THE GENTLE COMMANDER

Do you remember those first awkward attempts at writing your name? Forming the letters with those big pencils or crayons? Perhaps a parent or teacher placed their hand around yours to guide your progress – a stick, a loop, a curve, crossing a “t”, dotting an “i”. How about the first time you rode a bike without training wheels? Did someone hold onto the back of the bicycle seat, running behind you until the pedaling could maintain your balance? I remember another such milestone in my development. I think I was in first grade, and I had joined a Brownie Troop – you know, the precursor to Girl Scouts. It was mostly fun and games until at one meeting the leader announced what was thought to be a grand event. To me, it marked a moment of panic. The Father/Daughter Dance was upon us, but I had no idea how to waltz; and I was stricken with the belief that surely every other first grade girl knew how to dance like Cinderella. (Why do we torture ourselves like this?) I went home to announce that my life was over and I could never attend another Brownie meeting – especially not the Father/Daughter Dance. My father, knowing his daughter was the high countess of all drama-queens, gently took my hands and said, “Stand on my feet, baby girl.” I placed one foot on each of his Wing-tip shoes, and he began to waltz. I’d watched longingly each New Year’s Eve as my parents glided across our family-room floor to Guy Lombardo’s band music. Now, I was waltzing with my daddy, and all I had to do was keep my feet planted firmly on his. When I consider all that Noah had to do, I wonder if he didn’t need a little “hands on” help from God…

Gen. 7:1-5 – “The LORD then said to Noah, ‘Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. Take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate, and also seven of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth. Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.’ And Noah did all that the LORD commanded him.”

• Okay, let’s break it down. Noah had two things to do, and God had two things to do:

Noah’s two things:

1. Go into the ark so you don’t get wiped from the face of the earth when the
   flood comes.
2. Take with you…certain animals.

God’s two things:

1. Start the rain in seven days and continue for forty days and nights.
2. Wipe from the face of the earth every living creature that He had made.
   Noah didn’t seem worried about God’s “to-do” list. Noah focused on what Noah had to do, and he let God do what God said He’d do. Hmmm. Interesting concept.

Gen. 7:6-10 – “Noah was six hundred years old when the floodwaters came on the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood. Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark, as God had commanded Noah. And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth” (emphasis added).

• Okay, now it seems that entering the ark to escape floodwaters is a given. Duh, right? And I can see how going out to search for every kind of animal might be overwhelming, but for heaven’s sake – the animals came to Noah! Another gimme, right? But stop, and become Noah for just a moment. Look at your neighborhood as if for the last time before it’s totally destroyed. Consider every living creature – human and animal – every structure of your society, everything you know to be familiar and normal. All about to vanish – literally – from the face of the earth. After 100 years of building an ark – the strange contraption of his salvation – Noah needed the gentle hand of his Commander guiding these final steps.

Gen. 7:11-16 – “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, on the seventeenth day of the second month--on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. On that very day Noah and his sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, together with his wife and the wives of his three sons, entered the ark. They had with them every wild animal according to its kind, all livestock according to their kinds, every creature that moves along the ground according to its kind and every bird according to its kind, everything with wings. Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark. The animals going in were male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in” (emphasis added).

• Let me ask you this. Why record what year, month and day of Noah’s life the flood occurred? Didn’t the earth start over at that point? So why is God so adamant about twice saying “on that day” and “on that very day”? Because every day of Noah’s life was precious to God – not one was forgotten or wasted or unimportant. God guided Noah’s hand, held onto his bicycle seat and let him waltz on God’s big feet all the days of Noah’s life – because our God is the Gentle Commander. He expects strict, unyielding obedience. Noah did as God commanded. But God guided him tenderly every step of the way.

Lord, You are an exacting Teacher, but You are also a loving Guide, who walks every path with me. When I’m tired and discouraged, remind me of Your tenderness that carries me through the rough spots. If I’m feeling overwhelmed, help me discern if I’ve taken part of Your to-do list and made it my own. Teach me to allow You to guide my hand, using Your strength and Your wisdom to complete the tasks before me.

SEPARATE TOGETHER

Now, it would be important to keep the woodpecker separate from all other creatures on the ark - am I right? Actually, keeping the woodpecker separate from EVERYTHING would have been essential....

Heads and tails, two sides of the same coin – inseparable without destroying the essence of the object. Peas in a pod, separate objects, yet one depends on the other for growth and development until it separates into its full purpose. A clock face and the two hands of time – the face with its numbers would be useless without the long and short hands of time to give clear indication of time passing, separate entities that work in concert, giving meaning to a circle and two sticks. Contemplate “separate” for a moment. Imagine if your fingers weren’t separate. You’d have one big mitten for a hand. Bummer. No thumbs. Typing would be much slower. How would you play a piano, hold a pencil, work a remote control? Yikes! These are the deep questions that keep me awake at night. Not really. But isn’t it cool how many things in this world God separated and yet still uses together? As my children are getting older, it’s important that I get a clearer understanding of this separate-together concept. As my parents are getting older, it’s important that I get a clearer understanding of separate-together. As I am getting older, it’s important to learn that even though God separates, He still unites in interesting ways….

Gen. 6:9-10 – “This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.”

• Notice that Scripture said Noah walked with God, but it is silent about his sons’ character or relationship with God. Shem, Ham and Japheth were separate individuals, who in their own hearts had to make separate decisions about their faith; but they were included in the ark of salvation – it seems – because of their association with a father of faith. Today, there is no ark of salvation in which our family or friends can sneak in on the skirt-tails of our faith. Each one must decide to enter the Ark of Jesus Christ by his or her own personal faith; however, family units still have great influence in that decision process.

Gen. 6:11-13 – “Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, ‘I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth.’”

• In God’s sight, the earth and people are separate entities, and it was the people’s violence that caused the corruption of the earth. Our individual sin, from the very beginning, has affected more than just the individual. The next time temptation comes knocking on your heart’s door, please consider the innocents affected by your individual, separate-seeming sin.

Gen. 9:14-17 – “So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. Make a roof for it and finish the ark to within 18 inches of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.”

• Notice the separation in destruction. All life under the heavens, and only creatures that had breath, right? What about those that didn’t breathe – fish, for instance – did they perish? Even those who didn’t perish – the residents of the ark – were to be separated into lower, middle and upper decks. They’d be saved – separately, together. They’d survive – separately, together. They’d re-create the whole earth – separately, together. Separate yet together seems to be the recurring theme in everything God does – much more complicated than one or the other because it requires judgment, direction, wisdom.

Gen. 6:18-22 – “But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark--you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.’ Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”

• God was very explicit with Noah, huh? Male and female, birds, regular “animals”, and creatures that move along the ground. Elsewhere God distinguishes between livestock and beasts of the field. Here he talks about keeping the different kinds of food – for man and beast – separated for storage. Think of the immensity of this task. Noah had to store every kind of food in order to survive and then be able to reproduce that food later. Now, realize anew the weight of the words, “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” Not only did the life of those in the ark depend on it, but the future of the earth as well.

Lord, when the task required such intricate detail, Who better to give instruction than the Creator of countless variations of delicate flowers? When a task or project seems overwhelming to me, I often see the whole picture as too large. Teach me to listen for Your separate instructions, Lord, on each detail. Teach me to wait on You for each separate step and learn to put them together in Your time, with Your particular process in place for the whole.

Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes! by Robin Jones Gunn

My wild and wacky friend, Robin Gunn, has a new Sisterchick novel coming to bookstores May 5, 2009! For all the details, and a listing of her other publications, visit her website at www.robingunn.com. Here's a little snippet of what's waiting for all you Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes:

Summer and Noelle, two pen pals since 4th grade, meet for the first time in the land of tulips and windmills. An abnormal mammogram sends Summer on a quest to fulfill her lifelong wish before she begins the same struggle her mother fought against breast cancer. The story of these two Sisterchicks is brimming with hope and cheer and will bring encouragement for any woman who has faced a fearful future.

SIN SO LONG

Wouldn’t sin be much easier to avoid if its consequences were immediate? Not that I’m telling God how to run his world, or anything – but I guess I am. If Eve had dropped dead the moment she ate the fruit, wouldn’t Adam have had greater incentive not to eat it? If only my face would bloat the moment I ate that third piece of chocolate cake. If only an eye would fall out, when I willfully watched pornographic material that the world deemed appropriate for those over seventeen years of age (I’m talking “R” rated movies, not “Honey Goes to Vegas”). If only the consequences of sin immediately followed my sin – I would be far less likely to sin. Think about it. When a two-year-old touches Grandma’s antique crystal vase, don’t we immediately smack his chubby little hand (or put his hand in time-out)? THAT’s immediate consequence for sin. But guess what? We’re not two-year-olds, are we? God expects us to obey without an immediate hand smack. He expects us to trust, when He says the consequences are real and imminent and eternal. We can only sin so long before God eventually intervenes to stop it; however, the full consequences of that sin may not be fully realized for years to come…

Gen. 6:1-3 – “When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the LORD said, ‘My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years’” (emphasis added).

