Year 2 Day 273
Pray (ACts) Read - Hebrews 2:14-18 Message - Alan Burke Are you in the Christmas Spirit yet? Wearing that Christmas jumper that the Mrs bought you? Got the decorations up? Excited about what gifts you might receive? Are you loving the nostalgic nonsense of it all, because let’s be honest that what most of it is and it’s very little to do about the coming of a Saviour. I may generalise, yet I know people who will make their annual pilgrimage to that church to sing those carols and they hear every year the message of a Saviour but they are there for that warm fuzzy feeling that they had as a child. Then on the other hand I know people that since the beginning of December have been hibernating, not because of Covid but because for them this time of year is one they would rather be over, as it is a perpetual reminder of what they have lost or what they have always wanted and never had and it is painful and when Saturday comes they will sit alone. There are many for whom Christmas is the hardest time of the year, the feeling that you’ve failed as a parent for what ever reason, those relationships that are a mess, some of us who won’t see those whom we love and for many of us there is that empty seat that we really wish wasn’t empty, maybe it’s for the first time or the tenth time or more. The writer of Hebrews thought takes us to the hope that we have in Christ Jesus, he explains the purpose of the incarnation, one that although things are far from how we would want or desire it to be, should give those who believe hope and comfort in the midst of it all. Here in Hebrews 2 we are given that hope as we are told, v14 “Since therefore the children”, that is those who are in Christ. Since those who are in Christ they "share in flesh and blood”, that is because they are human, they share flesh and blood because they of Adam’s fallen race, “he” speaking of Christ, “Christ himself likewise partook in the same things", that is he took flesh and blood, he took our humanity because we are of Adam’s race. In the incarnation, Christ who was fully God took to himself a human nature, he partook of the same flesh and blood as us. He came from the riches of glory, from the heavenly throne, from a highly exalted place to be born as a helpless, vulnerable, powerless, and dependent newborn baby, the infinite God took on the finite. In all of it from beginning to end, from the announcement of the angel Gabriel to Mary, who was likely no older than thirteen or fourteen years old, an uneducated peasant, who struggled for her daily bread, living in a culture that discounted women and their worth. She was to be blunt a nobody, from a nothing town that was unimportant and of no consequences. God might well “have gone to Jerusalem and picked out Caiaphas’s daughter, who was fair, rich, clad in gold embroidered raiment and attend by a retinue of maids in waiting. But God preferred a lowly maid from a mean town” (Martin Luther). Christ was born in the manger an animal feeding trough, grew up under poor parents, worked as a carpenter, lowered Himself to be baptised by a man, faced the temptations of the devil after a death-defying fast and prayer, made friends and disciples of fishermen and tax collectors, who constantly vied for position, lacked a place where He could lay His head at night, touched the poor and the sick, was chased from place to place because of the people, was betrayed and denied by His own disciples, was wrongfully accused by the authorities of Israel, was sentence to death by Pontius Pilate, a Roman, was forced to walk the road to Calvary with the cross on His crushed shoulders, was stripped, shed His blood and bodily fluid and suffered death. His purpose in coming, in the incarnation was to die. He shared in our humanity, flesh and blood, becoming like us in every way so that he might die and that though his death He would over come death. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q36 What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification? The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of God’ s love, peace of conscience, (Rom. 5:1–2,5) joy in the Holy Ghost, (Rom. 14:17) increase of grace, (Prov. 4:18) and perseverance therein to the end. (1 John 5:13, 1 Pet. 1:5)
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Year 2 Day 271
