As Passover and Easter are fast approaching I have been reading the account of God’s deliverance of the people of Israel from the yoke of Pharaoh and the Egyptians.  My purpose in doing this has been to go back to the root, the foundation of Easter, for it is rooted in the Passover, and the Passover, finds it root in the Exodus.  Reading the book of Exodus these past couple of weeks has just been awesome!  God has taught me much about himself through studying this book.

One I would like to share with you is the Sabbath.  On Friday I participated in my first Shabbat dinner.  Shabbat is the Hebrew word for Sabbath, meaning a day of rest.  It was such a wonderful occasion for me to participate, as I gained a new appreciation for this weekly Jewish custom.  For instance, one of the duties of the father at the Shabbat dinner is to say a blessing over his family, starting with the wife first, quoting Proverbs 31 as his blessing over her.

A popular political debate which has been prevalent for centuries revolves around the question of what the future holds for the Jewish people.  For Christians and Jews this is a question that goes beyond politics.  The debate is a matter of theology too.  With the latest political uprisings in the Middle East, the questions of how peace will be accomplished in that part of the world go on, as well as what the future holds for Israel.  Despite all the enemies, hateful messages, and acts that have been brought against Israel throughout their history, God has always preserved for himself what the Bible calls a “remnant”.

A “remnant” is a small part of something that remains after the rest has gone.  In anthropological terms a “remnant” is an isolated group of people surviving from a culture or group. The “remnant” is a significant aspect of God’s relationship with Israel as it is representative of his covenant relationship to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, not on any basis of works done by these patriarchs, but because of God’s gracious election. (Romans 11:28)

Genesis 32:28 records the conclusion of the wrestling match between Jacob and the angel of the LORD.  The angel tells Jacob his name will “no longer be Jacob, but Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and you have overcome.”  The name Israel means he struggles with God and the previous two blog entries demonstrated the history of the nation of Israel struggling in their relationship with God, and with men.  Although hermeneutically the text of Genesis 32:28 tells us that Jacob himself did overcome the battle with the angel of the LORD, I do not think it is farfetched to understand this verse as a prophetic utterance about the future of Israel.

Historically Israel has struggled greatly, and this has been going on for millennia.  Though there have been times of great hope, faith, and survival, there have also been times of great hopelessness, faithlessness, and oppression.  Today Israel is threatened repeatedly by Iran.  A nation who openly professes they would like to see Israel wiped off the face of the earth.  The peace and security of Israel is a matter which will not be resolved anytime soon, nor by any current political arrangements.  Whatever kind of peace arrangements accomplished through modern day politicians will be temporary.  This is not to mitigate the importance of striving for peace, for peace benefits many, but rather to understand that the real program for long and lasting peace for Israel and its neighbors is one that will be accomplished by the word and hand of the Lord. The question becomes how will Israel overcome?

Previously I wrote on how the nation of Israel received its name, what the name means, and its theological implications.  Jacob was named Israel by the angel who wrestled him, who many believe is the preincarnate Christ.  The name Israel means, he struggles with God.  I then provided a macro view of how the nation of Israel split apart into two different kingdoms, their exile to Babylon, and their return.  The Israelite’s who survived the Babylonian invasion and were exiled off to Iraq, became known as the remnant. (2 Chron. 36:20; Jer. 25:11)

In 539 B.C, a year after Persia’s overthrow of the Babylonian Empire, Cyrus the ruler of Persia, decreed the Israelites who were under Babylonian captivity were free to return to their homeland.  This is all in keeping with the words of the prophet Isaiah who prophesied 200 years before Cyrus’ decree that God himself would raise up Cyrus to bring about God’s purposes of bringing the remnant back to their homeland. (Isa. 44: 28, Isa. 45:1-5)

Genesis 32:28 records Jacob, the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham, having his name changed to Israel.  Why?  The text tells us it is, “because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.”  What a prophetic word, with a promise. 

The context of the passage shows us that it was Jacob who wrestled the angel and won, but the message from the angel and name Israel takes on much more theological significance than we may typically think.  To understand this more it will be helpful to take a macro view of the Israelites heritage through the Old Testament.  

Moses and Elijah are two Old Testament heroes of the faith who were worn out by the lack of faith and depravity possessed by God’s chosen people.  In 1 Kings 19:10 Elijah communicates his plight to the Lord of how the Israelites have rejected God’s covenant (Mosaic) and put the prophets to death.  Elijah saw himself as next in line the line of fire and was wondering where hope for Israel was to be found.  God replied that he had reserved seven thousand in Israel. (1 Kings 19:18) 

Two excerpts with striking differences and lessons to be learned from the Nazi Holocaust.  May we as Christians not be so inward focussed we ignore evil when we see it.  Although opposition can be fierce, there are positive ways to make a lasting impact.

Excerpt from "When A Nation Forgets God: 7 Lessons We Must Learn From Nazi Germany" by Erwin Lutzer, pg. 21-22.

"I lived in Nazi Germany during the Nazi Holocaust.  I considered myself a Christian.  We heard stories of what was happening to the Jews, but we tried to distance ourselves from it, because, what could anyone do to stop it?

A railroad track ran behind our small church and each Sunday morning we could hear the whistle in the distance and then the wheels coming over the tracks.  We became disturbed when we heared the cries coming from the train as it passed by.  We realized that it was carrying Jews like cattle in the cars!

Here are a couple of important truths to remember about our Lord and our God.

 Isaiah 46:8-13 (NIV)

"Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels.  Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God and there is none like me.  I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.  I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.  From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.  What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.  Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted, you who are far from righteousness.  I am brining my righteousness near, it is not far away; and my salvation will not be delayed.  I will grant salvation to Zion, my splendor to Israel."

Genesis 12:1-3 (NIV)

The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 13:14-15 (NIV)

The LORD said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Lift up your eyes from where you are and north and south, east and west.  All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever.”

Genesis 15:18-20 (NIV)

 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates-the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.”

As we approach the anniversary of 9/11, I have noticed some confusion within myself as to how to deal with the tragic events which occurred on that day ten years ago.  One is how we have identified that horrible day by numbers on the callendar instead of a name.  Perhaps this reflects our tech savy age?  Past generations do not identify with 12/7/41 or even 12/41.  What am I referring to?  The Bombing of Pearl Harbor, or perhaps “the day that will live in infamy”.   To prior generations, a day of national significance in our nation’s history marked merely by a number would resemble something more along the lines of communicating in morse code.  Althought 9/11 triggers a memory of what we experienced both collectively and individually, to identify the day with a date instead of a name leaves a certain amount of ambivalence.

Let’s face it.  Great leaders do not always make great decisions.  Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz is largely recognized in the business community as a heroic business leader, and a classic American success story.  Shultz books Pour Your Heart Into It, and most recent book Onward, are upheld in the business community as a blueprint for transforming business.  Shultz is also looked to as a role model in the business community of strong ethical integrity, and providing a company culture where all people are valued.

Despite all the great things that might be said of Shultz, it is extremely disappointing he decided to back out of a speaking engagement he was scheduled for this past week at Willow Creek Community Church’s global Leadership Summit.  The reason according to the Chicago Tribune was because a “petition posted at change.org asked him to denounce Willow’s views about homosexuality before speaking there.” (Manya A. Brachear, “Willow Creek pastor clarifies stance on gays,” Chicago Tribune, August 11, 2011.)