Read GENESIS 6

The world’s population today stands at some seven billion people. Following God’s original command to “be fruitful and increase” (Gen. 1:28), the world is now full of human beings. But as our reading shows, humanity’s original increase suffered from the consequences of the Fall.

Whatever the enigmatic references to “sons of God” and the Nephilim might be (and scholars do not all agree), the underlying point remains clear: with the increase of humanity came an increase in depravity. Scripture explains the extent of human sin: God saw “how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time” (v. 5). Later, God described the earth as corrupted by the people and “filled with violence” (vv. 12–13). As a result, God “regretted” (literally “was grieved about”) the state in which humanity now lived (v. 6). The joy of God’s creation had now become His sorrow.

In response, God determined to put an end to humanity’s destructive violence with a violent judgment. But notice His underlying mercy and grace, even in judgment. Rather than leave humanity to its destructive end, God would not abandon His original purposes for them to be in a life-giving relationship with Himself. The flood was a means of re- creation, with Noah and the ark being His instruments of that merciful restart.

And so God called Noah, a “righteous man” who “walked faithfully with God” (v. 9), to build an ark of rescue. God made a covenant with Noah, a call of relationship and salvation, for this is God’s way throughout Genesis and throughout the Bible. Despite human sin, God does not abandon us; rather, through His grace and mercy, He calls us into a covenantal, saving relationship.

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Isaiah 49:15–16 aptly summarizes God’s tireless love for us, His unwillingness to give up on us despite our sin. Look up that passage today and copy it on a notecard. Then put it in a prominent place at work, school, or home to remind you throughout the coming week that God’s love and compassion for us are never ending.

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Read Ephesians 2:1–10

A quick perusal of the history of the British royal family in the 18th century reveals some interesting patterns. The heir to the throne was usually married in an arranged union with a German princess. He would have one or more mistresses with whom he’d father children. At least one son, sometimes the heir to the throne, would rebel against the king’s authority. For example, King George II had parents whose marriage dissolved due to their multiple affairs, he himself had several mistresses, and he had a disastrous relationship with both his father and his eldest son.

Children of divorce are more likely to divorce. Children with alcoholic parents are more likely to become addicted to alcohol. Those who have been abused sometimes become abusers. Is there any way out?

The good news is that those who belong to Christ are members of two families. In addition to their natural family, they have been adopted into God’s family. This family is also a kingdom, and those who are joined to Christ come under His dominion. Our passage today vividly describes His power. We have been brought out of death into life! His power is stronger than the power of family dysfunction. We have been freed from guilt and will be an object lesson of God’s kindness for all eternity. All this comes to us as a gift of grace, not determined by our past or our performance.

The New Testament term translated “handiwork” in verse 10 means God is intimately, personally involved in this activity. The word is used elsewhere to refer to a work of art or masterpiece. What does this mean for those of us who come from a dysfunctional home? We are more than the product of our family background. We are the handiwork of God.

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Think of Ephesians 2:1–10 as your adoption papers. They provide written proof that you belong to the family of God. You might also think of these verses as a snapshot. They show who you really are. When you feel haunted by your past, turn to these words to remember your true identity. You are the redeemed child of God.

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Read 1 John 3:1–10

Singer Bing Crosby had the public image of a family man, but after his death Crosby’s son Gary published Going My Own Way, which painted his father in a very different light. According to Gary Crosby, his father verbally abused his children and whipped them until he drew blood. He characterized the Crosby home as “a house of terror all the time.”

Not everyone has a good example of parenting. Even the best families are flawed. If we cannot look to our own family for a healthy role model for parenting, where can we turn? We can look to the Lord.

It is no accident that the Bible refers to God as our Father. This intentional language uses our common experience to enable us to understand what God is like. For instance, Jesus described God as Father to illustrate His willingness to give “good gifts” to His children (Matt. 7:11). Not every parent is naturally inclined to show compassion, but most consider it their obligation to meet the most basic needs of their children. If this is true of sinful parents, how much more must it be true of our Heavenly Father?

In today’s passage John tells us that God has shown us His love by making us His children. This status is a gift that has come to us through Jesus Christ. It brings with it the promise of transformation. Now that we are part of His family, God is reshaping us into the image of His Son (v. 2). This promise also places an obligation upon us. Since we are being changed in this way, it is reasonable to expect a family resemblance. As John puts it: “All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure” (v. 3).

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The call to purify ourselves implies that we are continuing to grow more like Christ. We should be characterized by truth and holy living. If you are frustrated with your current progress, take heart! You are still a child of God, beloved by your Father, and He will not give up on you until the work is complete (see Phil. 1:6).

