Genesis-158 – The Blessed One

Genesis 49:16–20

 

“Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider shall fall backward. I have waited for your salvation, O Lord! Gad, a troop shall tramp upon him, but he shall triumph at last. Bread from Asher shall be rich, and he shall yield royal dainties.” Amen.

 

The Expansion of the Covenant: Blessings Upon the Children of Maidservants

The Word we face today is a solemn prophecy from God; its literary devices and deep symbolism are not easily grasped at first glance. However, by examining the profound providence of God hidden between these lines, I wish to share the grace He bestows upon us today.

 

Previously, Jacob concluded his prophecies for the six sons born of Leah. Now, his gaze turns toward the remaining four sons—those born of the maidservants of Rachel and Leah. Dan and Naphtali were born of Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid, while Gad and Asher were born of Leah’s handmaid. At a glance, this may seem like a simple genealogical listing, but from a redemptive-historical perspective, it suggests a massive paradigm shift. Reflect on the era of Abraham: by the strict standards of that time, these sons would have been regarded much like Ishmael—not as children of the promise.

 

Originally, a child born of the handmaid Hagar, rather than the legal wife Sarah, was excluded from the lineage of the covenant. Even in the case of Jacob and Esau, God’s promise was inherited by Jacob alone. Given this background, we might naturally assume that among Jacob's sons, only one legitimate heir would monopolize all these blessings.

 

However, through Jacob, God demonstrates how dynamically the covenant given to Abraham is expanding. God’s administration has now moved beyond the choice of a single individual into a macroscopic stage—establishing a steadfast nation and people.

 

Nevertheless, a lingering anxiety must have resided within these four sons born of maidservants. They likely worried whether they were worthy to join the ranks of the holy promise or if they would be pushed out of the community. In this atmosphere of existential unease, Jacob first calls Dan forward.

 

The Meaning in Dan’s Name and the Mission of the Judge

Though not explicitly recorded in Scripture, I find myself imagining Dan’s expression as he listened to Jacob’s prophecy. Jacob declares to him, “Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.” What did this short sentence mean to Dan? It was a public proclamation from God—a moving acceptance—declaring, “I recognize you, too, as a full member of Israel.” Dan must have felt an indescribable tremor before this prophecy. Jacob continues by granting Dan the authority to judge Israel, just like the other tribes. Here, the expression “judge” aligns with the inherent meaning of the name ‘Dan.’ In Hebrew, ‘Dan’ carries the connotation of ‘to judge’ or ‘to vindicate.’ The majestic flow of Scripture passes through Genesis and Exodus, finally reaching the great epic of the ‘Book of Judges.’

 

Generally, believers find the dynamic narratives of Genesis and Exodus engaging, but often lose momentum when they encounter the detailed legal codes of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Many confess that crossing the threshold of Leviticus feels like an ordeal. Yet, when the curtain rises on Joshua and Judges, they often regain their vitality for the Word. While individual preferences for reading Scripture may vary, we must always approach it with joy, confessing that all Scripture is the breath of life inspired by God.

 

In other translations, the Book of Judges is called the ‘Book of Magistrates.’ A magistrate refers to a judge who governs the people and settles disputes. Therefore, the prophecy that Dan would become a tribe of Israel and judge them carries the prophetic implication that a ‘Judge’—one who would save and rule Israel—would emerge from his lineage. Rather than misunderstanding this as Dan reigning over other tribes with power, we must view it from the perspective of glory: that he was finally officially recognized as a legitimate tribe. Coincidentally, since his name itself means ‘judgment,’ this prophecy represents the pinnacle of emphasis through wordplay. Dan likely etched God’s deep providence into his heart, reflecting on this undeserved grace.

 

Judge Samson and the Serpent’s Cunning Guerilla Warfare

The most iconic Judge born of the tribe of Dan is undoubtedly Samson. He was a man of superhuman strength who, with long flowing hair, tore up the pillars of temples and carried off city gates. Even to those unfamiliar with the Bible, the name Samson is famous enough to be known by almost everyone. He was a Judge who settled Israel's disputes and fought valiantly for his nation. By reflecting on the historical background of his activity, we can more deeply understand the blessing Jacob bestowed upon Dan.

