Blessed Easter!

 

Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

I'll post more tomorrow . . . a recap of this Lenten season . . . 

But for today rejoice and rest in the glory of our Saviour!

Did Jacob Ever Find Out?

We've been reading through the narrative of Joseph in Egypt in Morning Prayer and today we heard when Jacob finds out Joseph is still alive. He and all his family will now go to Egypt and live there under Joseph's care.

So I was thinking today, and wondering . . . did Jacob ever find out exactly what happened to Joseph? Did Joseph's brothers finally confess what they had done to their father? Did Joseph throw his brothers under the bus? Jacob must have asked Joseph what happened! How did he get to Egypt? How had he escaped from the beast that bloodied his coat of many colors? What did Joseph say? Throwing his brothers under the bus doesn't seem in character with Joseph, and covering their sin would be in keeping with his Christ-likeness. We're not told if Jacob ever found out. But I'd sure like to know how that conversation went . . .

My Prediction . . .

So the president of my seminary alma mater resigned and they are in the process of selecting a new president. Their website says that 42 people were nominated and 19 let their names stand. Those names are listed there. That list will now be whittled down to 5 or so, and from them the new president will be elected. Frankly, not all are qualified to be president of a seminary, which should eliminate them. Some are good at playing political games, which might include them, but shouldn't. (I'm not going to list those names here!) There are then some who are qualified, but would they do a good job as president? Time will tell. Anyway, here's my prediction for the short list (in alphabetical order), or at least, what I think it should be - we'll see how close I get. :-)

Charles Gieschen, Jamison Hardy, Jeffrey Pulse.

(Name I'd like to include, but am not: Gregory Todd)

Nadab and Abihu

Who? Abi-who?

Glad you asked! Nadab and Abihu were two of the four sons of Aaron, the brother of Moses, in the Old Testament. After the people of Israel came out of Egypt and came to Mount Sinai, God gave them the instructions for the building of the Tabernacle, and the priesthood, and the sacrifices. Aaron and his four sons - along with Eleazar and Ithamar (and their sons after them), were to be the priests.

I was reading about their ordination this morning (all five of them). It took seven full days (Leviticus 10). Then, on the eighth day (that's significant!), when they were to begin their service, Nadab and Abihu decided not to do what God told them to do, not to listen to the Word of God, but do what they wanted. The took their censers and offered "unauthorized fire" before the Lord. And they were consumed by fire. Big deal? It was to God. Don't mess with God's holiness. Their priestly career didn't even last one day! I knew that story; what I did not remember was that it happened so suddenly - on their first full day of priesthood!

It reminded me of Genesis. God created all things in six days, and on the seventh day, He rested. Then, right away (on the eighth day?), we read that Adam and Eve decided to do things their own way, not listen to the Word of God, and ate the forbidden fruit. And God had said, On the day you eat of it, you shall surely die. They did. Not physically (like Nadab and Abihu), but spiritually (a greater death than physical death). Their relationship with God was broken. 

Both happened right away. Sin (and satan!) wastes no time. It reminded me of something GK Chesterton (I think) said: Heterodoxy cannot wait and is always in a hurry; Orthodoxy is patient and waits for the Lord. And, I would add, listens to the Word of God. A good reminder for us, this Lenten season.