the watcher

Genesis 43:26-28 When Joseph came home, they gave him the gifts they had brought him, then bowed low to the ground before him. After greeting them, he asked, “How is your father, the old man you spoke about? Is he still alive?” “Yes,” they replied. “Our father, your servant, is alive and well.” And they bowed low again. Joseph's brothers resent for Joseph was heightened because of his dreams.  They already had problems with him because he was playing the righteous one and was dearly loved by their father: Genesis 37:2-3 This is the account of Jacob and his family. When Joseph was seventeen years old, he often tended his father’s flocks. He worked for his half brothers, the sons of his father’s wives Bilhah and Zilpah. But Joseph reported to his father some of the bad things his brothers were doing. So they wanted him out of the way to destroy his dream and make mockery of him. Genesis 37:20 “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘

Genesis 42:3,5-6 So Joseph’s ten older brothers went down to Egypt to buy grain. So Jacob’s sons arrived in Egypt along with others to buy food, for the famine was in Canaan as well. Since Joseph was governor of all Egypt and in charge of selling grain to all the people, it was to him that his brothers came. When they arrived, they bowed before him with their faces to the ground. They had attempted to kill him (except Reuben), their intention was to kill him and his dream. However, you cannot stop what God has purposed, no one can, they can't be strong enough. Genesis 37:18-20 When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. “Here comes the dreamer!” they said. “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dreams!” However, God had him covered. No wickedness of man can stop God's blessing for His

Genesis 41: 40-44 You will be in charge of my court, and all my people will take orders from you. Only I, sitting on my throne, will have a rank higher than yours.” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the entire land of Egypt.” Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and placed it on Joseph’s finger. He dressed him in fine linen clothing and hung a gold chain around his neck. Then he had Joseph ride in the chariot reserved for his second-in-command. And wherever Joseph went, the command was shouted, “Kneel down!” So Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all Egypt. And Pharaoh said to him, “I am Pharaoh, but no one will lift a hand or foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval.” Waiting has never been easy, however when you walk with the Lord, you must learn to wait. https://ikthewatcher.blogspot.com/2018/02/waiting-on-lord.html?m=1 Joseph had gone through his training period: from the pit to being dragged as a slave all the way to a foreign l

Genesis 40:2-4 Pharaoh became angry with these two officials, and he put them in the prison where Joseph was, in the palace of the captain of the guard. They remained in prison for quite some time, and the captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, who looked after them. Yesterday we looked at the persecution of the wicked, that the Lord makes it work for good. How does the Lord do it? We cannot fully tell for the Lord works in divers ways. He said: Isaiah 55:8-9 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. God is not limited in ways to do His work, He is God. Jeremiah 32:27 “I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me? While Joseph was in the prison, two stewards of the king were brought in. Their welfare was handed over to Josep

Genesis 39:20-21b So he took Joseph and threw him into the prison where the king’s prisoners were held, and there he remained. But the Lord was with Joseph in the prison and showed him his faithful love.  When you are a shining star, you attract attention. However it comes from both the good and the bad. Joseph was a star, it evoked on him the wrath of his brothers. He was sold into slavery. However we know: Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. God makes everything work for your good as far as you are in His purpose. This is the heritage of the blessed of the Lord. He went in as a servant and became the ruler of the house! This was not his destination. So persecution arose! Listen, never lose focus on your way to your destination. Until you get there, watch out for persecution! That persecution you are facing, that temptation you are overcoming is to prompt you into your

Genesis 38:24-26 About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has acted like a prostitute. And now, because of this, she’s pregnant.”“Bring her out, and let her be burned!” Judah demanded. But as they were taking her out to kill her, she sent this message to her father-in-law: “The man who owns these things made me pregnant. Look closely. Whose seal and cord and walking stick are these?” Judah recognized them immediately and said, “She is more righteous than I am, because I didn’t arrange for her to marry my son Shelah.” And Judah never slept with Tamar again. Romans 2:1 You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. One major reason why we live a separated life is that we will judge even angels at the end of times. It is so easy to seat on the judgment seat, however before you judge

Proverbs 4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.  The battle begins and ends is in the the mind! We know we live in a world where we do not have total control over all that happens. Information is communicated to us through many sources consciously or unconsciously through: * tele media  * social media  * radio  * paper media  * friends  * colleagues  * family * employer/employee  * government and their officials * people we come in contact with casually * religious leaders  * lecturers/teachers/facilitators  etc. All these sources seek to feed our mind one way or the other and if they persist enough, they reach our soul.  There is therefore a need, time and again, to "purge". The same way we gather up a lot of unwanted substances in our feeding toxic in different degrees, we need to keep detoxifying our system now and again to save us from the negative effects of those unwanted substances.  The mind also need to be detoxified of: * e

