Reflecting the Image

Scripture:

Genesis 49:5–7

Simeon and Levi are brothers;
    weapons of violence are their swords.

6 May I never come into their council;
    may I not be joined to their company,
for in their anger they killed men,
    and at their whim they hamstrung oxen.

7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce,
    and their wrath, for it is cruel!
I will divide them in Jacob
    and scatter them in Israel.

Observation:

The entire family has now been reunited in Egypt. Jacob is facing the final days of his life, and he gathers his sons around him to speak to each of them.

Some of these words don’t exactly sound like blessings!

This is a father who has observed his sons throughout their lives, and he has something to say about the consequences of their character and behavior.

Some of the words are good, and some seem—not so good.

Simeon and Levi definitely fall into the latter category.

These two brothers had acted violently together in the past. Their anger had led them to kill, and Jacob describes their treatment of animals as cruel and destructive. These are not character traits that a father wants to bless.

In fact, Jacob wants nothing to do with their violence:

“May I never come into their council; may I not be joined to their company.”

He doesn’t want to hang out with them, and he certainly doesn’t want their advice!

Then comes something surprising. Rather than blessing their strength together, Jacob says they will be divided and scattered.

Maybe there is even mercy in that.

Perhaps these two are better off not hanging out together.

Application:

Maybe Jacob’s difficult words to Simeon and Levi become a blessing for everyone else—a warning about the kind of people and influences we allow to shape our lives.

My parents always seemed to have a sense about the people I hung out with as a child or teenager. Of course, we don’t always want to listen to the advice of our parents or other authority figures. Children certainly don’t like being told what they can and cannot do.

That resistance can follow us right into adulthood.

But there is wisdom in Jacob’s warning.

Beware of those whose anger consistently leads toward destruction.

Beware of those who use violence to solve problems. That violence may be physical, but words can also be used deliberately to wound and destroy.

And beware of cruelty.

That word really struck me today.

Jacob described their wrath as cruel. Sadly, there are people in this world whose repeated patterns of behavior are cruel and destructive. These are not people we should choose as our role models or allow to shape our character.

Sometimes the wise thing to do is create distance.

Many years ago, my husband was asked to drive a car from Kyiv, Ukraine, to Schaffhausen, Switzerland. He and his traveling companion made it to the Polish border, where the guards warned them that the car behind them was filled with men connected to the mob. They told my husband that he could be in danger once they were out on the open road.

One of the guards told him to literally “floor it.”

The guard would hold the other car at the border for a while, but my husband needed to put as much distance as possible between himself and that car.

He heeded the warning.

And he put distance between himself and the danger.

There are times when we may believe that the loving or Christian thing to do is remain close to everyone. Sometimes we even convince ourselves that we can change someone whose behavior is destructive.

But sometimes wisdom says otherwise.

Sometimes God places people in our lives who see dangers that we don’t see.

Sometimes Scripture itself warns us about patterns of behavior that lead toward destruction.

And sometimes the blessing is the warning:

Don’t go with them.

Don’t allow their cruelty to shape you.

Put some distance between yourself and the danger.

Sometimes warnings are blessings.

Receive them as such.

Prayer:

Lord, may my ears and heart be open to the wisdom and warnings I receive from You and from those You place in my life. Give me discernment to recognize destructive influences and courage to respond wisely. Amen.