TIME & PLACE (blogging Genesis)

Blogging Genesis 35:27 – 36:43

Genesis 35: ²⁷ Then Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had dwelt.

²⁸ Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years.

 ²⁹ So Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days.

And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

Time (and geography) has a way of changing your perspective: your personal perspective and our historical perspective.

On a personal level, look at Jacob and Esau.  They were rivals from the womb.  Literally.  But, when their father died, they reconciled and, for a while, even moved their clans together to live on the same land.  However, as had happened with their Grandpa Abraham and Great-Uncle Lot, the brothers’ respective success and the growth of their extended families forced them to split up and look for more land.

Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the persons of his household, his cattle and all his animals, and all his goods which he had gained in the land of Canaan, and went to a country away from the presence of his brother Jacob.  For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together, and the land where they were strangers could not support them because of their livestock (Genesis 36:6-7).

Time and geography turned the sibling rivals into friends and, for a time, co-heads of their households.   

Time and place have an equally profound effect when you move from the personal to the historical,

Genesis chapter 36 is a genealogy of Esau’s descendants covering several generations well into the next couple hundred years in Canaan.

A history may cover hundreds of years across a region spanning thousands of miles, but it is written in a single place from the perspective of a single historical moment.  The time and place of the scholar skews the perspective and the conclusions of their history.

¹⁵ These were the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn son of Esau, were Chief Teman, Chief Omar, Chief Zepho, Chief Kenaz,

¹⁶ Chief Korah, Chief Gatam, and Chief Amalek.  These were the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom. They were the sons of Adah.

. . . ³¹ Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel:  (Genesis 36: 15, 16-31)

Genesis 36 says that Esaus’ descendants became tribal chiefs and eventually kings in Canaan.   Meanwhile his brother’s family relocated to Egypt where their descendants were enslaved and kept in bondage for 400 years.

Imagine if the history of the two sons of Isaac been written by a Canaanite observer living in the time between the end of Genesis and the beginning of Exodus. 

Esau would have been the successful twin.  His offspring, the Edomites, would have been the chosen people, the “superior” nation and some clever historian, looking “objectively” at the historical evidence would have pointed out that the Israelites were descendants of a Jacob the usurper, a known liar.  Therefore, this hypothetical scholar might have argued, the Israelites were a cursed race, genetically predisposed to service, fit only for second-class citizenship, unlike the noble Edomites.

But if you let history run a few more centuries, Israel becomes a great kingdom, Edom is wiped out, and the greatest religion in the world (I’m not even pretending to be objective about that) is literally born from the descendants of Israel.    Now who’s the cursed and who’s the chosen?

Five hundred years ago Africans were colonized and enslaved by Europeans.  Today, the African continent is stereotypically synonymous with famine, poverty, AIDS, and political chaos.  From this history, generations of Eurocentric scholars have concluded that African people and their descendants are cursed, inferior, and genetically suited to slavery and second-class citizenship. 

But imagine if the history had been written by a Spanish observer between 700 and 1492 A.D.  The medieval Spanish historian would have known Africans as Moors, the conquerors and rulers of Spain.  The Moors essentially ended the Dark Ages in Europe by introducing such innovations as personal hygiene (like deodorant and regular bathing), universal education, street lighting, hydraulic engineering, advanced agriculture, the first paper-making factory, and algebra.  A medieval Spanish historian writing in a new library built at the height of the Moorish era might have called Europeans filthy savages who should be grateful that their Black-skinned masters had colonized their backwards land and brought them civilization. 

 http://atlantablackstar.com/2013/10/07/when-black-men-ruled-the-world-moors/

History is the big picture, but depending on which years, which locations, and which events you crop out of the picture ---- the remaining image can make any group of people look way too good or way too bad.

The valid lessons of history teach us about contexts not character.   History doesn’t define certain nations or ethnicities as always good or always evil.  History can only tell us who did what in a given time and place.  In any given time and any given place, the right conditions can push any given people to become either heroes or villains.  The predictive parts of the historical record are the contexts and conditions. 