Pray (ACts) Read - Genesis 35 Message - Scott Woodburn Do you always keep your word? Do you always make good on a promise? Under the Lord may our yes be yes and our no be no. May we always fulfil our vows - the Lord expects nothing less. Jacob had once fled from his brother’s wrath and had camped for the night at a place called Luz. It was there that he had an amazing dream in which he saw a glimpse of Christ, prefigured as a ladder reaching from heaven to earth. When he awoke he promised that one day he would return to Luz and worship there. Indeed he changed the name of the place from Luz to Bethel, which means “the house of God”. Many years had passed since Jacob’s dream and much had changed. He had returned home and he had even enjoyed his brother’s unexpected forgiveness but it was now time to fulfil his promise to the Lord. The Lord commanded Jacob to go to Bethel and do what he had promised - he was to make an altar for the Lord (v1). If we think we’ll never be seduced by the world then we should read this chapter constantly. Before setting out Jacob’s household had to get rid of the foreign “gods” that they were carrying. The Lord had been nothing but gracious to these people and still they carried with them evidence of idolatry! Thankfully the Lord is gracious even to stiff necked sinners. He extended His hand of protection so that no one came to attack the travelling clan (v5) and when they arrived in Bethel, Jacob built the altar he promised long ago. The Lord again moved full of grace and reiterated the promises he had made previously. Jacob’s new name was Israel (v10) and the Lord would bless him with nations, kings and land (v11-12). Yet this chapter isn’t entirely full of rejoicing. As we journey verse by verse we see the reality of life and death. Rebekeh’s nurse Deborah died and was buried under an oak at Bethel (v8). Later further tragedy struck the family when Jacob’s beloved wife Rachel died as she gave birth to Benjamin (v19). Finally as Jacob arrived with his elderly father, Isaac too was called away by death (v29) and the once warring brothers buried their beloved dad. As I write these words I am reminded of what Paul would say many years after the troubles and trials of Jacob. “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8v31-35, 37-39) The Lord doesn’t promise us an easy road but He will surely get us to the end of it. We may be stubborn and stiff necked along the way and we may cry all too often in graveyards but God remains constantly and consistently faithful. Honour Him in your life. Repay the vows you have made and reject idols of all kinds. No one compares to the God of Jacob, who all these years later remains the same. If He is for us (and He is) then who can be against us? Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q35 What is sanctification? Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness. Year 2 Day 270
Pray (ACts) Read - Luke 1:46-55 (focus 51-55) Message - Alan Burke As we come once more to this Mary’s song, I want you to open your bibles in front of you, or have the passage on the screen, look in these verses from verse 51 to 56. Feel free to read them again but as you do, do you see the repeated phrase? It doesn’t matter if you have the King James Version, New International Version or the English Standard Version you should see it quite clearly. It’s there in verse 51 twice, in v52, 53 and 54. Have you seen it yet? It is the words “he has”! Five times this phrase is repeated as it speaks of what the Lord has done in the past. As Mary was praising God while she speaks of the past, she continues to look to the future, it was God at work in what he had done, was doing, and would do in the future and it was as good as done. First His mighty acts, how the all powerful God has demonstrated his power towards both the proud and the humble as he punishes the mighty, but lifts up the humble. Mary looks forward to God’s vindication of those who fear him, and has faith that it will come to pass, this will involve the scattering of the proud, those who see no need for God nor for treating fellow human’s with compassion. God is at work in this world, he is at work in the present age, humbling the proud as he punishes the mighty and lifting up the humble but this song looks even more to the final day when all those who fear the Lord will be vindicated, when God will judge all people he will scatter those who feel no need for him but are proud of their spiritual or material attainments and capabilities but all who fear him, who have faith, the righteous will live with him forever. The final exercise of God’s power, there in v52 is that rulers will be removed from their thrones all the injustice of the ruling classes against those who fear God against his people will be reverse as the humble are lifted up. Those who have lacked compassion will be dealt with, Mary trusts God’s just vindication in the approaching messianic reign, looking to the future not the past, she anticipates in the child she bears total vindication, what way God will accomplish the vindication she does not know, but she looks to the Glory of Christ. As God humbles the proud he will also lift up the humble, he will fill the hungry with good things, he will give his spirit to those who ask for good things, in contrast God will send the rich away empty, they are they who live independently from God and because of this they will be an object of condemnation. Reversal will ultimately be reached at the time of judgement, for the