who we belong to

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

061114

Genesis 47:1-12

1 So Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they have, have come from the land of Canaan. They are now in the land of Goshen.”

2 And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh.

3 Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.”

4 They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to stay temporarily in the land, because there is no pasture elsewhere for your servants’ flocks, because the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants locate in the land of Goshen.”

5 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.

6 The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any competent men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”

7 Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

8 And Pharaoh asked Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?”

9 And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my travel are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their travel.”

10 And Jacob blessed Pharaoh then went out from the presence of Pharaoh.

11 Then Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them property in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.

12 And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s family with food, according to the number of their dependents.

_______________________

who we belong to

Joseph knew that his family had several marks against them already as they stood before Pharaoh. They were foreigners in a land where the people prided themselves on their ethnicity. They were shepherds in a land where that vocation was despised. The other leaders in Egypt would resent them because of their relationship with Joseph. But Joseph and his family only had to be themselves. It was the God they belonged to who would be at work among them, making a way for them in this new land. He had a plan, and that plan would be accomplished in spite of the obstacles.

LORD, when we face challenges because of who we are, help us to remember who we belong to.

Posted in confidence, dependence upon God, integrity, Jacob, Joseph | Tagged | 1 Comment

investing in rescue

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

061014

Matthew 18:15-20.

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained by investing in your brother.

16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be proven by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly. And if he refuses to listen even to the assembly, consider him to be a Gentile and a tax collector.

18 Honestly, I am telling you, whatever you lock on earth will be locked in the sky, and whatever you unlock on earth will be unlocked in the sky.

19 Again I am telling you, if two of you agree on the land about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in the sky.

20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” _________________________________________

investing in rescue

The intent of this reconciliation chapter is not to give Christians a legal excuse for abandoning those who hurt them. Jesus was telling his disciples to expect to be sinned against, and betrayed. He then outlines a procedure to follow that is designed to lead to reconciliation and rescue. Obedience to Christ means investing in those who have wronged us and others. It involves more than simply forgiving and forgetting the sin. It requires leading the sinner in the path of reconciliation and renewal.

It is in that context that Jesus instructs his disciples to invite one or two others into the discussion. He has provided – within the body – others who can help us get to those who have failed, and bring them back. He has gifted some with special abilities in counseling and emotional healing.

Essential to the reconciliation process is the united prayer of those seeking to rescue the lost. It is in this context that Jesus promises his special presence in our midst when we pray. As we seek to win back the brother who has gone astray, the power of God will manifest as we come to him for guidance, and intercede for the very person who has wronged us by his departure.

LORD, we accept your command to lead those who have left us – back to you.

Posted in discipleship, prayer, reconciliation, spiritual gifts | Tagged | Leave a comment

demonstrating his faithfulness

Posted on June 9, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

060914

Genesis 46:26 – 34

26 All the souls coming from Jacob who came into Egypt, who came from his own body, not counting Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all.

27 And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the souls of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.

28 He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to get directions to Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen.

29 Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck again.

30 Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.”

31 Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s family, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s family, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

32 And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that their possessions.’

33 When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’

34 you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may live in the land of Goshen, because every shepherd is an repugnance to the Egyptians.”

_______________________

demonstrating his faithfulness

Joseph’s integrity was such that – in spite of the fact that Egyptians despised shepherds – Pharaoh gave Jacob and his family the best of the land. Also, Pharaoh ordered that Joseph appoint someone in his family to oversee his own livestock. All of this favor was the result of God’s grace and Joseph’s demonstration of personal integrity. In the church today we need to be humbled by a constant awareness of how unworthy we are of the blessings we receive. At the same time, we need to strive to live worthy of the name we profess. Joseph did that.

LORD, we surrender to your grace and seek to demonstrate your faithfulness.

Posted in faithfulness, integrity, Joseph | Tagged | 1 Comment

lost little ones

Posted on June 8, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

060814

Matthew 18:10-14

10 “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. Because I am telling you that in the sky their angels always see the face of my Father who is in the sky.

(11)[1]

12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them has gotten lost, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go seeking for the one that got lost?

13 And if he finds it, honestly, I am telling you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never got lost.

14 So it is not the desire of my Father who is in the sky that one of these little ones should be destroyed.

_________________________________________

lost little ones

What should our attitude be toward believers who have strayed from the flock? Jesus had just told the disciples to be tough on themselves – even if it takes self-mutilation, they must remain pure at all costs. But then he tells them not to look down on the little ones. The parable about the one lost sheep shows that Jesus was talking about the apostles’ attitude toward the believers they were to lead. Those who leave the faith or get entangled with sin again are lost. they need to be carefully brought back into the flock — at all cost. We might even have to put our normal ministries on hold for a while and go searching for these lost little ones. The restoration instructions follow,[2] so it is clear that Jesus cares about the fallen as much as he does the faithful.

LORD, give us the wisdom and compassion to seek the lost little ones who leave us.

