The Whole Man
Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city. Genesis 33:18 NASB
Safely – Jonathan Sacks translates this passage as, “And Jacob emerged complete.” He points out that Jacob no longer wanted or needed the blessing that Isaac intended for Esau. Things have changed. Jacob has encountered his true identity, wrestled with his past and emerged as God chosen one. Sacks comments, “The face that is truly ours is the one we see reflected back at us by God.”[1] Sacks translation is a powerful correction to our usual reading of the text. The Hebrew uses two words, yabo and shalem. The first is a verb meaning, “to enter, to come, to bring, to gather in, to be brought.” You will notice that Sacks prefers one of the umbrella translations that captures more than movement from one place to another. This story is not about geography. Consequently, shalem is also much more than arriving without injury. It is about embracing self-identity! Jacob has come home. As Sacks puts it, “Peace comes when we see our reflection in the face of God and let go of the desire to be someone else.”[2]
Who are you? If you’re like me, that’s not an easy question to answer. Often how much of who we are is really tied up in trying to be someone we are not. Trying to please that image held in front of us by a mirror in someone else’s hand. Trying to live up to a family tradition, a social expectation, a mythology of our own making. All the time failing. Not because we couldn’t pretend or accomplish those goals but because reaching them never brought us to completion. We always knew there was something missing. Something inside that said, “You know, this isn’t really who you are, is it?” And yet we didn’t know any other way. We went on trying to find fulfillment in the validation of the other image. We lived for another person’s declaration, “good and faithful servant.” But, of course, until the statement comes from YHVH or His Messiah, it is always tinged with the conditional flavoring of a human assessment.
Who did you want to be? Another difficult question. Most of the time we don’t even bother to ask it. It’s just too uncomfortable knowing that we didn’t measure up. I will never play like Eric, shoot like Peter (Lik), sing like Aretha, paint like Leonardo, think like Albert, write like Abraham, understand like Sha’ul. Was I supposed to? Was I destined for some greatness already appropriated by another? Or am I just ordinary, a plodder along the way, seeking to emerge complete.
Far too often the man I thought I should be gets in the way of the man God wanted me to be. I eat a lot of dirt along that riverbank, wrestling with letting go of the man I thought I was supposed to be. Maybe you do too.
I just want to come home.
Topical Index: safely, shalem, yabo, to come, to enter, to emerge, Sacks, Genesis 33:18
[1] Jonathan Sacks, Not In God’s Name, p. 138.
[2] Ibid., p. 139.
“Things have changed. Jacob has encountered his true identity, wrestled with his past and emerged as God’s chosen one.” Yes, life- changing encounter.
But often the Scriptures reverts to his old self by still refering him as Yaccov, and not his new identity name of Israel, the one who has prevailed against YHWH.
That reveals, even after going through a name/character changing crisis, we could still be caught in times of our instability, indecision.
So, be encouraged, that every step we take on this journey has a new experience for us to go through, a new prevailing, UNTIL we come to be the complete man. HalleluYAH!
“Desire to be someone else” “We lived for another person’s declaration, ‘good and faithful servant” “Was I destined for some greatness already appropriated by another?”
The Scriptures say that covetousness is the root of complete evil. Covetousness is not just wanting THINGS. Covetousness; essential competition; I think, is much broader than that. What is the ‘thing’ we lack the most? Is it not identity? Isn’t the world set up around this fact? Aren’t we suckers for advertisements that promise identity that comes from another earthly place? The bone in another’s mouth? Aren’t we taught to pattern ourselves after fashion, competitive sports, societal expectations, in the hopes that someone will reflect back to us who we really are? I think covetousness assumes a basic IDENTITY crisis. It belies a much more comprehensive need than just things. We are is search of ourselves. That deep sense of need is driven by a hole where our true identity should be. I think we are vulnerable to all promises of identity until it is filled.
Covetousness drives envy and jealousy and all forms of competition. I read nothing in the Bible that tells me I should be ‘better’ than anyone else. I do read that I am unique; made in the image of God, Who is incomparable to anyone else. The world may read this as being ‘better’ than anyone else, but perhaps we should read it as being UNLIKE anyone else. Competition assumes we are all apples in a crate. An identity from heaven assumes that we are all differing fruits, offering something no one else has, or can ever give us. The only ‘thing’ that another person on this planet has for me is a mirror, held up for me to see my true reflection, but that reflection should be of something I shopped in heaven for.
Who Am I?
