Tuesday, October 7, 2014

The Return

The Bible is full of stories of people returning home after a sojourn elsewhere. The greatest example is Jesus, who as an infant spent 5 or 6 years in Egypt before returning home to Israel. Also when Naomi returned home the whole city was shaken with the news. While Naomi's fortunes took a turn for worse, Jacob returned with well earned wages in flocks of goats and sheep. Jacob became a rich man despite Laban's ill treatment. Perhaps, Jacob who cheated his brother got a taste of his own medicine as he claimed that Laban had cheated his wages 10 times. Jacob received a revelation from the Lord to return to Canaan after 20 years. And the greatest national return is the return from exile. Although 70 years were prophesied, the Israelites in fact endured about 50 years in exile from 587 BC to 538 BC. Quite likely the 50 years in exile is set as the maximum time which Israelites could be away from their own possessions according to the laws of Jubilee.
And I am also at the threshold of a return no less in proportion to Jacob's as my many possessions are still left in Singapore. My books will sojourn for at least 2 years since I had loaned it to a Seminary because at that time I was totally at loss where I would be going. Sometimes discerning God's will takes months, to reduce all options even as the Lord closes doors but opens just the one He desires for his servant.

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