The reading from yesterday and today were both a blessing, but there was not much that stood-out in either to me so I am going to give the quick highlights that I underlined in my Bible.
Genesis 44 Joseph had to test his brothers to see if they truly had changed. Would they give-up Benjamin easily as they had given him up? We see the answer is no. They tore their garments when the cup was discovered in Benjamin’s bag. Also, Judah steps forward, Judah who is found in the genealogy of Jesus steps in and says, “I will take the punishment” our father can’t stand to lose another son from this mother. I hear echoes of our Savior in that moment, “I will take their place we can’t stand to lose our children.”
Genesis 45 I underlined verse 5:
“Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.” -Gen. 45:5
Again I hear echoes of a type of Christ. Sin brought Joseph to Egypt to preserve life…He says God but it was God acting as result of sin. Sin brought Jesus to this world to preserve life…God again acting as a result of sin.
Genesis 45:22:
“To each of them he gave changes of garments, but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments.” -Gen. 45:22
Is Joseph repeating the error of favoritism of his father or does he still not fully trust his brothers and so he is still testing them?
Genesis 47:24:
“At the harvest you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four-fifths shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food and for those of your households and as food for your little ones.”
Look at that Joseph set-up a tax system…a flat tax…Lol
Now in today’s reading of Samuel
In chapter 6 verses 9 & 10 the question I wrote down was. Did the pagan priests of the Philistines prophesy correctly or did God condescend and do as they said would happen in order to show them He was the true God and they had done wrong in taking the Ark of the Covenant?
Also,
“And it came about when Samuel was old that he appointed his sons judges over Israel. 2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judging in Beersheba. 3 His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain and took bribes and perverted justice.” -1 Samuel 8:1-3
The reason this caught my attention is that there is no indication of Samuel being a bad Dad, yet his sons still went astray…was he a bad parent like the example he had in Eli or did his sons just do what many good parents kids do, get caught-up in the wickedness of the world?
8:7 is a great reminder for all Christian leaders–if we are doing right and the people still reject us, it is not about us…because really it is about what they are saying to God. We need to not get to defensive…it is not all about us!
8:10-22 are extremely sad verses and remind me of our current political climate. There are so many red flags to the decision that the people were making but they were convinced having an authoritarian figure over them would be a blessing and their adulation for such a decision blinded them to the harmful doors (8:12-18) having a king would open.
“The people refused to listen…our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles” (help us to win again).
How utterly sad!
The last verse in today’s reading that I underlined:
Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then do you speak to me in this way?” -1 Samuel 9:21
As God so often does He chooses those who may seem to have the least power and to be the least expected to represent Him! A reminder that God’s calling is what matters and nothing else!
Tomorrow’s Reading: Psalms 33-35
It seems as if chapter 8 should be tied to chapter 9, so I am going to only spend some time on chapter 7 which is all about persons marital status’s.
Paul’s writing can be confusing, “I say not the Lord” when we come across those phrases we should not assume these are therefore lacking in Biblical inspiration, Paul is pointing to his understanding of Jesus’ teaching on divorce and Paul is simply saying this part are words I am first speaking to you, not the same instruction Jesus gave while He was on this earth or God gave in the course of history. This is new info.
Chapter 7 is made-up of four exhortations regarding marital status. If you break the chapter up and read it with these exhortations in mind you will have a clearer picture:
And within all those main sections there are of course verses that apply to all four sections no matter which section they are in.
If this random rambling on marriage seems odd in the book of 1 corinthians, remember it was in response to a question Paul must have received about the topic (7:1a)
Before I close this post I want to say a word about the last exhortation the great benefits of singleness…I guess this applies to the third status as well, contentment in one’s present marital status whatever it may be.
I believe the church owes an apology to many young people that feel that they are less than because they are single. What is one of the questions someone always is asked after a certain time in their lives and they are not married, “why aren’t you married?” No one ever asks “Why are you married?” at least not in the church. Yet Paul does seem to ask the question, why if you’re content with singleness and don’t have a problem with lust would you ever want to get married. We treat it the exact opposite of the Bible…if someone says, “I never want to get married.” We a). Don’t believe them and instead interpret that to mean they are masking some deep loneliness; b.) wonder if they are gay. c.) wonder what is wrong with them and why no one wants to marry them.
Why can’t we just believe that some people as Paul clearly teaches are blessed with the gift of singleness…oh and why can’t we call it a gift?! Marriage is a gift, but not more so than the gift of singleness.
And all the above applies doubly for single women, since we are way worse on them than on single men.
Okay I’ll get down from horse…
All the single ladies…and men…if that is the gift God has blessed you with…praise the Lord and I am sorry we the church have ever made you feel like it is an inferior state to marriage.
Have a blessed Sabbath.
Tomorrow’s Reading: Genesis 44-47
Mark is the Gospel of urgency…he does not let the grass grow under the narrative what may take the other Gospels several verses, like for instance the baptism of Jesus, Mark sums all of it up from going to the water and coming-up out of the water in just three verses. In the first chapter alone the word “immediately” appears 10 times.
Yet I love in the midst of that first chapter and all those “immediately’s” there is a slow down verse…
“In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.” Mark 1:35
Jesus might have been moving quickly…He did after all have a lot to do in 3.5 years, but He was never to busy to spend time alone communing with God in Heaven.
Should that be a lesson to us who use busyness as an excuse for time missed with God?
Verse 38 also struck a chord in my heart…
He *said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.” Mark 1:38
The true preacher of Jesus will not want to ever limit his or her reach. Now we may be limited by God and that is fine, but a true preacher of the Gospel will NEVER intentionally limit his or her own reach! We may be asked to, I know I have but this verse supports resisting such a request.
Mark chapter 2 verse 15 was a new underline in my Bible today.
“And it *happened that He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners were dining with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many of them, and they were following Him.” Mark 2:15
Of course I have underlined and even preached the front part of this text before, but the new emphasis to me today was,
“for there were many of them, and they were following Him.”
Oh I want to be like Jesus where even though my sermons are condemning the lifestyles of sinners potentially…or those that are irreligious (my Bible has a notation the sinners were “irreligious Jews”) that even the irreligious are drawn to the message because it is done with the overarching love of Jesus. Oh how I long to preach and teach and live like Jesus!
I love the Gospel of Mark I am so glad it is now part of our weekly blogging!
Tomorrow’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 7 & 8
Some amazing inspiration in today’s reading! I’d like to focus though specifically on Isaiah 59.
Isaiah 59 begins with one of the favorite passages of those of us who have been prodigal children and went out and wasted our Father’s “money” on riotous living,
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short
That it cannot save;
Nor is His ear so dull
That it cannot hear.”
Oh praise Jesus for this truth!
But if we stop there in Isaiah 59 we miss a very sad reality.
It is true the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save…and His ear is not so dull that He cannot hear…
But He will not save us against our wills.
And Isaiah 59 is a story of people that reject the easiest gift on earth to receive, SALVATION
Isaiah 59 presents this powerful, beautiful, glorious truth and then shows us that people will continue to pursue iniquity and God’s arm won’t force them.
Verse 8 in particular struck me,
“They do not know the way of peace,
And there is no justice in their tracks;
They have made their paths crooked,”
“They have made their paths crooked…”
God didn’t force them. God didn’t choose some to be lost and some to be saved. Our sin is our choice and it makes our path crooked.
This verse caught my attention because of another favorite verse of many,
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.” -Proverbs 3:5, 6
In this world we have two options…trust our own ways, lean on our own understanding, never acknowledge Him (i.e. pursue all iniquity) and our paths will be crooked.
Accept His arm of grace…
Call out to His ear that is listening for you right now…
And He will make your paths straight.
Which will you choose?
Tomorrow’s Reading: Tomorrow we start the Gospel of immediacy or urgency! Mark 1 & 2
In Job 21 there is an important question that Job presents that many present when suffering,
“Even when I remember, I am disturbed,
And horror takes hold of my flesh.
7 “Why do the wicked still live,
Continue on, also become very powerful?” -Job 21:6 & 7
The question Job is really asking, “Why am I a man that has been faithful to God suffering while my neighbor who openly mocks God not only is not suffering but seems to be gaining power?”
Many a mother and father who have lost a young child, “why not the wicked? Why my innocent child?”
Many a person who has turned their life over to Jesus only to be tormented by the devil, “Why has my life gotten worse when I’ve given my heart to the Lord? And my friends who think it is foolish for me to live for Jesus live on without Him without harm?”
I understand Job’s thoughts here. I believe they are real and fair questions. And even part of his answer is true,
“They spend their days in prosperity,
And suddenly they go down to Sheol.” -Job 21:13
In this life they may seem to not suffer at all, but in the end they go down to sheol…the grave…destruction.
This is true…
While these questions are understandable and legitimate because it is in our human nature to seek understanding, I believe in suffering it is often times hard for us to be rational. I include me in that sentiment.
I say that for this reason…
I’ve known many people far from Jesus that have lost children and I’ve known many people close to Jesus that have lost children.
I’ve known many people that have been ravaged by cancer who never bowed the knee and I know many people ravaged by cancer that every day ’till they died bowed the knee.
I know many rich people that love Jesus and many poor people that hate Him. I know many rich people that hate Jesus and many poor people that love Him.
I know people that love Jesus in unhappy marriages and people that don’t love Jesus in very happy marriages & vice versa.
What is my point. In suffering we sometimes want to look for the ones that we think should be suffering and aren’t and then we start to think “only the good die young” to quote Billy Joel.
Or ask with angst as Job does,
“How often is the lamp of the wicked put out,
Or does their calamity fall on them?” -Job 21:17
My answer to Job would be just as much if not more than the righteous.
In this world evil has no self control and satan hates all humanity, those with Him and those against Him.
And so suffering is in some ways arbitrary.
The righteous live long lives and die young
The wicked live long lives and die young
The righteous get disease
The wicked get disease
Satan hates all humanity.
Here is the one difference…
The righteous at the end of the day know that there is a better day coming and they know that though “in this world they will have trouble” they take hope in knowing that Jesus “has overcome this world” and we believe Jesus’ words, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
And so we do not suffer as the world suffers because we suffer with hope knowing one day it will all be gone and we will live eternally with Jesus.
Whatever befalls me in this life by the grace and the strength of Jesus I will go through because my suffering in this life is temporary and Jesus my best friend is on the other side and I cannot wait to see Him face to face and sin free!
Tomorrow’s Reading: Isaiah 56-61
From the first time I read it ’till this day, Psalm 32 remains one of my favorite Psalms…maybe because from the first time I read it ’till now I am very aware of the merciful forgiveness I need in my life.
Verses 1 & 2,
“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
2 How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!”
are a comparison to the 3rd & 4th verses,
“When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.”
and then verse 5a & 5b is a testimony of how he got out of verses 3 & 4 and into the feeling of verses 1 & 2,
“I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”;
Verse 5c is then God’s response to David’s actions in 5a & 5b,
“And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.”
Verse 6a is then an appeal for people when necessary to seek the Lord as he did,
“Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;”
And verse 6b is a warning that there will come a time when it is “too late,”
“Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.”
Verse 7 is an expression of gratitude,
“You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance.”
Verses 8 & 9 is God talking to all of us on how to avoid verses 3 & 4,
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you with My eye upon you. Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.”
Verse 10 is David speaking from experience as to why we should heed God’s counsel in verses 8 & 9,
Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.
Then verse 11 is the closing statement of encouragement and instruction,
“Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.
So basically David in 11 verses preached to us an entire sermon on the power of forgiveness…it would take me 25 minutes to paint the picture he painted in 11 verses.
Oh how this sinful man loves and needs the reminder of this beautiful psalm. When I sin don’t wait to go to Jesus run to Him and seek Him and be made whole and then grow from that…don’t be like the horse but listen to God so that I don’t end-up in the same spot again. And finally rejoice because above I was a sinner but as a forgiven sinner I am a righteous one & upright in heart!
Tomorrow’s Reading: Job 21 & 22