Moving Day

Moving Day, this is a stressful time and a joyful time - at the same time. Whether you are applying this title to Saturday of a golf tournament or moving from one house or work location to another, Moving Day can quickly test you in a lot of different areas. Change tends to do that.

While I am certain of other Biblical testimonies of moving days, the biggest of which is The Exodus, in reading chapters 34 and 35 of Genesis recently, I witnessed the specifics of another Moving Day unfold. The difference in all these moving accounts was not the devil in the details, it was God in the details and Holy decisions by the lead character.

There is usually a catalyst to Moving Day. In golf, if you have made it to Saturday for a tournament that begins on Thursday and ends on Sunday, Saturday means you better make your move to position yourself for the win on Sunday.

The stimulant that drove Jacob and his family to move was an attack on his family - a daughter was raped. The fathers met and the offending father pleaded for anything to be done so that the daughter and other daughters of Jacob might be married to their family and community. The sons of Jacob demanded circumcision from the community. The town council agreed and all males of the area were circumcised. For three days the newly circumcised were in great pain and Jacob's furious sons took advantage of this time and killed every male in the town, including the offending family.

Not only did they kill every male, they looted many precious possessions and brought back women into their camp as well. This did not sit well with Jacob and he told his sons what they had done was way over the top and because of this, the family now has a target on their backs, from the surrounding rulers because of their reaction. 

The good news is God was watching, intervened and reminded Jacob of His promise to watch over him in a previous encounter (Gen.28:15). The Lord actually appeared to Jacob as before and instructed him to move to Bethel. Jacob obeyed. 

Incentives to move have a story as I have just retold from Genesis 34. However, the actual moving, the journey has plenty of stories to tell also.

Some highlights about this trip to Bethel were that Oak trees were important. Jacob instructed that idol gods that were being kept in secret be buried at the base of an oak tree before they left. Then upon arrival at Bethel, Rachel's nurse died and they buried her at the base of an oak tree.

Jacob's obedience was rewarded by God personally visiting him, giving him a name change to Israel, and blessing him with the birth of his last son Benjamin. This meeting with God was a confirmation from Him of the Abrahamic Covenant continuing to pass through Israel's descendants. The Lord also blessed him personally. "Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him." (Gen.35:13)

However, there were losses on the journey and at the end of it. Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin. Rachel's nurse, as mentioned earlier, also died. In addition, after getting to spend some time with his father Isaac, Israel and Esau buried their father at the ripe old age of one hundred and eighty.

To my friends, family and strangers - I encourage you if any sort of Moving Day is upon you. God is in the details, especially if you "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matt. 6:33) Just like Israel and others like Joshua and Caleb, be strong and courageous, trust in the Lord as you tackle Moving Day.