James, the son of Zedebee: a man who struggled and yet showed courage in service to Christ

James is one of the first disciples called by Jesus along with his brother, John, and friends, Simon Peter and Andrew. A fisherman working with his brother and their father, Zedebee, James would become a member of the core group with Peter and John for special training as each would play a key role in the early church. Peter would be the great speaker, John the majority writer and James would be the first to die for his faith. While he was chosen to be among the inner circle, little is known about James after the events in the Book of Acts. Who was James, the son of Zedebee? What were his strengths and weaknesses? What is the key lesson we can take from his story?

James is described as ambitious, short-tempered, judgmental and yet deeply committed to Jesus. Ambitious as he, along with John, asked Jesus for a place of honor in his kingdom, specifically a seat on his right and left (Mark 10:37). Jesus rebukes them, telling them both that they do not truly understand what they are asking. As with all the disciples, James did not understand Jesus’s true purpose. They envisioned Jesus overthrowing the Romans and restoring Israel’s to her former glory. Regardless, James knew he wanted to be by Jesus’s side. He had found the right leader; he was just wrong about the timetable. It would take Jesus’s death and resurrection for true understanding. James would have an outburst of temper. In Luke 9:54, he and John asked Jesus if he wanted them to call down first from heaven to destroy a Samaritan village after they refused to welcome him (verses 52-53). He wanted quick retaliation. In Acts, he would speak at the First Council and agreed that Jesus had come for Gentiles as well as the Jews (Acts 15:13-21) as the requirements of faith that we follow are set by God and not by man. 

James would be the first to die for his faith. He was willing as he saw Jesus conquer death and open the doorway to eternal life. James was a man with strengths and weaknesses. His strengths are simple to understand. He was one of the 12 disciples and one of the inner three. He would be the first to die for his faith. However, it is in his weakness that we can see ourselves. His two outbursts indicated that James struggled with a temper and selfishness. When he left a wrong had been committed, he wanted quick payback. A feeling that many of us have experienced from time to time. Something happens which is unfair or undeserving and we want the person to feel the same pain and disappointment that we do. However, in Romans 12:19, Paul reminds us that revenge is the Lord’s, he will play, quoting Deutoronmy 32:35. We are not to overcome evil with evil, but with good (Romans 12:21). And like James, we experience moments of selfishness. It is a part of being human. As selfishness is the root of sin and conflict, we need to actively focus on humility and putting others before ourselves in order to overcome this natural response. Paul writes in Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” 

Jesus promised eternal life to those willing to trust him (John 3:16). If we believe in this promise, Jesus will give us the courage to stand for Him and face whatever challenges that come our way, even during the most dangerous times. The key lesson from James’s story is that the loss of life is not too heavy a price to pay for following Jesus. In Matthew 10:17-42, Jesus prepared his disciples, and us, for persecution, in which he says, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (verse 39).” Even Paul writes in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” To live meant to have time to tell others about Christ and to become more like him. To die would be the end of the worldly troubles and to see Christ face to face. As times get harder and the world increasingly puts pressure on believers, will I be able to stand when death would be the result? I don’t know. I can only pray that if (or when) that moment comes, I can say “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” 

In conclusion, James, the son of Zedebee, was a fisherman who left life as he knew it to follow Jesus. Even though he was one of the 12 and one of the inner three, he struggles with his ambitious nature, a temper and selfishness. Through his faith and trust in Jesus, he realized the true mission of Jesus’s life and death, he would spend the rest of his life telling others the good news. He would be the first to die for the faith and he certainly wasn’t the last. James is an example of the courage in service to Christ is important as we spread the gospel. That courage can also make us a target for persecution. We need to be bold for Christ with courage and humility. 

On this day in history: the Articles of Confederation were approved (1777)

On this day in history, the Articles of Confederation were approved in 1777 by the Second Continental Congress and sent to each colony for ratification. It was an agreement among the colonies and served as the new nations first constitution. The guiding principle was to preserve the independence and sovereignty of each state with a weak central government. The idea was that it is was a league of friendship. It was officially ratified on March 1, 1781 as the Revolutionary War was coming to a close with victory coming at Yorktown in October. When Shay’s Rebellion occurred in August 1786-June 1787, the weaknesses of the Articles were apparent, and the Constitutional Convention convened on May 25, 1787 to address its issues.