• “Sons of God” is believed to indicate angels who came to earth and procreated with mortal women. I used to fume over these verses because God judged the mortals, who appeared to be the victims in this whole mess. However, consider the broader picture. Angels “marrying” mortals will have mortal children, who will consequently die in God’s judgment of 120 years. Immortal angels will watch their offspring die – now, that’s judgment. And what is 120 years to an immortal angel? A blink of an eye. Now, who do you think received the more severe judgment – mortals or immortals?

Gen. 6:4 – “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days--and also afterward--when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.”

• This verse shows the level of depravity; it’s the litmus test of a society’s sin. The Nephilim, the shameful offspring of angels and women, prompted men’s pride rather than their repentance. Granted, the Nephilim were awesome specimens. Sometimes sin births an outwardly beautiful result – instant gratification – while inwardly and eventually, it delivers judgment, destruction and death. Humankind celebrated and esteemed the very sin that caused their judgment.

Gen. 6:5-8 – “The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, ‘I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air--for I am grieved that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD” (emphasis added).

• I always thought God destroyed the earth with a flood because He was angry. Nope. Wrong emotion. God was grieved, His heart filled with pain. Why was I so quick to accuse God of being angry, when Scripture plainly tells me that His response to sin was grief and pain? Granted, Scripture has many other instances in which God’s anger is stirred by people’s sin. But doesn’t anger often spring from grief? As a parent, I often try not to discipline in the heat of anger, in the midst of my hurt. Consider this – is that why the consequences of my sin don’t immediately follow the offense? Now, I realize God is perfect and can never sin. He does not have the human failings of a fallen parent. But perhaps, just perhaps, forestalling the consequences of our sin keeps Him from judging in wrath or in the midst of deep hurt. Something to ponder – that will at the very least make us better parents, teachers, leaders.

Lord, somehow knowing that my sin grieves You makes me want to be more obedient. There’s a little bit of ornery in me that seeks to challenge an angry God, but I don’t ever want to cause my Heavenly Father pain. Disappointing You seems unbearable. Hurting You feels miserable. Betraying You is unthinkable. Let the conviction be real and unquenchable.

GOOD GENES

Do you have good genes? In my day, Calvin Klein, Jordache, and Levi were always the standard – oh, wait. Genes. Like the genes passed down from my mom's mom (we called her Mom-Mom), who lived to be 101 years-old. That's her above, at her 100th birthday party, with my mom and dad, sister, brother and me. Genes - you don't get to shop for them, try them on for size. Genetics Home Reference Handbook says that genes are the basic physical and functional unit of heredity. They are made up of DNA and act as instructions to make molecules called proteins. Yawn. No quiz at the end, I promise. You know what I want to know about genes? Do my genes determine my lifespan? Are they at least an indicator of how long I should live? What external factors override our internal, hereditary trends? Stupidity could count as one external, overriding factor, I suppose. How many of us have at one point or another made an idiotic decision that will no doubt shorten our lifespan? Supernatural intervention is an external factor that overrides our hereditary trends – sometimes Satan destroys, sometimes God intervenes. Still, it’s fun to look at a family tree from beginning to, well – beginning – and notice some interesting facts…

Gen. 5:1-3 – “This is the written account of Adam’s line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them ‘man.’ When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.”

• In our written account, our Bible, Adam’s line begins with Cain. In the ancient writings, “man” begins with Seth – the “do-over” kid, whose name meant “granted” – and he looked like his dad. What grace.

Gen. 5:4-8 – “After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died. When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh. And after he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Seth lived 912 years, and then he died” (emphasis added).

• Notice the long lifespan and the mention of not only multiple sons but also daughters in Seth’s lineage, emphasizing people and relationship. In Cain’s genealogy only one son was mentioned until Lamech’s dual marriage (4:19-22), and things and accomplishment were emphasized. (Unfortunately, we know that all humanity – except Noah – eventually became completely corrupt and violent. Even Seth’s line chose to turn away from the Name of the Lord.)

Gen. 5:9-24 – “When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan…and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died. When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel…and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died. When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared…and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died. When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch…and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Jared lived 962 years, and then he died. When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah…and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (emphasis added).