rich man’s self focus reflects his lack of faith and his spiritual indifference towards the God to whom he is responsible. In all of what she faces, and in what lies ahead for the generations that follow Mary trusts in the fulfilment of God’s promises. In faith she knows that what God has said is as good as done, that they will come to pass, as God Lifts the Humble and God Humbles the Proud. The values and goals of this world are not those of the Lord or his kingdom, the greatest example we have is of a Saviour, that of Christ himself the Son of God who did not consider equality with God as something to be used solely for His own advantage at the expense of others; instead, He voluntarily condescended and took the form of a servant and became “obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross, so that we might have the right to become children of God. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q34 What is adoption? Adoption is an act of God’ s free grace, (1 John 3:1) whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God. (John 1:12, Rom. 8:17) Year 2 Day 269
Pray (ACts) Read - Genesis 34 Message - Scott Woodburn As you well know Alan and I started these devotions when Covid 19 first hit. We wanted to give you daily food for your soul and our plan was to write devotions from March to June and then reevaluate once Covid had gone away. Eighteen months later we’re still here! We trust these devotions are a blessing to you and that each day these words get you into the Word of God. With that said, today’s devotion is horrific. This is a chapter that is hard to read, hard to preach and hard to fathom the wickedness of men. Jacob has returned home and experienced the wonderful forgiveness of Esau. Yet Jacob is still acting like Jacob! He lies to Esau and fails to obey God. Jacob bought some land outside the city of Shechem and pitched his tent at that place rather than Bethel. Without realising it, Jacob had put his family in harms way. One day Jacob’s daughter Dinah was kidnapped and raped by a man called Shechem. He abused her and humiliated her despite the fact that it appears he had fallen in love with her (v3). Shechem decided that he wanted this young girl to be his wife and so he urged his father Hamor “get me this girl for my wife.” (v4) Needless to say, Jacob and his sons were outraged by what had happened to Dinah. They knew that such actions were a disgrace to Almighty God and understood that rape should not be practiced in Israel (v7). Before anything further happened either good or bad, Hamor approached Jacob and asked for Dinah’s hand in marriage for his son Shechem. Hamor told Jacob that it would be to his advantage as it would mean he could dwell and trade in the land as he saw fit. Additionally, he could name as big a price as he wanted for Dinah as his rapist son Shechem had fallen head over heels in love with the girl. It is said that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and it appears to be true in Jacob’s clan. His sons respond to Hamor’s offer with lies (v13). They initially tell the truth that Jacob’s family and Hamor’s should not intermarry. The people of God should not forge marriage relationships with those outside the faith. It was true in Jacob’s day and it is true in ours. Yet this truth was a means to a wicked end. The sons of Jacob urged Hamor to have all the males of the city circumcised - only then could the marriage take place. This seemed like a good idea to Hamor and Shechem. It would mean that Shechem could have Dinah as his wife and so he and his father urged the men of the city to be circumcised. Shechem argued that it would be good for everyone, providing the men of the city with new wives from Jacob’s family and peace and prosperity (v23). So every male of the city was circumcised at Hamor and Shechem’s request (v24). It is at this point that we see wickedness breeding wickedness and sin breeding sin. Jacob’s sons Simeon and Levi waited until the men of Shechem were sore from their circumcision and then in response to the rape of Dinah they killed Hamor, Shechem and all the males of the city. They robbed and plundered the city, taking all the possessions they could find and even taking the women and children as spoils of war (v25-28). Jacob knew that the actions of his sons was going to lead to further trouble (v30). If the inhabitants of the land attacked then he would surely be killed. Yet his sons were deaf to their father’s protest asking Jacob “should he treat our sister like a prostitute?” (v31) Shechem’s sin was abhorrent but any revenge should have been left to the Lord. My friends if you feel like you need to have a shower after reading such a chapter - then good. It is a brutal chapter and one that shows humanity’s depravity in all it’s bloody nastiness. A young girl is raped. Lies are spoken. Many are butchered. The sign of the covenant had even been used as a means to murder. The whole situation is horrific. The Lord is gracious in that He allows us a “warts and all” view in this passage, therefore we shouldn’t be surprised at the sinful lengths humanity will go to. This is a brutal world, utterly depraved and desperately wicked. What should we do? Brothers and sisters, flee from sin and be wise in your dealings in this world. Nothing and no one is neutral. Look to Christ and obey His Word - entrust your way to the Lord. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q33 What is justification? Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone. Year 2 Day 268
