From: "Gospel Messenger Service" Subject: Rachel's Images Date: Sun, 2 Oct 2005 13:32:26 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0007_01C5C755.BF76AAE0" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4133.2400 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C5C755.BF76AAE0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable RACHEL'S IMAGES=20 By Roberta Stoddard The Bible tells a story about Jacob's wife, Rachel, that contains a = symbolic picture of something that is a problem for many of us in the = Body of Christ.=20 Jacob had been living with his father-in-law, Laban, in the land to = which he had run after cheating his twin brother, Esau, out of his = birthright. But after twenty years God spoke to him and told him to go = back home to the land of his father's, the promised land. Jacob went = without telling Laban he was leaving, taking his family, including his = wife, Rachel, and all his belongings, with him. It says in Genesis, = chapter 31, verse 19, that just before they left "Rachel had stolen the = images that were her father's." She took them with her when she left his = home with her husband, Jacob.=20 When Rachel's father, Laban, found out that Jacob had left, he went = after him and caught up with him while he was still on his way home . . = . and Laban wanted his images back. He went in all the tents, including = Rachel's, looking for them. The Bible says, "Now Rachel had taken the = images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And = Laban searched all the tent, but found them not. And she said to her = father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; = for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the = images" (vs.34-35). So Rachel was able to take those idols with her to = the promised land. The images Rachel felt were so important that she needed to take them = with her, represented all the religious teachings she had received = growing up in her father's house. They represented the concepts of what = her father believed God is like, probably ingrained in her from = childhood; false ideas about God that she'd been taught to bow down to = as she worshiped her father's images. They were religious concepts that = had been fashioned by the hands of man, just as surely as her father's = images or idols had been made by man. Sadly, Rachel felt the need to = take them with her. What were those concepts that were so important to Rachel? We can see a = picture of what those false images of God symbolized when we look at = what she used as an excuse to not allow her father to find the images. = She told him the reason she couldn't get up off of the camel's = furniture, where the images were hidden, was because "the custom of = women is upon me." In other words, she was having her monthly menstrual = period. And that's what made it possible for her to hang onto those = images. In Isaiah, chapter 64, verse 6, it says, "But we are all as an unclean = thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags . . . " The Living = Bible interprets that as "filthy as a menstruating woman's rags." Those = filthy rags of her own righteousness is what kept her from giving up the = images. A god who requires you to work and earn your righteousness is = the god Rachel had been taught to worship in her father's house. She did = not want to leave that behind; she wanted to hang onto that concept! And isn't that the false concept of God that is so ingrained in many of = us that is hard to let go of? Some of us are like Rachel. We have tried = to carry into our new life with the Lord a religious teaching that we = were taught as we grew up that is not of God, but is merely a "tradition = of men" (Col.2:8). The Bible tells us in Romans 10:3: "For they (God's = chosen people) being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to = establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto = the righteousness of God." We need to cease from our own works for = making and keeping ourselves righteous in God's sight and lean on = Christ's righteousness alone (Heb.4:10; Jer.23:6). We need to leave that = false image of God behind. Rachel went back to the promised land with Jacob, but she died as she = gave birth to her second son, Benjamin, after they left Bethel on their = way to Ephrath (Bethlehem) (Gen.35:19). Bethlehem is where the Messiah = Jesus would be born some day, the One who would be able to give us His = righteousness as a gift, setting us free from trying to fashion our own = (2 Cor.5:21). Bethlehem also means "house of bread." Spiritual bread = (God's word-his truth about His gift of righteousness) is what nourishes = and feeds our souls. But Rachel's life was cut off before she got there. This story of Rachel gives us a picture of some of God's people today = who still cling to an image of a god who wants them to earn his love and = acceptance. They struggle, trying so hard to perform for God so that He = will be pleased with them. Or they think that maybe they're not doing = enough for Him, when all He wants is for them to receive His = unconditional love. They may say, "Of course, I know that Christ is my = righteousness!" but it is only in their talk not their walk. They have = not made it to the "house of bread" where they would be nourished and = built up in the grace of God. Many Christians die physically and go to = heaven, still hanging onto this image, as Rachel did. The Bible says about Christians: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of = God . . .?" (1 Cor.3:16). We all have some of those images set up in us, = in our "temple"; but if we will give God permission to set us free from = them, He promises that ". . . out of the house of thy gods will I cut = off the graven image and the molten image . . ." (Nahum 1:14). God will = cast them down for us. When the Spirit of God anoints the truth about = Christ being our righteousness, the yoke of those false images will be = broken off us and we will be willing to leave them behind. ". . . the = yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing" (Isa.10:27). We can be like Rachel and hang onto those old traditions, those wrong = concepts of God that were ingrained in us even while we were young; or = we can choose to lay aside the filthy rags of our own righteousness and = "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and = true holiness" (Eph.4:24). If we do the latter we will come into and = enjoy the inheritance that Christ left us when He died on the cross. We = will experience His joy, His peace . . . and His righteousness! ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C5C755.BF76AAE0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

RACHEL’S=20 IMAGES

By Roberta=20 Stoddard

The Bible tells a story about = Jacob’s=20 wife, Rachel, that contains a symbolic picture of something that is a = problem=20 for many of us in the Body of Christ.

