SEARCHING FOR MORE

When do we begin yearning for MORE? I think it begins when we‘re children – as was evidenced by my own little cherubs. We started the Christmas tradition of advent boxes when our girls were in first grade and pre-school. Each day, from December 1-24, our family: 1) read a selected Scripture, 2) shared a short Christmas story, and 3) opened one 1"x 2"x 3" box containing a small gift. The gifts might be coins or pieces of candy, sometimes even a colored "pill" – the outer shell of which dissolved in warm water to reveal a little foam animal. At first each gift was met with wide-eyed enthusiasm, but as the girls grew older they searched for MORE. By the time they reached fourth grade and first grade, our little angels were scowling at the coins and tossing the pills aside. They wanted MORE. So the next year, we made advent a scavenger hunt, filling the advent boxes with clues as to where bigger gifts were hidden in the house. A few years later, our girls outsmarted us and found the gifts before the advent boxes were opened. So once again, we had to find a way to deliver MORE. We began placing wrapped gifts under the tree and numbering them in correlation with the advent box number. We tucked into the advent boxes snappy little poems that gave clues about the gift in the corresponding wrapped gift. This advent strategy has proven most effective and is still in use today – when our girls are in their mid twenties! (The above photo displaying some of our little silly gifts still in use and the fact that our new son-in-law also finds this tradition fascinating!) However, now that our kids are grown, we've all discovered there's just something missing about Christmas. We remember how special Christmas was when children's laughter rang out when they opened their gifts. Wouldn't it be nice to have some grand-kids around? Hmmm, maybe even grown-ups want MORE….

Gen. 35:1 – "Then God said to Jacob, 'Go up to Bethel and settle there…'"

• Jacob went to Bethel. He built an altar, Rebekah's nurse (Deborah) died and God reaffirmed both His covenant and new name to Israel. But instead of obeying God's command to settle in Bethel…

Gen. 35:16-20 – "Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty. And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, 'Don't be afraid, for you have another son.' As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin. So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel's tomb."

• Rachel's death was the first of three tragedies that befell Jacob after he left Bethel. I had always imagined Rachel's death as God's punishment for Jacob's sin. But perhaps she died simply because Jacob didn't heed God's practical directive to SETTLE in Bethel because his pregnant wife was on the verge of childbirth. Sometimes God's commands are purely practical in nature. Many Old Testament Laws (Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) were given to establish sanitation and health practices for a nomadic nation. When the Lord lays a command on our hearts, oftentimes His motive is not to squelch our fun or prove His power – but rather to protect us from all sorts of potential harm.

Gen. 35:21-26 – "Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder. While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father's concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard of it. Jacob had twelve sons: The sons of Leah: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. The sons of Rachel's maidservant Bilhah: Dan and Naphtali. The sons of Leah's maidservant Zilpah: Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan Aram." (emphasis added)

• Consider the grief each person felt at Rachel's loss. Jacob had loved Rachel since the moment he saw her, and imagine Bilhah's grief at the death of her lifelong mistress. Rather than making camp at Ephrath (Bethlehem), Jacob pressed on, moving his family during their grief. Consider this. Would Reuben have slept with Bilhah if Jacob's clan had settled in Bethel as God commanded? Of course, we cannot know the exact circumstances that drew Reuben and Bilhah together, and they are responsible before God for their choice to sin; however, did Jacob's disobedience play a part in their liaison? Maybe Bilhah was despondent at Rachel's death and Jacob, because of his own grief, was insensitive to the needs of others. Perhaps Reuben had simply meant to comfort Bilhah, or maybe as Jacob's firstborn, Reuben saw the opportunity to gain MORE than the firstborn's share and take his father's wife. Sometimes one decision sets into motion a series of dire consequences. Notice Scripture records nothing of Jacob's reaction to the news of Reuben's infidelity. Only a recounting of Jacob's children punctuates the scene, affirming that his family remains – hurting and broken as it was.

Gen. 35:27-29 – "Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years. Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him."

• It seems Jacob's search for MORE finally ended when he arrived at his father's side. But his satisfaction was fleeting. Isaac died shortly after Jacob arrived and left him face-to-face with his brother, Esau. Jacob had twelve sons, three wives and the wealth of his household, but at what cost? His father was gone, his beloved Rachel dead, and the brother he had deceived repeatedly stared at him over their father's grave. What MORE could fill Jacob's heart now? Where did he turn to seek new hope for the rest of his days? The desire for MORE must be focused beyond the temporal things of this world.

