Honey From The Rock

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

Victor Knowles — 2010-04-21T15:46:00Z

To all friends of HONEY FROM THE ROCK: I have decided to "retire" Honey from the Rock after 1,000 entries. You will still be able to access the entire archives of HFTR on our new website (still at www.poeministries.org). We hope to launch the new website within a few days.

However, I have created a new feature on our newly designed website: STRENGTH FOR TODAY. It will be briefer than the daily Bible studies I did on HFTR, but it will still contain good material designed to give you a spiritual vitamin pill as it were each day!

Thanks for all your kind comments on HFTR. You will find the Archives to HFTR under "Resources" on our new website. STRENGTH FOR TODAY will be the first thing you see when you log on to our new website.

God bless you all!

VICTOR KNOWLES

ANNOUCEMENT

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-31T12:27:00Z

To all Honey from the Rock fans. I have tried 3 times to post the 1,000th issue of HFTR with no success. We have signed a contract to do a total redesign of our website, including this blog. We will be back in several weeks. In the meantime, peruse some of the 1,000 studies we have already posted, OK? See you soon, Lord willing.

AN UNGRATEFUL WRETCH

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-31T12:27:00Z

An important announcement will follow this 1,000th episode of Honey from the Rock!

Joseph was now, in effect, the warden of the prison. One day he processed in two members of Pharaoh officials: the chief cupbearer and the chief baker. Both men had a dream one night and both fell into a funk as a result of their dreams (nightmares?). Joseph could see that they were troubled and he kindly took time to visit with them. I like what he said about dreams. "Do not interpretations belong to God?" (Gen. 40:8 NIV). God must have given Joseph the ability to interpret for he did so with both dreams. It turned out good for the cupbearer because on Pharaoh's birthday he was restored to his good graces, just as Joseph said he would. But the poor baker did not fare so well. Just has Joseph had said, he was hanged on a tree. Sometimes it is best not to know the meaning of a dream!

Back to the cupbearer. After telling him the meaning of his dream, Joseph said, "When all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of prison. For I was forcipble carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon" (vs. 14-15). Incredibly, "the chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him" (v. 23). I want to know how you do this? How do you forget a man who has saved you from the hangman's noose? But somehow the cupbearer did. It was two long years before he remembered Joseph (41:1). Let us not commit the sin of ingratitude.

Note: Today marks two milestones: (1) It is our 1,000th edition of Honey from the Rock. (2) Yesterday I signed a contract to do a total redesign of our website, including this blog. We will be "off the air" for several weeks. In the meantime, why not revisit some of the earlier entries? God bless you all.

TWO YEARS IN PRISON

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-30T07:58:00Z

Joseph served two years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Did he become bitter? No, he did not. Why not? "But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison" (Gen. 39:21 NKJV). Once again we see Joseph experiencing the presence, mercy, and favor of God. He enjoyed daily fellowship with his Lord and Master. "And He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own" (C. Austin Miles). God was not about to abandon someone who had been so faithful to Him. The jailer somehow took note of this and wisely put the keeping of the prisoners into Joseph's hands. He was so trusted that the jailer didn't even have to look into the affairs of Joseph's running of the prison. Amazing. All of this was "because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper" (v. 23).

Have you known people like this? Perhaps you are yourself a person who can be so trusted. There is something about a person who has a calming assurance that everything is going to be all right. We want to be around them. We want to be like them. Life's injustices don't seem to bother them. They take things in stride ~ because they are in spiritual stride with their Lord and Savior. I am sure that the prisoners received better care under Joseph's administration than they ever had before. He was their friend and advocate. In this way Joseph is a type of Jesus Christ. Although we have all been in the prison house of sin, Jesus is our friend and advocate too. His presence assures us that we are not alone. His intercession for us gives us comfort and hope. His mercies are new every morning. The prisoners could have sung, "What a friend we have in Joseph!" We can sing, "What a friend we have in Jesus!" Funny thing is: a man named Joseph wrote that song!

Hymn: "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!" (Joseph Scriven).

