By Hakim Hazim and Charles Holmes
Defining Terms
Favor is not static. It is not derived from titles or positions. It is a dynamic, active response from the heart when one is pleased with the actions or attributes of another. When God is pleased, He bestows favor. When He is not, He withdraws it. Favor is primarily personal, and secondarily corporate — happening only when people choose to walk in unity and love. Titles do not bring favor. One day God will break the Western church’s mentality and it’s love for positions. He will replace, educated, entitled, hired hands with His favored ones. He will give them platforms destined to bring in revival. It will create a sibling rivalry within the church, the likes of which the world has never seen. Afterwards, we will see persecution, and then true revival.
Sibling rivalry is simply jealousy and competition between brothers and sisters. It is fueled by a desire to gain attention, reward, or favor from a parent, particularly in the sight of others. It exists within the Body of Christ, and brings no glory to God. God is loving, just, and, “no respecter of persons.” (Acts 10:34) Once we enter into a relationship with Him, favor is given in proportion to our obedience to His calling. Throughout scripture we see a spectrum of favor among God’s people. Man can be manipulated into giving favor and honor to the wrong person; God cannot and will not be manipulated. We should wholeheartedly support those who are walking in His favor. Leaders and followers are often manipulated, because they revel in the honor they receive from one another, and bestow it without divine authorization.
This article is not about the favor of God that produces salvation. It is about God’s prerogative in terms of His favor, the recipients of that favor, and the disposition their siblings have towards them — which is often a sinful, jealous response. This is not about dead works. We are instructed to please God and seek His favor rather than seeking to please men and ourselves. Jesus said in John 5:44:
“How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?”
How can we? We cannot.
Cain and Abel: Genesis 4:1-16
Being that all saints are God’s children, which makes us all siblings; let’s study the first two recorded siblings in human history. In the beginning, we find the brothers Cain and Abel, working in their specific callings; Cain, who was called to work the ground; and Abel, who was called to be the keeper of the sheep. In the course of time, they both wanted to honor the Lord by bringing Him an offering. Cain brought his offering from the fruit of the ground to the Lord, while Abel brought his offering from the first and fat portion of his flock. The Lord was displeased with Cain’s offering while He was pleased with Abel’s. At this juncture, sibling rivalry was in full effect. Abel was honored in the sight of everyone.
Cain was sullen and angry. He grew jealous of the favor obtained by Abel. Instead of humbling himself and repenting, he fumed. Cain was cut to the core. Despite the favor that Cain had in the past by being the first born; on that day, Abel gained more favor with God than he did. Cain was living in yesterday’s favor — which is never enough. Being first born was an ascribed, static status; it was something he had nothing to do with. The adjective, obedient, is an achieved dynamic status that must be actively maintained, and something he alone was responsible for. This transition point from privilege into obedience and service was meant to bring him into closer integration with God, but it became a point of departure — from which he would never return.
Cain decided to remove his source of discomfort — Abel. God, in His mercy, warned him of the sin that was crouching at the door of his heart; jealousy was ready to pounce. But sadly, he indulged in it; hate continued to fill him, so much so, that he ended up murdering his little brother, proving the words of James true:
For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. James 3:16
Moses as an Example: Lost Favor, but No Sibling Rivalry with Joshua
Numbers 27:12-23
12.The Lord said to Moses, “Go up into this mountain of Abarim and see the land that I have given to the people of Israel. 13.When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, 14.because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin when the congregation quarreled, failing to uphold me as holy at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) 15.Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, 16“Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation 17.who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.” 18.So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. 19.Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight. 20.You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey. 21.And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation.” 22.And Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, 23.and he laid his hands on him and commissioned him as the Lord directed through Moses.
Moses was rebuked and weighed the very moment he disobeyed God. His future with the roaming nation of migrants was altered. He was removed from the promise, but not forgotten. After leading the chosen people for decades, his time had come to an end, because of a fleeting, angry outburst he chose to indulge in. Long ago, God had infused him with a holy vision, and Moses was faithful to God’s mission. The journey was long and arduous, and the people truly tried his patience. He wanted to finally be in the promised land. With all of the frustration building up, he stopped looking to God, and began focusing on the source of his frustration, the people. They were the ones keeping him from the land of promised to him. Moses chose the destination over the relationship, the calling over the Caller, the staff God had empowered, over the word of God. He chose a stream of angry words toward the people, and a defiant strike at the rock, over the peace of obedience. God was not pleased. This disobedience was public — so too was the rebuke. The whole thing reeked in the nostrils of the Almighty. Water did pour from the rock. The people did drink, but this happened because of God’s faithfulness, and in spite of Moses disobedience.
