Staying Under the Cloud

"As a child, we always wanted surprises, whether it was a piece of candy,
a little toy from the store, or perhaps a trip to our grandmother's.
It doesn't take too much to make a child happy.
But, as we grow older, the cost of the surprises seem to be more and more.
It comes to the point most surprises don't excite us anymore.
The flowers lose their smell, and they become limp, after a few days.
The candy is never the right kind of chocolate. The clothes never fit.
And, who gets cards anymore?
BUT 'Daddy' has endless surprises.
He wants you to come to Him, abide in Him,
and the surprises are yours for the asking.
He loves you more than anyone could ever love you.
His tenderness goes beyond that we can show to each other.
He says come sit with me, love me with a never-ending love,
and I will give you your dreams, and be with you always.
What better surprise, than to have Him show up when you most need comforting!"
Barbara Sanders


Staying Under the Cloud

All scriptural references are from Genesis NAS unless otherwise noted
Abraham heard,
[Abram = (exalted father) Abraham = (to be populous; father of a multitude) ] 17:4
and was obedient to the call of God
to leave Haran = (desolate mountain) 11:31
where Terah = (to breathe; scent; blow)
his father had stopped after being called to Canaan.

Abraham packed up his family and all his belongings
and traveled to Canaan = (humiliated)
by faith.

There Jehovah God established the Abrahamic Covenant
with him, succeeding generations of Israelites,
and all the nations of the world.

18 “since Abraham will surely become
a great and mighty nation,
and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed.
19"For I have chosen him,
so that he may command his children
and his household after him
to keep the way of the LORD
by doing righteousness and justice,
so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham
what He has spoken about him."
Genesis 18:18-19 NAS

Abraham and Sarah’s
[Sarai = (dominative, rule over)
Sarah = (lady; princess; princess of the multitude) ]
Egyptian handmaiden Hagar had Ishmael

Abraham and Sarah had Isaac = (laughter)

Hagar = (a stranger; one that fears)
and Ishmael = (God will hear)
are sent away because of Sarah’s jealousy

Of Ishmael and his heritage God prophesied:

12"He will be a wild donkey of a man,
His hand will be against everyone,
And everyone's hand will be against him;
And he will live to the east of all his brothers."
Genesis 16:12 NAS

We are seeing the results of this still in our world today.

The Lord tests Abraham’s faith 22:1-18
by asking for his son as a sacrifice.

Abraham is obedient to the call to sacrifice Isaac,
but the Angel of the Lord intervenes
just before he sacrifices his only son…
and a ram is supplied by God, for the blood sacrifice.

Abraham sends his servant to find a suitable wife for Isaac. 24:1-26
The servant returns from the house of Bethuel
with Rebekah whom Isaac takes for his wife.

Abraham dies and is buried with Sarah.

Ishmael has twelve sons who become tribal leaders… 25:12-18
Ishmael dies and his sons settle in Havilah (near Egypt).
Ishmael’s sons lived in hostility toward all their brothers.

Isaac prays for Rebekah who was barren 25:21
Rebekah becomes pregnant with twins
The twins “jostle each other in the womb.”

Rebekah seeks the Lord – “why Lord?”

23The LORD said to her,
"Two nations are in your womb;
And two peoples will be separated from your body;
And one people shall be stronger than the other;
And the older shall serve the younger."
Genesis 25:21-23 NAS

Esau and Jacob are born 25:19
Jacob Gets Esau’s Birthright 25: 24-34
Jacob Gets Isaac’s Blessing 27:1

Isaac’s blessing on Jacob 27:28,29

Esau threatens to kill Jacob 27:41
Rejection leads to– Anger leads to – Death

41So Esau bore a grudge against Jacob
because of the blessing
with which his father had blessed him;
and Esau said to himself,
"The days of mourning for my father are near;
then I will kill my brother Jacob."

Rebekah pleads with Isaac 27:46
Send Jacob away for a wife
“not one of these Canaanite women”

Isaac sends Jacob to Laban = (white; shining; gentle; brittle)
(Rebekah’s brother) 28:1-2

Jacob misguided and probably confused and scared
journeys back to Paddan Aram = (cultivated field or table-land)
and stops along the way to rest at a “certain place.” 28:10
Jacob places a rock under his head and falls asleep…

There he has a dream 28:10
Genesis 28:12-15 NAS
12He had a dream,
and behold, a ladder was set on the earth
with its top reaching to heaven;
and behold, the angels of God
were ascending and descending on it.
13And behold, the LORD stood above it and said,
"I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham
and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie,
I will give it to you and to your descendants.
14"Your descendants will also be
like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out
to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south;
and in you and in your descendants
shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
15"Behold, I am with you
and will keep you wherever you go,
and will bring you back to this land;
for I will not leave you until I have done
what I have promised you."

