A Father’s Fear
I have been a father for 11 years. Remember holding my first child in Regina, SK, in the fall of 1990. What an incredible experience! Then reality kicks in. Babies have a way to remind you that you don’t live in a perfect world. Because babies are the rudest people alive. They kick, fuss, complain, mess up your sleep, your floor, your clothes, the new diaper you just put on the bum you just cleaned, in fact your whole life is … Just a little thing but oh what big lungs they have! My wife and I have this conviction that God made babies so cute and innocent with a “what me?” look , in order to prevent us from committing unspeakable acts.
Is this all for real? How can this be possible, me a daddy? I don’t feel like I am up to this task! Then I had 3 more. With these experiences as a father, tendency-to think about the future. As a father, I desire a great future for them, maybe because I want to be taken care of in the future like any Asian parent, not just that they would succeed in life.
What will happen in the future with these four kids? How will I know they will survive or be safe in a harsh world? How can I know the future will be OK for them? In a real world of corrupting influences, where friends can be enemies, a world of economic downturns, where death and disease can strike with no warning, …oh, we fear for them. We try to raise our kids up in a good home, love them, provide them good meals, plan for their education etc. Perhaps some of us stay up nights worrying.
That’s the world that the narrative in Genesis 46:1-7 plays out for us. Jacob, the primary character in our text, is a family man, with a big family to feed, 11 strapping sons, their wives and their offsprings. His world is a world of danger. Jacob’s family is facing a famine in the land in which he is living in, Canaan the Promised Land. A famine so severe it hit the whole known world at that time (Gen.41:57). Jacob had to send his sons to buy food as he said “…so that we may live and not die” (Gen.42:2). It was desperate! But he did not send Benjamin, because he could not bear losing another son from his beloved wife, Rachel, for he thought he had lost Joseph forever. Here’s a deep crisis that affects the future of Jacob’s family… It seems the Promised Land does not look so promising? Is God gonna look after us, I believe Jacob is asking. Did not God say as to Jacob earlier, Gen. 35:11-12 recorded:
11 And God said to him, "I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body. 12 The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you. The future looks dark. And it seems God’s promise spoken to him has failed and feels empty,.
How can there be increase in numbers to become a nation if they die from famine? Can this land which seems God-forsaken, can it sustain his family? Jacob struggles to find hope for the future… stressful Jacob… struggling with the promise of God for his family and the land given to him?
I wonder if anyone is feeling this today as well? Perhaps there is a father here, struggling about the future… God, I thought you were looking out for us… what’s up God? Jacob has experienced devastating loss in his life, the loss of Joseph… This is how he experienced that loss Gen 37:34-35
Then Jacob tore his clothes and put on sackcloth. He mourned deeply for his son for many days. 35His family all tried to comfort him, but it was no use. "I will die in mourning for my son," he would say, and then begin to weep.
Perhaps you too have wept… Here he is sensing perhaps more deaths… more disasters with the severe famine looming large over his head like a heavy cloud. He could not stand the thought of losing more of his beloved family members. He even cried out in desperation as Genesis 42:36 recorded: “Everything is against me.” Have u experienced this as well… or are u going thru’ this now? The loss of a family member, stressed out with a famine perhaps not of food, famine of spiritual breakthroughs with God, famine of God’s blessing in myriads of ways?
What’s God answer for a man who have struggled with him? Is Jacob’s story your, our story? In fact Jacob had a name change, his name was changed by God to “Israel” meaning “he struggles with God” (Gen.35:10) to reflect this man’s experience.
A. You will struggle with Frustration.
Our lives can be a very frustrating life, there might be some high points in life but there are lots of low moments as well, where it seems God is absent or busy with something else and not caring for us. The plain truth is Believers in God are not immune to disasters. We are not guaranteed a free pass through life. WE WILL struggle… to say otherwise is pure delusion. The Bible shows us that Jacob, the ultimate struggler, in a tough unforgiving world of hunger, not having it easy. Let us be real, not deny there are big disappointments in this life. Jesus said: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 Good transition to next pt. It takes incredible faith to believe that Jesus have overcome the world… that He makes the difference.
B. You faith will be challenged.
Let’s check the Bible… and see if God disagrees with what goes on inwardly inside of us… Read with me in Romans 8.
A groaning faith - Romans 8:18-29.
Creation groans (v.22) – reference to effect of sin, living in a world that’s broken, imperfect, far from heaven, longing to return to paradise
We groan (V.23) – freedom to groan inwardly, not forced to put on a silly grin all the time.
The Spirit groans/intercedes (v.26,27) – God is not unaware of what ails us or frustrates us, he looks into our hearts.
Call of faith: (v.28) “In all things God works for the good…”
Purpose is to help us to achieve Christ-likeness, to become more like Him in a world that crucified Him, in a world that broke his heart, a world that spat on him and ridiculed Him(v.29)
Can u believe that? How real, eh? To me this is freedom, I am free to GROAN with hope. To suffer, when the real world hits me hard, and to not play act as if nothing fazes me… I am free to groan, be real, authentic in an age that believes nothing is real or true… because God is doing something greater. Look at Christ, he suffered but gained for us the good of heaven which we longed for, the good of knowing the reality of God’s passionate unconditional love and awesome power of grace given to us in Jesus Christ.
