Psalm 68
God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2 As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
as wax melts before fire,
so the wicked shall perish before God!
3 But the righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult before God;
they shall be jubilant with joy!
4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the Lord;
exult before him!
5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
6 God settles the solitary in a home;
he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
7 O God, when you went out before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness, Selah
8 the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.
9 Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10 your flock found a dwelling in it;
in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.
11 The Lord gives the word;
the women who announce the news are a great host:
12 “The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
The women at home divide the spoil—
13 though you men lie among the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
its pinions with shimmering gold.
14 When the Almighty scatters kings there,
let snow fall on Zalmon.
15 O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
at the mount that God desired for his abode,
yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
17 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
thousands upon thousands;
the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18 You ascended on high,
leading a host of captives in your train
and receiving gifts among men,
even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.
19 Blessed be the Lord,
who daily bears us up;
God is our salvation. Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21 But God will strike the heads of his enemies,
the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22 The Lord said,
“I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 that you may strike your feet in their blood,
that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”
24 Your procession is seen, O God,
the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25 the singers in front, the musicians last,
between them virgins playing tambourines:
26 “Bless God in the great congregation,
the Lord, O you who are of Israel's fountain!”
27 There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
the princes of Judah in their throng,
the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
28 Summon your power, O God,
the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings shall bear gifts to you.
30 Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,
the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.
Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;
scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31 Nobles shall come from Egypt;
Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God.
32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 Ascribe power to God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
and whose power is in the skies.
35 Awesome is God from his sanctuary;
the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!
The Meeting of Esau and Jacob, by Tissot
Genesis 33
And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two female servants. 2 And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3 He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. 8 Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” 10 Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. 11 Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.
12 Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you.” 13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”
15 So Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
18 And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. 19 And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. 20 There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
Unlike the way we often picture good saints - Jacob doesn't want to leave the world and be more ivory tower. Jacob/Israel for his travels, is not headed to the Ivory Tower with his saints. This is an important statement for us. God is not seeking Jacob to build Him a Temple, but is establishing His Path. Jesus also told us our lives are His Temple.
Monasteries in the Old Testament? Must be a New Testament thing. Oh. Hey. Um. Yes, there are monasteries. The Essenes of the Dead Sea Scrolls. And 2 Kings 2:1-15 - the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel during Elijah - but no, Jacob has a tribe to shelter and go forth with. Jacob is not told to gather multitudes to him and be a gatherer of mankind.
Instead Jacob believes he has stolen a blessing, but Jacob is chosen for his willingness just to bless the people God has given him.
This is indeed more of a quiet life, if not harrowing, that Paul says should be sought. Jacob is to say what Joshua would say years down this Path. As for me and my house, We shall serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15.
Jacob verbally declares God is his in his difficult times. He is putting His Light to shine before men. And what Jacob is saying is expect me to be flawed, but expect that my banner is His - mercy with judgment, walking with God in His expectations.
God, when you went out before your people,
when you marched through the wilderness, Selah
And God is going forth, recall with me, with this mottled group. There are goats and lambs in Genesis 30 as a literary reference not to the unblemished offerings to the Temple of God, but how life is a constant conflict like the Cross. God intersecting mankind. God likes this Jacob so well, He gives a more Fatherly intervention than Isaac - coming like the Prodigal's Father to wrestle Jacob for a blessing, not leaving the fight without a mark.
And Jacob is a prime example of the reason God left Solomon for the Wisdom Solomon chose. Solomon spent many years in the High Places trying to get the Lord to respond to Solomon again.. In similar paths, Jacob's commitment even to one wife has waned and he protects the child he values above all others. Solomon did not find a woman of value - Jacob doesn't either. Commitment is value.
Jacob values the blessing of God, eventually Esau wanders off not to have his descendents number Esau as of supreme value to them. Jacob is going to have his children return and want God's banner as their own.
More of value than silver and gold are ideas. Jacob believes he is blessed and conveys a blessing. Understanding that blessings are from God and limitless and blesses all of his children and starts again in Jacob's grandchildren.
32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
sing praises to the Lord, Selah
to Him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
behold, He sends out His voice, His mighty voice.
Ascribe power to God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
and whose power is in the skies.
Awesome is God from His sanctuary;
the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to His people.
Blessed be God!
Jacob looks to God. For a blessing. And a blessing is bestowed, power and strength in a rocky life, willingness to be a blessing, for the blessing of faith.
Psalm 134
Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place
and bless the Lord!
3 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who made heaven and earth!
Thank You, Father God, for Your blessings of comfort. For Your Faithfulness. In Jesus Christ's Love. Amen
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