrast, Jacob’s defining characteristic was that he was born holding onto this perfect child. Thus, he was named Jacob, meaning “one who grabs the heel” or “one who holds with his hand.”

Several hundred years later, in the book of Deuteronomy, it is written that in Jewish law, the eldest son would inherit twice as much as the other children. At that time, however, we can see from the fact that Abraham gave almost all of his inheritance to Isaac that, not only in Abraham’s family but also in the local culture, the eldest son was expected to inherit nearly everything.

In such a culture, Jacob, who was born as a twin, must have felt very unfair. Though he was born almost at the same time, he had to follow Esau as his elder brother for life and was destined to receive very little inheritance.

However, the Bible says that their mother, Rebekah, loved Jacob more than Esau. This may have been due to a greater maternal affection for Jacob, who was always trailing behind, but it is also possible that Rebekah remembered the words God had spoken when she prayed in the midst of great pain during her pregnancy. God had clearly said, “Two nations are in your womb, and the older will serve the younger.”

To Jacob, who always felt discouraged by being constantly compared to the physically strong and confident Esau, their mother Rebekah would have reminded him of God’s promise: “It’s not Esau, Jacob. You will be the one to succeed your father Isaac. In the end, Esau will serve you.”

However, looking at the reality, there seemed to be no possibility of this happening. So, the Bible shows that Jacob was always looking for an opportunity to take Esau’s birthright. Eventually, through his plan, Jacob secured Esau’s oath and took the birthright.

Yet, when the day came for Esau to receive his birthright, he disregarded that oath, and Isaac, who particularly loved the strong Esau, ignored the agreement between his sons and intended to give Esau the birthright and blessing.

Though his eyesight was nearly gone and he sensed that his time was short, Isaac intended to have a blessing ceremony that should have involved the entire family with only Esau present, intending to finish it privately between the two of them. This shows that Isaac was not unaware that what he was doing might be against God’s will, not merely opposing his wife Rebekah.

At that moment, Rebekah overheard the conversation between Isaac and Esau.

[Genesis 27:6-13]

God blessed the midwives who risked their lives and lied to the king in order to save the children.

[Genesis 27:18-19]

18 Jacob went to his father and said, “My father.” And Isaac said, “Yes, my son. Who are you?”

19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”

In this scene, Isaac could not see, but he recognized that the voice was not Esau’s. Suspecting that it was Jacob, he asked, “Who are you?” and called him closer to confirm.

[Genesis 27:22-24]

22 Jacob went close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.”

23 He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him.

24 “Are you really my son Esau?” he asked. Jacob replied, “I am.”

Isaac shows an astonishing level of naivety. Even though Jacob was in disguise, he could not tell apart two sons who were very different from each other.

[Genesis 27:27-29]

27 So Jacob went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, “Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed.

28 May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness—an abundance of grain and new wine.

29 May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.”

Isaac poured out a tremendous blessing upon Jacob. But he did so thinking that Jacob was Esau.

Immediately after this, Esau, unaware of what had happened, brought the game he had hunted and cried out in anger. He asked his father if there was any blessing left for him. Isaac replied that there was nothing left, and he spoke words that were almost like a curse.

[Genesis 27:41]

Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

Esau was so consumed with rage that Jacob’s survival was in danger if they met.

However, we must make one thing clear. No matter how Isaac was deceived into blessing Jacob, could God Himself be deceived?

It was God’s original plan for Jacob to receive the blessing through Isaac, and that is why it was fulfilled.

In fact, Isaac also knew that he should bless Jacob, but his heart was more inclined toward Esau.

In this situation, Rebekah prevented Isaac from committing the sin of going against God’s will.

Additionally, Rebekah overheard the conversation between Isaac and Esau about the blessing ceremony. Even though Isaac was blind, the fact that he couldn’t tell the difference between their voices and was fooled by the goat hair disguise—these things all show that God’s hand was involved in the whole process.

This leads us to an important question: Does this mean Jacob was innocent despite the schemes and lies he told when Isaac asked multiple times if he was truly Esau?

The Ten Commandments clearly prohibit lying, but the Bible also records exceptions to this.

