10 February 2010
Psalm 119:97-120; Gen. 27:1-29; Rom. 12:1-8; John 8:12-20

All the bad things that happen in Genesis begin with someone obeying the voice or command of someone besides the Lord. Adam obeys the voice of Eve and Abraham obeys the voice of his wife in the situation with Hagar which brings about Ishmael. Here, Rebekah has received the promise from the Lord regarding Jacob and Esau but it seems that promise is being jeopardized so she takes matters into her own hands. Isaac isn’t innocent here either, he is listening to his stomach which desires some game and because Esau can provide what he craves he is promised his father’s blessing. Everyone is playing favorites and no one seems to be listening to or trusting the Lord. In such instances, deception is necessary and the price for this deception is a family torn asunder more or less permanently.

Jesus says that both his testimony and his judgments are valid and that theirs are not. We know that His Father is not the man Joseph and we know that He does not actually come from Nazareth, so their judgment about Him, based on wrong information, is truthfully not valid. He, however, makes no effort to correct their information, again because they have other information on which to judge which should be the primary evidence. The images of light and darkness can here be thought of as truth or wisdom and the lack thereof. If we follow Jesus and seek to know truth through Him, we will indeed walk in the light, if we reject Him and seek truth elsewhere we will continue to walk in darkness. Obeying His voice is important.

The admonition to not be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds is so that we may discern the will of the Lord. It is Paul’s eloquent way of saying get rid of the other voices that want to tell you what to do and how to think in order that you can hear the one voice that matters and do His will. We have to learn to stop allowing the world to dictate how we live and think in order to see real transformation. There is a difference between conformation and transformation. Conforming is the fitting to a pre-determined mold and transforming results in something entirely new. Conforming sees ourselves as in need of change in order to fit that mold, transforming sees us as in need of a complete make-over and that the mold itself is the problem. Transformation as the goal sees the reality of original sin and total depravity (there is nothing about our nature that hasn’t participated in the fall) and begs to be new creation.

Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live,
and let me not be put to shame in my hope!
Hold me up, that I may be safe
and have regard for your statutes continually!