Why does God lead us through the desert? Exodus 13

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”  So God led the people around by the desert road.

–Exodus 13: 17-18a

When I look back on my life, I often see that the road that I wanted to take was not the one that God led me down. I experienced this most strongly over the 11-month period that I was underemployed. I questioned why God had called me to Fargo, only to let me be rejected over and over again, always being the first runner-up. I wish I could say that God spoke to me with this passage during that year, but it wasn’t until this year, having been redeemed from my difficult circumstances and having full-time employment, that I understood what this passage meant. God does not just lead us down the harder road because He feels like it. He does it so we won’t run the other way. And He lets us get thirsty in the desert, so that we will more fully rely on Him. I know that I had to rely on God daily to provide for my needs, and I still do. But when I am not in the desert, it is easier for me to run and not feel so dependent on God.

God was leading the Israelites to the land “flowing with milk and honey.” If He had led them through the shortest path, they may not have appreciated the land when they arrived. They may have thought that they led themselves. They may not have remembered thirst enough to realize how God was satisfying their needs. So I rejoice in the desert road, knowing that God is protecting me, providing for me and leading me where He wants me. And I also rejoice in the land of abundance, remembering how God provides for my needs whether I have much or very little.

Who hardened Pharaoh’s heart? Exodus 7-12

The free will-God’s will dichotomy never ceases to confuse me and after the Fall, the hardening of Pharoah’s heart is one of the most puzzling of such instances in the Bible.

I understand that Pharaoh’s resistance to Moses and Aaron’s request was a great opportunity for God to display His glory among the Egyptian people. Certainly, if Pharaoh had let the Israelites go right away, not only would the story by anti-climactic, but God’s glory would have been hidden from both the Egyptian and Hebrew people. Through all the plagues, the Egyptians grew in the fear of God and the Hebrews in their faith in God.

Still, the question remains: Did Pharaoh choose to harden his heart? Or did God choose for him? In 7:3, God reveals His plan to harden Pharaoh’s heart, but throughout the rest of the account of the plagues, sometimes it says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Other times it says that it became hard. And yet other instances say that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. Regardless, God delivered the Israelites from Pharaoh’s hand, and the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was a part of that. But how do free will and God’s will co-exist?

Does God still use dreams? Genesis 40-41

How much should we value our dreams?

In Genesis 40, Joseph interprets the dreams of his fellow inmates in prison. While his ability to interpret dreams accurately is certainly amazing, what strikes me more is the comment that he makes when asked to interpret the dreams. He says in verse 8, “Interpreting dreams is God’s business (NLT).”

This surprised me because many American Christians probably wouldn’t see spiritual significance in their dreams. We laugh at dreams and at dream dictionaries that offer Freudian analysis of the symbols of our dreams. But rarely do we see dreams as prophetic or for that matter, worth interpreting.

When Joseph later interprets Pharaoh’s dreams, Joseph tells him that a recurring dream means that the “events have been decreed by God (v.32 NLT).”

I have had recurring dreams, but I have never thought of them as decreed by God, and honestly, some of my dreams have been so ridiculous that they couldn’t possibly be re-enacted in real life. However, maybe if I interpreted my dreams more carefully, I would see how God revealed Himself in my dreams. I know that it seems that God spoke more through visions in the Old Testament than He does today, but how much value to dreams have to us now?

Why does God wrestle with Jacob? Genesis 32

The WWWF--Bible-style

The heading for Genesis 32:22-32 in my Bible is Jacob wrestles with God. However, I really think it should be God wrestles with Jacob, as God is the one who comes when Jacob is all alone (v. 24). Now, I don’t know why God chose to wrestle with Jacob. Maybe it was that Jacob needed to be broken and reminded of God’s blessing for Him.

Now, I also don’t understand how Jacob is capable of “winning” a battle against God although that is the meaning of his name Israel. It says in verse 28b, “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won (NLT).” How can we win a battle against God when He is infinitely stronger and more powerful than we are? Maybe it is just an illusion that we can win any battle with God because He is ultimately in control. And I think that Jacob is aware of this as he said afterwards in verse 30b, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared (NLT).” So as much as we may wrestle with God, ultimately He has numbered our days, and we cannot change His will.

How do branches turn lambs spotted? Genesis 30

Jacob claimed much of Laban’s flock by having the best sheep eat peeled branches of various types of wood. And what I would like to know is if there is a biological backing to this spotting of the lambs or if it was just a crazy chemistry experiment that God used to bless Jacob. Either way, I think it is a pretty great story, but I am curious if anyone can explain this to me. I always thought those sort of things were genetic.