The Bible is a book for all times and all places.  How can such a relatively small anthology apply universally?  Because God in His infinite wisdom filled Scripture with stories of the contexts and conditions that make a people kings followed by the contexts and conditions that make that same people extinct.  The Bible shows us a people united and that same people divided.  It breaks down how a free community finds itself enslaved and how an enslaved people gets free.   Scripture lays out the contexts that make for great national leaders and the conditions that promote tyranny, corruption, and apostasy. 

Through Scripture, God teaches us to talk less about the TIMES in which we live. 

Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?”  For you do not inquire wisely concerning this (Ecclesiastes 7:10)

God teaches us to not to define ourselves by our geographical boundaries and national affiliations.

And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones (Matthew 3:9).

Therefore understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people (Deuteronomy 9:6)

Times and places change.  Our actions create the conditions of our time and place and those conditions define how chosen or how cursed our history will be. 

--Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama. He writes a blog called A Word to the Wise at www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com

Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

Follow me on twitter @AndersonTGraves 

Click here to support this ministry with a donation.  Or go to andersontgraves.blogspot.com and click on the DONATE button on the right-hand sidebar.

Support by check or money order may be mailed to 

Miles Chapel CME Church

P O Box 132

Fairfield, Al 35064

SUCCESS STORY?

blogging Genesis 32, 33

Jacob and his family were on their way.  They had cut the cord that bound them to Big Daddy Laban and his familia in Syria.  They had gotten out with their money and investments (sheep, oxen, cattle, camels, etc.).  Now they were on the way to Canaan, where Jacob would collect his inheritance and they would live the good life that God had promised.

On the way, a band of angels met Jacob.  It reminded him of the dream he’d had at Bethel when God had promised him land “to the west and the east, to the north and the south,” descendants as numerous “as the dust of the earth,” and a share in the destiny of Abraham that “in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed “ (Genesis 28:13-15).

It was a powerful moment for Jacob. When he’d left Canaan 20 years earlier he didn’t even have an extra bedroll to use as a pillow.  Now his family and possessions were twice the size of a typical caravan (Genesis 32:10).   “. . . And he called the name of that place Mahanaim” (Genesis 32:2). Mahanaim means double camp.

Jacob was so caught up in this double-sized moment because he sent riders 100 miles south to find Esau and describe how successful he had become.

You remember Esau, right?  The brother from whom Jacob had purchased, or extorted, or defrauded (depending on your perspective) of his birthright as firstborn.  Remember that the last time they’d seen each other 20 years earlier, he’d promised to murder Jacob?   Jacob the not-warrior leading a double-sized camp of women, children, and non-warrior goatherders sent servants to THAT Esau bragging about how rich he was and where his unprotected camp could be located. 

Clearly he didn’t think that through because when the messengers returned to inform him that yes, the brother who swore to kill you is on his way to your unprotected camp with 400 men, Genesis 32: 7 says “Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed.”

He thought about running.

“ . . . he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two companies. And he said, ‘If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the other company which is left will escape’ “ (Genesis 32:7-8).

He tried praying.

Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord . . .  Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. (Genesis 32:9-12).

He tried bribery.

“So he lodged there that same night, and took what came to his hand as a present for Esau his brother. . . For he said, ‘I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.’ ” (Genesis 32:13-21). 

Night dragged on and Jacob sent his family away while he stayed where Esau knew to find him. He was waiting for Esau to kill him.  The attack came, but not from Esau. 

A Man, an angel, THE Angel wrestled with Jacob all night long (Genesis 32:24), and Job repeatedly lost, but he refused to tap out.

The “Man” dislocated Jacob’s hip but Jacob wouldn’t stop grappling.  He said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” The Angel replied, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed” (Genesis 32:25-28).

The Angel could have dislocated Jacob’s shoulder or snapped his neck.  He could’ve just poof! disappeared.  Jacob didn’t “prevail” by winning.  He won by not giving up. 

“But he who endures to the end shall be saved^” (Matthew 24:13).

Now, compare your story to Jacob’s:

Has anyone believed greater for you than you believed for?  Don’t give up.

Have you gotten caught up in your family’s drama?  Don’t give up.

You ever been bullied?  Don’t give up.

Ever thought you were too smart to be played, but you weren’t?  Don’t give up.

Did you think they’d be happy for you, but realize they weren’t?  Don’t give up.

Ever press against God’s will even while you were praying for God to save you?  Left that one limping, didn’t you?  Get right.  Get humble.  But don’t give up.

You will face overwhelming odds.  You will be pressured to alter your path by people who don’t understand your destiny.  You will feel compelled to tell people what they want to hear.  Don’t give up.

Just keep going until all the world has been blessed by the life you live.

Oh, and don’t forget to praise God along the way.

“Then he erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.” (Genesis 33:20)

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama;  executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO);  and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Subscribe to my personal blog  www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com .

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com

Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

Follow me on twitter @AndersonTGraves 

Click here to support this ministry with a donation.  Or go to andersontgraves.blogspot.com and click on the DONATE button on the right-hand sidebar.

Support by check or money order may be mailed to 

Miles Chapel CME Church

P O Box 132

Fairfield, Al 35064

THE PRICE OF FAVORITISM

Blogging Genesis 27 - 28: 9

 Now it came to pass, when Isaac was old and his eyes were so dim that he could not see, that he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.”

And he answered him, “Here I am.”

² Then he said, “Behold now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death. ³ Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. ⁴ And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”

Isaac wasn’t exactly on his deathbed, but he was making his last will and testament known while he was still able to do so.  He probably learned the need for good advance planning from  his father Abraham’s experience making funeral arrangements for his wife (Genesis 23).

Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. . . (Genesis 27:5).

It’s possible that Rebekah was coincidentally passing by when she heard the exchange between Isaac and Esau.  It’s also possible she was eavesdropping like her mother-in-law had done (Genesis 18:10).  But, considering that Isaac was blind and Rebekah would’ve been his chief caregiver, it’s most likely that mother Rebekah was present as a witness to Isaac’s plans to declare Esau’s inheritance.

Isaac trusted Rebekah, expecting her to fulfill the role of the dutiful wife not to assert her own plan for the inheritance but he underestimated his wife.  (Underestimating women is a recurring theme throughout the Bible.)   Rebekah had her own plans (Genesis 27:6 - 17).

If you read verses 6-17, you have to  appreciate the tactical complexity of Rebekah’s arrangements: Goats.  Not sheep or cattle because the fur had to be of a specific texture.  Kid goats.  Not adults because the meat would be more tender and the hairs would be finer and closer to the texture on Esau’s body.   Two kid goats, not one because one wouldn’t supply enough fur to cover all Jacob’s upper body.

The goats had to be killed, cleaned, skinned, and cooked.  That would take hours.  Cleaning, preparing, and sewing the hides into form- fitting gloves and a sleeved turtleneck:  that would take many more hours, maybe days.   The process would have involved a large pile of supplies, multiple work stations, and a small army of servants skilled in cooking, tanning and sewing who were all absolutely loyal to Rebekah.  And, all of this had to get done in less time than it would take Esau to complete a hunt at that particular time of year in that particular terrain.  

The logistics indicate that Rebekah had planned and prepared for this specific contingency, and since she didn’t foreknow this specific situation we can infer that Rebekah had multiple plans for multiple scenarios to make sure her favorite son received the greater inheritance.

Isaac, Esau, and Jacob never stood a chance.

As you examine the scene of Jacob in full Esau costume lying to his old, blind father, keep in mind that the whole sad, complicated performance in Genesis 27 was unnecessary.

A) Jacob shouldn’t have and shouldn’t have had to lie about being the firstborn son because he was legally entitled to the firstborn’s birthright.  In Genesis 25:33, Esau sold that right to Jacob.  

And B) Before the twins were born, the Lord had declared that Jacob would dominate Esau.  With or without Isaac’s cooperation, God would have fulfilled His word.  Rebekah had heard the the stories of Sarah, Hagar, and Isaac’s older brother.  She should’ve learned that our deceptive scheming complicates rather than advances God’s plan for us.  

We do so many sad, complicated, unnecessary things.

Still,  gotta respect Rebekah’s timing.   Now it happened, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. (Genesis 27:30).

But before you throw away your “I love Rebekah” t-shirts, remember verse 36.  And Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”

When Esau acknowledged that Jacob deserved the birthright of the firstborn, Isaac didn’t flinch --- because he already knew.  Everybody knew.   Rebekah hadn’t concocted a scheme to trick Isaac because her husband didn’t know Jacob was prophetically and legally entitled to the birthright.  Rebekah concocted a scheme to trick her husband because was going to give the birthright to Esau anyway.

Knowing that Jacob had legally and actually received the blessing of the firstborn, Esau begged his father to give him (Esau) the blessing  anyway. Isaac replied, “I have blessed [Jacob]—and indeed he shall be blessed.” (Genesis 27:33

Jacob’s blessing was irrevocable but understand why.  Isaac the sinful man who’d just tried to circumvent God’s revealed will did not have the power to issue an irrevocable blessing.  Theblessing was sealed to Jacob’s line because GOD wanted the blessing to rest upon Jacob’s line.  Remember what we learned about The “Curse” of Ham.  No man has the power to remove God’s blessing.  Esau had to settle for the lesser endorsement (Genesis 27:39, 40) only he didn’t want to settle for second place. 

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; then I will kill my brother Jacob” (Genesis 27:41). 

Esau was a spoiled, dumb, rich jock who didn’t appreciate the privilege into which he was born until his nerdy little brother became the family favorite.

But before you order your “I hate Esau” t-shirts, remember that a son’s first love is his mother and Esau’s mother didn’t like him.  Yeah, Esau was homicidally angry at Jacob but whose idea was it really?  Mom’s.  Esau’s mother had conspired against him.  Esau’s mother had always liked Jacob better.  And even after Jacob ran away (the little coward), Esau still couldn’t make his mother happy. 

Esau even got married, like a good boy, but instead of his mother being happy at the prospect of grandkids, Rebekah’s asked, “Are you trying to kill me?”

And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, like these who are the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?” (Genesis 27:46)

Esau wanted to please his parents, both of his parents, so badly that when he saw them happy about Jacob finding a wife from his mother’s brother Esau went looking for a wife from his father’s brother. 

Also Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please his father Isaac. So Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife in addition to the wives he had (Genesis 28:8, 9).

But even the criticism of Esau’s marital decisions was a ruse to get Isaac to protect Jacob (Genesis 27:42 – 28:2).  Every thing reminded Esau that his mother didn’t like his brother but not him.  Imagine how much that must have sucked!

It’s enough to give a guy “anger issues.”

Rebekah lied, compelled her youngest son to lie, and deceived her blind husband.  Isaac tried to

circumvent God’s clearly revealed will and violate his eldest son’s solemn oaths.  Jacob lied, initially at his mother’s request, but he kept up the lie through 3 opportunities to confess the truth.  And Esau tried to steal back what he’d legally sold and then conspired to murder his twin. 

All because the mama and daddy were willing to do ANYTHING for their favorite child.

Ladies and gentlemen, the “holy” family of the patriarchs.

So, man of God/ woman of God, who's your favorite?  Maybe it isn't a child. Maybe it's a spouse, a significant other, or a parent.   We quickly condemn the act of conspiring against someone, but whom are you quick to conspire FOR?  We're not even talking about scenarios of life or death, just the normal, everyday situations that give your favorite an advantage over the next kid or the next candidate.  

Would you lie to get your child into a better school?  Would you cheat to help your spouse get the job he/she wants?  Would you trip their 80 year old mom so your 70 year old dad could get to the front of the prescription drug line?   

Since it's just us talking, what WOULDN'T you  do to set your favorites up for a better life?

Genocides have been committed because a group of otherwise decent people were willing to do anything to give their favorites a better life on land somebody already owned.  Neighborhoods in America right now are war zones because a generation of young men are "just trying to feed my family."  

We blame the young generation of Esaus and Isaacs but children don't invent sins; they update and expand our sins, the sins we Isaacs and Rebekahs committed in their name.

The sins we commit for our favorites first taint, then dominate, then define the culture in which we and our favorites live.  

