As we move into week five we will get to see the unfolding story of Joseph. We will see his own dream as a teenager become a reality and once again see his unusual but extraordinary reaction to his brothers. We will watch as they bow down to him. We will see them leave one brother behind in prison in order to bring Benjamin to Joseph – and we will listen as they try to convince their father to let his youngest son go back with them to Egypt. We will witness Joseph’s affection for his betrayers and see a sacrificial love that the brothers have for each other and their father. We will witness Joseph’s revelation that he is their brother and the reunion with his father. We will even get to see how Pharaoh reacts to learning that Joseph’s brothers had arrived. The fears and challenges are great and the lessons are inspiring as we see the battle with trust run deep with Jacob and his ten sons, and then there’s Joseph’s beautiful declaration that God had meant it all for good. I would encourage you to sneak away to a quiet place today for about 30-minutes to read these chapters, 42-46:30. It’s 5 chapters and not nearly as long as you would think but well worth the read as a whole before focusing on them individually in the study. I promise it will be time well spent and I know your heart will be glad.
The feature verse
This week’s feature verse comes from day 2, and is found in 1 Peter 3. If you watch carefully throughout the week you will see how well it applies to the reactions and actions of Joseph.
Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. 1 Peter 3:8-9
Challenge
This week we will focus on Joseph’s process of testing his brothers, as well as their reconciliation. Is there someone with whom you need to reconcile? Take steps to forgive them first, and then if possible seek reconciliation. Record how God works in your life and how you see His faithfulness in the process.
Joseph named his older son Manasseh, for he said, “God has made me forget all my troubles and everyone in my father’s family.” 52 Joseph named his second son Ephraim, for he said, “God has made me fruitful in this land of my grief.” NLT
OBSERVATION:
THE GENESIS SAGA: PHARAOH’S DREAM
Two years after the cupbearer was released from prison and returned to Pharaoh’s service, Pharaoh had a dream but none of his ‘diviner-priests’ or any of his ‘wise men’ were able to tell him what it meant. BUT… the chief cupbearer, whose dream Joseph had interpreted, finally remembered Joseph and made mention of him to Pharaoh, telling him how Joseph had interpreted his dream and the dream of the royal baker exactly as it had happened.
Because of this, Joseph was summoned to interpret Pharaoh’s dream and he was brought out of the dungeon and taken to Pharaoh. When they met Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream and there is no one here who can interpret it. But I have heard about you, that you can interpret dreams.” Can you imagine the hope this must have given Joseph? Perhaps this is why his reply to Pharaoh wasn’t simply, ‘yes I can,’ but rather one of clarification that it was not within his power to interpret dreams – but that God would speak concerning the welfare of Pharaoh.
God had used Joseph’s dreams, his faithfulness through the temptation of Potiphar’s wife as well as all other matters, his time in prison, and his gift of interpreting dreams to position him right where He wanted him.
ME-From the Inside-out
Pharaoh seemed unfazed by the response and proceeded to tell Joseph the dream. Joseph’s explanation and revelation from God made sense to Pharaoh (37), and he placed Joseph (an Israelite) in authority over all the land of Egypt. God had used Joseph’s dreams, his faithfulness through the temptation of Potiphar’s wife as well as all other matters, his time in prison, and his gift of interpreting dreams to position him right where He wanted him.
TODAY’S FOCUS VERSEs (also week four recap)
To truly appreciate the emphasis of these verses let’s recap one more time. Joseph was placed in a pit by his brothers, then with a change of greedy plans he was taken out by the brothers and sold for profit, ultimately he became a slave in the house of Potiphar. He was faithful in all of his duties and even in the proposition of Potiphar’s wife. Because of her actions and accusations against Joseph he was thrown into the prison, finding favor with the guard things went well for him but years passed despite hope of release following the interpretation of the cupbearer’s and royal baker’s dreams. Finally, the day came when he was released to interpret the dream of Pharaoh and as we’ve just read, the rest of the story is somewhat like a fairytale. Joseph, the Israelite, becomes second to none under Pharaoh and benefits more than he could have imagined as a 17 year-old teenager betrayed by his brothers. Yet even in all, beyond all the doubts that I imagine he had and all the heartache of the betrayal of his brothers, and all the disappointments where hope was risen and dashed to the ground, and even after all he had gained Joseph had not forgotten the God of his fathers. So when he is blessed with two sons he chooses names that honor God by recognizing His presence with him through it all.
APPLICATION: HOW THEN SHOULD WE LIVE?
Clearly, Joseph remembers that God is with him even in the “land of his suffering”. He may have ruled Egypt but by this reference it appears he didn’t consider it home. He didn’t forget his God and as we will see in the coming week, he didn’t truly forget his family. All of these are good examples for us … While we may not actually be ‘happy’ about our hard circumstances of life or truly forget family or friends that have betrayed or hurt us – we will find that God often brings good things, seasons of hope, and even joy in the difficult times. I have often found it helpful to make note of God’s goodness in the past and to look for His goodnesses even in the present affliction. For remembering whose we are and that He is always with us is essential in the dark and difficult days of our life that bring fear, doubt, and pain.
