Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: BUY - BYE (01/19/23)
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TITLE: Blessed Exchanges - Measure For Measure. | Previous Challenge Entry
By Robert Rutaagi
01/25/23 -
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What Jacob was going through, in his spirit necessitated something special to placate him. Stopping at a livestock well, only to meet a ‘’beautiful shepherd girl with a lovely figure’’ who turns out to be the very candidate his father ordained for a wife, was a celebratory miracle! Ge. 29:17 [NIV].
Why didn’t Jacob, immediately follow his cousin to lead him to his uncle? May be he was so overwhelmed by that divinely cousin Rachel moment that, he instantly plunged into a trance until Laban came to wake him up?
During the trance, Jacob saw a vision - twins being borne, grabbing his elder brother’s heel and coming out first! The duo grew fast to become mother and father’s boy respectively. He saw the transaction of their offerings to God and His response and, much later, the exchange of birth rights. He saw how the duo separately fed their ailing father and how he subconsciously blessed each on merit.
Finally, Esau’s intractable anger against Jacob’s deeds erupted, forcing him to free for his dear life. Thanks to his mother and father’s blessing and visionary advice which landed him in safe hands of his uncle and prospective father in-law. What a great comfort zone this was to whittle away seven years like it was a tiny span of time!
The maternal comfort zone created another problem for Jacob. It was his uncle, Laban, who proposed the marriage idea as well as other terms and conditions. Jacob simply chose the Bride – Rachel who had infatuated him at first sight.
After seven years, Laban treacherously wedded off the ‘weak-eyed Leah’ to Jacob instead of the ‘’beautiful strong eyed Rachel!’’ Oh fate! What Jacob did to Esau was done to him by their mutual uncle! In order to marry sweet Rachel, took him extra seven years of hard labour!!!
God’s favour upon Jacob made him prosperous in terms of family and material wealth. He produced twelve children, including the most loved Joseph who ‘’was well built and handsome’’ and an amazing dreamer. Jacob provided for him a ‘’unique ornate robe’’ which, plus the propitious political dreams, made him a target of great envy and hatred from his brothers.
One time, while on his father’s mission, his brothers conspired to kill him. Later, they changed their mind and sold him to Ishmaelites who, in turn sold him to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s Captain.
Potiphar greatly favoured Joseph who correspondingly prospered. But Potiphar’s crazy wife lusted for Joseph’s ‘’handsome and well-built body.’’ She lasciviously tried to entice him to sleep with her but Joseph rejected all her advances. Cunningly, she lied to Potiphar that, while Joseph was trying to rape her, he abandoned his garment which she waived as evidence.
Angrily, Potiphar sentenced Joseph in the same prison where Pharaoh sent discrepant staff. Joseph would soon be put in charge of all prison affairs by Pharaoh’s Warden. While there, two servants had dreams which Joseph correctly interpreted and came to pass. One servant was restored to his position while the other was hanged.
Subsequently, Pharaoh, too, had a perturbing dream which all wise men failed to interpret. The cup-bearer remembered his experience with Joseph whom he recommended to the king as a sure-solution provider.
When Joseph was brought, he accurately interpreted the enigmatic dream to Pharaoh’s joy and satisfaction. Pharaoh could not find any competent manager better than Joseph to implement the dream. Joseph was elevated to the position of Prime Minister to manage food program which saved not only Egypt, but the whole world.
Time came when Joseph’s brothers went to Egypt to procure food. On their knees, they begged for food twice from the Prime Minister - Joseph. Melodramatically, but divinely, too, Jacob’s entire family relocated to Egypt, courtesy of Joseph and God’s grace for 700 years.
Joseph and his family’s narrative is, perhaps, the best epitome and embodiment of a typical Christian journey of life. The very measure used in life’s exchanges is the same measure used to receive and take, even for victims and tormentors like Joseph, his brothers and Potiphar’s wife.
For many years, Israelites lived in Egypt as kingdom guests, economic refugees and, later, political slaves under different socio-economic conditions. As the vicissitudes of life played out, at different stages, they negotiated appropriate deals or dropped those that did not work. When the ordained covenant time came, under Moses’ able leadership, God’s mighty and outstretched hand, nothing could stop the Exodus.
Ge.37 – 39-50; Exo.13:1-22 [NIV].
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