90-Day Bible Challenge: Reflections from Egypt and Exodus (Exodus 1 - 40)

On Moses’ Calling (Exodus 3)

I am struck by the persistent claim by Moses of his incompetence, coming up with all sorts of excuses. Yet, God's saving plan prevails. It is amazing how much more persistent God is in saving His people and how He can work through and around our incompetence, even when we don't trust Him.

-        Jeanne C

I've always questioned since I was little, why does God let people suffer? All the war victims, the poor/homeless people, the refugees, etc.? If He is almighty, why couldn't He save them all?

Then I read Exodus and I realized, maybe just like God sent Moses to the people of Israel, He also sent His people to those in need, but unlike Moses who kept finding excuses but ended up going anyway, we often make up excuses and don't do anything.

Now I can only imagine how people are suffering and God's heart is breaking seeing His children like that, but when He told us to do work for Him, to help His people, we keep trying to find excuses not to go, and so those people keep suffering and God's heart keeps breaking.

So I think it's a challenge for all of us on how we should keep discerning His call on each of us, be more aware of our surroundings, and see where God wants us to go and what He wants us to do for Him. He might need us to save our brothers and sisters who need our help, so let's be aware and be active. We have Friends of Refugees in STAY, we have Vinnies, and other organizations in Melbourne as well, or we can even go overseas and help those countries who need a lot of help. God is calling His people in different ways. Sometimes maybe it's not even material needs, but spiritual needs. Maybe they are searching for Jesus but they don't know how; maybe they're lonely and yearning for God but they don't realize. Let's be more aware of our surroundings and ask God what He wants from us, where He wants to send us. Just like Moses, let's humbly say "here I am" when God calls our names and let His will be done on us.

-        Mario WP

What I am finding about Exodus is that God want us, His children to do well - to achieve the things we never thought we were capable of be it physically but most especially spiritually. Despite all of Moses’ excuses, God could have lost His patience and send someone else, but here we have a loving God who is encouraging telling him that despite what Moses may think, He chooses him because He believes in him. Despite Moses questioning God and wanting signs, God agrees to give Moses signs to take back. I hope when God calls me, I can learn to trust Him, His word, and not find a reason not to obey His calling for my life. I am determined that His word is enough to question him less and trust Him more because He is God.

-        Elizabeth E

I think of all the times we fall and why He picks us up and think it's not a reflection of who we are, but a reflection of who He is!

-        Surath F

Hardening Pharaoh’s Heart (Exodus 4:21)

As what Jeff Cavin’s said, the main issue was not getting the Israelites out of Egypt, but more on getting "Egypt" out of Israel, which is a much bigger problem as it is something that has already been deeply ingrained in the Israelites.

And as God has brought forth each plague (as a result of pharaoh's hardened heart), each plague has shown that YHWH is more powerful than the corresponding Egyptian gods that each plague symbolises.

It's like God saying to His people that He is the one and only God.

-        Pat P

God hardening pharaoh’s heart was to deliberately show his power (as opposed to the Egyptian gods).

-        Surath F

I reread the reason pharaoh’s heart was hardened by the Lord and came up with the fact that God wanted to show, not just the Israelites who their God was, but to ensure that all the Egyptians knew that it was the God of Israel who was mightier than all the other Egyptian Gods.

-        Elizabeth E

God Tried to Kill Moses? (Exodus 4:24-26)

If we think of death as separation from God, and killing is putting someone to death, then I'd say killing in there means separating Moses from God. Moses' wife wasn't a Jew. When Moses came back to his family and told them about all the things, I wouldn't think that his family would have just accepted everything like that. Hence trying to kill Moses might mean Moses’ struggle not to be separated from God by fighting with his wife. And finally Moses prevailed. Her wife finally realized that his God was the true God, so her wife circumcised the son to fulfil God's covenant with Israel.

-        Mario WP

The Lord trying to kill Moses is a strange episode. My bible (CTS bible) has a comment saying that the original story may have had the attacker as a demon and the episode with the circumcision was to legitimate Moses marriage to a foreign woman.

