Read: Genesis 26
Genesis 26 renews the covenant initially made with Abraham with the seed of promise, Isaac. After the introduction to Isaac and the introduction to his two sons, we have in this chapter a confirmation that Isaac is indeed the son of promise. The parallels between the life of Abraham and that of his son are striking and reinforce the faithfulness of God to bring to Abraham's family line the seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent.
Read MoreRead: Matthew 25
Matthew 25 deals with matters related to the final judgment. It does so in three ways, as highlighted in the three main sections of the chapter. First, Jesus gives an exhortation to watch because no one knows when the Son of man will return. That is an important reminder for all of us. We are to be busy living to the glory of God in the here and now as we look and wait for the return of the Savior.
Read MoreGenesis 25 is the account of the death of Abraham and begins the section of the Genesis narrative dealing with the life of Issac. Though the narrative highlights the birth of other children, it should be noted that Isaac was the lone heir of all that Abraham possessed. That is another indicator of the seed of the woman theme that began in Gen. 3:15. It is through Isaac that the goldy line would continue.
Read MoreRead: Matthew 24
Matthew 24 is known as the Olivet discourse in which Jesus teaches on two events. The first event is the temple's destruction, which is the context of the discourse. The second event is that which occurs at the end of the age. Though there are many interpretations of this chapter, the item to focus on today is simply this: The God of creation is in total control of events that are happening, and those events will bring about the church's victory through the return of Christ. He puts all enemies under his feet. It is essential not to get lost in all the details of eschatological thought and miss that salient truth. As God’s people, the victory is secured, and we rest waiting for the return of our King.
Read MoreGenesis 24
Genesis 24 marks the beginning of the narrative section dealing with the lives of Isaac and Rebekah. This chapter gives the details as to how Rebekah became the wife of Isaac. It is one of the lengthier narrative sections in the book. The primary item to watch for as you read through this chapter is the providence of God working through the mundane details of life. God’s providence is a comforting doctrine for his people. It teaches us that God governs all things and all actions of his creatures. It is not reserved only for the significant issues of life, but it governs everything from the seemingly minor to the most important significant issues that affect all of us.
Read MoreMatthew 23
Matthew 23 is known as the “seven woes given by Christ to the religious leaders of his day. In this chapter, we have Christ exercising his prophetic office as he preaches woe to them. The term “woe” is strong. It conveys much more than a mere warning but one of impending doom. Ther seven woes can be labeled as follows:
Read MoreRead: Genesis 23
Genesis 23 marks the end of the Abrahamic narrative with the death of Sarah, his wife. Sarah’s death allows Abraham to purchase land in Hebron, thus setting up a marker – a landmark of possession that his people will inherit the land of Canaan just as God had promised to him. Hebron will later become the capital of Israel before it is moved to Jerusalem.
Read MoreRead: Matthew 22
This chapter continues some various temple discourses given by Christ. For today's devotional, we will look at only two of them. First, the teaching regarding paying taxes to Caeser (22:15-22). That section of Matthew's gospel has often been used to substantiate the obligation of citizens to pay taxes to the government. Although that is not untrue, the real point is that we owe him everything as image-bearers of God.
Read MoreRead: Genesis 22
Genesis 22 is another one of those chapters in the Genesis record that everyone should know. Several thematic elements in this chapter point us to the Lord Jesus. First, note that God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son in the land of Moriah. That command has significant markers pointing to the necessity of sacrifice, as God would specify in Exodus and throughout the Bible. Mt. Moriah is the key identifier as it is where the Temple of Solomon was built (See. 2 Chron. 3:1). The Tabernacle, and later, the temple, was the throne of God on earth. There, his people would come to worship him, offer sacrifices to him, and have their sins atoned through the shedding of the blood of an animal. The command to Abraham sets the stage for the events that will take place in this chapter.
Read MoreRead: Matthew 21
This chapter begins the section of Matthew’s gospel where Jesus is now in his final days and takes the opportunity to teach at the temple. The chapter is divided as follows: First, the triumphal entry into Jerusalem (21:1-11). Here the people praise and magnify the Savior but miss the point of his arrival. In a few days, this same crowd will clamor for his death.
Read MoreRead: Genesis 21
Genesis 21 is a critical chapter within the Abrahamic narrative. The opening verses fulfill the promise made to Abraham regarding an heir – a son of his seed that will carry the thematic structure of the seed of the woman forward (See Gen. 3:15). The application of the opening verses should be a comfort to all of us as we ponder the promises of God given to us in his Word, knowing that he will do what he says. In obedience to God’s command, Abraham names his son Isaac (which means “laughter), circumcises him as he is a member of the visible church of old, and Sarah responds in praise to God for his blessing. That leads to another application for our lives. We often pray and ask God to remember his promises to us, but do we also remember to praise and thank him when he responds? It is easy to forget that, but we shouldn’t. We not only need God’s faithfulness, but we need to be faithful to thank him when he blesses us.
Read MoreRead: Matthew 20
The important section of this chapter is the parable Jesus tells at the opening (20:1-16). The parable is a reminder that God works salvation in the lives of his people, and it is his prerogative to give good gifts to his people how he sees fit. Therefore, we have no reason to be jealous of anything our brothers and sisters possess since those things come from God. That is his option, and he works in ways that require no affirmation on our part.
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