MRS. POT O'FIRE

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-29T11:47:00Z

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." That is not in the Bible but there is a story in Scripture that illustrates this ancient maxim. Joseph is a slave in Egypt and is put in charge of the house of Potiphar, a high ranking official of the Pharaoh. Three times the text (Gen. 39:1-6) tells us that God was with Joseph. In fact, the blessing of the Lord fell upon the house of Potiphar just because of Joseph's godly presence. All well and good . . . until the day Mrs. Pot O'Fire got the hots for young Joseph.

"Now Joseph was well-built and handsome. After some time his master's wife looked longingly at Joseph and said, 'Sleep with me.'" (Gen. 39:7 CSB). Joseph's response to her advances would disappoint Hollywood. They would have to lie through their teeth to tell the story the way they would want to (of course that has never kept Hollywood from misrepresenting truth and history in the movies). The first thing he did was remind Mrs. Pot O'Fire that she belonged to Potiphar, not him (v. 8). Second, he recognized the sin factor: "How could I do such a great evil and sin against God?" (v. 9). He knew adultery was a sin. Third, every day he refused to go to bed with her; i.e., his temptations with the sultry seductress were daily, yet he fought her off (v. 10). Think about this. They were all alone. Who would know? But Joseph knew that God would know and that was enough for him. Fourth, the fateful day she grabbed him while no one else was around he literally fled from temptation. He ran away, leaving his garment in her hand (V. 13). The Bible says "Flee youthful lusts" and that is what he did ~ literally. Joseph wound up in prison over this incident but even there "the LORD was with Joseph and extended kindness to him" (v. 21).

Hymn: "Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin; each victory will help you some other to win; fight manfully onward, dark passions subdue, look ever to Jesus, He will carry you through. As the Savior to help you, comfort, strengthen and keep you; He is willing to aid you, He will carry you through" ( H. R. Palmer)

"THE LORD WAS WITH HIM"

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-26T07:47:00Z

Joseph was now a slave in Egypt. Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, had bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites and was put into service in the Egyptian's house. Can you imagine how homesick Jospeh must have been? Whatever his feelings were toward his brothers, who had sold him into slavery, are not recorded. I am sure he felt some feelings of gratitude for Reuben, who had at least done what he could to spare his life. So now he is all alone as a slave in Egypt. Or is he all alone? I think not. Look at Genesis 39:2 ~ "The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man..." Notice the correlation between the presence of the Lord and the prosperity of His servant! That should teach us something. Not only that, Potiphar saw that Joseph's God was with him and that it was the Lord who blessed everything that Joseph did. "And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand" (v. 3). Because of this, Potiphar made Joseph overseer of his entire household ~ quite an honor for a young slave boy!

Can you be a success in life without the presence of the Lord? I guess that depends upon one's definition of success. If you are talking only in worldly terms, the answer could be yes. Many people have climbed the ladder of success without God's help. And pushed a lot of people off that ladder on their selfish way to the top. But if we are talking spiritual success, the answer is no. You need God's presence, guidance and direction to be the man or woman God wants you to be. Without Him we can do nothing of spiritual and eternal value. With Him we can do all things. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13).

Hymn/Prayer: "I need Thy presence every passing hour; what but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power? Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me." (Henry F. Lyte)

REUBEN'S THINKING

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-25T07:28:00Z

I wonder how many of my readers remember an old song (not a church song) that goes, "Reuben, Reuben, I've been thinking." I actually wanted to name our son Reuben but my wife, remembering this old song, put a stop to that. So Reuben became Lincoln! Anyway, the biblical Reuben in our text today was doing some thinking, and it actually saved the life of his brother Joseph. Here is how the story went down. Israel sent Joseph to check up on how his brothers were doing. He finally tracked them down at Dothan. When his brothers saw him coming they conspired to kill him (Gen. 37:18). "But Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, and said, 'Let us not kill him . . . Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit . . . and do not lay a hand on him' ~ that he might deliver him out of their hands and bring him back to his father" (vs. 21,22). Now do you see why I was attracted to the name Reuben?

