Deliverance

DEVOTION

GENESIS

DELIVERANCE

Gen 49:18

18 "I look for your deliverance, O LORD.

NIV

Although this was intended to be included as part of the blessing on Dan, by the translators, this phrase still stands alone in the manner of presentation. This phrase may have been spoken to Dan, but at the same time it may have been a pause in Jacob’s speaking to his sons, thinking about his last moments. It is certainly not intended as an introduction to the prophetic words he speaks to Gad, as each son’s name precedes is blessing. So if it was the last phrase for Dan, he may have brought justice to his people His descendant Samson may have avenged his people, killing many Philistines. But Dan was not the one whom through Jesus brought deliverance to Israel. So we have to believe this phrase was a singular paused moment of Jacob as he neared his stepping into eternity. Could we not learn a valuable lesson here? “I look forward to your deliverance, O LORD”. Truly, we have already been delivered from the clutches of the evil one. The moment we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, Satan lost control of our soul. Jesus delivered us from the city of sin and darkness and brought us into the city of light and love. There is no question we have been freed from the wages of sin, which is death. However, our final deliverance will come when we step into eternity. We live in the present upon this earth, bound in this body. We are subject to the conditions of our humanity, having the limitations of the flesh. We might experience some illness, broken bones, the aches and pains of various conditions. We experience the aging process and all that entails. Once we were young with boundless energy, strong and able to climb any mountain. But age brings a weaker condition with less energy, for some it brings many aches and pains. Not only is the body perishable as with aging and finally death, it is also corruptible. Although we have been delivered from the bondage to sin, we still are subject to the human condition. We desire not to sin, but we still do. What we want to do, we do not and what we do not want to do we still do. This is how the Apostle Paul realized life.

Rom 7:14-25

14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do , but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

NIV

Therefore, as we live in this body, we cannot help but live in a corruptible, perishable state. But Glory to God, we look forward to our deliverance from this body. One day we will lay it aside and step into the eternity a changed being.

1 Cor 15:50-54

50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed . 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."  

NIV

This is our moment of deliverance from the experience of living in this body. Jacob knew his time experiencing the weakness of age, being only able to lay upon his bed, his death bed as it were, knew his deliverance was extremely near and he was looking forward to it. This is how we should be living, looking forward to the day we are delivered from this perishable body. Why would we fight so hard to stay here on this earth, to fight for life, when we are looking forward to our deliverance? Maybe we are not looking as forward to it as we should. Is that a lack of faith? Do we not really believe we will live forever? Absolutely not! We know we will step into the presence of our Lord the moment of our last breathe. So then why do we still struggle to stay here? Maybe it is not a struggle. Maybe we stay here because our days are numbered and he has a calling upon our lives. He has something yet for us to do for the benefit of his kingdom. But the point still remains we should be living with anticipation of the day of our deliverance. All our lives we look forward to other moments, the day of our graduation, the day of our wedding, the day of our child’s birth, the day of our promotion at work, the day our vacation starts,  the day of our retirement, the day of this and that. But what about the day of our deliverance? I look forward to your deliverance, O Lord!