Jerry, Jerry, Jerry

This is the kind of storyline Jerry Springer would love to get a hold of...

Genesis 29
Laban pulls a fast one and gives his oldest daughter to Jacob. They must have kept it dark in that honeymoon suite. Seven years he worked for Laban and the old boy tricks him into "marrying" the lesser of his two daughters. Jacob, upset but not fazed, agrees to work another seven years for the girl he thought he was marrying, Rachel. Laban agrees and gives Rachel to Jacob. But Jacob favored Rachel (no kidding) and hated Leah, so God decides to give Leah children and make Rachel barren.

Genesis 30
This is where it gets ugly. Leah is having kids left and right, but it doesn't endear Jacob to her. Rachel is tired of waiting so she gives her maidservant (Bilhah) to Jacob so she can be a mother through her. Meanwhile Leah becomes barren and gives her maidservant (Zilpah) to Jacob. Then some mandrakes exchange hands and Leah is able to have children again. Then God remembers Rachel and she is able to have children of her own.

I need a flow chart. That's four mothers and 12 kids.

Rachel gives birth to Joseph, one of the great figures of the Old Testament. You know, the kid with the fancy coat who is sold into slavery by his conniving older brothers. Is it any wonder they didn't get along?

What can we learn from our friend Jacob? I think the main take away her is that having kids doesn't solve your marital troubles. As if it wasn't complicated enough being married to sisters, neither wife is happy. Leah because she is not loved by her husband and Rachel because she can't have children. I think a lot of people believe having kids will cement their relationship with their spouse, but a home where mom and dad don't get along and don't really love each other is never healthy for raising children.

Jacob's passivity is showing again here. He seems to be the pawn in this game of chess between these sisters. Surely he knows what is going on. Why doesn't he do something about it?

Tell me...
How has fatherhood changed your relationship to your wife?
Do you wish you had done anything differently before having kids? That is, was your marriage solid enough before you added the stress of raising children?

Brotherly Love

Genesis 25
This sibling rivalry runs deeps.

The story starts with Isaac praying his barren wife will conceive and God comes through, blessing them with twins. Great! Twins! Thank you Lord!

Well...these twins are different. Literally, they are both different. One likes to hunt, the other likes to contemplate. Esau spent his time in the fields. Jacob spent his under the shade of a tent. Twins? Yes. Kindred spirits? Not so much.

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Jacob must have made a mean pot of stew.

These differences wouldn't be much of an issue, but the parents seem to have split their affections. Isaac favors Esau because Esau enjoyed eating his father's kills. Rebekah favors Jacob because (we can assume) he likes to hang back with the ladies and cook. It's telling that the only interact we see between Jacob and Esau is the infamous exchange whereby a birthright is exchanged for some Campbell's Chunky. This can't be healthy for this family of four. From the beginning these brothers fought, but their division was amplified when mom and dad chose sides.

I can't really relate to this story. I have an older brother, but our parents didn't seem to pick favorites. Sure my mom wanted a daughter when I was born and yes I did go see Sleeping Beauty with her one Sunday afternoon while my brother and dad watched football, but that was a long time ago. I was 5! But my brother and I were no rivals. As for my little family today. We have one child. No sibling rivalries yet. But I feel like this story is a warning to parents.

I can't think of any good that would come from parents taking sides. Will one child tend to follow the footsteps of one parent over the other? Sure, but why let that be a dividing line?

Genesis 26
As the story continues we see that Isaac is blessed because of his father (v 5, 24). God keeps his word. He always does. He makes it clear that Isaac is being blessed because of the actions of Abraham.

It's a bit of a theme in God's word. The actions of fathers, positive or negative, are returned on their offspring for generations. The conclusions for today's fathers are obvious.

Genesis 27
The rivalry continues as Rebekah lies to her husband.

Jacob follows his mothers advice and deceives his father. Isaac finds out but the blessing sticks.

I just don't understand this. What power did those words hold that made them irreversible? Isaac didn't intend to give the birthright to Jacob. Why couldn't he have hit Edit > Undo?

Words have power. I don't know how else to look at it. I'm sure some bible scholar has it all figured out, but it doesn't add up to me. It's clear that the words Isaac spoke carried a lot of power.

Tell me...
How do you handle sibling rivalries in your household?
Do you engage with each of your child's interests and encourage them?

Trust Me

Genesis 22
What a picture of obedience Genesis 22 portrays–Abraham obedient to God, Isaac obedient to his father.

This is one of those passages of scripture that's just hard to believe. I'll accept Jesus' miracles. I'll believe in crossing the Red Sea. I can even buy a talking donkey. But to believe that a man would willingly sacrifice his son without another word...that's hard to swallow.

Here's what God is telling me through this passage.

