Tuesday, June 30, 2015

A Living Hope

1 Peter 1:3

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

Jesus is our "living hope," an imperishable, pure inheritance, causing us to indeed be "born again," now and forever. "Heaven," is outside of anything we know, a place not subject to the physical laws of this universe or the limitations of human minds. It is there, safe in the hand of God, that our eternal inheritance will be revealed.

The Truth

“Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22)

Joseph Died

Genesis 50:26 “Joseph Died”

“So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put into a coffin in Egypt.”

Joseph, the most Christ-like man in the Bible, died and was placed in a coffin. Although Satan said otherwise (Genesis 3:4), God said, “In the day you eat of the forbidden fruit, you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17).

Joseph, just like all men, sinned (Romans 3:23) and if the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), is there a way out? Is there any hope? Yes! No matter what you’ve done, what pit you have dug, or what brother you’ve sold out, Jesus has washed away your sin with His blood. Therefore, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)

The Truth

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Monday, June 29, 2015

Judah, The Deliverer

Genesis 49:8-12

“Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise: your hand shall be in the neck of your enemies; your father's children shall bow down before you.”

Here Jacob is prophetically testifying that Judah would be the tribe to deliver Israel from its enemies - and that future generations would be governed by Judah. From the tribe of Judah would come the Messiah, the Prince, the Deliverer, who would become Israel’s invincible Leader.

He is seen in verse 9 as unstoppable lion, in verse 10 as the unvanquished Lord and finally in verses 11,12 as the uncontested landowner, as He purchases property with His own blood.

The Truth

“Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:5)

Monday, June 22, 2015

Joseph Is Alive

Genesis 45:26

"They told him, saying, 'Joseph is still alive, and indeed he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.' But he was stunned, for he did not believe them.”

Jacob had been numb emotionally for many years in relation to the loss of his beloved son, Joseph. And now as he listened to the words of his sons upon their return from Egypt, he was "stunned, for he did not believe them."

The wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him, persuaded Jacob (who had closed his heart) that he could believe once more. His spirit "revived" as it is recorded in Verse 27, and Jacob was now able to throw off his shell of depression and find hope again. As he states in verse 28, “It is enough; my son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

Even when it seems we have lost everything, we have our faith, our Lord, our hope. For Jesus is alive.

The Truth

“Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Peter 1:21)

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Let Me Remain

Genesis 44:33 “Let Me Remain”

“Now therefore, I pray you, let your servant abide instead of the lad a slave to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brothers.”

Here Judah is saying, "let me bear the blame (and) ... let (me) remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers." No wonder it would be prophesied of him, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah..." (Genesis 49:10).

Here was a man willing to give up his own life for someone else – sound familiar?

The Truth

"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Treasure In Their Sacks

Genesis 43:23

“And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Simeon out to them.”

You can’t out give God. This is an excellent picture of how our Lord relates to money. This hidden treasure (as the word signifies) found in their sacks; was there by the providence of God, so disposing the heart of Joseph to order it to be put there. Whatever you give to God will come back to you much greater. He will never be in your debt.

The Truth

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38)

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

The Reckoning

Genesis 42:22

"Reuben answered them, saying, 'Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy;' and you would not listen? Now comes the reckoning for his blood.'"

Reuben used this opportunity to remind his brothers that he was the one who argued to save Joseph's life, as reflected in Genesis 37:21. But it was also a kind of "I told you so" statement and the minds of his brothers were unlikely to be changed by his words.

Ruben included himself in their thinking however, as he concluded: "Now comes 'the reckoning' for his blood." Sin has consequences. Here in this chapter, the recognition that they had brought this trouble upon themselves becomes clear and the consequences were about to occur.

As it is true for so many liars, the trumped-up lie they had told Jacob about Joseph's "death" had become real to them as well. Jacob believed the story and so did they. They could not imagine in their wildest dreams that Joseph was alive after all those years.

The Truth

“If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.” (1 John 1:6)

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

God's Plan Revealed By Joseph

Genesis 41:39

“And Pharaoh said to Joseph, For as much as God has showed you all this, there is none so discreet and wise as you are.”

God's plans and solutions are higher and better than ours.

The Truth

“Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding? “To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his." (Job 12:12-13)

Monday, June 15, 2015

Joseph's Good Deeds Forgotten

Genesis 40:23

"Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him."

Do you know something about somebody that would help them? Are you in a position to assist another person? Don't forget them like this cupbearer did - extend a hand of friendship and it's likely you will find a helping hand reaching back to you when you need it most.

The Truth

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)

Friday, June 12, 2015

God Is With Us

Genesis 39:2

“And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.”

Man may strip us of outward distinctions and ornaments; but wisdom and grace cannot be taken from us. Man may separate us from friends, relatives, and country; but he cannot take from us the presence of the Lord. Man may shut us from outward blessings, rob us of liberty, and even confine us in dungeons; but he cannot shut us out from communion with God, from the throne of grace, or take from us the blessings of salvation.

Joseph was blessed, wonderfully blessed, even in the house where he was a slave. God's presence with us, makes all we do prosperous. Good men are the blessings of the place where they live; good servants may be so, though mean and lightly esteemed. The prosperity of the wicked is, one way or other, for the sake of the godly. Here was a wicked family blessed for the sake of one good servant in it.

