02242024 Unlikely Redemption

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God who sometimes delights in doing the unexpected.

Does God redeem disasters? I found some answers in a seemingly unlikely spot. Matthew 1:1-17 contains the genealogy of Jesus, starting from Abraham and extending through Joseph. The list of names traces through some of the Bible’s great heroes: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and Josiah. We would expect the Messianic line to be filled with the names of such prominent characters. While these men did experience times of failure, it seems only fitting that the heritage of the Messiah would descend through heroes such as these.

Mixed in with these great names are a large quantity of unknowns, ordinary people about which we know little or nothing, especially toward the end of the list. This is only natural for a history that extends some two thousand years. God also carried His plan forward in spite of some real scoundrels: Rehoboam, Abijah, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Manasseh, and Ahaz. These evil men, though not worthy to be in the lineage, could not stop God from advancing His plan through history.

We also find five items of particular note, instances of unexpected grace and redemption. First, Tamar and Perez are mentioned in v. 3. Tamar was the daughter-in-law of Judah, married first to his eldest son Er and then to his second son Onan. God killed both brothers for their wickedness. Instead of having Tamar marry his third son, Judah left her as a widow out of fear. In a horrendous turn of events, Tamar played a harlot and seduced her father-in-law. “Ordinary” fornication would have been bad enough, but this depraved act of incest resulted in the birth of Perez. God redeemed the sordid story, and Perez, the son of incest, was part of the line of Christ.

Second, Rahab is mentioned in v. 5. While also a harlot, she was not one who did it as a one-time strategy, but as her lifestyle. While the exact timing of Rahab’s belief may be uncertain, she had heard of God’s powerful work in Egypt, and she recognized Jehovah as the powerful God of heaven and earth. At some point, she changed her lifestyle and beliefs, marrying a Hebrew man, and so this foreign woman of dubious background became part of the line of Christ.

Third, Ruth is also mentioned in v. 5. She was also a foreigner and a heathen. Although the Bible does not explicitly say so, it would seem she was influenced by the somewhat unlikely family of Elimelech. Ruth embraced Jehovah and followed Him whole-heartedly, emigrating to Canaan, and this foreign widow was redeemed under God’s plan and fell into the line of Christ.

Fourth, Bathsheba is mentioned in v. 7. She is involved, probably not by choice, in one of the most appalling stories of the Bible. David, a man after God’s heart, in a moment of weakness, snatched this woman from her home while her husband was at war, committed adultery with her, and then had her husband killed. Bathsheba must have suffered unimaginable trauma through these horrific events which happened in rapid succession. God redeemed her story and gave her a son Solomon who was in the line of Christ.

Fifth, v. 12 begins with the words “And after they were brought to Babylon.” This statement regarding the deportation is followed by a history of fourteen generations who lived in exile, (but returning at some point). The most shocking thing to me about this is that it even happened. After the prolonged rebellion and disobedience that ultimately led to the deportation, who would have expected Israel’s story to continue? But it did! The deportation did not end the story. Hundreds of thousands of Israelites rejected and offended God – generation after generation, prophet after prophet, warning after warning. God had every reason to write the nation off for good. But He didn’t. God faithfully continued His plan and traced the line of Christ through each generation of wickedness, through each generation of exile, until He again found a godly man to step into the important role of earthly father to the Messiah.

Can God redeem? Absolutely! Whom does He redeem? He redeems those godly men and women who desire to follow Him but have failures along the way. He redeems the common people who silently live out their lives, largely unknown to and unnoticed by others. Sometimes He even redeems very wicked men, like Manasseh. God can redeem those who scheme to accomplish their plans, those who turn from a sordid lifestyle to belief in Him, those who embrace Him out of false religion, those who are abused and shamefully forced into incidents of pain and dishonor, and those who have reaped the consequences of rebellion against Him.

In fact, God will redeem anyone who comes to Him. “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me: and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). May God work stories of redemption around you this week, even as He continues working gradually in the lives of others whom He also plans to redeem.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

02172024 Trial of Faith - Peter

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our gracious, patient, and forgiving God. I think this will be the last of my mini-series on trials of faith.