[Exodus 1:15-20]

15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah,

16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.”

17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.

18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”

20 So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous.

God blessed the midwives who lied to the king in order to save the children, risking their own lives in the process.

[James 2:25]

This scene is reminiscent of when Joshua sent spies to Jericho, and Rahab, the prostitute, lied to the soldiers, telling them the spies had already left in another direction when, in fact, she had hidden them. Because of this action, the Bible says that Rahab was considered righteous before God.

God extended grace to those who lied, and in Rahab’s case, it even says she was declared righteous.

This suggests that in certain situations, where someone is clearly opposing God’s will, a lie may be permitted in order to fulfill His purpose. However, most lies that are told to protect one’s pride or personal gain do not fall into this category.

And, it is certainly not the case that Rebekah and Jacob’s method was entirely right. We can see this when Jacob leaves his home and heads to Haran, where his uncle Laban, from his mother Rebekah’s hometown, lived. There is a saying, “There is always someone smarter than the clever one,” and Laban was exactly that kind of person.

If Jacob was cunning, then Laban was a full-fledged swindler and thief.

Laban had two daughters, the elder Leah and the younger Rachel. When Jacob arrived in Haran and saw Rachel leading the flock, he immediately fell in love with her. So, he proposed to Laban that he would work for seven years in exchange for marrying Rachel. After seven years, they held the wedding, and according to custom, the bride’s face was veiled, and the groom would spend the first night in a state of heavy intoxication.

The next morning, something like a scene out of a movie happened. What occurred? When Jacob woke up, he realized that the woman beside him was not Rachel, but Leah. While Leah’s situation was unfortunate, how shocked must Jacob have been?

Jacob, who had deceived his father, never expected to be deceived like this after working for seven years for this marriage. Furious, Jacob confronted Laban, who had anticipated this situation and, without shame, said:

[Genesis 29:26-27]

Laban was truly a master of schemes. Without any apology, he forced Jacob to work another seven years. So, Jacob ended up working a total of 14 years, and because he couldn’t accumulate any wealth during that time, he worked another six years, spending a total of 20 years with his deceitful uncle. Through this time, Jacob painfully learned how the life of deception he had once lived, constantly tricking others for personal gain, actually brought misery to those around him and was a shameful way to live.

God, through these blessings and experiences, taught Jacob many lessons, leading him toward a transformed life.

The name “Jacob” means “to grasp firmly.” Even while he was at home, he clung to his mother’s words that, though he was weak and small, he was destined to become the firstborn. Throughout his life, Jacob, true to his name, always held onto something. Though he received Isaac’s blessing, he ended up with nothing and had to flee from Esau to Haran, living as a fugitive. He found himself sleeping with a stone as his pillow, only to encounter God in a dream.

[Genesis 28:12-15]

Jacob must have felt amazing. After a miserable night, it was surely a morning filled with hope. What did Jacob do? He held on tightly!

[Genesis 28:20-22]

This scene is reminiscent of when Isaac, who had always worshiped the God of his father, built an altar and called on the name of the Lord at Beersheba.

But Jacob did more than just call on God; he clung to Him and made a covenant with God. Not only was He the God of Abraham and the God of his father, but Jacob said, “If You bless me and protect me, You will become my God as well, and I will worship You and give a tithe of everything You provide.” Jacob seized this opportunity to enter into a covenant with God and didn’t let it slip away.

As time passed, Jacob grew weary of Laban’s continual deception. Then God appeared to Jacob again in a dream, instructing him to leave Laban and return to his father’s household. Now, 20 years later, Jacob was preparing to return home with his wives and children.

And yet, we see Jacob once again devising clever strategies.

At first, Jacob sent messengers ahead to meet his brother Esau, instructing them to say, “I seek to find favor in my lord’s eyes and will present oxen, donkeys, flocks, and servants as gifts.” But when the messengers returned, they told Jacob that Esau was already on his way to meet him with 400 men.

Upon hearing this, Jacob was seized with great fear and distress. He divided the people and animals into two groups, thinking that if Esau attacked the first group, the second group could escape.

However, Jacob was no longer a man who relied solely on his own strategies.

He began to pray.

[Genesis 32:9]

He prayed, reminding God that he was following the Lord’s will, and pleaded for protection and grace as promised. Jacob held onto God’s promise in his prayer.

After that, he carefully prepared gifts for Esau, sending them ahead in three separate groups, each at a distance, accompanied by a message of blessing. After sending the gifts, and finally his family, Jacob remained alone at the Jabbok River crossing.

[Genesis 32:24-27]

This scene surpasses the covenantal relationship between God and Jacob.

Jacob held on to God’s angel with all his strength and did not let go until daybreak. Even after his hip was dislocated, he refused to release his grip.

He said, “I won’t let go unless You bless me! Until You promise to protect us when I meet Esau, I won’t release You!”

[Genesis 32:28]

It’s not that Jacob had the strength to defeat God. However, considering that God only gives us trials we can bear, it seems that God met Jacob at a level where he could succeed if he fought with all his heart and strength.

Thus, Jacob, who had once relied on his mother’s wisdom and his own cunning, became one who held onto God. He now had a new name, “Israel,” meaning “one who wrestled with God and won,” or “one who obtained God.”

After that tumultuous night, when the morning finally came, Jacob met Esau. But instead of the confrontation he expected, Esau ran to Jacob, weeping and embracing him, saying that he didn’t need any gifts.

If some of you have accepted Jesus but still live your life solving problems using your own wisdom and strategies, you are living as Jacob. But the Lord desires for us to become Israel. We must become Israel.

Jacob’s long-standing hope was to avoid Esau. He wished never to face him. But the Lord made Jacob meet Esau, and even with a weakened body, limping as he walked toward Esau.

It was a scene Jacob could never have imagined, nor could Esau. Yet, because Jacob had held onto and relied on God fully, entering into a new dimension of faith, he became Israel. This was a miracle and blessing brought about by God.

Through Abraham, we saw the courage to embark on the journey of faith and the absolute direction that faith must take. We also learned that true love for all things in this world only comes when we honor and love God above all. Though Abraham faltered in fear, he became the father of faith through God’s continued guidance, showing that we, too, can attain such faith.

Through Isaac, we saw the limitations of mechanical obedience, even amidst great blessings. True blessing and eternal benefit come from walking the path of faith and obedience that begins with a personal trust in God’s will, which is always right. Only those who love God can experience true joy and freedom beyond material blessings.

Through Jacob, we see the type of person who pleases God. It is the one who does not let go of the opportunities God gives, the one who holds onto God’s promises, and ultimately the one who holds onto God Himself to obtain grace! This person is given a completely new name, becoming the one who obtains God—Israel.

Only when we become Israel do all the promises made to Israel in the Bible become promises for us.

Those who believe in and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior—the true Abraham, Isaac, and Israel—have already been planted with the seeds of all these blessings.

Because we belong to Jesus Christ, we are Christians.

[Revelation 21:7]

The overcomer… Israel did not defeat God, but rather overcame the self that wanted to give up on God. He overcame the self that sought only blessings while keeping God at a distance, treating Him in the third person. By touching and holding onto God, he became the true Israel, a person whom God would hold onto for the rest of his life.

Are you still Jacob? Or have you become Israel?

Let us pray.

09/15/2024 Study Guide

1. Summary

   I. Introduction: From Abraham to Isaac (Summary)

   This section transitions from the previous sermon on Abraham, highlighting how God identifies Himself not only as the God of Abraham, but also as the God of Isaac. It prompts the listener to consider who Isaac was and what his life reveals about God.

   II. Isaac: A Life of Inherited Blessing (Summary)

   This section contrasts the life of Isaac with Abraham, emphasizing how Isaac lived a life of privilege and inherited blessing. Unlike Abraham, who journeyed extensively and faced numerous trials, Isaac remained in Canaan and enjoyed material prosperity.

   III. Isaac: A Supporting Character in His Own Story (Summary)

   This section examines Isaac's limited role in the biblical narrative. It points out that even in key events like his marriage and the blessing of his sons, Isaac appears passive, with others playing more active roles. This begs the question: why is Isaac's story significant?

