26.Letters from God (fictional letters to people in the Bible) Dear Jonathan

Dear Jonathan,

     You are a faithful and loyal young man. You are a good friend and a loyal son. I can say so much about what is good in you. Yet there is sorrow as well. You love your father the king Saul, and you love your friend David. Yet your father hates David. Worse your father has fallen out of favor with Me. This rips your heart in two. Yet your love is so great. I am so proud of you. You do your best to be a son to a man who has turned from Me, and now he is trying to kill your best friend, because of his jealousy. So what are you going to do? Do you stand up to your father and stand up for a friend who is innocent, or do you step aside and not interfere. Saul is your father and he has done much wrong, yet you love him and want to believe in him. David is your friend and you are loyal to him and you know his life is in danger from your father.

     This leads you to having to make a choice. You will do what you can to protect David, and he will live. You will do this because you know that it is the right thing to do. You know that he is to become the next king of Israel. I know that you are Saul’s son and it should be you, but I know that in your heart you know David was born to be king and he will be a good king. He will not be perfect, but he has a perfect friend in you. This is why when you know of your father’s plans to kill David; you will not hesitate to let David know of these plans. You will help David live and keep him from harm and I love you for all your goodness. Never forget this, I do love you, and I know you are good. I am with you always.

Love,

Your Heavenly Father and your God

Read

1 Samuel 18 – 20

16.Letters from God (fictional letters based on people in the Bible) Dear Joseph(forgiveness)

Dear Joseph,

(Forgiveness)

      Once again, I am writing to you. This may worry you because of the times that I had written to you before. Each letter came when trouble had fallen on you. Do not fear. You are now a hold a position of power. You now look after the people who once persecuted you, and you have saved them. All over there is a famine in the land. Yet you have a store house of supplies to care of the needs of not only those in Egypt, but to her neighbors. I am very happy with you. You have done well as a leader.

     This however is not the purpose of this letter. Your brothers have come to Egypt because of the famine. They are here to purchase grain to take home to your family. I need to know if you can forgive them for what they have done to you. I know that you miss your father and that you have concerns regarding the life of your younger brother Benjamin. So I will give you an opportunity to see if they have treated him better than they had treated you.

     When they first arrive you will invite them to eat with you, but you will not reveal to them who you are. Then you will sell them the supplies that they need. Yet before they leave you will come up with a way to give them a good reason to return with Benjamin. Then you will see your brother again, and when you do you will learn if your brothers were sorry for what they had done to you. When you hear them admit their guilt, will you forgive them? I know your answer is yes. You will do this because your family will be restored to you.

     All of your brothers and your father will be together again and I will make you whole again. Then you will rejoice and the children of Israel will prosper. So rejoice because the time of healing and restoration is at hand, and all that you have lost will be restored to you. Your faith in Me has been rewarded. What they had done to harm you has turned into a blessing. I love you.

All of my love,

Your Heavenly Father

 

Read

Genesis chapters 42-46

13.Letters from God (fictional letters based on people in the Bible) Dear Judah

Dear Judah,

     I need to talk to you about how you mistreated Tamar your daughter in-law. She married your oldest son Er. He was struck down by God. She was not to blame; it was his actions that caused his death. Yet she had not had a child by him when he died. By Levite law she was to marry his brother so that Er would still have a child through her. Yet Onan married her but refuse her the child that was her right to have. So then he lost his life.

      Out of fear you sent her away to her family, with a promise that when your youngest son came of age they would marry. Yet you did not keep to your word. This was wrong. Three times she was kept from the blessing promised to her. When your wife died and you went to Timnah, to be with the sheep shearers. You met a woman there that you thought to be a temple prostitute. You went to bed with her and she conceived a child. You had left her with your ring, cord and staff with a promise to send her payment. She was not there when you did try to fulfill the promise. So you kept this to yourself, so that no one would know of what you had done.

     When Tamar was found being pregnant you sentenced her to death. Yet the child she carried is yours. When she produced your belongings, you realized the wrong you had done to her. She never should have had to seek after you for the blessing that was rightfully hers. Even though you had tried, you did not keep the blessing from her because she went after it. What you had refused to give her I gave to her and I blessed her. You know her to be a righteous woman. So you made this right and acknowledged the wrong done to her and found her innocent. Do not again keep a blessing from her or anyone else, if it is a blessing that is to come through you, then give it. Do not think of the cost on your part. Think only of the joy your obedience will bring. Then you too will be blessed.

Love,

Your Lord and Almighty God

 

Read

Genesis chapter 38

12.Letters from God (fictional letters based on people in the Bible) Dear Brothers of Joseph

Dear Brothers’ of Joseph,

      I have much to say to all of you as a group. So that is why this letter is addressed to all of you instead of individual letters. For you have acted together as a group in the things you have done. I have not only seen you, but I know what your hearts. You have been concerned only for yourselves. You are supposed to be My children. Yet you have rebelled against your earthly father, conspiring to harm your own brother because of your jealousy. Did I write with my own finger, “You shall not covet”? Is this not the source of jealousy? When you want something that belongs to someone else more than what you have. Where is your heart? What were you thinking? Can you answer me these questions honestly?

       So Joseph is younger than you. His mother is not yours. Have you ever been happy to be his brother? When did jealousy and resentment come into your heart? Were these feelings grown from your mother? I ask this because she knew that your father had not chosen her, and that he was tricked into marrying her. You may wonder why I am asking you questions like these when you know that I already know the answers, but what I want is for you to think about the answers to these questions so that you can look at yourselves and all of your actions.

