JANUARY 23
Genesis 46-47
Genesis 46
Vs. 1-4 This is
an important event. Israel would not return to the land for 400 years. God is
particularly tender to Jacob. Jacob had believed in the promise, and now God
was not only confirming the promise but giving Jacob additional information to
pass on to his heirs. It doesn't appear that God spoke to people often, but we
see God speaking to Jacob here (who, by the way, hadn’t left the promised land,
even in the famine) at a time when it was important to encourage Jacob. God
confirms the promise, showing His faithfulness to His plan of redemption. There
is little to suggest that there was ongoing devotion to God and seeking Him on
the part of Jacob. This is one of the few times we hear of Jacob offering
sacrifices. Yet, God remained faithful and tender.
Beersheba was a
special place in the lives of Abe, Isaac and Jacob. This is where Jacob stole
the blessing and ran to Haran to enjoy life with Laban.
As Moses is
writing this, he is surrounded by the millions of Israelites who were brought
out of Egypt to return to the land. God was and is faithful to His Word.
Vs. 5-27 The math summarized here is an editorial on how
many descendants of Israel went in to
Egypt. What is being counted are those who belonged to Jacob by blood. Later in
Numbers we'll see how many descendants of Israel came out. Remember too, that
Jacob took all his servants and livestock. That would have been a small city.
The little comments made about the number of men Abe took to rescue Lot, and
the fact that the holdings of Jacob and Esau were so large that the land
couldn't hold both of them, are important to remember and think about to give
you a 3D view of what is happening. They would have been a large company.
Vs. 28-34 Notice that Jacob sent Judah ahead, showing again,
the prominence of Judah. There have been a lot of tears shed in this story, but
thanks to the Lord, there is now a happy ending.
It’s interesting how the Lord often blesses through bad
things. The Egyptians hated shepherds, forcing Israel to locate in Goshen,
which was a well watered delta paradise, even in the time of famine. The Lord
knows what He's doing and even uses the sin of man to accomplish His purpose of
redemption.
Genesis 47
Vs. 1-12 This shows the meeting with Pharaoh and the
settling of Israel in Goshen. Verse 9 gets me every year. Jacob was 130 years
old and he summarizes his years as few
and evil. And we know it is no exaggeration. What a sad statement, and to
think, Jacob, the man who believed in the blessing, was himself responsible for
much of his own personal tragedy.
When the results of what we have done (and the chain
reactions thereof) are complicated, tangled, and out of control, we feel
trapped and feel we have no control. But the solution is simple. When you come
to your senses and commit yourself to following God, in the next thing you do,
honor the Lord. At that point, no matter how complicated you have made life or
what is being demanded of you, dare to honor God. Being in the Word gives us
confidence in God's love and faithfulness, and His Word tells us what to do.
The Gordian knot is simple to deal with. You don't unravel it, you cut it. But
it takes using the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. And it takes a person
who is surrendered to the love and heart of Christ to make this happen. Yet, it
is so simple as to be profound. The next thing you do, honor the Lord. He leads
to truth and peace.
Vs. 13-26 So, why do you think that Moses and the Spirit
want us to have this particular information? Here is something to think about.
Israel grew as a nation inside of Egypt for 400 years. The Egyptians remembered
what Joseph had done for them as a nation for 2-3 hundred years. That is an
incredible legacy. The US has gone 200 years as a nation and we still (sort of)
respect the founders of the country. As we see new generations arise and people
tinker with, and misunderstand, the intent of the founders, we could figure
that in another 100 years we will forget to respect and honor them. We already
have begun imagining ourselves to be geniuses who could have done a better job,
without their education and faith, and without paying the price they paid. The
Egyptians are grateful for Joseph saving their lives. Joseph was a hero and
patriot. But that will be forgotten.
This section is probably here to show us the actions that
made Joseph a national hero whose respect lasted hundreds of years, until a
pharaoh came who didn't know Joseph, and made Israel slaves.
Vs. 27-28 God gave Jacob 17 good years with Joseph, not to
mention peace and honesty in his life and family. If Joe had his sons during
the first seven years of plenty, it means that Jacob got to see Joseph's sons
enter their 20s.
Vs. 29-31 This section actually introduces Jacob's final
blessings. Jacob wanted to be buried in the family grave, in the land of
promise. This was in anticipation of God's promise to lead the nation back into
Canaan and to give it to them as an inheritance.
In all the details of this story, God never lost sight of
working toward the redemption of man and the coming of Christ. We are now a
part of that plan and story. We have seen what happens when people lose sight
of God's plan, but we have been saved by Christ and commissioned by Him. We are
to follow Him into the harvest to bring the news of this salvation and promise
to the lost. Our commission is to make disciples, who make disciples. We need
to make sure we're not the ones who bring the chaos into our lives through
trickery, ambition and impatience. Still, there will always be resistance and
hardship for those who follow Christ. The Spirit's power isn't seen in His
keeping us out of trouble, but rather in His creating peace and joy in us as we
follow Christ through the trouble.
Matthew
15:1-28
Vs. 1-9 These Pharisees and scribes (lawyers of the law) got
more than they bargained for with this criticism. The scribes had created so
many laws and traditions in addition to what God had written, that people were
no longer following what God said. As a result, it was very hard for a person
to find God. This is what is behind Jesus' rebuke.
Honoring father and mother meant providing for them in their
old age. The scribes figured that if a son wanted to commit to supporting the
temple with his money, he would be exempt from helping his parents. Jesus
didn't see it that way.
Vs. 7-9 Jesus' quote of Isaiah 29:13 is really a description
of the power of sin. Rather than serving God, we create a god and laws to
appease our conscience and allow us to serve ourselves.
