Baby Battle Series

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her class of five and six-year-olds. After explaining the commandment to honor thy father and thy mother, she asked, “Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?”

Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, “Thou shall not kill.” (Bill White, Paramount, California; www.Preaching Today.com)

Sometimes, brothers and sisters feel like “killing” each other, not only in the nuclear family, but also in the family of God. This last election cycle has brought out the animosity, but despite our differences, God calls us to live in peace with each other.

The question is how. How do God’s people learn to live in peace with each other in the midst of all the animosity? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Genesis 29, Genesis 29, where Jacob’s family shows us what NOT to do in what I call their “baby battle.”

Genesis 29:30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban for another seven years. (ESV)

Jacob hates one wife and loves the other. It’s the root of the problem in Jacob’s family. It’s nothing but good, old-fashioned favoritism. And It started with Jacob’s parents: his dad favored his brother, and his mom favored him. Now, Jacob favors one wife over the other; and later on, he is going to favor one son over all the rest. Favoritism leads to nothing but trouble in Jacob’s family. Look at what happens here.

Genesis 29:31-35 When the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, “Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon. Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi. And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing. (ESV)

Leah, the unloved wife, is hurting deeply. You can see it in the names she gives her children: Reuben, which means “God sees my misery;” Simeon, which means “God hears my cry;” Levi, which means “attached,” longing for her husband to become attached to her; and Judah, which means “praise,” hoping that she can praise the Lord again. Leah is a woman in pain – unseen, unheard, and unloved by her husband, but she looks to the Lord who sees, hears, and loves her.

The fact is God shows more favor to the one who is less favored. Leah is the only one having children right now, and two of her children will head up two of the most important tribes in Israel. Levi’s descendants will become priests in Israel, and Judah descendants will rule on the throne of Israel as kings. In fact, the Messiah Himself, Jesus, our Lord, will be a descendant of Judah.

God loves the unloved. God favors the least favored. God chooses those the rest of the world rejects. So be careful about showing favoritism, because you could find yourself opposing God. And as a result, you could find yourself causing a lot of trouble just like Jacob did.

Do you want to live in peace with each other in God’s family? Do you want to overcome your differences? Then…

DON’T LOOK DOWN on anyone in the family.

Down reject any of God’s children. Don’t despise those God has chosen to glorify himself. Don’t minimize their importance simply because they don’t meet your external standards of beauty, intelligence, or strength.

The Bible says, “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

Tony Campolo talks about a time when he was a counselor at a junior high camp. He said he had never met meaner kids in his life. They focused on an unfortunate kid named Billy who had cerebral palsy. His brain was unable to exercise proper control over his body or speech. The kids called him "spastic." Billy would walk across the grounds of the camp in his disjointed manner, and the others would line up behind him, imitating his every movement. One day Billy asked one of the boys, “Which way is the craft shop?” The other boy twisted grotesquely, pointed a dozen different ways and said, “That way!” How could he be so cruel?