The Articles of Confederation established a firm league among the colonies now known as free and independent states. It was an international agreement to set up the central institutions to conduct vital domestic and foreign affairs. On June 12, 1776, a committee of 13 was chosen to draft a constitution for the new nation they wanted to create. The Articles of Confederation were presented to the Continental Congress on July 12, 1776. Long debates ensued on state sovereignty and the powers given to Congress. Questions on how to establish a judiciary, western land claims and voting procedures and general questions on how to conduct day to day business. Eventually a consensus was achieved by allowing each state to retain its sovereignty, the power of western land claims was given to the states, and established a unicameral legislature with limited powers. The final draft would be approved on November 15, 1777.

The Articles consist of a preamble, 13 articles, a conclusion, and a signatory section. Each individual article set rules for current and future operations of the central government. Here is a summarized version of each article:

1.  Establishes the country’s new name as the United State of America.

2. Asserts the sovereignty of each state.

3. Declares the purpose of the Confederation as a “firm league of friendship” for the common defense, security of liberties and mutual and general well-being.

4. Establishes equal treatment and freedom of movement for free residents of each state as well as extradition powers for fugitives to be returned to the state of their crimes.

5. Allocates one vote per state in the Congress of the Confederation and each state was entitled to a delegation of 2-7 members who were appointed by their state’s legislatures for service of no more than 3 of 6 years.

6. The power to declare war is allocated to the Congress as well as the power to conduct foreign political or commercial relationships. While each state is required to keep ready a well-trained, disciplined, and equipped militia.

7. State legislatures are assigned military ranks of Colonel and below.

8. Government expenditures will be paid with funds raised by the state legislatures.

9. Details the specific powers and functions of the Congress including war powers, foreign powers, appointed judges to the courts, appointed a president to serve no longer than 1 year per a 3-year Congressional term.

10. When the Congress is in recess, nine states are needed to form a committee to execute any of the congressional powers.

11. No new states shall be admitted without the consent of nine states.

12. Confederations will honor all bills of credit incurred, monies borrowed, and debts contracted by Congress before the Articles’ existence.

13. The Articles can be altered only by Congressional approach and ratification of the state legislatures.

 After the Articles were ratified by the states on March 1, 1781, it wasn’t long until its weaknesses were exposed. After the war, a debt crisis rose among the citizens in Massachusetts and the state’s increased efforts to collect taxes on both individuals and their trades. With no relief in sight, war veteran and farmer Daniel Shays led 4,000 men to protest the economic and civil rights injustices. On August 29, 1787, Shay led an armed march on the federal Springfield Armory to seize the weaponry and overthrown the government. It was unsuccessful but other skirmishes would follow until the rebellion was stopped by the Massachusetts State militia and a privately funded local militia. At the time of the rebellion, it weakness of the Articles were apparent, and it was widely debated among the Federalists and the Antifederalists about revisions to the Articles. It has been widely taught that Shays’ Rebellion was the catalyst for the Constitutional Convention and the creation of the Constitution we know today; however, many scholars still debate whether the rebellion really had an influence on the creation of the Constitution and its ratification.

In conclusion, the Articles of Confederation was our nation’s first attempt at a constitution. While it has its weaknesses and was thrown out in favor for the current Constitution, the Articles was a start for a community who know what they wanted to avoid in a government and the liberty they wanted to protect. From identifying the powers of Congress and the country’s leaders, the Articles of Confederation served as the starting point for a new nation. Its greatest achievement was to bring the 13 colonies together to form one nation. Whether Shays’ Rebellion was the catalyst to throw out the Articles, or just the final straw, it influenced the creation of the new US Constitution. Today, we remember the Articles of Confederation. 

