Genesis 36:1-37:36
Shall I let you into my secret? I don’t read the Old Testament genealogies. I don’t even pretend to read them. I just skip them out; verses 9-43 of Genesis 36 not even glanced at. You see I just don’t think they are very interesting or useful for us and they just sap me of my enthusiasm to read the bible. Maybe you could do the same? I won’t tell if you don’t.
Isn’t it quite reassuring to get back to a story we know pretty well and which fits a bit more easily into our understanding of God and his people? The great thing about knowing stories like these is that we see every part in the context of the overall redemption that God achieves through and for Joseph. We can smile knowingly about the upstart Joseph lording his dreams over his brothers because we know he grows as a person as the narrative unfolds. We can relax about the yet further deception carried out by Jacob’s sons (pretending Joseph is dead) as we know that everything turns out OK in the end. Here we see that same ultra-important message again - God gives us freedom on the micro level to explore, make mistakes, sin and grow but he has most definitely got the big stuff nailed. God is gripping the macro level and is twisting it towards his intentions. Personal tragedies occur, pain and loss are most definitely felt but the covenant promise will not be broken and, somehow, through and above and beyond all the troubles, God will redeem his people and lead them into the blessing that he has promised.
Matthew 13:18-35
This parable of the weeds is possibly my favourite parable. For me, it’s where I go when people ask about suffering. How can God allow suffering? Well, suffering is not all there is in the world. There is incredible beauty; heart-breaking actions of love and creativity, glorious and joyful moments of partying and celebration. And God knows that to eradicate suffering at this point would damage the glory and the beauty of all that is good - we as people, and the world we inhabit, have joy and suffering too intertwined within us to enable a simple separation of one for the other. No, we have to live with the tragedy and the glory in the now. But we can rest fully assured, and not doubt for one moment, that there will be a day when all that is wrong with this world, all that is wrong with ourselves, will be burned up in the unquenchable fire and a new world, a new way of being people, will emerge. This new world will tolerate no weeds; no evil will be found there. Just goodness and creativity and joy and life.
Psalm 10:12-18
I covered a bit of this during my rant yesterday on the first half of the psalm. Again, though I’m so struck though by the fact that the Lord hears the desires of the afflicted and that he encourages them. He takes time to stoop down to our level, to hear our desires and why we think they are out of reach and then he warms us and energises us, he invests confidence in us - note that, he invests confidence in us, not just us in him! - and sets us off to fulfil those things to which he has called us. Amazing. Completely amazing.
