Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Contrite


Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. 
Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. 
Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. 
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. 
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. 
For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 
Psalms 51:9-17

     Speaking of sowing and reaping, the life of Jacob is a prime example of that. Travel with me, if you will, back to the time when Jacob and Esau were young men. Israel was not yet a nation; indeed, the father of that nation had not yet been humbled and had his name changed by God. He was a rather arrogant and self-serving man by the name of Jacob --"supplanter"--and he had a twin brother named Esau. It had been prophesied while the boys were still in their mother's womb that the older would serve the younger, and Esau was born first with Jacob clutching his heel. As the boys grew, Jacob became his mother's favorite while Esau was the favorite of Isaac, their father.
     I have to wonder if Jacob's mother had shared the prophecy with him while they worked together. She may have told him that he was destined to be the greater of the two. Whatever the reason, this young man was rather cocky and self-serving. When his brother asked for some of what simmered in the pot one day, Jacob offered to trade it for the birthright--the inheritance that was Esau's right as firstborn--and Esau, apparently not really caring to become the patriarch after his father, accepted and forfeited his right to inherit his fathers wealth and land for a bowl of hot stew. So the younger son, treacherously taking advantage of his brother's indifference, supplanted the older.
     Now, while Jacob was doubtless acquainted with the things and ways of God, it is evident at this time in his life that he did not know the Creator personally. He certainly did not display anything recognizable as humility at any rate, and it seems he had a habit of referring to God as "your God" when talking to his father. Rather, it would seem that he believed in his destiny, but he did not believe that God would grant it to him but instead he set out to seize it  himself. We see this in the incident of the stew, but also as Isaac was old and blind and preparing to bless his favorite son before his death. Jacob and his mother conspired to deceive the father and Jacob stole his brother's blessing as well. He had once again supplanted his brother, this time by outright deceit.
     This act, of course, caused Jacob to have to flee for fear of his life, and it was when he was alone and God reaffirmed the covenant He had made with Abraham and Isaac to this young reprobate that we see Jacob even trying to bargain with God, saying "IF You do this and IF You do that as You promised, well, then I will serve You."
     But of course God had a plan for bringing this haughty head low, and Jacob eventually came to Laban, his mother's brother. Here began the reaping, and here is where God began to use the very fruit Jacob had sown to bring him to a breaking point. With Laban, Jacob the supplanter, found the bride he longed for and worked 7 years for supplanted by her homely older sister. Jacob, the deceiver, was deceived by his uncle on numerous occasions. He may have sown a few seeds, but he certainly harvested an abundance!
     This was not an overnight process, and I could go on and on, but suffice to say that it ended up with Jacob, 4 wives, 12 sons, probably a few daughters, flocks, herds, and almost certainly a houseful or two of dysfunction heading back home to reconcile with Esau, the brother who wanted to kill him. Jacob was reasonably terrified and went to great lengths to appease his brother, but first he sent his company across the river and spent a night alone.
     That night, for the first time in our reading, he admitted that perhaps he wasn't such hot stuff after all. That night he begged God as a man who has no other hope begs. And that night he wrestled with a Man, who was not likely a mere man, but to the best of my understanding was the Lord Christ Himself, who is not bound by time or space or any portion of His own creation just as a painter is not bound by his paints to make the sky blue. But I digress.. He wrestled with God until he could wrestle no more, and then he simply clung to Him, saying, "I won't let go until You bless me." God laid a finger on his hip and put it out of joint, making sure he was always aware of his weakness and need for help, but He also gave Jacob a new name: Israel, literally translated God Prevails.
     I don't know about you, but I see myself in this portrait. I, too, was arrogant and proud, out to claim my rights regardless of the cost to others. I, too, was for years more interested in "looking out for #1" as the cliche goes. I, too, tried to promise my service in exchange for some blessing or another--as if my paltry service is worth a cent to the Almighty! I, too, harvested the fruit I had planted before, and I, too, wrestled with God before I finally gave up and just held on to Him with all I had left in me. He also continually gives me reminders of my weakness before Him and my vast need for Him. And He also gave me, perhaps not a new name just yet, but a new nature. But first, I, too, had to first be broken, contrite, and humble.


Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 comment:

  1. Amen Heather, I too had to be broken, contrite and humbled. I till this day have to be reminded repeatedly that they, I once was, and can still be. Your Dad's Nephew, Steve

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