-        Surath F

Like God wrestling with Jacob, God held Moses in a "death grip" (hence the word “kill”). Moses, being raised up in an egyptian household, is uncircumcised (although in some articles, because Jethro was Midianite, they reckon he most probably circumcised Moses before marrying off his daughter to him). But the Midianites don't circumcise infants and that explains why Zipporah is so upset that she put the prepuce at his feet and said the bloody expression. And she only did that because God held Moses on a death grip. Basically, it shows the importance of circumcision as a sign of covenant of God's people to Him.

-        Pat P

The Plagues (Exodus 7-11)

Reading through the plagues, I got so annoyed with pharaoh! I found him so stubborn and so full of pride. Until I realised I'm actually no different from him. Hit right in the core.

Although it makes me think - does the Lord intentionally harden our hearts? Does He intentionally make my heart stubborn so His will be done? Is He intentionally doing it for me to learn?

-        Pat P

In the context of pharaoh, yes! He hardened his heart and that played a big part in the exodus. But with us, it comes to discernment. And that goes hand in hand with prayer. Sometimes it's good to be stubborn. Other times no. Prayer helps us discern. Or at least I think anyway.

-        Surath F

Instructions to Moses regarding the Tabernacle and its Furnishings (Exodus 25)

Is it just me, or do you find Exodus 25-30 difficult to read as well?

It's as if God has OCD too!

What amazes me was how Moses remembered all of those instructions for 40 days and 40 nights. I mean, he could have at least written it somewhere to remember all of it!

And here I am, struggling to remember even at least 10 bible verses.

-        Pat P

No distractions. I think Moses was less distracted than we can be.

-        Nicole C

It was because Moses had no distractions. His main purpose was to glorify god, love god, and bring people to God. He put god first in everything he did. And if you love someone that much, you want to remember everything about the person.

-        Jess T

I guess it's like those times when you like someone and you remember his/her every sentence, only this one was much deeper.

-        Mario WP

Building the Tabernacle (Exodus 36)

Reading chapter 36 about building tabernacle reminds me of FORM.

There are people who are willing to give the materials (donations), there are people who are willing to use the materials and work from it (volunteers), and all are done because God stirs our hearts. All is done in the name of God, which is love.

He always provides, too much sometimes, that we had to reject some donations.

And we're working to build a place to meet with God, so that the refugees can see God through us and we can see God through them.

The tabernacle build by Moses might have been lost, but as we're reading the verses now, I believe God is building more and more of his tabernacle through the people whose hearts he stirred, just like FORM.

Different instructions, different forms, different people, but still the same mystery, same miracles, and same providence as the Bible told us

It's really amazing when I think of it that way

Lately I've been hearing news of war and tragedy in Palestine, Iraq, etc., which are quite discouraging to be honest. But I guess knowing that God is working His way through this difficult time, even now, is giving me hope and encouragement

It's not time to be discouraged. It’s time to let God stirs our hearts to build his tabernacle, where we can meet him in the ministry that we do.

-        Mario WP

I think God sometimes gives us instructions and tasks to do not just for his glory but for us to have a sense of accomplishment and in order to use our God given talents not just for us but to reach out to others as well.

-        Elizabeth E

The Tabernacle (Exodus 40)

The tabernacle was so holy that they need to tie a string in those who went in, and they could only go in once a year! And see how lucky we are to be able to have God right at our finger tips and yet we view the Eucharist as a mere ritual.

A priest told me a few days ago, when you go for mass , you’re supposed to put everything at the feet of the cross, all your worries, anxieties, and give it up to Jesus, then only can you fully participate in the mass. How important it is for us to prepare for it. Preparation is so important.

You can't cook without preparation, you can't have a shower without preparing yourself. We need to prepare for our eternal journey with God. So the next time you go for mass, go early and prepare your hearts.

-        Jess T

God made the tabernacle glorious according to man's standard, with gold, silver, and bronze, and He told men to make it. Whereas in contrast, in Jesus, it is truly the works of God and not of men, and He is glorious, not according to men's standard but according to God. He didn't wear majestic crown, no golden throne, and no expensive robe. Instead, he wore the crown of thorns, crucified on the cross, and stripped naked like a criminal. But the beauty that He radiates is so amazing that we can still see it now.

