January 25, Reading Notes

Genesis 50

Gen. 50:1-14

So, what are your impressions, observations, feelings reading this section?

Gen. 50:15-21

I wonder if Jacob really told them to say this to Joseph. Joseph's statement, "you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good," is famous. If you've been following these reading notes, you understand a little more of the process God used to bring Joseph to this point of maturity and understanding. If you do see this process, and hadn't seen it before this year, then praise God. That kind of spiritual growth in understanding, is what this is all about. God uses His word to form our hearts so that, as we enter situations or when events happen to us, these truths, these observations and confirmations from the Spirit, give us patience and hope and perspective. We make a decision here, or we are patient there, where we wouldn't have been before, but this is the Spirit working maturity in us. Without the Spirit and the Word, we'd be sunk, but with them active in our lives, though we are slow in learning and keep on falling, He lifts us up, shows and confirms to us the way, and leads us on in hope. This is what makes being a disciple (living close to and following Jesus in the harvest) a joy, and the only way to fly.

Gen. 50:22-26

Joseph's life had a happy end….just like a Disney movie. Joe was 17 when sold to the Midianites, 30 when he was brought out of prison and set over Egypt, 39 when he was reunited with his father, 56 when Jacob died and 110 when he died. All of that is in the text and easy to figure out. What is more important is for you to be able to see this and then sit back and see the different periods of his life and how the Lord blessed him in terms of relationship and family and peace. His life looks much different, in those respects, than Jacob's. Following the Lord, being Jesus' disciple and hearing and doing His Word, makes the difference. Circumstances do not dictate a disciple's joy and heart and relationships and peace, the Lord does.

Joseph knew the exodus was coming and reminded Israel that God would fulfill His promise.

Exodus 1:1-2:10

I just have some thoughts and notes here.

First, timewise, Israel grew in Egypt about 430 years, from Jacob moving there to the exodus. This length of time you get from a Bible handbook or study Bible. You can figure this out from the Bible itself, but you've got to be a lot better at math than I am. The question that interests me is, "How long were they slaves?" Again, a reference work might have that length, but you can also figure from the text that it was at least 100-130 years. I say this because Moses leads the people out of Egypt when he was 80, so they were slaves at least that long. And, the slavery began before his birth.

Second, God used the slavery. What a funny way to prepare Israel to build a new nation. When you read what they went through, think about what that might have "positively" built into the people. Also, the slavery gave them the "need to leave" Egypt, heaven on earth. As disciples, we need to understand that God can use all sorts of things in our lives and in the lives of those we are reaching out to or leading as disciples. It might be uncomfortable, but we need to be slow to judge God's allowance of difficulties in our lives.

Third, God, in His timing and wisdom, knew the right time to begin things. It is hard to say here that the people were spiritual. The fulfilling of the promise was not dependent on them, it was fully dependent on God. He let 350 years go by and then suddenly it was time. Moses was born. And then we'll see 80 years of preparation in Moses' life, 40 of which were lived in defeat in the wilderness.

The hardest thing for a very energetic disciple is waiting on the Lord when He is slowly preparing things, and most often, us, for the work He has in mind.

Ex. 2:2... I wonder if I would have gotten thrown in? Glad I wasn't there. Just a random thought.

Matthew 16:13-17:9

Matt. 16:13-28

These are very important verses in following Christ. In fact, they are just important verses. Jesus has watched the progress of the twelve and knows that the year before Him will lead to His sacrifice. Now He needs to prepare them further, but are they ready?

Your observations here are more important than anything I have to say. Imagine that Jesus is talking to you. Where do you need to be more focused on Him and live more sacrificially?

First, notice the progression here. Verse 21 shows you that until this point (2 years?) Jesus did not reveal this.

Second, although Peter was just trying to help the "poor depressed Messiah" see the glass as "half full," Jesus rebukes "the Rock" who does not yet have the maturity to see the plan according to God's wisdom. We disciples get in trouble on this one all the time, assuming we know God's plan as if we were God, and then we try to get Him to approve our plan as His. We can actually hinder, and not help, the work of God.

Third, the charge to His disciples was to give everything for following Him. Following Jesus had had its ups-and-downs for them. Now, they would be having more downs, although they were heading to the greatest event on earth. To really endure and succeed as disciples will cost us everything. Jesus is pretty clear about that.

And the reward is …..

Matt. 17:1-9

Seeing the Glory of Christ.

Jesus only takes the 3 with Him. He apparently discerned in them, a deeper faith, commitment and understanding. They all became key leaders in the early church in Jerusalem.

Since both the reading in the OT and the NT has to do with God making us ready and forming our commitment as disciples through hardship, you might find some encouragement in these videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgeMHHbFslk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfZaMOuv2RI

Psalm 21

I think for us as followers, verses 5-7 say it all. Substitute My for His and Me for Him, I for The King and I for He. You'll get the idea.

Proverbs 5:1-6

Just speaking to the guys here, if God has thought to address this issue, it must be a big one. None of us are "supermen" and it would be better, if you know you can't handle it, to have somewhat distant and awkward relationships with women than be stupid and think you can be the friend of all. Many men in ministry have messed around here and gone down. Obviously, the women in church are not these women, you'd hope, but this is really saying more about the weakness of the man, his temptability. This is very tricky, and especially if you realize that both David and Solomon, the guy writing this, both became victims and were never the same again. I'm sure that we're no better.

For most men following Christ, the problem will not be physical adultery, but visual adultery. Jesus says visual adultery is basically the same thing, and it will kill your heart. It never delivers what it promises and it messes up your relationship with your Lord and your wife.

The answer? Turn the TV off, turn in early, and focus everything on "the wife of your youth." God's advice. Remember, like in Genesis, the true desire and need, deeper than anything sexual, is completeness and connection. You can't charge a battery by only connecting it for 10 minutes. It usually takes 40 minutes to an hour to charge a battery properly. Anything less, and the things don't fill up properly and they run out quickly. And the man has to lead in this. God made it that way, so quit complaining. If you don't think your wife takes enough interest, blame God, not her. That's how He made her so that you would have to initiate, develop warmth and lead. God's way is always the best way.

For women, I would just say to "try" to understand that your husband is probably 90% OK, but always vulnerable. Never forget that. All the stuff of life beats on him so that even the best and most godly get down and fatigued and sink into themselves. This, more than lust, draws them to escape and pornography.

A man likes to know that if he really was in trouble emotionally, and on the verge of "death" emotionally, someone would be interested in reaching in and saving him. I know it's self-piteous and silly, but you just have to go with it. Men need respect and attention, not some wild woman that Hollywood tells them they need, who, incidentally, is mentioned in this proverb. Mostly, godly men following Christ are solid, but where they fall, is in thinking, rightly or wrongly, in stress and emotional fatigue, that they are really alone. Know your husband, because he probably won't tell you. In their weakness, they'll quietly test you to confirm that they really are alone. What he needs is the safety and security of being home and accepted and complete.

I have no idea why I like the following video, but it really resonates with me on the points just mentioned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p916yeFa2Xk

If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.” 

I'm writing these comments to and for those at New Song who are following a One Year Bible and involved in a discipleship cell. We're meeting weekly and discussing the texts, not necessarily my comments. We're growing together, learning to become and make disciples who make disciples. We will all be leading others in this process and training them to do likewise.

The comments I'm writing are in no way exhaustive, but meant to give some leading thoughts on how the text applies to us as disciples and to encourage and stimulate our growth in reading the Bible, with the effect that we will grow as disciples and encourage the growth of others as disciples growing in the word. If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.

I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible, in fact, no one in our church reads the version I do, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.

Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.