• Please read the last sentence again. It’s easy to miss it. Enoch lived about 1/3 as long as his ancestors – but he walked with God for those years. Did he feel cheated by such a comparably short life? Did his family feel cheated? Notice, Scripture does not say Enoch died. A dear friend, who is a retired seminary professor, once said, “Perhaps Enoch and God were walking in the cool of the evening and God said, ‘Hey, Enoch, why don’t you just come home with me tonight?’” I love that. I want that kind of walk with God – the kind when I close my eyes in this world, God simply invites me to His house for eternity.

Gen. 5:25-32 – “When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech…and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died. When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. He named him Noah and said, ‘He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed.’…Lamech…had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Lamech lived 777 years, and then he died. After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth” (emphasis added).

• Lamech fell prey to a common snare – looking to a human savior. Lamech looked to his son, Noah, for comfort. Others look to spouses, friends, co-workers, etc. to fill emotional, physical and spiritual needs. Let’s examine the other side of the proverbial coin. What did that kind of pressure do to Noah? He was 500 years-old before he had children, for heaven’s sake! But it was for heaven’s sake that he was ultimately refined and made righteous. Did he bring the comfort his father hoped for? See the “Sheep Going Deep” section to ponder the possibilities.

Lord, when someone disappoints me, help me to examine my heart – to determine if I have placed unholy hope on their shoulders. Teach me to treasure all the blessings You give in this lifetime, but at the same time, remembering there is only one Savior, one ultimate Hope.

Interview with Author, Jill Eileen Smith

As many of you know, I have a passion for God's Word. That passion finds its expression in many forms. These devotional posts are one form; however, several months ago, the Lord opened the door for another exciting opportunity to explore God's Word in a new way. I'm currently writing two novels - one, retelling the story of Job's life (release date 1/2011); and a second, depicting Solomon's early reign as seen in the Song of Songs (release date 1/2012). During my writing journey, I've met other friends with a similar passion to paint the pictures of Scripture with broad strokes of living color. Jill Eileen Smith is one of those friends. I asked her to share a little bit about the writing journey of her first biblical novel, Michal. I hope you enjoy getting to know her and will stop by her website or blog to find out more about this compelling retelling of David's first wife.

Mesu: How long have you been writing?

Jill: All totaled, not counting high school days, about 24 years.

Mesu: Why/how did you choose to write about Michal?

Jill: Initially, I didn’t. My first attempt at writing was a two-volume epic on King David. I tried to sell the epic 28 times but to no avail. One rejection letter, however, came from an editor at Harper & Row suggesting that I change the focus from David to Michal. At the time, I turned her down. Many years later, however, I could no longer ignore the prompting and wrote the book. Michal’s story became the first book in The Wives of King David series, and that same editor, Lonnie Hull Dupont, now with Revell, bought the series 16 years after that initial suggestion. So though I chose to write about David, I did not initially choose to write about Michal. Now, of course, I’m very glad I did.

Mesu: What new information did you discover about Scripture or your characters that surprised you, disappointed you; anything that made you angry or awed?

Jill: Hmm…this is an interesting question. I’m not sure I have a definitive answer. I had studied David’s life for at least seven years, so I knew his story fairly well. Michal’s story intertwines with his, but in some places when she is separated from David, the details of her life are left to the imagination. There really wasn’t much new information in Scripture to discover about her that awed or angered me. When I wrote this book I understood the Scriptural aspects in such a way that they were not new to me. Now in the current writing of Bathsheba’s story, I’ve discovered some interesting things, but I can’t share those yet because the book isn’t finished. J

Mesu: How did you research your book?

Jill: I studied the biblical passage a lot. I read commentaries on the passages, read it in other versions, studied Bible dictionaries, history, geography, customs and manners – anything I could get my hands on to help illuminate what might have been. In my current writing, I spent a day researching Hebrew word meanings in 2 Samuel 11 to better understand the scene and the characters’ motivations. The best research was a trip to Israel in 2008 – a wonderful addition to years of study.

Mesu: How is writing biblical fiction different than writing other types of novels?

Jill: I think the biggest challenge to authors of this genre is accuracy. Some will work hard only to set the stage of historical accuracy, not minding if they have to tweak the biblical account, as long as the story’s historical setting is correct. (All historical authors should research the period to stay true to the time and place.) But Christian authors have the added challenge of keeping the biblical account accurate, of not deviating from what is written in Scripture or changing the meaning. I personally think a Christian author of biblical fiction needs to study the Word, to know the whole counsel of God, not just the small portion where their story is set. There are times a person is spoken of later in the Bible and it’s important to read what is said about them outside of their specific story. It is also important to understand the Bible as a whole in order to stay true to its message.

Mesu: Does biblical fiction’s unique framework make it more challenging for the author or easier?

