My Little Lion is Four

I'm all for having birthday parties for kids under four as long as it's economical and we're all honest that the party itself is for the adults. I'm also a little wary of a 4 year old getting 30 presents - a bit overkill if you ask me. I mean, "happy fourth birthday" and to make sure that you are well on your way down the road of materialism and being consumed by stuff here are 30 gifts . . . probably need to save that for a later blog post :). With that said, Luke's birthday party was great! Both sets of Grandparents came down from Indianapolis and Uncle David joined us to help us celebrate this momentous occasion. Highlights included the Lightning McQueen birthday cake, a pirate hat, the "storming Nortons!" (my own title), and the grandparents! K and I gave Judah a set of Lincoln logs (again, probably more for daddy) and our old digital camera - hoping to get the artistic juices flowing early. The gala was held at the park a mile from our house and was replete with lightning McQueen accessories (paper plates and napkins), hors d'oeuvres (a veggie tray), and an amazing entree (PIZZA!) Throw in a lightning McQueen balloon and this party was a true success coming in just shy of the $50 mark.

The Uncaging of an Unloved Son - Part 2

THE DESCENT OF A SON: The Taming of Tamar

The brothers Judah and Joseph share similar baggage - they both come from a family that plays favorites.

The brothers Judah and Joseph share similar abilities - they are both leaders, who think on their feet.

While I admire the character of Joseph I struggle to relate to him. He is pristine and above board. While at times Joseph finds himself down on his luck, the writer of Genesis declares that the "Lord was with Joseph." Theologians argue over Joseph's attitude portrayed as a youth mainly because scripture does not focus here instead it looks at God's providence (explained well as God's hand in the glove of history) in the history of Abraham's line and over geopolitical politics. Joseph comes across like a piece of Teflon to which no flaw or evil will stick. Cool, but I don't relate.

I find in the character of Judah companionship. In Judah I see my own flaws and failures. Judah is a "round" character not a "flat" character like his brother Joseph. Judah makes his entrance onto the pages of scripture as an unloved and unprotected son, his name means "Yahweh will be praised," and we first notice him when he convinces his brothers to sell their father's favorite brother into slavery. A hater of his brother, with little care for his father, a profiteer, a leader among his brothers, this guy is real and raw!

In Genesis 38 we see the character of Judah explode onto the scene. While many commentators have debated the necessity or point of this chapter. It should be seen as a crucial foil (or contrast) leading up to Genesis 39 (see "... went down" in 38 and 39) with great irony and contrast connecting it to the previous Jacob narrative. It also contains an important lesson for those who will take the time ponder.

I. Judah's Lack of Faith (vv. 1-5) ~ Oops - Ps 1:1-3
A. Bad company - Prov 13:20
B. Despised God's Word
God's promise to: Abraham - Gen 12, 15, 17:18; Isaac - Gen 26:1-6; Jacob - Gen 35:9-12
C. Lack of Love - John 13:34-35
Joseph, Jacob, Hirah (saw, took, went-in), and Tamar
D. Fear - Prov 29:25

II. The Consequence of Judah's Lack of Faith - Suffering (vv. 6-11) ~ Ugh - Ps 1:4-6
A. Two Sons Die
[Irony - Judah takes a son and looses two. Feels the pain of His Father!]
Er ~ sin unto death? (1 Jn 5:16); Onan ~ no love for his brother, like father like son
B. A Daughter-in-Law Abused

III. God's Faithfulness through Tamar (vv. 12-25) ~ Oh - Is 55:8-9
A. A Credit Card Lost
[Contrast - Joseph flees; Jacob's deception]
1. Judah's lack of character ~ impulsive - 1 Cor 10:13
2. Judah's arogance ~ save face
3. Judah hypocracy ~ judges while knowing no shame - Matt 18:15-16

IV. The consequence of God's faithfulness - character (v. 26) ~ Ahh - Rom 8:28-30; Is 43:25
A. Judah comes clean
B. Judah does right

V. The consequence of God's faithfulness - blessing (v. 27-30) ~ Yippee - Jude 24-25
A. Tamar heroen; Perez - Ruth 4:18-22
B. God is not done with Judah

Judah had little if any faith and was a failure as a brother, son, husband, father, father-in-law...he was slavetrader, who kept bad company, spurned God's promises, he had no self control, was self-preserving, self-centered, judgemental, a hypocrit . . . then God stepped in!

Our lives are like Judah's
- habitual sin in our lives
- gaping holes in our character: anger, fear, lust, pride
- baggage from our past
- bad decisions -financially, as parents
- struggles in our marriages, with our kids, disfunction with our parents
- lack of faith in the midst of adverse circumstances ~ Is 43:25

Do our failures and lack of faith negate God's faithfulness? No! ~ 2 Tim 2:13

Our failures are no match for God's faithfulness!
He forgives our sin, he builds character, and he blesses!

As His children God is in the process of conforming you to His image ~ Rom 8:28-30
Are you letting God build charcter? or is He having to use extra-ordinary methods?

Why should I live by faith if God will build character in my life any way . . . you want a life like Judah's?

What part can we play in our faith . . . do everything that Judah didn't do:
1. Pick wise friends
2. Make God's word a priority
3. Love others
4. Do what you know to be right even in the face of adversity
5. Flee Temptation
6. Be quick to acknowledge your sin

Exegetical: ~ Ps 106:8
Judah's lack of faith which brought great consequences did not hinder God's ability to build character into His chosen people or jeopardize God's faithful in light of His promises of blessing
Theological: ~ 2 Tim 2:13
Man's lack of faith does not comprimise God's faithfulness
Homiletical: ~ Phil 1:6 ~ 2 Cor 12:9
Our failures are no match for God's faithfulness


STUDY NOTES

Genesis 38:1-5

1) “departed” – lit. went down (note: connective to chapter 39)
Leaves his brothers for company of a Canaanite (Prov 13:2) – Bad Decision #1
2) progression – “saw,” “took,” “went in” = no relationship ~ consumer
Spurns his families covenant; Abraham and Isaacs example – Bad Decision #2
Note: where is Jacob’s influence?

