RTW January 18
Perspective is in the Eye of the Beholder
You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.
Genesis 50:20
My Takeaways
Something Old
Harm/Evil: adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, displeasure, distress
Something New
Perspective: a way of regarding situations, facts, and judging their relative importance
In order to behold harm as good we need an intimacy with God.
Such intimacy will:
- Expose us to liberty in Christ when we are “locked up” in the world.
- Enable us to refrain from obtaining revenge when we have the opportunity.
- Empower us to offer forgiveness when we want to give someone the holy “what for”.
Something to Do
Lord, I pray it doesn’t take me 22 years to behold Your perspective.
Something Old
Genesis 49:5-7 records Jacob’s blessings upon Simeon and Levi. The interesting thing is that while both prophecies certainly came true, Simeon’s was more of a curse while Levi’s was transformed into a true blessing. Anger was the root problem. Both brothers reacted in anger and violence at Shechem. But through God’s mercy the Levites were able to be redeemed by their bold stand for God in Exodus 32. When we read what is written in Genesis it is hard to realize the priesthood will belong to the Levites. But as saved sinners, ourselves, we can see it more personally and be humbled and grateful.
Something New
I noticed that Genesis 50:24 appears to indicate that Joseph died before all of his brothers. (Some hold this to be true.) I thought that was unusual since he was younger than all but Benjamin. In checking the word meaning it seems that the word used in this context may have meant “relatives” as opposed to strictly “brothers.” It also amazed me that it was actually 400 years or so before his body, (“bones”) was taken back to the Promised Land. During the interim his coffin was not buried but rested above ground.
Something To Do
Seriously ponder and embrace Wendy’s teaching that “in order to behold harm as good we need an intimacy with God.” This tells me that the greater that intimacy the more powerful this truth.
Thank you for your insight in your something old, about the Levites, I never thought of it that way but you are so right and it is really encouraging to see that as a saved sinner you can still be equipped for priesthood, or, in everyday life, equipped to do something for Gods glory and honour. I love that!!!