Genesis 37:32,34-35 They sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message: “Look at what we found. Doesn’t this robe belong to your son?” Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time. His family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “I will go to my grave mourning for my son,” he would say, and then he would weep. It is evil to go about with grievance or hate in the heart. Jacob's son's carried so much hate within them, the reason may not be fully explained. From whipping out a whole community and looting everything they had to doing evil to their own brother: Genesis 37:18-20 When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. “Here comes the dreamer!” they said. “Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we’ll see what becomes of his dr

Genesis 37:4-5,11 But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him. One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant. We learn something from Joseph the dreamer.  It was one thing that their Father loved him more than the rest of them, yes they were not happy about it. Moreso it was another, that the boy had dreams of being above all of them, so much that they would even bow to him. Thus they hated him more. I wonder what kind of hatred a sibling would have against another, some might say this was because they were polygamous, coming from different mothers. I would not agree, for Cain and Abel came from the same womb! Let us quickly look at why Jacob loved Joseph more, the bible records that it was because he was the child of his old age, yes, but we must remember that he

Genesis 36:43 Magdiel, and Iram. These are the leaders of the clans of Edom, listed according to their settlements in the land they occupied. They all descended from Esau, the ancestor of the Edomites. We know that Esau lost his birthright and we know he made mistakes, however we can learn something from him. He did not stay trapped in grief. Yes he was angry (and rightfully so) yet he didn't dwell there, he had to live on. We have a part to play in our script on this earth. We must resolve to make the most of our time. The fact that you are crying or worrying over your mistakes, unfulfilled expectations or how you have been wronged; will not make the time stop for you. The clock will keep ticking on. Paul said: Ephesians 5:16 (kjv) Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Don't just dwell in self pity or regret, move on. Shake the shackles off your feet and be free. Remember Christ came to set us free. Let nothing and no one put you in bondage again! The first step is to

Psalm 78:4 We will not hide [them] from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. Genesis 35:22 While he was living there, Reuben had intercourse with Bilhah, his father’s concubine, and Jacob soon heard about it. These are the names of the twelve sons of Jacob: Jacob did not seen to have a good grip on his children. Unlike the testimony God had for Abraham, Jacob was not able to keep his children under check: Genesis 34:30-31 Afterward Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have ruined me! You’ve made me stink among all the people of this land—among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will join forces and crush us. I will be ruined, and my entire household will be wiped out!” “But why should we let him treat our sister like a prostitute?” they retorted angrily. They couldn't control their anger neither could they control their lust. There is a reason why God chose Abra

Genesis 35:2-5 So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing. We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.” So they gave Jacob all their pagan idols and earrings, and he buried them under the great tree near Shechem. As they set out, a terror from God spread over the people in all the towns of that area, so no one attacked Jacob’s family. To connect with God you must let go of all competitions. You are either committed to Him or disconnected from Him. This is the reason why many don't have that experience with God. Many have allowed themselves to be confused with all the philosophies and religions in the world. They have a warped knowledge of God. For Jacob to experience God, He had to disconnect himself from all strange gods. They may not be in his custody but they were in his household. Genesis 35

Genesis 34:2,6,13 But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her. Hamor, Shechem’s father, came to discuss the matter with Jacob. But since Shechem had defiled their sister, Dinah, Jacob’s sons responded deceitfully to Shechem and his father, Hamor. Cause and effects, every action carries it's repercussion. Most times we don't think of it, we only think of the immediate pleasure, satisfaction of ego and so many other things which are based on selfishness and self pleasure. I always say, "you can do whatever you like, but you cannot control the consequence(s)". They are not fully under your control. IT IS EASY TO TAKE THE ACTION, HOWEVER, ARE YOU READY FOR THE REACTION? Shechem had his pleasure, however no matter how much he was willing to pay, the harm had already been done. Proverbs 6:32-35 But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself. He will be wounded and disgraced.  His shame will n

Genesis 33:3-4 Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him. Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept. What is gained by conflict?  It is better when it is an external force, you can come together internally to fight it. The problem arises when the conflict is within. I always say that almost all our problems as humans are caused by us  Christ said: Matthew 12:25 Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. There is always a loss when we allow internal conflicts, it may not be worth it. Esau had reason to be annoyed with Jacob, he had cheated him. Though Esau had his faults, he seemed to have lived carelessly, his marriage to strange women was evidence of that. However wisdom taught him to let it go, for Jacob carried the blessing, enmity with him was like enmity with

