Genesis 45

Joseph, sold as a slave by his brothers, had finally been elevated to the position of vice-emperor of Egypt (Gen 41). The path was very circuitous, yet God had been with him all along. His brothers who had sold him, now stood before him, totally dependent on his whim, his judgment. Joseph did not see himself as a victim but as a servant of God. He addressed the famine that had brought the brothers to Egypt and said, “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Now it was not you who sent me here, but God, and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household,” (45:7,8).

Genesis 44

Joseph’s brothers had no inkling that their conspiracy against him (Gen 37) had not turned out as they supposed. They thought of him, at best, to be a slave in a far off land. They had not, however, factored in God, who had taken care of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and could take care of Joseph, son of Jacob. God had, in fact, made Joseph the ruler of all Egypt, second only to Pharaoh.

God had plans for the sons of Jacob but would not bless them while they hid the true nature of their act against their father and brother. Their shared evil linked them in conspiracy; God was determined to free them so He could bless them. Some of the pressures that we face are, perhaps, from Go

Matthew 14

This chapter begins with the narrative of a terrible king driven by lust, anger and power who has taken his sister-in-law as his mistress, only to discover that he is under her power and is forced to commit a heinous and grievous act; she demands and he obeys and beheads John the Baptist, cousin of Jesus. “When Jesus heard of it, he withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by himself,” (14:13).

The rest of the chapter tells of two of the greatest miracles of Jesus, his feeding the five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish, and his walking on water, in a storm, to come to his disciples. These are not told to “explain away” the suffering of John, but to say that that event is not the end of the story. There is a tomorrow when the suffering of this world is addressed, when death no longer destroys, but it itself is destroyed. Until then, we hold to the one who comes to us in the middle of the storm and invites us to come to him (vs28,29).

Matthew 13

The seven parables of Matthew 13 offer some of the most thought-provoking teaching in scripture. Using familiar settings, with the common theme of gathering the necessities of life, Jesus taught about heavenly realities. One cannot read the parables sincerely without encountering the inductive power of the metaphor. The parables encourage and convict; they even surprise us concerning the nature of heaven. Whoever thought of heaven as a jewel in a jewelry store or a successful fishing trip? Some are for the “crowds,” some for the disciples (v36). All are for us who need to be constantly challenged regarding our patterns of life and our values. One who reads these parables with a heart after truth will discover heaven.

Psalm 9

The writer of this psalm seeks every way he knows to praise God. He is fully engaged, “with all my heart,” (v1). He overflows with expression: “I will tell,” “I will be glad and exult,” “I will sing.” His praise is based on both his experience with God and what he has learned of God’s nature.

He remembers God’s support of him (v4), and knows God is both eternal (v7), and will ultimately judge all wickedness (vs5-8). But the God who will judge in the future is also a stronghold for the oppressed and those in trouble; He will not forsake us (vs9,10). We can confidently sing His praise no matter how low our “affliction” has taken us – even to the gates of death (vs 11-13). With the writer we pray, “Arise, O Lord,” (v11).

Genesis 42-43

“In truth we are guilty concerning our brother ...” (42:21). Brought low themselves, Joseph’s brothers finally faced their guilt. They had no idea that Joseph’s request for Benjamin was motivated by his own desire to see “his mother’s son” and verify that he had not been treated badly by his older brothers. While Joseph tested his brothers, they remembered and regretted their cruelty. Reuben realized “there comes a reckoning for his blood” (42:21).

“What is this that God has done to us?” (42:28). Through testing and pressure, Jacob’s sons were brought face to face with their guilt. However, God’s purpose was not to harm them, but to give them an opportunity for reconciliation and rescue.

Genesis 40-41

“For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction” (41:52). Joseph’s faithfulness to God did not prevent him from being enslaved, wrongly accused, and forgotten in prison for two extra years. However, wherever Joseph lived and worked, he served God and gave Him glory, just as Daniel, Esther, Mordecai and others would do later in their own exiles. Joseph lived in a way that revealed the “Spirit of God” in him (41:38).

