Louise Gevers
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7, ESV
Isn’t there something about light that is appealing, both literally and figuratively? As beautiful as a sunrise, it brings joy to the heart and lights up dark spaces with truth and warmth; no-one can see what’s happening in the dark before the light, but when the light breaks through, it chases darkness away revealing life and hope.
There is absolutely nothing dark about God; He “lives in unapproachable light” (1Timothy 6:16, NIV) in such brightness that even darkness is light to Him (Psalm139:12) and so brilliant that no person could look at it. But the brilliance of His being is also radiated because of the purity of His character. He is the epitome of holiness, righteousness, faithfulness, and grace; He is love.
When Moses asks to see His glory, God answers,”I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you ... but … you cannot see my face … and live.” (Exodus 33:19-20, NIV) God, Himself, compares His glory with His goodness.
When Moses met with God on Mt Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, he stayed there “forty days and forty nights” (Exodus 34:28, NIV) and on his return to the people “he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.” (Exodus 34:29, NIV) Interestingly, instead of being drawn to him, everyone feared Moses because of it.
When we spend time with God, our faith and understanding flourish as God enlightens us through Moses, and the prophets, that this is the same Truth and Salvation that Jesus “the true light, which gives light to everyone,” (John 1:9) embodies, in perfect connection. Jesus confirms He has not, “come to abolish the Law or the Prophets … but to fulfil them.” (Matthew 5:17) Moses gave the Law, but Jesus shows how to live it.
Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments in, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31, NIV) Jesus died to show His love for us, to connect us to what love truly means, and open the way to eternal life.
When we love God, we walk with Him in His light as we revere and serve Him with every fibre of our being; when we love our neighbour, we honour them by treating them as we would like to be treated. There is no space to disgrace, or disrespect, our parents; to kill anyone; to cheat on our spouse; steal from anyone, anywhere; to lie or cheat; or even want what belongs to our neighbour. (Exodus 20:3-17)
Upholding this law of love brings harmony between God and us, and us and our neighbour; we receive peace that the world cannot give.
God is the same today as He was then; His commandments never change. The law He gave Moses to provide a system of moral and ethical living in the desert, instructed them on how to relate to Him and to one another then; how much more does our dark world need His commandments, for the good of all, today?
Prayer: Precious Light of the world, shine Your love and righteousness into my heart, I pray. Amen
Louise Gevers
maar as ons in die lig leef, soos wat Hy in die lig is, is ons aan mekaar verbonde, en reinig die bloed van Jesus, sy Seun, ons van elke sonde.1 Johannes 1:7, 2020-vertaling
Daar is iets so bekoorlik aan lig, beide letterlik en figuurlik. Soos 'n pragtige sonsopkoms bring lig blydskap in ons harte wanneer dit met waarheid en warmte ons donker siele verlig. Sonder lig weet niemand wat in die donker gebeur nie, maar wanneer die lig deurbreek, verdring dit die duisternis en bring dit lewe en hoop.
Daar is absoluut geen donkerte in God nie. Vir Hom, wat " ontoeganklike lig bewoon" (1 Timoteus 6:16) "is die duisternis soos die lig" (Psalm 139:12) en dit skyn so helder dat niemand daarna kan kyk nie. Sy wese straal helderheid uit want sy karakter is rein. Hy is die absolute toonbeeld van heiligheid, geregtigheid, getrouheid en genade. Hy is liefde.
Toe Moses God vra om sy heerlikheid aan hom te wys, het God geantwoord: "Ek sal al my goedheid reg voor jou laat verbygaan ... Jy kan nie my gesig sien nie, want 'n mens kan My nie sien en bly leef nie." (Eksodus 33:19-20) God self, vergelyk sy heerlikheid met sy goedheid.
Toe Moses op die berg Sinai was om die Tien Gebooie van God te ontvang, "was [hy] daar by die Here veertig dae en veertig nagte lank" (Eksodus 34:28), maar met sy terugkeer na die volk, het hy "nie geweet dat die vel van sy gesig stralend was omdat hy met God gepraat het nie." (Eksodus 34:29) Interessant genoeg, in plaas van om tot Moses met sy stralende gesig aangetrokke te wees, was die mense te bang om naby hom te kom.
Wanneer ons tyd met God spandeer en Hy ons deur Moses en die profete verlig, groei ons geloof en begrip en ontdek ons dat dieselfde waarheid en verlossing deur Jesus, "die ware lig wat elke mens verlig" (Johannes 1:9), volkome beliggaam is. Jesus bevestig dat Hy nie "gekom het om die Wet of die Profete af te skaf nie ... maar om te vervul." (Matteus 5:17) Moses het die Wet gegee, maar Jesus het gekom om ons te wys hoe om dit te leef.