Lord, I yearn and search for MORE, and then when I reach the goal – it often feels hollow or only satisfies for a short time. Teach me the contentment of obedience, the utter satisfaction of living in perfect harmony with Your desire for me. Teach me to be still when You ask me to settle and to step out when you call me to action.

THE NECK-BONE CONNECTED TO THE HEAD-BONE

One of my all-time favorite movies is “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” and it boasts one of my all-time favorite lines. “Men may be the head of the house but women are the neck, and the neck can turn the head any way she wants.” Can I hear an AMEN, Sista! Oops, wait a minute. God gets a little cranky with the Israelites in the Old Testament for being “stiff-necked,” so we'd probably better be careful with the neck illustration…. But here's my question for the day: what if you're a do-er in a watch-er's world? What if you‟re a planner, and no one else sees or implements a plan? I'm thinking if the head isn't thinking, the neck had better be turning it – right? Hmmm, that's what Sister Rebekah thought, but I'm not sure her methods were on the up-and-up.

Gen. 27:41-42 – “Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, 'The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.' When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, 'Your brother Esau is consoling himself with the thought of killing you.'”

• Isn't it fascinating that Esau "said to himself," and yet someone heard his whispered thoughts and immediately reported them to Rebekah? How did Rebekah inspire this kind of loyalty? Was it fear? Reward? Or were people naturally drawn to her strong personality and decisive leadership? We can‟t discern from Scripture, but I've met these Type A people in my world…and they make me nervous. Without proper checks and balances, their strengths can become weaknesses and devastate many.

Gen. 27:43-45 – [Rebekah said to Jacob] “'Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran. Stay with him for a while until your brother's fury subsides. When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him, I'll send word for you to come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?'
Then Rebekah said to Isaac, 'I'm disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.'”

• It seems this woman moved into protection mode without so much as a pause. And without allowing Jacob even a syllable of rebuttal, she marched into her husband's tent, voicing her concerns. I don't know if I'm appalled at her audacity or stirred by her resourcefulness. Is she helping God or pushing her own agenda? Wasn't it her duty to protect her family when she anticipated danger? Should she have kept silent and let God handle it or taken matters into her own hands? What would YOU do?

Gen. 28:1-5 – “So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him and commanded him: 'Do not marry a Canaanite woman. Go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother's father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother's brother. May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now live as an alien, the land God gave to Abraham.' Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.” (emphasis added)

• Hmmm. Seems the head finally found its spine. Yes, Isaac did exactly what Rebekah (Mrs. Neck) manipulated him into doing (commanded Jacob to marry someone from Laban's household). However, he also added a blessing to Jacob's departure – a true blessing, meant for this youngest son. Read the richness of the blessing Isaac bestows on Jacob – the inclusion of Abraham's Covenant with Yahweh. Can you imagine the joy Jacob felt at finally receiving his father's attention and approval? Can you imagine the joy Rebekah felt, seeing her husband willingly fulfill the prophecy God had given her when their twin sons jostled in her womb? (Gen. 25:22-26)

Gen. 27:6-9 – “Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, 'Do not marry a Canaanite woman,' and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.”

• As if Esau didn't have enough trouble, he went and married another neck! And an Ishmaelite neck at that! These verses further illustrate Esau's lack of integrity and God's righteous choice in stripping away Abraham's Covenant from the firstborn. Though human hands tainted the process, still the right man received God's Promise.

Lord, I'm so thankful You're bigger than my mistakes, my sins and my limited understanding. You're even bigger than my over-zealous nature – when I try to fix things for You. I don't want to be a neck in our relationship. I want to be Your hands and feet, ministering to others in Your Name. I want to be Your heart, caring for others as You love them. I want to be Your eyes, seeing the world around me as You see it.