Here God re-establishes His Abrahamic covenant with Jacob 28:13-15
Abraham – Isaac – Jacob

As it is in heaven so on earth
ascending and descending angels
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done…

From scared and misguided run-away
to the covenant promise of God
God’s promise that He (God) will fulfill the covenant
"I will not leave you until I have done
what I have promised you."

Jacob pledges a tenth of all his gain back to God
Tithe principle

Jacob takes the rock his head had slept on 28:18
Sets the rock up as an altar
Pours oil over it

Renames the place Bethel = (House of God) 28:18
(It was Luz = (separation; departure)

Jacob arrived at this appointed place
separated after his departure from his home and family.

He journied from Luz to Bethel

His departure was precipitated by his own deception
and his families dysfunction.

He now arrives at a place (Bethel)
where God has given him a view
of his divine destiny.

Jacob arrives in Paddan Aram = (cultivated field or table-land)
after seeing the vision of God “table” (his destiny in God)

He meets shepherds watering their flocks
and finds out they are from Haran = (desolate mountain)

This is the very land where Abram’s father Terah
had settled when he was called to Canaan,
the place Abram would leave to go to Canaan by faith.

Rachel arrives at he well to water her father Laban’s sheep 29:6

Jacob meets and falls in love with Rachel =
[to journey; a ewe (as a good traveller): - ewe, sheep]

He pledges seven years labor to Laban for Rachel’s hand. 29:18

Wedding feast given
Laban secretly sends Leah = [to tire; weary, (figuratively) to make disgusted: - faint, grieve, lothe,]
in to consummate the marriage with Jacob

Laban agrees to give Rachel to Jacob
After the wedding to Leah has been consummated (one week) 29:26
for a pledge of seven more years of labor.

Jacob takes Rachel for his wife.
Laban gives Rachel Bilhah = (timid, terrify, trouble)
As a servant girl.

Jacob highly favors Rachel over Leah 29:30

When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved 29:31
He opened her womb…

Leah gives birth to Reuben = (he has seen my misery)
Reuben is Jacobs first born son
Simeon = (one who hears)
Levi = (attached) (through whom the Levitical Priesthood came)
Judah = (praise) (through whom the Messiah Christ Jesus came)

Rachel became jealous of her sister 30:1
But she could not bear a child.

Rachel gives her handmaiden Hilhah to Jacob
Dan = (vindicated) 30:6
Naphtali = (my struggle) 30:8

Leah’s maidservant Zilpah = (to trickle, as myrrh; fragrant dropping)
given to Jacob
Gad = (good fortune, a troop) 30:11
Asher = (happy) 30:13

Ruben brings his mother Leah some mandrake plants 30:14

The MANDRAKE fruit was called the “love apple.”
It is a member of the potato family,
having a large tuberous root which is dark brown.
The dark green leaves grow almost a foot long;
the single-stemmed flowers are a creamy yellow with purplish veins;
and the small fruit is bright red.
In Bible times superstition identified it as a charm against evil spirits,
and as a fertility inducer.

Rachel asks Leah for some of the mandrakes…

Rachel allows Jacob to sleep with Leah
in exchange for some of the mandrakes.

God listened to Leah’s cry
and she became pregnant and bore Issachar = (reward) 30:18

Leah bears Jacob a sixth son Zebulun = (honor) 30:19

Rachel cries out to God and she conceives and bears Jacob another son
Joseph= (may he add),
for she said, “May the Lord add to me another son.” 30:24

Laban learns through divination
that he has been blessed because of Jacob…

This indicates that Haran is still a hot bed of idolatry.

God multiplies Jacob’s wealth and possessions.

Tension grows between Jacob
and Laban and his household because of Jacobs prosperity. 31:2

Jacob flees from Laban 31:13
Being warned in a dream that God desired him to go back to Bethel

Rachel steals her father’s household idols. 31:19

These idols were later buried by Jacob
under the oak at Shechem = (part; portion; back early in the morning, ridge) 35:4

Laban pursues Jacob 31:22

Jacob and Laban make a covenant 31: 45

Rachel died bringing her last child into the world. She called him
Ben-Oni meaning – (“my trouble”) ;
but Israel changed his name to Benjamin – (my right hand.)35:18

It is interesting to note that Rachel
who was Jacob’s favorite died and was buried along the road to Ephrath = (fruitfulness)
Ephrath was another name for Bethlehem = (house of bread) 35:19

Leah on the other hand was buried with Israel (Jacob)
in the same cave where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah were buried 49:29-33

Leah’s life was a struggle for acceptance.
After all, her younger sister was the object of her husband’s desire.
Her continual frustration of living in second place
is chronicled by the way in which she named her children:
Reuben – (you see a son)…
God had seen her pain and affliction and humiliation;
so when she bore her husband his first son she thought,
“Finally I have the bragging rights,
Jacob will now have to give his attention to me.”

