Human Consequences

 

         A family I know is going through some things right now with those ‘members of the family’ who years ago, made the choice to no longer be part of the family, and added some other bad choices along the way.  It’s been many years since anyone has even had contact with them, as they lived their lives separate from what was their extended family.

There are members within the extended family who describe the situation as having between them, ‘bad blood.’  Now that legal matters, due to a death, need to be addressed, it’s causing great friction, since the ‘bad blood’ seems to be rising to the surface, once again.

Ironically, my husband and I were talking, just this morning at breakfast, how bad choices can create separations and have consequences we totally don’t expect. (And we weren’t even talking about the above scenario, with which I started!)  It seems to be a human condition!

To add to this, I was reading a post by a Pastor I follow recently, and came across something I’d never recognized before.  He was talking about the Biblical Jacob who loved Rachel; and how her father, Laban, deceived Jacob into waiting for his bride.  We understand and admit that God has a plan and forgives us for our bad choices through our faith in Jesus, but there are still consequence for our behaviors.

In the case of Jacob, Laban told him their practice is to not marry the younger before the first born.  First Jacob had to work for Laban before he could marry the daughter he loved, and it turned out he was tricked into marrying the older daughter, Leah, first.  What is interesting is how Jacob is also not the firstborn.  He deceived his father and stole the ‘firstborn blessing’ from Esau.  

The parallel of Jacob's deception of Isaac next to the deception of Laban to Jacob, caught me off guard.  I’d read the story many times and had not picked up on that point!  There’s an expression in the Bible that comes from Numbers 32:23, “Your sins will find you out!”   We can hide all kinds of ‘stuff’ from our neighbors, our family, our boss or co-workers, but God sees all and knows all!  Eventually our sins do catch up with us, and there are consequences.

There is so much ‘junk’ going on in the political world today.  Much of it is related to an agenda.  It totally depends on perspective as to whether one thing or another is good or bad.  There are those who would say there’s a good deal of ‘bad’ going on, as our morals and traditions are being destroyed, even to the point of damaging our families, wrecking the institution of marriage, permitting abortion and encouraging gender change. These are considered the tip of the ice burg!  

While it seems our elected politicians are in total control and create laws we may not agree with, we need to remember, sins can’t be contained and swept under a rug forever, any more than those of Laban or Jacob.  There will be consequences.  If not in our earthly domain, certainly in the realm to follow.  It’s about choices, and we need to make Godly ones!