Bible Reading: Genesis 12 | Matthew 12 | Psalm 12
Devotional for January 16, 2025
Reading: Genesis 12 | Matthew 12 | Psalm 12
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Genesis 12
The book of Genesis has several key chapters you should know and summarize. Chapters 3, 11, and the one for today are some. Genesis 12 highlights the essential nature of the Abrahamic covenant. Abraham came from a land of pagan idolatry, called by God from the Ur of the Chaldeans, to dwell in a country not his own. Chapter twelve opens with the promise of God's protection and care for him and his seed throughout all generations. Some within Christendom view this covenant as made with a particular group who are promised a portion of land. Though that is what eventually occurs, the idea is far more than physical. The descendants of Abraham are the spiritual seed of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul equates this covenant with those descendants who are a chosen people and made to be a holy nation.
The other important section of this chapter highlights events that will take place in the lives of Abraham's physical descendants many years from now. The parallel is striking. First, there is a famine in the land. Second, Abram and his wife go to Egypt to find relief. Third, the wife of Abram was taken into Pharaoh's house. Fourth, the Lord afflicted Pharoah's house with plagues. Fifth, Pharaoh ordered Abram and his wife to leave the country. That narrative parallels the narrative that begins at the end of Genesis and continues for the first fourteen chapters of Exodus.
Applications:
God is faithful, and He demonstrates it by fulfilling his covenant promises. We know he loves us because he demonstrated that love by giving us Christ.
We are the spiritual descendants of Abraham. We have the same blessings.
Matthew 12
Matthew Twelve takes up matters related to the Sabbath, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, and the one I want to focus on today: Fruit proves the root (12:33-37). Many in the church today know much about the Christian faith, theology, etc. They have made credible professions of faith. They are in attendance each Lord's Day. Yet, there is no fruit, no growth. Jesus directly confronts the hypocrites of his day by stating that "the good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil." The issue at stake is the heart of man. The unregenerate heart has no desire for spiritual matters. It is hard as stone. The redeemed, however, love and desire more righteousness. The hunger for it and seek it. They are not merely interested in a profession of faith but desire to walk in newness of life. Words are often an expression of the heart. Careless words are the fruits of a hard heart. Words meant to destroy are symptoms of an evil heart. If we find that our words are destructive, tend to slander and gossip, ruin, and not build up, we should examine our hearts because the mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart.
Applications:
The Christian cares as much about his heart as he does his actions. It is easy to put on an act for others while that heart is far from the Lord. Pray for a genuine heart.
Pray for a hunger and thirst for true righteousness. Pray for a more profound love of God's Word.
Psalm 12
Psalm 12 has three stanzas. It is a psalm of David, but the context is difficult to ascertain. It was written during David's life when he observed a lack of true piety in the people's lives. In this psalm, he laments the state of things in his kingdom. It is instructive for us today as we see the state of things in the world and the church.
12:1-2
The first stanza establishes the issue. First, David appeals to the Lord for help. The matter is serious, and it brings distress to him. We cannot change the hearts of others. We can instruct them. We can teach them. We can guide our children and catechize them. We can do many things, but we cannot make dead bones live. We must pray and plead for the Lord to change people's hearts. Second, the reason for his appeal is given: "The godly one is gone, for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man." David laments the lack of zeal for the things of the Lord.
There are times in the life of the church that it looks like the goldy are in the extreme minority. The help, however, comes from the Lord, and we look to him when it seems piety and righteousness are waning. Third, David describes these unrighteous living people. He calls them hypocrites. Note how he appeals to their use of the tongue. We must be cautious that our tongue and heart say the same thing. We may know what to say, but do we believe it? Do we live, from the heart, what we proclaim? Each Lord's Day, we sing praises to God and recite a confession of sin and faith, but the question remains: is it mere words, or does our love for God spring from a true heart, or is it, as David describes, a double heart?
A double heart is simply hypocrisy. It is a heart that loves both the world and the church. It is a heart not committed to the Lord and his Kingdom. It is a lukewarm heart, and it is one that the Lord threatens to spew out of his mouth (Rev. 3:16). Hypocrisy was one of the main items that Jesus preached. He regularly addressed this with his opponents who, knowing the Bible and being religious leaders, were far from him (Mk. 7:6, 7; Matt. 23). WE must work to avoid double-heartedness. We must commit our ways before the Lord and see if we have any wicked way.
12:3-6
The warning to the double-hearted is given in this section. It should cause us to stop and consider carefully our lives. First, They will be cut off. That may mean a cutting off from the community of believers or death (Reformation Study Bible, 746). If it is the former, our fruit will prove that we are not genuinely godly, redeemed by the Lord. A cutting-off is excommunication from the community of the pious and faithful. If it means the latter, there is no remedy. To die in sin is to forfeit our souls. There is always hope for the excommunicated. They have time to repent. They are still enjoying the grace of God in the discipline and can turn and be rescued.
The actions of the hypocrites are legion, but in this section, David demonstrates their self-centered ways. They plunder the poor. They are boastful and arrogant either in action or in the heart. They may live one way, but their hearts are for themselves. That can be demonstrated in the life of the church. God's people are called to serve one another because that is what the triune God does for us. Serving is the highest form of Christ-likeness. You are never more like Christ than when you are serving others. The needy groan, and we should act. Hypocrites – the double-hearted – do not care about the needs of others. They may speak words such as "I will pray" but do not lift a finger to help. That is hypocrisy (Jas. 2:14-16).
12:7-8
David concludes with the realization that the Lord will protect the righteous regardless of what the double-hearted do. We are reminded of the protection afforded to the Savior when he was afflicted by the hypocrites of his day. He entrusted himself to his Father and was heard because of his reverence (Heb. 5:7).
Applications:
Double-heartedness is a serious matter and a sin before a holy God. We are prone to it because of remaining and indwelling sin. It isn't a pleasant thought, but it is not one you need to live with. Plead with the God of your salvation to purge you from hypocrisy.
Double-heartedness will lead to ruin – in this life or the life to come. Make no mistake. We will incur God's justice if our righteousness does not exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.
Remember that your Savior dealt with hypocrites. He didn't have much good to say about them. He suffered at their hands. Yet, he entrusted himself to his Father. We must do the same.