-        Mario  WP

The Best of Me

by Mario WP

I’m not that good at writing and I usually write very long, so I’m actually not sure if it is a good idea for me to write this and put in the blog. However, a part of me keeps saying that it is not good for me to keep this to myself and there might be others who are struggling with similar issues as mine, so I decided I should just go ahead anyway and hopefully this post can be useful to someone. 

Here we go:

I remember years ago, when I first saw American Idol on TV, I prayed to God so I could sing like the contestants in that show (I was tone-deaf at that time and I hated my own singing). Same thing happened when I saw the people who were good at sports or those who were born genius or those born in rich families. I wasn’t happy with what I had at that time, and I wished God could somehow change me so I could become like others who I thought were more fortunate than me. Needless to say, none of that happened. Then these thoughts went on and on in my mind: “Has God never heard my prayer? Is it meaningless to ask from Him?” and after a while, I was getting used to think that God sometimes hears our prayers and sometimes doesn’t. 

But as I struggled to get closer to Him, I tried to think again of what I was praying before and I realized that this is what I actually asked: I wanted to be the other person. I wasn’t satisfied with myself, I didn’t feel I was special enough, I didn’t feel I was talented enough. I just wanted to be someone who was not myself.

I didn’t realize God couldn’t do that. Not because He didn’t have the power to, but simply because if He had granted my prayer, that’s the same as admitting that I wasn’t good enough, that I wasn’t made properly and I could do better if I was a different person. In short, He would have denied me my existence, had He done that. But He didn’t do that, because just like others, I was made of His own image. I was created fearfully and wonderfully, and although sometimes I wasn’t aware of that, He knows. God loves me just the way I am and He doesn’t want to make me a person I am not, and He doesn’t have a reason to, because He knows just how amazing He made me to be.

So now I look at my life again. I still can’t sing like those singers in American Idol, but I have grown to like my own voice and it’s good enough to praise God. I’m not fantastic at sports, but I’m fit enough to live my life without any problems. I’m not a genius, but I know what I need to know to live on my own. I’m not rich, but I can live every day without worrying about what I should eat tomorrow or where I’m going to sleep the next day, and I can even start to think of giving to others. He didn’t change me to a person I am not, but He brings the best of me. He believes in me, He knows what I can do, and He keeps guiding me to be what He plans me to be. By His grace, I am who I am today, which is still far from perfect, but slowly getting closer to the amazing person He created me to be: a person created of His own image.

So now I want to change my prayer. Not asking to be someone which is not me anymore, but to be the person He created me to be, to be the best of me. And for others who have the same problem as me, I pray that you can also be the best of yourself. Please don’t forget that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). We are blessed in our own ways and God loves us as ourselves. Amen.

This “Talking to the Lord” Business

by Pat Pagulayan

I love to write. I see writing as an outlet for my thoughts, reasoning (or lack thereof), and my deepest and innermost feelings. I have always written based on my emotions, especially on periods of loneliness, angst, and sorrow. For me, writing was just my mere struggle against silence.

Until recently, when I began to make a conscious effort of taking this journey towards God, have I started to view writing as a “relational bridge that Jesus can walk across” from my heart to others. I started writing about my faith journey, in the hope that one day, I can read back and extract something worthwhile from my day-to-day journey towards Christ.

Below you will find an entry I have written in my journal way back September 2013, when I have just started to embark on this journey. In fact, this is the night when I first tried “talking to the Lord” (aka praying). It took me quite a while to share it here for the fear of looking silly. But, who knows, someone out there might be going through this same journey and this is my little way of saying, “don’t worry, you have not gone crazy, and you are definitely not alone!”

So here it goes:

September 26, 2013 – AM

Today is the first day I actually “spoke” to the Lord. Not that I would say it was an actual conversation because basically, I was the one doing all the talking, and as usual, I never listen. It may be because I cannot shut my brain down, or it could be that I am simply stubborn.

Having been awake for 36hrs yesterday, it was strange that I found myself awake at 5:27am this morning. I tried to get more sleep but I couldn’t, so I decided that maybe I should give this “talking to the Lord” a try. All these years, I thought I have been talking to the Lord, but it is just inside my head (which usually ends up as cluttered thoughts of talking to Him then thinking of something else), so having to actually “say it out loud” is something I haven’t tried yet. Honestly, it felt weird – really weird. In my head I was thinking, why am I even bothering saying it out loud to Him when He already knows what’s in my head anyway. But after a while, I just found myself talking, then sobbing, then laughing, then talking again. I thought, if someone saw me right now, they’d think I’m crazy.

