Monthly Archives: January 2017

Genesis 31, Matthew 20

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Today’s readings share a theme of service, a juxtaposition between Jacob’s service for Laban, and Jesus’ parable of the labourers in the vineyard.

Jacob had served Laban for 20 years, during which time Laban had changed Jacob’s wages 10 times.  Jacob said “You know that I have served your father with all my strength, yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me”. Laban was constantly trying to deceive and cheat Jacob, an attribute that Rachel learned from her father, stealing the household idols when Jacob’s household finally left Laban. But God was always watching over Jacob and ensuring that the blessing he received from Isaac came to pass.

In the parable of the labourers, each labourer agreed to work for a denarius, whether early morning or 11th hour. Each was paid exactly as they agreed,  a contrast to Jacob’s ever changing wages.

We have all been called on to work in that vineyard, to serve, just as “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve”. We can be confident that the “wages” won’t change. God is faithful and unchanging, His promises don’t change. We can serve God and each other now, looking forward to the same future glory promised to those of old.

Matthew 19, Psalm 34

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When Jesus answered the rich young man’s question about entering the kingdom of God, he said to sell everything and follow him. The disciples were astonished, and ask Jesus “Who then can be saved? But Jesus looked at them and said, With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Salvation is a gift from God, not something man can achieve.

David experienced this need for God’s involvement in his life on a number of occasions. Pretending to be mad in front of Achish, king of Gath, was one such occasion. He wrote Psalm 34 about the experience, and the need to rely on God. “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles … Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him”. He concludes the Psalm with “The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.”

We have been redeemed by God’s work alone. He has provided for us, and will hear when we call. No problem is too great, with God all things are possible.

Psalm 33

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Psalm 33 describes the depths of God’s love. God “loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD”. He created the heavens and the depths of the water just by speaking. He chose a people to be His heritage, while frustrating the plans of the nations.

God looks down from heaven and “sees all the children of man”, He knows their hearts, He sees their deeds. He pays special attention to “those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.”

God is interested in our life, He pays attention to what we think and do. The Psalmist describes an appropriate response to God’s power, majesty and interest in us. “Our soul waits for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.”

 

Genesis 27, Psalms 32

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Genesis 27 is a strange story. Isaac knew that Esau had sold his birthright to Jacob, but when he was close to death he intends to bless Esau rather than Jacob. Gen 25v28 tells us that Isaac favoured Esau because of his venison, and Isaac requests a meal of venison before he dies.

Jacob and Rebekah conspire to deceive Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing of the birthright. When Isaac realises the deception, he “trembled very greatly”. He knew that the blessing of the birthright should have gone to Jacob, and God had prevented him from blessing Esau instead. God’s intended plan cannot be hindered by man.

David writes in Psalm 32 of the forgiveness of God, and also of trusting in God. “Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD”. What God has promised will certainly occur, and we can be absolutely confident in God’s word, His love, and our glorious future together with Him.

 

Genesis 26, Psalm 31, Matthew 16

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In Genesis 26, Isaac is reminded 3 times that God is with him. Although he listens to God and doesn’t go into Egypt to avoid a famine, Isaac still repeats his father’s mistake of describing his wife as his sister for fear of death. Despite this, God forgives Isaac, repeating to him the blessings of Abraham. Encouraging to see God’s love clearly demonstrated despite Isaac’s mistake.

David in Psalm 31 describes the comfort and refuge he feels as a result of God being with him.  “In you, O Lord, do I take refuge… incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily… into your hand I commit my spirit“. During his time of distress, David recognises God would care for him, even when everyone else has forsaken him. “He has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city… you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.”

David encourages us put our trust in God. “Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful…be strong, and let your heart take courage.“ As does Jesus, in Matthew 16, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”.

Genesis 24, Psalm 29-30

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In Genesis 24 we find the story of Rebekah becoming Isaac’s wife. It’s a strange story about a custom unfamiliar to us, but also a story of faith shown in different ways by Abraham, Eliezer, and Rebekah. All put their trust in God for the best outcome. Abraham relied on God for providing a wife for Isaac, Eliezer relied on God for the selection of that wife, and Rebekah trusted in God that marrying Isaac was the right thing to do.

It’s interesting that Eliezer’s prayer to God for success in finding a suitable wife is answered before he had finished praying. This means that Rebekah had to have left her house before Eliezer had even started praying. A real world example of Jesus’ words in Matthew 6, “your Father knows what you need before you ask him”.

Just as God answered David’s prayers, “O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me”, He will answer our prayers too, in the way that develops us to be more like Him

Genesis 22, Psalm 26-28

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In Genesis 22 we read of another great act of faith by Abraham, the almost-sacrifice of Isaac. Even more challenging than leaving Ur or waiting 25 years for a promised seed that was naturally impossible, Abraham simply states to Isaac “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering”. Abraham had faith that whatever the outcome, God would provide. He even names the place where he found the ram caught in the thicket, “The Lord will provide”.

David also believed that God would provide for his needs. Psalm 28, “Blessed be the LORD! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.”

God will always provide what we need, whether it be trial or refuge or strength. “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage”

Matthew 13

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In Matthew 13 we read of Jesus teaching first the multitudes then just the disciples about the kingdom of God through parables.  He taught the multitudes only in parables, fulfilling the words of a Messianic psalm. We sometimes skip over the smaller parables in this chapter, but they give an amazing insight into how we should live today.

“The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” In a sense, the kingdom is hidden. It is a strange idea, seemingly foolishness, so foreign to natural thinking. Yet in our hearts the hope and influence and principles take hold and spread to fill our whole life.

We have been caught up in the net, given the chance to really see and hear the hope of a glorious future. It is a hidden treasure, something we must find and get and hold on to with all our might, but also one that we must share with everyone.

Genesis 18-19, Psalm 22

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24 years after Abram had first been promised to become a great nation, in Genesis 18 Abram is told that his promised child would finally arrive the next year, when Abram would be 100. Romans 4 tells us that his faith did not waver, but instead he was fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised.

In stark contrast to this highlight of Abram’s life comes the destruction of Sodom, and the narrow escape of Lot. We see the end result of the choices Abram and Lot made, one choosing to remain in the promised land, the other the well watered Jordan Valley.

Psalm 22 is a Messianic Psalm, describing the results of the choices that Jesus made, the pain and anguish he experienced on the cross, yet still he maintained his trust in God. “For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.”

It also describes a time we all long for, “All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.” A fulfilment of the promise God made to Abram, that we have been invited to share.

Psalm 19, Matthew 11

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In Psalm 19, David describes both creation and God’s law as beautiful, glorifying God. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork”, then later “the law of the Lord is perfect”, the precepts are right, the commandment is pure, the rules are true. Both are helpful for reflection and meditation, as David concludes “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight”.

Jesus’ words in Matthew 11 provide a similar comparison. Jesus recognised God’s majesty as “Lord of heaven and earth”, and also the need to listen (“he who has ears to hear, let him hear“) and act accordingly (“take my yoke upon you, and learn from me…and you will find rest for your souls”).

We too can be inspired by the majesty of creation, the awe-inspiring scale of the universe, and the beauty of nature, to dedicate our lives to giving God glory.