Friday, 20 November 2020

G-d's promises

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"Next, Rivkah took 'Esav her older son's best clothes, which she had with her in the house, and put them on Ya'akov her younger son; and she put the skins of the goats on his hands and on the smooth parts of his neck. Then she gave the tasty food and the bread she had prepared to her son Ya'akov." (Genesis 27:15-17, CJB)

This is the scene where Rivkah has heard Isaac tell Esau that he was going to bless him and is getting Jacob to trick her husband into blessing him instead. Many people think this is because when she cried out in pain when she was pregnant, G-d told her the younger would serve the older - so now she is making sure it happens!

It's important that we don't take G-d's promises for granted and presume that He will make everything come right without our having to put in any effort. (This us especially important in the aspect of living righteously before Him.) He has called us to partner with Him to bring His purposes about on earth. Yet, also we mustn't presume that He always needs us to lend a hand because He isn't capable of working things out.

We don't know what would have happened if Rivkah hadn't suggested Jacob deceived his father and how G-d would otherwise have brought about His choice. We can see from the Bible that He used people's choices - wise or unwise - and did work with them; but that doesn't excuse us stepping out of line and doing something deliberately stupid, or even wrong, to try and make something happen because we are jittery and believe G-d isn't big enough to make it happen.

This Shabbat, let us consider our lives and the promises G-d has given us, the calling and talents we know we know we have. Are we living these out righteously and appropriately? Or do we need to step back and let G-d work out a few of the details because we've got a bit too excited and have strayed from our role?

"for though the twins were not yet born, and had not done anything good or bad, in order that God's purpose according to His choice might stand, not because of works, but because of Him who calls" (Romans 9:11, ESV)