Revival

Genesis 30:25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country.”

After Jacob had settled down well in Padan Aram, he had worked really hard for twenty years for Leah, Rachel and his flock but had earned nothing. Laban had gained a lot of cattle but Jacob had none. Jacob took another six years after his agreement or bond to realize that he was suffering in vain (Galatians 3:4). Laban had benefitted because of Jacob’s work and presence. But the pathetic situation was that Laban had received all blessings from Jacob but has still been an idol worshipper (31:30) throughout the twenty years. That’s why God had allowed Jacob to be restless and created a need in his life so that he would move back to Canaan.

This need is the start of a revival which is a phenomenon required to every person, church or even country to come back to the Lord for renewal from a very expensive backslide. In history this situation had happened a lot of times so that people would realize that they are heading towards nothing during one or a series of experiences. This realization would help them toil hard to build their relationship with God back after those losses. Since God had promised another revival very soon specially from south India to the ends of the world, it is needed for us to understand this revival and gear up.

The first stage is experiencing a need for renewal. If we really understand how sleeping we are (or the church is) we can easily get into this experience. Jacob sees that he is living in a foreign land and he is an alien here. In Christianity we have to first accept the fact that we are not at home. There was a time when most hymns were like “we shall gather at the river” and “In the sweet by and by”. But now our doctrines are now trying to convince us that we will prosper here. Philippians 3:20, Hebrews 3:1 states clearly that our nationality is of heaven. Jacob asks that “What shall I provide to my own house”. This wonderful question shows that Jacob had hundred percent understood that all his efforts proceed to waste. We should use this experience to move forward into Christ. In Revelation 3:17, the church in Laodicea is categorized as wretched, poor and blind in spite of its belief of being rich and satisfied.

Laban is an illustration of the devil who is unjust and selfish to consume all our hard-work. Jacob is first offered any wage he names, and once he names it Laban tactically removes all of Jacob’s sheep and hides them. Mathew 6:19-21 explains this clearly. But God creates all of Jacob’s wages afresh from nothing making him powerful than Laban. The devil seems to be very kind, formal and polite but always intends to eat all our blessings. We should not expect a fair wage from the devil by working harder and harder inside his realm. The devil uses our own words against us as in Gen 30:34. We need to be very careful in what we commit to the world. We need to see that it uses all sorts of loopholes to consume our blessings against us.

Genesis 30:36 says that Laban had put a three day journey between him and Jacob after separating all of Jacob’s wages away from him. These three days can be compared with the three days of Jesus between death and resurrection. This is an opportunity or an escape God gives to us where there is a gap between us and the devil because of Jesus. This separation is a wonderful opportunity where we allow God to build us with riches. We can read this again in 31:22-24 where Laban takes three days to know that Jacob has fled and takes another seven days to reach where Jacob is. Even when the devil tries to come and fight with us at a time when we are not ready, God intervenes and orders him to not speak to him either good or bad. This means that God knows even good words from the devil would clearly bring nothing but harm to us. We need to realize at some time that we do not belong here and start our thirst towards the Heavenly Kingdom.

Also, during this revival we unknowingly carry the world’s idols with us and that brings us disgrace at another unknown opportunity. Let us try to bring our will and needs as low as possible so that we would be honored at Canaan.

The whole cause or initiative for this revival was that Jacob decided he wanted to go back to Canaan to his father’s place. When this spark happened, God was immediately there in making Jacob prosperous and using that prosperity and wealth God delivered Jacob out of his bondage. But Satan in many ways would convince us that Padan Aram is heaven and we can happily live here. But the whole purpose of God will not be served if we stay in our own world’s plans. This sort of revival is what the church needs. According to Romans 12:1,2, the mind renews when we submit ourselves to God as living sacrifices just as Jacob wanted to go to Isaac’s home realizing that he does not belong here. As in Lamentations 5:21 we need the longing that old times were much powerful than our current state. We are just surviving this place and not progressing anywhere towards the kingdom of God. We should ask God to restore us to Him and not to prosperity. When we have this thirst towards righteousness not only inside us but to our community and church, God would initiate this revival inside us and then spread out His power victoriously.