I discovered that I have a lot of questions. Within minutes of talking, I found myself asking for a lot of help, and then feeling guilty for asking. There was a point when I even thought I’m being abusive because I’m asking for too many things even though He has given me a lot of blessings already. I felt guilty that I’m asking Him a lot despite me not being a good daughter to Him.

Reflecting on what transpired, one hindrance that I have noticed is that I am unable to empty my head when talking to Him.

I kept on thinking one thought after another, so I asked Him to help me clear my head.

I kept getting distracted by my thoughts, so I also asked for focus.

And then there were doubts within myself on whether or not what I’m saying to Him is just coming from my head and not from my heart, so I asked Him to grant me a sincere heart.

I asked Him to help me really want to do this, to make me really want to go back to Him, to make me really desire to change my ways. I also asked Him for help to just make me shut up and listen – I really, really, really need to learn how to listen, and not just to listen, but to discern His voice from the rest of my cluttered brain. And I asked for a LOT more other things.

And then I begged. This was actually quite difficult for me because this is the part when I acknowledged that He can simply take away all that I have with just one snap. I find it shameful, but I actually asked Him to please not take away the three most important things in my life right now: my family, my job, and my health, as I undergo this process. I know it sounds bad, like I’m telling Him what He shouldn’t do. But I don’t know, I guess I just spoke out what was in my heart that moment, and honestly, those are the words that came out. My goodness, I’m not really sure if I’m doing this “talking to the Lord” properly.

And then I thanked Him. I thanked Him for not taking the things that are important to me just yet, especially during those times when I thought I was at my lowest point/s. Maybe He knows that if He took those things away during those times, I’d probably end up in a mental asylum. I don’t know. I still have a lot of things to change with the way I think about Him and His love. If there was one thing I forgot to ask, it is probably the desire to get to know Him more.

I honestly feel quite bad after, because it felt like I talked to Him to ask Him for a lot of things and I’m not even doing anything in return. I guess this “talking to the Lord” is a learning process and I just have to keep on doing it and praying for the Holy Spirit to guide me through this. It is a process that I am willing to learn. This time, I’m in this for the long run. I know that I have already failed twice. Hopefully third time’s the charm, because this time, I’m doing something different. This time, I am asking for His help as I go through this. Being the person full of pride that I am, I’ve always thought that I could do this on my own, maybe that’s why I failed before. But this time, it is now or never! This is it! It’s either do or die! No turning back! You’re in this for the long run – so help me God.

P.S.

I just realised I bought so many self-help books in the past year when maybe all that I should be reading and trying to understand is His Word.

End.

Visiting day and Moving day with Friends of Refugees

by Lia Anderson

On 6 July, I attended the Friends of Refugees visiting day. My group visited about five different houses from the Dandenong region. We met some lovely Afghani men who were living in share houses together. They were really happy to have us visit and were very hospitable, offering us food and drink during Ramadan, which I thought was particularly generous! In particular we visited a man who used to be in the Special Forces who showed us some amazing photos from his village, we visited a house of five, where we all couldn't stop laughing at the "comedian" of the house and another house of about five where their friend, who has been living in Australia for a lot longer, gave them his washing machine and fridge, because they needed it more (the friend came over to their house to wash his clothes).

I met some really lovely and interesting people who were still able to have a laugh with us, even though they missed their families back home terribly and were worried about their future, and many not being able to work despite having skills or qualifications and wanting to work just like they did back home.

On July 13, Moving day was upon us and we were back visiting some of the people we met on visiting day and also some new faces. The bunny hop plan worked really well and we spent a lot more time visiting rather than just donating which was really great and was clearly appreciated by those we visited.

Some of the houses of men, were kind enough to share their meal with us when they broke for fasting. The food was delicious and it was wonderful trying authentic afghani cuisine! They are teaching each other to cook because back in their home country, the women did all the cooking! We donated a lot of warm clothes and blankets as well as furniture, beds and rugs. It looks like the most needed for next time will be warm clothes, blankets/doonas as well as digital TVs and computers. It must be so boring and lonely having to sit at home all day and not being able to work, especially in a foreign country.