1. Abraham was listening for God's direction.
The chapter opens with God calling Abraham and the reply shot back is, "Here am I." No delay is found in Abraham's response. You get the sense that he was always ready to hear from God. But maybe, even more importantly...

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2. Abraham doesn't delay in responding to God's instruction.
In verse two God is instructing Abraham on what he wants him to do. By verse 3 Abraham is packed and well on his way to follow through with what God told him to do. Did you notice he "rose early in the morning." Abraham did not take God's instruction lightly.

I find this strange though. If you recall this is the same Abraham who bargained for Sodom, trying to save as many lives as he could, yet when it comes to saving the life of his son he utters not a word. How is that? How could he just blindly follow along with God's plan this time considering the great personal cost?

3. Isaac trusts his father.
Isaac is innocently following his father and doing just as he instructs, but soon realizes they have no lamb for the offering. When he asks his father the response is basically, "Trust me as I trust God." And Isaac does. Abraham has obviously taught Isaac who God is and what he is capable of. I sense that Abraham has passed along a healthy fear of God. Abraham has modeled the way for his beloved son.

In the end God rewards Abraham for his obedience and trust. He sees that Abraham has acted selflessly and knows that he has found his man, the father of his chosen nation.

I know every father who has ever read this passage has put himself in Abraham's shoes. I for one would probably have questioned my choice to follow God if he asked me to do such a thing–to take my only son's life. Thankfully he hasn't asked me to do such a thing and I don't think he will. But the example that Abraham set definitely stretches me as a father.

Tell me...
How do you listen for God's guidance and instruction?
What are you doing to teach your children to trust your leadership?
How about teaching them to trust God?

Lot's Choice

Those first few chapters of Genesis were packed with wisdom for dads. Much more than I ever noticed. Having started this journey of reading through the scriptures with this singular focus, I've realized how much more I get from reading God's word when I'm looking for something. I'm careful not to read into anything. I don't want to put something there that isn't, but so far I've found that God's instruction manual is not lacking when it comes to truth for fathers.

Genesis 19
Just how vile are the people of Sodom?

This passage of scripture has always disgusted me to no end. I'm sure that's the case for most readers.

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I shutter to think what happened inside 

those city walls before its destruction.

Here God has chosen to take a scalpel to the city of Sodom and extract what few righteous people remain, Lot and his family. It seems that an ax to the city was His preferred method, but because of Abraham's righteousness God sends two angels in after Lot's household before ridding the world of Sodom and Gomorrah.

The reaction the angels receive from the men of the city is (searching thesaurus for stronger word than 'disgusting') vomitous, (one word won't do) detestable, horrifying... They can't control their lust towards these two strangers. They smell fresh blood.

And Lot, fearing for their wellbeing, offers his two virgin daughters to these wolves in place of the angels from God. WHAT!?!?! Whoa, whoa, whoa.

I feel like jumping into the story, pulling Lot a side and saying, "You know these are angels, right? They can hold their own. They came out of the sky from the almighty God. Don't sacrifice your daughters to these dogs!" But alas, I can't. I'm just a neutral observer from the distant future.

So what can be gained from this story? What can we learn from Lot's choice and what that means about his leadership as a father?

It's evident to me that Lot had his priorities straight. Lot loved his daughters very much. After all, he lived in the most infamously sinful town in all of human history and his daughters were still virgins. He loved them and protected them. But Lot loved God more. Lot's loyalties were to God first and to his family second.

I struggle with this as a dad. When it comes down to it, if I must choose between time with family and time with God I choose family. Prayer time isn't a priority, but eating breakfast with my son is. Going deeper in Bible study isn't a priority, but watching a TV show my wife and I enjoy together is. I love the family God has given me, but He's my father. Just as I want to spend time with my son He wants to spend time with me.

My take away is this. I need to look at areas of my life where God has not been put first, because someday I will have to choose between Him and something else. And without a doubt that "something else" will be the lesser option.

Tell me...
What was your reaction to Lot's choice?
What things do you do to put God first in your day-to-day?

Repopulation

Genesis 9
It feels a bit like a public awareness campaign, doesn't it?

Noah and company step off the ark with this command from God, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth." (vs 1). His command was the same just a moment before. "...be fruitful and multiply on the earth." (Gen 8:17) After all, who else was going to do it?

Only you can be fruitful and multiply!

So what does this command mean for us now? Is it still relevant?

I should think so. Who better to populate the earth than followers of God? Who better to raise up the next generation than followers of God?

God has only blessed my wife and I with one child, but whether we have one child or one hundred children we are still called to demonstrate Christ to them and show them the kind of love our heavenly Father shows us.

Tell me...
What does this command to be fruitful and multiply mean to your family?
Do you think it has any relevancy today?