 

As is the spiritual theme throughout the Book of Judges, Israel repeatedly did evil in the sight of the Lord. Whenever Israel sinned, God used foreign nations as a rod of discipline to spiritually awaken them; at that time, the Philistines took on that role. For forty long years, the Philistines oppressed and tormented Israel. Then one day, God sent an angel to a woman whose womb was closed and promised her a son. He commanded that no razor touch the boy’s head and that he stay away from wine—this is what we call a ‘Nazirite.’ It means a being entirely set apart and consecrated to God from birth.

 

The angel of God gave a message of hope: “He shall begin to deliver Israel.” What is fascinating is that within the prophecy Jacob left for the tribe of Dan, Samson’s unique path was already strongly alluded to. Jacob predicted a judge would come from Dan, and indeed, among the judges, Samson is the only one from that tribe. Furthermore, the text describes Dan as a “serpent by the way, a viper by the path.” This is a detailed depiction of a serpent concealing itself in the roadside grass, waiting for the decisive opportunity.

 

A serpent hides in silence for only one purpose: a lethal strike. The ensuing prophecy, “That bites the horse's heels so that its rider shall fall backward,” further supports this. This image of secretly lying in ambush and striking the enemy’s vital point in an instant closely resembles Samson’s method of combat. Unlike other judges, Samson did not assemble a massive army of the people to engage in a head-on confrontation. While Gideon fought a full-scale war with 300 men, Samson pierced the heart of the Philistines alone. Like a serpent lurking in solitude and suddenly lunging to inflict a fatal wound, he defeated the enemies through guerilla warfare. This unique and unconventional style of struggle perfectly aligns with the portrait of the tribe of Dan that Jacob prophesied.

 

The Flow of Redemptive History: Typology and Right Biblical Interpretation

Many biblical scholars interpret this prophecy regarding Dan as a foreshadowing of Samson’s life. However, another interpretation exists that differs in tone. This is a perspective we naturally encounter when reading the Bible meticulously. This is the second time the motif of a ‘serpent’ appears in the entirety of Genesis. The first appearance is in Genesis 3, which we know well. The serpent appeared as a cunning being tempting the ancestors of humanity, Adam and Eve. At that time, God prophesied to the serpent that he would bruise the heel of the woman’s seed. Interestingly, the word translated as ‘horse’s heel’ in our text is the exact same Hebrew vocabulary as the ‘heel’ in Genesis 3. The narrative structure of a serpent appearing and attacking the heel is remarkably similar to the prophecy of Genesis 3.

 

Because of this similarity, many—from the early Church Fathers to the present day—have read this verse as a spiritual warning against the tribe of Dan. If Dan, like a serpent, lies in ambush and topples the rider, who is this ‘rider’ who falls? If we identify the rider as Jesus Christ, the seed of the woman, then Dan becomes a symbol of the ‘Antichrist’ who seeks to oppose and destroy Christ. Coincidentally, the name of the tribe of Dan is omitted from the list of those sealed in Israel in Revelation 7. As these biblical evidences align, scholars have come to interpret that Dan was excluded from the glorious list in Revelation because he performed the role of the Antichrist.

 

Can we then call this a correct biblical interpretation centered on Jesus Christ? We must always be wary that the pretext of ‘Christ-centered interpretation’ can degenerate into an artificial reading that forcibly fits Jesus Christ into the biblical text. A method that replaces a subject with a metaphor or symbol to create a one-to-one substitution provides a clear kind of excitement. It is true that we, too, unconsciously prefer such stimulating explanations. The reason cults, which entice people by saying they offer "deep words unheard of in traditional churches," exert such power is that they interpret every biblical verse only through the framework of metaphor and symbol. This kind of allegory, or allegorical interpretation, has always existed in church history. While there are certainly symbolic elements in the Bible, we must take special care not to fall into unverified, subjective allegory.

 

Unauthorized allegory attempts a simple schematization, such as ‘A is B.’ Take the parable of the Good Samaritan as an example. Regarding the ‘two denarii’ the Samaritan left with the innkeeper, some interpret this as the ‘New and Old Testaments.’ Then the innkeeper must naturally become the ‘Church.’ The logic is that God entrusted the New and Old Testaments to the Church to heal souls. It sounds like a very graceful and smooth explanation. However, this interpretation gains persuasiveness not because the text was correctly exegeted, but because it aligns with the universal teachings of the Church we already know. The principle itself—that God gave the Word to the Church—is correct, but projecting it onto that specific verse is a classic case of ‘reading into the text’ (eisegesis). If one were to call those two coins ‘Love and Truth’ or ‘Joy and Peace,’ who could refute it? It is the epitome of subjective interpretation, where anything can be made to mean anything.