A teachable moment took place in the tension between Creator and creature. God was merciful, just, and jealous for His glory. He made things clear. No leader could presume to be exempt from discipline when God spoke. Moses understood this, even though he grieved over the lost favor. To Moses credit, he was only a momentary prodigal. Upon receiving and accepting God’s discipline, he asked for a replacement. Let me say that again, he humbly asked for a replacement, putting the people first. By asking God to choose a replacement and continue His purpose, he demonstrated the true heart of a godly leader.
Other advantages of using epimedium sagittatum include curing impotence, preventing fatigue, relieving back pain https://regencygrandenursing.com/testimonials/letter-testimonials-anthony-b viagra sales online and curing memory loss. Counseling – This method is used when the couples have been trying for a long regencygrandenursing.com cheap cialis time can cause ED issues. cialis vs viagra click to read more Erection is said to be blood hydraulic effect. Accordingly, increased appetite, and if not to limit food intake, it is, on the contrary, leads to an increase fat online levitra regencygrandenursing.com component in your body.
He realized that God’s purpose is never tied to anyone other than Himself. Walking in yesterday’s favor births a feeling of pride and privilege, which becomes a snare, which leads to a fall. (Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 ESV) Moses no longer had the favor to lead the people. Yesterday’s exploits, like yesterday’s manna — spoils. He learned this the hard way. God did give him new favor to prepare and present Joshua to the people. He embraced it. He humbled himself, readied the people for his departure, and encouraged Joshua without jealousy or sabotage. He did things the right way in supporting the newly favored one. Years ago, he taught Joshua a lesson about sibling rivalry, and that is noteworthy.
Joshua’s Earlier Bout with Jealousy
Numbers 11:26-30
26.Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27.And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28.And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29.But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord‘s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” 30.And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.
Joshua was chosen to be a chief associate of Moses at that time. He prized the position and was thriving in it. His problem was, he wanted people to know his place, and for others to stay in theirs. He forgot for a moment that God is the one who puts people in their place. Moses gave him a corrective that remained with Joshua the remainder of his years.
Joshua realized that Moses simply wanted godliness to be reproduced in the people. Moses desired that all would become prophets. Joshua was humbled by the words of Moses. God was now at work in his heart. We need to study the patterns of favor. Sometimes people gain favor because the unfaithfulness of others cause their removal. Sometimes it is simply something God wants to do. Either way, it is His decision. One way to tell if your heart is right, is to look at how you offer support to those receiving favor, especially if you know it is God’s work. Do you find fault with the person? Do you compare yourself? Are you fixated on their deficiencies? Often people may know that God is doing something, they just don’t want to support it unless it involves them getting noticed. If you or people you know are like this, you are living in a place of myopia, self-pity, and envy — and that will be your/their home until repentance takes place. Joseph’s brothers caught the envy bug as well.
Joseph and Sibling Rivalry Run Amok. Genesis 37: 1-11
Joseph was the youngest of all his brothers, and the apple of his father’s eye. His father’s favor created a great deal of jealousy among his siblings. They refused to speak to him in any type of positive way. In addition to his earthly father’s favor, his Heavenly Father favored him. He received a prophetic dream that elevated him above his entire family. When Joseph shared this, his father rebuked him — while cautiously pondering it. While Jacob limited his response to a verbal one –Joseph’s brothers… well, it sent them over the edge into a seething hatred, and they had something sinister in mind. It would only be a matter of time before they developed a scheme to get rid of him.
The Plot: Genesis 37:18-28
18.They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him. 19.They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer. 20.Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” 21.But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, “Let us not take his life.” 22.And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father. 23.So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24.And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. 25.Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26.Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27.Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28.Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.
Trials, Favor and Reconciliation: Genesis Chapters 39-50
Joseph became a slave, was falsely accused, made a prisoner, and forgotten about for a while. In time, the favor of God prevailed causing him to be elevated to a position second only to pharaoh. (Throughout the scriptures, and from our experiences in life, trials and persecution often precede favor. This is an axiom few dispute.) When God favors one over another for a particular task, He knows what he is doing. It is His Holy business, and He always takes great care in preparing His chosen ones for the tasks ahead. Joseph paid a heavy price, and put his heart on display throughout all of these tribulations. There was a law of cost involved in his promotion. Many, especially carnal and immature believers, want favor without trial. They deceive themselves into believing favor is nothing more than a birthright to be manifested through verbal professions of faith. Mature saints know better. They also know their favor is for the benefit of others. In the end, Joseph was the instrument of deliverance from famine for his family and a nation. He was also an agent of forgiveness and reconciliation. The trials produced fruit of the Spirit and the continuation of Abraham’s line. Centuries later, we see a similarly humble spirit elevated, through God’s selection and a prophetic promise.
