Words of hope...sort of.

Scripture Verse that Caught My Attention Today: Genesis 49:16-19 (especially verse 18)
16 Dan shall judge his people
as one of the tribes of Israel.
17 Dan shall be a snake by the roadside,
a viper along the path,
that bites the horse’s heels
so that its rider falls backward.

Gen. 49:18 I wait for your salvation, O LORD.

Gen. 49:19 Gad shall be raided by raiders,
but he shall raid at their heels.

Observation: Verse 18 is like a gasp in the middle of his speech…as if he’ll need all his energy to get through it before breathing his last.

Application: It is seldom that a parent offers last words of this sort to his or her children anymore. Modern medicine might be part of the reason—we tend to prolong life and/or manage pain by sedation which often means that the those who are nearing death’s door are no longer alert enough to make such a speech.

Be that as it may, Jacob’s speech is both inspiring and disconcerting. It is inspiring because he offers some really touching promises to some of his sons. It is also inspiring to see him, in the middle, to utter the words of verse 18 aloud—a prayer to the almighty that stands to this day as a witness to those who hear or read it knowing that he was in his final moments. But Jacob’s last words are also disconcerting. Rather than dealing with his contention with Ruben in a timely manner, Jacob waits till then end and never offers a word of hope to go along with it (see Genesis 49:3-4). I would think that would be hard to live with. Same for goes for Simeon and Levi.

Surprisingly, if Jacob’s last mutterings would otherwise be the norm, I’m beginning to think that sedation might be a good thing. I have mixed feelings about Jacob’s last words to his sons. When they’re good, they’re good. When they’re bad, they’re bad. It seems to me that we’re better off providing regular feedback to our children. That way they see the balance and are not beholden to some final words that may or may not be the best we have to offer, even if they are, in a sense, our final say.

Prayer: Lord, I pray that you would give us wisdom to speak in such a way that, even when it’s the truth and it stings a bit, that there is also the presence of promise and hope—which is why we all wait for your salvation, O Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Genesis 49-50, Psalm 8, and Luke 20)