Jesus som die Tien Gebooie soos volg op: "Jy moet die Here jou God liefhê met jou hele hart en met jou hele siel en met jou hele verstand en met al jou krag’. Die tweede is dit, ‘Jy moet jou naaste liefhê soos jouself." (Markus 12:30-31) Jesus het gesterf om sy liefde aan ons te bewys, om ons te verbind aan wat liefde werklik beteken en om die pad na die ewige lewe oop te maak.
Wanneer ons God liefhet, stap ons saam met Hom in sy lig en eer en dien Hom met alles in ons; wanneer ons ons naaste liefhet, eer ons hulle deur hulle te behandel soos ons behandel wil word. Daar is geen ruimte om skande oor ons ouers te bring of oneerbiedig teenoor hulle op te tree nie; om enigiemand te vermoor nie; ons lewensmaats te bedrieg nie; van enigiemand te steel nie, te lieg of bedrieg, of selfs dit wat aan ons naaste behoort te begeer nie. (Eksodus 20:3-17)
Wanneer ons hierdie gebod van liefde onderhou, lei dit tot harmonie tussen God en ons, en tussen ons en ons naaste. Ons ontvang vrede wat die wêreld nie kan bied nie.
God is dieselfde vandag as wat Hy toe was, sy gebooie verander nooit nie. Die Wet wat Hy aan Moses gegee het, was om 'n stelsel van moraliteit en etiese leefwyse vir die volk in die woestyn daar te stel en hulle te leer hoe om met Hom, en met mekaar, 'n verhouding te hê. Hoeveel te meer benodig ons donker wêreld nie vandag sy gebooie ten goede van almal nie?
Gebed: Wonderlike Lig van die wêreld, laat u liefde en geregtigheid in my hart skyn. Ek bid dit in u Naam. Amen
Louise Gevers
“Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him.” Genesis 37:3, NIV
Even patriarchs make mistakes. Have you ever reflected on families in Biblical times, and wondered about their daily life? What was it like to mostly walk everywhere, or ride a donkey if going on a journey; and who would run errands, or bring back pizzas?
Families tended to stay together in mutual support. The psalmist writes: “Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.” (Psalm 127:4-5a)
Jacob was certainly blessed with a full quiver, but life was messy. Sometimes, we think families held together better then, but in fact it was complicated having different children from different wives, plus the wives, themselves, all living together. Undoubtedly, the potential for drama always lurked.
In any family, daily, there’s the risk of sibling rivalry and squabbles flaring up in minutes, and frustration with parents who "don’t understand." This was no different for Jacob and his twelve sons; but in Jacob’s case, another problem emerged – favouritism – evoking jealousy, and animosity, which caused grief, and guilt, in them all. Our verse has already alerted us to Jacob unwisely making Joseph the apple of his eye.
Joseph had already become unpopular with his brothers when “he brought their father a bad report about them” (Genesis 37:2) but when Jacob presented Joseph with an elaborate, colourful coat, it enraged his other sons. The result was that when “his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.” (Genesis 37:4)
By putting Joseph in charge to check on them, Jacob compounded this hurt; and Joseph, immature and proud, incensed them by telling them all about dreams he’d had in which the whole family bowed down to him. This made even “his father rebuked him and said, '... Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?’” (Genesis 37:10)
As we know, they actually did, in Egypt, years later, where Joseph was second-in-command to Pharaoh, and after much turmoil, anger and fear. Plotting to kill Joseph, then selling him as a slave, and lying to their father about it, took its toll. Grief for Joseph hung over the family, and guilt consumed the brothers. Jacob paid dearly for idolising Joseph, and the brothers for treating Joseph ruthlessly. Joseph suffered too; firstly, sold as a slave, and then, unjustly, for long years in a foreign prison; but God had His hand on him throughout.
God redeemed the situation.
Joseph rose from prison to power, and was able to save Egypt, and his family, from starvation. And, able to see God’s bigger picture, that “it was to save lives that God sent [him] ahead of [them] … to save [their] lives by a great deliverance”, (Genesis 45:5,7) Joseph forgave his brothers and provided for them, and his father. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20)
Prayer: Dearest Father, family life is seldom easy because we are sinful human beings, but You are love. Thank you for Your grace that enables us to love one another through all circumstances and forgive the wrongs against us. Amen
Louise Gevers
Van al sy seuns was Israel die liefste vir Josef, die seun wat in sy ouderdom gebore is, en daarom het hy vir Josef lang klere met moue gemaak. Genesis 37:3, 1983-vertaling
Selfs aartsvaders maak foute. Het jy al ooit nagedink oor families en hulle daaglikse lewe in bybelse tye? Hoe was dit om hoofsaaklik oral heen te moes stap, of wanneer jy op reis gaan, op 'n donkie te ry? Wie moes boodskappe gaan aflewer of pizzas huis toe bring?
Families het gewoonlik saam gebly en mekaar ondersteun. Die psalmdigter skryf: "Soos pyle in die hand van 'n krygsman, so is seuns wat gebore is toe hulle vader nog jonk was. Dit gaan goed met die man wat sy pylkoker so gevul het! (Psalm 127:4-5a)
Jakob was definitief geseën met 'n vol pylkoker, maar die lewe was deurmekaar. Soms dink ons dit was vir families in daardie tye makliker om bymekaar te bly, maar inderwaarheid was dit baie gekompliseerd om kinders van verskillende vroue plus nog die vroue almal onder een dak te hê. Ongetwyfeld was daar altyd 'n kans vir familiedrama.
In enige gesin is daar daagliks 'n kans vir wedywering tussen broers en susters en 'n stryery kan binne minute uitbreek. Dan is daar nog die frustrasie met ouers wat "nie verstaan nie". Dit was nie anders vir Jakob en sy twaalf seuns nie. In Jakob se geval, het 'n ander probleem egter kop uitgesteek – voortrekkery – wat jaloesie en afguns laat ontstaan het. Dit het hartseer en skuldgevoelens vir hulle almal tot gevolg gehad. Ons teksvers het ons reeds bewus gemaak van hoe onverstandig Jakob was om Josef die appel van sy oog te maak.
Josef was reeds ongewild onder sy broers toe hy "slegte stories oor [hulle] by hulle pa aangedra [het]" (Genesis 37:2), maar toe Jakob boonop vir Josef 'n lang, kleurvolle kleed gegee het, was sy ander seuns woedend. Die gevolg was dat "toe sy broers sien dat hulle pa vir Josef liewer het as vir enige van hulle, het hulle 'n afkeer van Josef gekry en het hulle niks goeds oor hom gesê nie." (Genesis 37:4)
Deur Josef te stuur om te gaan kyk wat die broers doen, het Jakob hierdie gesindheid vererger en 'n onvolwasse, trotse Josef het hulle weersin in hom groter gemaak deur hulle te vertel van drome wat hy gehad het waar sy hele familie voor hom neerbuig. Selfs "sy pa [het] hom hom berispe en vir hom gesê: “Wat vir 'n soort droom is dit wat jy gehad het? Verbeel jy jou ek en jou ma en jou broers moet voor jou kom buig?” (Genesis 37:10)
Soos ons weet, is dit na baie onrus, woede en vrees, presies wat hulle jare later in Egipte gedoen het waar Josef die farao se tweede in bevel was. Hulle sameswering om hom dood te maak, die uiteindelike verkoop van Josef as 'n slaaf en die leuen wat hulle vir hulle pa daaroor vertel het, het begin om sy tol te eis. Die gesin was hartseer oor Josef en skuldgevoelens het die broers verteer. Jakob het baie duur betaal vir sy voortrekkery van Josef, en sy seuns vir die manier hoe hulle Josef behandel het. Josef het ook swaargekry, eers as slaaf en toe onregverdig vir baie jare in 'n vreemde tronk – maar God se hand het deur dit alles op hom gerus.
God het die situasie herstel.
Josef het uit die tronk na mag beweeg, en hy was in staat om Egipte en sy familie van hongersnood te red. Josef kon God se groter plan sien, en hy het besef dat "God [hom] voor [hulle] uit gestuur [het] om lewens te red...." (Genesis 45:5-7) Josef het sy broers vergewe en vir hulle en sy pa voorsien. "Julle wou my kwaad aandoen, maar God wou daarmee goed doen: Hy het gesorg dat 'n groot volk nou in die lewe gebly het." (Genesis 50:20)
Gebed: Liewe Vader, gesinslewe is selde maklik want ons is sondige mense, maar U is liefde. Dankie vir u genade wat ons in staat stel om mekaar in alle omstandighede lief te hê en te vergewe. Amen