We see in Genesis 34, some terrible choices being made, birthed out Jacob/Israel compromising on God’s Instruction. ‘Enduring Word’ has some profound lessons for us to learn from as we tackle the complex, yet delicious subject of choice-making known as behavioural economics.
WHAT IS BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS?
To quote, ‘University of Chicago’, “Behavioral economics combines elements of economics and psychology to understand how and why people behave the way they do in the real world.
Shaped by the field-defining work of University of Chicago scholar and Nobel laureate Richard Thaler, behavioral economics examines the differences between what people “should” do and what they actually do and the consequences of those actions.”- https://news.uchicago.edu/explainer/what-is-behavioral-economics
Jacob/Israel didn’t fully trust God, and feared his brother Esau whom he had swindled out of his birthright. Here we have two major factors that influenced Jacob’s perspective of reality.
- Jacob had a slightly skewed concept of God that made him self-reliant which was dodgy as his character wasn’t exactly honourable.
- Jacob was driven by fear and self-preservation, seen in his fleeing Esau, twice, and fleeing Laban, his exploitative pagan uncle.
We learn from Jacob and the shameful acts outlined in Genesis 34, how wrong choices lead to bad outcomes, that compound into further undesirable consequences.
Haven’t we all experienced the weight of wrong choices that were fuelled by insecurities, unhealed trauma, peer-pressure, and negative influences?
Booker T. Washington has some sound advice as to where and how to move from bad behavioural economics to Godly behavioural economics that bless us and make us a blessing to others.
Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856 – November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, and orator. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the primary leader in the African-American community. Booker T. Washington worked his way through Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute and attended college at Wayland Seminary.
In Genesis 34 we see that by Jacob moving to where God didn’t instruct him, his daughter, Dinah, was raped, and in an act of revenge her brothers murder the men in the city, forcing Jacob and his family to flee, AGAIN. In Genesis 35, we see that Jacob is beginning to grasp that God is merciful and that he should have just obeyed God to begin with.
How do you relate to Jacob’s poor behavioural economics?
In the 12 Steps of Recovery, much is spoken of about trying to escape addiction geographically- moving location to outrun addiction.
I did this. In 1998, I moved from Durban, Kwazulu-Natal to Johannesburg, Gauteng. My addiction was beginning to destroy my life, and rather than admit I was in trouble, I tried to run from my trouble. Well, surprise-surprise, I ran deeper into it. What is significant about my Jacob-moment is that like Jacob I had just experienced an angel. I got off the bus from work one day. I was absolutely shattered, lonely, and ashamed by my behaviours. The tears just flowed as I couldn’t stop hurting myself with narcotics, sexual experiences, and irresponsible choices such as suicide and poor work ethics. All of a sudden, walking beside me, as I walked the tiny strip to home from the bus stop, there was the presence of an angel. I didn’t see anything, but there was a glow of glory so powerful and comforting that surrounded me. Sadly, my faith was not in a solid place, so I missed the significance of this moment, though I knew it was something from God.
I moved geographically a few weeks after. I misinterpreted the event as an affirmation to move, rather than being God Calling me to repent, and turn to Him.
I am 7 years clean, and 6 years practicing celibacy in 3 days, 18 February 2024. It has taken extreme patience on God’s part to teach me, correct me, and rebuke me as I stumbled through healing learning to trust Jesus one step at a time, just for today.
As I write this blog, I am about 90% through making financial amends for the mess my addiction and brokenness made. Like Jacob and his family were instructed by God to put God first and purify themselves (though their understanding was outward stemming from pagan culture), and to leave associations to paganism, I have had to walk the journey out of my conceptual understanding of God into learning who God defines Himself as.
What concepts of God do you need to let go of that hinder your relationship with Jesus?
JESUS LOVES YOU
#Hayibo 