Jacob had been living with = his=20 father-in-law, Laban, in the land to which he had run after cheating his = twin=20 brother, Esau, out of his birthright. But after twenty years God spoke = to him=20 and told him to go back home to the land of his father’s, the = promised land.=20 Jacob went without telling Laban he was leaving, taking his family, = including=20 his wife, Rachel, and all his belongings, with him. It says in Genesis, = chapter=20 31, verse 19, that just before they left "Rachel had stolen the = images that=20 were her father’s." She took them with her when she left his = home with her=20 husband, Jacob.

When Rachel’s father, = Laban, found out=20 that Jacob had left, he went after him and caught up with him while he = was still=20 on his way home . . . and Laban wanted his images back. He went in all = the=20 tents, including Rachel’s, looking for them. The Bible says, = "Now Rachel had=20 taken the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat = upon them. And=20 Laban searched all the tent, but found them not. And she said to her = father, Let=20 it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the = custom of=20 women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images"=20 (vs.34-35). So Rachel was able to take those idols with her to the = promised=20 land.

The images Rachel felt were = so important=20 that she needed to take them with her, represented all the religious = teachings=20 she had received growing up in her father’s house. They = represented the concepts=20 of what her father believed God is like, probably ingrained in her from=20 childhood; false ideas about God that she’d been taught to bow = down to as she=20 worshiped her father’s images. They were religious concepts that = had been=20 fashioned by the hands of man, just as surely as her father’s = images or idols=20 had been made by man. Sadly, Rachel felt the need to take them with=20 her.

What were those concepts that = were so=20 important to Rachel? We can see a picture of what those false images of = God=20 symbolized when we look at what she used as an excuse to not allow her = father to=20 find the images. She told him the reason she couldn’t get up off = of the camel’s=20 furniture, where the images were hidden, was because "the custom of = women is=20 upon me." In other words, she was having her monthly menstrual = period. And=20 that’s what made it possible for her to hang onto those = images.

In Isaiah, chapter 64, verse = 6, it says,=20 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are = as=20 filthy rags . . . " The Living Bible interprets that as "filthy = as a=20 menstruating woman’s rags." Those filthy rags of her own = righteousness=20 is what kept her from giving up the images. A god who requires you to = work and=20 earn your righteousness is the god Rachel had been taught to worship in = her=20 father’s house. She did not want to leave that behind; she wanted = to hang onto=20 that concept!

And isn’t that the = false concept of God=20 that is so ingrained in many of us that is hard to let go of? Some of us = are=20 like Rachel. We have tried to carry into our new life with the Lord a = religious=20 teaching that we were taught as we grew up that is not of God, but is = merely a=20 "tradition of men" (Col.2:8). The Bible tells us in Romans 10:3: = "For=20 they (God’s chosen people) being ignorant of God’s = righteousness, and=20 going about to establish their own righteousness, have not = submitted=20 themselves unto the righteousness of God." We need to cease from our = own=20 works for making and keeping ourselves righteous in God’s sight = and lean on=20 Christ’s righteousness alone (Heb.4:10; Jer.23:6). We need to = leave that false=20 image of God behind.

Rachel went back to the = promised land=20 with Jacob, but she died as she gave birth to her second son, Benjamin, = after=20 they left Bethel on their way to Ephrath=20 (Bethlehem) (Gen.35:19). Bethlehem is where the Messiah Jesus = would be=20 born some day, the One who would be able to give us His righteousness as = a gift,=20 setting us free from trying to fashion our own (2 Cor.5:21). Bethlehem = also=20 means "house of bread." Spiritual bread (God’s word—his = truth about His gift of=20 righteousness) is what nourishes and feeds our souls. But Rachel’s = life was cut=20 off before she got there.

This story of Rachel gives us = a picture=20 of some of God’s people today who still cling to an image of a god = who wants=20 them to earn his love and acceptance. They struggle, trying so hard to = perform=20 for God so that He will be pleased with them. Or they think that maybe = they're=20 not doing enough for Him, when all He wants is for them to receive His=20 unconditional love. They may say, "Of course, I know that Christ is my=20 righteousness!" but it is only in their talk not their walk. They have = not made=20 it to the "house of bread" where they would be nourished and built up in = the=20 grace of God. Many Christians die physically and go to heaven, still = hanging=20 onto this image, as Rachel did.

The Bible says about = Christians: "Know=20 ye not that ye are the temple of God . . .?" (1 Cor.3:16). We all = have some=20 of those images set up in us, in our "temple"; but if we will give God=20 permission to set us free from them, He promises that ". . . out of = the house=20 of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image . . = ."=20 (Nahum 1:14). God will cast them down for us. When the Spirit of God = anoints the=20 truth about Christ being our righteousness, the yoke of those false = images will=20 be broken off us and we will be willing to leave them behind. ". . . = the yoke=20 shall be destroyed because of the anointing" (Isa.10:27).

We can be like Rachel and = hang onto those=20 old traditions, those wrong concepts of God that were ingrained in us = even while=20 we were young; or we can choose to lay aside the filthy rags of our own=20 righteousness and "put on the new man, which after God is created in=20 righteousness and true holiness" (Eph.4:24). If we do the latter we = will=20 come into and enjoy the inheritance that Christ left us when He died on = the=20 cross. We will experience His joy, His peace . . . and His=20 righteousness!

 

 

 

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