If you don't
have a One Year Bible or prefer something online, this link will take you to
the day's reading, http://oneyearbibleonline.com/daily-oyb/. This
site allows you to select from several languages and several English
translations.
JANUARY 11
Genesis
24:52-26:16
This section gives a lot of
historical information in summary form, and it's not all in order. This history
is meant to convey background and reasons for events that Israel in the
wilderness would need to understand in becoming a nation and in fulfilling its
ministry as God's ambassador. Note in all of this, that the promise, which is a
promise of redemption, is still present; but its meaning is certainly being
forgotten. That's just like what we do. We make churches and do programs, and
somehow lose what the main goal of every disciple and church is on this planet:
love Christ, reach the lost, make disciples, who make disciples.
Genesis 24:52-67
Vs. 52-61 Note the worshipful
attitude of Abe's servant. Note also that as Rebekah’s family blesses her, there
may be a sense in which they knew something of the promise to Abraham. On the
other hand, this could have been just the normal wedding blessing you gave a
woman.
Vs. 62-67 Isaac was heir to this
vast community that had grown up around Abraham. He wasn't just wandering
around the countryside. He was probably visiting one of the places they were
grazing livestock. All we have recorded is the meeting of Isaac and Rebekah and
the account is very condensed. The account almost makes it look like he saw
her, took her into a tent that was standing there and they consummated the
relationship. Not so. He put her in Sarah's tent, not his. This was a place of
privilege in the community. They would have a new leading lady. He "took
her," that is, accepted the arrangement of being married to her. He could
have refused. They would have been separated before they were married and there
would have been a formal wedding. And apparently there was enough time in all
of this for Isaac to fall in love.
V. 62 My German one-year Bible
helped me here. Unless you have a great memory you will not remember that
Beer-lahai-roi is from Genesis 16:14. That is where the angel of the Lord met
Hagar when she ran from Sarah. The full name is "The Living God, who sees
me." It is interesting to me that Isaac was here. Maybe he was seeking
God. In Genesis 25:11, after Abraham's death, this will become home for Isaac.
Genesis 25
Vs. 1-6 There are a couple of
names here that are notable, one in particular. Can you figure out which one? If
you read year after year, this people will come up on your radar on a couple of
important occasions as enemies of Israel. You can figure, if one of these men
has his genealogy shared, it is because God/Moses wants the people to know
where that particular nation came from. Moses hid in their land. His wife was
one of these people, and this people figures big in the wilderness wanderings
of Israel from Numbers 22-31. Gideon even hid from them.
Very realistically, Abraham's
life and relationship to Sarah wasn't some romanticized fiction. When she died,
Abe grieved, but still needed a wife to be complete.
Vs. 7-18 This section is
narrative housekeeping in order to get to the continuation of the progress of
the promise of redemption.
First, Abraham's death is
recorded and he passes out of the narrative. So, reading his age, why is this
interesting that you hear no more of Abraham? Obviously, you might say, because
the story is no longer about him. But his age is an interesting factor and the
absence of any mention of him is very strange.
Then, Ishmael's lineage is
presented and he is gone.
Vs. 19-26 Look how old Isaac was
when they were married. He was no spring chicken. Then, the Lord made it
difficult for Rebekah to have children, thereby making their births and the
progress of the promise more significant for them. How long did God make them
wait? It's there in the text. Can you imagine waiting that long for a child and
knowing that the continuation of the promise was dependent on having kids?
So, we are only this far in the
Bible. You might conclude that "waiting" is not a strange thing in
God's leading. God forges faith in waiting. So many people wash out as
disciples for this reason alone.
Isaac prays and God hears. Immediately
at their births, God overturns the normal process of blessing and inheritance
by stating that the elder will serve the younger. Note that the Lord states
this to Rebekah in answer to her seeking. She should have rested in this
promise/prediction to her. Instead, she'll try to work God's plan in her own
cleverness.
Living in the reality of the
promise could have been constantly communicated because of how God had arranged
things. From Abraham to Adam there are only three/four relationships. Abe might
have known Noah and certainly could have known Seth. Seth knew many of the men
behind him and almost all of those men had known Adam.
Given the age of Abraham, how
old would the twins have been at his death? How long would Abe have known Rebekah
before she had the kids? All of this is to say that Abraham, firsthand, would
have passed on the importance of the promises to Rebekah and the two boys.
As disciples, our relationship
to Christ, to reaching the lost, and to making disciples, who make disciples,
has to be firsthand. Jesus said that a disciple is not above his teacher. As
Howard Hendricks used to say, "You cannot impart, what you do not possess.”
If we are distracted by life and not living the reality of being close to the
Lord, in His Word, reaching out and making disciples, then what hope do we have
of passing that on? If it is theoretical to us, it will be theoretical to those
we influence also.
Vs. 27-34 Losing the clear focus
of what the promise meant might explain what was happening in the family and
between the two boys. This fractured family was not healthy. It will get
exponentially worse with Jacob.
This contest between the boys
was the result of the parents. Jacob was a rat, but you might say at least he
was a rat who had faith in the promise. And Esau was worse, despising the
reality of the promise. God is simply gracious here, furthering His will and
plan in spite of ungodly behavior. Later, Jacob, who at least had faith, will
pay dearly for this. The fact that there is no "justice" here doesn't
mean it won't come. As a friend of mine once told me, "God doesn't always
pay on Friday."
As disciples, to presume on
God's grace, to further our own agenda and desires, even if it is "for
God," is a very dangerous thing. Jacob didn't escape and Solomon didn't
escape. We have a Master and we have to reflect Him, submitting to His will,
His way and His timing. I know I've hurt myself forgetting this. God is
sovereign, and also, He's the boss. It's His work, to be done His way.
Ironically, the Lord has already
told Rebekah that Jacob would be the receiver of the promise. In faith, all of
this and what follows was unnecessary.
Genesis 26
Vs. 1-16 I'm assuming Abraham
was dead by this time, otherwise Abimelech would have come to Abe as the head
of the clan, especially since he already made a covenant with Abe.
Isaac receives confirmation of
the promise directly from God, but like his father, he fears for his life in
Gerar and does the "she's my sister" thing. Although for Isaac, this
was a total, 100% lie. Treasure in earthen vessels?
Canaan was a large, long land,
north to south; and since Abe and Isaac were herdsmen, they would always have
been looking for fresh land to use for grazing. Overgrazing ruins the land, so
they would have had to move from time to time. By this time, Abimelech may not
have had dealings with Abe for years and didn't know Isaac. If Abe was dead
here, you can figure out how many years ago it was that Abimelech probably made
that covenant with Abraham. Apparently Abimelech was a much younger man at the
time of that covenant, and although older now, still had an eye for
good-looking women to add to his harem. So he looks out the window and sees
this new guy with his sister, and they were doing what????
The ESV falls down in v. 8. I like
the word the KJV uses, "sporting.” Were they playing badminton? Throwing a
football? The RSV is to the point, "fondling.” There was no mistake that
Isaac was doing that which only a husband ought to do; and the poor guy was so
desperate, he was doing it in the open, maybe hidden, but not hidden enough.
V. 11 So again Abimelech warns
his people to stay away from these pesky Hebrews. Both Abe and Isaac brought
these people into jeopardy because of their lack of faith in God's promise and
provision. As disciples, we can do the same. Everything we do following Jesus
in the harvest is so much better if we will just trust.
Vs. 12-16 Isaac was rich, and
everyone knew it was the Lord who had done this for him. They were jealous, but
also afraid of him. Remember, this is that same thing that happened after
Abraham's stay with Abimelech. By this time, Isaac's holdings might have
necessitated a community of thousands, making him vaster, richer and more
powerful than many of the neighboring cities. This section should have really
been included in tomorrow's reading. Abimelech will again make a covenant. This
time he makes it with Isaac.
Matthew
8:18-34
It is hard to understand the
method behind Matthew's writing here, but he is focused on showing that Jesus
is the Jewish Messiah. Matthew didn't always include events chronologically. In
this section, he was more focused on showing that only a heart of faith could
understand that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
Vs. 18-22 As a result of His
rising popularity and His miracles, many wanted to follow Jesus, but were not
willing to pay the price of commitment. In these two examples of
half-heartedness, what do you think kept these people from following Jesus? This
is the same today. It is easy to go to church, but it is difficult to follow
Christ. In following Christ in the harvest, issues of security and our true
love and allegiance have to be set to rest. He is our security and our first
and greatest love. He is the mission of each disciple and every church. This is
the reason you don't recruit every warm body to become a part of a discipleship
cell or project. Jesus Himself brought "would be" followers to the
place of understanding the cost. Popularity attracts lots of warm bodies, but
not always devoted followers of Christ.
Vs. 23-27 Luke lets us know that
Jesus had just had a very long day of teaching and was exhausted. The Father
and Spirit must have designed this little voyage on the lake. The disciples'
words to Jesus are, first, an accusation, and second, a scream; that is, "Master,
wake up, don't you care? Master, Master, save, Lord, we're perishing.” They
were terrified of dying. They marveled, but Luke says they were now afraid of
Him.
Just like Abe and Isaac and Rebekah
above, if God says something, you can rest easy. Jesus told the disciples to go
to the other side, with Him, the Creator of the universe, in the boat. He
didn't say, "Let's go to the middle and die.” As disciples we are no
better. In order for Him to impress on our hearts His ability to help, to save
and guide and care for us, He has to take us out on the sea, to the very brink
of disaster. How else, like the psalmist, do we learn to trust and sing His
praise for His power and deliverance? We are no better than the Twelve and we
learn the same way.
So, Matthew shows that Jesus, as
Messiah, was the Ruler over nature.
Vs. 28-34 Matthew now shows
Jesus' rule over the spiritual world.
I imagine the poor disciples
were relieved to finally be safe on land. Then they see these two naked, crazy
guys start running at them from the tombs. The demons recognized Jesus as God
the Son in a human body. Matthew's purpose here is only to show Jesus'
authority over the spiritual realm. Isn't it interesting that the people's
reaction was to beg Jesus to go away? In Luke, one of the two healed men
desired to follow Jesus.
Psalm
10:1-15
V. 1 I wonder what this
"song" would have sounded like. Was the first note a scream? In any
case, the events behind David's writing must have been pretty distressing.
Vs. 2-4 In the time David ran
from Saul, it must have seemed like Saul could do whatever he wanted with no
result. Saul destroyed a family and city of priests and God did nothing. Even
though Saul "believed" in God, his actions showed what he really felt
about God's existence and presence.
Vs. 5-11 This section expresses
how this "practical atheist's" actions are guided by his thought that
God doesn't care or see. You can follow each thought by underlining he and his.
Vs. 12-15 David knew that God's
justice would roll. He might not have understood God's waiting and he might
have been pressured by the circumstances, but David knew that God would be true
to His Word and call these men to account.
Understanding why God waits and
does not apply instant justice in this world is something that a fully trained
disciple should be able to deal with and explain. It doesn't feel good, but we
know it is part of this history on earth. We see what happened to Jesus
Himself, and the Father allowed it. We see what happened to different apostles in
Acts, and God allowed it. The psalm itself shows that God is understanding and
compassionate with our emotional distress and desperate wondering. He wants His
followers to trust Him and patiently wait. We, of all people, should know that
the earth is not a good place and that this is only a small, tragic portion of
the whole of reality.
Here is a call for the
endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith
in Jesus. (Rev. 14:12)
Proverbs 3:7-8
Great words for us as disciples.
If you "turn this around," it means that if you think you have it, if
you only "so-so" fear the Lord
and if you play fast and loose with things, your flesh will wither and your
bones will get tired.
I think I've had days and months
like that. It is time to get wise, as a disciple of Jesus.
Please Read
the Following Disclaimer
I'm writing the Reading Notes to and
for those who are following a One Year Bible and are 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, that is, 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 and important discipleship manual we have and it is the 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, or whom we are to be following. 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, as disciples, 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, making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive
commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC).
I read the BKC in doing background for the Reading Notes and refer to it quite
often. I also make reference to maps or charts in the BKC, though I will only
note where those resources can be found. Often you can do a search for these
and find them in Google books. Buying both volumes of the Bible Knowledge
Commentary would be a good idea.
I am not endorsing any particular
One Year Bible translation; in fact, I read something you probably don't, Die
Revidierte Lutherbibel, 1984. Unless noted, all Scripture quotes are from the
ESV Bible.
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. Often there is a breadth of opinion on certain events, both
historical and prophetic. Many of my views come from my church background,
theological training and my personal study.
I'm
doing this with discipleship in mind, meaning, I'm writing out thoughts that
will keep discipleship and our growth as disciples applied to what we are
reading. Remember, the real focus of the Reading Notes is to be a
supplement, a disciple’s commentary, giving motivation and insight so that we
will keep following our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making
disciples, who make disciples. Being in
the Word every day, sitting at Jesus’ feet, learning directly from Him, is the
essential essence of being and making disciples.
May the Lord bless you as you follow
Him in the harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples, who make disciples. Dan
The daily installments of the Reading Notes can be found at http://fencerail.blogspot.com/
If you would like documents containing an entire month of the
Reading Notes, go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
If you would like a full presentation of discipleship read Simply Disciples*Making Disciples.
Or if you are struggling with insomnia and would like a long
boring dissertation on disciple making, these can both be found on https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/reading-notes.
Reading Notes ©, Dan Kachikis 2011
The One Year Bible © by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton
Illinois 60189
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright ©
2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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