“Two sons were born to Joseph ...” (41:50). Joseph’s sons were a reminder that God had not forgotten him but instead made him fruitful in the land of his suffering. And beyond Joseph’s lifetime, Ephraim and Manasseh’s descendants would participate in God’s covenant purposes to bless the world.

Genesis 39

“How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” (39:9). God miraculously brought Joseph from the depths of despair into the house of the influential Potiphar. There, Joseph experienced favor, “for the Lord was with Joseph and he became a successful man” (v2). However, Joseph caught the eye of Potiphar’s wife, who tempted him daily (39:10). Joseph’s refusal to commit adultery was rewarded with lies and prison (v14-18, 20).

In prison, “the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love” (v21). At times being faithful to Jesus may make our lives more difficult, as we resist the world for His sake. But when we cling to Him regardless of circumstances, we experience His steadfast love in an extraordinary way.

Genesis 37-38

“She is more righteous than I” (38:26). Jacob openly favored Joseph (37:3), and the brothers’ hatred and resentment inevitably led to violence (37:5). Judah, meant to be a leader, had two sons who were so evil and selfish that God put them to death (38:7,10). Judah himself resisted doing what was “righteous” until his hand was forced by the neglected widow, Tamar. But through this very ordinary, sinful family, God was at work for His good purposes, revealing Himself to the world.

“Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar ...” (Matt 1:3). Matthew points out Tamar in the genealogy of Jesus, reminding us that Jesus knows the depths of human failure, shame, and brokenness. He became like us, to save and heal us.

Matthew 12

“Stretch out your hand” (v13). In Jesus’ time, keeping very strict rules about the Sabbath had come to symbolize “being righteous,” and the Pharisees took the Sabbath seriously. But in their quest to appear righteous (and police others), the Pharisees had missed God’s heart: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (v7). In fact, the behavior of Jesus (healing on the Sabbath) and His disciples (picking grain) enraged the Pharisees, because through these actions Jesus proclaimed that He was “Lord of the Sabbath” (v8).

“Behold, my servant whom I have chosen ... I will put my Spirit upon him ... in his name the Gentiles will hope” (v18-21). We don’t define righteousness; the Lord of the Sabbath does. Jesus, God’s chosen, revealed the Father’s heart.

Matthew 11

“Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (v3). John, in prison for preaching about God’s kingdom, wondered if Jesus really was God’s Messiah. Jesus was not doing expected things, like overthrowing the Romans or breaking John out of prison, yet “the blind receive their sight and the lame walk ... the poor have good news preached to them” (v5). The Messiah was different, far better, than they had hoped (v19).

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (v29). Jesus does not promise to fulfill all our expectations. Instead, He invites us to begin walking with Him, God’s servant-king, and find peace and rest for our souls (v28-29).

Psalm 8

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (v1). The psalmist says that God’s name is glorified through “the moon and stars” and everything else, despite rebellion against His rule. Humans, made in God’s image, are crowned with “glory and honor” and put on earth to have “dominion” or charge of the earth, as God’s representatives. Sin twists that “dominion” into the abuse of power and leads to humans being God’s enemies (v2), but “out of the mouths of babes and infants” – the weak – God is glorified.

“You have put all things under his feet” (v6). Although Adam’s descendants failed, the Son of Man succeeded as God’s faithful One. In Him, as redeemed humans, we can glorify the Father too.

Genesis 35-36

“Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves ...” (35:2). After the disasters at Shechem, Jacob instructed his family to get rid of the idols they were worshipping, and he led them in a re-consecration to God at Bethel. As they experienced loss (Rachel, Rebekah’s nurse Deborah, and Jacob’s father Isaac all died), the future was in question. At Bethel, Jacob was reminded that his purpose was not just to multiply and prosper (like Esau, ch 36), but to have a special relationship with God.

“God appeared to Jacob again ... and blessed him” (35:9). Through His intervention in our lives – His mercy, grace, and help – God calls us to a new purpose: to be His transformed people, shining in the world.

Genesis 33-34

“And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan ...” (33:18). God brought Jacob’s large family safely to Canaan, which God had promised to Abraham’s descendants. However, their first choices in the land brought terrible suffering. No one protected Jacob’s only daughter Dinah as she went into the city, and Shechem’s prince violated her. Her rape led to Jacob’s sons slaughtering all the city’s men, provoking Jacob’s lament: “You have brought trouble on me ...” (34:30). Dinah’s pain was not healed, but simply led to more violence.

“God has dealt graciously with me” (33:11). Shechem reveals the power struggles of human life that lead to suffering and death. But God calls broken humanity to give up their violent grasping and receive life from His hand.

Genesis 32

“But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (v26). On his way back to Canaan with his wives, children, and flocks, Jacob encountered his brother Esau with “four hundred men” (v6). Faced with his own fear (and the consequences of his lying and deceiving), Jacob “was left alone” (v24). That night Jacob had a mysterious divine encounter, a struggle that resulted in Jacob receiving a new name and being permanently marked (v28, 31).

“O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac ...” (v9). God works his mighty purposes through the lives of those who trust Him, one by one. Through Jacob’s desperate, personal, “face to face” struggle, the God of his ancestors became his own God (v30).

Genesis 30-31

“Lift up your eyes and see ... I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me” (31:12). Because of God’s intervention, Jacob’s children and flocks increased, despite his internal family conflicts and Laban’s devious attempts at sabotage. Although Laban insisted “all that you see is mine” (31:43), God alone possessed the power of life and abundance. Jacob recognized that his future depended entirely on God’s miraculous help (31:42).

“Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred” (31:13). Jacob, part of a messy, imperfect family, chose to put his life in God’s hands and believe God’s promises. Through him, “all the families of the world” are blessed (28:14).

Matthew 10:26-42

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (v28). Three times, Jesus told His disciples not to fear those who would oppose their message (v26, 28, 31). Being faithful followers of Jesus at times would cause conflict (v34-38) and jeopardize worldly security; Jesus Himself was their model. Yet, giving total allegiance to Jesus was the only way to find true “life” (v39), on earth and into eternity.

“Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (v31). God values our trust and costly obedience. When we follow the path of Jesus and trust the Father’s care, we can live without fear.

Matthew 10:1-25

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (v16). Jesus sent the Twelve out on a mission throughout Israel to proclaim the arrival of God’s kingdom and to do kingdom work: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons” (v7). They would inevitably encounter opposition, just as their Master did (v17, 24), but they were to remain “innocent” while following the Holy Spirit’s lead (v20).

“And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority ...” (v1). Jesus’ gift of the Spirit, with power and authority, is not for our own agenda, but for proclaiming His kingdom and participating in His reconciling, healing, redeeming work.

Psalm 7

“The Lord judges the peoples; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me” (v8). As the psalmist battled accusations that tore his soul apart (v1-2), he entrusted himself to the great Judge of all. Calling on the Lord for help includes bowing before Him and recognizing His power, righteousness, and authority to judge sin – even our own sin (v12-16). God is a “righteous judge” who desires to help us in ways that lead to our increasing holiness (v10-11).

“May you establish the righteous ... you who test the minds and hearts” (v9). God’s deliverance is aimed at conquering sin and helping us become people who love and obey Him.

Genesis 27

Genesis 27 is one of the most uncomfortable chapters in scripture – watching the integrity of a family, chosen by God to demonstrate His presence in the world, disintegrate through the evils of dishonesty, disloyalty, greed, favoritism and deception – all premeditated. Yet, God kept alive his promises through this family. How could this be?

Romans 4:16 explains God’s answer to our failure and theirs. It tells us God has always blessed according to His nature, not ours. We cannot earn salvation. If one works for grace, it is not grace, it is pay. So, God made his approval premised only on our trusting Him (faith!), to approve of us at His expense. “It is by faith in order that it may be in accordance with grace (v16)!” Despite the failures of Isaac’s family, he ultimately trusted God. It is still only by faith so that it can be “grace.”