I am NOT the man I used to be.. but neither am I the man I am (by the grace of God) going to be.. I am in the ever continuing process of growth and change..
I am being conformed into the image or likeness of the Son. Why is this so? Because God, my Father desires it to be so. I am constantly changing. Yes, [both] “hope” and “change!” Lol.
Hope? Confident expectation. Friend, “it is God who is [ever] at work in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Yes, “this is the LORD’s doings and it is marvelous in our eyes. #whoodathunkit.
Twenty years ago I could never envision what I have and who I am today. By the grace of our always good God, – I am what I am! Yes, a sinner – saved by grace. Am I “just a man?” No. I am a “just man.” One, who has been justified by the precious, redeeming blood of our LORD and Savior, Jesus (who is the) Christ. “Justified.” Yes, “Just as if I’d” never sinned. In the sight of God, wholly “holy.” Covered by the atoning blood of the Lamb, I may now approach the Throne of grace with boldness!! And when I pray? I may now say – “Father!”
Beloved, – [are you listening?] “NOW” are we the children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ [the Messiah] appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is… The best is yet [and soon] to come!!!
Me too. I’m on the same journey waiting to get to the place that Jacob’s at. Maybe its just a little bit longer, I hope.
On another note, Skip, thank God you are doing what you are doing. There needs to be someone strong, with the right credentials to “stand in the gap” scripturally. One who challenges old paradigms of thinking with truth from the actual word rather than traditional doctrine. So, keep going, and keep being real. It helps. It’s far better than listening to some person sitting in an “ivory tower” who only trusts in his title and intellect.
We need more people on the journey of what it really means to “go to the land that I will show you.” Too many think that still includes a five-year plan!
Oooooooh! I get it finally! That does not make it easier it just makes me realize what the battle inside me is all about. Now I understand the struggle that Jacob had on the river bank. But how does the understanding make all of the “should’ve, could’ve,would’ves behind me and the huge lifeclock in front of me, stop taunting me continually? I wouldn’t know how to begin to know how to see the one God wants me to be and just realized how sad tgat really is. If I let go of who I want to be Im afraid I will simply disappear and be nothing.
You all submit your words of wisdom and I pour out patheticness to strangers. So if you have some words for me I am open to hear them.
Cheryl
I just read the responses to my post a few days ago. Many said just what today’s WOD said, so thank you for your wise and kind words. Change how one thinks and letting into ones greatest fears is not an easy task but it seems this is the work set before for today and many days to come.
Cheryl, I was taught that we are transformed bit by bit. Not to worry about losing the sense of who you ‘are’. Someone who has built an entire identity around, say, an occultic personality, needs to trade it in piece by piece for who God says they are. This is why one repentance for ‘everything’ does not cut it. We get delivered bit by bit, and the enemy gets driven out before us a little at a time, so that the wild animals do not overcome us and the wilderness take over the cultivated lands before we can establish our own dominion.
You can safely ‘let go’ of who you are, because the One Who is Faithful will not let you disappear. In my experience, I could always recognize myself, even in times of rapid changes. He goes slow enough for you at any point to be able to see what has happened, why it happened, and He also gives you time to agree that you like what happened, as well as gives you a space for you to freely ask for more. Change (sanctification) does not happen in our sleep. It happens before our very eyes, but it is not a magic show. You can see every move He makes, for He has promised that He does “nothing in secret”. Halleluah!
Thank you Laurita for that reassurance. My poor family… This could be a very trying time! I knew there was a veil over my eyes. I knew there was something I was meant to see ie.”get” that nagged at my inner being. In desperation I asked “WHAT?!?” And here it is. Of course not anything close to what I wanted it to be. Thanks for a bit of peace of mind in this time of struggle!
Amen on that Laurita. I always say, if God did it all at once we’d be on the 4th floor (Psych ward) on a slow drip! Thank God He does it bit by bit!
Cheryl YES;
Change takes time and does hurt…
Miracles are…
May the testimony of the power of Yeshua’ actions and His promise answer your prayers Cheryl. Have faith and it will be as you asked when YHVH confirms the time is right so that all involved can benefit from the blessing…
A woman touched the hem of his garment: Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
The centurion said, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.
REMEMBER:
Ask and you will receive,
Knock and the door will be open.
Go to your upper room and pray: Our Father which art…
Then bring praise and supplications: Psalm 23
Not a Christian thing, the teachings of Yeshua. Trust and believe them as they are the truth of our relationship with YHVH.
Thank you!