The Israelites struggled in their faith as they wandered in the wilderness. In spite of the astounding events of the exodus, most of them struggled when their faith was tested (I Corinthians 10:1-11). This sounds too familiar. Haven’t we all had times of God’s dramatic intervention in our lives? I’ve even said, “After that experience, I will never have reason to doubt again.” If we think we are immune to struggles of faith, the passage detailing Israel’s failures goes on to caution us: “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (v. 12).

Are there certain groups of people who are immune to struggling or falling? What about someone saved out of the most condemning background, rescued so dramatically that any doubt or struggle seems impossible? See Paul in Romans 7. What about someone who habitually lives a righteous life, does all the right things and has an outstanding testimony? That was Job. What about someone with the advantage of growing up in a believing home, firmly grounded in the truth, and influenced by godly mentors? John Mark. What about someone who was searching all his life until he finally found the truth and then embraced it whole-heartedly? Peter. Regardless of our background and experience, it might shock us how quickly we can fall apart in our minds and spirits given the right situation or time of weakness.

Joseph seemed to come through his trial of faith with flying colors, but Abraham and all those mentioned above struggled to greater or lesser degrees. What if we really do fail? Maybe a lot, maybe a little. How do we recover? Peter can be a good example.

Peter’s trial of faith was not lengthy, but it was intense, as he went through that awful night when Jesus was betrayed and tried. It’s hard to imagine a greater fall. Peter had been an outspoken leader among the disciples, yet in a short time, he denied Jesus and soon turned back to fishing. For Peter, fishing was not a Saturday morning diversion; it was his previous occupation, a commercial endeavor involving a ship and a crew.

What made this trial so hard for Peter? I think it was the intensity of the letdown. Imagine Peter’s initial excitement when his brother came and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” (John 1:41). From that moment, Peter was all in, following the Truth he had sought. For Peter, there was nowhere else to go (John 6:68). Jesus was everything to him, and seeing Jesus’ ministry fall apart seemed unthinkable. At the first mention of His impending death, Peter rebuked Jesus, abhorred at the possibility (Matthew 16:22). Peter was the one who vowed to stand alone if necessary in defense of Jesus (Matthew 26:33), to the death if it came to that (Matthew 26:35). If everyone else turned away, Peter vowed to remain faithful (Mark 14:29). When the crisis arose, Peter was the only one bold enough to draw a sword and fight back (John 18:10).

But it all fell apart in spite of Peter’s determination and effort. Jesus was captured, tried, humiliated, and condemned. Peter was devastated by the disappointment, the letdown, and the fear. Following Jesus had been Peter’s life. His dedication and willingness to sacrifice were unmatched. For three years, he had poured everything into an effort that now disintegrated before his eyes in a few short hours. Peter denied Jesus three times, even with cursing, and after the crucifixion, Peter returned to fishing, crushed in his spirit.

How was Peter restored and brought back? It was God’s work, but there are some interesting indicators in Peter’s story.

Peter had immediate sorrow over his failure. When Peter remembered Jesus’ prediction and recognized his unthinkable collapse, he was easily brought to bitter tears (Matthew 26:75).

Peter responded with enthusiasm when he saw Jesus again. He was the first to respond and couldn’t even wait for the boat to get to shore (John 21:7).

Peter started back in obedience in small things. He went to a place where Jesus had told him to go (Matthew 28:16). He pulled in the catch of fish when Jesus told him to (John 21:11). Bigger steps would come, but he started with the simple.

Peter pondered that things might be different than how he had interpreted them, and he allowed for hope (Luke 24:12).

God gave special attention to restoring Peter. He was singled out specially for a message from the angel (Mark 16:7). He received a personal appearance of the risen Christ (Luke 24:34, I Corinthians 15:5).

Peter was willing to be probed by Jesus – three times. This was not comfortable, but he allowed Jesus to speak candidly to his heart (John 21:15-17).