Jill: Short answer: It depends. Harder for the Christian author because of the need to weave the fine details of the Bible’s story in with their own fictional tale. Easier in that the plot is at least in part laid out for the author.

Long answers: I read a story about Esther recently written many years ago and now out of print. A wonderfully retold tale – though the craft – the telling and head hopping – would not bode well in today’s market. Still, the story is skillfully done. My one nit-pickiness was in recognizing that the author left part of the Bible tale out to fit her story. For instance, instead of showing Esther hold her banquet over two days before telling the king her plea, she tells him her request on the first night, the first time he asks. In Michal a similar situation arose when David evaded King Saul’s spear twice. The novelist must decide – leave one out for the sake of story or try to understand why and how it might have happened twice as stated in the Bible. The framework of Scripture is placed there by God and while these details might not matter whether they are included in our fictional stories or not, a biblical novelist is challenged with trying to understand how they might have happened and why they are included. Writing a redundant scene is not necessary, but perhaps the repetition makes logical sense and could add to the tension and conflict of the story.

Mesu: What other projects are you currently working on? Release dates?

Jill: Abigail: A Novel, Book 2 in The Wives of King David,
Turmoil marked her life—what price must she pay for love?
release date: February 1, 2010.

Bathsheba is in first draft stage – should release Spring 2011.

The Wives of the Patriarchs – titles and release dates to be announced. Books will focus on the wives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

http://www.jilleileensmith.com/
http://www.thewivesofkingdavid.com/

BEING FIRST AT BEING WORST

Boys are notorious for being rowdy, daring, active. Believe me, girls can be just as rambunctious! When children grow up, those qualities sometimes manifest in words like: Ambitious. Driven. Obsessed. These are negative terms used to describe someone consumed with activity. Passionate. Committed. Resolute. These are nice, Christian terms used to describe someone consumed with activity. The only difference is terminology. The calendars – and dare I say, the results – often look the same. When our daughters were younger, and Roy was in his first ministry position, I felt “led” to get involved at our church. Though I was not the typical pastor’s wife – no horn-rimmed glasses, didn’t play the piano, and barely tolerated other people’s children – I waited approximately 3.2 seconds before jumping into ministry with both feet. At one point, I was singing in choir, hosting a small group in our home, teaching ladies’ Bible study and an adult Sunday school class, attending women’s missionary meetings/events and co-directing the K-2nd grade children’s program (80 children). I was also trying to start a personal speaking ministry and attend our daughters’ school and sporting events, while supporting my husband in his first pastoral position. Can you say SuperPastorsWife? Neither could I. Though I was ministering, I was restless. I was fulfilled, but I knew I should slow down. But how do you say no? Well, my body said NO for me. It didn’t appreciate my passionate, committed, resolute life, and four years into ministry, it rebelled – slowing me from my all-out sprint to a restless jog called, fibromyalgia. The second body rebellion happened five years later and removed my running shoes completely. I spent six months in bed asking questions, relying on the Lord for answers; and slowly, my restless spirit began to still. “Why am I driven?” “For Whom am I passionate?” “Am I ambitious or committed?” Ambition vs. commitment isn’t about which word we choose to describe the condition. The key is Cain’s curse: restless wandering. Recognizing our restlessness, speaks to the motive for our activity. If we’re restless in the activity, it’s not of God; but it doesn’t mean we will fail. Cain excelled in his restlessness.

Gen. 4:17-18 – “Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.”

• Before you ask – I have no idea who Cain’s wife was…she could’ve been his sister, his cousin or a new lump of dirt. If God thought it was important, He would have told us. Perhaps the fact that she’s not defined and never mentioned again gives her significance. The poor woman is a shadow. She gives birth to the first child outside God’s presence, and it seems her violent, selfish, restless husband’s only concern is building a dynasty of his own. Cain’s ambition gains him the first city, named after his first child, but why is there only one child named of each son? Is it selective genealogy or the jealousy and ambition of Cain coursing through his descendant’s veins, causing them to repeat his bloody sin perpetually? Enoch, Irad, Mehujael, Methushael and Lamech all grew up in the restless, godless Land of Nod, under the angry influence of their ancestor Cain.

Gen. 4:19-24 – “Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play the harp and flute. Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain's sister was Naamah. Lamech said to his wives, ‘Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed (I will kill) a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.’”

