Patience

Do you have some? Need some? Want some? Sunday we were reminded what can go wrong if it doesn’t exist.

Sunday morning sermons have taken us through Genesis – which also touches on quite a few promises. So far, those promises have required patience – and those who received the promises pretty much lacked patience.

Eve did. In Genesis 3 we learned that she was impatient about eating fruit. God told Adam what would happen if they ate certain fruit. Eve yielded to temptation, ate – and didn’t’ die! Wow, it was good, so she offered it to Adam. Ooops. That didn’t work at all.

God promised Abraham a son in Genesis 18, though stricken in age – and Sarah laughed. She didn’t believe she could give Abraham a child, so she offered Hagar. The result of that impatience introduce Ishmael. We live with that impatience today.

Now we come to Jacob. There were a couple of impatient issues here. Once again we find a man growing old and wanting children. Isaac was 60 when Rebekah became pregnant. It must not have been an easy pregnancy:

And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. (Genesis 25:21-24 KJV)

Esau was first born, then Jacob. They were different! The problems are outlined in one verse:

And Isaac loved Esau . . . but Rebekah loved Jacob. (Genesis 25:28 KJV)

Remember what was promised? The elder shall serve the younger. Maybe that’s what the younger was named “Supplanter”, the meaning of Jacob. Not waiting for God’s plan to work, Jacob bought his brother’s birthright (Genesis 25:29-34.)

Not that Esau did much better – causing his parents grief (Genesis 26: 34-35.) His twin, though, was unmarried, still in the tents with his parents, who had grown old and infirm. Time for Isaac to give his final blessings to his sons. That subterfuge is covered in Genesis 27.

Perhaps you think that’s the end of the impatience. Not hardly (as one of my favorite actors would say) there are instances throughout the Bible. But, let’s take a look at the consequences.

Jacob received payback, but it would take too many verses to tell of his love for Rachel, the tricks of her brother, the jealousy of his sister-wives, the giving of concubines, the sibling rivalry of his sons – and the root of bitterness that remained through Esau into the Edomites (Hebrews 12:15-17.)

The application? Our own lives. Mine – and most likely yours – wandered in and out of God’s will. Each time outside has consequences I’d rather not face – nor explain. Nope – no examples from me. They could be better or worse than yours, but I have to work within mine – and you have to work within yours. Isn’t that a shame?

All we had to do was seek our Lord’s will, abide in it – but it takes soooo much time, doesn’t it? If we pushed a little here, changed a little there, manipulated or even ignored, couldn’t we achieve our desires sooner? And since God wants us all to be happy, shouldn’t we have our desires even if they don’t match what He has laid out for us? Really? How does that work for us?

Nope – no answers. You must come up with your own, just as I do.