Thanks F.O.R for having me again and I look forward to next visiting and moving day!

Holiday Reflections - Part 2

by Surath Fernando

Whilst I respect and admire the spirituality and religious leanings of the country. It is the people who I have met and their stories that have moved me the most. In particular, it is one person who has shown me the power of combining spirituality with religiosity.

He is a priest who I will not name so as to not embarrass him if he stumbles on this blog. In the words of Robert Frosts eternal poem, he is one who chooses "the path less travelled" and for him "it has made all the difference".  And whilst his life has been split into many remarkable episodes, it is three particular ones which highlight a life of courage, faith and belief in both God's providence and His plan.

The first of these three episodes was whilst he was serving during the late 80s. At the time Sri Lanka was going through a leftist insurgency. And as is the way with such things, this uprising was quelled with swift and direct violence. Hundreds were murdered. Burning bodies were strewn openly across the streets. It was a truly horrible chapter of the country's war torn history.

This priest reported the violent actions of the government forces. He took it up both church and government hierarchy. For his actions, he was confronted by a stranger one night who proceeded to attack him with a knife. The injury was so bad, he had to physical hold his internal organs together. Remarkably he says he felt no pain during the incident.

Luckily, with the help of his staff and local buddhist monks, he was able to get to a hospital and receive the appropriate medical treatment. The price of right action is high, but here is a man who is willing to go the distance. Imagine if we all stood for our convictions and acted as God intended. Perhaps some of the greatest atrocities of our generation might have been avoided.

His second challenging appointment was as the local priest of a very rural district in the early 90s. He was replacing a priest who was shot and killed during the longstanding civil war within Sri Lanka.  It was a courageous decision on his part. The area he was entering was part of the civil war zone. The church complex contained evidence of this conflict in the form of strewn bullet holes. And the town itself consisted of a very small Catholic community.

Upon entering the community, he threw himself into mission work. He set up a school for young children. He adopted a policy of inclusion not exclusion. Thus inviting the majority Buddhist population of the town to join his school.

Slowly with love, understanding and mutual respect he was able to win the confidence and backing of the local townspeople. To the point where he became a respected member of the community. This was done with a strong attitude of Christian love and acceptance to all. We would all do well to learn from such a powerful story. To treat each other as brother and sister. Irrespective of race, colour, caste or creed.

The final story I wish to share is one of God's divine providence. Whilst the priest was serving in this rural town, he met a foreigner who regularly attend mass. This individual was working as part of a charity providing services in rural parts of Sri Lanka. They became quick friends. So much so that when a  local child was tragically killed by snake bite whilst going to the outdoor toilet, the priest and this foreigner collaborated to provide everyone in the small community with roofed toilets.

Years later, whilst the priest was completing his PhD in theology at the Vatican, he ran into this same foreigner. It turned out that this individual was related to one of the royal houses of Europe.  Remembering their work together he was able to organize a private audience with some important people. Suffice to say, the priest's reputation preceded him and everyone was quickly impressed with both his life story and the strength of his administration skills. 

On account of these factors, the priest was able to obtain funding for projects in Sri Lanka. One of which was for the schooling and lodging of orphaned children. It is a powerful story of serendipity and God's providence.

It's also a story of how each person we meet on our life's journey can have a deep and profound effect on both our destiny and that of the people around us. It reminds us that we are all connected, like one large root system belonging to the tree that is life.

Each of us contains a miracle and it is God’s plan that moves us towards fulfilling this miracle. But darkness gathers the closer we move towards realizing this destiny. It arrives in the form of doubt, indifference, narcissism and false idolatry. When we forgo these distractions and surrender ourselves completely to His will, we are able to reflect His glory. When this happens we are no longer mere mortals, but messengers. Guided by the One hand that wrote creation. By His hand in doing His work our souls transcend our earthly bodies. To shine bright, bring hope and light up the darkness.

So in summary, this trip has shown me the wonders of spirituality. Its ability to move people towards His will. But more importantly, it has shown me that the ultimate truth can only be achieved when this spirituality is channelled through religiosity to love, surrender and glorify God.

Holiday Reflections - Part 1

by Surath Fernando

I recently came back from a short holiday in Sri Lanka. Below are some reflections from my time. I've split it into two parts as it's easier to read that way.