• Alright, Lamech! The first to mess up God’s perfect institution of one-man-one-woman marriage! Great job! Let’s all send him an anniversary card. Actually, no need to rub it in. Lamech discovered his own set of troubles with two wives. One wife had two sons – shepherds and musicians. The other wife had a son, maker of “tools” (i.e. weapons), and a daughter (and we know how a girl can set her brothers against each other). We know Lamech felt threatened by his wives because he had to remind them that harming a hair on his head would bring down trouble on theirs. I’m guessing the blood-shedding Cain began was rampant by the time Lamech’s family roamed the earth with their shepherds’ rods and iron tools. First isn’t always best, and more (especially wives) doesn’t necessarily bring contentment – in fact, just the opposite sometimes.

Gen. 4:25-26 – “Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, ‘God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.’ Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on (to proclaim) the name of the LORD.”

• This time Eve remembered God as she gave birth, and Seth’s lifetime marked a time when “men” began to call on or proclaim the name of YHWH – the Covenant God.

Lord, Seth wasn’t first. In fact, a lot of people don’t even know his name. But You did. You chose him to be the faithful “begin again” guy. He didn’t build the first city in the Bible, but he was the first evangelist – proclaiming, calling on the Name of YHWH. His foundations still remain, Father, because they were built on the Eternal Rock. Oh, that my efforts would rest on the same Foundation. No more restless wandering from ambition to passion to obsession for this Type-A girl, Lord!

CAIN WASN’T ABLE

I have a friend named, Carol – a friend of a friend, really, but dear all the same. Roy and I had the pleasure of chatting with Carol and her husband, Gene, at a mutual friend’s wedding reception – just a lovely Christian couple, proud of their only son, J.P. Jason Paul Kent - a vibrant Christian young man, graduate of the Naval Academy, serving God and his country. Have you heard the story? J.P. is the son of Carol Kent, Women of Faith speaker and internationally known author - imagine the shock and despair when J.P. was convicted of first-degree murder. You may be asking yourself, “How could such a GOOD guy do such a bad thing?” Carol tells their gripping story of reckoning and recovery in When I Lay My Isaac Down. In Jason’s situation, his heart and mind focused on protecting the lives of those closest to him, but that meant the death of another. We can ask ourselves how someone who had experienced God’s presence could commit such an act of violence. But in the Beginning, just after the Fall of Humankind, Cain speaks directly to God after his sin – and scoffs at Him. The presence of God is not a guarantee of human goodness – only a promise of the opportunity for forgiveness.

J.P. Kent is now serving a life sentence in Florida, but his heart is eternally serving Christ, ministering to other inmates alongside the Chaplain, and helping his parents with the non-profit organization: Speak Up for Hope (a ministry to the families of incarcerated individuals). Cain, on the other hand, had no such redemptive turnaround….

Gen. 4:8 – “Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let's go out to the field.’ And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.”

• Did Adam and his family regularly slaughter animals for clothing/tools/supplies by this time? Had Cain ever killed anything before? We don’t know. But we know two things: 1) He didn’t shed blood for God’s sacrifice – as Abel had done (Gen. 4:4, Cain brought grain); and 2) This was the first human blood spilled in Creation. Sin crouched at Cain’s door (4:7), and when he didn’t master it, it overtook him.

Gen. 4:9 – “Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I don't know,’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother's keeper?’”

• At least when God asked Adam and Eve questions after the Fall (Gen. 3), the first couple answered with honest blame. Not Cain. He’s a lying smarty-pants! No repentance there. I marvel at Cain’s audacity, but how often do I blatantly ignore the first promptings of the Holy Spirit’s conviction?

Gen. 4:10-12 – “The LORD said, ‘What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth’” (emphasis added).

• Cain’s curse involved restless wandering in a wasteland – for the remainder of his life – away from the work that defined his life’s purpose. Imagine the modern version – a lifetime of airport layovers with all the restaurants closed. Never home, never satisfied, no hope of rest – ever.

Gen. 4:13-14 – “Cain said to the LORD, ‘My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.’”

• Cain’s first concern was separation from the land (food and work/identity) – secondary concern was separation from God’s presence. This is the difference between true repentance and all-purpose sorrow. And in a final moment of hysteria, physical well-being became his most urgent plea. Our true priorities come out in times of crisis.

Gen. 4:15-16 – “But the LORD said to him, ‘Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over.’ Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod,F(Wandering) east of Eden.[1]”

• Okay, don’t ask me where “Nod” is. All we know is, “east of Eden.” Hmmm. Must be all God thought we needed to know about it…Oh, and He also thought it was important that we know it means, “wandering.” God’s curse on Cain was three-fold: 1) life, 2) separation from God, and 3) restless wandering. Yes, life was a part of the curse – because it was a life lived in total separation from God. We have no understanding what that would be like because God’s Spirit is at work in believers on this earth, so He is present in and among us. Hell’s Lake of Fire is a great reason to believe in Jesus Christ, but the better cause is the eternal separation from God – no recourse, no reprieve in judgment. Cain experienced that separation in life on earth and wandered without direction or divine aid. Ugh.