Peter was willing to absorb truth about additional hardship to come. Knowing things would be hard again, he began embracing the idea that he would continue following Jesus anyway (John 21:18-19).

Peter learned caution from his failure. The realizations of his own weakness were sharpened. As he later wrote to the churches, he shared truth about the harshness of Satan’s attacks. In I Peter especially, he urges the readers not to throw away their faith like he almost did. His epistles are filled with concerned cautions, indicating a willingness to learn from his mistakes and to minister to others through them (I Peter 1:13; 2:19-23; 4:7; 4:12; 4:19; 5:8-9; II Peter 1:13-15, etc.).

How do we know Peter was restored again? In Acts, we see Peter fully willing to serve again, even more than before. There are no more unfortunate comments from Peter’s lips, only bold truth. His previous outspoken nature is controlled as he confidently speaks for Christ. He preached powerfully at Pentecost, was a pillar of the early church, was faithfully bold in persecution, and saturated his inspired epistles with guidance and caution for the early church.

Hopefully we don’t have many (or any) total disasters in our faith, but we do mess up in smaller ways every day, and these thoughts about Peter can help us as we strive to stay close to our Savior. They also give us hope. It is possible to actually fall and still be used again. Mercifully, these types of failures are often internal rather than observed by others. Mercifully, God gives second chances. He redeems failures, whether that be Peter, Abraham, Job, John Mark, David, Moses, Samson, or us. God still wants to use us, and He even uses our failures to build toward future ministry. God bless.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

02102024 Trial of Faith - Joseph

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God who reigns above all others.

Abraham’s great-grandson, Joseph, also experienced a trial of faith. I don’t relate quite as easily to Joseph because I don’t see his struggle as openly as I see Abraham's. Joseph seems like a super-believer who never struggled. I am nonetheless inspired, challenged, and instructed by Joseph’s story.

We have a tendency to glamorize people – “always smiling,” “never discouraged.” Those statements are probably neither accurate nor logical. Yes, thankfully there are mature Christians with deep faith who struggle less than others and who more quickly find victory, but they are still human. Missionary stories and other biographies often leave out the struggle, although many (most? all?) of those whom we see as great heroes undoubtedly had times of struggle. We saw Abraham’s. Paul’s struggle is not majored on, but it is openly acknowledged. In Job’s story, we see the depths of it; Joseph is at the other extreme, and we don’t see it.

Joseph’s apparent stability and victory can’t be because he never had difficult moments. It’s not that Joseph never struggled, but that God didn’t choose to include his struggles in the biblical record. God’s message in Joseph’s story is not the same as it was in Abraham’s, so the details shared are different. There is something else God wants us to see.

Joseph’s story also starts with a divine revelation. Joseph had dreams from God that indicated his family would bow down to him. These foreshadowed Joseph’s rise to an unexpected position, but at the age of 17, Joseph could not have fully understood what that would be. Like Abraham, Joseph apparently clung to a long-term view, knowing that eventually God’s plans for him would be worked out.

Joseph’s trial of faith lasted 22 years from the time he had his dreams until he was reunited with his family and saw the fulfillment. (In a larger trial of faith, he lived away from the promised land for the last 93 years of his life, but he continued believing that the nation would return there and would carry his bones.)

Joseph’s trial was varied and progressive. Joseph was hated by his brothers, so much that they physically assaulted him and intended to leave him for dead until they saw the opportunity to sell him as a slave. He was falsely accused and thrown into prison, losing the favored position he had acquired over time. In prison the person who could have helped to release him forgot him instead. Joseph’s time as a slave and a prisoner added up to thirteen years. Even after his release and exaltation, he remained subject to Pharaoh in terms of where he lived, whom he married, and what his duties were. Joseph was not free to return home or to choose his own life.