In my observations, I found life in Sri Lanka falls into two buckets. Outside the capital, in the small villages and towns, life is relaxed, slow paced and focuses on the small things. Children climb trees, collect sea shells and play in the street. A typical dish is rice with fish, vegetables and a sambol. Dessert is a choice of bananas, mangoes or papaw with lime.

Not to say that people don't have any worries. Far from it. It's just that they appear to be more content with living in the present and extract joy from small things, like a favourite song, special meal or flying a kite by the beach.

It is a world far removed from the capital Colombo. That is a world of posh hotels, first world amenities and grand buffets. The extravagance was uncomfortable at times. Especially when it took place meters away from people who are struggling with the basic freedoms taken for granted in the developed world.

As I reflect on the two, I don't think one is particularly good or bad. It ultimately depends on the individual. To each their own. However, what I do think is important is obtaining the right balance. This ties in with Pope Francis' call for moderation and the old Greek saying of "nothing in excess".

Besides the lifestyle, what stands out is the strength of spirituality and religious faith. Note that I refer to the two separately as I think they are subtlety different.

First of all, spirituality. There is a clear spiritual connection of the people with the land, its flora and fauna. I suppose it's not surprising given the history of the country.

Sri Lanka has a culture that is old in the human sense of time. Its countryside is dotted with ancient ruins and a legacy of a culture that worshipped the elements.

Indeed, the picturesque mountain of Adams Peak (Butterfly mountain in the local dialect) is testament to this fact. Many thousands of years ago, this was the scene of sun worshipping. Its basis lies on the occurrence of a natural phenomenon that visually shows repeated sunrises, almost as if the sun bows to those on top of the mountain.

This history of worship has flowed to the religious views of today’s practicing Buddhists, Christians and Muslims. The former believe that lord Buddha arrived to the island on this mountain top and brought with him Buddhism. The latter two believe this mountain was the place Adam arrived after his exile from Eden. Each year, pilgrims from all three faiths make the climb up the mountain to see this wonder of nature and in homage of their respective faiths.

My personal view of this mountain is one of awe and quiet respect. I have always loved the high places of the world. There is something about the view from the top of a mountain that highlights the utter insignificance of humanity, when compared to the glory of creation. It is no wonder that God spoke to Moses on Mt Sinai and cultures the world over worship these sacred places.

This connection with the land and nature helps breed a strong sense of spirituality within the people. It is visible in their actions. People leave food for squirrels, dogs and cats. Stray animals are cared for by strangers. Pilgrims offer the fruits of the earth at their local temples.

In addition to spirituality, there is a strong sense of religiosity underpinning the country. This I define as spirituality with a framework for worship and the ultimate glorification of God.

Present day religiosity in Sri Lanka is a by-product of external influences on the country. Buddhism and Hinduism were brought to the country from India. Islam entered on the boats of Moorish traders, who travelled the known world. Christianity, in its various forms, was championed by the waves of Dutch, English and Portuguese colonial conquest.

A walk around most towns will expose one to a church, temple or mosque. This is a refreshing change from the secular world. And irrespective of the  type of faith, I feel joy that people have found faith itself. Indeed, it is uplifting to see people dress in their best clothes as they go to mass or attend temple. If only we all had that level of respect for all aspects of our faith! What kind of a world would it be!

Part two of this reflection will focus on a person who exampled this strong combination of spirituality and religiosity.

And So I Wrestle with God (On Genesis 32:22-32)

By Pat Pagulayan

The part where Jacob wrestled with God is one of the events in the Patriarchs that I can relate the most. I feel like I am continually wrestling with God. And like what He did to Jacob, He just allows me to wrestle with Him, be angry with Him, complain, and rant to Him.

Looking back at it though, it was actually God who came to Jacob to wrestle with him, not Jacob starting the wrestle with God (Gen 32:24). It's like God intended to bring Jacob to a point of surrender. And it seems to me that every passing day, especially in those dark nights, God has been wrestling with me until I surrender to Him those deepest desires that I wrestle Him for. Like Jacob saying he will not let go of God until He gives him His blessing, here I am still fighting with God, not stopping until He gives me what I desire for. Stubborn indeed.

