Tobit’s Encouragement

Synopsis     Tobit 13:13-14:5     9/28/2020 

As Tobit was near death, he called for his son and grandsons. When they arrived, he gave them instructions concerning how to live after he died. And he encouraged them to remain faithful despite the trials that would continue to afflict the Israelites in the years to come.  

Tobit’s Encouragement 

Tobit believed the prophecies of his time concerning the fate of the Israelites. He went so far as to quote the prophet Nahum as evidence. He wanted them to recognize the hardships that awaited. But he also encouraged them to remain faithful to God. 

Christian Encouragement 

As a Christian, my relationship with the political community exists in a tenuous balance.  On earth, there is no avoiding being a part of one social-contract community or another. But, no social-contract community in the history of the world has looked remotely like the Authentic Community.  

I have to recognize that social-contract communities come and go. They all have their heyday. And they all have their eventual downfall and dissolution. This is beyond my control. 

But the thing I do control is the choice to remain faithful to the commands of God. These are the commands which govern all those who have joined the Authentic Community. This is the hope that transcends even the rise and fall of political communities.  

So, be encouraged! 

“For though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit appears on the vine, Though the yield of the olive fails and the terraces produce no nourishment, Though the flocks disappear from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls, Yet I will rejoice in the LORD and exult in my saving God. GOD, my Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet swift as those of deer and enables me to tread upon the heights.” Habakkuk 3:17-19