Saving for the Future
Today’s Passage – Genesis 41 – 42 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Mark 3 – 4; Proverbs 16; Psalms 76 – 80
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Ephesians 4:32
Read a previous post from this passage – “In His Time“
“Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.” – (Genesis 41:34-36)
Our passage of Scripture today explains that Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had a dream, which he did not understand the significance of. I am not sure that all dreams have significance, but this dream must have been especially troubling to Pharaoh as he called in all of the people he could to help him figure it out. He dreamed about seven cattle that were very healthy and fat, and they were feeding in a meadow. Then there came along seven cattle that were lean and unhealthy, and they ate the healthy cattle. Then Pharaoh dreamed about ears of corn. Once again, the first seven ears were healthy and full, but there came along seven other ears of corn that devoured the first seven. No one in the kingdom could help Pharaoh understand the meaning of the dreams, until they brought Joseph up out of the prison. You see, Joseph had already demonstrated in the past to some of Pharaoh’s servants that he could help in these matters.
Joseph revealed to Pharaoh that both the cattle, and the corn in his dreams represented years. That healthy and full cattle and corn represented seven good years; years when there would be plenty of rain, and the land would produce food in abundance. Unfortunately, the seven good years would be followed by seven years of drought, and famine; years where the land would produce very little, and the people of Egypt and the surrounding areas would eventually go hungry.
Because Joseph had the inside scoop on what was about to happen, Pharaoh had appointed him prime minister over the land, and granted him authority over everyone else, save Pharaoh himself. Joseph began purchasing food from the Egyptians in the good years, when it was abundant and cheap. He stored the food that he bought in the cities, and soon, he had a great mass of food laid up in store, ready for the lean years that were to come. I imagine that there were probably many people that thought Joseph was foolish for purchasing all of that food. I mean, after all, there was plenty of food everywhere, and the land just kept producing more. It may have seemed to most that there would never come a day when the good times would end. But they did. And Joseph was ready.
In this passage, Joseph not only demonstrated that he had a special gift from God in discerning the dreams of men, but he also showed that he had godly wisdom. Wisdom teaches that we should not consume all that God gives us today, because we may need some of it tomorrow. It is wise to prepare for the days of leanness and famine that may be ahead in our future. Just recently in America we saw countless people who had their expensive houses and cars foreclosed on because they had lost their jobs. In the previous years they were making great money. Who would have thought that the economy was going to plunge into recession? Many people went into large amounts of debt, simply because they believed that the good years would never end, but they did; and now they are suffering the consequence of their over-consumption and lack of preparation for the lean years.
We need to learn a very practical lesson from this passage. Things may be good today, but they may not be so good tomorrow. It is very wise to save a little today, so that we are bettered prepared for tomorrow. You do not have to be a miser, but a little saving will go a long way. Also, it is very wise to avoid debt, especially consumer debt. Cut up those credit cards if you have trouble controlling your spending. Learn to live with a little less today, so that you can survive tomorrow.
Joseph was a wise steward, and as a result he prospered while everyone else was suffering. We can do the same thing.
Oh, I almost forgot. The best way to save for the future is to invest in God’s Kingdom. He pays better interest that anything else out there.
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God Will Provide Himself A Lamb
Today’s Passage – Genesis 20 – 22 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 13 – 14; Psalms 31 – 35; Proverbs 7
Read the “0107 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Heream I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.” Genesis 22:7-8
Before I begin my thought this morning from today’s passage in the Scripture, let me say that I feel totally inadequate to even attempt to glean all of the depth and beauty that is contained in chapter 22. We are certainly treading on Holy Ground as we deal with the great test that God gave Abraham when He asked him to offer up his only son, Isaac. I strongly encourage you to prayerfully re-read this chapter, and ask God to open your eyes to the many wonderful pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ that we will see in this chapter. I will discuss some of these types of Christ from this passage in a minute, but first let me say, that God was definitely putting Abraham to the test by asking this of him. God had first promised Abraham a son twenty years before He actually gave him. Abraham had waited so long, but God finally delivered on His promise. To make matters worse, Abraham’s other son, Ishmael, who was born to a concubine had been sent away; so Isaac was all that Abraham had, and God was now asking him to give him back. Think now how you would respond to this. What if God were to ask you to sacrifice your only child? What if God were to ask you to let your child serve Him on a foreign mission field? We become pretty attached to the children God gives us, don’t we?
First, let us consider the person of the sacrifice. Before, we look at the pictures of Christ contained in chapter 22, let’s examine how the child, Isaac, is a picture of Christ. The birth of Isaac bears a striking resemblance to the birth of Christ in many ways making Isaac’s birth a type or a picture of the birth of our Lord. A. W. Pink in his work, Gleanings in Genesis, points out the following:
1 Isaac was the promised seed and son; and so was Christ. (Genesis 17:16; 3:5; Isaiah 7:14)
2 In both cases there was a long period of time between the promise of birth and the fulfillment of that promise. (Genesis 12:7)
3 In both cases the announcement of the birth to the mothers and the reception of the news were similar. (Genesis 18:12 – 14; Luke 1:34 – 37)
4 In both cases the name of the child was specified before birth. (Genesis 17:19; Matthew 1:21)
5 Both births occurred at an appointed time. (Genesis 21:2; Galatians 4:4)
6 Both births were miraculous. (Consider also the birth of Samuel and the birth of John the Baptist)
7 The name Isaac, which means laughter, was given by Abraham indicating the delight of the father. So too did Jesus’ Father declare His delight, when He said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
These types, which are replete throughout the Book of Genesis, remind us of the infallibility of the Word of God. How could any human instrument paint such an accurate and beautiful picture of our Lord centuries before His birth.
Now let’s consider the place of the sacrifice. Did you know that this Mt. Moriah is the very same mountain that the Lord Jesus would be crucified on years later. By the way, it is also the place where David offers his sacrifice; and also the same mountain where the temple would be built.
Finally. let us look at some of the other pictures contained in this chapter:
1 They arrived at Moriah on the third day. (v 4) For three days Isaac was thought to be as good as dead to Abraham. But on this third day, Abraham was given back his son alive. Of course, the third day is the day of resurrection.
2 The wood for the sacrifice was placed upon Isaac, (v 6) and carried by Isaac to the place of the sacrifice. Remember that Christ carried the wood for His sacrifice as well.
3 In verse five, they leave the servants behind. This was between the father and the son. Christ also left the disciples at Gethsemane; and even the two thieves were excluded when the darkness fell when Christ was on the cross.
4 Notice in verse eight, “God will provide himself a lamb”. This is not a reference to the ram that was given later on in the chapter. This is clearly a reference to Christ.
5 The Ram was caught in a thicket. Thorns were upon the head of the Saviour.
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)
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Relationships Are More Valuable Than Riches
Today’s Passages – Genesis 13 – 16 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 9 – 10; Proverbs 5; Psalms 21 – 25)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 19
Read the “0105 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read last year’s post from this passage – “Gardens and Green Grass – or God’s Will?”
“And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.” – (Genesis 13:8)
I recommend that you go to the link above and read the post that we did last year. However, I also want to give you a quick thought this year from Genesis 13. Lot and Abraham, and apparently the people that worked for them, began to fight because their possessions increased to the point that they could no longer work and live together. Now, I completely understand that it is a good things for our children, or in this case a nephew, to separate from us and go out on their own. However, the thing that troubles me from this passage is the reason that this particular family separated. It was all about money and possessions. It grieves me that family and friends will often forsake each other due to conflicts regarding money. Riches are not as important as relationships, and relationships are of far more value than riches.
“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” – (Luke 12:15)
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” – (1 Timothy 6:10)
As I get older, I realize that the people in my life: my wife, my children, and my friends; bring me more joy than anything that money can buy. Possessions are not wrong as long as they don’t possess you, but possessions have a way of becoming idols in our lives. We need to be careful that we never let our bank accounts, or our stuff, take precedent over the relationships that God has given us.
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The Beginning of Globalism
The Ruins of the Tower of Babel
Today’s Passage – Genesis 10 – 12 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 7 – 8; Proverbs 4; Psalms 16 – 20)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 89:1
Read a previous post from this passage – “Don’t Move Unless God Moves You“
“And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” – (Genesis 11:4)
In our passage today, we read about the Tower of Babel, man’s first attempt at a one-world government. God was not pleased with man’s attempt to build himself a place in the heavens then, and He is not pleased with it now. Our world is moving rapidly toward this “New World Order”, which will eventually be headed up by the antichrist, and will include a universal religion. Unfortunately, this one-world worship system will not be worshipping Jesus Christ, but will in fact be worshipping the god of this world – Satan.
I for one am grieved with all of this coming together. I am an American. I am proud of my heritage, and the culture that I was raised in. I am not against other nations, and people groups. I love them, and desire to see them reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ; but I am not trying to get them to become like me in their culture, and neither do I want to become like them. In our church, we have many different nationalities present, including people from Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America. They are all wonderful people and have unique cultural backgrounds. I enjoy fellowshipping with them, and I especially enjoy eating their delicious foods; but I am not trying to change them. The common bond that glues us together is the Lord Jesus Christ. We are all followers of the Lord, but I do not believe the Lord would want us to all give up the things that make us diverse from one another culturally.
I am also very opposed to uniting with all of the other religious groups in the world. I can have no fellowship at all with religions that do not worship and serve the Lord Jesus Christ, and believe we should even separate from so-called Christian religions and denominations who preach a gospel other than salvation by grace through faith. The Bible is clear that two cannot walk together unless they be agreed. I am a Baptist, and I am not ashamed of that. I don’t wish to become anything else. I find that when we attempt to all come together, we have to lose some of the distinctives that we hold dear. I don’t want to lose those things, so I separate from other religious groups. I don’t hate them, and I don’t try to stop them, I just don’t fellowship with them in a church setting. Personally, I may be able to enjoy the company of believers of other denominations because of our common bond of salvation, but I will not invite other denominations to preach for us at the church, or participate in our worship services.
The only one-world government and religion that I will go along with is the one that is completely under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Someday soon He will set up a wonderful New World Order with Himself as the King, but it will be completely free from the corruption of man and sin.
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Too Old To Do Something for the Lord?
Today’s Passage – Genesis 7 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 5 – 6; Proverbs 3 ; Psalms 11 – 15
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 18:3 & 46
Read the “0103 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from today’s passage – “It Doesn’t Take Long, Does It?“; “A Token“
“And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.” – (Genesis 7:6)
“And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died.” – (Genesis 9:28-29)
The thought I have this morning may seem a little strange, but bear with me. Notice that Noah was 600 years old when the flood came, and he lived beyond the flood another 350 years. The lifespan of man back in these early days after creation was obviously a lot longer than it is today. Men and women would have lived forever had sin not entered into their world, but the wages of eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was death; but even still, that death didn’t come for 100’s of years. The flood would cataclysmically change the earth, which would reduce lifespans; and then a strange event is mentioned but not explained in the Bible, which would further reduce the average age that men and women would live on the earth. (See Genesis 10:25; 11:10 – 19) By the time you get to Abraham, man’s years are reduced even further to 175; and eventually God limited man’s years on earth to “three score and ten (70), with possibly another ten years added for good behavior. (Psalm 90:10)
I didn’t mean for this to be an exhaustive study on the Biblical history of lifespans, but I merely wanted to point out that Noah’s life was better than half over when God called him to build the ark and deliver his family through the flood. In today’s years, Noah would have been in his fifties when called upon to do this monumental task for the Lord. Moses was two-thirds of the way done with his life (80 years old) when God called him to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt. It seems that God does not have a problem giving older folks the strength and energy to do great things for Him.
I am 52 years old, and I am way past the half way point in my life; but I can still be used of the Lord to accomplish His will. Sometimes, I start to get a little discouraged about how much I have done for the Lord thus far. I would like to have completed some more tasks, done a little more than I have; but then, when I read passages like this, I get encouraged, because it may just be that I will be used of God in greater ways in my remaining years. I bet the same is true for you as well. You are not as young as you used to be, but God still wants to use you to accomplish great things for Him.
Noah Webster completed his monumental American Dictionary of the English Language at age 66.
Benjamin Franklin helped draft the Declaration of Independence at age 70.
Nola Ochs became the oldest person to receive a college diploma, a degree in general studies with an emphasis on history at age 95.
Grandma Moses (yes it’s a real person) started painting at age 76, and completed over 1000 paintings by the time she died at 101.
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Shining Brightly in a Dark World
Today’s Passage – Genesis 4 – 6 (Click on the reference to listen to the audio. Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 3 – 4; Proverbs 2; Psalms 6 – 10)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Joshua 1:8
Read the “0102 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5)
“But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” (Genesis 6:8)
“These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.” (Genesis 6:9)
“The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” (Genesis 6:11)
“But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,” (Matthew 24:37-38)
The New Testament tells us that what we read in the Old Testament is partially given to us to be an example to us and to admonish us. I am very encouraged by the example of Noah who was a bright and shining light during a very dark period of man’s history. The Bible tells that in the days of Noah “every imagination … was only evil continually”. In fact, Noah and his family were the only saved people on the face of the earth. 2 Peter tells us that Noah wasn’t a silent Christian, either; he was a “preacher of righteousness”, which means that even though the people weren’t taking him seriously, he continued to shine brightly by preaching the truth.
The parallels to our present day are very plain here. We are also living in perilous times, and though it may not be quite as bad yet as it was in Noah’s day, the world today is certainly a very dark place. Yet, we can be challenged by the example of Noah, and continue to boldly live for the Lord, and shine the light of Christ’s glorious gospel. If Noah had enough grace to stand for the truth back then, I am sure that God will give us the grace that we need in order to stand today.
Here are some tips for keeping your spiritual battery charged this year so you can continue to shine brightly:
1 Walk with God every day. Noah did (Genesis 6:9) – spend time daily in the Word of God and prayer.
2 Gather with God’s people every time the doors are opened. The preaching of the word and the edification that we receive from other believers will strengthen us tremendously:
“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)
3 Win souls – get out in the highways and hedges, the streets and lanes of the city, and tell people about the Lord. There is nothing more invigorating than to see people come to faith in Christ; and unlike Noah’s day, people are still getting saved today.
4 Unplug from the world. If you really want to shine brightly in this dark world, you will have to stop allowing the darkness to permeate your life.
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Let There Be Light
Today’s Passage – Genesis 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 1 – 2; Proverbs 1; Psalms 1 – 5)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Deuteronomy 32:4
Read the “0101 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from today’s reading – “In the Beginning“; “He Is Still Creating Me“
“And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 1:4)
This is the first of three separations in this chapter. Here light is separated from darkness; later, the sky will be separated from the water; and then the land will be separated from the water. This is also the first spiritual picture of the doctrine of separation. God divided the light from the darkness. We are the children of light (1 Thessalonians 5:5).
“Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” (1 Thessalonians 5:5)
“While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.” (John 12:36)
“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:” (Ephesians 5:8)
We are commanded to shine the light of God, and we are also instructed to not fellowship with darkness.
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” (Ephesians 5:11)
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14)
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (John 3:19-21)
There is a lot of darkness in the world, which should, at least theoretically, cause our light to appear brighter. Unfortunately, too many Christians are also becoming darker because of the attraction that we have for this world and its culture and our desire to be accepted. The Bible commands us to love the people in the world, but also to “love not” the worldly culture and anti-God philosophies. The best way to do this is to live separated lives as we shine the light of the gospel to the people around us.
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Bought With A Price
Today’s Passages – 1Corinthians 6 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 1 – 5; Proverbs 1)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Joshua 1:8
Read the “1201 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “Stumbling-blocks“
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Let me give you a parallel verse to the one listed above:
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)
God says that we are bought with a price, meaning we no longer belong to ourselves. Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price by shedding His blood on the cross of Calvary. The context of 1 Corinthians 6:20 has to do with committing sin, which we have no right to do as believers; but I believe this verse tells us much more than to not commit sin. It deals also with our desires, our will. We really have no right to do with our lives that which we desire to do, unless those desires are God-given desires. Romans goes on to tell us that it is reasonable for us to yield our will to the will of God. I often quote another verse from Romans:
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Romans 7:18)
Notice that the “no good thing” that Paul refers to in this verse is his will; and “that which is good” is the will of God. This tells us the same thing that our text tells us. We have no right to do with our lives that which we desire. Our desires need to be surrendered to God. He owns us. He purchased us on the Cross of Calvary. This does not just mean that we shouldn’t commit sin, it goes way beyond mere obedience to His moral laws. Our goals, desires, and especially our passions need to yielded to the control of the Holy Spirit of God.
God desires to mold us and shape us to perform an ordained work (Ephesians 2:10) for Him, He has the perfect plan for our lives; and His plan will bring us the most fulfillment, and the most happiness. We may think we know what we want, but we must be very careful to determine that the thing which we want is what God wants for our lives. We often sing the song, “This World is Not My Home”; but really when you think about it, we could sing, “This Life is Not My Own”. We belong to God. He has purchased us, and it is our reasonable service to give our lives completely to Him.
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A Father’s Love
Today’s Passages – 1 Corinthians 1 – 5; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 146 – 150; Proverbs 30)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 61:1 – 3
Read a previous post from this passage – “Baby Christians”
“I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.” – (1 Corinthians 4:14-16)
First Corinthians is a pretty strong letter; it contains a lot of bold criticism for the Church at Corinth. However, it is important to remember that the Apostle Paul was not writing to these people simply to set them straight. He loved these people very dearly, and wanted to see them get back on track. Paul gives the analogy of a father’s love for his children in order to describe his love for this struggling church. Paul had started this church. He served these people, and lived among them for eighteen months on his second missionary journey. He cared deeply for these Christian brothers and sisters, which gave him the right to “rebuke them sharply”.
There has always been this debate in our society about tough love. Many would say that if you are too strong in your discipline that you will drive your children away into rebellion. However, I disagree with that line of thinking. I believe that you can be strong with those who know that you genuinely care for them. If you truly love people, they will let you be straight with them. My pastor in Texas used to say that you have to build up a bank account of love with your people before you can have the right to get tough with them. They need to know that you genuinely care for them. When I worked in the supermarket in Texas, I had a store manager who was brutally honest with his employees. He was occasionally very tough, but at the same time we knew that he genuinely cared for us; he loved us. As a result there was nothing that we wouldn’t do for him. He earned our love and respect.
The Apostle Paul could say what he said to these Corinthians because they knew that He loved them. The preachers, Sunday School teachers, and leaders in our churches need to demonstrate that kind of love for the people they serve, and this will, in time, give them the right to get tough when it becomes necessary. People will simply not give an ear to someone who doesn’t truly care.
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It is Written – And Again
Today’s Passages – Romans 14 – 16 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 141 – 145; Proverbs 29)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Deuteronomy 32:4
Read the “1129 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage – “Responsibility“, “Giving Back“, and “Just One More Thing“
“Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 15:7-13)
Notice in v. 9 (above) the phrase: “it is written”. Then notice the phrase “and again” used three times. Paul quoted from several Old Testament passages here to support what he was trying to teach to the believers at Rome.
Let’s look first at the context:
In Romans 15:7 – 13 Paul is admonishing the Jewish and Gentile believers to get along with each other. The Christian Jews had a tendency to look down their noses at the Gentile believers. They also held onto many of their Old Testament traditions, which they were entitled to do under grace. However, the Gentiles were not as concerned about these things and did not do them. The cultural differences of these two groups could sometimes cause friction within their churches. In chapter 14 and in the beginning verses of 15, Paul is challenging the saints to acknowledge that there may be different convictions and preferences observed by different believers. The believer with the stronger conviction, or perhaps a different preference, should not stand in judgment of the believer who did not share his conviction or preference. Between the Jewish believers and the Gentile saints, there were probably many such differences. Paul admonishes both groups in vs. 5 and 6 to get along. Why? Because God had received them both.
In vs. 9 – 12, Paul reminds them of the mercy that God said He would show to the Gentiles by using four (actually five) passages from the Old Testament as supporting texts. Here are the supporting Old Testament passages:
Romans 15:9 was supported with these two Old Testament verses:
“Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.” (2 Samuel 22:50)
“Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.” (Psalms 18:49)
Verse 10 is a paraphrase of:
“Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people:…” (Deuteronomy 32:43a)
Verse 11:
“O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.” (Psalms 117:1)
Verse 12:
“And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:10)
I was challenged by that fact that Paul used so many Scriptures to support his argument. Paul was obviously well versed in the Old Testament, and used it to back up his teaching, especially to the Jews. Many Christians today, and even preachers are weak in their knowledge of the Bible, and even those who may know the Bible, fail to use it enough to support their messages. The Bible should be the main source in our preaching and teaching because it is the only source of Truth. Our messages, whether formal sermons to our churches or merely informal instructions to our family and friends, need to be based upon and supported by the Bible. People need to know that our instructions to them are from God via His Word, not just some philosophy rooted in man’s opinion.
Posted in Thoughts from Romans by Phil Erickson with no comments yet.