Genesis 32:28 “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.” We have two proofs to go through to establish our place in life. The first is with God then the other is with our fellow humans. We must proof who we are in our relationship with God, then also proof who we are with our relationship with others. For we can claim to love God, but it is not confirmed till we show it by loving our neighbour. 1 John 4:20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? Our actions towards others is a determinant of our faith in God. Abraham was known as a man of faith, we see the evidence of his faithfulness to God with the love he showed others, we see the same with Isaac then with Jacob and the list goes on. Cain is an example of one who brought a gift to God but had bittern

Genesis 32:3,15,20-21 Then Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother, Esau, who was living in the region of Seir in the land of Edom. 30 female camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys. And be sure to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’”Jacob thought, “I will try to appease him by sending gifts ahead of me. When I see him in person, perhaps he will be friendly to me.” So the gifts were sent on ahead, while Jacob himself spent that night in the camp. You cannot control how people would want to react to situations neither the choices they make, however scriptures says that as much as it lies on us, we should seek for peace. Romans 12:18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Peace is preferable to war, though sometimes it takes war for peace to reign. A wise man seeks for peace instead of engaging in war especially when they know they are not in the right. For Christ said: Matthew 5:25-26 “When you are on the way to

Genesis 31:6-7,38,42 You know how hard I have worked for your father, but he has cheated me, changing my wages ten times. But God has not allowed him to do me any harm. “For twenty years I have been with you, caring for your flocks. In all that time your sheep and goats never miscarried. In all those years I never used a single ram of yours for food. In fact, if the God of my father had not been on my side—the God of Abraham and the fearsome God of Isaac—you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen your abuse and my hard work. That is why he appeared to you last night and rebuked you!” We cannot explain why people would find joy in acts of wickedness against another, even to their relatives. However, we know it has been there for ages. Jacob worked faithfully for twenty years for his uncle Laban and all he got in return was oppression.  There is one thing though; the LORD was with him. See, when the Lord is on your side He converts all their evil intentions to good for yo

Genesis 31:6-9 You know how hard I have worked for your father, but he has cheated me, changing my wages ten times. But God has not allowed him to do me any harm. For if he said, ‘The speckled animals will be your wages,’ the whole flock began to produce speckled young. And when he changed his mind and said, ‘The striped animals will be your wages,’ then the whole flock produced striped young. In this way, God has taken your father’s animals and given them to me. When your trust is in the Lord, the plots of man will not prosper against you. He is God, He does what He pleases and He is over all. No one can win a battle against Him. Thus that which was planned for evil against you, who is His, will turn out to become good. Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Jacob had done Laban no wrong, instead he had served for many years and because of him, Laban had favour We understa

Genesis 30:27 “Please listen to me,” Laban replied. “I have become wealthy, for the Lord has blessed me because of you. The same way individual(s) come into people's life and cause them trouble or loss, so do individual(s) come into people's life to cause them to prosper. The one's who cause to prosper are the blessed. The Lord makes them come into our life one way or the other. Know what relationship to retain and those to break! The reason for relationship is based on the concept that we need one another. What is the benefit of a relationship if it is toxic? The only worthwhile thing to do is to seek liberation. However, when you know those who are a blessing to you, you should do your best to make the most of them. Make them happy for what is the benefit of losing that which prospers you? Laban understood this: Genesis 30:28-31a Tell me how much I owe you. Whatever it is, I’ll pay it.” Jacob replied, “You know how hard I’ve worked for you, and how your flocks and herds h

Genesis 30:22-23 Then God remembered Rachel’s plight and answered her prayers by enabling her to have children. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. “God has removed my disgrace,” she said. Psalms 77:11 I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. When a challenge or difficulty come our way, we tend to forget that we have had victory in previous battles, we may tend to forget that He who did it previously could yet do it again. It may be that we are exhausted or we feel that we ought to have a break from the spiritual living or relax on the trusting. We should not, instead we ought to hold on in faith. Elijah felt the same way: a man who by his auction was able to get fire from heaven to soak up his over drenched sacrifice and defeat all the priests of baal, yet he had to run into hiding because of an evil woman. Remember we learn from the actions, mistakes and good steps of those recorded in scriptures. Psalms 40:1 I waited patiently for th