The Truth

“But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.” (2 Thessalonians 3:13)

Monday, June 8, 2015

A Forgotten Vow

Genesis 35:1

“And God said to Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar to God, that appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.”

Here Jacob is commanded to worship at Bethel in fulfillment of his vow he made thirty years previous to return to Bethel (Genesis 28:22). Jacob had said in the day of his distress, “If I come again in peace, this stone shall be God’s house”. God had performed his part, and gave Jacob more than he then desired, namely, “bread to eat, and raiment to put on”.

But it seems, Jacob had not forgotten his vow, or had at least deferred the performance of it. But as many as God loves, he will remind of neglected duties, one way or other, by conscience or by providences. When we have vowed a vow to God, it is best not to defer the payment of it; yet better late than never.

The Truth

“When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed— Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.” (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5)

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Curiosity Brought Trouble

Genesis 34:1-2

"Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.”

Here Dinah did something that was dangerous in those days, just as it is dangerous in today's "modern" world. It would have seemed like a harmless act to her, for she merely "went out to visit the daughters of the land”, maybe to make some friends but, a young women, alone, unescorted, in a unfamiliar city, not a smart idea. It's unclear whether or not her parents knew that she was gone but in the rest of the chapter we see the outcome of her visit.

What had been done to Dinah was terrible in any culture of any time, but the response of Simeon and Levi (sons of Jacob) was simply awful. And nowhere in all this was any real concern expressed for Dinah, their sister. All that had been done in the name of revenge was done for themselves.

The Truth

“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

Saturday, June 6, 2015

The Restoration of Brothers

Genesis 33:4

“Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept."

Here he was! After all those decades, Jacob's past, in the form of his brother, Esau, had finally caught up with him! He had done what he could and after a night of prayer in which he had "wrestled" with the Lord (or the Lord's angel) in regard to this very moment, he now went to meet his brother.

Jacob now went toward Esau, walking at the front of his family and limping badly because, his hip had been recently dislocated by the Lord or His angel, during his night of prayer at the end of Chapter 32. Then, here in our text, something improbable happens that God intends for us all. The two brothers, who had become mortal enemies, now were to be reconciled to one another. Reconciliation is rare but wonderful and it is even greater than forgiveness. It takes just one to forgive, but BOTH must forgive to reconcile and this was a moment that God had intended for them since the time they parted three decades before.

The image of this broken and contrite Jacob was enough to touch Esau's heart and so he "embraced" his brother, hugged him around the neck and they kissed. The two openly wept because of renewed love for one another and because of the past they should have had but was lost to them.

Sometimes family can be stubborn, cold, unforgiving and even hold a grudge for decades. But it is a beautiful thing when the LORD restores that relationship. The walls come down, forgiveness flows and all is restored.

My prayer for all is the restoration of any broken relationship in your life today, as soon as possible. For life will pass by and moments are lost, that can never be regained.

Restore us LORD, amen.

The Truth

“Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue.” (Job 14:1-3)

Friday, June 5, 2015

God - Bless Me!

Genesis 32:26

“But Jacob said, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me.'”

Jacob had "wrestled with a man until daybreak." This "man" was called an "angel" in Hosea 12:4 and called "God" by Jacob. This Wrestler saw that Jacob was not going to stop and unlike his brother, Esau, WANTED the blessing.

It was "daybreak" and God had other plans for Jacob on this day. He went so far as to dislocate Jacob's femur (the bone in his thigh) from his hip socket (v.24-25). Then, at last, Jacob KNEW that he wanted God and the blessing of God, more than anything in this world. So, he would not let go until he was blessed.

You have to admire Jacob’s tenacity. He wanted his brother’s birthright (Chapter 25) and took it, He wanted his father’s blessing and took that (Chapter 27), but now he wanted the blessing of the Lord. He sought God, found Him, and received the blessing of a new name, "Israel”.

The application here is to hold on to your faith. Never let go no mater what you may wrestle with in life. Seek the Lord and His blessing above all things.

The Truth

“Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!” (Psalm 105:4)

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Stolen gods"

Genesis 31:30

“Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household. But why did you steal my gods?”

It appears that Laban was, in some way or another, guilty of idolatry in the use of these images; looking upon them as types, or representations of God. Foolish to call these images his gods which could be stolen!

Enemies may steal our possessions, our goods, but not our God.

The Truth

“For I know that the Lord is great, And our Lord is above all gods.” (Psalm 135:5)

Monday, June 1, 2015

God Remembered Rachel

Genesis 30:22

"Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb.”

Rachel desperately wanted children by her husband, Jacob, and in Verses 14-16 we saw her revert to the superstitious usage of "mandrakes" in order to obtain them. The attempt failed and since that time she had done something infinitely better - she began to pray once more, asking God for sons.

Children are indeed a gift from God and Rachel was beginning to understand that superstition, human trickery, clever ideas; none of it was as valuable as prayer. And so, at last "she conceived and bore a son."

He was to be the famous "Joseph," which meant "adding" or "may He add." This son would become the favorite of his father, become a slave in a foreign land and finally, amazingly, the Governor of Egypt.

Therefore, be patient, wait on the Lord, let your request be made known to Him, allow Him the time to work in your life - and something infinitely better will come about.

The Truth

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)