   IV. Eliezer: A Model of Faith and Respect (Summary)

   This section shifts focus to Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, who is portrayed as a model of faith and respect. It analyzes Eliezer’s prayer for guidance in finding a wife for Isaac, highlighting his specific requests and unwavering belief in God's provision. Eliezer's example is presented as a model for the Church today.

   V. The Joy of Missionaries in Israel (Summary)

   This section shares an anecdote about a missionary in Israel who witnesses the transformative power of the Gospel in the lives of people from resistant backgrounds. The story emphasizes the joy and fulfillment found in sharing the Gospel and living a life transformed by Christ.

   VI. Isaac’s Sons: Jacob and Esau (Summary)

   This section delves into the well-known story of Isaac's sons, Jacob and Esau, and the conflict surrounding the birthright. It highlights how God’s prophecy of the younger son’s dominance plays out through their contrasting personalities and choices.

   VII. Isaac's Blindness: Physical and Spiritual (Summary)

   This section analyzes Isaac’s decision to bless Esau despite God’s clear favor on Jacob. It connects Isaac’s physical blindness with a spiritual blindness that hinders his ability to discern God’s will. This blindness is interpreted as both a consequence of Isaac’s misplaced affections and a form of divine protection.

   VIII. The Unfulfilled Potential of Isaac (Summary)

   This section explores the paradox of Isaac’s life: despite experiencing abundant blessings, he seems to miss out on the fullness of a personal relationship with God. It suggests that Isaac's obedience, while commendable, lacked the depth of faith and intimacy that characterized Abraham’s relationship with God.

   IX. Beyond Mechanical Obedience: Embracing Intimacy with God (Summary)

   This section challenges listeners to move beyond a superficial understanding of obedience and cultivate a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. It uses the parable of the prodigal son to illustrate the difference between begrudging obedience and the joyful freedom found in the Father's love.

   X. Conclusion: From Isaac to Our God (Summary)

   The sermon concludes by urging listeners to embrace their identity as beloved children of God, free to approach Him with honesty and vulnerability. It encourages them to move beyond simply acknowledging God as the God of Abraham and Isaac to experiencing Him as their own personal God. The sermon ends with a call to prayer and reflection.

2. Quiz

Instructions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 sentences based on the provided sermon excerpt.

1. How does Isaac's life differ significantly from Abraham's, and what does this difference highlight about Isaac's position in God's plan?

2. Describe the role of Eliezer in the life of Isaac. What key character trait does Eliezer exemplify, and how does this trait manifest in his actions?

3. According to the sermon, what causes the Palestinian Muslim students and the North Korean official to weep during their encounters with missionaries?

4. Explain the significance of Rebekah receiving the prophecy about her sons instead of Isaac.

5. How does the sale of Esau's birthright foreshadow the eventual fulfillment of the prophecy regarding Jacob and Esau?

6. What reason does the sermon give for Isaac's preference for Esau over Jacob?

7. What is the significance of Isaac's blindness in the context of Jacob receiving the blessing? How do biblical commentators interpret this event?

8. What turning point in Isaac's spiritual life is marked by him building his own altar?

9. According to the sermon, what is the "missing element" in Isaac's relationship with God, despite his blessings and obedience?

10. What message does the sermon offer to those who, like Isaac, may be living in "mechanical obedience" to God?

Essay Questions

1. Analyze the character of Isaac as presented in the sermon. What are his strengths and weaknesses? How does his life compare and contrast with his father, Abraham?

2. Discuss the significance of Eliezer's prayer in Genesis 24. What does it reveal about his faith and his relationship with God? How can his prayer serve as a model for believers today?

3. Explore the sermon's comparison of Isaac to the older son in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). What parallels can be drawn between their stories, and what lessons can be learned from both?

4. The sermon argues that Isaac's blessings did not necessarily translate to true joy and fulfillment. Discuss the relationship between material blessings, spiritual blessings, and genuine happiness in the life of a believer.

5. How does the sermon encourage its listeners to move beyond a "mechanical obedience" to a deeper, more personal relationship with God? What practical steps does it suggest for cultivating this kind of intimacy with God?

Glossary of Key Terms

• Rhema: A Greek word often used in Christian theology to describe a spoken word from God that carries specific, timely application and revelation.

