Hatred OF Evil or PRODUCING Evil?

I’ve often wondered how Esau adjusted after Jacob escaped his wrath. Esau initially hated Jacob and planned to kill him. Two types of hatred confront us. One kind of hatred produces evil, wickedness and sin and derives pleasure from the suffering of others. By contrast, Proverbs 8:13 clearly states, “to fear God is to hate evil.”

The more that hatred dominates our consciousness, the more our capacity for empathy and compassion fades away. Hate that delights in the failure or destruction of another person is sick. Likewise, if feelings of joy surface when those hated by us experience pain and suffering, then our hearts and souls have become contaminated.

Thank God that you hate evil and love righteousness. When evil feelings of hate do surface within you, it’s imperative to confess them to God. Do everything within your power to make things right with those who are the recipient of your anger and hatred. It may appear impossible, but not with God's guidance, his redemption and deliverance.  

Dysfunctionality and God's Oil of Joy

Jacob and Esau are an interesting study because in today's analysis, this family would be characterized as dysfunctional with codependency issues. Jacob and his mother betrayed his father to steal Esau’s blessing. Conferring this blessing was a prestigious occasion. By stealing Esau’s blessing, Jacob became an executor of the estate, including power of attorney with authority over all family members.

 

Esau’s anger quickly evolved into hatred. In this turmoil Esau became homicidal. If Jacob’s mother had not intervened, Esau would have killed his brother. How do you think Esau managed to control himself with all that internalized anger and hatred just waiting to explode on Jacob?

It is unquestionable that hatred is wrong and destructive. Psalm 45:7 enlightens us. “You love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore, you O God have placed us above the standards and ways of this world and anointed us with the oil of joy.” God’s oil of joy calms our nerves and soul. 

Blessed to Limp

Everyone has experienced the consequences of false hope. That's because hope is different from choosing what you want. C. S. Lewis said, "Most people, if they really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that what they want acutely cannot be had in this world." Eventually everyone gets to a crossroads in life where they come face to face with God and reality.

 

          Jacob faced uncertainty the night before he was to meet his brother. As he tried to sleep, Genesis 30:24 tells us a man wrestled with him until daybreak, but Jacob refused to let the man go. Then the man informed him his name would now be “Israel, because you struggled with God and have overcome.” 

          Jacob would carry a permanent reminder of experiencing God and being blessed by him. The angel of God touched the socket of his hip, resulting in a permanent limp. This experience would strengthen Jacob's hope for a future blessed by God to be passed on to his children who were receptive to trusting in the God of hope.  

I Surrender!

When Jacob lay down to sleep on the night before he was to meet his estranged brother, he had a visitor who engaged him in a wrestling match for an entire night. It's not uncommon to a have sleepless night because of anxiety or worry about the next day’s events. Jacob’s past had caught up with him, which put his future in jeopardy.

          In this wrestling match God made an all-out effort to penetrate the defenses Jacob erected. He wanted to do as he pleased and to use all his schemes and tools of deception in order to wring out of life everything it was ultimately worth. Yet God intended for Jacob to live by a different ethic, a code of conduct that reflected God's grace and deliverance.

          Surrendering to God's leadership isn't easy. We're afraid to let go and turn everything over to God. It may take a crisis where everything is in danger of being lost and we're powerless to stop it. It's at this juncture where we can exercise hope that the God of all hope will intervene on our behalf to save and change us.

God's Sustaining Hope

Hope seldom excludes fear, anxiety and worry. Yet hope gives assurance to press on even when it’s necessary to hold other emotions in check. When Jacob made peace with his father-in-law, he immediately had to prepare to meet his brother Esau. These meetings proved to be a turning point in his life.

The night before Jacob was to meet the brother, it wasn't just his brother he had the face; he had to face God and himself. To think of facing God is an awesome thought. Jacob had to do business with God, who held his destiny in his hands. Whatever Jacob had done could not be hidden from the Lord God.

Jacob was fearful and worried about meeting his brother, but his hope lay in the power of God to deliver him. Listen as he reminds God. "You, O God, promised, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea.'" Hope in God's unfailing promises will sustain all who believe, even in life’s worst crises.

Hope Overcomes

There’s an awesome, prevailing sense of encouragement where there’s hope. Hope communicates a belief that obstacles can be overcome. Hope’s expectancy is "all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purposes." Hope can be present even amidst overwhelming conflict.

Jacob could have lived with his father-in-law indefinitely. His skill in livestock breeding had made his father-in-law wealthy, but now he was ready to return to his homeland. Perhaps Proverbs 13:12 had become a reality he could not ignore. "Hope deferred makes the heart sick." So, hope encourages endurance until it’s time to go after what has seemed impossible.

Hope gives nourishment to the heart and soul until the body and mind are ready for change. Hope sees potential for the future and will risk hardship for future rewards. Jacob had to prepare himself for meeting his brother even if it meant his death. Hope springs eternal in every heart where Christ Jesus resides. God bless you. 

A Precious Jewel ~ Hope

Jacob had good reason to have hope. He had an encounter with God while he slept on a dark lonely road. In his dream God promised to bring him home safely. Twenty years later he was making his way home with four wives, eleven children and servants. Hope provided motivation to press onward in the face of many obstacles. Hope strengthens determination even when plagued by uncertainty about the future.

Jacob had to face to face his past sins. The only way he could proceed was to trust in the hope God gave him two decades earlier.  Perhaps his faith mirrored Psalm 25:3. "No one whose hope is in you, O Lord, will ever be put to shame.”

Hope is a precious jewel because it gives an essence to life that comes from the heart of God. Psalm 62:5 affirms, "Find rest, 0 my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and salvation.  He is my fortress. I will not be shaken.” Thank God for hope. 

Go Forth in Hope

When it came time for Jacob to return to his homeland, he left under a cloud of suspicion and distrust. These were similar circumstances that forced him to leave his home twenty years earlier. Jacob never gave up his dubious character that consistently got him into trouble, for he was a schemer, destined to reach for what he wanted.

 

Jacob manipulated his father-in-law out of a large portion of his wealth, then left for home without saying goodbye. He eventually worked out an agreement for peace with his father-in-law. What gave Jacob motivation to leave his father-in-law’s home was the hope God gave him for a safe return to his home and reconciliation with his brother.

When God is at work with a person, he provides hope even in the presence of chaos, separation and sin. Hope pushes us forward and never gives up. Hope sees light in darkness and hears the still small voice of God providing expectancy and courage to make a way even when the road ahead appears barricaded.  

Transformation? Praise, Don't Pout!

In the story of the Prodigal Son the father decided to acknowledge the demands of his younger son and give him his inheritance so he could leave home. The father yielded, knowing that the immaturity of his son could lead to disaster. The father was wise enough to know if he held on to his son, he would not have his son's commitment to lead a productive life. This son not only lost his inheritance but also came close to losing his life.

 

          When the son returned home broke, sick and ashamed, the father saw that a transformation had taken place. Gone were the arrogance, the self-centeredness and "I don't need you" attitude. Now there were humility, a sense of gratitude and a true repentant heart.

          The older brother refused to celebrate the transformation of his younger sibling. He chose to be angry and pout. Anger’s message in the older brother was, “All I’ve done is work to please my father and it means nothing to him.” The father's response to the transformation was like the angles who rejoice when a sinner repents and returns to God.

Why Anger?

Anger always has a message and a goal. Benjamin Franklin surmised that anger is never felt without a reason. When the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son became angry with his father for giving an extravagant party for the returning younger brother, he felt his anger was justified.

The father's efforts to console the older brother were brushed off. Listen to the father's appeal: "Your brother was dead but is now alive; he was lost but is now found." Still his anger could not be appeased. "I've always been responsible. I obeyed your every command, yet you never once gave me a party."

Anger’s underlying message was, “You love my brother more than me.” Anger's message rarely gets an in-depth examination of a situation because it blurs our vision and limits our range of hearing. The older brother could have asked, "What does my father see in my younger brother that I cannot see? What will I lose by remaining angry?" May God help you ask similar questions when you’re angry.  

Celebrate or Excommunicate?

Have you noticed how anger can be detrimental to achieving a worthy goal? Anger has the capacity to surface with minimal prompting. The father of the prodigal son was so thankful to see his son alive that he called for an all-out celebration, proclaiming, “My son was dead but is now alive, was lost but is now found!”

The older brother would have nothing to do with the celebration. His anger was directed toward his brother for coming home alive, and he was even angrier with his father for treating this irresponsible son as a prince. Visualize the father running down the road to greet his son with hugs and kisses, then ordering a prime rib beef dinner to celebrate.

When the older brother learned of the joyful celebration, he was angry to the depths of his being. The goal of his anger was to spoil his father's joy because the father refused to disown his wayward son and excommunicate him from the family. God’s command is, “Be angry, but do not sin.” Anger always has a reason, but it may not be a good one.

You Hurt My Feelings!

Anger is seldom experienced in isolation. What I've observed is that hurt feelings most often precede anger. What's it like to have your feelings hurt? Most people will not admit their feelings are hurt because it feels like a weakness. Can you imagine telling someone who was rude or disrespectful they hurt your feelings?

It's easier to allow hurt feelings to transform into anger. Hurt feelings portray vulnerability. Anger projects invincibility with a readiness to defend. Hurt feelings require comfort with soothing words while anger pushes others away. Anger projects harshness with eyes dilated and blazing, willing to fight.

God created us with the capacity to experience hurt and anger for our benefit. One way to manage anger is being able to accept that hurt feelings are a prelude to anger. Admitting hurt feelings is crucial to preventing anger from doing damage. God respects honesty and truth, and he will help you accept hurt feelings as an option to anger.

Crossing from Anger to Trust

It's imperative to acknowledge that anger can be provoked in everyone, but it likewise can become the means for creating healthy, strong relationships rather than a force for destroying what’s potentially good and loving. While expressed anger can be frightening, it’s possible for it to be used constructively for resolving conflict and developing trust.

  

In a counseling session, a woman in a fit of anger took off her shoe and began thrashing her husband. This happened in an instant, to everyone’s dismay. After the adrenaline rush dissipated, she explained that her husband said something that infuriated her, so anger and rage took control.

Proverbs 15:18 declares, “A hot-tempered person stirs up dissension and starts fights.” Explosions of anger and rage seldom resolve issues or bring couples closer together. It’s imperative to accept  responsibility for your anger. Anger can be the means for expressing healthy feelings and thoughts while building a bridge to trust and respect.