MULLIGANS, DO-OVERS AND TURNING BACK THE CLOCK

I felt so sorry for the soloist at a little church, where my husband was guest speaking recently. The ushers came forward for the offertory prayer, and after a hearty “amen” from the congregation, music began filtering through the speakers. One look at the soloist, and everyone knew – it was the wrong music. She stood like a statue – gray and unmoving – with a stricken expression. The sound tech didn't get it. She then began a series of silent nods and furrowed brow communications to the man behind the “play” button (who happened to be her husband – poor brute). When the non-verbals failed, she lifted the microphone to her lips and said defeatedly, “It's the wrong song.” Her cheeks and ears were fire-engine-red by the time the right soundtrack popped and ground out the beginning melody. Her first notes floated on shaky vocals, but she sang it. A sweet offering of faithfulness in the face of those too familiar technical demons.

It was a classic do-over. It's called a “mulligan” in the game of golf – quite a handy little tool in which you can almost turn back the hands of time and pretend the first attempt, the first mistake, didn't happen. Oh, how Isaac and Esau wished life offered mulligans…

Gen. 27:28-29 – [Jacob deceived his father, Isaac, and as a result Isaac blessed Jacob with the blessing he meant to give Esau] “'…May God give you of heaven's dew and of earth's richness – an abundance of grain and new wine. May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.'”

• It's difficult for our modern Western culture to grasp this idea of the Middle Eastern firstborn's blessing. This pronouncement was a holy mantle of responsibility originally passed from Abraham to Isaac – and one that would need to be maintained for generations to come. For whatever reason, Isaac had determined in his heart to give that blessing to Esau. Five times he tested the son now standing in his tent - making sure it was Esau. This was no small decision and no small “mistake.”

Gen. 27:30-31 – “After Isaac finished blessing him and Jacob had scarcely left his father's presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, 'My father, sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.'” (emphasis added)

• Don't miss the irony in this. If Esau had arrived just moments earlier, he could have exposed Jacob's deception. But time ticks away in God's capable hands, to be lived once – and only once – in sequence, without do-overs or wasted regrets.

Gen. 27:32-35 – “His father Isaac asked him, 'Who are you?'
'I am your son,' he answered, 'your firstborn, Esau.'
Isaac trembled violently and said, 'Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him – and indeed he will be blessed!'
When Esau heard his father's words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, 'Bless me – me too, my father!'
But he said, 'Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.'”

• I believe this is the singular moment when Isaac realized how completely he had loved Esau and slighted Jacob. But I'm not sure Isaac regretted his prejudice. I think Isaac realized the totality of blessing he bestowed on the favored son because it left the TRUE Esau without a future – and THAT caused him sorrow. But if Isaac had succeeded in blessing Esau, Jacob would have been left destitute. Would Isaac have cared? Was there now – or would there ever be – any repentance in Isaac's heart for the prejudicial treatment of Jacob?

Gen. 27:36-38 – “Esau said, 'Isn't he rightly named Jacob [figuratively, grasps the heel or he deceives]? He has deceived me these two times: He took my birthright, and now he's taken my blessing!' Then he asked, 'Haven't you reserved any blessing for me?'
Isaac answered Esau, 'I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?'
Esau said to his father, 'Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!' Then Esau wept aloud.” (emphasis added)

• It seems Esau has spent most of his life feeling as if he was Isaac's only son – the manly man, the firstborn, the favored. Suddenly, the idea of Isaac having only ONE isn't so appealing. Esau's worst enemy has taken the ONE treasure. When ONE includes you, ONE seems fine. When ONE excludes you, ONE is pretty awful.

Gen. 27:39-40 – “His father Isaac answered [Esau], 'Your dwelling will be away from the earth's richness, away from the dew of heaven above. You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck.'” (emphasis added)

• No mulligans. No do-overs. No turning back the clock. The ultimate blessing was given to Jacob, and Esau will get the best blessing his father can give him under the circumstances – separation from his brother. Sometimes when we can't do it over, we must do it completely different.

Lord, when no amount of fixing or re-doing will help, please direct those big blunders to innovative endings. Show me when separation becomes the best solution. Let me rest in Your ability to speak louder than my ignorance and work in spite of my mistakes. Remind me at all times that You are all-knowing, all-powerful and perfect in love and wisdom – no matter how big of a mess things have become.

THE ORIGINAL DESPERATE HOUSEWIFE

One would never guess that this fine, upstanding college student would devise a plan to make a single pair of underwear last for four days. Well, "necessity is the mother of invention," and "desperate times call for desperate measures." So when this guy was in a Texas college, and his mother was 2000+ miles away in Indiana, and he came down with a bad case of the flu - he made it work. With only 2 pair of clean underwear left in his drawer, he improvised. Day 1 - right side out, tag in back. Day 2 - wrong side out, tag in back. Day 3 - right side out, tag in front. Day 4 - wrong side out, tag in front. Day 5 was rewarded with his last pair of clean drawers in the drawer, and the rotation started fresh: right side out, tag in back.... You get the picture.