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Read 2 Samuel 12:1–25

Marital infidelity is often glamorized in popular culture, but in real life it devastates families. In her book, Parents Who Cheat: How Children and Adults Are Affected When Their Parents Are Unfaithful, Dr. Ana Nogales explains that children feel shame and lose trust when a parent is unfaithful. “When one parent betrays the other, a child’s inner world and sense of the world at large are shattered. The personal environment in which he lives and from which he draws his sense of safety and security—namely, his family—is fundamentally changed because the most important people in that environment have become unrecognizable.”

David’s affair with Bathsheba shattered his family. David used the power of his position to seduce Bathsheba and murder her husband, Uriah. David hid the affair until confronted by Nathan the prophet. Instead of rebuking David directly, Nathan told him a parable.

Old Testament commentator Robert Alter notes that the poetic form of Nathan’s speech would normally have alerted most listeners to the fact that the story was constructed and intended to have a moral point. But David was absorbed by the tale and thought Nathan was recounting an actual instance of injustice. In his outrage, the king pronounced sentence upon himself. But instead of the death penalty that David said his crime deserved, the Lord warned that the king’s family would be destroyed. His sons would follow his immoral example, and both his household and his kingdom would be plagued by the sword.

God did not abandon David, but in many ways his life and ministry would never be the same. Forgiveness is available for the most heinous of our sins. Our relationship with God can be restored. But that does not mean we or our families will escape the consequences of our sin.

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David’s story is both a cautionary tale and a cause for hope. We dare not take sin lightly. The first step in recovery is to confess your sin to God. Consider using Psalm 51, David’s own prayer of confession, as a model for your repentance. If you confess your sin, God will forgive (1 John 1:9–10). He will help you to rebuild your life.

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Read 1 Samuel 19:1–17

In Poland in 1941, giving any kind of assistance to Jews was punishable by death—and not just for the individual but also for the entire family of anyone caught helping. Despite this, Irena Sendler led a group who created more than 3,000 false documents to help Jewish families escape and smuggled some 2,500 children out of Poland. Sendler herself smuggled 400 children from the infamous Warsaw ghetto, hiding them in ambulances, suitcases, and packages.

When is such flagrant disobedience of the law deemed acceptable? Our passage today provides some context. By this time King Saul had been warned that his family would lose the throne because of his failure to obey God’s command (see 1 Sam. 15:26). David’s success in battle made Saul both envious and fearful. But instead of accepting God’s judgment, Saul ordered his son, Jonathan, to kill David. Jonathan refused, putting his own life in peril (see 1 Sam. 20:33). David escaped with the help of Saul’s daughter, Michal (vv. 11–12). Jonathan would later help David escape into the wilderness with his promise of friendship and loyalty.

To Saul, it appeared that his children had betrayed him and their own future, but these were actually acts of righteous disobedience. Unlike Saul, Michal and Jonathan discerned rightly God’s command to bless David, and they knew that it was better to obey God than obey the king and participate in an unjust murder.

The church learned this lesson early in its experience when the same religious leaders who arrested Jesus commanded the Apostles to be silent about the gospel. Peter and John boldly replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19–20).

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Refusing to obey those who tell us to disobey God is not a betrayal, even if they are members of our own family. The allegiance we owe God is greater than any human bond or civil authority. Better to please God and disappoint everyone else; as the gospel chorus says, “I have decided to follow Jesus . . . / Though none go with me, still I will follow.”

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Read 1 Samuel 8

Many family counselors have observed that people who grow up in a dysfunctional home are more likely to reproduce the same patterns as adults. But childhood circumstances don’t always determine the future. Growing up in a good home does not guarantee we will share those values. Others who grow up in shocking circumstances transcend their trauma and build a very different life.

Eli had been an indolent and neglectful father. Samuel was a man of integrity. Unfortunately, Samuel was no more successful in parenting than Eli had been. After Samuel had grown old, the leaders of Israel came to him and demanded that he appoint them a king (v. 5). This was a double disappointment for Samuel, who understood their request as a personal rejection.

When Samuel expressed his displeasure to God, the Lord told him to go through with it. “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you” (vv. 7–8).

None of us will parent perfectly, and some disappointments result from our own mistakes. But children also make their own choices for which we are not to blame. Samuel and Eli are not the only fathers whose children have rebelled. God the Father has shared the same experience since the Garden of Eden. Who is a better parent than God the Father? If He has children who refuse to follow in His ways, should we be surprised if the same thing sometimes happens to us? Perhaps we can learn to see our disappointment as an opportunity to appreciate the perfect love and faithfulness of God the Father.