The fact that Reuben heard of this conspiracy indicates he was not in on the premeditated murder plan. And when he heard about his brother's wicked plans, he devised a plan of his own. He suggested throwing him into a pit ~ but only so that he might somehow rescue Joseph and return him unharmed to his father. Later in the story Judah, to his shame, came up with the plan to sell their own flesh and blood into slavery. Again, Reuben was not in on the plot. When he returned to the pit, Joseph was gone, and Reuben tore his clothes in anguish and lamented, "The lad is no more; and I, where shall I go?" (v. 31). He was genuinely distressed. The only mark against Reuben in this story, as I see it, is that when the brothers lied to Israel about what had happened to Joseph (vs. 31-35), Reuben remained silent. He could have told his father what really happened, and that Joseph was alive (although in slavery), but he did not. What does this story tell you about Reuben's thinking? It appears that he alone had compassion for his brother. Had it not been for his intervention, Joseph would have died at the hands of his brothers. What can you do the next time you hear of someone wanting to assassinate someone's character or some group of people wanting to ruin someone's reputation? Seek ways that you can deliver the intended victim from spiritual harm by intervening on their behalf like Reuben did for Joseph.

Prayer: Holy Father, give us the courage and compassion of Reuben to stick up for others when they are being maligned by those who profess to be their brothers. Through Christ we pray.

THE HURT OF HATE

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-24T07:24:00Z

We hear a lot about "hate speech" and even "hate crimes" today. But the Bible talks about the sin of hatred. Earlier in Genesis we have seen the horrible results of unchecked hatred when Cain killed his own brother. Now we see hatred rear its ugly head once again. Joseph's brothers had a great hatred for their brother (see vs. 4, 5, 8). Three times the scriptures tell us about their exceeding and seething hatred. Their hatred led them to even discuss killing him. Finally, the settled on selling their own flesh and blood into slavery!

John tells us that he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness because hatred has blinded his eyes (1 John 2:9). In fact, "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer" (v. 15). Paul calls hatred a work of the flesh (Gal. 5:19). We are instructed to lay aside all hatred (Eph. 4:31; Col. 3:8). You would think that, of all people, Christians would not have to be asked to put off hatred, but we find those admonitions in the Bible. Hatred often rises up even in the church of the redeemed. Those who say they love God but hate their brothers and sisters in Christ are liars (1 John 4:20). One of the first commandments in the Bible is "You shall not hate your brother in your heart" (Lev. 19:17). The only things we should really hate are sin and the devil himself. Let us live above hatred. Let us never lower ourselves to the sin of Joseph's brothers.

LOVED TOO MUCH

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-23T07:04:00Z

"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors" (Gen. 37:3 NKJV). Jacob is now going by the name Israel (see Gen. 32:28). He made a mistake that many parents have made ~ he loved one child more than others. The Bible tells us it was because Joseph was the son of his old age. I used to tease my father that he spanked my little brother David a lot less than he did me. Maybe that is because I did more things to bring on the spankings! Israel exacerbated the problem by making a special coat for Joseph. This did nothing to appease the hatred that Joseph's brothers already had because Joseph had brought a bad report to his father about some of their shenanigans (v. 2). They hated him so much that they could not speak one kind word to him. Joseph may have brought some of this upon himself but it was his father's inordinate love for him that created the problem.

Does God love one person more than another? Does he favor one nation above another? Does He love preachers more than members, elders more than deacons, older women more than younger women? God did not even spare His own Son at the cross. "He who did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us all..." (Rom. 8:32 NIV). God's love for lost mankind is so far greater than the love Israel had for just one of his children. Let us not make the mistake of Israel but let us do our best to emulate the love of God.

Hymn: "The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell: It goes beyond the highest star, and reaches to the lowest hell..." (F. M. Lehman)

ALMOST HOME

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-22T14:45:00Z

"Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel labored in childbirth, and she had hard labor" (Gen. 35:16 NKJV). Jacob and Rachel were almost home when she went into hard labor. I remember when our first child was born. Evelyn's hard labor frightened me but there were good nurses present there at Grape Community Hospital in Hamburg, Iowa to help her deliver our little Mindy. Rachel's midwife tried to encourage her with these words: "Do not fear; you will have this son also" (v. 17). I remember trying to encourage my wife during her time of labor. I felt so helpless. But our story turned out much better that this one. "And it was so, as her soul was departing (for she died) that she called his name Ben-Oni; but his father called him Benjamin" (v. 18). I am amazed that Rachel could hold on long enough not only to bear her son but to give him a name. It must have been one sad day.

So many thing happen to us "when there is but a little distance to go." I think of older Christian people who are "almost home." I want to encourage them to continue to be "faithful unto death." I don't want them to miss out on the glories of heaven that they have looked forward to all their lives. Our labor will not be in vain if we continue in faith to the end of the journey.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to labor for You until the day You call us home. And use us to encourage older Christians to do the same. Through Christ we pray.

WHEN TERROR PROTECTS

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-19T07:46:00Z

It was time to go home again. That's what God told Jacob. "Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother" (Gen. 35:1 NKJV). But while Jacob's family had been living among the Canaanites, they had been collecting things ~ things like foreign gods (idols), garments, and jewelry (see vs. 2 & 4). So before Jacob builds the altar, he tells his family to get rid of the stuff, purify themselves, and even change their clothes. Jacob buried all of it under a terebinth tree near Shechem. Now they were ready to go. Notice what happens next.

"And they journeyed, and the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them, and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob" (Gen. 35:5). Now remember that Jacob's sons had just wiped out the male population of an entire Canaanite city in response to the defilement of their sister Dinah. I'm sure there were blood relatives who wanted to spill the blood of those men, especially Simeon and Levi who had instigated the massacre. Yet Jacob's huge caravan went through the enemy territory without incident because the terror of God was upon the cities that were all around them. That is some kind of protective power that prevented those people from taking vengeance. I don't know what terrors befell them or threatened them, but they must have been very real and convincing to thwart their plans. I would like to think it was because Jacob made his family divest themselves of all traces of pagan idolatry that they may have succumbed to while with the Hivites. Hmmm. I wonder how much divine protection we rob ourselves of by not putting away the foreign gods that are among us today? What might some of those things be? Let us examine ourselves carefully and purify ourselves before the Lord today.

SOMEONE'S IN THE KITCHEN WITH DINAH

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-18T12:40:00Z

Probably some of my older readers will remember the song, "Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah." Well, in Genesis 34, someone was in the kitchen with Dinah and Dinah paid dearly for the visit. Dinah was one of the daughters of Jacob and Leah. She went out for a walk one day and was violated by Shechem the Hivite. Dinah's brothers were "filled with grief and fury" over the matter. Shechem's father tried to make things right by offering Jacob by settling among the Hivites. Jacob's sons had learned one thing from their father: the "gift" of deceit. The agreed to do so on the condition that Shechem and the Hivites submit to the Jewish ritual of circumcision. Every male in the city agreed because they could see prosperity down the road if they formed an alliance with a big family like Jacob's. So, like sheep led to the slaughter, the mass circumcisions began.

Three days later, "while all of them were still in pain," two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, entered the city and slew every male by the sword. The rest of the sons looted the dead, seized the flocks and herds, and carried off their wealth, women and children. Jacob told Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me by making me a stench to the Canaanites." But his sons replied, "Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?" The chapter ends on that question mark and leaves a big question mark over the entire chapter. Is this the way we should respond when something bad happens to a loved one? Is the sin of deceit "in the genes" of Jacob's sons? How would you react in a similar situation?

A CHANGE OF HEART

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-16T14:01:00Z

Jacob was afraid. He had just received word that his brother Esau, whom he had tricked out receiving the birthright, was on the march with 400 of his finest men. The hunt was on for Jacob! "Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed" (Gen. 32:7 ESV). Well, who wouldn't be afraid? Esau hated Jacob and had vowed to kill him. Now it looked like it will all come down on Jacob's head.

It is no fun to live in fear. Fear, anxiety, and worry are the unholy trinity of too many Christians. Instead of trusting God, we give into our inner fears. I've been told that 90% of what we fear never comes to pass. Most of it is in our head. When Christ is in the heart, fear will leave the head. Back to the story. The dreaded day arrived. The first thing Jacob saw that morning was his brother and 400 men on the horizon. Jacob split up his family, putting the servants in front of them for protection. Then, "He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother" (Gen. 33:1-3). Was this what changed the heart of Esau? Or had Esau already had a change of heart? For the next verse says, "But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept" (Gen. 33:4). This is one of the most tender verses in Genesis. Notice ~ "and they wept." A change of heart in Esau changed the day for Jacob and his family. Oh, how many estranged family members today (even in the church) need that change of heart! How different things could be! Let God change your heart today.

WRESTLING WITH GOD

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-15T07:15:00Z

Jacob was between a rock and a hard place. Laban was pursuing him from one direction and Esau was advancing on him from another direction. He prayed to God for deliverance (Gen. 32:11) and then bedded down for the night. He couldn't sleep. You know how it is when you are sick with worry. Who can sleep? So he got up, took Rachel and Leah and their 11 sons and crossed over the Jabbok ford, then returned to camp. That's when the wrestling began. God and Jacob wrestled all night long. It is a strange story but true. Truth is often stranger than fiction. Toward the break of day we find this amazing passage. "And He [God] said, 'Let Me go, for the day breaks.' But he [Jacob] said, 'I will not let You go unless You bless me!'" (Gen. 32:26 NKJV).

How puny my prayers seem in comparison. How easily I give up in prayer, long before the day breaks. How tiny and embarrassing are my requests. The apostle Paul described our wrestling in spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:12). Give Jacob credit. He wrestled with God until he got what he requested, even though he limped from that day forward because of the event (see. 25). God leaves His mark on us when we pray fervently and unceasingly. God was so impressed with Jacob's intensity and aggressiveness that He gave him a new name. "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggle with God and with men, and have prevailed" (v. 28). Just think. Israel today might be known as Jacob! The Israelites might have been called the Jacobites. The name "Israel" appears more than 2,500 times in Scripture. All because a man would not take no for an answer ~ from Almighty God Himself!

Prayer: Great God of Israel, forgive us when we fail to go to the mat with You in prayer. We repent of our puny prayers. Grant us the holy boldness of Your servant Jacob/Israel. Through Christ we pray.

TRUE LOVE WAITS

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-12T07:09:00Z

"Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, 'I will serve you [Laban] seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.' And Laban said, 'It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.' So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her" (Gen. 29:18-20 NKJV).

True love waits. Perhaps that expression comes from today's text. Jacob's love for Rachel was so great that he worked for Laban for seven long years. He waited for the hand of Rachel for 2,532 days. Talk about a long courtship and engagement period! And then everything blew up in his face. Laban had tricked him! Jacob went to bed on his wedding night with Leah, the older daughter. But he did not know this was the case until morning. All those enduring phrases he breathed into the ear of his bride ("Oh, Rachel, Rachel!" ) went into the ears of Leah instead. Poor Jacob. Poor Rachel! "So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah" (Gen. 29:25). That verse always strikes me as funny, but I am sure it was not funny to Jacob! "Leapin' Leah-zzards!" Leah, who could have alerted Jacob to the trick any time she wanted, probably enjoyed her night as the surrogate bride.

Jacob was no doubt mad as hops. I would have been. He went to Laban the next day and confronted him about the deceit. (I wonder if he remembered how he himself had deceived his blind old father? Chickens do come home to roost now and then!). Laban's excuse was lame but Jacob bought it anyway. He had a one-week "honeymoon" with Leah and then was permitted to marry Rachel ~ on the condition that he work seven more years for Laban (see vs. 26-30). Even at that the Bible says that Jacob's love for Rachel was so great that he worked as Laban's indentured servant for a grand total of 14 years (5,064 days). True love waits. And waits. And waits. But is worth it in the end.

THE TITHE VOW

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-11T07:28:00Z

Have you ever made a vow (a solemn promise)? If you are married, you did. Vows should be taken seriously. The vow we will study today was made by Jacob when he traveled as far as Bethel. It was there that he dreamed of a ladder that reached to heaven. Angels were ascending and descending. Above the ladder was God. Once again, God assured Jacob of the covenant that He had made with Abraham and Isaac. When Jacob woke up, he set up a pillar and poured oil on it. Then he made this famous vow. "If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God. 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" (Gen. 28:20-22 NKJV).

Where in the world did Jacob learn about tithing? Probably from his grandfather Abraham. Remember when Abraham rescued his nephew Lot? After his return, Abram (as he was known then) was met by Melchizedek, king of Salem (later, Jerusalem) and priest of God Most High (Gen. 14:18). In return for the blessing of Melchizedek, Abram gave him a tithe of all he possessed (v. 20). I don't know if Isaac practiced tithing or not but I would imagine he did. Now Jacob is vowing to do the same. Let me ask you some questions that are based on this text. Has God been with you (presence)? Has He kept you in the way you are going (protection)? Has He give you bread to eat and clothes to wear (provision)? Then why not make a similar vow (unless you already have)? "Of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to you." You might even want to find a nice stone and place it somewhere to remind you of this solemn promise. Remember that Christ is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 7:17). We are the seed of Abraham by faith in Jesus Christ. What Jacob vowed to do, we may vow as well. I have never known a tither who regretted it, but I have met many people who wished they had started tithing earlier in life.

Prayer: Holy Father, everything we have comes from Your hand. We thank You for your presence, protection and provision. Grant us the courage to make the vow of Jacob in Jesus' name.

THE SADDEST VERSE IN GENESIS

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-10T06:21:00Z

What I am about to say is subjective but I believe the saddest verse in the book of Genesis is Chapter 27:38 NKJV: "And Esau said to his father, 'Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father!' And Esau lifted up his voice and wept." The book of Hebrews says he sought the blessing "diligently with tears" (Heb. 12:17). Oh, what weeping and wailing. You can almost hear his wails of anguish spread out across the hills and valleys. A neighbor asks, "What is that? A wounded animal?" Another replies, "No, that is Esau. He just learned that Jacob deceived his father and stole the birthright that was his. I wouldn't want to be in Jacob's sandals!"

Isaac gave Esau a blessing but it was not the one that he thought he would get or even deserved. Therefore, the Bible says, "So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, 'The days of mourning for my father are at hand; and then I will kill my brother Jacob'" (Gen. 27:41). Esau's anguish is soon supplanted with bitter hatred and thoughts of murder. What was Jacob thinking? For now he had to leave his home and head for the hills just to save his hide.

All spiritual blessings are found in Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:3). We do not have to practice deceit like Jacob or plead with God like Esau to receive the promised blessings in Christ. "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, accourding to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7). Praise His holy name!

Prayer: Gracious God, how we need Your blessing! Thank you for blessing us with every spiritual blessing in Christ, in whom we have redemption and forgiveness!

Today is my wife's birthday! What a blessing she has been to me ever since we first met in 1965. God has blessed us with 42 years of marriage!

THE HANDS OF ESAU

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-09T07:37:00Z

"So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, 'The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.'" (Gen. 27:22 NKJV).

Have you ever been deceived? It is not a pleasant feeling. You feel like someone has betrayed you. You feel violated, humiliated, and shamed. It is a terrible thing to deceive a person. This is what happened to Isaac when he was old and blind. His son, Jacob, with the assistance of his mother Rebekah, concocted a plan to deceive the old man so that Jacob would received the coveted birthright, even though his brother Esau was the firstborn son. Jacob confided in her, saying, "Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned man. Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bring a curse on myself and not a blessing" (vs. 11, 12). Jacob was not only smooth-skinned, he had a smooth tongue. He was a deceiver! He admitted as much. While Esau was on a hunt, Rebekah made a savory stew and Jacob approached his father with the skins of goats on the back of his hands and neck. That's when Isaac felt him and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau."

There are so many deceivers in the world today doing the work of the master deceiver, Satan. The apostle John said, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1). The voice is Jacob's but the hands are Esau's. Don't be deceived by the hands of Esau. That voice you hear is not the one you think it is. The hands make you feel like it is genuine, but the voice cannot be mistaken. It is the voice of falsehood, error, deception, and danger. Smooth talkers deceive many out of their life savings; worse than that, eternal life. Do not be led astray. Test the spirits to see whether they are of God. Is what they are saying according to the Bible? Is it that same as what Jesus and the apostles taught? Stay with God's Word and you will not be led astray. This is why personal Bible study is so important. Don't let what you "feel" rob you of your spiritual birthright. Learn to recognize the smooth voice of the deceiver and reject his or her lying message.

Prayer: God of all truth, grant us wisdom so that we might be able to discern between truth and error. May we always stay with You Son who is the way, the truth and the life. In His name we pray, Amen.

A VOICE IN THE NIGHT

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-08T08:19:00Z

"And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, 'I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham's sake.'" (Gen. 26:24 NKJV).

At night our fears grow worse. We cannot sleep and we begin to worry. It is then that we need an assuring word from the Lord. This is what Isaac experienced firsthand. His servants had been trying to dig a well for their master but the Philistines kept filling them up with dirt. There were also many quarrels going on between his herdsman and the Philistine herdsman. Finally, a new well was dug and there was no quarreling. That is the night God visited Isaac with a word of encouragement.

The first word of encouragement had to do with God's person: "I am the God of your father Abraham." How many times had Isaac heard about God from his father! I remember so many evenings when my father gathered all of us together and read the Bible to us. I also remember my mother's earnest prayers, many of them for me. The second word was in regard to God's presence: "Do not fear, for I am with you." That is a very good thing to remember when you cannot sleep because of strife that is going on in your life. Has He not promised, "I will never leave you nor forsake you"? When David walked through the valley of the shadow of death he feared no evil. Why? Because God was with him ~ "Thou art with me." Third, the voice in the night reminded Isaac of God's promise: "I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham's sake." God keeps His promises. He is not like presidents and politicians who say one thing and do another. Claim the wonderful promises of the Lord! Because of this assuring voice in the night, Isaac got up the next day, built an altar, and called on the name of the LORD. This was a first for Isaac but it would not be the last. Now he was on the right road ~ all because of that voice in the night. The next time you are troubled and cannot sleep, think of God's person, presence, and promises. I guarantee you it will be better than a sleeping pill.

Prayer: Father, thank You for your calm and assuring voice in the night. May we always honor you and call upon you in our times of trouble. Through Christ we pray.

SINS OF THE FATHERS

Victor Knowles — 2010-03-05T07:57:00Z

Do you ever get the idea that we don't learn from the mistakes of others? Call it "human nature" (or better yet "sin") but it seems like we just don't learn very well from the past. Such is the case with Isaac in Genesis 26. Just like his father had done (see Gen. 20), he journeys to a strange land and tries to pass off his wife as his sister. Rebekah was a beautiful woman and he feared that they would kill him in order to take her (Gen. 26:7). This story is all to familiar! King Abimelech is probably not the same King Abimelech as in Chapter 20. The Ryrie Study Bible says, "Abimelech is a dynastic title, such as pharaoh. Since this occurred 97 years later, the Abimelech mentioned here was probably not the same as the one mentioned in Chapter 20. But the story is much the same.

why Isaac didn't just trust God to protect him? After all, God appeared to him in verse 2 and said, "Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands..." (Gen. 26:3 NKJV). In spite of this divine assurance, Isaac comes up with a false story line for the Philistines. Where did he learn that? Had his father Abraham told him about what he had once done? Did he learn it from some of the servants? Was it a part of the family oral history? I don't know. All I know is that Isaac pulled the same stunt as did his illustrious father Abraham. Neither one of them chose to trust God for protection and deliverance in the same situation. But let us take a good close look at our own lives. Are there times we trust our own wits more than we do God? Do we ever stretch the truth or tell a lie to get by? Let us never forget the words that God spoke to Isaac ~ "I will be with you and bless you..." Surely that should be good enough for us!