Amen.

Leah and Rachel

Genesis 29:31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

In Genesis 28 we see Jacob’s dream and God’s promise to Him on God being with Jacob wherever he wanders so that Jacob will return to Bethel. This promise is a picture of the Holy Spirit staying inside us just after we raise Jesus up in our lives. Jacob’s travel back to Haran is a picture of our life in this world until our savior brings us back to heaven. The Holy Spirit’s presence is very important in our life in making one particular and important choice which is between Leah and Rachel.

The first thing we should notice is that Leah is the blessed one because Judah, David and Jesus were born in this womb (Galatians 3:15-18). God’s eternal purpose was upon Leah so that all nations would be blessed through her. Leah was a delicate person whereas Rachel was beautiful to the eyes (verse 17). Leah should be compared to God’s will and Rachel to ours. God’s will is unloved and given very less priority as we start living a spiritual life in the world. We seek earthly blessings and go hug and kiss them as we see them as a relief from the current burdens we have. Jacob was fleeing with fear from Esau and as soon as he saw a beautiful woman from his own family his joy has no bounds.

Our attitude towards material blessings and spiritual wealth has to be defined rightly. Jacob was not right when he did not oblige to customs and opened the well for Rachel’s sheep. There were three flocks waiting for water so that everybody would come and at the right time all blessings will start showering. This is a picture of all our efforts waiting for blessings to be received at a right God’s planned time. But Jacob despised the custom of this place and gave Rachel precedence over everything that was waiting. We read that as soon as Jacob sees Rachel, he tries to remove others from the location which also signifies his desperation. As in Philippians 4:6,7 our anxiousness is the problem. There was no way Jacob would have handled this peacefully because of his tiresome escape from Esau. But God had promised “I will be with you wherever you go” and if Jacob had trusted God completely, this desperation would have been avoided.

We need to learn that Rachel becomes demanding. But God is so kind that he remembers our material needs too (Genesis 30:22). Mathew 6:31-33 explains this that God will fulfill our needs as only when we seek His will.

The local customs is an important factor in this incident. The customs were rejected by Jacob initially but when time went on, he had to oblige. These customs were part of God’s plan because Leah was not chosen by Jacob but was God’s choice. Customs are used in many instances like in Luke 1:9, Luke 4:16 etc. We often reject both customs and traditions without wisdom saying they are not needed. Traditions separate us away from God but customs like our early morning prayer or Sunday worship are the ones which bring us together to Christ. Also, these customs are local and yet God uses them. We make errors by expecting customs or one place in another like Jacob asking Laban if he had been deceived.

As in 29:31, we should understand that Rachel’s barrenness is God’s plan. If we do not let His divine will be executed in our lives, God’s promise through the Holy Spirit makes our wishes fail so that Leah would produce. Anxiousness or depression shows that we are denying God’s existence and divine leading.

Another pathetic thing is that Jacob ends up serving his father in law after receiving all spiritual blessings so that he could earn Rachel. The first seven years of hard work was to earn Leah and was a blessing which seemed only like a few days.  But Jacob had to unhappily toil for the next seven years when Rachel was already his and this time Rachel was not pleasant as earlier. This was all because of our initial decision of an ambition and our constant pursuit in this.

In Chapter 30 we read Rachel giving up her husband to Leah because of food just like Isaac and Esau. And Leah uses her authority to get Jacob saying “I have hired you”. If Jacob had properly honored her, this would not have taken place. If we do not abide by Him, He would place everything so that we would be forced to submit to His desires and plans. The days of sickness or being bed-ridden are given to us for this purpose. The four names Rueben, Simeon, Levi and Judah clearly explains her longing towards her husband. Our spirit similarly longs for audience but we simply ignore and submit all our efforts to materials.

