Recap

So far in Genesis, we've journeyed from the dawn of creation to the complexities of human choices and divine plans. Initially, we witnessed the splendour of heaven and earth's creation, only to see it marred by Adam and Eve's disobedience. Humanity's decline continued, leading God to choose a family—Abraham's lineage—as a beacon of hope.

We've followed Abraham and Sarah's ups and downs, their faith and failings, and God's unwavering commitment to them. Their son Isaac continued the legacy, fathering Esau and Jacob. Jacob, despite his destiny to lead, took matters into his own hands, deceiving Esau and Isaac, and then fleeing for his life.

Picking up from there, Jacob finds himself in a foreign land, falling in love with his cousin Rachel. In a twist of fate, he's deceived by his uncle Laban, who tricks him into marrying Leah, Rachel's sister, leading to another seven years of labour for Rachel's hand. Jacob's family grows, setting the stage for the 12 Tribes of Israel, with Judah and Joseph emerging as significant figures, defying the traditional importance of the firstborn.

Jacob's relationship with Laban turns sour, filled with deceit and conflict, mirroring Jacob's own past actions. After 20 years, Jacob, once the trickster, learns the hard way what it feels like to be on the receiving end. Despite the trials, God's blessings remain steadfast, leading Jacob to part ways with Laban and continue his journey, a changed man.

Genesis 32-34

As Jacob heads home, he becomes anxious at the thought of meeting his bother Esau. He sends a group ahead to find out what the situation is. They come back merely saying that Esau is coming with 400 men. So Jacob begins to panic, thinking he is about to be attacked and divides all his people and livestock into two camps to increase the chance of some surviving.

He then prepares gifts for Esau to pacify him. Jacob still has his craftiness and intelligence that he grew up with. Hs hope is that with each wave of gifts Esau’s anger might be appeased.

Then we have the interesting mention of Jacob wrestling with a man at night, having his hip put out, demanding a blessing, and having his name changed to Israel. It becomes apparent that this ‘man’ was in fact God.

Jacob is about to step back into the land God had promised him, but just like Abraham with Isaac, Jacob needed to be tested. Was he committed to walking in all that God has for him.

Jacob shows off his determination by continuing to wrestle with God all night and into the morning. Before he left, Jacob lied and cheated to get a blessing. Now he is returning, Jacob is willing to wait on God to bless him.

It is at this point God gives Jacob a new name, just as he did with Abraham and Sarah before him. Jacob is now to be called Israel, which means to wrestle with God. While Jacob continues to be referred by his birth name going forward, the name Israel is used for his descendants as they become their own nation. They are to be a people who wrestle with God.

Jacob and Esau finally meet, and Esau is just happy to have his brother back. Jacob (Israel) is able to enter the land that his descendants would re-enter many years later. However, Jacob is still a little unsure of the situation with his brother and so manages to separate himself off and settle down in the land.

We then get a horrific story of rape of one of Jacob’s daughters. The story goes to emphasise how morally and sexually corrupt the people of this land are. Remember how the town of Sodom demanded that the men in Lot’s house be given to them so they could rape them. Or how both Isaac and Abraham were terrified that the people would kill them and steal their wives.

This land was full of really unsavoury people. We see Simeon and Levi use their cunning, much like their father. But this time with violence, barbarically cutting down the inhabitants of the town. This will get picked up later at the end of Genesis when Jacob gives blessings to his sons that go on to have implications for the tribes that are named after them.

I believe the repeated use of sexual violence in Genesis is there to show that humanity is deeply fallen and broken. Both those far from God and those he calls to himself. It would seem to me just as true today, that both inside and outside the church we need to wrestle and grapple with how do we handle abuses of power, both sexual and non-sexual.

Psalm 10

This psalm is attributed to King David and fits into the category of lament psalms. Interestingly, this psalm continues on the acrostic of Psalm 9.

ל) Psalm 10:1-3a - Trouble is near but God seems far

נ) Psalm 10:3b-5a - The nature of the wicked

ס) Psalm 10:5b-6 - The wicked seem to go unpunished

פ) Psalm 10:7-8a - The wicked curse, oppress, and ambush others

ע) Psalm 10:8b-9 - The wicked search for was to oppress the poor

צ) Psalm 10:10-11 - The helpless are crushed, seemingly forgotten by God

ק) Psalm 10:12-13 - A cry to God to rise up

ר) Psalm 10:14 - God isn’t far. He does see

ש) Psalm 10:15-16 - Bring judgement on the wicked as the king of the nations

ת) Psalm 10:17-18 - God does hear and strengthen the innocent. He is a just father and protector

Though clearly linked to Psalm 9, this psalm has a very different tone. Rather than starting of focusing on the goodness of God and then introducing their problems into that, here the psalmist is consumed by their struggles.

To them it feels like God is far away. That he’s hiding. He is surrounded by suffering and pain, and has to deal with the accusations of the wicked who say “there is no God” and the hurting who say “God has forgotten [them]”.

There are sometimes where life feels like this. That there is no justice. That the wicked get away with whatever they want and the poor suffer. There is a part of each of us that longs for justice, and in these moments it can seem like there is none.

So the psalmist turns to God and throws these questions at him. They ask Go to be active and not forget those in need. They ask God why the wicked see to get away with whatever they want, confident that God won’t do anything.

The psalmist grounds themselves in the truth that God does hear and does care and then appeals to God to his nature. He is the king of the nations, and a just king who accepts no wickedness. He will defeat the wicked and protect those in need.

While the psalm started of being very bleak, it ends on a high note. There’s a sense of victory and confidence that God is just and faithful to his people.

When we take Psalms 9 and Psalm 10 together, we more clearly see the contrast that we noticed yesterday. Some days you might start with God and then move on to address your problems. Then on others all you can do is bring God your problems and work through them before you can stand in the truth of his faithfulness.

What’s important is that when we lament we turn to God, honestly bring him our complaints, ask him to intervene, and trust in his faithfulness. The exact order and structure you do that in doesn’t matter.