Prayer: Response to God’s Word.
Father, thank You for Your presence with us – especially in the difficult seasons or moments of life. Thank You for using these times to prepare us and position us for where you want and need us to be. Help us to be alert to Your presence and to see Your fingerprints even in times of troubles, that we might remember You are direct ing our paths – so that we do not doubt and lose hope.
YOUR TURN:PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
When has God been faithful to redeem you from a season of suffering?
If you are enduring a season of suffering right now, what can you do to remind yourself of His faithfulness?
But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
6 I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me. NLT
Observation:
The Genesis Saga: The Cupbearer and Royal Baker
So , not only was Joseph a dreamer – apparently he was also an interpreter. sometime after Joseph was put in prison Pharaoh had two of his officials, a cupbearer and a royal baker, put in prison. As God would have it, they were placed in the same facility where Joseph was being kept and he was made their attendant. While they were there the cupbearer and royal baker both had a dream that left them noticeably depressed. They shared the dreams with Joseph and they (well, at least the cupbearer) were delighted that he was able to interpret them. Joseph was most likely delighted as well – since it gave him hope that they would mention him to Pharaoh and he would release him. Unfortunately, while things went just as Joseph had predicted from the dreams, his name was not mentioned and he remained in prison.
TODAY’S FOCUS VERSE
David wrote this Psalm in a very emotional state. He spills out frustration, confusion, fear of his enemy, desperation, great sorrow, hunger for God’s attention, worry, suffering, shame, and embarrassment. “BUT…” (you have to love the ‘buts’ of God’s Word – right?). After spilling out all of these emotions he responds to his own rant, breakdown, or what I would call a panic attack with the expressed determination and declaration, “But I trust in Your faithfulness.” His trust was so solid that he even declared a time of rejoicing, certain that God would both deliver and vindicate him. Don’t you love this? I do. I love that David open and close relationship with God, especially knowing that God refers to David as “a man after My own heart”. Don’t you see, God wants to have this kind of relationship with us – one where we are open and honest, not hiding our hearts from Him but laying them open before Him – truthful of our doubts but so confident in Him that trust and praise always win out.
But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’ NLT
While we shouldn’t doubt God, when doubts arise – and they will – we should cry out to Him like David did. We should also follow-up our questions and concerns with declarations of His faithfulness, His goodness, and our trust in Him to ‘deliver’ or meet whatever need we have expressed. When we do this praise is sure to follow and overwhelm the emotions of doubt.
Doubt brings sorrow; faith brings praise
BibleRef.Com
PRAYER: RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD
Father, help me never doubt you. Surely I have seen Your goodness and faithfulness all the days of my life. Help me in the throes of suffering and trials of this life to trust You, to remember, to call out to You, and to look for Your deliverance, and to praise You when it comes! – In Jesus’ Name – amen and amen.
How was God’s faithfulness shown to Joseph in prison?
How have you seen God show His faithfulness to you when you were in a season of despair?
WANT MORE?
(I’m sure that I’ve shared this before but the highlighted portions came to mind when I was reading/writing and I couldn’t resist sharing again – I encourage you to read the lyrics and then take some time to sit [or dance] before God in worship.)
Blessings Lyrics[this song and its rights do not belong to me]
We pray for blessings We pray for peace Comfort for family, protection while we sleep We pray for healing, for prosperity We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering And all the while, You hear each spoken need Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things
‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops? What if Your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights Are what it takes to know You’re near? And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?
We pray for wisdom Your voice to hear And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love As if every promise from Your Word is not enough And all the while, You hear each desperate plea And long that we’d have faith to believe
‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops? What if Your healing comes through tears? And what if the thousand sleepless nights Are what it takes to know You’re near? And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?
When friends betray us And when darkness seems to win We know that pain reminds this heart That this is not, this is not our home It’s not our home
‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops? What if Your healing comes through tears? And what if the thousand sleepless nights Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if my greatest disappointments Or the aching of this life Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy And what if trials of this life The rain, the storms, the hardest nights Are Your mercies in disguise?
17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. NLT
Observation:
Joseph
Today’s passage from Genesis gives us another look at Joseph. This second look bears witness to just how far hatred and jealousy can drive us to do horrible things. If you’re familiar with Bible stories at all, you most likely remember how his brothers plotted to kill him but ended up selling him to a caravan of Ishmaelites instead. I can only imagine that Joseph, the youngest of eleven brothers, most loved by his father, and a ‘dreamer’ would have been traumatized at by these events. Sent by his father to check on the flocks and his brothers he finds himself stripped of his special tunic, placed in a pit, and then headed toward Egypt away from all he had known.
Don’t miss the fingerprints though – look for them throughout Joseph’s story – they are actually a story within the story. In this case we see Reuben’s intervention that changed the plot from murder to leaving him in a dried up well, and then Judah’s intervention and plot to make money off of the situation moves him from the pit to being sold to a band of traders. One set of fingerprints kept him from being killed and the other led him to Egypt. I can only imagine how he felt. A 17 year old boy, a dreamer, the youngest and most openly loved of Jacob’s 11 sons. Scared, angry, hurt???