I want you to think about how you have been with Joseph all of his life with you. Was he a terrible brother, breaking your belongings, and hurt you every chance he could? Was he just a younger brother trying to get the approval of his older brothers? You were so jealous of him and afraid of what he would say to your father, that you threw him into a pit and then sold him into slavery. Then to cover up what you had done to him, you ruined the coat your father gave to him. You tore it and covered it in blood. Then you took his coat, and showed it to your father. You saw how much this hurt him. You could have confessed your crime and maybe gone after your brother and healed your father’s broken heart. Instead you let your father suffer in front of you because of your lies. Did you ever think about what has happened to Joseph? What do you think the slave masters did to him? Was he even alive? Did you care, or were you happy to see him gone?

      Now there is the problem of how you handled what had happened with your sister Dinah. She was the one who had been hurt and violated. Yet it wasn’t her rape that angered you. It was your father’s forgiveness which you rebelled against. They not only got rid of their idols and chose to accept Me as their only God. They were circumcised, and they did this without argument. Something good had come out of a crime committed against Dinah. Yet you were so blind that you could not see this. You say you wanted justice, but the truth is you only wanted to butcher weak and helpless men lying in their beds. You knew what circumcision would do to them at their age. You knew they would be sick with fever, and unable to defend themselves. That was when you attacked. You turned them against Me with your unforgiving actions. You chose this on your own against your father’s will, and against Me. They would not learn of my love because of you.

      You are a selfish and childish group. Your way is all you care about. I am so very disappointed in you. Look at all the people you have hurt. How you have not thought once of what your actions affect others. I have more to say, but for today I want you to think about what you have done. Then tell me have any of these things brought you any true happiness, or have you profited in any way? I am stopping here but I will write more to you soon.

Love,

Your Heavenly Father

Read

Genesis chapters 37, 34(Dinah)

11.Letters from God (fictional letters based on people in the Bible) Dear Dinah

My Dear Dinah,

     You are My beautiful and loving girl. You have been the victim twice. First Hamor raped you and stole your innocence. They tried to make things right and submitted themselves to your father’s decision. Thankfully he chose to forgive, and the man became your husband. His father the King and all the people of the land gave up their old ways and rid themselves of all their idols and other gods. They were circumcised to show their commitment to Me. I was now their God as I am yours.

     It was not My plan for you to be hurt, yet I was able to use what was meant to destroy you and use what was done to you to bring a nation to Me, so that something good had come out of what terrible thing that had been done to you. It was a chance for you to heal from what had been done to you. To remove the shame you felt. Yes there are those who would have blamed you, and I am sorry for the way they think about such a terrible crime. More than your body had been harmed, because he took from you what you did not give. You refused and he did what he wanted to satisfy his own desire not caring about what he was doing to you. He took your free will. I want to heal your heart and mind as well as your body from the damage he has done to you.

     Now your brothers have gone against your father’s decision and slaughtered not only your husband but many of the other men after they had been circumcised and were healing in their beds. This hurt you more because you feel that you were only an excuse for them to behave in this violent way. You did not feel the comfort of a brother’s love. They did not console you. Instead they stole from you from your husband by taking his life. Your pain did not end here. You have also lost your brother Joseph. Your other brothers told you that a wild animal had killed him. So he was dead because they said so. You have suffered such loss, your innocence, your husband, and your brother.

     I am sorry for the pain that you feel. I know that you may want to blame Me, for I am your God. I want to keep you from all harm and suffering. Yet I have given to all men free will. I could not control their actions without taking their free will away from them. As you chose to serve and love Me from your heart, is how I want them to choose for themselves. I love you and care deeply for you. I will heal you, and love you for all eternity. You will live with me one day and never suffer again. I promise you this.

Love,

Your Heavenly Father

Read

Genesis 34 & 37

10.Letters from God (fictional letters based on people in the Bible)Dear Joseph (Regarding your brothers)

Dear Joseph,

(Regarding your brothers)

     Relationships between brothers are often difficult and filled with strife. There is jealousy and quarreling. The older ones often bully the younger. The younger child is often favored by one parent or the other. Your relationship you have with your brothers is no exception. Your father so loved your mother Rachel, and your brothers were born to Leah who he had been tricked into marrying by their father. This would divide any family. Then your mother died giving birth to your younger brother Benjamin. After her death your father treated you differently than your brothers who were Leah’s children. You and Benjamin were all he had left of your mother. He elevated you above your brothers, and this caused them to resent you.

     Then the dreams came to you. They despised you more as you shared them with your family. They ridiculed you and made jokes about your dreams. Even though these dreams did come from Me. Then your father blessed you with a special coat. They felt they were being treated unfairly, and rebelled all the more. Their resentment turned towards hate. When you found them neglecting their duties their anger flared. They then chose to do something to you to keep you from exposing what they had done.

      Now you find yourself in a dark pit which is where Reuben had convinced them to do without killing you first. This was what all your other brothers wanted to do. You do not understand why they feel the way they do towards you. You see them as your brothers. What they have done to you is something you do not understand. You are terrified, alone in a dark hole not knowing what their plans are for you. I tell you “Do not be afraid. I am with you. I will turn what they have done to you into a blessing not only for you, but for a nation.” I must let you know that it will not be an easy road that you are about to travel. There will be things that will happen to you that you will not understand and will make you feel as if I have abandoned you. I tell you, do not lose your faith I will be with you even when you do not see or feel My presence. What your brothers’ have devised to harm you with, I will turn for your favor and My glory. Be faithful my child, and I will elevate you in a way you could not dream of on your own. I am with you always.

Love,

Your Abba Father

Genesis 37, Genesis 50:20