We don’t see any major actions or statements from Joseph that cry out about the difficulty. There are some indications, however, that Joseph knew things were tough. The names of his sons gave praise to God by recognizing God’s blessing within his trial. His explanation for Manasseh’s name is that God had made him forget all his trouble, and for Ephraim, it is that God made him fruitful in the land of his affliction (41:51-52). The other biggest indicator from Joseph is the great emotion he showed at the reunions with his brothers and father (43:30, 45:2, 46:29).

Like Abraham, Joseph continued following God during the years of his trial. It is noteworthy that he was consistently a diligent and trustworthy worker - to his father (37:13), to Potiphar (39:4,6), in the prison (39:22-23), and to Pharaoh (41:41,44). He was always looking out for the good of others. He took care of Potiphar and of the other prisoners. He had concern for his father. He restrained his punishments toward his brothers and was generous to them. He intervened on behalf of the entire nation of Egypt and beyond.

Joseph made it clear that his admirable reputation was not merely his own good character. As possibly the only God-follower in Egypt, he boldly and consistently identified with God no matter to whom he was speaking; God’s name was readily on his lips because it was firmly in his heart. He told Potiphar’s wife that God was the reason for his resistance (39:9). He told his fellow prisoners that God was the reason he could help them (40:8). He told Pharaoh that his abilities were from God (41:16) and that God controls the events of life (41:25,32). He told his brothers that his curtailed judgment was because of God (42:18). He acknowledged God as the source of blessing to his brothers (43:23,29). He told his father that God had given him his children (48:9). He told his brothers (and descendants?) that God would take care of them in Egypt and later rescue them from it (50:24-25).

It is no surprise then that Joseph’s anchor through his trial was grounded in what He believed about God. Joseph saw God’s hand everywhere; in his own life, he firmly believed that not only was God’s hand involved, but that God was the author and orchestrator of all that happened.

This was not a passing or shallow belief. Joseph believed it so firmly that he repeated it often. “Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life” (45:5). “And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt” (45:7-9). “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” (50:20).

Is there any doubt to whom Joseph attributed even the most difficult aspects of his life? It was God! Joseph was able to survive his trial of faith so well because his relationship with God saturated his life. Acknowledgement of God poured forth at every moment. Even in the worst, Joseph knew that God was at work, rising over every act of man and nature. Oh, that God would give us such eyes to see Him everywhere!

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

02032024 Trial of Faith Abraham

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the true God who always keeps His promises.

Do I believe the Bible? Of course, the answer is an immediate “Yes.” Does every word of the Bible always make complete sense to me? Well, no. In years gone by, there have even been a few times when I read something in the Bible and shook my head in protest. If someone had really pressed me, I don’t think I could have actually said the words, “It’s not true,” but it certainly seemed like it was untrue. Any comprehension of how it was true was beyond me.

I think that when we struggle regarding the Bible, that is the issue. Mentally, we assent that it is true. Even when we read something that seems contradictory to our experience, we don’t want to say that the Bible is wrong, but sometimes the verses about blessing and good and deliverance can be troublesome. Lately I have found myself expressing the dilemma in this way: “I don’t understand HOW it is true in my life, but I know and believe that it IS true.”

I think Abraham is a good case study in this respect. Much of Abraham’s life was a trial of faith. It is not my intention to malign Abraham, and my conclusion will make that clear, but Abraham did struggle. Like us, I don’t think he doubted the promises of God, but he did not always understand how they could be true. In this way, I find it easy to relate to Abraham. I think we can be encouraged by looking at Abraham’s struggle and then seeing what it was that brought him through with victorious faith.

God made promises to Abraham: a great nation, a great name, a profound impact. More practically, God promised Abraham a land and a son. How much of this did Abraham actually see? He came to the land. While he was in and out a few times, most of the time he lived there, but he lived there as a stranger. Abraham never possessed any of the land until he purchased a burial plot 62 years after the promise was made. As far as a son, he only had to wait 25 years for that.

It's safe to say that Abraham’s trial of faith was lengthy. Abraham struggled at times along the way. He believed God’s promises, but on multiple occasions he did not understand how God was bringing them about. Some of his actions and statements reveal that he didn’t always get it.