Mary: Luke 1:28-80
In God’s drawing process, salvation is our entry point. After this, we are invited to a journey of increasing integration and intimacy. He wants us to put away our idols and draw near to His heart. As we do so, favor increases. It is purposefully given, not randomly or manipulatively obtained. Favor is directed to a specific end. Mary was a model for how God’s favor works and should b received. In Luke 1:28, when the Angel Gabriel visited Mary, his greeting included this phrase.. “Greetings oh favored one, the Lord is with you!” He told her that God himself would be placed in her womb. She humbly embraced the miracle that would take place. Mary longed for God’s favor and blessing. She did not long to be recognized in the presence of others. His recognition was enough. No sibling rivalry, simply obedience. Mary’s heart…shined. She said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” Luke 1:38
What God does or is doing, is not always initially evident to all. This is often the case. His instruction to us comes in many forms, and is always given to bring Him glory. Sometimes He simply leads us to the prayer closet, or He wants us to give someone an encouraging word, financial offering, or engage in some righteous act that no one knows about. God pours out favor as a response to a person’s calling and their obedience to it. Mary was called to give birth to and raise Jesus. She also walked with Him to the foot of the cross, watched Him die, and was blessed enough to see Him resurrected. Her trials were known to most. (God will often make our trials publicly known to others, so that when favor is bestowed, people will know we were prepared.) The early saints never questioned Mary’s place after all that she had been through, and Joseph’s brothers never questioned his place after his triumph over their evil plot. God’s seal of approval was upon them.
Signs of Relational Favor With Man in God’s Providence
Mature believers know they cannot fulfill God’s purposes without favor. Favor works through divine health, energy, and resources –but especially in relationships. Relational favor works by the Lord moving on the hearts of people who are key components to our progress. People with resources, skill-sets, authority, and divine inspiration are drawn to us for reasons known only to God. These God ordained relationships help move us forward. Although they may take us down unfamiliar paths, if we really trust God, we will be at rest in regards to where we end up. Often these are the most blessed relationships, and they don’t have the stench of sibling rivalry. These relationships will prove supportive as we move out into our callings. Conversely, those who are caught up in sibling rivalry, will often respond harshly to our favor and with without love. The scriptures below describe their actions.
Galatians 5:15: “But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.”
Proverbs 16:18: “A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends.”
Moving forward, let us busy ourselves with the work of God. Let us support the work of God in the lives of our brothers and sisters. If we give in to petty emulation, jealousy, insecurity, and sabotaging — we may just find ourselves in yesterday’s favor. We have all undoubtedly experienced sibling rivalry with other Christians, and have at times partaken in it, even if only in thought. We are human and sinful, but we must be better. We should praise God, because He is raising up a new generation of people who truly understand family.
We must maintain the disposition of Abel, Moses, Joseph, Mary, and most importantly, Jesus. Refuse to become envious people. Shun selfish ambition. Be fueled by zeal for God. As God used these other saints, He may use you as His instrument to turn people you know from their devilish ways. Lastly, your favor can be maintained and increased. Like Jesus, we should, “grow in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52. Again, we are family. Let us honor one another and bring joy to our Father’s heart. We should forget yesterday’s favor and leave our successes behind us. If we don’t, yesterday’s favor will become today’s snare. We must keep obediently in step with the Spirit. Let us pray:
Father, all that we have is yours. What you have in mind for us is perfect. We were designed for your purposes, to bring you glory, and to demolish the works of Satan in this age. Now we ask that you root out the spirit of envy and sibling rivalry within us, your people, and pave the way for the leaders you are preparing at this very hour. Make us receptive to them. Holy Father, bring Glory to yourself. Bring repentance, love, and unity to your church. Give us protection from all of our adversaries. Bless us with the relationships, resources, and health necessary to fulfill your purposes. Keep us bold, loving, humble, and alert during the journeys ahead. Let the light of your Son shine within us through the fruit, gifts, and power of your Spirit. Let our days ahead be filled with testimonies of praise as you demonstrate your wondrous works among your people and this unbelieving world. Continue to integrate us into your purposes. In Jesus name we pray. Amen