11.27.25 ~ Do, Then Teach
God morning!
Thanksgiving, the day has arrived.
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, (Acts 1:1)
Life can be complicated! Maybe I should say, life is complicated. Family can be even more complicated! In our previous studies we have noticed that the entire book of Genesis, the foundation of our faith, is about broken, dysfunctional families and the attempt to restore them over time. Most failed. Some kept it at bay. Other's made progress, all the way to Joseph. Challenged families...I don't think anyone is exempt from this reality.
All of life is predicated in the first few years of our development and what philosophies have been imparted into our lives through the formative years; even without our choosing. The 'torah/instructions' that we were reared in, whether Scriptural or not, have formulated a lot of our current responses to challenges, stress, belief and partly to our destinies.
With every passing week in our Torah studies, through Genesis, we discover the up and down story line appears more convoluted than the membranes of cellular mitochondria and as diversely complicated as a single DNA strand.
Since the time of Adam and his wife, things have gotten more complicated. Take for instance the mother and father of our faith, Abraham and Sarah. How many times did Abraham put his wife in awkward positions? More times than we want to count! Amazingly, she followed with amazing faith.
She followed him out of the Ur of Chaldees. She went along with Abraham’s self-protective scheme when he shipped her off to Pharaoh’s harem. She followed across unknown lands...
In this week's Torah portion, Vayietze, we see the results of family life when favoritism is shown (Gen. 25:28). Was it really or did each parent spend extra time pouring into the child the deficient qualities that they desperately needed in their lives? Without contemplating the end of the story when the two boys are reunited, we would think that love was wasted. But the end of the story tells us completely different....no more animosity.
And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept. (Gen. 33:4)
No more coveting what the other had.
And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself. (Gen. 33:9)
Where did these actions originate? Why did Isaac and Rebekah love like that? Did they learn it from Abraham and Sarah, with Isaac and Ishmael? Sometimes hurtful events in the past influence our responses in the future. Were they hurtful events? It seems to me that from the time that Sarah was betrayed in Egypt, that that event impacted her mindset the rest of her days towards those around her.
She didn't mince words that she hated Hagar, a hatred she initiated (Gen. 16:1-10). Through that hatred she demanded that Abraham “Get rid of that handmaid.” Why would Abraham do that? How much does guilt act as a motivator? Was she feeling guilty? Was she jealous? We can only speculate, but we can surely identify, can't we? What is the resulting trauma to Ishmael? How does he respond? Why does Isaac seek out Ishmael after the Akeidah? Where did he learn this restoration mindset? Why does Esau marry Ishmael’s daughter? What happens to the marriage of Abraham and Sarah? Why do they end up in two separate locations? Are there positive life lessons in these stories? Why is the only expression of Abraham’s love for Sarah found in the text about her death (Gen. 23:2)? How am I supposed to love as Abraham did (Jn. 8:39)? Sarah compares herself with Hagar. Does Abraham compare her? Which one is obedient? Which one is gentle?
Do we see any of these learned behaviors in the life of Jacob, Leah and Rachel? Does Jacob learn favoritism from Isaac and Rebekah? Was it really favoritism? Are his two wives any different than Abraham’s?
Life is full of questions isn't it? Sometimes we get so obsessed with the past and analyzing other people's actions, that those questions and/or those realities cling to us like a 'ball and chain' around our ankles.
In the lives of the Patriarchs, there are more lessons then you can shake a stick at! As we've discussed before, we are all good at finding what we want to find, because we live in a world that thrives on confirmation bias. What's Yahsome, about a day-to-day relationship with Yahweh through our Messiah Yeshua is the fresh insights we receive coming to ourselves (lech lecha) and the beautiful destiny that we're being called to. However, none of them are of any value if they stay within my cerebral cortex only.
Did you notice the, seemingly, out of place reference to Acts 1:1?
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, (Acts 1:1)
Life is filled with disappointments from the past. Some towards us and others we've caused. The future, however, can be as fresh and new as the sunrise and His mercies, which are new every morning (Lam. 3:22,23; Psa. 30:5; Psa. 113:1-9;).
They (His mercies) are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (Lam. 3:23)
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may
endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Psa. 30:5)
Psalm 1113:1-9, I'll let you look up yourself :-)
Are you still wondering why Acts 1:1? Enquiring minds want to know :-)
Life isn't about analyzing every detail and labeling it positive or negative. It's about action. Doing, then teaching what you do. On this day of Thanksgiving, I am with precious people in Shipshewana, Indiana, counting my blessings...naming them one by one. Thankful for the trials, the pains, the hiccups of life...And ultimately looking for the best and making the best in every situation.
Giving thanks in all things, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1 Thess. 5:17).
I don't know about tomorrow, but I do know that every event in life has brought us to today. Will I do and then teach or will I be one who teaches what I don't do?
Live the will of God...give thanks in all things! Just do it and then teach it (Ex. 24:7).
