One thing I enjoy about Bible narratives, other than just loving to read stories, is recognizing the humanity that characterized ancient civilizations and individuals continue to exemplify who we are/I am many, many centuries later.  We can see (if we are willing to look) those sins, attitudes, and behaviors which either drew men and women away from God in ancient times, or elevated their relationships closer to Him, still at work in individuals, societies, and churches nowadays.

Genesis 27 records the account of Rebekah conspiring with Jacob into deceiving Isaac, securing for Jacob the blessing that rightfully belonged to Esau.  I am sure that Rebekah felt justified in doing such a thing because she had God’s promise to her, “Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23).  Apparently, she believed God needed a little help in getting His purposes accomplished; and Isaac made blessing his son contingent on getting a good meal!

There are a couple of things from this account that touched my heart; the first one concerned Rebekah and her collusion with Jacob to deceive Isaac.  Admittedly, Jacob was not a child at this point, and he was capable of making his own decisions whether to trust God or take matters into his own hands, yet Rebekah was the parent, supposedly the model of faith and faithfulness to God and to her husband.  We are told very little about Rebekah other than the chronicle of how she became Isaac’s wife, this story, and the fact that she did not like the Canaanite women that Esau married.

I am impressed with the understanding that parents have the potential to influence their children well into adulthood; and I am convicted about some of the ways I have not modeled faith in God to my children…and my granddaughter, who I am blessed to take care of while her mom is at work or deployed.  While I am driving down the road, having a conversation with my daughter and complaining about other drivers, complaining about the weather, “discussing” difficult people, or commiserating with friends or my kids about difficult circumstances or work situations without breathing words of faith or hope into our conversations—and my granddaughter is sitting in the backseat listening to me—I am not demonstrating faith in the sovereignty of God, His ability to “work things all together for good” (Romans 8:28), nor obedience to His admonition to let my speech always be seasoned with grace (Colossians 4:6).

We had an interesting experience the other day at Walmart.  After unloading our purchases into my car, my daughter noticed a little thirty-three cent skein of embroidery floss hidden underneath our bags in the shopping cart.  I put it in there but also knew that I hadn’t seen it or paid for it when I came up to the register.  She handed it to me and asked what I wanted to do about it—I could see her eyes probing mine, and I knew what I didn’t feel like doing, taking it back to the store and either purchasing it or putting it back on the shelf, which was the right thing to do. 

I could see an intensity in her eyes as she watched me.

Because I have a rather sensitive conscience, I took it back and put it on the shelf (because I didn’t have change with me and I didn’t want to use my debit card).

Currently, she is facing one of the most difficult transfers of her career and we are experiencing several difficult decisions.  Some of the people in authority over her have implied that things would be so much easier for her if she was not completely honest—yet my daughter is not willing to compromise her integrity.  More than that, we know that the One who spoke the worlds into existence is able to move mountains for us. 

There are no insignificant decisions for Christians, as Jesus indicated: “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much” (Luke 16:10).  This doesn’t mean we don’t explore legal and legitimate options available to us while maintaining our integrity—not resorting to lies, deceit, or manipulation—it’s just that Jesus is there when we come to the end of our resources, and He can accomplish what we cannot.

It also touches my heart that “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29)—this is true for the nation of Israel, as it is for every person who has really messed up their life at one point or another, yet returned to God in humility and repentance.  We have this admonition tempered with amazing assurance, “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble.’  Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:5-6).

I love the stories in the Old Testament because honesty informs me that I am looking into a mirror at many of the mistakes, errors in judgment, and lousy, ungrateful attitudes—sins—that have characterized my life in the past and still have a propensity to tempt my soul even now.

But God…

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-7).