ICONIC FATHERS AND THEIR CHILDREN’S FAITH

Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. Genesis 48:21

         When good fathers are alive, their children dwell securely under their shade tree. God’s favor is on the father, and by extension, the sons and daughters who share their faith. The children might not think about the day when their father no longer lives. If they do, they wonder if God’s favor will shadow them in the same powerful way it has hovered over their father.

         How reassuring were Jacob’s words to Joseph. “I am about to die but God will be with you.” Didn’t Joseph already know that? God brought him safely through slavery, captivity, and enthronement. But ascending a throne in Egypt is not the same as stepping into the role of a patriarch within a covenant family. It was easier for him to follow in the footsteps of Jacob alive then to step into his shoes after death. This, every man of a larger-than-life father, feels.

         In taking Joseph to Egypt, God gave Joseph distance between his iconic father and himself. He became his own person, a unique son of Yahweh. And this very thing, sons of famous fathers must do. Leave home. In their father’s shadow, it is difficult to get to know themselves and give themselves permission to be different from what others expect. How unfair to hear, “He not like his father. Or, he’s going to be just like his father!” Either way, it’s a pile of expectations. The problem with icons is that the public sees perfection. The family sees the humanity. We are god-makers and cast this heavy burden upon their children.

         Like you perhaps, I’m aware that the story would be different if Reuben, or Judah, or Simeon had become the vice-chancellor of Egypt. Great fathers don’t always raise great sons. Joseph was great because God had his hand on him and cast him into refining fires early in life. The others stayed in their father’s shade, resented his faith, and acted out a kind of teenage rebellion throughout their adult lives.

         I’m married to the son of an iconic father ~ a larger than life evangelist. No matter where we go, Ron is Jack Wyrtzen’s son. Expectations have always been high. At 32, God called Ron away from his father’s organization to become the unique leader he is today. He was cast into great refining fires for two decades. Today, he is a great man much like his father but different from his father. He is a ‘Jesus’ in the business world while his father was in ministry. This metamorphosis would not have happened without time and distance. But one thing has proven true. As God was with Jack Wyrtzen, God has been, and is, with Ron Wyrtzen. I see God’s favor on him every day as he brings the kingdom to our world with wisdom, holy restraint, and grace.

You made me. Only You should shape Your own creation. Strengthen the holy legacies with our fathers and break the back of idolatry. Amen

GOD DOES NOT BOW TO CONVENTION

When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Mannasseh’s head. And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused and said, I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” Genesis 48:17-19

         One of the reasons men try to control religion, right down to the nitty gritty of a church service, is a basic distrust of God. He is unpredictable. We say we want the Holy Spirit to come and have His way but do we really? He does things His way and what in the world would happen if we relinquished the reins? By holding on tightly, we forfeit God’s blessing.

         Mannaseh was Joseph’s firstborn, the heir to the firstborn’s blessing. But Jacob perceived that God wanted something different when he went to pronounce a final blessing on the two brothers. God intended to bless the younger over the older. History would reveal that Jacob heard God correctly. After the exodus, Ephraim became the leading tribe in the Northern Kingdom, much superior to the tribe of Mannasseh. Oh, but how Jacob’s spiritual hunch offended Joseph!

         God does not exalt whom we think he should. He is full of surprises as he chooses the overlooked, the weak, the average, the unsuspecting. Talent does not impress him. Stature in the eyes of men and family don’t weigh in the decision either. God looks at the heart and if that heart has an inclination toward humility and utter dependence on God, that qualifies him for spiritual greatness. Why should Joseph have been surprised? He, himself, was in fact, far removed from the firstborn.

         I’m reminded again this morning that I dare not live off of my knees. I cannot guess what God wants. I am to bless whom He blesses and withhold when He withholds. Who am I affirming today that may be far from God’s blessing? Perhaps I’m impressed by their talents and charisma. And, whom would God have me encourage? That person might be unnoticed, living outside of the spotlight. It’s the ‘David’ who tends sheep; the one the family has all but waved off as insignificant.

Align me to Your purposes. I forfeit my logic and declare that it is flawed. Amen

PRAISE-TALK FOR THE FUTURE

And he [Jacob] blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” Genesis 48:15-16

         In retrospect, I can see how God provided and blessed. In the present, I fear that He will continue to do so. Words of faith are choked out. That’s unfortunate because remembrance is meant to feed my faith. When things looked impossible, God did come through. When I tried to quit life, God brought new manna to breathe hope into the crevices of my soul. Why do I not think He will continue to provide? Either I have a short memory or present circumstances paint such a dire picture that I fear even God could affect any change.

         Jacob embraces his two newly adopted grandsons. Half-Egyptian grandsons, I might add. He remembers God’s promised covenant over his family. He remembers that God was faithful to preserve their lives when it looked like their line would be extinct. He praises God for the past but his language quickly changes to thank God for what He will do to bless his descendants. Faith is future.