Pray (ACts) Read - Luke 1:39-50 (focus v46-50) Message - Alan Burke It’s hard for us to truly appreciate the significance of the announcement of Gabriel to Mary. Yes there was hope of Jesus, a saviour, who would have the throne of his father David, whose kingdom would be without end (29-33) this hope was indeed a wonderful one. Do not forget though what lay ahead for Mary, for at age thirteen maybe fourteen as an unmarried woman betrothed in a culture where reputation and chastity meant something, the entirety of her future of everything was now uncertain. She would have to deal with the constant questioning about the legitimacy of her son, Jesus himself faced it as the jews sarcastically said things to him like “We are not illegitimate children,” (Jn 8:41). For Mary the road ahead was going to be a tough one yet she in faith submitted to the Lord. Although Mary had not asked or demanded a sign and went forward in faith, the Lord by his grace gave her such a wonderful confirmation in Elizabeth and the words she spoke to her. Those words of Elizabeth acted as a conformation of what she had already been told and in response Mary praises the Lord. It’s as if the words of Elizabeth are a trigger for her to verbalise what the Lord is doing. Mary believes by faith and so her joy is great and her soul magnifies the Lord. This song of praise known as the Magnificat, from it’s opening word in Latin, it speaks of the Lord’s concern for the poor and despised of this world and the rejection of the rich and the proud, we see that as in v47-50, how ‘God Lifts the Humble’ and in v51-55 how ‘God Humbles the Proud’. As she begins by praising the Lord, her spirit rejoices, that is her inmost being praises the Lord, her heart, mind, all of her is praising, rejoicing. The reason why is that God is acting on her behalf and he is acting on His peoples behalf through her. She rejoices in God her Saviour (47), and the saviour of his people, understanding that this is what the Lord had been doing throughout the ages for his people, throughout redemptive history, how he had promised to bring salvation to them. Mary understood something that for many people they find hard to grasp, as she rejoiced, she did so not in her current situation but in God her Saviour. She knew that she needed saving by God, she knew that she was a sinner just like all of us, for each one of us, every person on this planet has sinned against God, the only human to ever escape the stain of original sin was Jesus. Mary’s joy comes in and through this child who was to come, and has come and will come again, for as the angel Gabriel had told her is name would be Jesus, meaning God saves, this child would bring salvation to his people, he is the Savior of sinners who would soon be born (Matt 1:21). This child to come can only be our Saviour if we know we need saved, if we understand our sinful condition, then we will be able to understand the joy that Mary had in the salvation of God. For Mary knows that the God that she praises, is gracious and faithful to those who fear him, who acknowledge him rightly. For his changeless faithfulness has been clear, for all in ever generation of the people of Israel and Mary sings of how such faithfulness will also be for future generations of God’s people (48). God’s favour is specifically directed at those who fear God, Mary is a God fearer, who acknowledges the holy and exulted position of her God. His mercy extent to those who fear him, those who acknowledge him rightly, we fear God today (Proverbs 9.10) with a filial fear - a fear a child has for their parent. We know how powerful He is and we know He will one day pour out His anger upon those who stand against Him, who have not trusted in the Saviour, but for those who do his mercy extends to them (50). Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q32 What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this life? They that are effectually called do in this life partake of justification, (Rom. 8:30) adoption, (Eph. 1:5) and sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them. (1 Cor. 1:26,30) Year 2 Day 267