• Patriarch: A male ancestor heading a family or tribe. In the Bible, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are considered the patriarchs of the Israelites.

• Birthright: The special privileges or inheritance traditionally given to the firstborn son in a family.

• Prophecy: A message that is claimed to have been communicated by a divine being, often concerning future events or God's will.

• Covenant: A binding agreement or promise between two parties, often involving God and his people.

• Blessing: God's favor and protection, often resulting in prosperity, health, and spiritual well-being.

• Obedience: Compliance with God's commands and will.

• Mechanical Obedience: A form of obedience that is done out of duty or fear, lacking genuine love and heartfelt devotion.

• Second-Generation Believer: Individuals whose parents converted to Christianity, and thus they grew up in a Christian household.

Answer Key

1. Isaac lived a more settled life, primarily in Canaan, unlike Abraham's nomadic journeys. This stability highlights that Isaac was born into a position of established covenant blessing, inheriting the promises made to Abraham.

2. Eliezer, Abraham's servant, is entrusted with finding a wife for Isaac. He displays remarkable faith and obedience, evidenced by his detailed prayer for guidance and his reliance on God for direction and success in his mission.

3. The tears of the Muslim students and the North Korean official stem from a yearning for the genuine joy and purpose that the missionaries embody, which stems from their relationship with Jesus.

4. Rebekah receiving the prophecy emphasizes her role in God's plan and foreshadows her active involvement in ensuring the fulfillment of that prophecy, even if it means going against societal norms.

5. Esau's willingness to trade his birthright for a bowl of stew reveals his lack of appreciation for spiritual things and foreshadows his eventual loss of the greater blessing, aligning with the prophecy of the younger serving the older.

6. The sermon suggests that Isaac, being naturally compliant and non-confrontational, saw in Esau a reflection of the rebellious and independent spirit he himself lacked, perhaps finding a vicarious sense of freedom in his son's personality.

7. Isaac's blindness, understood by commentators as a consequence of spiritual blindness, prevents him from mistakenly bestowing the primary blessing upon Esau. It ensures that God's will, despite the deception involved, is carried out.

8. Isaac building his own altar, distinct from his father's, represents a step towards a more personal faith and a direct connection with God, signifying spiritual independence and growth.

9. Despite his obedience and the abundance of blessings, Isaac seems to lack a close, intimate relationship with God, relating to Him more formally and through the lens of his father's faith.

10. The sermon urges listeners to go beyond mere rule-keeping and instead cultivate an honest, heartfelt relationship with God, characterized by open communication, vulnerability, and the confident acceptance of His love and forgiveness.

09/15/2024 The God of Isaac, My God

Title: The God of Isaac, My God

Date: September 15, 2024

Scripture: Acts 7:6-8

Last week, we delved into the faith of Abraham—the forefather of faith and the first name God proudly mentioned when He said, "I am the God of Abraham." We explored the stories of his lifelong faith and personal growth, as well as the various tests and growing pains he had to endure along the way.

However, when God calls Himself the God of Abraham, there's a name that immediately follows: the God of Isaac. So, who was Isaac?

First of all, Isaac was a second-generation believer, born into the new family of faith that officially began with Abraham.

This means that God was destined to give many blessings to Isaac not for his own sake but to bless Abraham. Because Isaac's well-being was Abraham's greatest joy and desire.

In other words, Isaac was already spiritually born with a "golden spoon." He was born destined to receive blessings.

Therefore, even if Isaac did not passionately pursue God on his own or exhibit tremendous faith—as long as he did not greatly oppose or abandon God, and didn't cause major problems—a guaranteed life of blessing awaited him.

Abraham's life was very spectacular. He moved multiple times, participated in wars, pioneered new lands, made covenants with God, and witnessed cities being annihilated before his eyes due to God's severe judgment. God's amazing works continued unceasingly in his life.

Abraham moved from Ur to Haran, from Haran to Canaan, from Canaan to Egypt, and then back to Canaan. Even excluding migrations within Canaan, if we calculate only the major moves, he traveled about 2,400 kilometers.