         Several decades ago, I was lamenting to a mentor that a certain portion of my life looked like it would fail. I had plenty of evidence to prove it. She listened to it all. Her reply was this, “Live joyfully confident!” When I questioned her further, she replied again, “Live joyfully confident!” I understood that she wasn’t going to spoon-feed me the meaning.

I was to prayerfully explore it until I made the meaning my own. Obviously, I haven’t forgotten it and the phrase has been beyond special to me. It describes what faith is. When all things point to failure – I live joyfully confident that God creates options where I see none. When people I love are disinterested in the God I cherish – I live joyfully confident that God is a wooing God and has not forgotten to call them to Himself.

         What ‘joyfully confident’ statement of faith do I need to make today about some area of my life that invites despair? I smell death but know that God is a Resurrector. I will say so, outloud, and ask for the grace to live in joyful anticipation.

You will. You promised. I’m learning to dance before the party. Amen

WAITING FOR THE RIGHT MOMENT TO DIE

After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. Genesis 48:1- 

         How Jacob reacted when Joseph and his sons arrived at his bedside. He was very ill, near death, but their presence gave him an uncanny strength to finish what had been unfinished. He needed to give Joseph the birthright of the family and adopt Joseph’s two sons as his grandchildren. The future inheritance of Israel depended on this moment and Jacob knew it.

         Have you known anyone who was near death and it was predicted they wouldn’t last much longer? Then, they hung on and refused to die. Something was unfinished. There was someone they needed to see; something they needed to say. When that person arrived, they had a moment when they gained their full faculties. Like Jacob, they rose up to have a needed conversation.

         After moving to Georgia, I made a connection with an older saint named Iris. She became a prayer partner and spiritual mother to me. Our bond was as deep as family and because the foundation was spiritual, our connection was like iron. Iris was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. It took her life in a matter of weeks. I was out of town when she lay on her deathbed in a local hospital. Continue reading “Waiting For The Right Moment To Die” →

WHAT I VALUE MOST

And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years. And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” Genesis 47:28-30

   Jacob’s wish to be buried in Canaan surprises me on the one hand. He was living in, what could appear, to be the best part of his life. His whole family was reunited. Joseph was alive and blessed. His sons were older, wiser, and had repented of earlier deeds against their father and against Joseph. They had plenty of food. Their lineage was blessed and multiplying. Why not ask to be buried where you are the happiest?

  When all is said and done, it is interesting what I value most. My mind travels back, as Jacob’s did, to the places where God spoke. Jacob wanted to be buried near ‘Bethels’, where monuments marked the spots of God’s revelation. Time in Egypt, in a period of plenty, did not alter what he cherished. I also remember, with passion, the places where the voice of God changed my life.

  If I value the wrong things, I will be a bitter woman when I lay down to die. I will realize that I invested in things I have to leave behind. And, if I know my Bible, I’ll also realize that they will eventually burn. At the end, I want my family near me. They are eternal. I want to bless them, give them last words they will remember, and hold their hands as we are temporarily separated. There will be one more thing I want in my grip ~ The Bible that went with me through the darkest period of my life. I had to put a new binding on it recently when it fell apart because I could not part with the pages. They are journals of my fears and God’s faithfulness. Yes, at that time, let me touch my people and the Word of God. They are the only two things I take with me into the Kingdom.

  Jacob left the land of plenty to be buried in some obscure barren place. Though it was nothing to look at, for him, it was rich with memories and a priceless location.

Thank you for taking me through hard time to re-align my priorities. Amen

BEING CLOSE TO ONE WHO IS BLESSED

Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and stood him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many are the days of the years of your life?” And Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.” And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. Genesis 47:7-10

         Writers in Jewish history say that when Jacob came to Egypt, the land was immediately blessed and began to heal from famine. So when Pharaoh saw that Jacob looked old, he feared that Jacob might not live much longer and when he died, the blessing would cease. If this was true, it would immediately explain a peasant rising up to bless a sovereign.

         Someone who has spent a lifetime in the presence of God brings God’s presence with them into a room, a land, a home, and an environment. To those who are discerning, the impact is immediately felt. Have you experienced seeing someone come through the door and instantly feeling like everything was going to be all right? I have.

I can name a half dozen people that make me feel that way. But God wants me to focus, not on these ‘others’, but on myself. Am I the kind of person who brings heaven’s blessing and order into a room? Every child of the kingdom is to be sanctified and have this spiritual effect.

         Jesus teaches His disciple to pray ‘Thy kingdom come.’ But He also, by the indwelling of His Spirit, brings His kingdom to anywhere the foot of His disciple treads. Whether or not others feel it is dependent on whether or not the Spirit is quenched in that believer’s life. Maturity is slowly growing into the person of Christ so that who I am and who He is looks more and more the same. When I walk in a room, it should have the same kind of effect as Jesus walking into the room.

