Getting to the Root of the Problem

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Genesis 37

Joseph's ten brothers had a problem with him. They hated him so much that their words only consisted of unkindness.  Their actions and attitudes took this course because they had seen that their father had loved Joseph more than any of them. Hearing of his dreams, these brothers began to mock Joseph, and then that led to a conspiracy to get rid of him altogether.  His claim to rule over them had been their final straw.  They wanted to murder him, but they 'washed' their hands of bloodshed by selling him into slavery instead.  The killing they saved for their father Jacob's emotions when they lied to him, weaving an evil story of how Joseph was dead as the result of an attack of a ferocious animal.  Jacob died on the inside . . . from a grief too great to bear.  All of these actions eventually accomplished their goal --  the ridding of themselves of their little brother for good . . . or so they thought.

The root of their sin was not their hatred, unkindness, mocking words, evil conspiracy, murder in their minds, or their lying.  The root of their problem is not that they sold their brother into slavery for their own gain.  No, the root of their problem could only be found much deeper than their outward actions.  The root was a sin that was grounded deeply in their hearts.  It was the sin that was the least recognizable to the world, a sin found in the inner man, but one that God could clearly see.  JEALOUSY was the sin that was found in the hearts of Joseph's brothers. Jealousy was their root sin, and ENVY was conjoined to their sin of jealousy.  The brothers were jealous and envious of the love their father had for Joseph.  They wanted to be the one, individually, who could claim to be loved the most.  But Joseph was 'the one', not any of them.

One root sin, not apprehended and destroyed when recognized, will always give growth to many more branches of sin.  Out of the root of jealousy grew the branches of sin that could be seen in Joseph's brothers: their hatred, unkindnesses, mocking, conspiracies, and lying.  Their jealousy also gave birth to a long-lived sorrow in their father's heart as their lie brought him emotional devastation.

What sinful things can be seen  by others as they observe our actions and words is rarely the root of our sin.  The root of our sinful 'branches' is what hides secretly away in the recesses of our sinful hearts.  Jealousy is just one such sin.

What is the real, but hidden, root of your obvious sins?  Chop out that root, and most of those actions and attitudes will also die as well.  Had the brothers properly handled their jealousy, this sad story of sin flowing from a evil root of envy and jealousy would not be found in our Bibles today.  With jealousy chopped out of their hearts, there is no hatred, unkindness, mocking, conspiracy, or lying.  They simply cannot grow if there is no root.

What is your hidden root?  Are you feeding it or killing it?  Your spiritual life must include dealing with the 'root of the problem' of your sin.  It is time to wield the axe!

Breaking the Chains of Unforgiveness

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Bound in Chains

Do you struggle with bitterness? Do you have a hard time forgiving those who have hurt you? The story of David and Saul is a great reminder that, with God, you can find the strength to forgive and move on, not harboring the bitterness that will only destroy you. David knew some principles that we need to put into practice if we desire to break free of the bondage that unforgiveness will always bring to our lives.

Saul asked David to come into his palace from time to time and play his harp to help soothe his mind.  Saul had a tormenting spirit  that  terrorized him.  The door for that evil spirit was left open by Saul who chose to disobey God in such a way that God removed HIS spirit from him.  David would play his melodious tunes, and Saul would be comforted.  Oh,  how Saul loved David because of what he could do for him!  But as soon as David became popular with all of the palace, and then all of Israel when he killed Goliath, Saul's heart began to envy David.  Daily his jealousy grew greater and greater.  

Saul's jealousy began to turn to bitterness and even hatred, though David had done him no wrong.  The root was becoming a full-grown vine that was wrapping itself around Saul, choking the spiritual life out of him.   But David escaped the grasp of the vine, for he did not think about Saul in the same way that Saul thought about him.  

How did David escape from thoughts of bitterness and hatred?  How was it that no matter what Saul had done or continued to do, David acted in love toward him?  How did he avoid the tormenting evil thoughts that often come when you have been wronged, when you are undeserving of the evil that has come to you?

Though David was not a perfect man, and he failed God on so many occasions, we can see by his actions and responses that he lived by different principles than Saul.  Though Saul tried to pin David to the wall with his spear on three occasions, and he created at least two murderous plots, David always held his king, anointed by Samuel the priest, in the highest regard.  Let's look just a little closer at the principles that ruled David's heart.

David trusted in his God to handle the consequences of sin in Saul's life.  David saw no need to take out his retribution and revenge on Saul.  He considered that God in all His power was the only One who had authority to do so.

Because he trusted in God David was able to truly just let it go.  That doesn't mean that he never had a thought about it; it simply means he didn't let the thought go any farther than that. And he never seemed to sit around and dwell on it, either.

David thought the best of Saul.  Even though Saul was doing evil things to him, David continued to look at him in a positive light, not a negative one.

David knew that he himself was not without sin and that God still loved him and was forgiving of those time he had fallen woefully short.  If God would forgive him, then surely he could expect, and even desire, God to forgive Saul.

And finally, David practiced these things OVER AND OVER again!  Once would never be enough for David to be untouched by the sin of Saul.  When it came to his mind, and I am sure that it did countless times, David practiced these principles again...and again....and again.  

Saul was a man bound up by his hateful attitudes, who acted evilly because of them.  David was a man set free from hateful attitudes, and therefore, he did not practice evil against Saul.  Which man does your life resemble--Saul or David?