July 22, 2007

Gen 32:22-32 Wrestling with God
 “NO TAME LION”

In C. S. Lewis “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,” children from our reality pass into another world. They are involved in a struggle to save this world from an evil witch. As they enter this world, they meet some talking animals. Here the beaver family is describing the events of the next few days in which they shall meet Aslan, King of all Narnia.

"Then who is ASLAN?' asked Susan.  "ASLAN?" , said Mrs Beaver, “Why don’t you know? He’s the King. He’s the Lord of the whole wood, but not often  here, you understand. Never in my time or my father’s time, but the word has reached us that he has come back. He’s in Narnia at this moment. He’ll settle the white queen all right. It is he not you who will save Mr. Tumnus.”

 “She won’t turn him into stone too?” said Edmund.

 “Lord love you son of Adam, what a simple thing to say!” answered Mrs Beaver with a great laugh. “Turn him to stone? If she can stand on her two feet and look him in the face it’ll be the most she can do and more than I expect of her. No, no. He’ll put all to rights as it says in an old rhyme in these parts. Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight. At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more; when he bares his teeth, winter meets its death and when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.  

 “You’ll understand when you see him.”     

“But shall we see him?” asked Susan.
  
 “Why daughter of Eve, that’s what I brought you here for. I am to lead you to where you shall meet him,”said Mrs. Beaver.
    
“Is---is he a man?” asked Lucy.
  
 “Aslan a man!” said Mrs Beaver sternly. “Certainly not. I tell you he is the KING of the wood and the son of the great Emperor- beyond-the-sea. Don’t you know who is the king of beasts? Aslan is a Lion-the Lion, the great Lion.
  
 “Ooooh!” said Susan, “I’d thought he was a man. Is he ---quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion." ”That you will, dearie and no mistake,” said Mrs. Beaver, “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knockin, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.”
  
 “Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy.

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver. “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn't safe . But He’s good. He’s the king I tell you.”  *

Jacob Speaks
I still break out in cold sweat whenever I think back to that night.  I was willing to give up all I owned to have my life spared by Esau, but in all my terror over him I never never knew what real terror was.

It was one thing to have Laban as an adversary; that I could deal with. I even was willing to deal with Brother Esau as an adversary, I expected it in fact. But Not GOD. I never saw HIM as an adversary. God was my friendly benign heavenly Father figure.

God was someone I could turn to when the going got tough but ignore when life was going well and when I wanted my own plans to work out; I felt as if He was the one from whom I had nothing to fear . How wrong I was. I never realized until that frightful night that I had been using God all this time. That night I discovered to my horror that God will not be used like that for long.

I believe that it was that night I crossed over from mere acknowledgment of God as a god, to a personal trust relationship with Him. After that night I was a new person. Oh, before that I was God’s man, at least in so far as it went along with my plans, but that night I was truly changed from servant to son.

Now beloved ones, I must ask you as I tell you this tale, to see if it describes you. Have you ever wrestled with God? Have you totally surrendered to GOD? Have you had that rebirth I experienced that wonderful fearful night night?

Have you ever walked outside alone in the dark  forsaken it seemed by everyone? That is what it was like for Jacob that night of nights.

He had sent his family away.  His cattle and camels and sheep and every other possession had preceded him across the river and he was all alone. Not only was he all alone, but he was very very afraid.

He had a sense that in this night he could lose everything that was dear to him, his wives,children stock and perhaps even his own life . He had no way to gauge Esau’s reception of him.

Jacob heard all the night sounds of the desert, familiar sounds, wild yet somehow soothing. The night birds sang songs he knew by heart from 20 years of hearing their sad refrain. The myriad of small creatures shuffled, squealed, squeaked, and chirped as they had so many other nights. It was a normal sound, one pocket of peace in an otherwise tormented time of life.

Suddenly the desert grew still. Not a breeze, not a bird not a solitary chirp, not a sound. It was as if his ears had been shut off it was so ominously still.

Jacob grew nervous, the only time the desert grew still was when one of the large predators was very close by. What horrible irony to be slain by a desert lion on the eve of his meeting with a brother whom he feared would kill him.

Jacob froze. What was that it...SUDDENLY A Strong pair of hands grabbed Jacob by the throat and began to choke the life out of him. In terror he retaliated and began the most violent exercise of his life defending that life from...something.

At first he thought it might be Esau come in the dark to do what he had sworn to do all those years ago, but it soon was apparent that this formidable foe was not a simple herdsman. Jacob fought like a man possessed. He fought with the fury of one whose life depends on it and mighty as this foe was.

 Jacob countered at every turn. Every gasp of breath was agony, every slow motion move, a torment, yet still they fought.

 In gaining a new hold Jacob caught a glimpse of the face of his opponent and a new wave of fear chilled his heart and galvanized him to even more fierce action. This was no ordinary human, this was a messenger of the most high. The being strove mightily but Jacob refused to yield. It was as if his entire life was at stake and he would not give in no matter the pain.
    
The first cold light of early dawn sent its scouts over the horizon and suddenly the angelic being stopped, placed a rigid finger on the weary man’s thigh and Jacob felt the stabbing pain as his thigh was wrenched violently out of joint.Then Jacob was startled as a melodic voice said “ Let me go, for the day breaketh.”