Then, how much did Isaac travel? His longest journey was about 40 kilometers. Born in the land of Canaan, he never left it his entire life.

This difference implies many things about Isaac's life.

Even when we consider the amount of space devoted in the Bible, the lives of Abraham, the father, and Jacob, the son, are recorded in very long narratives, whereas the record of Isaac is quite brief.

Moreover, if you look closely at those records, it's not Isaac but the people related to him who play more significant roles. Isaac appears almost like a supporting character.

The first words of Isaac recorded in the Bible were when he asked his father Abraham, at the end of a long silence on Mount Moriah—which we looked at last week—"Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" at that moment.

Even in that event, the focus wasn't on Isaac but on the process of testing Abraham, and afterward, the faith of those related to Isaac is emphasized more than Isaac himself.

Even in the process of finding his wife Rebekah, Isaac wasn't a significant figure at all.

Everything was accomplished through the conversations between Abraham and his servant Eliezer, and the actions and decisions of Eliezer and Rebekah.

At that time, Abraham commanded Eliezer:

**[Genesis 24:4]** 

Finally, in Genesis 24, where the scene unfolds of Rebekah becoming Isaac's wife, it's not Isaac but Abraham's servant—though only referred to as "the servant" here, Jewish rabbis identify him as Eliezer—whose obedience and pure faith shine brightly.

Let's look at Eliezer's prayer:

**[Genesis 24:12-14]**

Looking at his prayer, we see that while he humbly seeks the God of his master Abraham, he prays very specifically. He prays that when he is standing by the well and asks a young woman for a drink, if she responds in this way, he will know that she is the one chosen for Isaac.

He is offering such a specific prayer.

We can see that he has the wisdom to find a suitable bride, and at the same time, he possesses a pure, childlike faith that believes God will hear and guide him through specific prayers.

Moreover, his prayer is not offered in doubt, wondering whether he will receive such an answer or trying it for the first time with uncertainty. Rather, his prayer is offered with confident faith that God will surely grant it.

In the latter part of Genesis 24, the scene where Eliezer meets Rebekah's family in Haran is recorded in detail.

**[Genesis 24:48-49]**

Even though Rebekah's family in Haran did not yet have complete faith in God, they were impressed by the sincere and firm faith of Abraham's servant Eliezer in God, and by his respectful and humble demeanor toward people.

**[Genesis 24:50]**

Rebekah's brother Laban and her father Bethuel told Eliezer, "Since you have confirmed that this is God's will, we cannot say anything to you one way or the other." Even though they had just met him that day, they showed complete trust in Eliezer.

And in their presence, Eliezer reacts as follows:

**[Genesis 24:52]**

After accomplishing his important mission, he astonishingly thinks of God first rather than the people around him. This is truly giving glory to God.

Originally, Eliezer was the one whom Abraham had designated to inherit in place of a son when he had none.

**[Genesis 15:2]**

Eliezer, whose name means "God helps," was intimately close to God, and his faith manifested in treating people with honor and respect.

This is the image that we, the church sent into the world, should show to the world.

When the world sees us, they see Eliezer—the "help of God."

Last week, I had the opportunity to meet via Zoom with Pastor Go Dong-hoon, whom our church supports and whom many of you have met before. He is currently ministering in Israel. Although he had previously visited us and shared his testimony, speaking with him while he is actually in Israel—a place that appears in the news daily—felt surreal. Listening to the daily happenings there challenged me greatly.

God has led him to some of the toughest places: China, North Korea, and now Israel. Yet, we could feel how much he serves with love and joy.

He shared various stories, but he mentioned that the moments he was most grateful for in North Korea were when the Public Security Bureau officers who were following him to monitor his activities asked, "How on earth can you live like that?" Similarly, in Israel, Muslim Palestinian students asked him the same question.

At such times, he would explain how selfish and greedy he used to be—how he immigrated to the United States seeking success and wealth—and how Jesus changed him. He would share that Jesus came, died, and resurrected for sinners like us, and that because His Spirit has come upon us, we can live this way.

When he tells them that he has realized it is more joyful to live for others than for himself, that living the life God desires allows us to experience God's joy, and that only then do we find true happiness and freedom, the expressionless North Korean officers and the Muslim Palestinian students begin to shed tears, saying they too want to live that way.