 

What we most desperately need to avoid such interpretive traps is a macroscopic understanding of ‘Redemptive History.’ We must consider what kind of redemptive administration God is unfolding from Genesis to Revelation, and how that flow is progressively revealed in each book of the Bible. If you assign symbols to specific elements while ignoring the context, it may feel mysterious and graceful for a moment, but it eventually deviates from the essence. The method often quoted in tabernacle sermons in the past was the same. They interpreted the two silver sockets of the tabernacle pillars as the ‘New and Old Testaments,’ the gold covering the pillars as ‘faith,’ and the acacia wood as ‘humanity’s thorny nature.’ I, too, was once moved by such sermons, but objectively speaking, it is difficult to see this as the correct exegesis intended by the Bible.

 

Biblical interpretation cannot be justified simply because it is easy to apply to our lives or looks similar. That is likely the product of God’s general grace pitying our ignorance, rather than the light of truth illuminated by the Holy Spirit. Just because the motif of ‘clothing’ appears in the Bible, we should not immediately and simply combine Adam’s garments of skin with the vicarious death of Jesus Christ. For that interpretation to gain legitimacy, we must confirm how the same principle is repeated and progressively expanded throughout the entire Bible. We must let the Bible itself testify to how the sacrifice of animals is depicted in the sacrificial system and how that flow converges without interruption upon Jesus Christ. This is commonly referred to as ‘Typology.’ I want to emphasize this as the ‘History of Redemption.’ We must read the Bible through how God's redemptive history flows until the end, carrying the same principles and truths like a majestic river.

 

Self-Centered Faith and the Incident of Micah’s Idol

When illuminated in such a redemptive-historical context, it is difficult to conclude that our text is a prophecy about the Antichrist simply because the serpent and the heel appear as they did in Genesis 3. The decisive key that determines the success of an interpretation is the context. Look at verse 18. Jacob adds a sentence as he concludes his prophecy for Dan. If we followed the allegorical interpretation mentioned earlier, Dan is the Antichrist and the rider is Jesus Christ. Keeping this scheme in mind, let us read verse 18 together: “I have waited for your salvation, O Lord!” Is this confession naturally suited to the context? To announce the appearance of the Antichrist and then suddenly proclaim, “I wait for the Lord’s salvation,” does not fit the narrative flow. Furthermore, the symbol of the ‘heel’ was not consumed so simplistically in the Bible. The figure most deeply associated with the heel in Genesis is Jacob himself. Recalling that the Antichrist would never long for God’s salvation, it is unreasonable to link this text to the Antichrist.

 

Rather, the portrait Dan presents is not the shadow of Satan, but more likely a projection of the self-centered mistakes Jacob himself struggled with throughout his life. You will remember the life of Jacob, who was aware of God’s promise yet tried to seize it with his own strength. Jacob certainly believed the promise, but in the process of its fulfillment, he mobilized his own petty tricks and cunning means. The expression ‘cunning’ that I used touches upon the attributes of the serpent in the text. This is Jacob’s image of trying to enforce his will in unexpected ways. In the end, he seemed to grasp victory by biting his brother Esau’s heel. Scripture records that he was born holding the heel. However, the joy of human victory was fleeting, and as a result of the plans he built relying on himself, he had to pass through a tunnel of suffering as a fugitive for many years. Judge Samson follows the same path. He bit the heel of the Philistines and seemed to topple them, but eventually tripped over his own lust and pride, plunging the nation into crisis.

 

The event that most vividly demonstrates this spiritual principle is the story of the tribe of Dan’s corruption recorded in the Book of Judges. After the great epic of Samson, Scripture highlights a man named ‘Micah.’ He made an idol for himself and privately furnished a shrine. It seems Micah felt a glimmer of religious conscience, as he grew uneasy about worshiping without a priest. Finding a Levite passing by at that time, he begged him, “Become a priest for my house.” What we must not miss here is the core point: he made an idol ‘for himself’ and requested that the priest officiate ‘for himself.’ The Levite, who should have rebuked him as a priest, colluded with Micah for personal gain and served as the guardian deity of that house.

