Tehillah Generation Chapel
Daily Manna | Friday, July 7, 2017 | Reading: Exodus 33:1-11, Exodus 4, Gen 3:1-21
Topic: The Tabernacle of God 167
Scripture: But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say not of this building. (Heb 9:11)
Note: 1John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Some of the traditional wise sayings in the African cultural context also go a long way to influence our thoughts, actions and philosophy of life either for good or otherwise. One particularly useful popular saying among the Gá people is “tsɛlɛ gbeo dɔlɛ.” To wit, translated to mean, ” The passage of time calms hot tempers or anger down.”
With the passage of time, people have the benefit of profiting from calm heads after much reflection on a past moment of madness. In the heat of hot tempers, many unkind and sometimes unintended utterances and assaults come out which are often deeply regretted after giving the whole issue much thought and reflection. In those sober moments, some are able to repent of their misbehaviour and turn on a new leaf. Some people are courageous enough to move a step further by going to the offended party to apologize. This effectively brings a finality to the misunderstanding or fracas between them. Some people have been able to move on from such reunion to becoming great friends.
One classic example of a hot temper that could have turned tragic was the hijacking of the blessing of the firstborn inheritance by Jacob when he craftily supplanted unwise Esau, his senior twin brother, using a lunch meal as the exchange for the transaction. Esau, whose preoccupation in life was primarily satisfying his lust and whatever he could get to satisfy his innate desire immediately, had frowned upon the importance of the birthright, treating it with disdain at the ridiculously low price of a meal. Esau’s disregard for the birthright as a joke courted the anger of God and cost him his birthright.
His subsequent wrath against Jacob was undeserving, as he had masterminded his own downfall, forgetting that Yahweh was a witness to the agreed exchange. Jacob had to run away from the fury of Esau like a fugitive to his uncle, Laban, to save his life. It wasn’t until many years had elapsed at a time they had both prospered with families and property, before they got reunited, weeping over each other’s shoulders. Jacob never saw his mum, Rebekah again until her death.
Food for thought: Even though Jacob and Esau became reunited, the wounds of their fracas never really healed, as the grandson of Esau became the nation of Amalek, warring against Israel to date.
Declaration: Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. James 1:19
©Author: Rev Fred Aboe
