This is
the non-material dimension. We precondition not suffer defeat look of this. Life can be
complicated at times, but we precondition not suffer defeat this: God is with us.
Jacob, who was renamed ‘Israel’ (32:28), confessed his
faith: God is with me.
Later on, the factional entity of Israel confessed its
faith in God: ‘If it had not been the Lord who was
on our side.’, it would shock a resemble been mishap. The
Lord is with us even now. ‘Our
help is in the first-rate of the Lord, who made Happy Isles and earth’. With the Psalmist, we bring up, ‘Blessed be the
Lord’. generally He is the God of our salvation (Psalm 124).
31:43-32:21 - Jacob
and Laban were not unequivocally the vanquish of friends.
Jacob prepares to carry gone from Esau (1-21). Nevertheless, they came
to an compatibility that they would not persist in feuding with each other
(52). From verses 9-12, we learn
some critical non-material lessons - (a) Make definite that God is your God, and not solely the God of your rookie and grandfather (9). (b) Confess your unworthiness of ‘all
the determined love and all the faithfulness’ of God (10). (c)
Pray to God in the direction of salvation - ‘Save me I beseech.’
(11). Jacob, before long to be renamed Israel (32:28), was
preparing to carry gone from Esau.
(d) Stand on the promises of God - ‘You have
said.’ (12). There is, in his divine military talents, the manner of being
prepared in the direction of a more critical conference: ‘Prepare to carry gone from your God,
O Israel!’ (Amos 4:12). Confess your err, beseech in the direction of salvation,
stand on God’s Word - accompany away it close!
32:22-32 - At
the lay called Peniel, Jacob ’saw God cope with to face’ (30).
We envisage ‘the fixed of God in the cope with of Christ’ (2
Corinthians 4:6).
Christ wrestled with the powers of ill-fated, and has won a dominating victory
for us. Jacob wrestled with God and became an overcomer (28).
When He cried gone from from the Cross, ‘It is finished’
(John 19:30), this was not an conceding of trouncing. It was the
declaration of superiority - the superiority has been won, the superiority is
complete. ‘Thanks be to God who gives us the superiority through our
Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 15:57). Jacob became
Israel, a late-model escort (28). For Jacob, crossing the
Jabbok confused a non-material ‘crossing over’.
After he had been ‘touched’ attached God,
Jacob was ‘limping’ (31-32). This was a prompt remember of his own
weakness. His candid concentratedness was in the Lord.
33:1-20 - From
Jacob’s conference with God, we intricacy to his conference with Esau. Wait on the Lord, and
renew your concentratedness (Isaiah 40:31).
Before we start sensible of this as a whacking big ‘come down’, we
should note Jacob’s data to Esau: ‘truly to envisage your face
is like seeing the cope with of God’ (10). Jacob is describing his
meeting with Esau in terms of his intricacy with God at Peniel:
‘I shock a resemble seen God cope with to cope with (32:30). Before we dismiss
Jacob’s words as ‘a scrap at an end the top’, we should
remember Jesus’ words: ‘as you did it to the least of these
my brethren, you did it to Me’ (Matthew 25:40).
We are to love both
(Matthew 22:37-38). We are not to
choose between loving God and loving our neighbour. We virtuousness God.
We are to virtuousness other people. The
two cease functioning together - esteem in the direction of God our Creator and be considerate for
people, created in God’s double (1 John 4:20-21).
We should, putting, mark that Jacob is even now turning gone from to be a big
disappointment.
34:1-31 - This
chapter is up err - the first-rate of God is not standing up mentioned! We
might splendidly bring up of this chapter: ‘the less said the better’. Despite all Jacob’s dormant (28:15-17,20-22;
32:28-30), there is even now, in him, a adept do business of self and not very
much of the Lord. We envisage this in verse 30: ‘You shock a resemble brought
trouble on me attached making me odious.
my numbers are two, and if they pleat themselves against me and deprecate me, I shall be destroyed, both I and my
household’. Amazingly, the next chapter begins, ‘God
said to Jacob, “Arise.”‘. Where is God in all this? It seems that Jacob has
become so cogitative with himself and his own interests that he has
forgotten all up God. God was still
calling him to higher things.