Lord, thank You that any restlessness or wandering I may feel is never an end, but only a warning to draw me back to You. Protect me from the lies of the enemy that would seek to deceive, filling my mind with discouragement and self-loathing. Thank You that Your forgiveness and grace are as close as a prayer, and Your love never rests on my effort or deserving.

[1]Excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved

BORN TO PRIVILEGE

Oh, that my daughters were always this sweet to one another! Big sister was just so happy that little sister decided to come home for Spring Break this year, she couldn't contain herself! What is your family ranking? Your birth order? It’s not necessarily the same question, is it? Sibling rivalry is as old as Creation, and today we get to look at its origin. Let’s take my own children for example. Trina, our firstborn, has studio baby pictures beginning at birth, three months, six months, nine months, a year, two years, and three years-old. Like clockwork. Poor Emily, our second born, has a hospital newborn photo, two studio photos taken sometime before she was three years-old, and I think the rest of her studio shots include her sister. You get the picture (pun intended)? Further confessions of a downhill mommy – Trina’s baby book is completed; Emily’s is hit-and-miss after age 2. The perils of the second born. However, before you begin feeling too sorry for little Emily, let me tell you the nickname she earned by age four, “Little General.” Because even though her sister is two years older, Emily could always wrap Trina around her little finger at will. Here’s an example. It’s Christmas time 1991, and the girls are pretending the nativity scene. Emily wants to be Mary, so she tells Trina, “I’ll be Mary; you be Joseph.” Trina defiantly refuses. Emily says, “Okay. You be Joseph, and I’ll be Mary.” Trina, feeling victorious, says, “That’s better!” And off they go, Emily with the Mary blanket securely fastened around her head, Trina marching away with the Joseph staff/mop in hand. A few seconds later, Trina realizes she’s been duped, but Emily reminds her that she’s already agreed. And big sister with the soft heart rolls her eyes, stomps her foot and says, “Next time I get to be Mary!” So who exactly was born to privilege in this family? We’ll get a snapshot of Adam and Eve’s feuding boys, and you can see how to truly judge privilege….

Gen. 4:1-2a – “Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, ‘With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.’ Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.”

• Notice how Eve spoke of God’s interaction with her in bringing forth her firstborn – so much so that it influenced Cain’s name. Then notice the complete absence of God in the reporting of Abel’s birth. Think about how important a name was. “Cain” meant, “brought forth” or “acquired” because Eve acknowledged that the LORD helped her bring forth a man. Scripture doesn’t tell us what Abel means, but the Hebrew word means, “breath, temporary, meaningless.” How about that for establishing your self-worth at an early age? Or did Adam and Eve simply know somehow that he would live for a short time? Either way, life is different for someone named, “temporary and meaningless.” If you were Cain, wouldn’t you feel privileged?

Gen. 4:2b-5 – “Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.”

• I’ve heard lots of sermons and commentary on the offerings and attitudes of these brothers. Had God instructed them on appropriate offerings? Dunno. Did Cain bring second-class grain, while Abel brought his best? Probably (Heb.11:4), but dunno specifics. Scripture DOES tell us clearly, however, that when God corrected Cain, he reacted in anger. That’s what PRIVILEGED spoiled brats do. Yes, it matters what the offering was, but it matters MORE how Cain reacted to God’s correction. And right now, in this moment, it matters MOST how you and I react to God’s correction…

Gen. 4:6-7 – “Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.’”

• God asked Cain to simply make the right choice, and he would be accepted. But PRIVILEGE says, “I want to do what I want to do – and still be accepted.” Then privilege becomes indignant when it’s judged unacceptable. Privilege wants us to treat sin as a pet, a little indiscretion. God tells Cain that sin desires to “HAVE” him, which leads me to believe that every time I choose sin, sin gains more of a hold on me. Flip side: every right choice brings us one step closer to mastering the sin that seeks to “have us.”

Lord, with every breath, I have the choice to do what is right or give sin a stronghold in my life. Privilege seeks to live in my own world, pleasing myself no matter what pleases God. How often do I truly sacrifice my own desires to please You, to seek You, to discover what kind of offering You truly desire from me? If I bring You an offering, and You disapprove, will I be like Cain and stomp off mad? Or will I take the time to listen for the changes You desire? Lord, search me. Show me. The only privilege I desire is Your presence and Your pleasure.

