Saturday, May 22, 2010

The Self Chosen Way

Genesis 29:1 KJV
Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.
Scofield's Notes says,
"Jacob at Haran becomes a sterling illustration, if not type, of the nation descended from him in its present long dispersion. Like Israel, he was:
Out of the place of blessing (Gen_26:3).
without an altar (Hos_3:4); (Hos_3:5).
gained an evil name (Gen_31:1); (Rom_2:17-24).
but was under the covenant care of Jehovah (Gen_28:13); (Gen_28:14); (Rom_11:1); (Rom_11:25-30).
and was ultimately brought back (Gen_31:3); (Gen_35:1-4); (Eze_37:21-23).

The personal lesson is obvious: while Jacob is not forsaken, he is permitted to reap the shame and sorrow of his self-chosen way. "

I can see two applications of this to our day as well:
First there is an application to every Christian.
While we have not chosen to live in the world the way it is, because we to are from the loins of Adam and responsible for the sin of Adam, though now saved and never forsaken of God, we are permitted to reap the troubles of this way. Life on this planet will never be easy for any human being. We have the protrction of God in many respects. But we also have the problems of the sin of the world.

Secondly there is an application for the believer who travels a "self chosen" way.
Some Christians face more difficulties than they might otherwise simply because they choose to go a way other than that way God has for them. Like Jacob, they may seem to be prosperous in this self chosen way. Like Jacob they may (and probably will) experience times of blessing in this self chosen way. But also like Jacob they will find themselves facing snares of the world because they are on this self chosen way and, like Jacob they will find that it is a long and difficult path off of the self chosen way.

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