Genesis 38:6-8

Further Study: Levirate Marriage (Deut 25:5-6; Ruth 4:5, 10, 17)

Genesis 38:9-11

6) Tamar ~ “Palm Tree”
7) Psalm 1:6b
8) Levirate Marriage
9) Used her ~ consumer “like father like son”
Marriage between a man and his brother’s wife forbidden (Lev 18:16, 20:21)
Masturbation v coitus interruptus
11) Judah as her Father-in-law has control; Tamar can’t marry or move on
Further Study: Lineage (Gen 2:24, Matt 19:5, Eph 5:31)
Judah has now felt the pain of losing a son; He has felt the pain of his father
à Pain is a the tool that God uses to mark the mature (James 1:2-4)
à Fear immobilizes, Faith empowers (Josh 1:9)

Gensis 38:12-26

15-17) Goat ~ impulsive (pure avarice, lust)
18) Seal and your cord/Staff – the equivalent of leaving your credit card in a brothel
20-22) “Harlot” = whore: “Cult Prostitute” = escort
23) Save face
24) “Harlot” = whore ~ my honor
Prostitutes were stoned at the city gates and in some cases their bodies were
burned
25) “Please examine and see;” paralleled to Jacob in 37:31
Goat and personal article; paralleled to Jacob in 37:32
B) Bred Character
26) Judah learns to stake oneself for principal ~ takes it on the chin
No Incest

The Uncaging of an Unloved Son - Part 1

THE DAMAGING OF A SON

If I say favorite snack what comes to mind?
If I say favorite vehicle what comes to mind?

I was homeschooled until the fourth grade and when I began attending a private school I was at the head of my class academically. Because of this I was loved by my teacher, but this special status that I had gained caused me to be austrisized from my fellow class mates.

No one likes a teachers pet. Like my fifth grade teacher we all have the tendency to pick favorites. We have our best friends, we have our favorites at church, at work, and sometimes even in our own homes. There are those in our lives that we just click with...yet as followers of Christ we are called in John 13:34-35 to be a people who love, not selectively.

This morning I want to look at why we should not pick favorites when it comes to relationships. Now I will acknowledge there are times when it is ok to pick favorites. For instance my dad had a "favorite mother-in-law and a favorite son." He only had one of each...but this morning I want to study a family that had more than one son.

I want to look at the family of Jacob. Specifically at Judah, Jacob's unloved son, who would become known as "the Lion of Judah." Now many a sermon series has been crafted around Judah's younger brother Joseph, but few focus in on the person of Judah. Waltke writes, “If Joseph steps onto the pages of sacred history as a bratty do-gooder, Judah enters as a slave trader who has turned his back on Abraham’s God-given vision. He is callous toward his father and cynical about the covenant family.”

Genesis 29:31-35

I. Favoritism harms relationships

A. Looks like a Lack of Love
Note:
Son of an unloved mother (Leah)
Fourth son of Jacob and Leah
Birth a possible turning point for Leah (see the meaning of the Sons names)

B. Looks like a Lack of Protection
[See background] Genesis 33:1-7

C. Looks to be Hereditary (like any sin)
Note:
Judah’s Role Models:
Abraham, great-grandpa who had a mistress (Hagar)
Isaac, grandpa who had a favorite son (Esau)
Jacob, dad who had a favorite wife (Rachel)
Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim (Gen 48:10-20)
[Story 2 - Cholesterol and Mole on my Back]

Further Study: Sins of the Fathers (Ex 34:7, Num 14:18, Deut 5:9)

II. Favoritism destroys lives

A. Breeds Hatred
Genesis 37:2-4 2
Genesis 37:23-28
Note:
“Cover up his blood” (Gen 4:10)
No respect of care of Jacob; favoritism leads to bitterness (1 Pe 3:8-12)
Hatred of a Joseph; bitterness leads to hatred (Ps 133:1, Prov 15:18, Prov 16:32, Prov 19:11)
Jacob had shown a similar contempt for Isaac and Esau when he stole the birth right

Further Study: A Father’s directive (Eph 6:4 see also; Deut 6:4-6)
Question 5: While the relationship of Jacob and Judah demonstrates what should not be, what does God call us to be doing as parents?

Ephesians 6:1-4
Note:
(“discipline”) - the act of providing guidance for responsible living attained by discipline and correction (2 Timothy 3:16 ~ “training in righteousness”)
1. discipline - Prov 19:18, Prov 29:17;
2. rod - Prov 13:24; Prov 22:15; 23:14
(“instruction”) - “mind”/”place”

B. Breeds Insecurity
Note:
Joseph: Earn love ~ arrogance (Gen 37:5)
Judah: Lack of faith ~ fear (Gen 38:11)

III. Favoritism is Sin
James 2:8-9

A. God does not play favorites; He is not a respecter of persons.
Note:
What about “Jacob I Loved, but Esau I hated?” (Mal 1:2, Rom 9:13)
[key – God emphasis in this context is that God can do what he wants: i.e. mercy toward Israel]

B. Where do we struggle with favoritism? [Social Circles, Families, etc…]

C. How do we avoid favoritism:
1. Identify Favoritism in our own lives
2. Be equal opportunity "praisers"
3. Learn to appreciate the strengths and unique qualities of others

7/2009 - FBD Young Married Sunday School Class