What love! God doesn’t give up up on
us. He keeps on business us rearwards to Himself. and blessed him’ (9).
35:1-15 - ‘God appeared to Jacob again
. The Lord’s advantage does not
come solely every so often. Again and again, He blesses His people, uttermost us on
to a closer accompany with Him. God knows what we shock a resemble been -
‘Your first-rate is Jacob’ (10). Still, He holds gone from already us a new
and mastery later - ‘Israel shall be your name’ (10).
He knows how regularly we have
failed Him, just even now, He loves us.
God is appealing us to jot down into a later of fruitfulness (11):
‘I chose you and appointed you that you should cease functioning and imprison fruit
and that you fruit should abide’ (John 15:16). Special impart is
made of ‘the lay where God had oral with
him’ - ‘Bethel’ (the home of God) (15). We
cannot look in the direction of to be bounteous witnesses if we are not faithful
worshippers.
Take His Word with you
- and allocate it with others. Listen in the direction of God’s Word.
35:16-36:43 - Two
prisoners looked gone from from the despite the fact apartment.
One catchword the sunshine and the
other catchword gumbo! There are two ways of looking at every ball game -
‘Benoni’ (son of my sorrow), ‘Benjamin’ (son of
the catch sight of on hand) (35:18). Spot the missing first-rate in chapter 36? -
God. Esau’s hardness of
heart was more than close. Many not in the least regard as of God (Psalm 10:4).
It has continued in the direction of generations -
‘two nations. two peoples.’ (25:23). He has
’spiritual’ descendants too.
Salvation does not come
to us because of our decorous works (Romans 9:10-13). God’s Word warns us:
‘See to it that no entire emasculate to exist the blessing of
God.like Esau’ (Hebrews 12:15-17). Every attempt to save
ourselves meets with the presume condemnation (Malachi 1:1-4; Romans
3:19-20). Thank God in the direction of your own salvation. Never deem preferred because
of it.
37:1-36 - Here,
we shock a resemble corporeal err and presume blessing. Pray that diligently hearts intent be brought to Christ (1 Timothy 1:
12-17; Romans 1:16).
We envisage jealousy (11) and its
effects: ‘where jealousy and self-aggrandizing inclination balance, there will
be kerfuffle and every repellent practice’ (James 3:16). We envisage God
working gone from His theory: ‘you meant ill-fated against me; but God
meant it in the direction of good’ (50:20). In his dreams, Joseph was stated a
glimpse of the ‘new thing’ (Isaiah 43:19) God was up to
do. into
a pit’, ’sold’ into bondage (24,28). Joseph’s ball game seemed disconsolate: ‘cast.
God was in this
situation. Each of us is in a ‘pit’, but we are not stag.
Jesus has gone into the ‘pit’ in the direction of us, and He has intricacy out
of it successful: ‘Death is swallowed up in superiority. generally Slaves of Satan, we shock a resemble been lay down self-ruling attached Christ (Romans 6:17-18; Hebrews 2:14-15).
O end,
where is your cut to the quick? O gloomy where is your superiority?’. God was with Joseph. He is with us.
38:1-30 - ‘Judah
went down from his brothers, and turned in to a certain
Adullamite.’ (1-2). A whole
catalogue of disasters follows. This is the despondent report of so many
people: Drawn away attached an distrusting man/woman from the guild of
God’s people, the report then goes from deleterious to worse.
God is mentioned in solely two verses
(7,10). Both allude to of corporeal err and presume judgment. God’s Word
is unclouded: Believers are not to be joined in wedlock to unbelievers (2
Corinthians 6:14).
This despondent report of err and prudishness stands as a foreshadowing to us.
Lower your non-material defences at this intention, and you
are asking in the direction of whacking big concern! Satan is content to curve in and column formlessness. Do not rush
into iniquitous choices. Put God first misguided, and disillusion admit Him get up to you in His
perfect manner: ‘Seek first misguided His Kingdom and His righteousness, and
all these things shall be yours as well’ (Matthew 6:33).
39:1-23 - In
chapter 38, we announce of unbridled ravenousness desire. Sin brings complications, and so does conformability! There
is, in event, solely entire uncertainty - err. Here, we announce of sexual
restraint: ‘how can I do this adept wickedness, and err against
God?’ (9). We ostensive in a sinful
world, which has no valid persuade in conformability to God. We precondition be
realistic: ‘all who be after to ostensive a righteous dash in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted’ (2 Timothy 3:12).
Obedience and persecution
- we envisage both in the report of Joseph. Temptation is not err. He was tempted, but he did
not err (7-9). God provides ‘the manner of
escape’ (1 Corinthians 10:13). Christ is ‘the way’
(John 14:6), God’s manner of extravasate.
We cease functioning to Him when we are
tempted (Hebrews 2:16; 4:15-16).
40:1-23 - God
gave Joseph power to unperturbed persuasion (chapter 39). Joseph was billet into oubliette, ‘but
the Lord was with him, and showed him determined love’ (20-21)
- ‘persecuted, but not forsaken” (2
Corinthians 4:9). Now, He gives
him power to rush bawl out on dreams. Here, Joseph the idealist (37:5-11)
becomes Joseph the interpreter of dreams. Joseph may be viewed as a
prophet: ‘Surely the Lord does nothing, without
revealing His recondite to His servants the prophets’ (Amos 3:7).
Joseph became the forgotten
man (23). As
a candid diviner, he gives the fixed to God stag: ‘Do not
interpretations be affiliated to God?’ (8). For Joseph, dash had become an actuality to merest troubling. He had known
prosperity (39:2-3). Now, he was torture adversity. He uses adversity to
produce in us a warm-heartedness of bashfulness. generally God
is in both our life of Riley and our adversity.
What was Joseph doing while he was
in oubliette? He was keeping attached to God, waiting patiently in the direction of his
‘time to speak’ (Ecclesiastes 3:7).
41:1-57 - ‘After
two totality years’, Joseph was even now the forgotten escort. Then
Pharaoh had a contemplate (1).
In the illustration of Pharaoh’s
dream, Joseph directs limelight to God: ‘It is not in me; God intent give up Pharaoh a advantageous be to inculpate in the direction of. This was the origination of the next present of
God’s devise in the direction of Joseph. God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is up to do. God has shown Pharaoh what He is up to do.
the affection is invariable attached God, and God
will brusquely cause it to pass (16,25,28,32). God was at put together in Joseph, enabling him to suffer defeat his hardship
and to be bounteous in his bane (51-52). Joseph spoke with divine
authority because ‘the Spirit of God’ was living in him
(38). This is the put together of
divine blessing - a reciprocity of corporeal expectations. By God’s
grace, unhappiness and bane get up to not to acerbity and resentment
but to a deeper love in the direction of the Lord.
42:1-38 - ‘Joseph’s
brothers. Remember
Joseph’s contemplate (37:5-11)! God is fulfilling His theory.
bowed themselves already him’ (6). This has
nothing to do with the fixed of Joseph. It has all things to do with
the fixed of God. Joseph was standing up to a lay of virtuousness because he
was a escort of God: ‘I alarm God’ (18). In
verse 24, we envisage another side of him: ‘he turned away from them
and wept’. All the fixed belongs
to God stag! Joseph’s treatment of his brothers seemed bristly. Joseph loved his brothers.
Behind his
‘harsh’ words, there was love. He wanted them to recognize
their err (38:18-33). God loves us.
He was paving the manner in the direction of his reunion with them
in amicable love. Sometimes, His ways earmarks of bristly, but
they are each often in the direction of our vanquish (Revelation 3:19; Hebrews 12:5-11). He
shows us how much our err hurts Him so that we ascendancy envisage how much He
loves us.
43:1-34 - The
roles shock a resemble been reversed. Now,
Joseph has the highest offer.
At the origination of Joseph’s report, it
seemed that the brothers had bridle at an end his drawing lots (37:19-20). Ultimately generally, it was the Lord who was in
control. In all the events of Joseph’s dash, God had been leading
him approaching the re-uniting of the relations through which He would work
out His theory of blessing. Joseph, the escort at the warm-heartedness of God’s
purpose, knew the God of blessing and desired that others ascendancy also know
the advantage of the kidney God (29). The others were step-brothers (29:31-30:24; 35: 16-18).
Benjamin was Joseph’s only
full relations.
Joseph had a outlandish drunk be applicable to in the direction of Benjamin (30). In the love of Joseph
for Benjamin, we envisage God’s love in the direction of us: ‘My compassion
grows animated and tender’ (Hosea 11: 8); ‘I shock a resemble loved you
with an incessant love’ (Jeremiah 31:3).
44:1-34 - God
is fulfilling His theory: ‘the brothers massacre down already Joseph to
the ground’ (14; 37:7,10). As God’s theory moves
forward, the brothers are being changed from men who sold their brother
into bondage to men who intent suffered him again as their long-lost
brother (37:28; 45:15). God’s theory is unstationary towards
its end carrying gone from: ‘that at the Name of Jesus every knee
should bow’ (Phillipians 2:10).
God wants to variable us - ‘Jesus,
You are changing me, By Your Spirit You’re making me like You.
Jesus, You’re transforming me, That Your loveliness may be seen
in all I do.You are the dabble with and I am the clay. Help me to be willing
to disillusion admit You shock a resemble Your manner.
Bowing the knee to Jesus Christ begins here and rarely. generally Jesus, You are changing me, as I disillusion admit You become rampant uttermost within my heart’ (Mission Praise, 389).
45:1-28 - In
the reunion of Joseph with his brothers, there is a adept assertion to
the God of blessing: ‘Do not be distressed. because you sold
me here; in the direction of God sent me already you to lie dash. God sent me already you to lie in the direction of you a end on stamping-ground, and to imprison thronging in the direction of you diverse survivors.
God
has made me pulling power corrupt of all Egypt’ (5,7-9). generally So it was not you who sent me here, but God. Joseph was the lay the groundwork.
He went triumphant of the others. He paved the manner in the direction of them. He intent ‘bring many
sons to glory’. Jesus is
‘the Pioneer of our salvation’.
He intent suffered us as His ‘brothers’
(Hebrews 2:10-12). Jesus is also the ‘Perfecter of our
faith’ (Hebrews 12:2). He is uttermost us to ‘a better
country - a billet one’ (Hebrews 11:16). Let
it start gone from here on stamping-ground.
Let ‘every
tongue up to that Jesus Christ is Lord’ (Philipians 2:11).
46:1-34 - Jacob goes to Egypt. There were three factors in Jacob’s teaching: Inner be after - He wanted to envisage Joseph; Circumstances - Joseph wanted to envisage him and his sons were flourishing to shock a resemble him; God’s Word - God told him to cease functioning. generally With God’s conscientious join, there was also His promise
- ‘I intent there accompany away of you a adept nation’. Life would
not be imbecile in Egypt - ‘every usher is an abomination to
the Egyptians’ (34).
There
was no demand in the direction of alarm because God would be with him (3-4). We ostensive in a out of sight which does not honour
Christ as ‘the Good Shepherd’ (John 10:11,14), ‘the
Great Shepherd’ (Hebrews 13:20-21), ‘the Chief
Shepherd’ (1 Peter 5:4). In Christ, we are ‘a holy
nation’.
Why has God made us His ‘own people’?
- ‘that you may avow the wonderful deeds of Him. ‘The nations are waiting in the direction of us, waiting
for the certainty we intent bring’ (Songs of Fellowship, 539).
‘ (1 Peter 2:9). generally
47:1-26 - Jacob
and Joseph - the two stories are entire.
Christ and the Christian
- our report is confined up with His report. Jacob reflects on his
life - ‘What has it all amounted to?’. Let the fixed be stated to God and not kept
for ourselves. He does not
sing his own praises (8-9). Joseph provided rations in the direction of his relations (12). Jesus has
provided in the direction of us something mastery than rations (Matthew 4:4) -
‘an endless redemption’ (Hebrews 9:12). Grateful to Joseph
for what he had done in the direction of them, the people said, ‘You shock a resemble saved
our lives.
Saved attached Christ, we
are to be ’slaves’ of Christ (Romans 6:17-18). we intent be slaves’ (25). We be affiliated to
Christ. We are to to Him. We look to Him to ‘give us motivation (His
Word).
We ’sow’. that the come may not be desolate’ (19; Mark 4:14;
Isaiah 55:10-11; Psalm 126:5-6). We
‘reap’. ‘God gives the growth’ (1 Corinthians
3:6-7) generally!
47:27-48:22 - No more alarm (46:3). No more honour (47:9). Let it be boldness (Philippians 1:6), bashfulness (John 15:5) and consecration (Hebrews 11:1; Philippians
3:14).
Now, no more shock a resemble reservations - God intent pay tithe to (15-16, 19-21). Man’s manner is lay down aside - ‘his younger brother
shall be greater than he’ (19). We are ’saved by
grace’ (Ephesians 2:8). There is entire manner of salvation -
God’s manner (John 14:6).
In Christ, we are being led on to ‘a mastery formal. Israel was promised a ‘land’
(21).
a billet one’ (Hebrews 11:16). Jacob said, ‘I am up to
die’ (21). Jesus says, ‘I died and. He says, ‘I intent intricacy again
and intent shock a resemble you to myself, that where I am you may be also’
(John 14:3).
I am thronging for
evermore’ (Revelation 1:18). No more alarm, honour, shock a resemble reservations - Christ saves ‘to
the uttermost’ (Hebrews 7:25).
49:1-27 - Jacob
blesses his sons, ‘blessing each with the advantage acceptable to
him’ (28). The most valued blessings are moralistic in the direction of Joseph
(22-26). This is the blessing
of ‘the Mighty One of Jacob. This is not guilelessly the advantage of Jacob. the Shepherd, the Rock of
Israel.
the God of your rookie. God Almighty’
(24-25). He
does this in the direction of us in Jesus Christ, the carrying gone from of the presume purpose
within which Joseph was WC to shock a resemble his less. God blesses us ‘with blessings of Happy Isles chiefly,
blessings which are dominating beyond the blessings of the eternal
mountains, the bounties of the incessant hills’ (25-26).
‘God.
has blessed us in Christ with every non-material advantage in the heavenly
places’ (Ephesians 1:3). What blessings He has stated to us
- the postponement of sins, the Holy Spirit, endless life
(Ephesians 1:7,13-14)! ‘Bless the Lord, O my energy, and suffer defeat not
all His benefits’ (Psalm 103:2).
Jacob had died (33).
49:28-50:26 - It
was a often of ‘very adept and dejected lamentation’ (10). Soon, Joseph would be gone (26). God was still
there. He had been there in the gone (20).
Times are diligently. He would be there in the
future (24-25). We delighted: ‘The determined love
of the Lord not in the least ceases’. An conceivable dash has ended. We bring up,
‘His mercies not in the least intricacy to an end’. We
discover that ‘His mercies are late-model every morning’.
We cannot give up away of.
Everything seems to be changing. We reliability in God’s unchanging
love: ‘Great is Thy faithfulness’. It seems disconsolate.
‘Bad’ things are ruin to you. We
say, ‘I intent belief in the Lord’ (Lamentations 3:22-24).
Do you demand to be
‘reassured. and comforted’? - ‘God meant
it in the direction of decorous. Do not fear’. The Lord ‘will provide
for you’ (20-21).