Victory comes not in changed circumstances, like money pouring from heaven but in faith that believes God’s purpose is being worked in seemingly unbearable sufferings.
Pro.19:21 says: “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord ’s purpose that prevails.”
Can u believe that God is indeed sovereign, that He is good enuff to work things that seem evil and remake them into something beautiful, something good for us…’ Look at the evil of the cross that nailed our Lord, and He groaned and oh how He groaned for you and me, see then how He transformed what was evil and turn into good, our good. God works all things for the good! Believe that will u, as your faith is challenged?
C. You will hear God’s voice in the confusion :
Return to Gen. 46 now…Here is Jacob, with 130 years of not an easy life. Finally feeling comfortable in life, wanting to retire and rest maybe go to Club Med. Perhaps now getting over the death of Joseph, his beloved son. Suddenly he heard the shocking news… Joseph is alive in Egypt and ruling there. He was “stunned” according to the Bible (45:27). Perhaps he remembers the jarring life altering moment, a flashback, this couldn’t be true, the pain was so real… He could not believe his ears…
This bit of good news brought confusion, unexpected complications. At this stage of his life, Jacob was not planning to go anywhere, that’s why he sent his sons to Egypt and he did not make the trip. He was quite likely instructed by his father Isaac not to go to down there because Isaac heard from God in Genesis 26
2 The LORD appeared to him there and said, “Do not go to Egypt. 3 Do as I say, and stay here in this land. If you do, I will be with you and bless you. I will give all this land to you and your descendants, just as I solemnly promised Abraham, your father. 4 I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
So it seems he is supposed to stay put … New fears come rushing in as he embarks on this journey… He has thoughts of dying in his homeland, expected to stay and live out his life but now face with moving to, of all places Eg. Do u know what this entails? Change in lifestyle, culture, learn another language, learn ESL - Egyptian as Second Language - stressful!! I’m sure so of you here can ID with this. Moving from the familiar to the unfamiliar, that’s hard thing to do. Can his old heart even handle the traveling? Do u sense what he must be going thru? Journey into Egypt, sure is not a great thing? But he’ s gotta see Joe before he dies…
Then, there is the danger of assimilation, being swallowed up by the technologically advanced Egyptians – it could mean losing family heritage, being absorbed into culture and pleasures of land. Will his family get the blessing of God to be a great nation with this move?
Fear of many immigrants - their kids losing their cultural ID… Also, Jacob was in tune with the fact that the plan of God is tied into the Promised Land where he resided and to leave it, seems like disobedience to God. Furthermore, traveling in those days, is not like today, there are no Holiday Inns or Motel 6’s with a free continental breakfast every morning, there, no minivans with tv sets and surround sound stereo system, with a/c if hot or heat if cold! You gotta brave the elements, really rough it with no rest stops with clean washrooms. Plus the fear of bandits, who knows what can happen, Plus weather can get you too, get caught in sandstorms, Plus, the fear of family being enamored with pleasures of Egypt. Yet he wants to see Joe before he dies, those who are in Psych 101, major cognitive dissonance. Messages of all sorts going haywire in his brain, emotions must be trying hard to keep up where his head is going.
How about you? Got your own journey into your own “Egypt”? Feel a bit like Jacob? Does your Egypt look a lot like Jake’s? Vancouver can offer a lot if you choose its bright lights. Our wired world, the world wide web, all can swallow us up? How do u keep it all together, spiritual life, family life, journey into Egypt? Million questions going through your heart, finding hard to keep it all together, many fathers faced much of these stresses?
I wonder too, if you are going thru changes, changes in way your body smell, look, comfortable being a kid, now gotta be adult, changes in hormones, changes in school, feel stress out with family life, brother sister mom and dad gets on your case, maybe got dumped in relationship, stressed out, feel cardiac arrest coming on, changes in workplace, feels load of stress, uncertain of future, will I get fired, and all this brings pressure, stress, giant size, no mega sized cognitive dissonance, heart has not caught up yet with all that goes on in the head? Feeling unprepared, ill at ease? Can I handle it keep it all together, and still stay true to God. Feel like a major change is happening may be this summer?
How can we hear God’s voice in the confusion, in the changes, in the turmoil, in our fears?
READ (46:1).
Principle #1: BEERSHEBA: No matter where you are at, stop and worship.
I like what Jacob did as he reached Beersheba, reminded of need to worship, for Beersheba, is where Abraham and Isaac worshipped. This is where he’s reminded his father and grandpa met God, special Place meet with God. Application: Stopped and offered sacrifices to God in our journeys. THE TOP TEN THINGS YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR FATHER
10.When he was your age, kids had to walk six miles to school
in the snow and rain . . . uphill both ways.