         Has God asked you to bless a superior? Would a secretary ask to pray for her boss? Would a nurse ask to bless the physician in charge? Would a parishioner ask to bless a pastor? In God’s order of things, yes. When prompted by the Spirit, this is how the kingdom is ordered.

         Jacob had a moment with Pharaoh. That’s all. In that brief encounter, God’s presence was left with the words of Jacob’s blessing. I don’t know all the places I will visit today nor do I know all the people I will encounter. But I’m going in more aware of the possible impact because I am a container for the Spirit of God.

In this stressed out world, purify me and prepare me to bring the blessing of Your presence to others today. Amen

THE REUNION 

[They] came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him. Genesis 46:6

         A movie was made twenty years ago, called JOSEPH, a powerful representation of the entire story. You watched his life unfold from a young boy to the ruler of Egypt. My favorite part of the movie is the reunion between Jacob and Joseph at the very end. The scene is forever etched in my memory and several times a year, I will put in the DVD and watch that three-minute clip again. Let me paint the picture for you.

         Jacob and his entire family are walking in the desert toward Egypt. There are several hundred of them. Jacob is out in front. He is old, slowly plodding along with the help of a cane and a son on each side. His face is determined but the weariness of such a long journey is evident.

         The scene changes and Joseph is leaving the gates of Egypt in a royal entourage. In the chariot with him are his two sons, both under the age of ten. In the other chariot are Pharaoh and a few of his leaders who go to support Joseph. You see them come to the crest of a hill that overlooks the desert floor below.

         The dust settles and as it does, the scene of several hundred nomads in the distance fill his view. Joseph knows who they are. Though a mile away, Joseph cannot wait. He leaves Pharaoh and drives his personal chariot at breakneck speed downward into the valley to meet them. As he nears his father, horses are recklessly pulled to a stop. Joseph jumps out, sees his father a few dozen feet away, and is overcome. He loses all strength and crumbles to his knees. Jacob rushes to him, draws his head into the folds of his tunic, and engages in an embrace that is unforgettable. “My son. Praise be to God. My son!” There is weeping for a long time as everyone else stands at a distance to give father and son this moment.

         Jacob finally looks up to see two young boys in Joseph’s chariot. He understands. “These are your sons. My grandchildren. “Come,” Jacob says. “Come, so I may bless you.” He speaks prophetic words over each boy and kisses the tops of their heads. Joseph dries his father’s tears and tells him that God brought him to Egypt to save their lives. There is joy ahead and a good life in Egypt.

         Now, maybe you have to see the movie to be moved. (I’ve provided a link below so you can purchase it for yourself.) I can never watch this reunion without being moved. And I can never see it without thinking of the reunion that is coming between Jesus and me. I believe it will be like this. Finally, our eyes meet at a distance. Finally, the embrace I’ve been waiting for all my life. What about bowing at His feet in worship? Afterward.

I’ve only caught a nuance of how you feel me. I get a sense of it each time we talk in prayer. But I’ll see the full effect at our reunion.   The pleasure of my company that you describe in Scripture humbles me, Lord. Amen

DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM OUR FATHERS

And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. Genesis 46:2-3

            God fathers each child differently. His path is a solitary one and my journey will never imitate that of my parents. If my parents were iconic in their faith, the expectations for me to follow in their footsteps will be impossible to attain. I am not either parent nor should I try to be.

            Isaac, Jacob’s father, was told by God to avoid Egypt during his time of famine. God made it clear that Egypt was off limits. But God’s plan for Jacob was different. In his famine, Egypt was the place he was to go and settle. Doing something different from his father had to feel frightening at first. Jacob must have been confused as he embarked on a journey so peculiar.

            God stretched me out of my family’s mold sometime in my mid-forties. My views of some peripheral biblical issues differed from that of my father and the legalistic church I was raised in. There were some tense discussions and feelings from his disapproval created a shadow over our relationship.With time, it improved as it became clear to him that God had His hand on my life. Before he died, God moved us on to the same page through some ‘end of life’ experiences and I am so thankful for this move of God’s grace.

            To complicate matters, I married young into a well-known Christian family whose patriarch was a famous evangelist. Things were harmonious throughout the early years of our marriage because both Ron and I held to the family’s views on most every biblical issue. Eventually though, God began to take us on the journey He had planned for us. It meant leaving home and the ministry his father started. Though we still agreed on the tenets of the Gospel, our interpretations of secondary issues of grace didn’t gel. Again, we experienced feelings that we were outsiders and it was painful to no longer fit.

            God’s message to each disciple is clear. We are His children first and members of our earthly family second. Egypt may be denied to our fathers but permissible for us. God is a kind Father who leads deliberately ~ giving His child the courage to take steps away from our ‘family’s way of doing things’. The fallout can make us second-guess our new direction but God gives grace with the call to go where He sends us. His voice is wild and wonderful; his ways are peculiar and solitary. Any price we pay is long compensated by the joy of hearing God say, “Well done!”

My heart begs to be shaped by You, and by no one else. Amen