When a famine arose, Abram and Sarai went to Egypt. Afraid he would be killed for his beautiful wife, he asked Sarai to identify as his sister. (Genesis 12:10-20). He knew God had made the promises, but at the moment, they seemed impossible. How could God fulfill the promises if Abram was dead? Since he didn’t understand how God’s plan could work, Abram made his own plan.

Years passed, and there was still no son. Even as God reassured Abram in a vision, Abram revealed his lack of understanding. He suggested that his servant Eliezer be his heir. (Genesis 15:1-4). Because he did not understand how God could make His promises true, Abram tried to think of a solution.

More time passed without a son. This time Sarai came up with the plan, but Abram went along with it. Ten years after the promise, Abram didn’t see how God could make it happen. He believed God that he would have a son, but he didn’t understand how. So Abram had a son by Hagar. (Genesis 16:1-4). He later brought this idea again to God as a solution (17:18).

Fourteen more years. God came to renew the promises and finally gave a timeline. It was less than one year until God would give Abraham and Sarah a son! Abraham moved down to the southern desert and revived an old problem – Sarah’s desirability to other men. Once again he asked her to identify as his sister. (Genesis 20). During the very time that the conception was imminent, Sarah was taken into Abimelech’s house. At this time, Abraham clearly did not understand how God was going to fulfill His promise. It must have seemed so impossible that it didn’t even matter that they weren’t living together.

When Isaac was finally born, there arose new conflict and questions regarding Ishmael. It seemed that there were two potential heirs, and this greatly distressed both Sarah and Abraham. (Genesis 21:9-12). Abraham seemed upset by the possibilities. With Ishmael still living in the home, how could Isaac alone be the heir? So Abraham came up with a plan to make sure there was no competition.

Finally, Abraham faced what was probably the hardest to understand when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac. (Genesis 22:1-14). How could God’s plan possibly work with Isaac dead? Abraham’s faith had grown, and although he did not understand, he assured Isaac that God would provide the sacrifice. Hebrews 11 tells us Abraham believed God could bring Isaac back to life. It’s interesting that in this case, which we would call a victory for Abraham’s faith, even though Abraham had an idea, he still didn’t understand! His idea was wrong, but his faith was right.

Each of these situations reveal that, while Abraham believed God’s promises, he didn’t understand how they were going to happen. As he compared his life with what God had said, Abraham repeatedly conveyed, “I don’t get it!” When he tried to help God out by making suggestions, it’s like he was asking, “Is this what You mean? Is this how You are going to do it?”

There’s no shame in not understanding the intricacies of God’s plan. No man can. What got Abraham through when he didn’t understand? Abraham continued following and obeying God. The story of Abraham is saturated with instances of obedience (12:4, 13:12, 17:23, 22:3), worship (12:7, 13:4, 13:18, 21:33), and faith (14:23, 15:6, 24:7). These are the practical displays, but what was at the root?

Abraham’s successful journey was all because he chose to believe. He believed for decades without seeing the promises. He “died in faith, not having received the promises” (Hebrews 11:13). He believed in spite of impossibilities – “against hope believed in hope” (Romans 4:18). He looked to the long-term reward rather than temporary. He "desire[d] a better country” (Hebrews 11:16). Abraham was willing to accept what God had promised even though he only saw glimpses of it.

I believe the most instructive conclusion about Abraham is that he did not look at the immediate. His faith was strong because he was willing to trust that God would ultimately do all that He had promised. Although the mid-range observation was impossible to understand, Abraham looked far into the future. He knew that in the end it would all happen exactly as God had said, even if the middle was messy.

That is what we also must do. Things in the middle will be messy. We won’t understand. We might struggle with how God’s Word can be true for us in the middle of it all. But we must do as Abraham did – continue to obey, to worship, and to follow in faith. We must anchor ourselves with the conviction that in the end, it will all come out exactly as God has said.

“He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform” (Romans 4:20-21). Indeed, He will!

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA