By Pastor Pruitte
And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing (Genesis 29:35).
The year 2015 was a tremendously successful year for the Men’s Department of Holiness Tabernacle Church Of God In Christ: we accomplished so many things. First and foremost we continued our service and dedication to God, upheld the arms of our pastor, and assisted in caring for the members the Lord has entrusted us with. But we did more. For another year we maintained our property: lawn care, vehicle maintenance, building improvements, cleaning, maintaining supplies, and the many other duties and responsibilities associated with the upkeep of property. But we did more! We continued our commitment to the 5:30 a.m. Saturday Early Morning Prayer and Devotions and we have seen the attendance grow. But we did more!
We continued our Second Thursday Night Men’s Services and ended the last several months with “Town Hall” discussions on: law enforcement confrontations with young men of color; living holy in the midst of ungodly norms; and other topics that generated great responses and interaction amongst the saints. But we did more! We exceeded all of our financial obligations and assessments and even assisted other auxiliaries in their goals. We also saw the number of men in our department grow. We have made a conscious effort to be the leaders of not only our church, but our homes, communities and families. You may ask, what does this have to do with the referenced scripture? We’re so glad that you asked.
Have you ever read the biblical account of Leah? She was the oldest daughter of Laban, and Jacob’s first wife. She remains one of the most harshly treated and dishonored persons in the scriptures. Her father married her off to a man who did not want her. After spending the first night of their honeymoon together, when Jacob discovered he had spent the night with Leah and not Rachel (her younger sister whom Jacob really loved), he did not want her. Laban convinced Jacob to keep Leah (fulfill her week of honeymoon), and marry Rachel the next week, and another seven year work stint.
The scriptures go on to say that Jacob “hated” Leah, but continued to have children with her. Rachel couldn’t have children for a long time, and ordinarily this was considered a curse. Leah even gave Jacob sons – three of them: Rueben, Simeon and Levi. It did not matter, Jacob preferred Rachel over Leah. Then something marvelous happened. Leah had another son and named him Judah – the name synonymous with praise. The Bible says that Leah declared, “…now will I praise the Lord.” And she had no more children.
Leah finally realized she could do nothing to please Jacob, therefore she would focus on praising God. If you continue to read the story, Rachel does finally have two sons: Joseph and Benjamin. But something happened between Rachel and Jacob. The Bible does not give the detail, but on his deathbed, Jacob instructs his sons to bury him next to Leah. While the Bible does not give the exact day and time, things in Leah life began to turn when she decided to praise the Lord. We also know it was through Leah’s son Judah, the Messiah would come.
Friends, this year the men of Holiness Tabernacle are determined to praise the Lord. We had a great year in 2015, but this year we’re going to do it differently: we’re going to praise the Lord. We want to encourage you to join us as we are determined to make 2016 an even greater year!
Thank you very much!