This reminds me of what Fritz said, "No more playing games with God". Here I am, trying to manipulate God (as if I can), fighting with Him until He gives me what I want. And as what Jacob's wrestling match have shown me, even if I think I'm winning, it is God who always wins. The wise move for me to take is to just submit to Him.

There's a part of me that longs for God to just "knock out my hip socket", no matter how painful it may seem, so that I can see Him as my only God, be dependent on Him, and surrender completely to Him. And as Jacob refused to let go of God despite a broken hip socket (which must have been very, very painful I must say!), I hope I’d always “strive” for Him, refusing to let Him go, and just desire Him alone, more and more each passing day.

Something About Judah

By Elizabeth Etta

There is something about Judah that fascinates me. Judah is a minor character in the Patriarch story when compared to the major characters Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. Yet his role in history and in the bible is significant which is why his story is mentioned. 

Judah is the one who instigated that his brothers sell Joseph into slavery for thirty pieces of silver instead of killing him. He and his brothers then lie to their father that Joseph had been killed by a wild beast.

The next chapter says that Judah left home and moved to Adullam. I see a guilt pattern here. He knew what he and his brothers had done was wrong and instead of owning up, perhaps confessing to his father the truth, he runs away and leads a different path. Perhaps also he feels sorry for what he has done and can't stand to see his father's pain and decides to move away.

Judah chose to run and took his own path at this point rather than let God direct his path. There are  times in our lives when we let the shame and guilt continue to nag at us and our lives are not the same because we haven't addressed those issues.

Judah lives a rebellious life. Unlike his father Jacob and his grandfather Isaac, he marries a cananite woman. He has 3 children who did evil in the sight of the lord. Perhaps they were evil because as a father he was relaxed in his worship and his responsibility to ensure that they knew God, but this is my speculation.

Anyway, he got his first son a wife called Tamar and then when his son died without any child, his second son had to fulfill the responsibility but because his second son failed to do his duty, he too also died and Judah was afraid to give the youngest son, fearing that he too would die so he sent Tamar back home to her parents. Even though the youngest son had grown up to marry Tamar, Judah did not send for her and so she took matters into her own hands, pretended to be a prostitute, Judah slept with her and she became pregnant.

Three months later when Judah finds out that Tamar is pregnant, he orders that she be burnt to death. He must have thought this would free him from his promise and his responsibility.

Are we quick to judge others, point out their mistakes, look for someone to blame? We must examine ourselves first.

Meanwhile, Tamar in order to save her life, sends a message to her father-in-law saying whoever owns the cord and stick is the father of her child. Judah then at that point admits his guilt and realizes that he is in the wrong.

I think this moment is significant, because Judah for the first time has admitted his guilt for wrongdoing. He agrees that the seal and stick are his and that is when change and breakthrough come in.

It is at the point that we acknowledge our guilt and confess our sin that God can meet us and work out His good purpose in our lives.

We also see God's blessing in Tamar, not only does she have one child but God blesses her with twin sons.

The end of Judah's story takes place when Judah and his brothers now appear before Joseph in egypt. Joseph recognizes his brothers and decides to put them to the test to see whether they had changed.

When Joseph puts the silver cup in Benjamin's sack and it is found and he decides to keep Benjamin. Judah is the first to speak up and he says that God has found out their guilt. Judah pleads with Joseph for his brother. He wants to be taken instead of Benjamin as he feared what would happen to his father if he did not return with Benjamin and he did not wish to see his father's sorrow and be the cause of it.

I see a changed man in Judah. He knew his father loved Benjamin but this time he cared about what happened to his father. He still lived with the guilt of what he had done to Joseph previously and did not want to repeat the same mistake.

God knew Judah's heart. It was repentant. God used Joseph to not only make a provision for the entire family but also to change Judah and to bring about restoration to Judah and his brothers.

God knew  Judah's heart, that it was repentant. God used Jacob to declare a blessing on Judah and I quote "Judah your brothers will praise you, you will defeat your enemies, the scepter will not depart Judah nor the ruler's staff from his descendants until the coming of the one to whom it belongs. The one whom all nations obey."

Ultimately, God used the line of Judah and Tamar to give the world the messiah. This is why Jesus is referred to as the "Lion Of Judah."