stories retold

A family at war! 

Genesis Chapter 27.1-40

Isaac was now an old man, and virtually blind. One day, he summoned Esau. ‘Who knows how long I have to live?’ he said. ‘Go hunting for me. You know what I like – anything with a strong flavour. Make me a meal to remember, and I’ll bless you before I die.’

Little did they know that Rebekah was listening to all this. As soon as Esau had left, she found Jacob and said, ‘I’ve just overheard your father asking Esau to hunt some game and prepare him a meal, before he gives him his blessing. Here’s your chance! This is what you must do. Kill a couple of goats from the flock, I’ll prepare one of your father’s favourite meals. Then you take it in so that he will give you the blessing!’

But Jacob was anxious. ‘There’s no way he’ll fall for that! What if he touches me? Esau’s covered in hair, and I’m smooth as a baby! If he suspects I’m deceiving him, I’ll come out with a curse, not a blessing.’ ‘Let me worry about that,’ said his mother. ‘I’ll take the blame if need be. Just do what I say.’

So they carried out their plan. When the food was ready, Rebekah dressed Jacob in Esau’s clothes, and tied pieces of the goats’ skin to his hands and neck. Jacob went to his father and said, ‘Father, it’s Esau. I’m back and here’s the meal you wanted. Eat, and give me your blessing.’ ‘That was quick!’ said Isaac. ‘Well, I guess God must have helped me,’ Jacob replied.

‘Come closer,’ said Isaac. ‘Let me touch you, see whether you really are Esau.’ Jacob stretched his hands out, and Isaac said, ‘You sound like Jacob, but you feel like Esau. Is it really you, Esau?’ ‘Yes,’ lied Jacob. ‘Bring me food and drink, then,’ said Isaac, ‘so that I may give you my blessing.’ When he’d finished the meal and wine, he called Jacob closer. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘kiss your old father.’ Jacob did so, and Isaac breathed in the scent of Esau’s clothes and the goatskins.

‘Ah, that’s Esau alright; you always did smell like earth after rain.
May God make rain and sun smile upon you,
That the earth will give you rich harvests,
That you may feast and drink to your heart’s content.
May nations serve and honour you.
Be first among your brothers.
May the fortunes of others be linked to the way they treat you.
A curse on any who curse you;
But rich blessing on those who bless you.’

Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence when Esau came in from hunting. As usual, he prepared a tasty meal for his father, and brought it to him. ‘Here you are, father. Game pie, just the way you like it! Sit up and eat, and then give me your blessing.’

‘Who’s there?’ asked Isaac. ‘It’s me, Esau, your firstborn son,’ he replied. Isaac was visibly shaken at this news. ‘Then who was it who brought me game earlier? I’ve only just finished eating it. I blessed him, and I can’t take my blessing back.’ When he heard this, Esau wailed bitterly. ‘Give me a blessing, too, father. Please – me too!’ ‘That brother of yours tricked me into giving him the blessing which should have been yours!’ cried Isaac. ‘You named him well,’ said Esau bitterly. ‘Jacob means “deceiver” and he’s lived up to his name twice with me. First my birthright, and now my blessing. Have you no blessing left for me, father?’

‘I’ve given him pre-eminence over you,’ Isaac whispered. ‘I’ve proclaimed him lord over the whole family. I’ve spoken over him the rich blessings of earth, seed-time and harvest. What’s left for you, my son?’ ‘There must be more, there must be,’ cried Esau. ‘I’ve waited all my life for this moment, and now there’s nothing left. Bless me, father!’ And Esau wept and wept. So Isaac said,

‘Your life will be far from easy –
not for you the smile of rain and sun;
you’ll have to carve out a living,
defending yourself while serving your brother.
But the day will come
when you’ll step out of his shadow.’

Affairs at work?

Genesis Chapter 37.36, 39.2-23

Meanwhile, down in Egypt, Joseph was bought as a slave by a man named Potiphar, captain of Pharaoh’s bodyguard.

His brothers may have been doing their best to put Joseph out of their minds, but God had not forgotten him. God ensured that Joseph’s master, Potiphar, spotted his potential, and noted his hard work. Before long, Joseph began to rise through the household ranks, firstly becoming Potiphar’s personal slave, and then taking charge of the whole household. Joseph’s ability and dedication, combined with God’s favour meant that Potiphar’s life flourished as never before. With all his affairs in Joseph’s capable hands, he didn’t have to worry about a thing.

However, someone else had their eye on this good-looking young foreigner. In fact, Potiphar’s wife couldn’t take her eyes off him, and set her heart on getting him into bed with her.