GOD’S DEEPER MEANING

I’m not what most people would consider a compassionate person. Our precious daughters learned early in life that when they were sick and throwing up, it was their father who gently dabbed their forehead with a cool cloth and cooed over them while they hung over the porcelain throne. I was all about the mission. Get the bucket by the bed, the 7-up and crackers, change the sheets, etc. Obviously, all of the above is necessary. We simply recognized our giftedness areas early on. So when our family moved to seminary (picture at right), and our third-story apartment was two floors above a ranting, maniacal mother, who threatened each afternoon before naps, “I can’t take it anymore!” – my compassionate response was, “Neither can I, so shut up!” Of course, I didn’t actually say that to the poor, dear woman. (Can you see why I didn’t go into counseling?) The first time she said it, I looked out the window to see if she had a gun or if she might try something desperate. But her children continued their antics, and she kept flipping burgers on the grill, screaming at the top of her lungs. As our months of seminary drug on, the same declaration became this woman’s daily mantra. I realized that she could indeed “take more” – and chose to. But it occurred to me that perhaps her words expressed something deeper. (Those of you with a little compassion are saying, “Duh, Mesu!”) I began chatting with her on occasion and in a short time, she revealed much of the pain carried in the desperate sentence she shouted to the world. You see, that’s what words are – simply vessels that carry messages. As a listener, I must hold the vessel of words up to the Light to see if the messages they carry hold greater meaning than the simple container in which they’re packaged. Oftentimes, God’s messages are so vast that our small 26-letter alphabet has a difficult time carrying His deeper meaning. So it was when the curses were levied…

Gen. 3:14-15 – “So the LORD God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.’”

• The immediate message compels snakes to slither forever. We might even be able to argue that snakes were cursed to aggression toward humans and humans given dominion over them. However, God’s deeper meaning has nothing to do with a snake’s anatomy or how I conquer one with my shovel. The enmity between the woman’s offspring and Satan’s offspring is a picture of the Cross of Christ and foreshadows the crucifixion (Satan striking Christ’s heel, hanging on the Cross) and the Resurrection (Jesus Christ crushing the power of death, which is Satan’s hope to steal God’s children). Even when humankind failed in the beginning, God had already planned our victorious ending.

Gen. 3:16 – “To the woman he said, ‘I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.’”

• The immediate message says it’s gonna hurt like the dickens to deliver a baby! (And that’s no small message!) The deeper meaning is of great debate, but here’s what the Lord has laid on my heart. When the woman used her influence to draw her husband into sin, God cursed that portion of the male/female relationship. I believe the “Nag Factor” falls under the curse. I’m sure all husbands will agree, but wives stay with me here. And those of you not married, this affects you as well. Women continually want MORE from men. They want more respect, better compensation, more affection, better understanding – for crying out loud, just take out the trash more! More. But from the beginning of time, men have been in positions of influence over women, saying, “I refuse – or I can’t – or I don’t think it’s necessary – to give more.” The curse for a woman runs deeper than pain at the end of nine months. It’s constant discontentment at the discretion of one who has been placed in a position of authority over her from the beginning of time. The only remedy is finding contentment in and through the Spirit of God – married or unmarried.

Gen. 3:17-19 – “To Adam he said, ‘Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, “You must not eat of it,” Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.’”

• The immediate message says Adam got in trouble for listening to his wife and not listening to God, so he’s doomed to plucking weeds for the rest of his earthly life – which will end in death because of his sin, by the way. The deeper message says, “Though you’ve chosen death, I still offer you life.” God consistently offers life in all three curses: 1) though the snake would strike his heel, the woman will have offspring; 2) though the woman will have pain and frustration, she will bear children; and 3) though humankind can no longer pluck plump, ripe fruit from trees God provided (Gen. 2:16), they can work the ground for food.

Gen. 3:20 – “Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.”

• I don’t know about you, but if I was Adam, her name might have been Mud! But Adam’s compassionate naming of his wife tells me he learned the compassion of God’s judgment. It tells me he was able to receive God’s discipline and God’s grace because the true test of receiving grace is giving grace.

Lord, sometimes I become so discouraged by my own or others’ sins that it’s hard to receive or give grace. I become so focused on the downfall, I miss Your upswing. You are a God of deeper meaning. Even Your judgments go deeper than discipline – to finding the joy and redemption of life. Never let me settle for the immediate messages I see in Your Word. Take me deeper…