Remembering the Harvest…
“Remembering the Harvest at Home” by Kay Burges.
“A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted . . . because they were not.” (Jeremiah 31:15)
It was a normal Wednesday evening Bible study being taught beautifully by our assistant pastor. I honestly can’t remember his entire message, but I’ll never forget how I felt when I heard him state that Jacob had prophesied Rachel’s death when he declared, “With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live . . . For Jacob knew not. . . .”
I knew that, had taught that, but it struck me again how tragic that Rachel never entered the Promised Land and did not live to see her children grown. As prophesied, she died giving birth to Benjamin before Jacob made it home to his family.
Jacob, unaware of all the goings-on of his household, did not know that Rachel had stolen her father’s idols and was hiding them from the searching men. How tragic that she felt she needed them in her new home. Were they that valuable? Did she feel the need of some sort of insurance, some kind of fallback plan if this new Canaan adventure didn’t work out?
How tragic that Jacob had not successfully transmitted his belief in God to his family. How tragic that she attempted to enter the Promised Land bringing her past with her. Believing they were all on the same page, Jacob rashly declared, “Whoever has them let them die.” The idols were not found in the search due to Rachel’s subterfuge, but she reaped the harvest of her actions. She died in childbirth before entering the Promised Land.
Would Joseph and Benjamin’s lives have been different if their mother had lived? Most definitely . God ultimately had His way in the lives of Rachel’s children, but at what cost? There is no denying that their upbringing could not have been easy given the dynamics of that household. Joseph went on to become the savior of the entire clan in Egypt, but he suffered greatly in childhood and as an adult. Benjamin ultimately produced many great warriors including Saul, the first King of Israel and the apostle Paul, but his was always the smallest tribe. At one point, the tribe was almost annihilated because of their warlike and depraved behavior. Would it have been different if Rachel had lived? I must believe so.
Mothers, we must not wait until tragedy occurs before we cry out. The time for action is now. We must be present and engaged in spiritual warfare for our little ones from the beginning. This treasure that God has placed into our safekeeping is worth so much more than any graven image or idol. The value of one soul far outweighs any material gain we could possibly obtain by holding onto our past idols and dreams. There is nothing in this world worth living for. Only what we will have in the world to come is worth fighting for. God has a better future, a better plan for our children than we can possibly imagine, but we must stay in the fight and not cede our place or responsibility to another. He promises that our work will be rewarded and that our children will come again from the land of the enemy, but we must stay in the fight until we reap the harvest at home.
Information from:
Ladies Prayer International Newsletter – UPCI Ladies Ministries – ladiesprayerinternational-aol.com@shared1.ccsend.com