Pray (ACts) Read - Genesis 33 Message - Scott Woodburn Chapter 33 begins rapidly with Jacob lifting up his eyes and seeing his brother Esau with his four hundred men. As we have journeyed through the book of Genesis we have seen Esau’s rage over his little brother’s trickery. Finally after twenty years they reunite and a mighty battle will take place….and yet…there is no battle. Jacob approached his older brother bowing himself to the ground seven times (v3). It was a sign of his submission to his brother and his respect. Seven is the perfect number - we speak of the seven seas and in Revelation the Holy Spirit is described as the sevenfold spirit. Jacob bowed completely without any half-heartedness, he didn’t want to fight, he came in peace. Esau’s response was nothing short of stunning. We are told that he ran to meet Jacob and he fell upon him, kissed him and the brothers wept together (v4)! What had happened? Where had the grudge gone? Where was the fight to the death? If you expected that in chapter 33 then you’ll be sadly disappointed. After Jacob’s wrestling match with God, he received the new name of Israel. This beautiful name means “the one who strived with God” but it also shows us something of God’s character too. He is the One who strives for His people. As Jacob approached his brother fearing the worst, the Lord had already been at work. The Lord is able to influence the righteous and the wicked alike. Esau was no giant of the faith but the Lord had softened his heart and caused him to forgive his twin brother. Indeed Esau has been so softened that Jacob almost has to force him to receive his gift (v11). The years had moved on and Esau’s wrath had been removed from him. Unfortunately there is a little bit of the old Jacob in Jacob’s response. Esau urges his brother to come with him to his home in Seir. Jacob agrees but urges his brother to go on ahead and Jacob would follow at his own pace. Needless to say, Jacob had no intention to go to Seir and turns for Succoth instead (v17). Now, let it be said that Jacob was right for not heading to Seir - it was outside the promised land, but did he have to lie to a brother who had treated him with glorious grace? No. Not only did Jacob lie to Esau, he was also disobedient to God. The Lord had called Jacob to return home to Bethel and instead Jacob camped at Shechem. It was close to Bethel but it wasn’t Bethel. In the midst of a chapter full of reconciliation and grace, we still see underhandedness and disobedience and before we climb onto our self-righteous horse - there but the grace of God go we. Each one of us has been reconciled to God through faith in Christ. He has and is transforming us by the ordinary means of grace and the mighty work of the Holy Spirit and yet…the old Jacob remains in us all. We rejoice when someone forgives us and then hours later our hearts are as hard as ever. We are brought to our knees by the Word of God and then we quickly forget as something shows up on our Facebook feed. We marvel that Christ has forgiven us and yet we promise never to forgive those who have wronged us. What wretched people we are! Who will rescue us from this body of death? Esau treated Jacob in a way that he did not deserve and thanks be to God because the Lord acts in the same way. The Gospel tells us that Christ died not for the good but for the ungodly and it is the Lord who runs to us as He takes the initiative in salvation. My brothers and sisters, forgive one another as you have been forgiven. Do not practice deceit but instead let your yes be yes and your no be no. Finally, listen to God and do what He says for we no longer walk in the dark but in the marvellous light of Christ. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q31 What is effectual calling? Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel. Year 2 Day 266
Pray (ACts) Read - Luke 1:39-45 Message - Alan Burke The message of the incarnation is one that we hear every year about this time, the coming of Jesus, Immanuel, God with us. Today we focus on what happens after the announcement of the angel Gabriel to Mary, as she makes her way to her cousin Elizabeth with haste. This would have been a three or four day journey, to travel the eighty miles or so to find out for herself, to either confirm or dispel the words that were given to her. It was in faith that she went and what now happens acts as confirmation to her of the amazing truth that the Lord had given to Mary through the angel Gabriel. When she entered into the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth (40), she greets her cousin Elizabeth, on hearing this the baby within Elizabeth leaped in her womb (41). The power of God by the Holy Spirit had been at work in everything that had already taken place, but here once more as John rejoices in his mothers womb, the Spirit works again. There Elizabeth speaks to Mary, in a loud voice, exclaiming, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! (v42). The Holy Spirit helped Elizabeth to understand, for the only way that she could know of what God was doing in Mary’s womb, is if He revealed it