Genesis 10/21/2017

GENESIS

October 21, 2017

By Pastor Kim Hickcox

(All Scripture taken from One New Man Bible unless otherwise noted)

 

After the ordeal with Jacob’s daughter Dinah, Genesis goes straight to where he received a word from the Lord to move. But Jasher covers the battle in more detail and in fact, brings Judah to the forefront. And as Judah is the tribe from which Y’shua comes, I think it would give us some insight as why He chose Judah, save for the fact that his name means Now I will praise the Lord (see Genesis 29:35).

 

So let’s review a little [Biblically recommended] recorded history before we go to God’s Word Itself – call it background if you will:

 

Before they slaughtered the entire city, which we read about it Genesis 34:27-31, Judah (according to Jasher) was asking his father why he was getting so upset about Simeon and Levi going in and killing all the men. He reminded Jacob that not only had they gone against the word of the Lord, but no one in the entire city tried to stop, question Shechem, or even thought that there was anything wrong with what he did!

 

Shechem did all this evil and not one of the inhabitants of his city interfered with him, to say, Why would you do this?...And now why are you afraid or distressed, and why are you displeased with my brothers, and why are you angry with them? Surely our God Who delivered into their hand the city of Shechem and its people, He will also deliver into our hands all the Canaanitish kings who are coming against us, and we will do to them as my brothers did to Shechem.

 

Now be tranquil about them and cast away your fears, but trust in the Lord our God, and pray to Him to assist us and deliver us, and deliver our enemies into our hands.

 

And Judah called to one of his father’s servants, Go now and see where those kings, who are coming against us, are situated with their armies. (Jasher pg 73, bold added for emphasis.) GO JUDAH!!

 

THEN Judah said to Simeon and Levi, and all his brothers, Strengthen yourselves and be sons of valor, for the Lord our God is with us, do not fear them. Stand forth each man, armed with his weapons of war, his bow and his sword, and we will go and fight against these uncircumcised men; the Lord is our God. He will save us.

 

THEN we read that Jacob went to his dad Isaac, who was still living in Hebron, recruited his servants and asked for his prayers too:

 

And Isaac the son of Abraham prayed to the Lord for his sons, and he said, O Lord God, You did promise my father, saying, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and You did also promise me, and establish Your word, now that the kings of Canaan are coming together, to make war with my children because they committed no violence.(Because they didn’t start it, they were just meting out justice.)

 

Now therefore, O Lord God, God of the whole earth, pervert, I pray, the counsel of these kings that they may not fight against my sons.

 

And impress the hearts of these kings and their people with the terror of my sons and bring down their pride, and they will turn away from my sons.

 

And with Your strong hand and outstretched arm deliver my sons and their servants from them, for power and might are in Your hands to do all this.

 

Then Jacob added his pray too: O Lord God, powerful and exalted God, Who has reigned from days of old, from then until now and forever;

 

You are He Who stirs up wars and causes them to cease, in Your hand are power and might to exalt and to bring down; O may my prayer be acceptable before You that You may turn to me with Your mercies, to impress the hearts of these kings and their people with the terror of my sons, and terrify them and their camps, and with Your great kindness deliver all those who trust in You, for it is You Who can bring people under us and reduce nations under our power.  (Jasher pg 74) This last statement was prophetic, as we can see when David was king.

 

And as if to back Jasher up, Genesis 35:5 says, “And they journeyed and the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.” The prayers of Isaac and Jacob were answered!

 

But first, Jacob received an instruction, “Then God said to Jacob, ‘Arise, to up to Beit-El, and live there and there make an altar to God, Who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.’’’ Genesis 35:1

 

And so he did, but listen to what he told everybody, something that God didn’t even mention, “Then Jacob said to his household and to all that were with him, ‘Put away the strange gods that are among you and be clean and change your garments. ³And let us rise and go up to Beit-El, and there I shall make an altar to God, Who answered me in the day of my distress and was with me in the way which I went.’ ⁴And they gave to Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hands and the rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was in Shechem.” Genesis 35:2-4

 

At first I found this kind of surprising that the Lord didn’t mention the idols that were stashed around the camp, but then it struck me that He trusted Jacob to get rid of them himself. After the quashing of their impending battle, Jacob’s resolve and faith, I’m sure, were elevated and in verse 3 when he says, “I shall make an altar to God, Who answered me in the day of my distress”, he could very well have been referring to their most recent dilemma with the Canaanite kings.

 

As far as the idols go, we don’t know if this was a revelation for Jacob, or perhaps they returned from the festival where Dinah was abducted with them, but it adds another layer as to why the destruction of Shechem was sanctioned, why they were told to leave that area and why Jacob’s prayers were answered, as he seemed to be ever strengthening his commitment to the Lord – with the help of his son Judah, who seems to have the Fire of God in him, burning for His Righteous Standards to be kept.

 

“So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan that is Beit-El, he and all the people with him. ⁷And he built an altar there and called the place El Beit-El because God appeared to him there, when he fled from the face of his brother. ⁸And Deborah, Rebeccah’s nurse died, and she was buried below Beit-El under an oak, and the name of it was called Allon-bakhut (Oak of Weeping).” Genesis 35:6-8

 

Jacob sought the Lord when he or his family were in trouble and he worshipped ad was obedient to Him when things were going well. His personal experience changed him. And He is still making Personal appearances today! Do you remember yours?

 

Mine was in 1990. He healed me at the beginning of a church service and saved me at the end of it. Life is never the same after encountering the Lord, is it?

 

This week, let’s take a little time out to remember. Remember everything He has done for you. Write your blessings down and rehearse them. You would be surprised what an uplift that is!

 

He is our every breath, our every heartbeat, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, being sent down by the Father of Lights, with Whom there is not one change or shadow variation.” Jacob 1:17

 

“A psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul! All that is within me, bless His holy name!

²Bless the LORD, O my soul! Do not forget all His benefits! ³Who forgives all your iniquities! Who heals all your diseases! ⁴Who redeems your life from destruction! Who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion! ⁵Who satisfies your old age with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

⁶The LORD executes acts of loving kindness and justice for all that are oppressed.

⁷He made His Ways known to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.

⁸The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in loving kindness.

⁹He will not always chide, neither will He keep His anger forever.

¹⁰He has not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.

¹¹For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His loving kindness toward those who revere Him.

¹²As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

¹³Like a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who revere Him.

¹⁴For He knows our frame, He remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵As for man, his days are like grass: like a flower of the field, so he flourishes.

¹⁶For the wind passes over it and it is gone; and that place will know it no more.

¹⁷But the loving kindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting, upon those who revere Him and His acts of loving kindness to children’s children.

¹⁸To such as keep His covenant and to those who remember to do His commandments ¹⁹the LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.

²⁰Bless the LORD, His angels, who excel in strength, who do His commandments, obeying the voice of His word!

²¹All His hosts, ministers of His who do His pleasure, Bless the LORD!

²²Bless the LORD! All His works are in all places of His dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!” (Psalm 103)

 

SHALOM!