Have you ever been desperate enough to wear dirty underwear? How about staring into an empty coffee pot each morning? What about looking at the last empty wrapper of your chocolate stash? These are all the quirky, amusing “Desperate Housewife” type of stressors, but some of us have experienced true desperation born of real-life struggles. An eviction notice. A pink slip. An empty pillow beside us. These are the morally-numbing, heart-stopping, edge of darkness events that can lead to despair – the precursor to desperation. Wouldn't it be nice if an empty coffee pot and dirty underwear were the closest we ever came to distress? But chances are we'll all be tested at some point in life. So what would you do if life got desperate? How would you insure your safety? Protect your children? Here's how Isaac and the original desperate housewife reacted…

Gen. 27:1-4 – “When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, 'My son.' 'Here I am,' he answered. Isaac said, 'I am now an old man and don't know the day of my death. Now then, get your weapons--your quiver and bow--and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.'” (emphasis added)

• Isaac made no secret of his preferential love for Esau, though his firstborn sold his birthright to Jacob years earlier for a measly bowl of stew. Now believing death is near, Isaac makes a desperate attempt to control HIS family and God's plan, returning the firstborn's blessing to Esau. Desperation causes us to grasp for illusions of control, but the truth is – Isaac lived for another 20-40 years and didn't even need to make such a declaration at this time.

Gen. 27:5-10 – “Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, 'Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, “Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the LORD before I die.” Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.'” (emphasis added)

• Rebekah and Isaac had “drawn straws” for their children years ago. Rebekah must have wondered what would become of her and Jacob if Isaac died and Esau gained the inheritance. There were no welfare programs for an elderly woman if Esau cast her aside. And what if her elder son provided for her but killed Jacob for cheating him out of his birthright years ago for the bowl of stew? We can manufacture desperation by the “what if” scenarios we create in our minds. Faith is giving God the “what ifs.”

Gen. 27:11-13 – “Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, 'But my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I'm a man with smooth skin. What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing.' His mother said to him, 'My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me.'”

• Notice Jacob didn't object on moral grounds, just on possible tactical and logistical foul-ups. It seems from this reply that he was okay with the plan as long as they didn't get caught. Desperation weakens our moral sense of responsibility and heightens our sense of self-preservation. Anything that heightens SELF weakens the Spirit that is seeking to expand Christ in us.

Lord, I have found nothing good in desperation – unless it drives me to You. It drove Isaac to control, Rebekah to deception and Jacob to moral failure. I see fear at the root of all their choices, driving them toward foolish attempts to save themselves. It's so much easier to look at THEM and see the answers, Lord. Help me to take these lessons and apply them to the desperate situations in my life. Those issues when I rush in to take control. When it seems best for everyone that I speak in shades of gray rather than being completely honest (with myself and/or others). When I gloss over the niggling sense of wrong to achieve a greater good. May the only desperation I EVER feel be the desperation to be ever closer to You, Father.

GARB-EOLOGIST

The man pictured at right is a garbologist, one who studies the nature and changing trends of garbage, trash, modern refuse. An archeologist, on the other hand, is one who sifts through historical ruins, finding treasures to inform our present and future. Today, I'm hoping to combine the two fields, creating a new vocation in which we sift through the old garbage in life and find (or create) new treasures! Our goal is to become Garb-eologists! In order to inspire you, let's start with my life. The first ugly heap arrived Sunday evening, when an airline rep. called to say our Spring Break flight to Florida had been canceled. Instead of arriving at 4:05pm as planned, the airline re-booked us on a later flight arriving at 11pm – in Tampa – which is still a two-hour drive from our destination. Garbage. This was piled atop my past negative experience with this same airline that ripped off the front pocket of my suitcase last year and refused to compensate me for it. Ancient ruins. Digging through the muck, I asked nicely, “Could you try to find us a flight on another airline that would arrive closer to our originally scheduled time?” The rep. actually found two available flights with another airline but on another day. No problem – I'm a burgeoning Garb-eologist! I'll just call our friends the next morning to confirm before I secure the new tickets. When I called the airline the next day to grab the tickets, you guessed it…no flights available except those stupid 11pm flights. Garbage again. So where's the treasure? Most of you are probably saying, “Well, DUH! You're going to Florida!” But when you're elbow deep in the garbage, sometimes it's tough to see the treasure….