 

The strange thing is that even within such a distorted faith, things seemed to proceed smoothly. From our perspective, it is clearly a wrong path, yet the secular blessings he enjoyed seemed to overflow. At that time, people of the tribe of Dan, who had not found their inheritance and were migrating north, witnessed Micah’s house. Seeing Micah’s human-centered place of worship, they judged it to be “quite practical and attractive.” To use a modern analogy, it is like being fascinated by a flashy religious system that promises secular success and blessing. The tribe of Dan resolved to plunder the idol and the priest. They enticed the priest, saying, “Is it not a much more honorable and grand task to be the priest of an entire tribe than to serve in the house of a single individual?” The priest, blinded by greed, succumbed to the temptation and headed north with the tribe of Dan to build their own altar.

 

Scripture reaches the final scene of this tragic narrative and exposes a shocking fact. The identity of that Levite serving before the idol set up by the Danites for themselves was Jonathan, the son of Gershom and the grandson of Moses. The direct descendant of Moses, from the most prestigious of families, stood at the center of this abominable idolatry. For 500 long years, until they were taken into captivity by Assyria, they worshiped that idol. Scripture concludes the story with a sharp contrast: while the Tabernacle of God clearly existed in Shiloh, the descendants of Dan had the idol made by Micah. For the sake of ‘themselves’ and not God, they walked the path of spiritual thieves who conspired with the grandson of a saint. The even more heartbreaking fact is that the distorted portrait of the tribe of Dan and Micah, which we look upon with critical eyes, may in fact be a self-portrait of us living today.

 

For Whom is the Worship: A Warning Against the Reversal of Priorities

For whom are we staying in this holy place? The blessings you seek and the peace you wish to enjoy are certainly precious values. God also regards the well-being of His children as precious. How could He not be pleased to see you healthy within His will and faithfully fulfilling your entrusted missions? However, if our hearts are immersed only in the blessings and comfort we will receive, God will gradually disappear from our sight behind that splendor. Can worship, service, and missions conducted while excluding God open the gates of heaven? Even if it looks exceedingly faithful in the eyes of men, before God, who looks at the heart, it merely degenerates into an empty religious act. The terrifying fact is that even such false religious acts provide us with emotional fulfillment and joy. Remember the mistake Israel made at the foot of Mount Sinai. They made a golden calf and called it "the LORD who brought us out of the land of Egypt." The name was 'the LORD,' but in reality, it was nothing more than a projection for themselves. Nevertheless, they held a festival and cheered. All their burning emotions were perfectly melted into that false worship.

 

We often ask ourselves, “How could such ecstasy and passionate worship be possible if God were not present?” But bear this in mind: human religious amusement is entirely possible even in the absence of God. One can act out righteous behavior and imitate passionate worship. Therefore, we must stand before the essential question: “For whom is this truly?” The people of Israel also carved out a ‘LORD for themselves’ to quiet their inner anxiety. The moment this fundamental reflection disappears, our life of piety becomes nothing more than refuse, as Paul confessed. Examine whether God is receiving glory in the joys and sorrows of your life, and whether you are truly rejoicing in God alone and praising His majesty. Without such existential contemplation, we will be trapped in the self-centered yoke of “How can I enjoy more peace? How can I become a superior believer than others?” Of course, the desire for maturity is precious and something a pastor should rightly encourage.

 

However, if self-satisfaction—the desire to “flaunt my spiritual level”—becomes the final destination of faith, it is fundamentally wrong. Rather, the confession “I am miserably weak but live only by the grace of Christ, and I kneel today because I want to know Him more deeply” is far more precious. To be preoccupied only with “How I will gain peace and what kind of grace I will receive through worship” is a faith with reversed priorities. If you maintain such an attitude, you will eventually be possessed by a religious phantom of your own making.

 

Everyone, do not be overconfident in your own faith. The tribe of Dan and Israel were trapped in spiritual deception for 500 long years. Even though countless prophets poured out blood-curdling cries, they ultimately did not realize it. Now, I too am appealing to you with the heart of a prophet. I know there are those who should prostrate themselves in tears and repent before this solemn Word. Yet, our stubborn hearts do not crumble so easily. The fortress of pride we have built is sturdier than we think, and the emotional wounds and obstinacy coiled inside us are not to be taken lightly.

