Genesis and Matthew 37: Topsy-Turvy

May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed.

And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.

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We have, in Jacob, perhaps one of the most devious people in all of Scripture. And yet . . . he becomes the person after whom the nation of Israel is named. 

In the Scriptural narrative, there's something about bad people actually being the ones that fulfill God's plan. You might have hard workers like Esau, and Cain . . . and all of Joseph's brothers; or all of David's brothers - - - these were men that were society's best. They worked. They saved. They invested. 

I would bet that these others were considered leaders and role models within their communities. 

Not so with Abel, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. These were idle, dreamy, and even soft products of a hardened culture. Somehow they managed to make it through life, to find themselves to be the last ones standing; the prosperous ones; the powerful ones. 

We're not going to get what we expect, if we think we are open to God's unfolding plan. We have to remember that Abel, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph were not nature-lovers. They were more prone to indulge in the arts. They read more. They thought more. They stayed away from rugged and boisterous activities. They avoided dangerous situations. They were likable. But they were rarely called upon to help with any physical heavy-lifting. 

And quite often, they are conniving gas-lighters. 

And yet here we are. The world today is topsy-turvy. What's good is bad. What's bad is good. Everything is fluid. Nothing is certain. Nothing is absolute. We are told not to trust our own eyes, and ears, and good sense; but to just let any old idea sift through our porous minds. 

Likewise, the person that presumes to be on good terms with the Lord, doing all the right things, keeping the right schedule and routines . . . these people may be okay for a while, but then later find themselves in a worst state than when they started.

This, too, is trust, and faith. We will not get what we expect. But what we do get, we must learn to accept, especially if adherence to eternal truths requires such acceptance.