Election

The portion of scripture assigned for this Sabbath comes in part from Gen. 25 and Mal. 1. It is titled Toledat, meaning "Generations". This Sabbath portion is about the election of Jacob by God. Isaac's wife, Rebekah, did not conceive, so Isaac pleaded with the LORD, because his wife was barren. Rebekah did then conceive, but she felt troubled during the pregnancy and she went to inquire about it of the LORD. The LORD told Rebekah that there were two different peoples in her womb: "Two nations are in your womb, two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, and the older shall serve the younger." (Gen. 25:23). Jacob and Esau were the twins born to Rebekah and Isaac. Jacob was the elect of the LORD. His brother was not. Election does not depend upon natural circumstances. Esau was born first (v. 25), but he was not elected. Isaac preferred and favored Esau (v. 28), but Esau was not elected. The elect cannot be accurately identified from a physical appearance (Gen. 27:15-19, 23). Those not elected cannot perform a work to gain election (Gen. 27:38-39, 28:8-9). There is contention, even enmity, between those who are the elect of the LORD, and those who are not (Gen. 27:41). From Mal. 1, and the Book of Obadiah, the haftarah portions of this Sabbath, we can see that those who are not elected despise the LORD (Mal. 1:2-5). We also read how the LORD judges how those who are not the elect treat those who are (Obadiah). If the elect of the LORD are persecuted, then the LORD is also persecuted (Acts 9:3-5/Acts 22:6-8). The Malachi portion also reveals that the LORD will not tolerate His elect treating Him in the same disrespectful and disregarding manner as those who are not elected. By doing so, they are showing that they despise their election. From the title of this Sabbath portion, we can also see that those whom the LORD sovereignly elects will impact generations to come. In the New Testament, we are also called the Elect through Christ. Before we think too highly of ourselves on this account, we should keep in mind that we didn't choose the Lord, but He chose us first, as is the case in election - it is sovereign: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will..." (Eph. 1:3-5) and Jesus said, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give you." (Jn. 15:16). Jesus went on to say, in that same truth of our election: "These things I command you, that you love one another (see Colossians below). If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you." (v. 17-18). It is probably good to note at this point what the word "elect" means in Hebrew. The Hebrew word is bakher, and its root word is bakhar. It means chosen, elect (of God), choice, selected, to appoint. It also means to require, to prove, to try, to examine. The world is going to try the elect. The LORD is going to examine and prove His elect. There is something required of the elect. Our example this Sabbath, Jacob, was tried all his life. We often think that we are being attacked by our spiritual enemy, but our own election also tries us, proves us, and examines us. Our election requires a response from us in these circumstances. Regarding our election through Christ, Paul had this to say: "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Col. 3:12-17). If I am being tried, proven, and examined based upon the above requirements of the elect in Christ, I will need the help of the daily work of the Holy Spirit perfecting me. At this time, the nation, the world, and even the Church are in an uproar over the recent election of a man. I believe that we would serve the spiritual interest of the nation, the world, and the Church better, if we truly understood the election of God through Christ in us. May the Lord reveal the height, the depth, and the breadth of His election to us, so that we may, by the help of the Holy Spirit, live out what it requires of us. Our Father has elected us through Christ.

Genuine

 

Genuine or counterfeit? That is a question we have to ask many times today as we buy and sell. The market is flooded with questionable goods. The government uses every measure possible to try to ensure that our currency is not easily counterfeited, yet counterfeiters try every day to introduce fake money into the economy.
The currency that we use is no longer "authentic" in value. Our coins used to be silver, gold and copper. Now there is very little of the genuine metals in our coins. Our paper dollars used to be supported by a corresponding value in gold, but that is no longer the case. The money we use today in America has almost no value of itself whatsoever. The coins have been mixed with other cheaper metals until they are worthless.
What does this have to do with our faith?
The Apostle Paul tells us to examine ourselves before we partake of communion in 1 Cor. 11:28-29:
"But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." 

There are two words that I have underlined in the above verse. One of the words is "examine". The meaning of this word deals with currency, and coins. In Paul's era, coins used to be struck, or pressed, out of precious and semi-precious metals. After the striking, the coins would have rough edges of excess that would be filed off. The coin would bear the image of the king to attest to its authenticity. Those coins would have to weigh an exact amount. If they did not weigh the true amount, it meant that the coin had been mixed with another metal, and not genuine. Moneychangers would sometimes cheat people by filing even more off the coin and keeping the filings, so that you were not getting the true value of the coin. Jesus overturned the tables of moneychangers in the Temple saying that they had made God's house of prayer into a den of thieves, so widespread was the cheating on currency (Mt. 21:13).
The word "examine" is used again in 2 Cor 13:5:
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - except ye be reprobates (not standing the test used used to examine metals and coins)"
So using this imagery, Paul is instructing us to examine whether our faith is genuine. Have we mixed the gold and silver of our faith with the more base metals of this world? Have we "filed off" value from our faith, not giving our Father the service, trust, love, honor, and glory that He deserves from our lives?
The word "unworthy" in 1 Cor 11:29, means "unfit for a thing,  not worth as much, not having the weight of another thing of like value". Again, the imagery used is of the weight of a coin, showing its authenticity. The Jesus Christ in us is purified gold. Do our lives show this gold, or a more base metal, a lesser metal, a mixed metal?
1 Cor 11 tells us that there is a serious cost for not recognizing and showing an authentic, genuine faith of purified gold of the Christ in us. When we have chosen not to be "genuine" in the faith, when we have allowed the unauthentic to be mixed into the purity of Christ, it causes sickness and even death. We have mixed Jesus with other things, and the coin of our faith is lacking. It doesn't test out to be authentic. It doesn't weigh out enough in worth on the scales, when compared to the genuine. When we have examined ourselves, on the other hand, and determined that we wish to walk in the authentic and pure faith of the Son of God, it brings glory and honor to the Father and to us:
"...you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ."                      1 Peter 1:6-7
Trials come to each of us, as we are purified and strengthened in our faith. When we truly examine ourselves for the genuine, the false has no opportunity:
"But He knows the way that I take;
When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
My foot has held fast to His steps;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.
I have not departed from the commandment of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food."
                                                                          Job 23:10-12 
"Examine me, O LORD, and prove me;
Try my mind and my heart."                           Psalm 26:2

Our Father tests, or assays, our faith to purify it, to strengthen it, to discover what it is, or is not, genuine. If we do not examine ourselves, He will continue to test it.
"For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined."         Psalm 66:10

"Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts:
Behold, I will refine them and test them;
For how shall I deal with the daughter of My people?
Their tongue is an arrow shot out;
It speaks deceit;
One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth,
but in his heart he lies in wait."                         Jer. 9:7-8 

"I will bring the one-third through the fire, 
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, "This is My people";
And each one will say, "The LORD is my God."            Zech. 13:9 

When we partake of the communion elements, being obedient to examine ourselves, we remember Christ's death in the earth until He returns. As we examine ourselves, we partake of His death: death to self, death to sin, death to idolatry in all of its forms, death to worldly ideas and doctrines. In order to discern The Body, we start first by discerning ourselves, our soul, our spirit. And the end result of this?
"Beloved, now we are the sons of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure."   1 Jn.  3:2-3
 
Genuine or counterfeit? Let a man examine himself.

Our Father is genuine.

"Communion"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x6khRQFlOc

"I Shall Come Forth as Gold"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOmdL81jHeI