 

The Panorama of Suffering and the Hope Waiting for the Lord’s Salvation

At this point, we must once again take a time of deep thought. The tribe of Dan vividly projects a spiritual trap into which not only the community of Israel but also we who live today are prone to fall. ‘Is it my skill? Is it my strength? Do I rely on what I possess? Or am I shaping a God for myself?’ This is the essence of the way Dan bit the horse’s heel. He did not practice justice, nor did he resolve the bitterness of the wronged. Instead, he plunged Israel into crisis and bound the community in a yoke of death rather than true liberation. Accordingly, Jacob laments in desperation: “I have waited for your salvation, O Lord!” When Judge Samson collapsed miserably after overestimating his own strength, what did he cry out in that final moment? “O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray!” He finally threw himself as a sacrifice for Israel. We understand this as a Messianic shadow projected onto Samson’s life and as the essence of faith that the judges should have aimed for.

 

To those who practiced evil, God’s solemn judgment finally came. The Lord, who oversees Israel, declared a judgment of destruction upon them. At the threshold of that judgment, Jacob earnestly prophesies: “Lord, I hope for Your salvation. Lord, save us!” Here, the word for ‘Your salvation’ is close to ‘Yeshua’ in Hebrew pronunciation. It shares the same etymology as ‘Joshua’ and later becomes the source of the name ‘Jesus,’ our Savior. Although Jacob may not have been calling directly upon Jesus Christ of the New Testament, it is certain that there was a burning longing for God’s salvation in the depths of his soul. In the images of Samson and the tribe of Dan, he witnessed the essential sinfulness of humanity, which seeks to plot everything for oneself and live life by one’s own resourcefulness rather than fearing God. In Jacob’s eyes, their image would have been no different from his own. How much he, too, had lived the world through human tricks and artifice.

 

When Jacob prayed, “Lord, let me not forget Your salvation but hope for it; Lord, save me,” the wounds and regrets of his past life must have passed through his mind like a panorama. The night he struggled desperately with God by the Jabbok River, the years he wandered as a restless exile, and the pieces of that weary journey until reaching Egypt again must have surfaced one by one. Finally, he was able to confess: “Lord, I no longer hope for anything of this world. I will no longer rely on the wealth I have accumulated, the brilliant abundance of Egypt, the temporary glory enjoyed in this land, or my own meager strength. Only Lord, I long for Your eternal salvation.”

 

Saints, do not forget. When the heel of the enemy was bitten, the immediate conflict seemed resolved. Jacob seemed to defeat Esau, Samson seemed to crush the Philistines, and the tribe of Dan seemed to enjoy blessings by seizing the idol. But never be deceived by visible phenomena. We must once again turn back to the Lord and cry out: “Lord, I hope for Your salvation alone.” When Jacob laid down all his strength and hoped for the Lord’s salvation, God finally held his hand firmly.

 

The Living Water of Restoration: God’s Deep Concern for the Tribe of Dan

By the standard of justice, the tribe of Dan deserved to perish, but God showed Ezekiel a wondrous vision. This vision, familiar to us, is the scene where water flowing from under the threshold of the Temple wets the ankles, passes the knees and waist, and finally forms a great river that a person cannot cross. This is the river of living water symbolizing the Holy Spirit of God, showing the work of grace that fully fills the entire existence of a human from head to toe. Around this overwhelming river of grace pouring from the Temple, life-giving trees grow luxuriantly, and the Lord promises that we will eat their fruit. This vision of Ezekiel is in line with the glorious vision testified later by the Book of Revelation: the completion of salvation where the children of God enjoy the fruit of the tree of life and the living water flowing from the throne soaks the whole world. God declares that when the people who left Him repent and return, He will surely give them an inheritance. This promise of Ezekiel 47 is materialized into a practical list in the following chapter, 48:1.

 

“These are the names of the tribes.” In this passage, where the holy inheritance is distributed by tribe, whose name is called first? Is it Judah, the spiritual firstborn, or Reuben, or Joseph? We can deduce the answer from the flow of the context. Surprisingly, the name that decorates the very top of that list is ‘Dan.’ God fully restored the tribe of Dan, which had wandered in the path of idolatry for many years, and held them again as glorious members of the Lord’s household. Through the God who finally grasped Samson, who seemed to have failed, and who restored the tribe of Dan, Jacob’s prophecy is finally completed: “I have waited for your salvation, O Lord!” To those who turned and came back, the Lord poured out the glory of salvation without stint. When they wandered in the valley of darkness, the Lord sent prophets to speak to them incessantly. He did not give up on them even as they rejected Him in stubbornness; rather, as the Bible expresses, He ‘pitied’ them and ‘thought deeply’ of them.

