David Bahn – Reflections

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These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas.This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Genesis 25-27; Psalm 33.

Genesis 25:19-26

These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac, ²⁰ and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. ²¹ And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. ²² The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. ²³ And the Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb,
    and two peoples from within you shall be divided;
the one shall be stronger than the other,
    the older shall serve the younger.”

²⁴ When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. ²⁵ The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. ²⁶ Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

Raising four sons provided us with occasional opportunities to witness energetic physical relational interactions. Some people call them fights. And once in a while I would say, “Hey! You’re gonna hurt your brother!” I don’t recall the look or the reply, but I can imagine the testosterone-fueled thoughts: Yeah! That’s exactly what I’m trying to do! Boys fight. Some have suggested that girls bond relationally by sharing. Boys do so by competing. Our experience would tend to bear that out in the latter case.

But our boys’ energetic physical relational interactions pale in comparison to the bitterness and rivalry between Esau and Jacob. From the moment of their birth Jacob is vying with his older brother. Then comes the lentil stew incident, ensuing deception between Jacob and his father aided and abetted by the boys’ mom. Their family is a relational mess!

Perhaps we can gain some comfort when we compare our family’s relational challenges. If they made it into the Bible as a family of God’s blessing, there may be hope for my family! That is true for all of us, for if God worked through, blessed, or used only perfect people, what hope would any of us have?

But that is a thin victory, and a pale reflection of hope. For scripture makes the point again and again, that he does not nod at sin. God actually requires perfection. The soul that sins will die. If you keep the whole law and break only one part, you are guilty of breaking the whole law. You must be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect. (Ezekiel 18:4; James 2:10; Matthew 5:48)

Of course we have a perfect brother – one who is completely obedient to his Father, willing always to receive those who come to him in faith, one who is our true big brother. This is the basis for all relationships within the body of Christ. We may draw comfort from the knowledge that God used people like Jacob, Esau, Rebekah, and Isaac for his good pleasure and considered them part of his broken families. This should never, however, be an excuse for treating or brothers or sisters in Christ with anything other than kindness, respect, grace, and mercy.