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Genesis 31: 49 (NIV)
“May the Lord keep watch between you
and me when we are away from each other.”
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| God is up close and personal. We don’t have to go in search for God. God is all around us.* |
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This
verse is often quoted as a benediction or a blessing; however, if we look at
the context of these words, we find that their speaker may not have had
blessing in mind when he uttered them.
Short
version: Jacob has fled from his father-in-law, Laban. Laban catches up with
him, expresses concern about his daughters (Jacob’s wives) and his grandchildren.
They come to an understanding, build a monument they christened “Mizpah” which
means “watchtower,” and Laban says, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me
. . .” followed by words to this effect: if you mistreat my daughters, I may
not be there to see it but God will be watching you!
Do
we forget that God sees all, even if no one else does? Do we need a Mizpah to
remind us of proper behavior? We can purchase Mizpah tokens – rings, coins,
pendants – that promote the blessing connotations of this verse. Perhaps
instead we could wear our Mizpah jewelry to remind us, when we are tempted to
sin, that God is watching us! A Mizpah could also serve as a reminder that God
sees the good that we do even if no one else does. After all, it is for his
glory that we serve, not for our own.
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| Even when we feel we aren’t seen by anyone else, He takes pleasure in the beauty of our lives.* |
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