Ben Connelly - Sunday, 18 September 2022
What it means to be God's People
Scripture References: Genesis 35:1-29, Ephesians 2:1-14, 1 Peter 2:9-10
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CloseHave you ever wondered, what do God’s people look like? Here, at the close of Jacob’s story we learn some fascinating things about what types of people God calls to be in His family and what their life looks like. After all the nastiness of chapter 34 God still calls Jacob and his family back to Bethel. God is faithful to His people and brings them back to the land and blesses them. Jacob’s life shows the faithfulness of God to an undeserving people. Ruben’s failure points us to the truth that true power in God’s people is found in service. The death of Rachel and Deborah show us that God saves His people through suffering, not from it. All of this points us to the God who sends His only Son to die, so we, a group of undeserving rebels, can be counted among His people and made fit for His service.
Scripture References: Genesis 35:1-29, Ephesians 2:1-14, 1 Peter 2:9-10
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The book of Esther recounts a period where God's people are in exile, aliens in a foreign land. Sounds like our time doesn't it? Even when God seems absent, He is at work. The great reversal of power at the heart of the universe has already taken place. Jesus won victory over death on the cross and in His resurrection. Satan the great enemy of God and His people, has been defeated. We wait in the now but not yet. Waiting for the Lord Jesus to return and give His people relief and rest. But as we wait, we share the good news of the gospel, call people to faith in Jesus, faithfully endure persecution, knowing that our deliverance is assured.
We love a turning point. Whether it is a story or a football game. Hope dawning at the darkest time. Where is the great turning point in Esther? It could be our memory verse, when Esther is persuaded by Mordecai to act to save her people. It could be when the king looks with favour upon Esther and holds out the golden scepter to her. It could be when Haman is forced to lead Mordecai through the city mounted on the king’s horse and proclaims that he is the man the king delights to honour. They are major events in the story of Esther. They are turning points of a sort. But the writer of Esther points us to another event. That looks so trivial.
Esther is such an exciting story! There are evil plots. There are interesting yet flawed characters. There is risk and sacrifice. There is heroism and villainy. Today, we are introduced to the villain of the plot, and what an evil scheming villain he is! He spins lies and concocts murderous plans to do away with the Jews, God’s covenant people. How will the people respond? Will he get away with his evil plan? Will God, who is not mentioned at all, intervene to protect His people, to live up to the promises He made to Abraham, the people at Mt Sinai, and to David?
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