Fear--Gen. 35

"Arise, go to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God" (Gen. 35:1).

Desolated Shechem echoed with the sound of emptiness. Two brothers in a camp below retained the stains of innocent blood upon their hands. And an aged father bowed his face to the ground in unimaginable sorrow and remorse.

What to do? Where to go? Jacob was certain that when the surrounding cities and peoples heard of the massacre at Shechem, a thousand armies would rise against him and his camp and he would be wiped out for the sins of his sons.

And in his distress, a loving voice called, filling the void of silence with a breath of Heaven's air.

"Arise, go to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God" (vs. 1).

To Bethel? Leave? Oh, the fears that must have oppressed Jacob's soul. How vulnerable his little band would be, traveling through wastelands to Bethel!

God had given three things for him to do: go to Bethel, live there, and make an altar.

And he obeyed. Even in the face of his fear. They packed up immediately and left for Bethel.

And arrived there without being attacked by anyone, save the spectre of death, which first claimed Rebekah's old nurse, Deborah, and then Rachel herself.

Jacob had presented his case before the Lord, filled with grief and fear like none others he had known.

And he had received counsel. Divine counsel. Good counsel.

"Those who decide to do nothing in any line that will displease God, will know, after presenting their case before Him, just what course to pursue. And they will receive not only wisdom, but strength" (DA, p. 668).

Fears arise in hearts on this old planet of ours. Fears that seem to choke the very spark of life and laughter out of us.

And there are times when we fall with our faces to the ground, crying out, "Lord, what are You doing? Why? When? What is going on? HELP!"

He has promised over and over that when we call, He will answer.

And if we have decided beforehand that we want to do nothing that will displease the Lord or depart from His will, after bringing out case to Him, we are promised that we will know just what course to pursue.

We need never be in doubt as to where to step next.

After all…

"How can I fear? Jesus is near. He ever watches over me. Worries all cease, He gives me peace: how can I fear with Jesus?"

How indeed?

Lord, take these fears in my heart. Take my life and let it be…. Show me my next step, and may I rejoice at Your leading….

Only You--Gen. 34

"And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter; and he was more honourable than all the house of his father" (Gen. 34:19).

Parting ways from Esau, Jacob and his entourage find themselves in the land of the Shechemites.

We all know what happens here.

Dinah, the only daughter in the entire of Jacob's store of children, goes out to find friends among the heathen girls of the land and is seen by the prince of Shechem, consequently named Shechem.

What followed was a load of betrayal, sorrow, shame, misery, bloodshed, deceit and lawlessness.

The end of the story isn't pretty.

All the men of Shechem paid dearly for their prince's rash act. They paid with their lives.

And yet, verse 19 says that this young man was "more honourable than all the house of his father."

It's true that after the sin was committed that Shechem did love Dinah. He did. And he had every intention of marrying her.

But his rash, impulsive act caused not only his death, but that of all the other men in the city.

Your acts of rash impetuosity never affect only you.

You may be more honorable than all the house of your father: you may be upright, upstanding, a good example, a good Christian…

...and in a moment of thoughtlessness, impetuous decisions can bring that to ruin.

It doesn't matter what kind of decision it is.

It will never affect only you.

I want my heart to be upright and true. "More honourable than all the house of (my) father," as it were. I want to be seen as a true Christian, and to BE a true Christian.

But I pray, with all of this erring, weak, sin-sick heart, that my choices will be such that a good effect will ripple out to those it touches.

It will never affect only me.

And it will never affect only you.

Lord, help me to make choices that will honor You, and will elevate my character...not degrade it… Forgive me for the times in my life when my choices have been less than honorable. Save this weak child, I pray...