We Are Family

Verse of the day: Numbers 20:20-21 Then he said, “You shall not pass through.” So Edom came out against them with many men and with a strong hand. 21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory; so Israel turned away from him.

This is an interesting account of Moses and the Israelites being refused passage through Edom. It was a simple request, made by the people of God, who offered to do no harm, but simply to pass through on their way to inherit God’s promise. We saw previous to this that God came to Israel’s defense in those times when others opposed them, but this time God appears silent. We do not read anywhere in this passage that God instructed them to go through Edom; nonetheless, God was watching and well aware of what was taking place. Later, in the Book of Deuteronomy, God addresses this incident and tells Israel how they should respond to the Edomites as a result of the way they treated them. In Deuteronomy 23:7 God told Israel, “You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land.” God’s response to the overreaction by the King of Edom was to tell Israel not to hold the offense against them. Why? Simply stated, “You are family.” The Edomites are the descendants of Esau, while the Israelites are the descendants of Esau’s twin, Jacob. God called them to unity for the sake of their familial roots. The hatred that existed by Esau toward Jacob still existed in their descendants; yet, God called His people, the Israelites, who knew God in a way the Edomites did not, to be the forgiving ones. God took it a step further and even told them to not hold Egyptian’s offense against them, but instead, remember their kindness during the time that Joseph was governor of Egypt. Even when they recalled their enslavement, it was to be remembered not for their suffering, but for God’s deliverance, and for His praise. It amazes me how quickly people, even Christians, forget the kindness of others the moment there is an offense. Sadly, I often see that the unsaved make more of an effort than Christians to keep family relations intact. There will be those family members that will choose to have nothing to do with us because of our faith, and there is nothing we can do about that other than to still treat them with love and kindness, in spite of their attitude. Romans 12:18 exhorts us, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” Even more so than just with blood relations, God wants forgiveness and unity within His family. Galatians 6:9-10 clearly reminds us, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” As God’s children, we know that we are to love, be kind, forgive, and treat others in a way that glorifies God and shows the love of Christ. However, God exhorts us to do so, more so, toward each other as part of His family. It is truly sad when we see Christians who are not only brothers and sisters in Christ, but also blood-related (brothers and sisters, parents and children, and other family relations), who choose not to speak to each other, hold grudges against each other, and use all kinds of excuses to mistreat, ignore, and refuse to forgive one another. Not only is it sad from a human perspective, but it truly saddens our God. I have seen Christians who treat strangers better than they treat family members. This ought not to be amongst God’s people. I have seen unsaved families that make Christian families look pathetic, compared to the way they forgive and love each another. The bottom line is that it is often easier to treat people we see in short spurts with more love, patients, kindness, and so forth, because we only have to deal with them for those abbreviated moments. Yet, we have a tendency to be less patient with the people with whom we have more intimate relationships with. The offenses that happen within those relationships are often more painful because of the level of intimacy involved. This is especially true with brothers and sisters in Christ, as there is no bond greater than the bond that comes from knowing Jesus, and having the same Spirit indwell us. Let us not allow the devils to use offenses to put a wedge between us and unsaved family members who we are supposed to be winning to Christ. Let us also put our pride aside and seek unity with our eternal family for God’s glory.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).