What’s the big deal with mandrakes? Genesis 30:14

In Genesis 30, Rachel begs Leah for her son’s mandrakes. And Rachel trades mandrakes for a night in bed with their husband. Now to the casual reader who doesn’t know much about mandrakes, this might seem a little strange. So to answer the question: What’s the big deal with mandrakes?, I’ve attached this wikipedia link to the mandrake plant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandrake_(plant)

What’s the difference between a birthright and a blessing? Genesis 27

In Genesis 27:36, Esau exclaims, ” No wonder his name is Jacob, for now he has cheated me twice. First he took my rights as the firstborn, and now he has stolen my blessing. (NLT).” I never made a distinction between birthright and blessing. I always thought they were interconnected and that when Esau sold his birthright, he was also stealing the blessing. But apparently these are two different things. Does anyone know the difference or how/if these are interconnected?

Is it ok to ask for a divine sign? Genesis 24

Bet he drinks a lot of water!

I used to ask for divine signs for everything. I would ask God to make me open up the Bible to what He wanted me to read. I would ask Him to have the man I was going to marry walk past me on the way to class. I’ve asked for feelings to confirm what I am supposed to do. At some point, I stumbled upon Deuteronomy 6:16, which tells me not to test God. Yet, still I see in the Bible, people testing God.

For instance, in Genesis 24, the servant who is sent to find a wife for Isaac asks for a very specific divine sign: that he will ask for water, and the woman will give him some and also offer drink to his camels. Now, before he even finishes the prayer, Rebekah appears and does exactly what he was asking. And of course, Rebekah marries Isaac.

My question is why the divine sign was necessary. I usually ask for divine signs out of my own selfish ambition, but I think that the servant prayed the “divine sign prayer” to prove God’s sovereignty. When the servant arrives at Rebekah’s home, he uses the story of his prayer to show that God brought him to that place. And Rebekah’s brother and father are convinced saying, ” The Lord has obviously brought you here, so there is nothing we can say (24:50b).” Then they give Rebekah to the servant to give to Isaac in marriage.

So in this case, I don’t think the servant is asking for a divine sign as much as God is laying this prayer on his heart, so God may be glorified through Rebekah. So unless we are sure our motives are God-driven, it’s probably not wise to ask for a divine sign.

Why did Abraham lay Isaac on the altar? Genesis 22

In many ways, I don’t envy Abraham. He waits and waits for a son. He has a son with Hagar, which turns into a mess. Then when he finally has his son Isaac with Sarah, God asks him to sacrifice Isaac as an offering. It almost seems as though God is taunting Abraham, knowing how much Abraham loves his son. He says, “Take your son, your only son–yes, Isaac whom you love so much…Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains (v.2 NLT condensed).” And this is after God had told Abraham that Isaac is the one “through whom your descendants will be counted (21:12 NLT).”

So Abraham has a full confirmation that Isaac will pass on his legacy and be a part of the great nation that God promised Isaac. So my question is: Why does Abraham lay Isaac on the altar? I don’t think I have the faith to lay down what I know God has promised me. When Isaac asks Abraham where the sheep is for the burnt offering, I think I would have responded with an “I wish I knew” and inside would have been asking God why. But Abraham trusts for God to provide the sacrifice. Do I trust God’s promises enough that I would lay down anything He asked me to on His altar?

Can we bargain with God? Genesis 18 and 19

A saying around many churches is: “If you want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.” I think a better rendition is: “We can make our plans but the Lord determines our steps (Proverbs 16:9 NLT).” In the Old Testament, there are multiple occasions when a Biblical figure tries to change God’s plans. Both Abraham and Lot bargained “successfully” with God. Abraham pleads with the Lord to save Sodom, and God agrees to save it if He finds ten righteous people there. Yet, although God agrees to this, he still destroys Sodom and Gomorrah. So was Abraham really bargaining with God? Is it even possible?

Why a pillar of salt?

When Lot is escaping Sodom, God tells him to escape to the mountains (19:17). Lot begs God to let him go to a small village because he thinks he would die in the mountains. God permits him to do so. A successful bargain? Not so much.

In reality, God’s plans prevailed in both cases. After arriving in the small village that he wanted to go to so badly, Lot becomes afraid of the people and escapes to, of all places, the mountains (19:30). So if he had not “bargained” with God, he would have saved himself a move (and a scare). And Abraham did not save Sodom and Gomorrah, despite his pleas. But God knew that the motivation for Abraham’s pleadings was to save his nephew Lot. In 19:29a (NLT), it says, “But God had listened to Abraham’s request and kept Lot safe.” So ultimately, though we may think we are bargaining with God, God’s plans prevail.