The purpose of God staying with us is that we should come back to Bethel. But, even despite His presence this incident shows how bad and critical our actions can lead us to. Eventually God would bring us to our destiny because of His plan, but how wonderful and magnificent would it be if there was only Leah in Jacob’s life. Let us focus in serving our spirit by nourishing it with Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Bethel

Genesis 28:22 “And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”

Since the New Testament teaches us that we are the houses of God, we need to compare ourselves with Bethel the first house of God mentioned in the Bible. The place is very prominent even before it was named. This place was the first landmark inside Canaan in the Bible (Gen 12:8). This shows how we are predestined by God even before we are created. However verse 28:11 mentions this as “a certain place”. Even though the place was called as Luz (v19),it is important that this name is lost before it becomes Bethel. The call of God is so strong that Luz was originally called as Bethel. We can plan to do anything in our life, but God has destined us to become His house and want us to live here. If we read carefully, God had planned Jacob to start at the right time so that He would come to Bethel when the sun sets. A prominence with God makes Him place the right people and the everything works together as per Romans 8:28 so that our call to fulfill His will is executed.

In 35:15 we read Jacob naming the same place again as Bethel. This explains that the prominence God gives to us is easily lost. We become easily unrecognized and forgotten in this world. But God creates the right opportunities so that people will come back to us.

The role of Christ is also well established in this context as the cornerstone. The stone also is the gate of heaven which again is Christ Himself (John 10:7-9). This is the only way for us to reach the Father.  We have to come and rest on Christ to understand God. This was the first ever revelation to Jacob from God. Until this time, it was Rebekah who was influenced by God. Now, it is Jacob who has received communication directly from God. Now, verse 11 mentions that this stone belongs to Bethel. Christ had belonged to us completely even though He was the Father’s. He was laying down waiting for us to lay our life at Him. We read that in Isaiah 30:18 where God is patiently waiting for our repentance so that He would shower His grace upon us. All we have to do is come to Him and rest.

This is not a simple metaphor because the stone is given very much importance in this incident. Jacob anoints this stone and makes his vow at this stone. This stone is the only goodness inside Bethel. This stone as soon as it was identified, it needs to be raised up given the uttermost importance. We may not be in a position to build a temple at our current situation as we are running away into the world. But it is easy to raise Jesus Christ who is already present in us so that God will continue executing His plans in us. God does not expect us to build a temple immediately but He needs our sincere intention to build ourselves as a temple when and while He blesses us abundantly.

Sometimes it is marvelous to see God coming so low to us so that He could fulfill his desires in us. To Jacob He says that “I will be with you and keep you wherever you go”. This is the extreme patience God shows to Jacob because he was predestined. The purpose of God’s call is that Jacob should prosper in Canaan. But, since he is leaving in fear God, instead of expecting wisdom and courage, accepts to go along with Jacob and bring him back. But Jacob did not inherit this land completely. He was travelling around even after chapter 35. The problem is that God wants Jacob to live in Bethel but Jacob wanted to make Bethel God’s home and he would not stay there. We all make this mistake of not obeying God’s plan and staying at His presence. We try to achieve something on our own and give to God just like Jacob had vowed. But Jacob did not get a chance to tithe because there was trouble, disappointments, famine and more in his life. He thought God will give him food and clothing but God promised this land to him which he did not inherit or stay.

The word “behold” seen multiple times in the passage points to surprises. This sudden burst of hope can be read multiple times in the Bible. God uses the phrase to Himself as soon as man fell down from God’s plan (3:22). This is how God opens us doors for us in life with surprises. Jacob was sleeping and suddenly there was the ladder and again another unexpected vision was God Himself at the top of it. God uses behold again to say “I am with you”. This understanding of scripture where God says “listen carefully as a new thing is going to come up” is actual revelation.

Bethel is often referred in the Bible not as Bethel, but as a landmark of a desired place between Bethel and Ai. Bethel was God’s home where He expects us to live. Ai was not like that where even if we had captured it, it is destined to become a permanent heap of ruins. (Joshua 8:28). But we prepare to stay in the place between Bethel and Ai which is our problem. In Ezra 2:28 we read the men of Bethel and Ai shows that these cities were together.

Let us pursue to stay in Bethel or stay as Bethel to fulfill God’s will in our lives. Amen.