Rachel: a woman who tried the earn the unearnable

This month’s study is on Rachel, the woman Jacob wanted to marry. He worked seven years for her father and his uncle, Laban, to marry her. He would be tricked into marrying her older sister, Leah, first and then worked another seven years to finally marry Rachel. Rachel’s name means ewe as in a female sheep. For the most part, Rachel was manipulated by her father and had very little say over her own life. After all she had to share her husband with her older sister and eventually two servants. However, she learned to be a manipulator herself. She was a schemer and a victim of schemes. What is her story? What were her strengths and weakness we can learn from? What does her story tell us about God’s promises?

Rachel was the cherished wife of Jacob but despite his love and devotion, she felt she had to earn it. She had captured his heart at the well when they first met and he worked for her father, for a total of 14 years, to finally marry her. Despite this obvious devotion, Rachel believes that Jacob does not truly love her because he won’t give her a child (Genesis 30:1) to which Jacob would reply that he has nothing to do with it (Genesis 30:2). Her longing for children ultimately led to her death in childbirth. Her longing and her need to compete with her sister. Leah had a habit of naming her children in a way that emphasized her fertility and Rachel’s infertility. When she couldn’t have children, Rachel gave her servant, Bilhah, to Jacob. Bilhah went on to have two sons. She would claim that the struggle with her sister was over, but their battle was far from over (Genesis 30:6). When Leah stopped having children, she too gave her servant, Zilpah to Jacob. Zilpah would have two sons as well. After three more births, Rachel would eventually become pregnant herself. She would have a son named Joseph. She would become pregnant for the second and last time. She would die from childbirth, giving birth to her son, Benjamin.

Rachel’s greatest accomplishment in her story is the birth of her sons, Joseph, and Benjamin. Joseph would be a particularly important figure later. However, like her husband and her father, Rachel was a schemer and was a victim of schemes. She was tricked by her father. She viewed her children as weapons in her struggle with her sister. The lessons of treachery and competition were passed to the next generation as Joseph would suffer at the hands of his brothers (Genesis 37:23-28). Her story is also marred with weaknesses. Her envy and competitiveness marred her relationship with both her husband and her sister. She was capable of dishonesty when she stole her father’s idols and then lied when he looked for them (Genesis 31:34-35). She failed to realize that Jacob’s devotion was not dependent on her ability to have children. From her life, we can see that loyalty must be influenced by what is true and right, not just familial bonds. And love is accepted, not earned. Her attempts to earn the unearnable is a portrait of us doing the same with God’s love. Many people believe that they must be good to receive God’s love. There is nothing we can do to earn it; it has always been there. His love has no beginning and no end. It is incredibly patient. All we need to do is respond.

Through the schemes and plots, God remained faithful. Step by step, in ways impossible for use to foresee, God was using people with their mixed motives and confused desires to reveal his grace and mercy. Genesis 30:22 says that God remembered Rachel, but he never really forgot her. The word “remembered” doesn’t mean God suddenly went “Oops! I forgot all about Rachel!” The Bible used it to express God’s love and compassion for his people. It serves as a reminder that God’s promise is never to abandon us or leave us without support or relief. He will never forsake us. Deuteronomy 31:8 says “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” He will never forget us. Isaiah 49:15-16 says "I will never forget you. See, upon the palms of my hand I have written your name." He will always remember us. There is never a moment that God forgets us. He is present, attentive, and aware of our deepest desires and concerns even when we are certain he has forgotten us. Isaiah 41:10, one of my favorite verses, says "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

In conclusion, Rachel was a woman of loyalty and love. However, she let her envy and desire for a child strain her relationships. While the tragedy in her story is her ultimate death in childbirth, her greatest joy is that her husband loved and cherished her. Rather than dealing with a difficult situation with creativity, she behaved like a perpetual victim, responding to wrongs with more wrongs. It is a common feeling to hurt others as they have hurt us. It is human nature to retaliate but is not what God wants. First Thessalonians 5:15 says “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” We should do good to those we treat us badly. Love those who hurt us and God will take care of the wrongs they have done.

 Picture Credits

2. William Dyce (1806-1864) Public Domain

3. PAINTING: A BIBLE LOVE STORE BETWEEN JACOB AND RACHEL

Creator: Alex Levin

Copyright: Copyright @ Art Levin Studio, Inc.

Information extracted from IPTC Photo Metadata.

https://artlevin.com/product/yakov-and-rachel/

4. Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770) Public Domain

Lessons and examples of the story of Eve

Many people know who Eve is in the Bible. Eve is the first woman mentioned in the Bible. In Genesis, she is made from Adam’s rib as a companion and helper with him in the Garden of Eden. As Genesis 2:18 says “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Her name means “life giving” or “mother of all who have life.” She is also the one who is first tempted by the serpent. Is there more we can know about Eve and her story? There are lessons we can learn from her story. What can be learn from her sorrows and joy? What were her strengths and weaknesses?

Eve’s story begins in the Garden of Eden with Adam. There were no shadows, no disorder, and no discord or fear. Perfect harmony. She was in peace with God and her husband. She did not know the meaning of embarrassment, misunderstanding, pain, envy, bitterness, grief or guilt. Until one day, Satan disguised as the serpent (often depicted as a snake but was mostly likely a large lizard) came and she allowed doubt and desire to persuade her to eat from the forbidden tree. Suddenly, there was no more harmony in Eden and darkness and death entered the world. God punishes Eve and Adam with banishment. Eve is cursed with pain in childbirth and Adam is cursed with a lifetime of hard labor. After they leave the garden, Eve gives birth to a son, Cain, who would later murder his brother, Abel, with jealousy in his heart. When the Bible last speaks of Eve, she is a woman in anguish as she gives birth to another son, Seth (Genesis 4:25). Her death is not recorded in the Scriptures.

Her main sorrow was she and Adam were banished from Paradise and the presence of God. She would know anguish as her eldest son killed his younger brother in jealousy. But joy? What joy did Eve have? God promised that her offspring would eventually destroy her enemy. Genesis 3:15 says, “And I will put enmity between you [the serpent] and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel.” Imbedded in this verse is the promise of a Redeemer, a Savior. This verse is a foreshadowing of Jesus as God reveals his plan to defeat Satan and offer salvation to the world. The phrase, “you will strike his heel,” refers to Satan’s repeated attempts to defeat Jesus during his lifetime and “he will crush your head” refers to Jesus’s defeat of Satan by rising from the dead. Even after their punishment, God still cared for them and formulated a plan to undo their sin. The lesson here is that despite our sin and our inevitable physical death, God’s grace and mercy are the most beautiful gifts. Despite being at our lowest, suffering from the consequences of our sin, God’s grace is still at work within us.

We know Eve’s strengths as the first female. The first wife and mother. She recognizes that life is in God’s control as she proclaims, “With the help of the Lord, I have brought forth a man” (Genesis 4:1). She had a relationship with God and with her husband as she had co-responsibility over creation with him. Unfortunately, she is better known for her mistakes. She allowed her contentment to be undermined. She was willing to accept Satan’s argument without checking with God. She ignored what she knew God had done and focused on what he withheld. Sound familiar? How often do we focus on what we don’t have and rail against God instead of focusing on praising Him for what He has provided? Our desires, the “I’ve got to have it now” feeling keeps us very manipulated and easily influenced by factors other than God. When confronted by God for her sin, she blamed others, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:13), rather than take responsibility for her actions. 

In conclusion, Eve is an example of how we can be deceived when we take our eyes off God and His promises. How much our lives can be misled when we turned to ourselves instead of turning to Him. She is also an example of the great promise God gave us in Jesus. A Redeemer to rid ourselves and the world of Satan’s deceptions. Eve is an example of when godly people do ungodly things. That despite knowing better, their desire, their lack of judgment or they let their emotions overrun their rational thought and they do things they knew they shouldn’t do. Eve is an example of what happens we let our guard down and let Satan whisper in our ears and hearts.