Gen. 26:12-16 – “Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him. So all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth. Then Abimelech said to Isaac, 'Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us.'” (emphasis added)

• Here's a little exercise that might be good to start. I've highlighted the good things in bold type, and listed the bad things below.

BAD:

1. Philistines envied Isaac.
2. Philistines stopped up the old wells Abraham‟s servants had dug.
3. Abimelech (King of the Philistines) told Isaac to leave the city of Gerar.

Sometimes our emotions can give us tunnel vision, shading the good, leaving only a view of the bad. When we take the time to write down the good vs. the bad, it can sometimes put things into perspective.

Gen. 26:17-22 – “So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there. Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them. Isaac's servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen and said, 'The water is ours!' So he named the well Esek, because they disputed with him. Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah. He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, 'Now the LORD has given us room and we will flourish in the land.'” (emphasis added)

• Again, I've highlighted in bold type the treasures in the midst of Isaac's garbage. It was a respectful act that Isaac reopened Abraham's wells; marvelous that God renewed the old wells' flow; a blessing that Isaac's servants found and dug new wells. However, the real treasure came from the next “garbage” heap. When Isaac faced the third confrontation over the well following “Sitnah,” he moved on and finally dug a well that no one quarreled over. It was his PERSISTENCE that became a treasure, which led to the greater treasure – finally involving God in the process! …come to think of it…though Isaac gained a wealth of persistence, what garbage might he have avoided if he called on the LORD first?

Gen. 26:23-25 – “From there he went up to Beersheba. That night the LORD appeared to him and said, 'I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.' Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD . There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.” (emphasis added)

• Again, the good things are bolded, but I must admit…my heart aches a little bit for Isaac. I know he should be thankful the Lord appeared to him. I know he should be grateful that God has promised to be with him and to bless him and increase his descendants. But I'm still hurting that God says He's Abraham's God, not Isaac's – and that He's doing it all for Abraham, not Isaac. I'm having a little spiritual pity party on Isaac's behalf, and the garbage heap is getting taller by the minute! I've fallen into the too familiar trap of spiritual envy, wishing my relationship with God was like someone else's. Whether it's 2000 B.C. or 2010 A.D., the temptation toward spiritual envy lurks behind every trash pile.

Gen. 26:26-33 – “Meanwhile, Abimelech had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his personal adviser and Phicol the commander of his forces. Isaac asked them, 'Why have you come to me, since you were hostile to me and sent me away?' They answered, 'We saw clearly that the LORD was with you; so we said, “There ought to be a sworn agreement between us” – between us and you. Let us make a treaty with you that you will do us no harm, just as we did not molest you but always treated you well and sent you away in peace. And now you are blessed by the LORD.' Isaac then made a feast for them, and they ate and drank. Early the next morning the men swore an oath to each other. Then Isaac sent them on their way, and they left him in peace. That day Isaac's servants came and told him about the well they had dug. They said, 'We've found water!' He called it Shibah, and to this day the name of the town has been Beersheba.” (emphasis added)

• After all the abuse Isaac had taken from the Philistine herdsmen, he probably could have flung garbage all over Abimelech. Instead, he treated the Philistine king with hospitality and respect, gave himself time to sift through the ruins and find the treasure. And the next morning, Isaac made a friend instead of an enemy.

Gen. 26:34-35 – “When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.”

• It's interesting that Esau's two grievous Canaanite wives are mentioned here like a footnote. A footnote of refuse, I might add. No treasure listed. No children. No joy. Nothing redemptive even later in Scripture. Sometimes there is only garbage; and only grief…and at that point, there is only God.

Lord, teach me to be a skilled Garb-eologist – sifting through both the ancient and modern garbage in my life to find the treasures. In those rare cases, when no treasure can be found, please be my Light and Safe Place in the darkness that threatens.

I WOULD NEVER...