But Joseph turned her advances down point blank. ‘Your husband has shown me great trust and favour. He’s put me in charge of everything. I can help myself to anything I want, except you, because you are his wife. How could I betray him and my God like that?’ But day after day, she continued to tempt him, and so determined was Joseph to resist her advances that he soon began to avoid her whenever possible.

That couldn’t go on forever, of course, and one day he found himself alone with her in the house. ‘Come to bed with me!’ she begged, grabbing hold of his cloak. But Joseph broke free and ran, leaving his cloak in her hands.

Humiliated, Potiphar’s wife called her servants. ‘Now we see the truth!’ she shouted. ‘This foreign slave thinks he can treat us as his playthings. He’s just tried to seduce me, but I screamed and he ran. Look! Here’s his cloak.’

When Potiphar came home that evening, she repeated her accusation to him. ‘That Hebrew slave you regard so highly tried to rape me today! Luckily, when I screamed, he ran off. I kept his cloak to show you.’

Potiphar was furious, and threw Joseph into prison.

But even there, God looked after Joseph. This time, it was the prison warden who noticed Joseph; soon, Joseph found himself in charge of the inmates and all the organisation of the prison. Like Potiphar before him, the warden found that, with Joseph in charge, he didn’t have to worry about a thing.

Inspiration for one of the finalists in 2009

Acts Chapter 9.1-19 – Conversion of Saul/Paul

Back in Jerusalem, Saul was still hell-bent on destroying the church. He persuaded the high priest to give him letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus, authorising him to seize any Christians there and bring them back to Jerusalem.

But as he approached Damascus, a lightning bolt knocked him from his horse, and as he lay on the ground, stunned, he heard a voice. ‘Saul, Saul, why do you hate me so much?’ ‘Who are you?’ asked Saul. ‘Jesus,’ the voice replied. ‘The one you’re trying to kill all over again! Now get up, and wait in the city for further instructions.’

The disembodied voice terrified Saul’s travelling companions into silence. Saul picked himself up, but found he was blind, and had to be led into Damascus. For three days he waited, not eating or drinking.

Meanwhile, God was speaking to one of the Christians in Damascus. ‘Ananias!’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he replied. ‘You know Straight Street. Find Judas’ house there, and ask for a man named Saul. He’s calling out to me, and I’ve given him a vision of you coming to make him see again.’

‘You can’t be serious, Lord?’ said Ananias. ‘I’ve heard all about him! Don’t you know what damage he’s done to your people in Jerusalem? And now the religious authorities have sent him here to do the same to us!’

But God said, ‘Go! I’ve chosen this Saul to tell the world about me. He’ll suffer much for me.’

So Ananias did as he was told. He found Saul, put his hands on him and said, ‘Brother, Jesus, the one who interrupted your journey the other day, has sent me to restore your sight. God wants to fill you with his Holy Spirit.’ As he prayed, Saul’s sight returned. He was baptised, took some food, and, feeling stronger, spent several days getting to know the Christians in Damascus.

Injustice

Matthew 18.23-35

Jesus told them one of his stories. ‘Imagine a king who calls all his servants to settle their accounts with him. One of them is in debt to the king for millions, far more than he can ever hope to repay. The king orders the servant’s family to be sold. What can the servant do? Falling on his knees, he begs the king to give him another chance to pay. And the king lets him off the whole debt, just like that. But here’s the rub. That same servant, as he leaves the king’s presence, free from his debt, bumps into a fellow servant who owes him a few quid. The first servant demands repayment, or else. The second servant does just what the first servant did with the king, begs for mercy. But the first refuses and has him thrown into prison! When the king hears of this, he is outraged and throws the unforgiving servant into prison. So when you think about forgiving others, the place to start is to remember how much God has forgiven you.’

Stuck in 9 to 5 for what?

Luke 12.13-21

One of the crowd called out, ‘Can you settle a family dispute? My brother won’t give me my share of our inheritance.’ ‘Sorry,’ said Jesus. ‘That’s not my place. But I can give you some free advice. Don’t let yourself become a prisoner to greed and bitterness. Don’t allow your life to be defined by what you have rather than who you are.’

‘Imagine a wealthy farmer. One year, his land produces a bumper crop, far more than his barns can store. What to do? Easy, he thinks. I’ll pull down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll pat myself on the back, pour myself a large glass of wine, and put my feet up. I’ve got it made!’

‘But God takes a different view. What if the man dies that same night? He’s spent his life accumulating wealth he’s never going to enjoy, while neglecting the one thing of true significance – his relationship with God. And now it’s too late. What a waste! And what a warning to everyone else who thinks that wealth is the thing that counts …’

Tell us the back story!

