The Peacemaker

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

THE PEACEMAKER

 

Gen 32:3-5

3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 He instructed them: "This is what you are to say to my master Esau: 'Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. 5 I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.'"

NIV

We are still in the narrative when Jacob returns to his father’s house, or camp, and meet with his brother Esau. From what appears to be Jacob is making an attempt to be a peacemaker. In the past, that was much hostility to the point that Esau wanted to kill Jacob over the blessing from their father, Isaac. We cannot be sure why Jacob wanted Esau to know that he had become a very wealthy man with cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, menservants, and maidservants. However, the point we see with Jacob returning and sending messengers ahead to inform his brother is that Jacob is trying to make peace, to reestablish a bond with his brother. This could be our life lesson. First, there should never be hostility between brothers and sisters in a family, or in the body of Christ. Unfortunately, we have witnessed hostility or transgressions against one another, and unforgiveness against one another. Jesus made it clear that a peacemaker is blessed. He also made it clear that if we forgive those who trespass against us, God will forgive us, but if we don’t forgive, God will not forgive us. We recite that very truth in what we consider is the Lord’s prayer, forgive us our transgressions, as we forgive those who transgress against us. Jacob is making the effort to be a peacemaker with the hope that Esau will forgive him for transgressing against him. This brings us to the truth that if we have offended someone, and they feel offended and harbor any ill feelings toward us, it is not up to them to come to us, but we must go to them, asking for their forgiveness, making peace. It does not matter that we say we are sorry, but we must ask for forgiveness, giving them a way to forgive us, so that God will forgive them for having any ill feelings toward us. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God. First, let us make every effort to live in peace with all men, meaning we should make every effort not to offend anyone. Second, if we think we have been offended, could that be because we think too highly of ourselves? However, if someone offends us, we have been told to forgive, never harboring any ill feelings, for that would not be living in peace with all men. The way to true peace is to think more of others than ourselves or love one another as Christ loves us. If we are not loving by either offending or by unforgiveness, that would mean no one is a peacemaker thus we would not be a son of God. 

Camp of God

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

CAMP OF GOD

Gen 32:1-2

32:1 Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, "This is the camp of God!" So he named that place Mahanaim.  

NIV

We are not told if there was any exchange between Jacob and the angels of God who met him, but it would make sense they said something to Jacob. Still, the fact that the angels of God came down to meet with him was a great event. Jacob responded by calling that place the camp of God. Because Mahanaim means two camps we wonder if we can make this a part of our story. First, to have the angels of God meet with us seems unnecessary as we have the very Spirit of God camping within us. Yet, it is also possible that we have encountered angels and have been unaware, although we would think if the Spirit is camping, or making his dwelling within us, we would know if we were in the presence of angels. First, we know from the psalmist that he will command his angels to guard us in all our ways. Second, we are told the angel of the LORD camps around us because we fear him and he delivers us. We live in this world, but our citizenship is in the kingdom of God, where the miraculous happens because this is where God resides with Jesus at his right hand. It would make sense that because we are his people and He is our God and he has commissioned angels to guard or encamp around us if we were to see with our spiritual eyes, we would know we meet with angels of God regularly. However, we think it would be wise for us to take our eyes off the things of this world, and look to the thing is God. We know that if we turn our eyes upon Jesus, the things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. Because of this, we would be more apt to see those angels who were tasked to watch over us or camp around us. We live in a place of wonder, a place of grace, where God, through either the Spirit or angels camping around us, influences our hearts and ways, ordering our footsteps. In another sense, when we step into the sanctuary at church, we step into the camp of God. There is one place we know where we can meet with the living God, sitting around the campfire, the very Light of this world. Therefore, Mahanaim could mean to us the two camps of God, one as the Spirit camps within us, and two, where we meet or camp with the living God in the sanctuary of God. Either way, we believe we are always in the camp of God. 

What Agreement?

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

WHAT AGREEMENT?

Gen 31:43-55

43 Laban answered Jacob, "The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? 44 Come now, let's make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us." 45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 He said to his relatives, "Gather some stones." So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed. 48 Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me today." That is why it was called Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah, because he said, "May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. 50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me." 51 Laban also said to Jacob, "Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set up between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me. 53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac. 54 He offered a sacrifice there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night there.  55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home.

NIV

This is the rest of the story; a covenant was made between Laban and Jacob. Interestingly, Laban invokes the God of Abraham, Nabor, and their father, Terah to be the judge between Laban and Jacob. We know that God spoke to Abraham but we have never been told that his father ever heard or believed God. We are also surprised, although we know this, that Laban may not be a pagan, or he still is, and once again, he is just using the God of Jacob as a way to establish a firm separation between himself and Jacob. Laban is Rebekah’s brother and a grandson of Abraham’s brother Nahor, but his father, Bethal was Syrian. We can still be certain Laban did not believe in the God of Abraham. We do not know for certain if Abraham’s brother, Nahor believed in God. Laban still had those household gods, so to use the God of Jacob may have been just another ruse. Laban still insisted Rachel and Leah were his and their children were his and all the sheep and goats in Jacob’s flock were still his. We see he told Jacob, “All you see in mine”, so he has not really come to grips with Jacob owning anything, but what he took from Laban, yet he wants Jacob’s God to keep watch between them. We do wonder why Jacob agreed to this, other than to finally be free of Laban and all his deceit. Paul made it clear there could be no agreement between the righteous and the wicked, or light and darkness, or the temple of God and idols. We should not be yoked, working together for the same cause, with unbelievers. Yet Jacob made an agreement with Laban the man with other gods, and we think it was just to be clear of Laban forever. We do notice Jacob did not take an oath in the name of God, but only in the fear of his father Isaac. Could this have been on purpose as he did not want to make a covenant with Laban in the eyes of God because he knew Laban was not honest in his dealing with Jacob over the past twenty years? This could be our lesson.  First, not to be yoked with unbelievers, not to be engaged with them for the same cause, no matter what that may be. Secondly, we should be wise as serpents, but gentle or humble as doves in our dealings with the ways of the world. However, we should not enter into any agreement with an unbeliever using the name of our Lord as the judge or overseer of our agreement. We and those of the world live under completely different sets of standards. We and those of the world have nothing in common, for we, who are in Christ, are the righteous and they not being in Christ are the wicked. We see this between Jacob and Laban, for God is always referred to as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, while Laban had other gods, hench wicked. Let us be wise and humble seeing the truth in this story, and live for God keeping ourselves out of agreements with the wicked.