 

Saints, meditate on the fact that the Creator of the universe ‘thinks deeply’ of you. The fact that He remembers me is enough to make our souls tremble. If an earthly ruler mentioned your name during a policy speech and said that you came to mind last night and he thought deeply of you, how would the world react? You would likely become the center of the entire nation’s attention overnight. Yet, the Sovereign of all things, incomparable to earthly kings, says He thinks of you. It is not a passing thought; He has etched us into the depths of His heart and is meditating deeply upon us. Though a frost-like warning was contained in the prophecy for the tribe of Dan, behind it, God’s profound and deep love was flowing like a river.

 

Eternal Joy and Rest Through Today’s Turning

We must solemnly reflect on how easily we compromise with idols in our daily lives and carve out a ‘God for ourselves.’ Have we not deceived ourselves by believing a self-projected illusion to be the true God, and even misled others by insisting that secular values are blessings given by Him? Sometimes, even while walking a path that has deviated from the essence, we remain in spiritual ignorance, pridefully identifying ourselves as the faithful church of God. Dear saints, never take lightly the Lord’s warning to “Turn back.” If such spiritual weakness is discovered within us, we must not miss that very fleeting moment. Even though we are full of faults, the Lord still desires to grant us the water of life and cover us with the radiant glory of salvation. Therefore, stop wandering and return. We must not persist on the path of destruction while ignoring His solemn warnings. The reason the Bible contrasts the end of the tribe of Dan with Ezekiel’s glorious vision is not for some vague promise in the distant future. It is to declare that ‘this very moment,’ as you encounter this Word of life, is the ultimate opportunity for you to make a decision.

 

If tomorrow is granted to us, it is indeed a wondrous grace. Enjoy the coming tomorrow and rejoice to your heart's content in God. That day is also a blessing and a gift of grace from Him. But remember: if you fully turn to the Lord today, you will not simply be living a finite tomorrow, but an infinite ‘eternity.’ You can enter immediately today into the heart of His unchanging grace and blessing, dwelling in eternal joy as you walk with God. When you do not postpone your decision until tomorrow but turn today, the water of life that flowed from the threshold of Ezekiel’s temple will finally fill your heart. The river of grace will not stop at wetting your ankles; it will seize your entire being through the powerful work of the Holy Spirit that pierces through the Word. Only then will you eat the fruit of the tree of life and finally walk the path of true restoration prepared by the Lord.

 

Humbly ask yourself today: Am I carving an idol for myself, or am I insisting only on a form of worship that I have defined? You must reflect once more on whether you are merely chasing worship that stimulates your emotions or seeking only your own convenience within the church. Now is the time to fundamentally change the direction of your faith. Deeply agonize over these questions: “How can the glory of God be fully revealed? How can the Lord alone be exalted through this worship? How can I participate in the holy character of God?” In reverence for God, the true Master of worship, ask yourself and decide how you will live a life as a holy living sacrifice alongside the Lord. Turn only to God and enjoy to the full the fruit of the tree of life that He bestows. Thus, I earnestly hope that you will lead a blessed life, enjoying our Lord forever in true restoration and eternal rest.

 

Closing Prayer

Lord of love and mercy, today through the prophecy of the tribe of Dan, we have seen Samson, we have seen their historical traces, and above all, we face our own naked portrait reflected in that mirror. Lord, are we still living while trusting in our own abilities more than God’s help? We reflect with a heart of penitence whether we have boasted of the depth of our knowledge, bragged about the amount of our devotion and service, or suggested our worldly status even within the holy church. We confess our deep-seated pride that believed worldly success should naturally become a right in the church, and that longed for special treatment.

 

Lord, were all our acts of piety actually a preparation process for worshiping the idol of ‘self’? We confess that as the desire of the ego to benefit the self grew larger, the God within us gradually grew faint. We kneel with fearful hearts, wondering if we were seeking only a ‘convenient God’ who would satisfy our emotions, conform to our thoughts, and fill only our interests. Lord, have mercy on us and let us quickly turn back from this deceptive and wrong path. Let the decision of true faith—for our souls to fully awaken and turn only toward the Lord—begin again in this place today. We pray in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.