And Jacob, through his agony and fatigue sent back the reply,” I will not let you go, unless you bless me.

The melodic voice spoke once more, “What [is] thy name?

And he said, ‘Jacob.’

The voice , resonant and full, sounding as if it knew no fatigue spoke words that filled the soul  of Jacob with awe.

“Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.”

Oh Mighty one, Jacob asked,  Tell [me], please, your name.

The voice spoke once more:, Wherefore [is] it [that] thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

Jacob fell to the earth with fear, awe shock and reverence as the eyes of his understanding were opened. The nameless one himself , the one who is, Elohim, the mighty one has blessed me.

 I shall call this place  Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

Jacob stumbled to his feet, limping with pain, and the rising sun found him across the river and headed into a new life, a new relationship,and bearing a new name.

His view of God had been shattered. No helpless prince of heaven this fearful creator. No tame creature this mighty Jehovah Lord. This was the God for whom he had sought all his life and didn’t know it until he had met him face to face. And instead of erasing his worthless life, this mighty God had...Blessed him.
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She had begun this horrid lifestyle in direst need. But the religious council took no note of that. Nor would they have cared about the poverty that had driven this woman to choose a life of immorality and wretchedness.

Oh quick they were to pay her fees when the need was on them, but now, in the daylight, they could only point their fingers and accuse. As they dragged her along the dusty street toward the temple court, she felt the fierce brunt of their hypocritical outrage as they heaped on her the shame they should have been feeling.

The neighborhood, regardless of how they had felt about her in the night, was all too quick to take up the chant, and the torment as this harlot, this slut, was dragged along by this angry crowd.

Oh, she had sinned, she had no doubt about that. That there was no excuse for that sin she also knew. But it burned her to her soul to know that many of this  same crowd of self righteous tormentors, had paid her fees only scant days before.

The children had taken up the cry, and were already enjoying the sport as they threw refuse at her as she passed. Small stones were hurled at her along with taunts by women whose husbands had perhaps enjoyed her company in past days.

Now they approached the temple, the woman, naked as the day she was born except for a small piece of  cloth which she unsuccessfully used to try and preserve some modesty, was thrown to the ground.

Sobbing and all alone in this huge crowd the woman waited, expecting at any time to feel the first of those horrible stones which would begin soon to fall on her. She heard a hubbub and a commotion and then everything went very still.

The old Pharisee who had led this expedition, the one who had tactfully allowed the man to flee unchecked, was speaking in a syrupy sweet sarcasm.

“Good master” he said. “We have taken this woman, this wretched filth, in the very act of adultery. Now you being well versed in the law know that Moses says she should be stoned. What do you say we should do with her?

The woman cringed. She knew that she was not only to be stoned, but somehow was also to be used in the ongoing argument between the religious leaders and this one Jesus, the kind teacher from Nazareth. She lay still, trying to hear his answer but he seemed to say nothing. She heard some scratching sounds as if someone was drawing or writing in the dust of the courtyard.

“I said,” the old Pharisee spoke loudly and with anger now, “what do we do with this WOMAN!”

She listened, trembling. She had heard of this man, this Nazarene and he was known to be death on sin. Hadn’t she heard that he had driven money changers from the temple a while back with a whip? Oh what chance had she, a miserable guilty sinner at the hands of a zealot like that. And if what they said was true, he claimed to speak for GOD. Her fear mounted and she closed her tear filled eyes awaiting the verdict.

Ah you are well versed in the Laws of Moses. Yes, it is true that adultery is punishable by stoning. She held her breath waiting the first blow, BUT...I say let the one of you who is without sin cast the first stone. The one of you who has never lusted in your heart, you, you throw the first stone.

Again she heard him stoop down and write something in the dirt near her head now. She also heard rapid footsteps leaving the temple area for each of the accusers felt  as if suddenly their hearts had been opened and a bright searing painful  light shined in.    

It grew very still. She lay there face down, naked on the ground in front of the man with the gentle voice. He didn’t sound like a zealot. It remained quiet and she raised her head and saw two very dusty feet, ordinary feet, sandalled and common.

She looked up and followed her eyes past the brown homespun robe, to the face of this man who held her very life in his hand.

The voice spoke again, “James, please let me have your cloak.” She heard him breathe a thank you as she felt the soft coat draped over her shame.

“Woman, if there is to be a stoning,  there must be accusers. Where are the accusers? Does no one condemn you?”

Nnno..No man is left to accuse me Lord.”

And then her heart exploded into exultant joy as she heard the words fall from his lips...neither do I condemn thee...go and don’t sin anymore.
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Two wrestling matches, both involved a full surrender to God. Both resulted in blessing that only God can give. How will you fare when it becomes your turn?

2Co 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad.

My friends, God has also stated that there is none righteous, no not one. Heb 4:12-13  For the word of God  is  alive, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and  is  a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things  are  naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

How will you honestly fare in front of one who knows your intentions? Who discerns your very heart?

You know , you can hear from him, words of forgiveness if you come now. If you confess to him, agree with him that you are needy, a sinner, condemned before God, he will say to you what he said to that woman.

I do not condemn thee, go sin no more. And in that instant he gives you power to become a child of God.

Is he knocking at your heart? Will you wrestle on? Or will you surrender today?