Hey there, we are over halfway through the book of Genesis now. Can you believe it? I have to share the BEST comment I heard a few days ago regarding this reading plan. They said something like “I had no idea Genesis was written like a story”. I was overjoyed that they were discovering God in Genesis. That is what this is all about, encouraging people to get into the WORD. Reading leads to transformation which leads to disciple-making. Way to go friend! Way to go.
Genesis 31-33
Let’s look at the events of these chapters and what led me to the theme of this week.
- Jacob runs from his father-in-law Laban. (Genesis 31)
- Rachel steals her father’s household gods. (Genesis 31)
- Jacob wrestles with God. (great article from Got Questions) (Genesis 32)
- Jacob faces Esau for the first time since he left home (Genesis 32 & 33)
As you’ve already gathered the word that truly captured me this week was “fear”. There are different kinds of fear and certainly different levels of fear depending on the situation. We are going to talk about the way I categorize fear into types later. Concern, worry, and anxiety can escalate quickly into full-blown debilitating fear. Unfortunately, these terms are commonplace today and I would love to help people with these today by looking at how fear was dealt with in the Bible.
I’ve heard it said that FEAR is “false evidence appearing real”. That may be true in some cases. We can get pretty worked up without all of the facts, can’t we? Can I just label that false fear?
For example, Jacob heard some negative muttering, told the women folk about it, and decided to run. Eventually, Laban catches up to Jacob (sorry the phrase “you can run but you can’t hide” comes to mind), and as you can imagine after 20 years together Laban is upset by Jacob’s disappearing act. Jacobs’s response is in verse 31 (Genesis 31:31) “I was afraid”. Had Laban previously said, don’t ever leave or I’ll take your wives and children? Not that we know of, so is this a case of Jacob’s mistaking the evidence and making a decision that was hurtful?
Rachel stealing the household gods is maybe not on point here, but again we don’t know why she thought this was necessary. She stole them, in no culture anywhere is stealing an acceptable practice so we can assume the reward was worth the risk to her. Did she take them because she believed that they were essential to her/their well-being? Did she take them because she wanted to make sure her dad did not have the protection of the gods? Did she take them because she thought they may be valuable in her future? I don’t know – but I sense that underneath all of this was Rachael’s fear. She was likely anxious about this new life and new land without the familiarity of home. False information appearing real seems to be a good fit here.
Jacob wrestles with God. This is a curious event. And I don’t want to really get into the nitty-gritty of it, but the bigger message of this wrestling match was Jacob’s boldness, which is the opposite of fearfulness. One way to look at this situation is that Jacob seems to struggle with people. He’s manipulative, and all of that trickery led him to watch his back all of the time. But isn’t it interesting, when Jacob knows that he is dealing with God he does not run, he doesn’t hide, he faced this wrestler and did not quit until he had a blessing. Fascinating. Fearlessness is rewarded.
If we put ourselves in Jacob’s sandals, the time that truly had something to be afraid of was inevitable. He had to face the brother that he cheated. The brother that threatened his life. Now, I don’t know about you, but I would say that is a true reason to be fearful. We can all agree with Jacob when he prayed in Genesis 32:9-12 that God had already told him he was going to be great and would have the promises given to his forefathers, but really can you honestly say that you would not have knots in your stomach about this? I’d label this rational fear and believe that Jacob handled it like a pro.
1. He prayed. 2. He humbled himself.
Lessons
I can relate to this rational fear. A few days ago I was talking through the options on getting some materials from the ground to the roof with my husband. Mind you he is very afraid of heights and I am mearly rationally afraid of heights. When all was said and done I found myself 20 or so feet in the air handling a 3.5 ft triple-walled piece of stainless chimney and gingerly placing it in its new home. During this little exercise, I was reminded to be careful multiple times by the 80-year-old neighbor at the bottom of the extension ladder (not sure what he was going to do in the event that I fell) and that the piece that I was maneuvering into place cost $600. Rational fear said, “pay attention” to what you’re doing. Don’t make any sudden jerking moves. If you fall, you will probably die, or WORSE be broken into so many pieces you’ll be in the hospital and rehab for a year. Rational fear told me to be sure to have a good hold on this piece, it was not only the lost money, we waited for this piece for months!!!! If you drop it, you’ll have to be up here doing this again in 6 months.
I was cautious. The piece was placed properly and all is well. No photo is available of this stressful event, so here is the next best thing.
challenge
1. There is a place for fear. God gave us the instinct to protect ourselves and others by heightening our awareness in dangerous situations. This is true. However, it is also true that our days are numbered and we can not prolong or shorten our days. So caution should remain wise and rational, caution should not extend into crippling fear that damages your relationships and negatively affects your earthly wellness. How to balance this can be seen in #3.
2. There is another place for fear and that is the awe and reverence of God. Solomon finishes the book of Ecclesiastes 12:13 by saying “fear God and obey his commands for this is the whole duty of man.” This kind of fear opens the doors of wonder and curiosity and pulls us into a deeper and richer relationship with the God we awe.
3. The balance and growth come when we close the door or turn down the volume to irrational fear while we open the door and turn up the volume to the fear of God.
a. Start with prayer as Jacob did when he was preparing to face Esau. Admit your fear to God. Ask Him to take it. Ask Him to provide a solution.
b. We can take toward growth by humbling ourselves. Jacob prepared and sent gifts to Esau. He didn’t have to do that but it showed Esau (and us) that Jacob was willing to sacrifice something for mending a broken relationship. His relationship with Jacob was elevated over his possessions at that moment.
c. Finally, it is important that we remember to use the wisdom that God provides to discern what is true and what is not; what (or who) is important to God and what is not. That wisdom comes first and foremost from His word. That wisdom can also come in fellowship with mature Christian sisters and brothers. God can use them to help you tremendously.