I Don't Get It

There is so much in Scripture that I don't understand.  It really kind of bugs me.  It almost seems like the more I seek to understand it, the more confusing it becomes.

I recently started reading Genesis.  When Pastors say that the Bible is as interesting and engaging as anything else you could want to read, I'd say, I have to agree.  Scandal, love, deceit, twists, turns, you name it.  One story that I have always found especially perplexing is the story of Jacob and Esau.

When Rebekah is carrying this set of twins, the Lord tells her that two nations are warring inside her and that the older one will serve the younger one.

Pause.

I've mentioned before that I struggle with understanding God's Will, haven't I?  This is a classic case.

Unpause.

Esau is born first, and Jacob is born second.  Isaac favors Esau and Rebekah favors Jacob. When the boys are grown, Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew.

That must of been some good stew.

When Isaac has gotten very old and is about to die, he tells Esau that he wants to give him his blessing.  Isaac likes stew too, so he asks Esau to go hunting and whip up a batch.  Rebekah overhears this and hatches a plan to trick Isaac into blessing Jacob instead.

Question.

Does Rebekah do this because the Lord told her this is how it was going to  be?  Or does the Lord know that this was the choice she would make, and therefore he prophesied what he already knew was going to take place, even though it wasn't necessarily His will for Isaac to be deceived?

Are you following me at all?  I hope so.  Because sometimes I have a hard time following myself.

Do you read the Bible?  Do you have questions like this when you do?  Is there one specific issue that comes up for you?

I am consistently scratching my head when it comes to free choice versus God's Will.  So often, when awful wretched things happen, I hear good people that love the Lord say this must have been His plan.  

I don't get it.

When I read the gospels and Jesus came against every form of disease, sickness, disfunction, imperfection or whathaveyou, he rebuked it.  He made it right.  So I find it hard to believe that many of those same things today are in God's Will.

How about this one?  What about salvation?  What about who's name is on the roster?  Do we put our names on it, or does God choose?  I know there are many people that believe God chose an elite group.  There are even several places in Scripture where Paul seems to refer to this very idea.  I don't doubt that there is a specific group of people that will be with Jesus for eternity.  Not for a second.  But when it is referred to as the "elect".  It makes it sound like we ain't the ones deciding.  It sounds a lot more like it's been decided for us.

It's a head scratcher in my book.

The good news is, we don't have to understand every aspect of the Christian faith.  Anyone else relieved by that?  I want to, but I also believe that it's highly unlikely any of us will this side of Heaven.  

So until that day, I will continue to seek God.  Not for understanding, but for relationship.  

And I know understanding will come. Even if I don't get it.