9. If he had acted like you, his father would have knocked
him into the middle of next week.
8. When he was your age, kids had to make their own fun.
7. You weren’t born in a barn.
6. When he was your age, he had to work for what he got.
5. You don’t wanna make Dad stop the car.
4. “Because I said so” is a reason that makes perfect sense to an
adult.
3. You’d better stop crying or he’ll give you a reason to cry (like
you didn’t already have one).
2. You’d lose your head if it wasn’t attached.
And the #1 thing you learned from your father . . .
1. Money doesn’t grow on trees!
Men, model that worship life – leaves a legacy for the next generation how to handle our fears, disappointments. Let that be #1 lesson they learn from u.
In your journey do u have special places, such as a “Beersheba”, reminded of the beauty of worship, seeking God alone and nothing else. You will note, that this was not a time where Jacob flooded God with a shopping list of prayer requests, but offer sacrifice, attention is on God, on his holiness, preparing to enter into his presence, not about getting things from God, not about ourselves.
I know almost every church provides worship experiences for its people, but reality is as found in surveys done by the George Barna group among regular church-going adults, one third do not experience God’s presence. Half of all regular church-going adults admit that they have not experienced God’s presence at any time during the past year. The younger the adult, the more likely they are to state God is a distant impersonal reality for them. I really believe it breaks the heart of God that his people do not come near him, experience him. Leave a legacy of Beersheba!
Principle #2. COVENANT: No matter what you go through, God is committed to you.
When God speaks of relationship he speaks in words of covenant. Unbreakable word, for God is faithful and a God of personal relationship. That is why writer of Genesis carefully wrote: “God of his father Isaac”, (v,1,3). Not just a generic God. Or a God Brand X. This a God who comes near, who speaks personally, a God who revealed Himself in relationship to his father, Isaac. He is now same God who is committed to him.
Application: Words of covenantal commitment is the basis of our communion with God.
That is why when Jesus revealed what needs to be remembered when he goes away, he told his disciples drink his blood, the wine Jesus says “is new covenant in my blood” this do in remembrance of me! He is to be within us, graphically portrayed - drink him in, can’t leave, part of you, committed covenantly, by blood.
Rodney Dangerfield says: “I don’t get no respect. Why, I even phoned the Suicide Prevention Hotline and they put me on hold.” With covenant making God, you’ll never be put on hold, he is absolutely faithful committed to mold you into his image, never leave nor forsake you. Remember how he reminded disciples, he will with them till end of the age, oh you’ll get more than respect, personal stamped signed sealed and delivered Spirit to help you, so his faithfulness is guaranteed.
People generally don’t hear very well, if it is not personal relationship, so much info overload we screen out messages that don’t hit us where we live. I like to believe my kids hear me better rather than a stranger. If a stranger talks to them, often they just ignore or walk away.Why? cos’ relationship, my presence and my love commitment. Jesus - “my sheep listen to my voice” Heard his voice of deep love lately? “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” Do you hear that he is for you?
Principle # 3: GRACE: No matter what your needs are, God’s is enough for u.
I believe that as you enter regular Beersheba experience, internalize God’s covenant with you, you will begin to know that God can speak to your fears. You will find that He touches our real and felt needs, no matter what life throws at you, you find His grace is sufficient for you, you will be met by God.
Look at how God touched Israel’s personal fears.
Look at God’s commitment “Jacob, Jacob” really calling out to him, responding to his worship. Accepting him unconditionally as he is, calling him Jacob, which has connotations of in the Hebrew, trickster, heel grabber, supplanter, it’s like “yo, crook” yet renews his covenant to him: “I am God, the God of your father” That is just so neat. “Do not be afraid to go down …” (v.3) addressed his real need, when he felt afraid.
Look at how God comforted, spoke to his need:
a. Multiply “make u into a great nation” i.e. not lose people - fear lose his family to Egypt, pleasures of the land idolatry, don’t fear absorbed into culture and value of pagan land addressed. Yes Egypt’s multi-cultural experience will not drown u out, in fact in that multi-cultural land, God has for Israel a “multiply” plan. Know today God’s sovereign purpose and promises will be carried out.
b. presence “I will go down…with you”, not fear being left to battle alone the enticements of Egypt. Today Spirit of God is given to us, word of God, people of God, not alone!
c. “bring you back” - won’t get lost in Egypt, return to promised land, won’t be left stranded in some strange land. Come back home. Jesus too confirms he will come again, won’t get lost.
d. “Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes” even in death he will not be alone, comfort, Joe, his beloved son will be there for him, great comfort to the 130 year old man whose life has not been easy.
Here as Jake journeyed into Egypt with all his fatherly fears, God’s personal word came to him was enough for him. How about you? Have you stopped in life, clearly stake a spot in life where you can have a Beersheba experience? Internalize God’s covenant, drank from Him? Heard God’s word speaking to your life, your fears? If not, will u commit your life to God anew, even now look for God today?