[1] Verse 11 is not found in the best manuscripts, and is omitted from most of the modern versions.

[2] 18:15-34.

Posted in church, compassion, discipleship, leadership, love | Tagged | Leave a comment

a joyous call

Posted on June 7, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

060714

Genesis 46:1-25

1 So Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and there offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

2 And God spoke to Israel in visions at night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he responded, “Here I am.”

3 Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will set you up as a large nation.

4 I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”

5 Then Jacob left from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

6 They also took their cattle and their goods, which they had gained in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob and all his children with him,

7 his sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters. He brought all his children with him into Egypt.

8 Here are the names of the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn,

9 and the sons of Reuben were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

10 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.

11 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

12 The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan); and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

13 The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puvah, Yob, and Shimron.

14 The sons of Zebulun were Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

15 These are the sons of Leah, whom she gave birth to for Jacob in Paddan-aram, together with his daughter Dinah; all the souls of his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three.

16 The sons of Gad were Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

17 The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, with Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah were Heber and Malchiel.

18 These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob- sixteen souls.

19 The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife were Joseph and Benjamin.

20 And Manasseh and Ephraim were given birth to for Joseph in the land of Egypt, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, gave birth to for him.

21 And the sons of Benjamin were Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

22 These are the sons of Rachel, who were given birth to for Jacob- fourteen souls in all. 23 The sons of Dan were Hushim.[1]

24 The sons of Naphtali were Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

25 These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban had given to Rachel his daughter, and these she gave birth to for Jacob- seven persons in all.

_______________________

a joyous call

As he nears the end of his life, Jacob gets another missionary call. After all this time, he is told to pack up and go to a foreign land to represent his God to a different people. But the LORD of Israel is gracious and merciful. Jacob is not asked to desert his children and grandchildren. He gets to take them all with him. That is not usually how the missionary call works. Usually, we have to leave someone behind, and – let me tell you – that is hard. So Jacob could add to the joys he experienced at the end of his life a joyous call – not to leave his family, but to share his mission with them.

LORD, whatever you call us to do, we will do. You are our greatest joy, and we will follow you anywhere. But we are comforted by this story to know that you will not ask us to leave our loved ones unless your mission demands it.

[1] This is a literal rendering of the MT version in Hebrew. Perhaps the original was “The son of Dan was Hashum.”

Posted in commitment, family, Jacob, missions | Tagged | 1 Comment

the will to be responsible

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

060614

Matthew 18:7-9

7 “Tragedy is coming to the world because of temptations to sin! Yes, it is necessary that temptations come, but tragedy will come to the one by whom the temptation comes!

8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, hack it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the permanent fire.

9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna’s fire. _________________________________________

the will to be responsible

I wrote this a few months ago. My heart was heavy because of yet another moral lapse of a Christian leader – within my own congregation. The shock of this happening so close to home was only equaled by the shame this brought to me, and the sad reality that such things are happening all the time. I wanted to be consoled by God’s word, but my daily reading brought me to this text.

“Perhaps I will have no consolation today. Perhaps the best I can ask for is the will to be responsible before God, my family, and my church family. My eyes are very important to me, but I must be willing to gouge them out if they are leading me to sin. My hands are very important to me, but I must be willing to be responsible for their actions, and hack them off if that will keep me from betraying my Savior. The Lord’s work is too important to entrust to people who cannot control themselves.”

LORD, protect us from our desires, so that your name will be honored in our communities. Keep us from betraying you by being irresponsible.

Posted in destruction in hell, discernment, discipleship, faithfulness, self-control | Tagged | Leave a comment

this is too much

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

060514

Genesis 45:16-28

16 Then the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, “Joseph’s brothers have come,” and it delighted Pharaoh and his servants.

17 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: load your donkeys and go back to the land of Canaan,

18 and bring your father and your families, and come to me, and I will give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you will eat from the fat of the land.’

19 And you, Joseph, are commanded to say, ‘Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.

20 Have no concern for your goods there, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.'”

21 The sons of Israel did so: and Joseph gave them wagons, at to the command of Pharaoh, and gave them provisions for the journey.

22 To each and all of them he gave sets of clothing, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels of silver and five sets of clothing.

23 To his father he sent these: ten donkeys loaded with the best things of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain, bread, and provisions for his father on the journey.

24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they left, he said to them, “Do not argue on the way.”

25 And they left Egypt and came to the land of Canaan to their father Jacob.

26 And they told him, “Joseph is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart went numb, for he did not believe them.

27 But when they told him all the words that Joseph said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.

28 And Israel said, “This is too much; Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

_______________________

this is too much

Jacob had trained himself not to expect too much from life. He had suffered great loss, and he had built up a barrier in his life that shielded him from further hurt. But when he found out that his son Joseph was still alive, AND that he was ruler in the superpower land of Egypt, AND that he was inviting the whole clan to come live in Egypt’s luxury… well, it was too much. The barrier came down.

Jacob probably laughed a lot on his way to Egypt, and even more when he finally arrived. Maybe he pinched himself to make sure he was not dreaming.

Have you grown old and cold, shutting down your capacity for wonder and faith in the impossible? Maybe you have been hurt, disappointed at life and it has deadened you to the joys of surprise. Maybe you have prayed and prayed, and things just stay the same. Perhaps no one can blame you for feeling discouraged, because life can be hard and it is often unfair. But don’t count God out. Even now, he may have a message from Egypt for you.

LORD, open our eyes to the wonder of reality that you control. Give us the courage to keep praying for miracles, long after others have given up.

Posted in encouragement, faith, Jacob, Joseph | Tagged | 1 Comment

important people

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

060414

Matthew 18:1-6

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the most important in the kingdom from the sky?”

2 So, after calling a child to him, he put him in the middle of them

3 and said, “Honestly, I tell you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom from the sky.

4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the most important in the kingdom from the sky.

5 “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me,

6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone strapped to his neck and to be drowned in the deep sea.

_________________________________________

important people

Sometimes we misread this text. In our desire to guard against arrogance and pride, we think Jesus is encouraging us to be childish instead of child-like. To Become like a little child is to accept the grace of God and enter his kingdom on the basis of that grace, not on the basis of our own accomplishments or presumed importance to the kingdom.

But Jesus is saying that the kingdom will have important people. He is in the process of training a few disciples who will be literally his only means of winning the world to himself. So, in order to correct a possible misunderstanding of his simile, Jesus warns these disciples of the danger involved in misusing their leadership. They must be careful not to cause anyone to sin.

One way they would be tempted to cause others to sin is by glorifying themselves instead of Christ. History shows that the church has a tendency to put its leaders on a pedestal. Jesus warned these foundational saints to keep Christ’s followers from becoming their followers.

LORD, if you choose to make us important, give us the wisdom to use that importance to honor you, and not ourselves.

Posted in church, discipleship, humility, leadership | Tagged | Leave a comment

seeing the mission

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

060314

Genesis 45:1-15

1 Then Joseph could no longer restrain himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, “Send everyone away from me.” So no one remained with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

2 And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the residents of Pharaoh’s household heard it.

3 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, because they were troubled by his presence.

4 So Joseph told his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.

5 Now do not be troubled or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, because God sent me before you to preserve life.

6 Because the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.

7 So God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the land, and to keep alive for you many survivors.

8 So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and master of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

9 Go up to my father quickly and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says, God has made me master of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not delay.

10 You will dwell in the land of Goshen, and you will be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.

11 There I will provide for you, because there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, are not reduced to poverty.’

12 And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you.

13 You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Quickly bring my father down here.”

14 Then he embraced his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck.

15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.

_______________________

seeing the mission

Joseph’s revelation of himself before his brothers could definitely have gone another way. He could have used the opportunity to inflict terror and vengeance upon them. Instead, he shows godly consideration. He removes all the bystanders so that they do not overhear anything about the way he came to be in Egypt. This was not out of embarrassment, but a means to protect his brothers from the consequences of their sin. Joseph looks back on his experience and regards it as the means that God used to send him on a mission – a mission that would mean survival and continued prosperity for his father and family.

LORD, help us to see your mission in the calamities and trials we face. And if we do not see the mission, help us to trust that there is one.

Posted in dependence upon God, discernment, Joseph, trust | Tagged | 1 Comment

death and taxes

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Jefferson Vann

060214

Matthew 17:22-27

22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men,

23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And the disciples were deeply distressed.

24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the double drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the double drachma tax?”

25 He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the land take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?”

26 Then when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.

27 However, in order not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a stater.[1] Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

_________________________________________

death and taxes

Tax anxiety always comes at the very worst time. It was that way for the disciples as

well. They had just been treated to yet another prediction by Jesus that he would be brutalized and murdered in Jerusalem. They were deeply distressed. Then tax time happened. Such news made it even harder to do one’s duty and contribute to the temple tax. It would be temple officials who would soon send Jesus to the cross. The disciples would be sorely tempted to organize a tea party.

Jesus handled the whole tax season quite well. He showed Peter that they really didn’t need to pay the tax, because Jesus was a king, and the disciples were his sons: they were exempted. But their kingdom’s time had not yet come, so, just so they did not offend anyone, Jesus would pay the tax. He had Peter withdraw the funds from an unusual bank: a fish’s mouth. Later, the apostle Paul would encourage the Roman Christians to pay their taxes to Caesar as well.[2] Paying our debts is a way of showing that we are believers.

LORD, we choose to respond to stressful times like you do. We will pay our debts, and trust your sovereign power to meet our needs.

[1] A silver stater was equivalent to four Attic or two Alexandrian drachmas, or a Jewish shekel (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon).

[2] Romans 13:6-8.

Posted in discipleship, faithfulness, money, trust | Tagged | Leave a comment