Day 13
Genesis 27:1-28:22
(27 | 28)
If nothing else, these two chapters prove that God will use anyone to further his plans; it doesn't matter what we think of them, if God wants to use them, he will use them. Jacob demonstrates this perfectly. We saw yesterday how he acquired his brother Esau's birthrights in exchange for a meal. In today's reading he tricks his father into giving him a blessing intended for Esau. By this stage, Isaac's eyesight has gone, so he relies on his senses of smell and touch. Isaac tells Esau to go and hunt some game for him, and to prepare a delicious meal for him so that he can bless him. When Rebekah hears this, she tells Jacob to go get two goats from the herd from which she can prepare a meal for her husband so that Jacob will get his blessing. Jacob does this, as well as covering his hands and arms with goat pelt to deceive his father into thinking they were hairy like Esau's, and wearing some of Esau's clothes so that he would smell like his brother. When he takes a meal to his father, Isaac falls for the trick, and blesses Jacob, making him lord over his brothers. Esau returns not long after, and is absolutely furious when he hears what his brother has done.
Esau swears that as soon as Isaac is dead, he will kill Jacob. When Rebekah hears this, she convinces Isaac to send Jacob back to her father's house to find a wife there. On the journey there, Jacob encounters God. Despite the way in which Jacob received Isaac's blessing, God honours it, and promises to fulfil his promises to Abraham and Isaac through him. If anyone ever says they're not good enough to be called by God to a certain task, there are many people in the Bible to point them to. Jacob is one of them; Jacob gets his position through deception, deceiving his father at his brother's expense. If God can use him, surely he can use anyone.
Matthew 10:32-11:15
(10:32-42 | 11:1-15)
Jesus hints here at what he will do after death; he hints at the fact that he will intercede before the Father on behalf of anyone who believes in him. But anyone who doesn't follow Jesus will receive no such intercession. Jesus again hints at the fact that his followers may well suffer for him, and that if they do, it's a good thing. Jesus says anyone who takes in, feeds or otherwise blesses anyone blessed by the LORD will themselves be blessed.
The first part of Matthew 11 is all about confirmation of prophecy. John the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus to ask him if he is indeed the Christ, the Messiah, the one they were expecting because of prophecy. Jesus sends back cryptic confirmation before proclaiming John the Baptist as being more than a prophet; he is the "messenger" and the one "who will prepare your way before you" of prophecy. It's all very cool, seeing prophecy come together like this.
Psalm 9:1-6
(9:1-6)
It seems that David has finally received the deliverance from his enemies he was praying for in previous psalms. David is quite rightly praising God for his role in this, and lists off all the things that happened to his enemies due to the LORD. There is so much encouragement to be taken from this. Not from the fact that David's enemies were overturned, but from the fact that God listened, and he delivered David from his situation.
Genesis 27:1-28:22
(27 | 28)
If nothing else, these two chapters prove that God will use anyone to further his plans; it doesn't matter what we think of them, if God wants to use them, he will use them. Jacob demonstrates this perfectly. We saw yesterday how he acquired his brother Esau's birthrights in exchange for a meal. In today's reading he tricks his father into giving him a blessing intended for Esau. By this stage, Isaac's eyesight has gone, so he relies on his senses of smell and touch. Isaac tells Esau to go and hunt some game for him, and to prepare a delicious meal for him so that he can bless him. When Rebekah hears this, she tells Jacob to go get two goats from the herd from which she can prepare a meal for her husband so that Jacob will get his blessing. Jacob does this, as well as covering his hands and arms with goat pelt to deceive his father into thinking they were hairy like Esau's, and wearing some of Esau's clothes so that he would smell like his brother. When he takes a meal to his father, Isaac falls for the trick, and blesses Jacob, making him lord over his brothers. Esau returns not long after, and is absolutely furious when he hears what his brother has done.
Esau swears that as soon as Isaac is dead, he will kill Jacob. When Rebekah hears this, she convinces Isaac to send Jacob back to her father's house to find a wife there. On the journey there, Jacob encounters God. Despite the way in which Jacob received Isaac's blessing, God honours it, and promises to fulfil his promises to Abraham and Isaac through him. If anyone ever says they're not good enough to be called by God to a certain task, there are many people in the Bible to point them to. Jacob is one of them; Jacob gets his position through deception, deceiving his father at his brother's expense. If God can use him, surely he can use anyone.
Matthew 10:32-11:15
(10:32-42 | 11:1-15)
Jesus hints here at what he will do after death; he hints at the fact that he will intercede before the Father on behalf of anyone who believes in him. But anyone who doesn't follow Jesus will receive no such intercession. Jesus again hints at the fact that his followers may well suffer for him, and that if they do, it's a good thing. Jesus says anyone who takes in, feeds or otherwise blesses anyone blessed by the LORD will themselves be blessed.
The first part of Matthew 11 is all about confirmation of prophecy. John the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus to ask him if he is indeed the Christ, the Messiah, the one they were expecting because of prophecy. Jesus sends back cryptic confirmation before proclaiming John the Baptist as being more than a prophet; he is the "messenger" and the one "who will prepare your way before you" of prophecy. It's all very cool, seeing prophecy come together like this.
Psalm 9:1-6
(9:1-6)
It seems that David has finally received the deliverance from his enemies he was praying for in previous psalms. David is quite rightly praising God for his role in this, and lists off all the things that happened to his enemies due to the LORD. There is so much encouragement to be taken from this. Not from the fact that David's enemies were overturned, but from the fact that God listened, and he delivered David from his situation.
No comments:
Post a Comment