John 8.1-11

First thing the next day, Jesus went back to the temple. A crowd gathered around him as he began to teach. But any sense of peace was soon shattered by the religious bigwigs. Dragging in a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery, they flung her down in front of Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ they shouted, ‘our law demands that we stone this woman. What’s your verdict?’ They hoped to put Jesus in an impossible situation – either he would have to condemn the woman to death, or be seen to deny God’s law.

Jesus didn’t rush his answer, but bent and doodled in the dust. Finally, he looked up and said, ‘Anyone who can claim to be perfect is welcome to stone her.’ He bent back down to the ground and wrote some more in the dust.

One by one, the entire crowd made their exit, the older ones leaving first, until only Jesus and the woman were left. Looking at her, he said, ‘Well, it looks as though no one has condemned you after all. Nor do I! Off you go, free as a bird – you’ve no more need to live in your old way. Make sure you leave all of that behind. Today’s a new start.’

Ruth

Ruth Chapter 1

Once, in the days when the Judges ruled Israel, famine struck. A man from Bethlehem, called Elimelech, took his wife Naomi and their sons, Mahlon and Kilion, and moved to the land of Moab. There, Elimelech died. Naomi’s sons married local girls, but some ten years later, they also died, leaving Naomi all alone, except her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth.

When Naomi heard that God had ended the famine back in her homeland, she made preparations to go home. Her daughters-in-law set out with her, but Naomi said to them, ‘Don’t come with me. Stay here, where you are known. May God be kind to you, just as you’ve been kind to my sons and to me. May God lead you both to new husbands.’

As she embraced them, they burst into tears, and said, ‘We’re coming with you!’ But Naomi persisted. ‘Go home,’ she said. ‘I’ve nothing to offer you. Even if I weren’t already too old to find love again myself – suppose I married someone today, and managed to have two more sons: are you really going to wait for them to grow up? It’s out of the question! You still have hope, whereas my future seems an empty one.’

This provoked more tears, as Orpah sadly kissed Naomi farewell, and turned for home. But Ruth wouldn’t let go of Naomi. ‘Why not go with her?’ said Naomi. ‘Back to what’s familiar, your people and your gods.’

But Ruth replied, ‘I’m coming with you. Don’t try to talk me out of it. Wherever you go, however long it takes, wherever we end up living, I’m staying with you. You’ve told me so much about your people; now I’ve got a chance to meet them, get to know them, be one of them, just as I’ve come to know and love your God. May he punish me himself if I let anything less than death keep us apart!’

When Naomi saw Ruth’s determination, she gave in, and they travelled all the way back to Bethlehem, where their arrival caused quite a stir among the town’s women. ‘Can it be? Surely not! Is it really Naomi? It is!’ they cried.

But she replied, ‘Naomi is no more. Call me Mara, for God has given me a hard life, with more than my share of suffering.’ Mara means bitter.

Ruth Chapter 2

The town was gearing itself for the barley harvest, and with no other means of finding food, Ruth said to Naomi, ‘Let me go and see if I can find someone kind enough to let me gather up the leftovers.’ ‘Go, daughter,’ replied Naomi.

So off Ruth went, and, unbeknown to her, found herself working in a field belonging to a man named Boaz, who was related to Naomi’s late husband, and was a man of some status in the community.

Later in the day, Boaz himself arrived, with a greeting of ‘God be with you!’ to all his workers. ‘God bless you!’ they shouted back, fondly. ‘And who is that?’ Boaz asked his foreman, pointing to Ruth.

‘It’s that young woman Naomi brought back from Moab. She turned up first thing this morning, asking if she might pick up what our lads leave behind. She’s not afraid of hard work, I can tell you. She’s only stopped to rest once!’

So Boaz called her over. ‘Listen to me,’ he said. ‘Don’t feel you’ve got to move on, find another field, and persuade someone else to let you glean. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you want. Follow my servant girls and gather as much as you need. I’ve had a word with my lads – they’ll leave you alone. And whenever you’re thirsty, help yourself to water.’

Ruth bowed low, and said, ‘What have I done to deserve such good fortune? How come you’ve even noticed me, a foreigner?’

‘But I’ve heard so much about you!’ he replied. ‘What a story! A young widow leaving everything and everyone she knows behind, out of love for her mother-in-law. Leaving it all behind to begin a new life among a strange people! May our God protect and reward you for what you’ve done.’

‘Thank you!’ said Ruth. ‘I can’t believe how fortunate I’ve been to find you. You’ve been so kind and generous to me, even though I’m not even one of your serving girls.’

