12 February 2010
Psalm 88; Gen. 27:46-28:4,10-22; Rom. 13:1-14; John 8:33-47

Rebekah uses a slight deception to entice her husband to bless Jacob on his way to get a wife. Her motive is largely to ensure his safety but she doesn’t share with Isaac what Esau has said. The blessing Jacob receives from his father certainly holds back nothing from him and clearly makes his the beneficiary of the blessing of God that had been given to his grandfather, a blessing he will receive directly from the Lord on his journey. More than the blessing of fruitfulness and possession of the land, however, the Lord promises to be with him wherever he goes and will remain with him until he returns to this place. The promise of presence was certainly a promise Jacob would need to remember to console himself during the next 20 or so years.

The statement about being Abraham’s children and thus never having been slaves is an odd one to say the least. The entire story of the Exodus is the story of their deliverance from slavery. Jesus’ words here in John 8 are powerful and offensive in calling them children not of Abraham or of God but of satan. What would Abraham be doing that they are not? Believing, the work Abraham did that was credited to him as righteousness. Jesus is calling them to believe in Him as the one sent by the Father. What they have seen and heard should convince them of His identity but they are neither seeing nor hearing the truth and in that they prove not who He is but who they are, children of the father of lies.
Paul tells the Romans that they are to be good citizens of both heaven and earth. They have a responsibility to the state, believing in the sovereignty of God that no ruler has that power unless God wills it. They have a responsibility to heaven as well, to not bring dishonor on the name of God by their actions, and to love one another in fulfillment of the commandments. There are certainly some things in this passage that beg understanding. If the government commands you to do something immoral, how could we comply? Certainly we are not to confound the state and God, one is fallible while the other infallible. Dietrich Bonhoeffer had to struggle with this passage in his decision to join the plot to kill Hitler, which ultimately led to his own death, just days before Hitler himself died. We must all prayerfully determine what is meant by civil obedience in order to determine our witness to our Father who is in heaven and His will for His creation.

O LORD, God of my salvation;
I cry out day and night before you.
Let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry!