2015 Bible Reading Challenge - Week 4

I am still a little behind posting these.  You can get a devotional email in your inbox each weekday by emailing me.  If you are interested in the Bible reading plan we are using, you can find it here.

January 19, 2015

Scripture Reading: Genesis 39-40 and Matthew 13:1-23

Devotional:

We have just begun to get into the story of Joseph, one of the most fascinating stories in the Bible.  We don't really know at this point in the narrative why Joseph is so important, but it seems clear with so much attention focused on him throughout the rest of the book that he is a very important part of God's purposes.  Joseph is not the one through whom the line of the Messiah would pass, but he would play an integral role in protecting the line of his brother Judah. 

In yesterday's reading we saw Joseph's dreams where his brothers were bowing down to him and serving him.  As you might imagine, the brothers were not too happy about these dreams.  Joseph was daddy's favorite, but even Jacob wasn't too thrilled when he heard of his son's dreams.

Eventually his brother's determined that they were going to do something about the situation.  Some of them wanted to kill Joseph, throw him into a pit, and tell Jacob that he had been devoured by a wild animal.  At this point, the reader is left thinking, "This can't be good."  It seems like Joseph is going to die.  Once again the purposes of God seem to be in jeopardy.

But Reuben, the oldest, came along and told them that wasn't such a good idea.  So they decided then that they would just throw him into a pit and leave him there.  That is until a caravan of Ishmaelites came along and they decided to sell him into slavery.  Once again, without knowing the rest of the story, this seems to be a huge problem.  Joseph is leaving the land.  How can he be a part of the work God is doing in and through Abraham's descendants when he is off in a foreign land?

We begin to see a glimmer of hope at the beginning of chapter 39 where we find that Joseph was placed in charge of Potiphar's household.  This was a prestigious position.  Joseph said that everything Potiphar had was placed in his charge.  Even Potiphar himself was not greater in the house than Joseph.  Maybe Joseph will be able to leverage this prestigious position for the good of God's people.

Not so fast.  As the story continues, things turn bleak very quickly.  Joseph was falsely accused by Potiphar's wife.  Potiphar threw him into prison.  And we are left wondering whether Joseph will ever get out.  Chapter 40 ends, "Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him" (vs. 23).

I keep harping on the sovereignty of God and the way His purposes are seen throughout Genesis as redemptive history moves forward.  This is what I believe Moses wants his readers to see.  This is what God wants us to know about Himself.  He is in control of all things.  He is bringing about His good purposes.  We can trust in Him.  Even in the midst of the uncertainty and fear of chapter 40, God can be trusted.

All of Genesis is pointing us toward one who is greater than Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.  It is pointing us toward the promised Messiah.  We are reminded again that God always keeps His promises.  He is sovereign over the affairs of man.  He uses all things, even our sin, for His good purposes.  This is the God we serve.

Prayer Focus:

Allow your heart to be filled with worship to God this morning as you think upon these things.  Thank Him for His sovereign control over all things.  Express trust in Him today.

January 20, 2015

Scripture Reading: Genesis 41 and Matthew 13:24-43

Devotional:

Jesus' teaching is full of comforting and encouraging passages.  It is tempting to only write about these things in a devotional series like this where I can choose to go a few different directions with the devotion I write on any given day.  But that would not be very faithful to the totality of Jesus' teaching ministry.  While He often sought to provide comfort and strength, He also sought to provide warnings to those who had ears to hear.

Today's New Testament reading is one such warning.  Some people are obsessed with the spiritual realm.  Others, like me, sometimes deny that it exists, at least in practice if not with my theology.  I do not give much thought on a daily basis to the reality that I have an enemy.  The parable of Jesus in Matthew 13:24-30 reminds us of this enemy.

Jesus talks about a farmer who has a field of wheat.  Then his enemy came along and sowed weeds along with the wheat.  When the weeds came up, the farmer's workers wanted to know if they should pull up the weeds.  The farmer instructed them to leave it alone and wait until harvest.  If they pull up the weeds now, they are likely to pull up the wheat as well.

The warning I see here is two-fold.  As we have seen already, we have an enemy.  His name is Satan.  He has come to steal, kill, and destroy.  He does not care about people.  He seeks to destroy God's church.  He even plants unbelievers among the people of God to create problems and stir up strife.  He would love nothing more than to wreak havoc among God's people.

We must be aware of the presence of our enemy.  We must follow the instructions Paul gives to the Church at Ephesus in Ephesians 6.  We must put on the full armor of God that we may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.  We must commit to seeking after the one who is stronger than our enemy, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The second part of the warning is to recognize that wherever the people of God gather, there are likely to be tares present as well.  These are those who claim to follow Christ, yet they are not truly believers.  They may look like believers in some ways, but their lives eventually give evidence that they were never truly followers of Jesus.

The warning for each of us is to examine our own lives.  It is not helpful for us to go around in God's church trying to identify all the tares.  In fact, that is exactly what Jesus is telling us not to do in this parable.  Some of those we might identify as tares may be true believers struggling in their faith who need a helping hand.

Jesus is calling us to examine ourselves.  We should be looking at the fruit in our lives to determine if we are truly in Christ.  I do not say this to cause you to doubt your salvation unnecessarily.  I say this because the Bible is full of warnings to those of us who think we stand.  We must take heed lest we fall.

Prayer Focus:

Pray for God to help you examine yourself.  As you become aware of sin, confess it to God, turn from it, and seek God's forgiveness.  We all sin.  A willingness and desire to turn away from sin is evidence of a true believer in Christ.

January 21, 2015

Scripture Reading: Genesis 42-43 and Matthew 13:44-14:12

Devotional:

At the beginning of today's reading Jesus tells two very short parables that are very closely related.  The first compares the kingdom of heaven to a man who finds a hidden treasure.  After finding the hidden treasure, he quickly covered it back up, and sold all that he had so he could buy the field where he found the treasure.  Then the treasure would be his.

The second compares the kingdom of heaven to a man searching for fine pearls.  Once he found one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had so he could purchase this pearl.  He demonstrated a desire to purchase the pearl no matter the cost.

So what does Jesus mean?  How is the kingdom of heaven like this?

Jesus is first demonstrating to His disciples the great value of the kingdom of heaven.  It is more valuable than a hidden treasure in a field or a pearl of great value.  The reality is that hidden treasures and pearls do not last forever.  They can be destroyed or stolen.  But the kingdom of heaven will never end.  It lasts forever.  Therefore, it is infinitely more valuable than even the hidden treasure or great pearl in these parables.

In light of this, we see how we should respond to the kingdom of heaven.  The first man was willing to sell all that he had to purchase the field where the treasure he found was located.  The second was willing to sell all that he had to purchase a pearl of great value.  They highly valued these things and were willing to do whatever it took to get them.

How do we think about the kingdom of heaven?  As more valuable than a hidden treasure?  As more valuable than a great pearl?

I expect you would probably affirm with your words that the kingdom of heaven is more valuable than a hidden treasure or fine pearl.  The better question is whether we actually live our lives in light of this reality.

If the man in each of these parables was willing to sell everything he had to purchase a treasure and pearl that will not last forever, how much more should we be willing to give for the sake of the kingdom?

These parables call for a reorienting of our priorities.  What do you value more than the kingdom of heaven?  What does your life indicate that you value more?  Only you can answer that question because the answer is likely different for each of us.  May we examine ourselves, and live our lives valuing the kingdom of heaven over and above anything this world has to offer.

Prayer Focus:

Pray that God would help you to orient your priorities toward Him.  Pray that God would help you to desire God and His kingdom above all else.

January 22, 2015

Scripture Reading: Genesis 44-46 and Matthew 14:13-33

Devotional:

Today's New Testament reading contains two well-known miracles performed by Jesus.

In the first miracle we see Jesus feed five thousand men.  That number doesn't even include all of the women and children He fed on that day.  This was a major feat.  The disciples didn't know where they were going to get enough food to feed all of the people who had come to hear Jesus teach and watch Him perform miracles.  Jesus took five loaves and two fish, and multiplied them to the point where everyone there had their fill, and there were still twelve baskets of food left over.

Wow!  Jesus demonstrated His power in such an amazing, beneficial, and God-glorifying way.  This miracle is actually the only miracle of Jesus that is recorded in all four Gospels.  It is intended to leave us with mouths wide open in awe of Jesus' power.

The second miracle is of Jesus walking on the water.  Jesus' disciples got in a boat and went out to sea, while Jesus went up on the mountain to pray.  As the night went on, the boat moved further and further away from the shore.  Jesus determined to join his disciples in the boat, so He simply walked out to them on top of the water.  As the disciples saw Him coming, they thought they were seeing a ghost until Jesus spoke and identified Himself.

Then Peter jumped out of the boat and attempted to walk out on the water toward Jesus.  At first he was successful, but as the wind picked up, he was overcome with fear and began to sink.  He did the right thing though.  He called out to Jesus, and Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter.

Two miracles.  Two impressive displays of Jesus' power.  The God who spoke everything into existence demonstrated His power over the matter He created.  These were miracles by any definition.  The impossible became possible.  The laws of nature were overcome by the God who put them into place.  The power of our omnipotent God was on full display.

The result?  The disciples responded, "Truly you are the Son of God."  Moments of doubt and uncertainty were still to come for them.  But they were beginning to get just a glimpse of the true identity of Jesus, the Messiah, God in flesh.

Truly He is the Son of God.  I trust you are continuing to see Him more clearly as we move through Matthew's Gospel.

Prayer Focus:

Pray that God would remind you today that the Jesus you worship is in fact the Son of God, the Messiah, God in flesh.  Pray that His power would be evident in your life and service to Him.

January 23, 2015

Scripture Reading: Genesis 47-48 and Matthew 14:34-15:20

Devotional:

Since we will finish reading Genesis over the weekend, I want to take the opportunity to write on this very important book one more time.  The story of Joseph in the last part of Genesis is fascinating.  It all comes to a rightful conclusion in Genesis 50:20 where Joseph declares to his brothers, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

What does Joseph mean?  How has God used the evil of Joseph's brothers to bring about His good purposes?  It is important that we think about this question in relation to God's promises to Abram in Genesis 12.

One of the promises God made to Abram was that He would make a great nation of him.  Abram's family had not yet grown to a great nation at this point of redemptive history, but they were multiplying.  The famine in Canaan had the potential to wipe them out.  God used Joseph's presence in Egypt to prevent that from happening.

Another promise God made to Abram was that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through him.  Certainly we see that happening throughout Israel's history, but we see it taking place in the Joseph narrative in at least two ways.

First, Abraham's descendants were not the only ones who were protected from the famine by Joseph's presence in Egypt.  His interpretation of Pharaoh's ominous dream led to his preparing for the famine during the years of plenty that came before the years of famine.  Through Joseph's diligent preparation, the lives of the people of Egypt, and likely other surrounding areas, were protected with food to eat.  This is evidence of God's common grace on all people.

Second, God's promise that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through Abram is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, Abram's descendant who gave His life to purchase salvation for all peoples.  If you look back at Matthew 1:2, you will see that Judah, one of Joseph's brothers, was an ancestor of Jesus.  Through Joseph's presence in Egypt, God was protecting the line of the Messiah.  He was ensuring that all the peoples of the earth would be blessed through Abram and his descendants.

We should also think about the ending of Genesis in relation to the next book of the Bible, Exodus.  Exodus opens with the people of God in Egypt.  How did this happen?  Abram was given the land of Canaan.  Why aren't God's people in Canaan?  The story of Joseph answers that question for us.

I am reminded once again that the purposes of God never fail.  Life often seems bleak, yet God is still on His throne ruling sovereignly over His creation.  All worship is due Him for His goodness and power.

Prayer Focus:

Pray that God would continue to help you see His hand in your life.  How is He leading you?  How has He brought you to where you are now?  Give praise to Him for His goodness and power in your life.