Vs. 10-20 After Jesus contradicted the leaders publicly, the
disciples came to Jesus privately and received the explanation of His teaching.
V. 12 The Pharisees already wanted to kill Jesus. Apparently
Jesus' public rebuke regarding "unwashed hands" put them in an
especially murderous mood.
Vs. 13-14 The disciples still feared the scribes and the
Pharisees. I think one of the reasons Jesus interfaced with these leaders so
often was to teach His disciples that God was bigger than they were and that
the Word had to be expressed, without Jesus' disciples fearing these types of
men.
Vs. 21-28 Jesus left Judah because the Jewish leaders were
so mad, and eventually He began to take His message to the Gentiles. In essence,
He had already been rejected by the nation and its leaders. They would make
that official later. Now, you can see Jesus expanding His ministry to the
Gentiles.
Jesus tried to keep His visit here "low key," but
the Father had other plans.
V. 22 Notice that there is a very evident and extraordinary
faith in the Canaanite woman. For her to call Jesus the Son of David was not normal. She knew something and Jesus picked up
on it. It will explain why Jesus could challenge her faith and use her as an
example to the disciples.
Jesus was shifting His ministry to the Gentiles and toward
the birth of the church. Israel had all but officially rejected Him, and the
cross was looming ahead. The disciples were true blue Jews and they hated
Gentiles. We will see God work with the disciples and other Jewish Christians
in a mighty way to help them overcome their prejudice and hatred. This is a
first step. They will see a faith in this Gentile woman that they have seen
only rarely in Israel.
V. 23 Jesus ignored the woman in order to show the disciples
the depth of her faith. I always find this amusing that she was begging Jesus
for her daughter and now the Twelve are begging Him to get rid of her.
Vs. 26-28 So, who was being tested and who was being given a
lesson here? I know the words about throwing the children's bread to the dogs
seems hard, but it looks to me that Jesus knew her faith in the Son of David
would win the day. I think it is the disciples who are getting the test and the
lesson. It was the Jews who viewed the Gentiles as dogs. In spite of Jesus'
words, her need and her faith in Jesus drove her forward. Faith persists and
God is merciful. The woman grasped that and persisted until Jesus blessed her
and freed her daughter. Jesus praised her faith and the disciples received a
lesson in how Gentiles could follow Christ.
Isn't it interesting that the people who claimed to be
following God were Jesus' worst enemies. Their rigid, self-made laws made Jesus
their enemy. They determined what God should be like and what He should say,
and so they couldn't accept Jesus. Yet when Jesus went to those who knew they
were lost, to the Gentiles, He found sincere faith and openness. That should
tell us something about working in the harvest. We are to work in the harvest
and with those believers who have a willingness to follow Christ into the
harvest. Unfortunately, many disciples ruin themselves trying to work with
churches that are not interested in the harvest. These churches live to hold
the "rules." It is sad to say this, but I have been in churches where
Jesus couldn't have been an elder. I'm sure if He had shown up, they wouldn't
have liked Him. In the harvest we find the Lord and we find the freshness of
new faith. That is where we are to make disciples, who make disciples.
Psalm 19
When I read a psalm like this, I picture two periods of
David's life, both of which were simpler, less busy and complicated than when
he became king of the entire nation.
Vs. 1-6 First, all those years as a shepherd, looking out on
God's creation created a deep devotion to God in David. It takes time and quiet
for this to happen.
Vs. 7-14 Second, in those seven years in Hebron as King of
Judah, David also learned. I believe it was in those years, reflecting on God's
saving him from Saul, that he transcribed the first five books of the Bible, as
Deuteronomy says a king should do. It was probably during that time when David
wrote Psalm 119. His devotion to the Word of God grew during this time of
quiet.
In this psalm, you have both the declaration of creation to
the glory of God, and the Word of God declaring the glory of God.
What always hits me is that when David had time or took the
time, his heart was wholly the Lord's, and God's glory flowed from his life. But
when this same man became busy, distracted, and engaged in the press of life,
he failed. He drifted from God and brought deep pain into his life and family.
What the Lord wants us to see in the life of David, besides
enjoying this great psalm, is that a disciple should follow Christ simply in
this life, abiding in Him, taking time with Him, working in the harvest. That
is the life that declares the glory of God. A life full of things and
activities and multitasking doesn't do that for God. At best it makes for a
very superficial disciple. At worst, it makes for a life that looks like
Jacob's or David's.
Proverbs 4:14-19
Many of the proverbs have a contrast, and this one does too
in vs. 18 and 19. Following Christ, His way, brings clarity, hope, stability and
growing light. It is interesting that the lives of Jacob, David and Solomon
became darker as they became busier. They became shrewder, more political, more
complicated. These men became less focused on God and more focused on
themselves. Life is busy, but the focus has to remain uncomplicated, simple and
cleansed daily by the Word. We are to honor God by following and abiding in
Christ and His love, in the harvest.
If you’re reading along
and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link http://oneyearbibleonline.com/weekly-one-year-readings/?version=47&startmmdd=0101. This
version is set to the ESV but you can reset this to a different version or
different language.
I'm writing these
comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in
growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see
the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples,
meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out
and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal
manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us
more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are
only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of
God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are
designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is
that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a
year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples,
disciples making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a
complete description of this model of being and making disciples you can find
it in my book: Simply Disciples*Making Disciples.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011WJIDQA?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
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, I read something you don't, die revidierte
Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with
us is welcome to do so and is 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. Send comments or feedback to dgkachikis@gmail.com.
If you would like
documents containing an entire month of the Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes. You can download these to use on your computer or to
print.
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