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We would like to believe parenting can be reduced to a few principles, a guaranteed formula, or the right perspective. The truth is that human relationships are far more complicated. Whether you have felt disappointment as a parent or neglected as a child, take comfort in the perfect parent, God our Father, who perfectly loves, forgives, and cares for us.

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Read 1 Samuel 2

One of the most popular Christian books on parenting is The Strong-Willed Child by Dr. James Dobson. The title suggests that some children are less responsive to discipline than others. They are like the little boy who told his mother, “You might as well go ahead and spank me now because I am going to cross the street!”

Today we leave the Patriarchs to focus on three other fathers in the Bible, beginning with Eli the priest. He was the mentor of the prophet Samuel, but the first picture we have of Eli in Scripture is not very rosy. He mistook Hannah’s silent prayer for drunkenness and reproved her (1 Sam. 1:12–14).

Hannah had a heart of worship in response to Eli’s reproof, but his own sons ignored his rebukes about their sins (vv. 22–25). Hophni and Phineas were priests of the tabernacle like their father, but they seduced the women who assisted them in worship (see Ex. 38:8). They also took uncooked meat brought for offering by worshipers without allowing them to burn the fat as the Lord’s portion. If anyone raised an objection to their behavior, Eli’s sons threatened to take the meat by force (v. 16).

Eli’s sin was that he turned a blind eye to his son’s behavior. He reproved them, but only after public complaint made it impossible to ignore. Even worse, it seems that Eli ate the food along with them (v. 29). This was like chastising his sons for stealing and then helping them spend the money. No wonder Hophni and Phineas failed to take their father’s reproof seriously. But there was also a spiritual reason for their hardness of heart. They were being judged by God for their sacrilege (v. 17).

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Keeping silent when we should offer reproof is not grace; it is complicity in sin. Genuine love confronts transgression with the hope of restoration. The entire church shares responsibility (1 Cor. 5:9–13). Ignoring this task hurts the one who is caught in sin and places the rest of the community at risk. Do you care enough to say the hard thing?

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Read Genesis 32:22–33:4

Boxers train for months leading up to a match. They lift weights and engage in rigorous exercise to build up their stamina and strengthen their core. They do pull-ups, chin-ups, and squats. Before the fight they pose for the media in an effort to show that they are ready to beat their opponent. The goal is to be as strong as possible. Nobody aims to look weak.

But weakness was exactly what Jacob needed in his approaching face-off with Esau. After his encounter with the mysterious being described in today’s reading, he was left physically weaker, not stronger for the possible battle ahead. Who was the “man” who wrestled with Jacob until daybreak but refused to reveal his name (32:24)? According to Hosea 12:4–5, this was the Lord God Almighty! This interaction is an example of what theologians call a theophany, an appearance of God in human form before the Incarnation.

This event is the fulcrum of Jacob’s spiritual pilgrimage. Caught between the anger of his father-in-law and his brother, he encountered a power greater than all of them. According to the prophet Hosea, “He struggled with the angel and overcame him; he wept and begged for his favor” (Hosea 12:4). The favor Jacob received was a wounded hip and a name change. From this point on Jacob would walk with a limp and would be called Israel, which literally means “he struggles with God.”

The brother that Esau met shortly after this encounter with God was not the same deceiver he once knew. Jacob’s pilgrimage was not yet over, and neither was the strife between these two rival branches of the family. But the intervention of God made a difference. Instead of a clash of armies, the reunion of Jacob and Esau was marked by a tearful welcome.

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The apostle Paul prayed for God to remove his “thorn in the flesh.” The Lord’s responded, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:6–10). Whatever your source of weakness might be, ask the Lord to reveal His sufficient grace through it. Thank Him that you can rely on His power and not your own.

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Read Genesis 32:1–21

The hymn “God of Our Fathers” was written by Daniel C. Roberts for the centennial celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Roberts was an Episcopalian rector serving in Brandon, Vermont. The hymn begins by celebrating God’s work of creation, and the fourth stanza is especially fitting in view of the events in today’s text: “Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way, / Lead us from night to never-ending day; / Fill all our lives with love and grace divine, / And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.”

After Jacob separated from Laban, he encountered a band of angels. We have no details about the encounter other than the name Jacob gave to the location. He called it Mahanaim, which meant something like “two hosts” or “two armies.” This vision was a reminder of God’s continued protection. But Jacob also took practical measures to protect what was most precious to him. He sent a message to Esau to warn him of his arrival. Then he divided his household into two groups, reasoning that if one were attacked the other might escape.

Jacob asked for God’s protection, praying to the God of his fathers in a way that both reflected his sense of vulnerability and showed evidence of a changed character. In his prayer Jacob acknowledged God’s blessing and admitted that he was unworthy of His protection. Finally, Jacob sent gifts ahead to Esau in the hope that it might appease his anger. Once these measures had been taken, Jacob lay down to sleep. How should we view the gifts that Jacob sent on ahead to Esau? Perhaps they were a tactical maneuver of appeasement. Maybe they were proof that Jacob had changed. Perhaps they revealed Jacob’s inability to fully trust in God. But we might also view them as a form of restitution.

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Are you finding it hard to trust God today? It is reasonable to take responsible measures to secure your future. You might take a few minutes to write down some action steps you need to take. But don’t forget to follow Jacob’s other example: cry out to God and ask for His protection and provision. Put that in writing too!

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THE BATTLE OF THE BABIES: PART II

Biblical narratives often have two plot lines. One is the story line contained in the events themselves; these are the things that happen to the characters. They represent real-life circumstances that people just like us faced. The other might be called the theological plot of the narrative. Behind the particular events that shaped the lives of people like Jacob, Leah, and Rachel was the unfolding plan of God. This plan was not always apparent to those who were part of the story.

This was certainly true in the battle between Rachel and Leah. On one level God was fulfilling His promise to Abraham. He was building Abraham’s line of descent. On another level He was setting the stage for the birth of Joseph and Jacob’s eventual relocation to Egypt. This in turn would pave the way for the great redemptive event of the Old Testament—Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt led by Moses. On a much larger scale, all these smaller plot lines would eventually coalesce in God’s ultimate work of redemption.

The connection between these plot lines is implied in Elizabeth’s song of praise in Luke 1:25, in which she echoes the words of Rachel and Leah. God was doing more than giving Jacob a family. He was creating a line through which He would one day send a Redeemer. But as far as Jacob’s experience went, it just seems like a mess. Like Jacob, Leah, and Rachel the story of our lives also reflects two plot lines. We are mostly aware of the story line of our daily events. We experience the struggle or see the mess. We usually do not know how they fit into God’s larger plan until after the fact. But we do have one great advantage. We know how the story ends.

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The conclusion to our story is recorded in Romans 8:28–30. God works all things for the good of those who love Him. He redeems our experiences—even the messes—into an outcome that will be good. Our destiny is to be conformed to the image of Christ. The end of our story is to see and experience the glory of God.

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Read Genesis 29:31–30:13

For years, China prioritized women’s value as workers and supporters of the state, not as mothers. But in October 2015, China abandoned its policy of limiting families to one child. The one- child rule was implemented in the late 1970s in an effort to limit population growth. Parents who had a second child were fined and could even lose their jobs. The Chinese government made the recent change in the hope that it would help with China’s rapidly aging population and improve the gender balance.

The battle between Jacob’s two wives reveals the opposite cultural value: a woman’s worth was based on her ability to have children. The inability to bear children was considered a mark of shame. In Jacob’s family, this shame was even more acute, and the tension between Rachel and Leah further aggravated by Jacob’s preference for Rachel. This resulted in what might be called “the battle of the babies.”

Rachel and Leah vied with one another and even schemed to see who would have the most children. Some of their plots seem reminiscent of Abraham and Sarah’s attempt to force God’s hand through human effort. God had promised to use Jacob’s family line to fulfill the promise made to Abraham that he would be the father of nations. Both Leah and Rachel wanted to be the mother God used to keep that promise.

God granted children to both, but not because of their schemes. His actions were motivated by compassion for the two women and in response to their prayers (Gen. 29:31; 30:6). Meanwhile Jacob seems like a hapless tool in all of this. He is passed back and forth between these women and their servants. His only comment is

an exasperated admission that the outcome rests in the hands of God (Gen. 30:2).

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Medical science might make advances in reproductive technology, but it is ultimately still God who opens or closes the womb. We can trust Him to deal with us compassionately. He will hear our prayers. Whether you have more children

than you ever expected or you are grieving over infertility, God will be faithful to keep His promises.

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Read Genesis 29:15–30

In mythology, legend, and story, the trickster is a character who survives through lying or deceit. Tricksters often violate cultural norms and subvert those who are in power. Every culture has stories in which the trickster is a key player. Some scholars have seen elements of the trickster in Jacob. He was a man who survived by cunning and deceit. But in today’s text Jacob the Trickster meets his match—both in love and war.