Have you been feeling a little nauseous lately? Perhaps you've been “eating crow,” or maybe munching on “your own words,” or even eating a little “humble pie.” That kind of diet can sure make the stomach churn. We can all cut down on the beleaguered belly-aches by borrowing some moccasins. Let's take some advice from a Native American proverb: “Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins.” We might get a blister or two from living another person's circumstances, but our compassion quotients will soar and our patience points will sky-rocket. Experience builds understanding. I hated watching golf until I tried to hit that stupid white ball into a distant hole. I didn't appreciate great books until I tried to capture a reader's attention for more than one sentence. I never fully understood what incredible parents I had until I tried to raise my own children. Oh, I remember the rebellious vows I thought to myself as a child. I will never make my kids take naps. As a teenager, I stomped in the door at 11pm. My children will never have a curfew. Guess what? My kids took naps and had curfews. But some parent/child issues cut deep and leave gaping wounds in the lifelong relationship. I've often wondered about Isaac's relationship with his father, Abraham. Did that twelve-year-old altar boy grow into an angry adult saying, “I would have never...”

Gen. 26:1-3 – “Now there was a famine in the land--besides the earlier famine of Abraham's time--and Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar. The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, 'Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.'”

• During a famine recorded in Gen. 12:10, Abraham (then called Abram) fled to Egypt for survival. A generation later, Isaac stopped in Gerar, which was in southern Canaan – on the way to Egypt. It‟s unclear if God‟s appearance stopped Isaac‟s flight to Egypt or merely confirmed his decision to linger in the Philistines‟ capital. Regardless, this is God‟s first recorded appearance to Isaac, and Abraham‟s son received personal direction and promise from El-Shaddai! How exciting, how fulfilling! Yet I wonder if the holy encounter was at all tarnished by self-satisfaction that he‟d done it “right” – without leaving the land of Promise as his father had? When we compare ourselves to others, we judge; and when we judge, we lose – because Jesus is the only One, perfect Judge.

Gen. 26:4-6 – [God said to Isaac] “„I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws.‟ So Isaac stayed in Gerar.” (emphasis added)

• In God's infinite understanding, He emphasized that Isaac's future blessing had been secured by Abraham’s explicit obedience to God's EVERY requirement, command, decree and law. Had Isaac questioned his father's life of obedience? Think about the decisions in Abraham's life and how they would have affected Isaac. Might even Abraham's son held bitterness in his heart against his father? How often does God ask us to release the past into His all-sufficient hands? Granted, not every decision people around us make is based on godly obedience. However, God HAS promised that every circumstance works for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28). Are we then so different than Isaac? We, too, have a promise based on grace.

Gen. 26:7 – “When the men of that place asked [Isaac] about his wife, he said, 'She is my sister,' because he was afraid to say, 'She is my wife.' He thought, 'The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.'”

• If these words sound oddly familiar, it's because Abraham gave the same answer in the same city for the same reason – one year before Isaac's birth (Gen. 18-20). This is one of those nauseous, humble pie experiences, when hopefully Isaac was wearing his father's moccasins instead of strutting around saying, “I would never...” Because he most certainly DID tell the same lie. Actually, Sarah was Abraham's half-sister, which meant his was a half-truth. Isaac's was ALL lie.

Gen. 26:8-10 – “When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, 'She is really your wife! Why did you say, “She is my sister”?' Isaac answered him, 'Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.' Then Abimelech said, 'What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.'”

• It's humiliating to be publicly chastised for our sins, and granted – Isaac should not have lied. But what if my theory is correct, and Isaac had been thinking he was a man above his father's penchant for deception? What if Isaac thought, I would never…and then he did? In such a case, Isaac's first mistake occurred before the lie. His first sin was the spiritual pride of thinking, I would never.

Gen. 26:11 – “So Abimelech gave orders to all the people: 'Anyone who molests this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.'”

• Abraham lied to a Philistine king named Abimelech (Gen. 20). Isaac faces either the same man (over 75 years later) or perhaps his son or grandson. Regardless, Abimelech is wise enough to recognize two things. 1) The God of Abraham and Isaac is mighty enough to protect them – so Abimelech protects them; and 2) being an astute judge of human nature, Abimelech realizes his Philistine people might be angry about the deceptive foreigners and gives strict orders about their safety. He doesn't fall prey to the assumption that his people would never… It's good to be optimistic but not when safety is at stake.

Lord, I want to have high standards for myself and others, but it can be a sign of pride or presumption to think I would never or others would never…. Give me wisdom to soberly judge myself and others, recognizing Your grace as my only salvation and Your power as the ultimate source of justice for wrongs – past or present.