Seeing the tears flowing from the officers and sharing tears with the Muslim students, the missionaries realize that a new life has been born. He said they live for that joy.

Currently, they are visiting impoverished areas in the Palestinian West Bank, where the situation is so dire that there's hardly any running water. By supplying flour and other necessities weekly, they are meeting Muslims who are gradually opening their hearts to the missionaries. Now, they even pray together in the name of Jesus.

When Christians become Eliezer—**"God's help"**—to someone, like our missionaries have, and when we are faithful to God, value all people highly, and are polite and humble, the church will be able to fulfill its mission of being **"God's light that fully illuminates the world."**

Following that event, the most famous scene involving Isaac in the Bible is when his son Jacob deceives him to receive the blessing of the firstborn.

Even in this scene, Isaac does not appear as the main character.

First, looking at the background, although not to the extent of Abraham, Isaac and Rebekah also did not have children for a long time.

**[Genesis 25:21-23]**

Throughout Isaac's life, there were continuous instances where he pleaded with God, and God answered his prayers. However, after becoming pregnant, when the twins struggled within her womb and she prayed, the words of God in verse 23—"Two nations are in your womb; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger"—were spoken to Rebekah.

It's astonishing that these prophecies—that the twins would become two nations and that the older would serve the younger, words given to Isaac's family by God—were given not to Isaac but to Rebekah.

There aren't many records about the growth process of these two sons, but a few incidents clearly show their dispositions.

When Esau returned from hunting, Jacob was cooking stew. Esau said he was famished and asked for some. Then Jacob, as if he had been waiting, laid a trap by tempting him, saying, "Sell me your birthright first!"

Jacob, being a twin, had always thought it unfair that Esau, born just a few minutes earlier, would receive the blessing and most of the inheritance. So, although it was somewhat underhanded, Jacob wanted to seize the birthright and blessing whenever the opportunity arose.

**[Genesis 25:32-34]**

Later, when Esau was 40 years old, he ignored God's will and, despite his parents' opposition, took two Hittite women, daughters of the Canaanites, as his wives.

These two incidents show, albeit briefly but definitively, that Esau did not value family order or God's will but lived relying on his own physical strength.

Therefore, it was inevitable that the older would serve the younger. For Rebekah, this became increasingly clear. There was God's prophecy, the birthright had already been transferred to Jacob through an oath, and Esau had even brought foreign women into the family despite his parents' opposition.

However, Isaac, who had witnessed all these situations, strangely still intended to give the birthright to Esau. In contrast to Rebekah, who tried to follow God's will even if it meant breaking common sense and tradition, Isaac appeared stubborn.

Eventually, Rebekah and Jacob conspired to deceive the blind Isaac. Jacob pretended to be Esau, and ultimately received all the blessings of the firstborn from Isaac.

When Isaac realized this, there's a scene where he trembles violently—a moment of intense emotional turmoil in the records about Isaac.

But why did Isaac favor Esau? Was it just because he loved the steaks Esau prepared from his hunting?

Esau was a hairy, very masculine, and free-spirited person. He did whatever he wanted. Wasn't he the exact opposite? Not only was he quite different from Jacob, but he was also extremely the opposite of Isaac.

Isaac was someone who had almost never defied authority in his entire life. He was obedient even to his father's unbelievable request to bind him and offer him as a sacrifice.

He was someone who never resisted, always yielded, avoided conflicts, and gave up what was his. Isaac was thus synonymous with obedience, and because of that, he enjoyed greater blessings than Abraham.

What does it mean that such an Isaac had a deep attachment to Esau, who was the exact opposite of himself?

The fact that Isaac, who lived his whole life obediently and compliantly, greatly loved Esau, who did not obey or conform to anything, suggests that Isaac's obedience was not always done with joy, trust in God, and love.

Didn't Isaac, at the age of 40, accept the wife his father chose for him without any regard for his own opinion and get married?

But Esau, at the same age of 40 but in stark contrast, ignored his parents' opinions and took two foreign women he desired as his wives.