Today’s passage is a love story, describing how Jacob fell in love with Rachel but was tricked into marrying Leah by their father, Laban. Why would a father do such a thing to his daughter? Laban’s explanation was that it was not customary for the younger daughter to marry first. This was probably true, but Laban also had another motive. By deceiving the deceiver, Laban tricked Jacob into giving him fourteen years of service instead of seven.

Family drama fills this account. Laban uses his own daughters to barter for Jacob’s services. Rachel is loved more than Leah. Yet once again we will see that God is working out His purposes in the midst of what most of us would call serious family dysfunction.

As for Jacob, this turn of events was part of God’s long process of taming the trickster and turning him into a man of faith. Jacob’s trials were far from over. But by turning the tables on him, God had begun to wean Jacob away from a lifestyle of self-reliance. In time Jacob would learn that God’s promise comes by faith and not by human effort, schemes, or trickery.

Jacob did not learn this lesson easily and neither do we. The overall nature of his life was one of struggle—with his brother, then with his father-in-law, and eventually with God Himself (see Gen. 32:28).

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One of the primary tools God used to reshape Jacob’s character was disappointment, which weans us away from self-reliance and inordinate desire. If you are struggling with disappointment in your life, you may want to read The Surprising Grace of Disappointment: Finding Hope When God Seems to Fail Us (Moody Publishers).

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Read Genesis 25:19–34

In his book Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them, John Ortberg writes about the tendency we have to exclude other people. He uses the example of the different ways an airline will treat the people in first class compared

to those in coach: “The first-class passengers were served gourmet food on china and crystal by their own flight attendants; those of us in coach ate snacks served in paper bags with plastic wrappers,” Ortberg writes. “The first- class passengers had room to stretch and sleep; those of us in coach were sitting with a proximity usually reserved for engaged couples in the back row of a movie.” Preferential treatment is a common feature of human behavior.

What about God? In today’s passage we learn that God’s plan for Jacob differed from His plan for Esau. Both would become the father of a nation, but the younger brother was to have supremacy. This plan violated cultural norms. In Isaac’s day, the right of inheritance was reserved for the firstborn.

What is the difference between grace and favoritism? The chief difference is that favoritism is based on some perceived advantage inherent in the one who is treated differently. It may be wealth, social status, or simply the fact that the one who is treated as a favorite is part of the same club. Grace is not bestowed on the basis of personal worth. Jacob did not deserve the primary place in God’s plan. Isaac and Rebekah demonstrated favoritism in their attitude toward their sons, preferring the child who shared their own interests. God does not show favoritism, but neither does He treat everyone the same. We are not all granted the same abilities, resources, or opportunities. God showed grace in His promise to Jacob, who had done nothing to deserve it, because of His own plans for His people.

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Favoritism is rooted in selfishness and motivated by self-interest. We play favorites because we derive some benefit from the relationship. Grace is rooted in God’s character and motivated by mercy. It is a blessing bestowed upon the unworthy. In what way can you bless someone who can give you nothing in return as an act of worship for God?

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Read Genesis 22:1–19

Many parents make sacrifices for their children, but Milwaukee father Eulos Rounds Sr. went beyond what most parents have to do. When his son was diagnosed with liver disease, Rounds volunteered to donate 30 percent of his liver. Rounds not only saved his son’s life but also became the first African- American live transplant donor in the state of Wisconsin.

Abraham was asked to make a different kind of sacrifice. God asked him literally to sacrifice his son Isaac. The demand must have seemed strange to Abraham. Isaac was the child through whom God had promised to make Abraham a father of many nations. Yet as far as we are told in Scripture, Abraham did not argue with God. The author of Hebrews tells us why: because of faith in God’s trustworthiness, not mindless obedience. Abraham believed that God was able to raise his son from the dead (Heb. 11:19). God never intended that Abraham would go through with the slaughter; instead, He wanted to make a point: “Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son” (Gen. 22:12).

Is it possible to love God’s promises more than God Himself? We can be so distracted by the things God provides that we lose sight of God. When this happens, God may ask us to choose. The language God uses to describe Isaac reveals the importance of this test for Abraham. God calls him Abraham’s “only son” in verse 2. This was not technically true; as we have already seen, Abraham had another son by Sarah’s maid Hagar. But this designation underscored the uniqueness of Isaac both in Abraham’s affection and in God’s plan. Isaac was Abraham’s unique son. He was the child of promise.

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