SLIP-SLIDING AWAY

The funniest thing about this video is that someone is sitting in a cozy house watching the whole thing, and the poor schmuck in the minivan has no idea their traumatic event is being captured on youtube for eternity!

Have you ever been the poor schmuck in the minivan and felt the world shift into a sort of instantaneous slow-motion? At the first sign of a skid, your mind has time to think, I’m losing control. Can I steer out of the slide? Right or left? Should I apply the brakes? No way! I wonder if I’m going to roll my car, hit another vehicle, walk away unharmed? Maybe I’m going to die today. Shucks, I was looking forward to lunch. Now, in my experience, at this point, your car has inevitably stopped its erratic journey into whatever ditch or immovable object awaited. And then – silence. Squealing tires cease. Screaming (probably your own) stops.

I know this process well because I've done it twice as a driver and once as a passenger. To be honest, the passenger experience was a much calmer ride. It was midnight on Christmas Eve, and Roy was driving. We were traveling from our home in northern Indiana to his folks' house in Indianapolis (3 hours away) in a blinding snowstorm. There we were, the only minivan on a deserted state road at midnight – without any tracks to show us where the road curved. When the slide started, our van went sideways down a slight embankment. Hmmm, probably going into a cornfield, I thought. Snow was flying. Around we go. I wonder if the snow will cover up the van completely. Sure am glad we have blankets. Still sliding. I’ll bet we’ll have to go to the bathroom out here in this stupid field. Finally, we stopped. Roy and I looked back at our two daughters, their eyes as big as saucer sleds. “Are we going to starve to death before someone finds us out here?” one of the girls asked. Guess we know what she was thinking. What do you think when your life begins to take a slide? Do you think Isaac might have felt like this when his life was beginning to slide out of control...

Gen. 25:1-6 – “Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah. Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.”

• God told Abraham that Isaac was to be his son of Promise. So why did Abraham take another wife and have other children? Scripture never records WHEN Abraham made this fateful decision or WHY. Nor does it record Isaac's reaction to his father's marriage or the “gifts” Abraham gave to Keturah's sons. How would you feel knowing you were God's first choice, but not your father's? Did Isaac feel his life was beginning to slide out of control?

Gen. 25:7-11 – “Altogether, Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.” (emphasis added)

• During this time in history, people were buried the same day they died. That means Ishmael and Isaac must have already been with Abraham or at least have been within a day's camel-ride of Machpelah. Remember, no quick flights on El-Al or Lufthansa! And, by the way, when did Ishmael ride back into the picture? Imagine what Isaac felt when his long-lost older brother arrived at Father Abraham's death-bed. Did he play out every awful scenario during “the slide” or did he wait faithfully for God's blessing to emerge after his father's death?

Gen. 25:12-18 – “This is the account of Abraham's son Ishmael, whom Sarah's maidservant, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham. These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers according to their settlements and camps. Altogether, Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people. His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt, as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.”

• The fact that we have a complete record of Ishmael's sons tells us that Isaac was well aware of not only their names but also the locations of their settlements and camps. Notice Ishmael has twelve sons that grow to twelve tribes marked by a penchant toward violence. Imagine Isaac (age 75), standing with his two sons (approx. 15 years-old) and Rebekah at Abraham's grave. Beside them – behind them – all around them...the twelve hostile Ishmaelite tribes. Would you fear for your children's inheritance? Their lives? Are you feeling Isaac's slide turn into a spin?

Gen. 25:19-23 – “This is the account of Abraham's son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, 'Why is this happening to me?' So she went to inquire of the LORD. The LORD said to her, 'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.'” (emphasis added)

• Wife barren! Sliding, spinning out of control! What does Isaac do? He prays...on behalf of his barren wife. YOU GO, MAN! And what does Rebekah do when pregnancy turns out to be not as fun as she anticipated? She prays. YOU GO, WOMAN! Slide stops. All is silent. And then what does God do, when a hormonal, hurting, woman prays? He answers HER, speaks to HER. YOU GO, GOD!

Lord, in the midst of a slide, my focus is too often on the whirling earthly things around me. The betrayals, disappointments and fears are exhausting; and quite frankly, terrifying. Help me to close my eyes and focus on You instead of my circumstances.