Add up all the lying and cheating you (or I) do for our favorites and multiply by 7.5 billion.  THAT is what's wrong with the world.  

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama;  executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO);  and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Subscribe to my personal blog  www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com .

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com

Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

Follow me on twitter @AndersonTGraves 

Click here to support this ministry with a donation.  Or go to andersontgraves.blogspot.com and click on the DONATE button on the right-hand sidebar.

Support by check or money order may be mailed to 

Miles Chapel CME Church

P O Box 132

Fairfield, Al 35064

BRO, IT DIDN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY: JACOB AND ESAU

 blogging Genesis 25:12-26

Isaac loved Rebekah.  After his mother’s death, Isaac had entered a state of inconsolable grief and depression. Their love had brought him out of the darkness (Genesis 24:67). 

Then they found out that Rebekah couldn’t have children.  They prayed for a miracle and they believed.  After all, Isaac himself was the miracle baby of a 90 year old woman and a 100 year old man.  Twenty years later Isaac was still praying.  Twenty years of faith and hope. It was worth it.

. . . the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived (Genesis 24:21).

But there were complications, and Rebekah feared she would lose the baby.  Everyone around her was so positive, so full of “It’ll be fines” and “Don’t worry about its” that it made Rebekah sick.  Her anxiety turned to anger.  How could they know it would be all right if none of them knew what was wrong.

. . . and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” (Genesis 24:22)

“Only God knows, “ someone probably said, which sounded like the one helpful affirmation they had to offer.

So she went to inquire of the Lord (Genesis 24:22).

It’s hard to reconstruct exactly how Rebekah inquired of the Lord.  Did she seek out a surviving priest from Melchizedek’s order?  Did she ask her father-in-law Abraham (who was still living) to offer a sacrifice on her behalf?  Did she travel up the mountain to where her husband had nearly been sacrificed and cry out to the Angel of the Lord?  Maybe she just found a quiet spot away from the annoyingly positive masses.  Which ever way, it worked.

 And the Lord said to her: “Two nations are in your womb.  Two peoples shall be separated from your body.  One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:23)

For us post New Testament believers God’s revelation to Rebekah sound ominous.  We know the long story of deception, anger, and mistrust between these brothers.  We know that their respective descendants waged ethnic war on each other for centuries.  But Rebekah didn’t hear any of that. 

Rebekah’s husband Isaac was given a greater birthright  than Ishmael who was 13 years his older brother.  It didn’t seem strange or tragic that her younger twin would outshine a brother older only by a few minutes.  So Rebekah didn’t hear an ominous warning.  She heard: I’m pregnant with twins.  My babies will be born healthy.  My sons will grow up to be great men.  Rebekah heard a blessing not a warning.

Rebekah was right.  At least, she could have been.

By the time Esau and Jacob, aka “Red” and “Tricky,” were young men the twins had firmly established polar-opposite identities.  Esau was the hairy-chested outdoorsman, and Jacob was the smart, introverted mama’s-boy (Genesis 25: 28). But that wasn’t what made them enemies. 

Their parents made them enemies.

One day, Esau came home hungry and Jacob said, “ I’ll give you some red stew if  you sell me your birthright as of this day.” (Genesis 25:29-31).

 

That’s too specific to be random.  There’s backstory to that proposition, a long history of little brother telling big brother:

“I’ll help you start the fire if you give me your birthright.”

“I’ll let you play with my toy if you let me have your birthright.”

“You can have my dessert if you let me have your right to the blessings of the firstborn.”

And why would young Jacob have it in his head to pester his brother for his birthright?  Why would any kid in the ancient world think that there was any chance that the eldest son would slip up and surrender the most important status any child could hold?

Because he was his mother’s favorite child and she had told him that God told her that he was destined to dominate his brother, so he was to keep asking until he got what God and Mama wanted him to have.

And why would any son agree to trade the greater claim to all the riches of Isaac and Abraham for the low-low price of a bowl of stew (and complimentary bread)?

Because his twin brother had been asking this question since they were little, and he didn’t take it seriously anymore, and it was just a thing they said, and whatever man, I’m hungry.

In other words, Jacob was a pest, Esau was an idiot (Hebrews 12:16, 17), and their parents turned that into actual, fatal enmity.

From the moment of Genesis 25:29, Jacob was legally entitled to the blessings of the firstborn,  a fact about which Isaac, the giver of  the blessings, should have been informed.  But either Rebekah thought it a better idea to direct an elaborate prank complete with lines, costumes, and (bad) voice acting; or Isaac ignored Jacob’s inheritance rights (Genesis 27).

Mama made Jacob lie.  Daddy tried to pass over both prophesy and the transfer of inheritance rights.  Jacob and Esau played their parts in a drama composed by their parents.  And the Israelites and Edomites waged war with each other for the duration of the Old Testament.

Rebekah and Isaac took  a double blessing and turn it into a half curse.

But it didn't have to be that way, and it doesn't have to be that way for us.  Do what Rebekah and Isaac should have done. 

1.  Mom and Dad, tell each other the truth up front.
If Isaac and Rebekah had created a culture of honesty then their sons would've been less likely to deceive each other or at least less likely to think the deception would be accepted by their parents.

2.  Love your children equally.  

Children often compete for parental affection, but parents are to have better sense than to stoke that competition.

3.  Plan together,  how to walk out God's will for your family.   A house divided can't stand.  A family united can stand anything.

Honesty. Love. Unity.

The way God meant for it to be. 

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama;  executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO);  and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Subscribe to my personal blog  www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com .

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com

Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

Follow me on twitter @AndersonTGraves 

Click here to support this ministry with a donation.  Or go to andersontgraves.blogspot.com and click on the DONATE button on the right-hand sidebar.

Support by check or money order may be mailed to 

Miles Chapel CME Church

P O Box 132

Fairfield, Al 35064

THE SPECIALIST

Blogging Genesis 25:19-34

  

Genesis 25: ²⁰ Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian.

²¹ Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

²² But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.

²³ And the Lord said to her:

“Two nations are in your womb,

Two peoples shall be separated from your body;

One people shall be stronger than the other,

And the older shall serve the younger.”

²⁴ So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. ²⁵ And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau. ²⁶ Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

²⁷ So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents.

²⁸ And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Rebekah couldn’t have children (Genesis 25:22), but she and Isaac prayed for a miracle and tried to get pregnant despite the diagnosis.  After 20 years of infertility, their miracle happened.  Rebekah was pregnant. Twins. But there were complications.  She got sick and not the normal pregnancy sick.  Rebekah thought she was going to lose the babies.

She’d been the lady of a great household for 2 decades.  Her father-in-law Abraham had resources and connections that brought in the best midwives and healers in Canaan, but all they said was, “It’s going to be alright.”  

Rebekah didn’t want affirmations; she wanted answers.  She said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” (Genesis 25:22)

Her husband, her father-in-law, her servants, healers, and midwives: none of them could explain what was happening, So she went to inquire of the Lord (Genesis 25:22).

Going to inquire of the Lord probably meant more than “she prayed that morning.”  Rebekah travelled to a sacred location,  built (or had servants build) an altar and offered sacrifices there; or she brought gifts to a  known prophet so he would inquire of the Lord on her behalf (2 Kings 3:11; 2 Kings 8:8; Jeremiah 21:2).

In other words, Rebekah went to talk to a specialist. THE Specialist.

The Specialist explained like no other power could do.  And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; two peoples shall be separated from your body. One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23).

The twins were incompatible.  The physical complications of her pregnancy were the result of invitro conflict between the 2 fetuses.  The prognosis was that she would bring the babies to term and deliver them safely.  After 20 barren years and 9 painful months would be followed by a lifetime of conflict between her only 2 babies.

Congratulations.

If this were a fairy tale or a myth invented by ancient priests advancing a misogynist agenda to suppress dissent among the masses, then the story would have a happily ever after for the holy patriarch and matriarch of the Jewish nation.  If this were a fiction edited and published as holy writ, the heroine (Rebekah) wouldn’t play favorites with her children, and the hero (Isaac) wouldn’t pick the wrong son as his favorite.

And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob (Genesis 25:28).