Watching his son, who was the extreme opposite of himself, Isaac was experiencing vicarious satisfaction.

**[Genesis 27:1-2]**

At first glance, this scene makes it seem as though Isaac is about to die soon after giving his blessing, as if it's his final will.

However, in reality, he lived for almost another 50 years.

In his commentary on Genesis, **Calvin** says:

*"He was led by a blind love for his eldest son, preferring him over the other, and thus opposed the revelation of God. His stubborn attachment to his son was a kind of blindness, which acted as a greater obstacle than the external dimness of his eyes."*

Not only Christian commentators like **Matthew Henry** and **Albert Barnes**, but also Jewish rabbis and traditional Jewish literature, view Isaac's early physical blindness as a result of his spiritual blindness.

**Why did God cause his eyes to become blind?**

If Isaac's eyes had not grown dim, he would have ended up blessing Esau instead of Jacob, whom God had chosen, thereby committing an irreversible sin.

Therefore, the fact that Isaac, who was already spiritually blind and unable to discern God's will, lost his physical sight was an inevitable event for God's will to be fulfilled.

In a way, God protected Isaac through this.

When we think about Isaac's old age, God shares with us a sense of compassion.

Throughout his life, Isaac obeyed God's will, and even in situations that seemed unjust, he chose concession and compliance over conflict. **How many blessings came upon Isaac's life because of this?**

Whenever he dug a well, water sprang forth; when he sowed seeds, he reaped a hundredfold harvest.

In the early stages of his faith journey, he practiced a form of prosperity-oriented faith, seeking blessings from his father's God. But eventually, God, who was pleased that Isaac shared blessings even with the neighbors who troubled him, appeared to Isaac and directly blessed him.

**[Genesis 26:23-25]**

This was the moment when Isaac entered into a faith where he built **his own altar**—not his father's—and called on the name of the Lord from the altar he had constructed.

But before long, he reverted to his former ways.

**[Genesis 27:33-35]**

In this scene, observing Isaac's reaction, we see both his anger over Jacob deceiving him to steal the blessing and his acceptance that it cannot be undone—displaying the typical Isaac who conforms to circumstances.

This ultimately reveals the kind of life Isaac led. Although he felt intense anger that made his body tremble, he eventually surveyed the situation and, as always, submitted to God's will.

Isaac's life was one filled with more blessings than anyone else, and overall, it was a life that was praised. However, there are not insignificant regrets.

We, who have the Spirit of Jesus Christ—the perfect seed, the perfect Isaac—when we look at Isaac in that fullness, we notice a regret: he almost always kept God at a third-person distance, rarely approaching Him for a one-on-one encounter.

Isaac, whose name means "he laughs" or "laughter," signifying one who brings joy to God! Yet he kept God at a distance, honoring Him only as the God of his father Abraham.

He couldn't express his own desires, fearing they might differ from God's will. He didn't directly inquire of God. Instead, he always tried to discern God's will through circumstances and third parties, living compliantly while sometimes hiding his dissatisfaction in fear.

God gave him so much, but ultimately, he lived a life that didn't fully enjoy what was given.

It reminds me of the elder son in the story Jesus told. Hearing the sounds of the grand feast his father held joyfully for his younger brother who had returned home, he refused to enter the house and stood at a distance, trembling with anger.

At that moment, the father came out to find this son and said to him:

*"My son,"* he said, *"you are always with me, and everything I have is yours."*

If there are those among us who are like Isaac, they need to hear the voice of this Father.

Not living in mechanical obedience, cautiously making only the correct choices to avoid displeasing the Father, but rather, opening our hearts entirely to our Heavenly Father, whose embrace is unimaginably vast, facing Him warmly, and living a life of love.

When we feel hurt or angry, rather than conforming while watching for cues, we should ask the Lord, sometimes even crying out, sincerely and openly bringing all our sinful thoughts into the light without any veil and confessing them.

To the Lord who already knows everything... To the Lord who has been waiting for us, lay down that heavy burden and confess.

When the cross is placed on one side of the scale, bring everything before the light of truth that there is no sin heavier than that.

At last, you will meet **my God**, not just the God of my father, the God of Abraham, but the God of Isaac.