At lunchtime, Boaz made sure Ruth had more than enough to eat, and when the afternoon shift began, told his men, ‘Ignore any mistakes she makes. She’s new here, so even if she takes some of the crop itself, rather than actual leftovers, don’t embarrass her. In fact, drop some of the ears you harvest for her to pick up. Don’t tell her off.’

Ruth bent and picked, bent and picked, all day long. When evening fell, she threshed the barley she’d gathered and found she had several kilos. So she took it back to show Naomi, and also gave her the lunch she had saved.

‘Tell me all about it,’ said Naomi. Where did you go? Who let you work their field? God bless him, whoever it was!’

‘His name was Boaz,’ Ruth replied.

‘Wonderful!’ said Naomi. ‘He’s family, and has always been kind to us, both when my late husband was still alive, and now to his widow. In fact, he’s one of those who has the responsibility for settling any family debts or obligations.’

‘He even said I was welcome to work his fields throughout the harvest,’ added Ruth. ‘You should do as he says,’ replied Naomi. ‘Stay with his girls. There’s no telling what might happen to you if you go into other fields.’

So Ruth worked the fields of Boaz until the harvest was over.

Ruth Chapter 3

One day, Naomi said to Ruth, ‘I’d love to find you a new home and a husband who’ll look after you. How about Boaz? He’s family. He’ll be threshing barley this evening. So here’s what you do. Wash yourself, put on your best perfume and dress up to the nines. Go down to the threshing floor, but don’t make a move until he’s finished his evening meal. Be sure to see where he lies down to sleep; when he does, uncover his feet and lie down yourself. Then wait to see what he says.’

Ruth followed Naomi’s instructions to the letter. So it was that, later that evening, after a good meal and a few drinks, Boaz retired to his bed in good spirits, and fell sound asleep. But in the middle of the night, something woke him with a start. Looking around, he noticed a woman lying at his feet! ‘Who’s there?’ he asked. ‘It’s me, Ruth,’ she replied. ‘Will you offer me a home?’

‘God bless you!’ he replied. ‘Your kindness knows no bounds. You could have tried for one of the younger men. Fear not. I’ll see you right. Everyone knows you’re a woman of integrity. However, there is one other member of the family who could claim you ahead of me. Stay here ‘til morning, and we’ll ask whether he wants to exercise that right. If not, then by God I’ll gladly do it!’

So Ruth spent the night there, but got up while it was still dark, so that no one would know she’d been there. ‘Spread out your shawl,’ said Boaz, ‘ we can’t have you going back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ And he filled it with barley.

‘Well, how did it go?’ asked Naomi when Ruth got home. Ruth told her the whole story … ‘and he gave me all this barley, too!’ ‘Patience, girl!’ said Naomi, ‘wait to see what happens. Knowing Boaz, he’ll sort everything out today.’

Ruth Chapter 4

Boaz went to the town gate, where important matters were settled. When the other relative he’d mentioned to Ruth came along, Boaz said, ‘Come and sit with me, my friend. There’s something I want to tell you.’

Boaz then called ten of the town’s leading men as witnesses, and began to speak to his kinsman. ‘You know that our kinswoman Naomi has returned from Moab. She wants to sell the land she inherited from Elimelech and his sons. I thought I ought to let you know so that you can buy it if you wish. It’s up to you. You’re first in line.’

‘I’ll have it!’ said the man.

‘Only,’ continued Boaz, ‘be aware that when you buy the land from Naomi, you’ll be responsible for Ruth, too. It’ll be up to you to marry her, and provide children to keep the family name alive.’

‘In that case,’ said the other, ‘I can’t go ahead. I can’t risk my own children’s inheritance. I bow out. You take the land and the girl.’ So he and Boaz sealed the transaction.

Then Boaz said to the town elders, ‘Today you witness that I buy all the property of Elimelech and his sons, and I take Ruth to be my wife, in order to preserve his name.’

They replied, ‘We are witnesses. May your new wife be like the mothers of our people. May your renown grow and spread through the land. May your sons bring you pride and joy.

So Boaz and Ruth were married, and God blessed them with a son. Naomi’s friends rallied to congratulate her. ‘Hasn’t God been good to you?’ they asked. ‘He’s given you Ruth, who’s loved you more than any son could. He’s provided her with a husband to care for her; and now he’s given you a grandson to keep you young at heart!’

Naomi took her grandson, and held him tight. Seeing her, her friends smiled and said, ‘Just look at her! It’s as though she’s been given a child of her own all over again!’

But as Naomi sang lullabies to her new grandson, little did she know what part he would play in the great story of her people. For his name was Obed, the father of Jesse, whose youngest son was David, the great king …

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