But this isn’t a fairy tale, or a myth.  This is the Bible, and the Bible tells the truth about what happened even when that truth is messy. 

The parents, Isaac and Rebekah, were good people; but they were human and, therefore, prone to screw up --- which they did.  They exacerbated the (literally) inborn animosity between their sons.  They pitted kid against kid and kid against spouse.  They all lived under the grace and remarkable favor of God, but within that sphere of blessing, they made some really bad choices.  That’s the messy truth.   

Inspirational affirmations declare that it will all be all right.  For some of us, that’s enough.  You feel better and go on. 

But some of us are more like Rebekah.  We want answers not affirmations.  We don’t need your motivation; we need your HELP.  Stop sending me text messages saying, “You can do it.” Meet me in the morning and HELP ME get it done. 

Anybody can be an encourager, but sometimes you need a specialist.  You need someone who will honestly and in detail lay out how screwed you are and then walk you through the steps necessary to unscrew yourself.  Some of us need a specialist who will be tell us the messy truth about the coming trouble and be present and participating when the next level of problems and opportunities arrive.  

Genesis 25 explains that such a Specialist is available. 

Have you any rivers
That seem un-crossable?
And have you any mountain
That you cannot tunnel through?

God specializes
In things impossible
And He will do what no other other power

but Holy Ghost power can do.

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama;  executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO);  and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Subscribe to my personal blog  www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com .

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com

Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

Follow me on twitter @AndersonTGraves 

Click here to support this ministry with a donation.  Or go to andersontgraves.blogspot.com and click on the DONATE button on the right-hand sidebar.

Support by check or money order may be mailed to 

Miles Chapel CME Church

P O Box 132

Fairfield, Al 35064

BIRTHRIGHTS, BLESSINGS, & BURDENS

What does it mean when someone says, “I’m trying to ‘find myself’ “?  Sometimes we treat the statement as a joke, a clichéd cover for irresponsibility. But, “finding yourself” is a deep and important task for every individual and every church.  But still, what does it mean to find yourself?

These were the questions God placed on my heart on my first Sunday as pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama.  The answers are important for all of us, wherever we worship. 

The message is called: BIRTHRIGHTS, BLESSINGS, & BURDENS.

Listen well.

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama;  executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO);  and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

Subscribe to my personal blog  www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com .

Email atgravestwo2@aol.com

Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

You can help support this ministry with a donation to Miles Chapel CME Church.

You can help support Rev. Graves’ work by visiting his personal blog and clicking the DONATE button on the right-hand sidebar.

Support by check or money order may be mailed to 

Miles Chapel CME Church

5220 Myron Massey Boulevard

Fairfield, AL 35064

MAMA, WHAT YOU CALL THEM---- THAT’S WHO THEY’LL BE

The Mother’s Day message is called MAMA, WHAT YOU CALL THEM---- THAT’S WHO THEY’LL BE.

Listen well.

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer, and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church and the executive director of SAYNO (Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization) in Montgomery, Alabama.

Call  334-288-0577
Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

Subscribe to my personal blog  www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com .

You can help support this Rev. Graves’ work by visiting his personal blog and clicking the DONATE button on the right-hand sidebar.

Or send a donation of any amount by check or money order.
Mail should be addressed to:
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Road
Montgomery, AL 36116

WHEN GOD PICKS A FIGHT WITH YOU

We wrestle with many issues and situations in our lives, and we assign a lot of blame for it.  We blame haters, and enemies, and the devil himself.   But what if the one attacking you is-----God?

Does God even do that?  The answer may surprise you.  The whole truth will definitely violate your comfort zone.

Open your Bible to Genesis 32 and hear a message about WHEN GOD PICKS A FIGHT WITH YOU.

Listen well.

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer, and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church and the executive director of SAYNO (Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization) in Montgomery, Alabama.

Call  334-288-0577
Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves

Subscribe to my personal blog  www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com .

If you enjoy our work, please help support our work in the community. Send a donation of any amount by check or money order.
Mail all contributions to :
Hall Memorial CME Church
541 Seibles Road
Montgomery, AL 36116