Leah’s second son Simeon
whose name comes from the Hebrew word meaning (hearing),
well might indicate her belief
that no one but God had heard or seen her.
In her mind she felt they thought she was worthless.

Levi – (my attachment) was Leah’s third son
whose name implies that she felt,
“Yes, three sons in a row, now Jacob will love me.

In each of her three son’s names,
we see a woman desperate
to do something to gain the approval and affection of Jacob.

There was a distinct change however in Leah’s attitude
when she named her forth son Judah – (praise)
When he was born Leah said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” 29:35

It seems that Leah was now learning
to seek her approval from the Lord.
She was content to find love and acceptance in the presence of Jehovah,
rather than trying to earn approval and compassion through works.

Many in the church today are still is bound in attempting to earn
their acceptance through performance based spirituality
rather than working for the kingdom
out of their acceptance from God
because of their intimacy and affection for the Lord.

The Word tells us that without works,
our faith is meaningless.

26For just as the body without the spirit is dead,
so also faith without works is dead.
James 2:26 NAS

Such works, however, need to be birthed in the presence of God
and not in the mind of man.

Our highest call is to be lead by the presence of God.

Moses had it right when he said:
'If your presence doesn't go with us, then don't send me.'

The picture of the children of Israel being led by the cloud of God’s glory
is an apt reminder of this spiritual principle.

We need to stay under the cloud of God’s presence.
We need to live a lifestyle of worship, praise, adoration and thanksgiving.

12"Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you,
but to fear the LORD your God,
to walk in all His ways and love Him,
and to serve the LORD your God
with all your heart and with all your soul,
Deuteronomy 10:12 NAS

2fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith,
who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and has sat down
at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2

3"To him the doorkeeper opens,
and the sheep hear his voice,
and he calls his own sheep by name
and leads them out.
4"When he puts forth all his own,
he goes ahead of them,
and the sheep follow him
because they know his voice.
5"A stranger they simply will not follow,
but will flee from him,
because they do not know the voice of strangers."
John 10:3-5 NAS

It is when we develop this intimacy with the Lord
that we will flow out of His character
that has been established in us
and we will find the fullness of His provision
and engage in true power evangelism.

Judson Cornwall in his book on idolatry puts it this way:
“The work of our hands
will never compare to the work of God’s hands…
Trusting Him for our provision does, however,
put us in a position of dependency upon Him.
It is the dislike of having to depend upon God
that brings humanity to its knees before the false god of provision
that was invented for a contemporary society”
[Things We Adore, Judson Cornwall; Destiny Image: Shippensburg PA @1991; page 39]

In every man and woman born there is the nature of the beast,
loosed at the fall of mankind,
that desires to draw attention and worship to itself.

This insidious desire within does as much as, if not more,
to separating us from intimacy with God than evil does.

The good that is in man
will never redeem him from the evil and self adoration,
for it all is from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

It is only through the transforming power of Christ in us
that we will overcome this blight of self-servitude.

Only Jesus can bring forth the fruit that is LIFE.

5Not that we are adequate in ourselves
to consider anything as coming from ourselves,
but our adequacy is from God,
6who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant,
not of the letter but of the Spirit;
for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2 Corinthians 3:6 NAS

10But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and His grace toward me did not prove vain;
but I labored even more than all of them,
yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
1 Corinthians 15:10 NAS

Jesus had a lot to say to people in numerous types of sin;
however, he seemed to save the most criticism
for the group that common people thought to be most righteous:
the religious leaders.

His words against the Pharisees and Sadducees
caught the attention of the people of His day,
because these were the very people
who could be seen practicing their "faith" publicly
and keeping the Law to the highest degree.

They tithed on the herbs of their garden,
but they continually misled the people into believing
that spirituality was shown by keeping the law
and demonstrating works of sacrifice and generosity.

They would stand on street corners for hours in sackcloth and ashes
while publicly professing long prayers.
Such public performance was mistakenly seen by some as spirituality.

But the Lord was quick to note
that their recognition of men
was their only reward for such behavior.

"So when you give to the poor,
do not sound a trumpet before you,
as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets,
so that they may be honored by men.
Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
Matthew 6:2 NAS

Leah’s name meaning “to tire or weary”
reflects the way in which she spent most of her life,
trying to prove her worth to Jacob by having children.

Leah actually purchased her husband’s affection
from Rachel with Reuben’s mandrake roots!

We may find that action incredible,
but many in the church today
are still paying for the love of others
by continual acts of service
so that they will feel worthwhile or appreciated.

It is imperative that we
seek His heart,
know His voice,
and follow His leading…
we need to stay under the cloud.

30
fred<><