Genesis 29:35b She named him Judah, for she said, “Now I will praise the Lord!” And then she stopped having children. Do we put God first in our lives, or do we only remember Him when we face challenges? It is necessary that we hear when God speaks. We live in a world that is full of noise.  A lot of things coming in from every corner. Some are relevant, some are good however others are distractions. If we are to live in faith we should hear the voice of the Lord above all the noise. Psalms 62:11 God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. Samuel as a child had to learn to hear God's voice in the midst of voices. 1Samuel 3:10  And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth. Jesus said His own will hear and thus they would follow Him, they would not follow another. John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: So many things seek our attention. * S

Genesis 29:18-19,23,26-27 Since Jacob was in love with Rachel, he told her father, “I’ll work for you for seven years if you’ll give me Rachel, your younger daughter, as my wife.” “Agreed!” Laban replied. “I’d rather give her to you than to anyone else. Stay and work with me.” But that night, when it was dark, Laban took Leah to Jacob, and he slept with her. “It’s not our custom here to marry off a younger daughter ahead of the firstborn,” Laban replied. “But wait until the bridal week is over; then we’ll give you Rachel, too—provided you promise to work another seven years for me.” I always say that almost all the problems we face as humans are caused by we humans. We complicate things that ought to be straight forward. We take decisions and make choices that will become complications later. Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. We pollute our environment and

Genesis 29:12-14 He explained to Rachel that he was her cousin on her father’s side—the son of her aunt Rebekah. So Rachel quickly ran and told her father, Laban. As soon as Laban heard that his nephew Jacob had arrived, he ran out to meet him. He embraced and kissed him and brought him home. When Jacob had told him his story, Laban exclaimed, “You really are my own flesh and blood!” The essence of family is to have one to run to when there is need of help. Thus we must not separate ourselves from good family for we are meant to be there for one another. Some friendships/relationships have blossomed to become family. This is why scripture record: Proverbs 18:24 There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. Do not think of throwing away a good relationship for a temporal one. Truly not all who call themselves friends or family are truly one. Discord may arise but a true relationship will stand the test. Esau was doing it all wrong from the b

Genesis 28:18,22 The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it. And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.” Abraham was called by the Lord, because there were attributes in him that showed faithfulness. He had to make his own commitment to God. His blessings were transferred to his Son Isaac to be the next in line to carry the covenant of God for His people. However, he had to also make his own commitment. Genesis 26:2,4-5,24-25 The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but do as I tell you. I will cause your descendants to become as numerous as the stars of the sky, and I will give them all these lands. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed. I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirem

Genesis 28:5-8 So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to stay with his uncle Laban, his mother’s brother, the son of Bethuel the Aramean. Esau knew that his father, Isaac, had blessed Jacob and sent him to Paddan-aram to find a wife, and that he had warned Jacob, “You must not marry a Canaanite woman.” He also knew that Jacob had obeyed his parents and gone to Paddan-aram. It was now very clear to Esau that his father did not like the local Canaanite women. Esua was supposed to be Isaac's favourite child yet he had NO clue what his father expected of him. Proverbs 1:7-9 Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. My child, listen when your father corrects you.  Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck. It took him loosing all the blessing to understand that obedience was key. In trying to correct his mistakes he yet did not kno

Genesis 27:35,37 But Isaac said, “Your brother was here, and he tricked me. He has taken away your blessing.” Isaac said to Esau, “I have made Jacob your master and have declared that all his brothers will be his servants. I have guaranteed him an abundance of grain and wine—what is left for me to give you, my son?” Everything does not just crumble in a day, it is an aggregation of so many events or happenings. Esau had already prepared himself for downfall. He was making all the wrong decisions. He sold his birthright. He went further to marry strange women. It was a slow fade! Most troubles we face are an accumulation of little errs we commit as we journey. The sum up to bring about a pending disaster. We must be careful as believers not to fall into this trap. Let everyday be a day of commitment. Don't give in to the temptations, don't shove it off as "it doesn't matter", for it won't be long before it becomes a subject matter. Remember all these records in

1Peter 2:9  But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Nothing like starting the year with the understanding of who you are. It defines all and makes everything align to your position. We must not act like Esau, who looked down on his birthright and gave it away for an instant gratification. It brought him sorrows and tears later on. Genesis 27:34 When Esau heard his father’s words, he let out a loud and bitter cry. “Oh my father, what about me? Bless me, too!” he begged. This position is not for everyone and it is not a function of your earthly link or connection, it is one that has to be done or created by adoption because of our believe in the Son of the Living God. Yeshau, Jesus the Christ. John 1:12  To all those who did so take him, however, he gave the right of becoming children of God--that is, to those who had faith in his na