Seize the Moment – Day 426
Power Plays!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, May 17.
The world loves a good power play!
Jacob’s oldest son, Reuben, made a power play after the death of Jacob’s favored wife, Rachel. Whether this had to do with him being the first born of all Jacob’s children or simply the first-born of Jacob’s scorned first wife Leah, we don’t know. But what we do know is that Jacob had just named Rachel’s son, Benjamin, a powerful name meaning, “son of the right hand” and shortly after this Reuben made his move against his father.
Had Reuben finally had enough and took matters into his own hands?
Genesis 35:19-22 records Reuben’s power play:
So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. Then Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder. It came about while Israel was dwelling in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father’s concubine, and Israel heard of it.
Why would he do this? In 2 Samuel 16:20-23, Absalom does the same exact power play in his rebellion against his father, King David.
In both cases, the sons of these powerful men are marked forever by their failed attempts to seize power from their fathers. We can learn from their failures and don’t need to make the same mistakes in our lives.
God warns His people in 1 Peter 5:6-7, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”
Seize the moment and trust God to be the one to raise you up. Power plays may be the way of corporations and politicians, but they should not be the way of God’s people and churches. Humble yourself and trust God to lift you up at the right time.