And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. (Ex. 24:7)
Shalom,
Alan
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, (Acts 1:1)
Life can be complicated! Maybe I should say, life is complicated. Family can be even more complicated! In our previous studies we have noticed that the entire book of Genesis, the foundation of our faith, is about broken, dysfunctional families and the attempt to restore them over time. Most failed. Some kept it at bay. Other's made progress, all the way to Joseph. Challenged families...I don't think anyone is exempt from this reality.
All of life is predicated in the first few years of our development and what philosophies have been imparted into our lives through the formative years; even without our choosing. The 'torah/instructions' that we were reared in, whether Scriptural or not, have formulated a lot of our current responses to challenges, stress, belief and partly to our destinies.
With every passing week in our Torah studies, through Genesis, we discover the up and down story line appears more convoluted than the membranes of cellular mitochondria and as diversely complicated as a single DNA strand.
Since the time of Adam and his wife, things have gotten more complicated. Take for instance the mother and father of our faith, Abraham and Sarah. How many times did Abraham put his wife in awkward positions? More times than we want to count! Amazingly, she followed with amazing faith.
She followed him out of the Ur of Chaldees. She went along with Abraham’s self-protective scheme when he shipped her off to Pharaoh’s harem. She followed across unknown lands...
In this week's Torah portion, Vayietze, we see the results of family life when favoritism is shown (Gen. 25:28). Was it really or did each parent spend extra time pouring into the child the deficient qualities that they desperately needed in their lives? Without contemplating the end of the story when the two boys are reunited, we would think that love was wasted. But the end of the story tells us completely different....no more animosity.
And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept. (Gen. 33:4)
No more coveting what the other had.
And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself. (Gen. 33:9)
Where did these actions originate? Why did Isaac and Rebekah love like that? Did they learn it from Abraham and Sarah, with Isaac and Ishmael? Sometimes hurtful events in the past influence our responses in the future. Were they hurtful events? It seems to me that from the time that Sarah was betrayed in Egypt, that that event impacted her mindset the rest of her days towards those around her.
She didn't mince words that she hated Hagar, a hatred she initiated (Gen. 16:1-10). Through that hatred she demanded that Abraham “Get rid of that handmaid.” Why would Abraham do that? How much does guilt act as a motivator? Was she feeling guilty? Was she jealous? We can only speculate, but we can surely identify, can't we? What is the resulting trauma to Ishmael? How does he respond? Why does Isaac seek out Ishmael after the Akeidah? Where did he learn this restoration mindset? Why does Esau marry Ishmael’s daughter? What happens to the marriage of Abraham and Sarah? Why do they end up in two separate locations? Are there positive life lessons in these stories? Why is the only expression of Abraham’s love for Sarah found in the text about her death (Gen. 23:2)? How am I supposed to love as Abraham did (Jn. 8:39)? Sarah compares herself with Hagar. Does Abraham compare her? Which one is obedient? Which one is gentle?
Do we see any of these learned behaviors in the life of Jacob, Leah and Rachel? Does Jacob learn favoritism from Isaac and Rebekah? Was it really favoritism? Are his two wives any different than Abraham’s?
Life is full of questions isn't it? Sometimes we get so obsessed with the past and analyzing other people's actions, that those questions and/or those realities cling to us like a 'ball and chain' around our ankles.
In the lives of the Patriarchs, there are more lessons then you can shake a stick at! As we've discussed before, we are all good at finding what we want to find, because we live in a world that thrives on confirmation bias. What's Yahsome, about a day-to-day relationship with Yahweh through our Messiah Yeshua is the fresh insights we receive coming to ourselves (lech lecha) and the beautiful destiny that we're being called to. However, none of them are of any value if they stay within my cerebral cortex only.
Did you notice the, seemingly, out of place reference to Acts 1:1?
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, (Acts 1:1)
Life is filled with disappointments from the past. Some towards us and others we've caused. The future, however, can be as fresh and new as the sunrise and His mercies, which are new every morning (Lam. 3:22,23; Psa. 30:5; Psa. 113:1-9;).
They (His mercies) are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (Lam. 3:23)
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may
endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (Psa. 30:5)
Psalm 1113:1-9, I'll let you look up yourself :-)
Are you still wondering why Acts 1:1? Enquiring minds want to know :-)
Life isn't about analyzing every detail and labeling it positive or negative. It's about action. Doing, then teaching what you do. On this day of Thanksgiving, I am with precious people in Shipshewana, Indiana, counting my blessings...naming them one by one. Thankful for the trials, the pains, the hiccups of life...And ultimately looking for the best and making the best in every situation.
Giving thanks in all things, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you (1 Thess. 5:17).
I don't know about tomorrow, but I do know that every event in life has brought us to today. Will I do and then teach or will I be one who teaches what I don't do?
Live the will of God...give thanks in all things! Just do it and then teach it (Ex. 24:7).
And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient. (Ex. 24:7)
Shalom,
Alan
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