to her. Because of this Elizabeth is able to see that Mary is blessed, that she has received special favour from God. Mary is blessed among women because she is the vessel chosen by God, by his grace, for the saviour to come into the world, the child that she will bear is a child like no other. Elizabeth understands also that she is blessed just to share in the events that are unfolding, her humility is clear in how she asks “why am I so favoured” (43). She is marvelling at how the Messiah visits her, and how her relative is the one whom God was using to bring forth the saviour of his people. Elizabeth in all of this is enabled to see that what is taking place is far from insignificant and that she has obtained more than she deserves, for the mother of her Lord should come to see her (43). The most significant thing from what Elizabeth said was not about Mary but it was rather the unborn child within her, as she calls him “my Lord” (43). This is something that Elizabeth could only have known by the power of the Holy Spirit within her, it was the Lord God himself that brought the confession from her lips in the Lord Jesus Christ. Then she tells of what only she would have known to Mary, of how her greeting caused the baby in her womb John to leap for joy (44). Finally the Spirit speaking though Elizabeth, blesses Mary for her faith, because she believed, she embraced in her heart the promises of God even though there was, fear, trouble, questions flying through her head, because of how unfathomable were the words of the angel to her and what God has said he would do without be accomplished in her, it would be fulfilled. What I want to leave you with is the response of Elizabeth to the child in Mary’s womb, her Lord. This child within Mary was and is the Lord, he is the saviour that had been promised, he is the one that Mary was told would reign for ever more (33). Today we have much more reason to rejoice than Elizabeth did. Elizabeth rejoiced in his conception but yet in his coming it was to do what Adam did not, he came to live in our place and to die a sinners death, but that death was not the end, for he rose on the third day bringing death to death for the believer. He paid the price for sin and freed us from wrath of a Holy God, freed us from the fear of death and hell and that is the message we need to hear this day and every day. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q30 How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ? The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, (Eph. 1:13–14, John 6:37–39, Eph. 2:8) and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling. (Eph. 3:17, 1 Cor. 1:9) Year 2 Day 264
Pray (ACts) Read - Genesis 32 Message - Scott Woodburn Unfortunately for Jacob even though the problem of Laban seemed to be solved another problem called Esau was still to come. Jacob was greeted by angels at Mahanaim and yet that awesome sight was soon blotted out by the anger of Jacob’s older brother. Jacob wanted peace and so sent messengers to Esau seeking Esau’s favour (v5) The troubling response was that Esau was on his way to meet Jacob with 400 men (v6). Despite the sight of God’s angels, Jacob was greatly afraid (v7). He divided his camp in two so that not everyone would perish under an Esau attack and then he cried to the Lord for deliverance (v9). Jacob understood that God is full of steadfast love and faithfulness (v10). Surely the Lord wouldn’t allow Esau to slay Jacob? The Lord had said that He would greatly multiply Jacob and His offspring (v12). Would He now break His promise? Jacob’s prayer was confident and yet Jacob’s next action was to take matters into his own hands. He gathered together a massive collection of goats, rams, camels, calves, cows, bulls and donkeys and sent them on ahead. This was to be a gift for Esau as Jacob thought that his brother could be appeased by such a present (v20). Jacob’s effort was unnecessary. He trusted in the Lord’s protection and provision and he had witnessed God’s sovereignty over Laban’s rage. Why then did Jacob feel the need to try and sort out the Esau problem himself? Jacob’s self-sufficiency would soon be wrestled out of him. It was night and Jacob stood alone on the bank of the river Jabbok (v22). He couldn’t go back to Laban and ahead of him was Esau and a small army. What was to be done? The Lord provided the answer. Out of nowhere a man came and attacked Jacob and the two entered into a long drawn out wrestling match (v24). Was this man a robber? Was he an assassin from Esau? No. This man was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Later Jacob recognises that he has met with the Lord (v30). So the individual who wrestles with Jacob is Jesus. This is a Christophany - an appearance of Christ in the Old Testament. This teaching is underlined by the testimony of Hosea 12v2-5. So if this is Jesus, why is it that Christ doesn’t prevail over Jacob (v25)? Was Jacob stronger than God? No. My friends consider the power of Christ - at one touch he dislocates Jacob’s hip (v25b). If it was the will of God to humiliate and destroy Jacob, then he would have been humiliated and destroyed. Here we see the condescension of Christ, He willingly lowers Himself to our level and in this instance He is wrestling the self-sufficiency out of Jacob. As daybreak arrives Jacob is left clinging on to Jesus and refuses to let go until he receives a blessing (v26). Is Jesus so weak that He cannot break free? No. If the day arrives then Jacob will die for no one can see God and live (Exodus 33v20). Jacob is not in control here, indeed he is in great danger. So what’s happening? With a disgruntled Laban behind him and a desperately angry Esau in front of him, Jacob is being disciplined. His ways have been sneaky and treacherous. He is Jacob by name and Jacob by nature. He is the one who grasped his brother’s heel and took his brother’s place and yet here Christ Himself gives sneaky Jacob a new name…from now on Jacob will be called Israel (v28). What a blessing! Only God Himself can rename His people and in this instance He removes Jacob’s shame and reproach and gives him a new name that speaks of his striving with God. Yet Israel in a deeper way speaks of God’s striving for us. Jacob had nowhere to go but forward into the jaws of Esau’s twenty year old rage. But here is Jesus declaring to Jacob that God will strive for him. He is not on his own and never will be. Jacob is left bruised and battered and limping but the victory will be his. Brothers and sisters, Christ is our Peniel (v30) for in Jesus we have seen God and lived. Christ is still the One who wrestles with us, subduing our sin and disciplining those whom He loves. Christ is still the One who wrestles for us, He stands against Satan’s plots and if He is for us, then who can be against us? By faith in Christ we have received a new name - we are Christians and for us the old has gone and the new has come. Child of God, I know many of us carry the scars of battle and our once confident walk has been replaced by a limp but press on and cling on to Christ! Peace and mercy be upon you today, and upon the Israel of God which is Christ’s precious church. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q29 How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ? We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit. Year 2 Day 263
Pray (ACts) Read - Exodus 4:10 Message - Alan Burke “First posted Year 1 Day 321 - 8 Feb 21” Even though many of us were told that could be anything we want to be when we grew up, as long as we put our mind to it, we all know that simply isn’t true. We all have some sense of our limitations, what we can do and what we can’t. Here as Moses gives another excuse, this time it’s because he is aware of his own limitations, look what he says… Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent On a purely pragmatic level I get this, it’s been forty years of shepherding sheep in the wilderness, he’s unlikely spoken much Egyptian in this time, maybe loosing his command of the language. Added to that how he had spent forty years talking to his sheep and not many people, he would have likely lost confidence to talk to a group, never mind having to engage in a world leader in conversation and to have a debate. After all this was a diplomatic mission that Moses was being sent on and part of the job was that he would need to be able to make his point, convey what God had told him. It may even had been that Moses had something physically wrong with his voice. What ever it was, whether it was just simply another excuse or not, Moses must have believed at some level that he had a real problem, a limitation that ruled him out of going to Egypt and before pharaoh. Moses was the first to doubt that he could speak God’s truth but he wasn’t the last. His problem though and it’s a problem that we can all have, is we are more focused on who we are than whose we are, we though about that a few weeks ago, it wasn’t who Moses was, rather it was whose he was. That he was the Lord’s and the Lord had chosen him. It didn’t matter that Moses was not eloquent, that he was slow of speech and of tongue, it didn’t matter if he had lost his command of the Egyptian language or his confidence in speech, it didn’t matter if there was something physically wrong with his speech some kind of disability. What mattered was the one who was sending him and the message he was taking. The God who calls also who calls us to service also equips us to serve (2 Peter 1:3). Moses learned this during his life. Likewise the apostles of Jesus who were uneducated, ordinary men learnt and experienced this truth (Acts 4:13). This is a truth that believers continue to learn experience today. When God calls us to service. He also gives us what we need to perform that service. Remember His grace is sufficient for you, His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor 12:9). You and I may be limited, but God uses people like you and I for his glory, to speak his truth of Christ, crucified risen and ascended, how all who trust in him are saved from their sin. He uses people, ordinary, limited people like you and I to advance the gospel. Remember that the next time you have an opportunity to share the good news. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q28 Wherein consisteth Christ’ s exaltation? Christ’ s exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third day, (1 Cor. 15:4) in ascending up into heaven, (Mark 16:19) in sitting at the right hand of God the Father, (Eph. 1:20) and in coming to judge the world at the last day. (Acts 1:11, Acts 17:31) Year 2 Day 262
Pray (ACts) Read - Genesis 31 Message - Scott Woodburn The tension between Laban and Jacob had reached boiling point. The sons of Laban openly resented Jacob (v1) and Jacob knew that Laban no longer looked upon him favourably (v2). Into this fraught context the Lord spoke and commanded Jacob “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” (v3). It was time to go home. Jacob had come to understand that even though Laban could not be trusted, the Lord God always could. It wasn’t Jacob’s sticks that had caused spotted and striped animals to be born but instead it was the mighty hand of God (v8). It was the Lord who had taken Laban’s flocks and given them to Jacob (v9) and it was the Lord who had seen Laban’s wicked plan and overruled him (v12). It was the Lord who had revealed Himself to Jacob at Bethel (v13) and now the Lord was telling Jacob to go home. Rachel and Leah’s relationship had not been an easy one and yet they both agreed it was time to do whatever God commanded (v16). With agreement reached Jacob and his family fled. They kept their plan from Laban (v20) and strangely Rachel stole the false idols belonging to her father (v19). Not surprisingly Laban gave chase and eventually overtook Jacob (v25). Laban would have been well within his rights to punish Jacob harshly but yet again the schemes of Laban were overruled by Almighty God. The Lord spoke in a dream and told Laban “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.” (v24) Laban listened to the Lord but enquired nevertheless as to why Jacob had stolen Laban’s false gods (v30). Jacob knew nothing about Rachel’s theft and so declared “Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live.” (v32) Rachel’s actions had been petty and unnecessary and could quite easily have cost her life. Yet again the Lord is gracious to His people even in the midst of their foolishness. Laban conducts a full search but doesn’t find his gods. Rachel put them in her saddle and sat upon them, telling her father she couldn’t rise because of her monthly period (v35). It was another trick but Laban this time fell for it. As the threat of violence slowly disappeared Jacob and Laban battled verbally. Jacob wanted to know what Laban’s problem was. Jacob had served him for twenty years and had done his best to act justly. Everything had moved to this moment and Laban had now even heard God’s rebuke (v42). The heat of Laban’s anger was cooling. It appears in his speech that he still doesn’t trust Jacob but nevertheless he calls for a covenant between the warring parties (v44). Jacob set up a stone pillar and heaped stones around it (v45-46). The two men who will later represent the nations of Israel and Syria agreed to peace with God as the witness that they would do no evil to one another and would respect each other’s territory (v52). Jacob’s years with Laban had been incredibly difficult and just before the two men went their separate ways this divided family could easily have spilt each other’s blood. The reason disaster was averted wasn’t because of Laban’s disappearing anger, Jacob’s striped sticks or Rachel’s stolen false gods. Instead the Lord throughout Jacob’s entire twenty years with Laban had been at work. The Lord is sovereign and He knows the path of His people. He overrules the plans of the wicked and He forgives the fool who makes matters worse by the theft of false idols. God is sovereign and God is good. Laban’s gods couldn’t hear or speak and they were rendered insignificant hidden under his daughter’s backside. The one true God hears, speaks, answers, rules and defends. He is the sovereign Triune God who is for His people. Brothers and sisters if you are being chased by Laban and don’t know how to escape please remember today that by faith in Christ, God is for you. As the Psalmist would later write “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalm 46v11) Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q27 Wherein did Christ’s humiliation consist? Christ’s humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time. |
Alan
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