The Big Idea
The Big Idea
An Introduction to Be Authentic by Ken Baugh
God’s sovereignty is the character trait of His that brings me the most comfort in life. It strengthens me to know that nothing, absolutely nothing—good, bad, nor ugly—can happen in my life as a child of God that He does not allow. There will never come a day when something awful happens to me and God says, “Oh, sorry, son, I fell asleep at the wheel of your life, but I promise that will never happen again.” God never sleeps, He is always watching over His children.
Therefore, even the most evil, heinous things that happen in a believer’s life are things that God allows for a reason. Now, God doesn’t ask us to like those things. We don’t have to become some kind of masochist who enjoys pain and says, “Thank You, Father, may I have another?” But I do believe that God asks us to be real with Him about our feelings and trust that He is working behind the scenes of every event in our lives for a divine purpose.
God never promised a pain-free life to every believer. Instead, He promised that He would use pain and suffering as defining moments to shape us into the men and women He needs us to be in order to accomplish His purposes. As a pastor, I have personally witnessed in the lives of many people over the years that suffering has a powerful, refining influence that makes a person real. Suffering brings about a greater sense of authenticity. It strips away pretense and causes a childlike dependence on God that I believe is pleasing to Him.
But God uses these defining moments of suffering not only to bring about needed change in our character and behavior but also to prepare us for some divine purpose. Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph all experienced defining moments of suffering that God used to shave off character defects, strengthen faith, and prepare them for His divine plan. As we look at each man’s defining moment, I believe it will reinforce your confidence in God’s sovereignty in your own life and instill in you an abiding confidence that God has a purpose for you. Let’s take a look.
Isaac’s defining moment came on the top of Mount Moriah as his father, Abraham, prepared him to become a burnt offering before the Lord. This experience was a test of submission for both Abraham and Isaac. For Abraham, God wanted to know if he loved Him more than his only son and if he would submit to His command to “take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about” (Gen. 22:2 NIV). As incredible as it may seem to us, Abraham didn’t argue with God. Instead, he took Isaac to the mountain God showed him, gathered the wood for the burnt offering, bound his son, and laid him on the altar. Now, I don’t know about you, but that fits into my category as a defining moment! No one else in the entire Bible experienced what Isaac experienced on that day. And yet, there is no record that he struggled against his father. There is no indication that he tried to escape. He submitted to the will of his earthly father and his heavenly Father. I believe that this event in Isaac’s life produced a reverent attitude toward God and a tender heart toward others that we see play out throughout the rest of his life. As you study Isaac’s life, see if you can identify this reverent attitude and tender heart that is so precious to God.
Jacob’s defining moment came at the Jabbok River. As you read about Jacob, you will discover he had some serious character flaws that God had to deal with. Jacob was deceitful and conniving. He manipulated people and controlled situations to get what he wanted. One day, he cheated his brother Esau out of his birthright and stole his blessing from their father, Isaac (27:36). This made Esau incredibly bitter toward Jacob, so much so that he vowed to kill him (27:41). Jacob fled to his uncle Laban’s home in Haran to hide from Esau’s wrath. He worked for Laban for twenty years.
During that time, Jacob married two of Laban’s daughters, Leah and Rachael. Through deceit he became wealthy working for his uncle (30:43). So once again, Jacob found himself running, but this time it was not from his brother Esau but from his angry uncle and cousins. Finally, because Jacob didn’t have anywhere else to go, he realized he had to go home and face Esau.
Of course, he was terrified that his brother’s wrath hadn’t subsided in twenty years. So again, relying on his own cunning, Jacob divided his family, servants, and livestock. He sent them ahead to meet Esau, carrying with them lavish gifts in hopes of appeasing his anger. Finally, during the evening before their confrontation, Jacob found himself alone at the ford of the Jabbok River. There he had his defining moment as he wrestled with God. It’s likely that this man who wrestled Jacob was the preincarnate Lord Jesus, because of what he said to Jacob: “You have struggled with God” (32:28 NIV) and because of Jacob’s response to this encounter: “I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared” (32:30 NIV).
In this wresthng match, Jacob refused to yield. His arrogance drove him on until God had to physically disable him by dislocating his hip so that he limped for the rest of his life. God had taken away Jacob’s ability to run, and he now had to face his problems in faith. That next day, as he met Esau for the first time in twenty years, he experienced not wrath but grace. It was as if God was saying to him, “You can trust Me, Jacob. I will take care of you.” As you study Jacob’s life, see if you can find further evidence of his deceitful character, and then compare and contrast that with his new life after his defining moment with God.
Finally, Joseph’s defining moment came in prison. His jealous brothers had sold him into slavery, and his master’s wife had falsely accused him of rape. Yet while Joseph was in prison, God matured him into a man of authentic faith. “While Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden” (39:20–21 NIV). God had given Joseph the ability to interpret dreams. In his youth he had bragged about this ability and provoked his brothers to the anger that ultimately led them to sell him into slavery. But now as a seasoned man of God, he stood before Pharaoh, the most powerful man in the region, to interpret Pharaoh’s dream.
After Joseph accurately interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, Pharaoh promoted him to second-in-command of all Egypt. God used him to save not only the nation but also his family from famine. Joseph summed up his perspective on his life when he said to his estranged brothers: “And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.… God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God” (Gen. 45:5, 7–8 NIV). As you study Joseph’s life, see if you can find any other situations in his life where he knew that God’s sovereignty was at work.
I hope this overview of Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph has whetted your appetite to discover more about these men and the impact that suffering had in their lives. God used three defining moments to shape them into authentic men of faith so that He could use them to accomplish His purposes. And I believe that God wants to do the same for you.
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Dr. Wiersbe’s commentaries have been a source of guidance and strength to me over the many years that I have been a pastor. His unique style is not overly academic, but theologically sound. He explains the deep truths of Scripture in a way that everyone can understand and apply. Whether you’re a Bible scholar or a brand-new believer in Christ, you will benefit, as I have, from Warren’s insights. With your Bible in one hand and Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary in the other, you will be able to accurately unpack the deep truths of God’s Word and learn how to apply them to your life.
Drink deeply, my friend, of the truths of God’s Word, for in them you will find Jesus Christ, and there is freedom, peace, assurance, and joy.
—Ken Baugh
Pastor of Coast Hills Community Church
Aliso Viejo, California