27 Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.' His brothers agreed. So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. He went back to his brothers and said, 'The boy isn't there! Where can I turn now?' Then they got Joseph's robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, 'We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son's robe.' He recognized it and said, 'It is my son's robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.' Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. 'No,' he said, 'I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.' So his father wept for him. Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials, the captain of the guard. Genesis 37:27-36 NLT
Today’s Focus Verse
Joseph’s story is certainly an example of today’s passage. For surely he was going through trouble and more is on the way but he’s not going to be destroyed. Instead he will be the display of God’s extraordinary power, just as Paul describes in our text from 2 Corinthians. His strength to deal with the circumstances he faces through the years that follow never cease to amaze me but it isn’t from himself – it is, as we will see, clearly from God’s continual presence and glimpses of hope along the way. Joseph’s suffering will produce an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison or our understanding. Paul explains that this is what happens when we aren’t looking at the trouble that can be seen but at what God has promised for eternity. It is safe to say that Joseph is (and will be) learning to walk by faith and not by sight.
Application: How then should we Live?
Surely our lives, have from time to time, or perhaps even now for some of us, seemed to be filled with suffering or trouble on every side, as Paul said. We too must learn to walk by faith and not by sight. We must learn to trust the One who goes before us and comes behind us, the One who knows the beginning and the end and works all things together for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose. Despite what we can see here in the world we must choose to fix our eyes on the eternal things we cannot yet see.
Prayer: Response to God’s Word
Father, thank You for all the ways Scripture defines Scripture and allows us to see Your fingerprints and sovereign power. Thank You for Your extraordinary power in Joseph’s life and in ours. Strengthen us to walk by faith and not by sight. Help us to fix our eyes on the eternal things belonging to You and not the troubles of this world. – In Jesus’ Name – Amen!
Your Turn:
Have you ever had to endure hardship, like Joseph?
Have you ever found yourself in the place of the brothers before, full of jealousy and hate and tempted to oppose or hurt the one in ‘Joseph’s’ position?
How can you maintain an eternal mindset in these situations?
In week three we have seen everything from reconciliation to horrific revenge, the difference between choosing life and death, the benefit of holding on tightly to our faith, and the importance of being faithful even in a little thing. With all of these lessons we have seen the wisdom in choosing God instead of the world in our own lives.
A Look AheaD to week four
As we move into week four we will get to know Joseph and see his extraordinary reaction to the horrifying and challenging events of his life. We will read shocking details about the life of Judah, another of of Jacob’s sons, and get a glimpse of God’s fingerprints in the outcome generations later. We will also listen as Joseph moves from dreaming dreams to interpreting the dreams of others.
Your turn: (Comments are welcome below)
What stood out to you this week from the story of Jacob?
What were your early impressions of Joseph?
What benefits or reasons are you seeing for choosing God instead of the world?
As we move into week four we will get to know Joseph and see his extraordinary reaction to the horrifying and challenging events of his life. We will read shocking details about the life of Judah, another of of Jacob’s sons, and get a glimpse of God’s fingerprints in the outcome generations later. We will also listen as Joseph moves from dreaming dreams to interpreting the dreams of others; and no matter how many times we’ve read or heard the stories – I believe we will yet again – perhaps even more so – stand in awe of how God uses it all to position Joseph exactly where he needs to be.
Don’t forget our memory verse from John 14:15
This week’s focus verse(s) will come from day one’s reading of 2 Corinthians 4:17-18. A message from Paul that would have no doubt been encouraging to Joseph during the challenging days of suffering that lay ahead.
17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT
This Week’s Challenge from the team at Love God Greatly:
God allowed Joseph to endure great suffering in his life to bring about His divine purposes. As you read, note Joseph’s suffering. After you complete this wee’s reading, go back through the moments of his suffering and reflect on how God redeemed each of these events. Do you believe God can work the same way in your life? How has God already redeemed some of your seasons of suffering?
10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. NLT
Observation:
A glimpse of Joseph
Today’s passage from Genesis gives us a sneak peak at Joseph, whom we will continue to learn from in the coming weeks. Some of the things from today’s reading may be helpful to remember in future passages. While some speculate that Joseph was more loved than his brothers because he was the son of Rachel, the truth is that Joseph was loved more than all of his brothers because he born to Jacob in his old age, Genesis 37:3. As you can imagine, this caused problems with the brothers, as jealousy and hatred arose, fueled not only by the obvious display of Jacob’s love for Joseph, Genesis 37:3, but made worse by the dreams Joseph shared with them that seemed to be prophecies that he would one day rule over them. It also didn’t help that he gave a bad report to his father on how the brothers were caring for the sheep, Genesis 37:2. Scripture makes it clear that the brothers hated Joseph, leaves no doubt that the hate was fueled by jealousy, and clearly reveals that the hate destroyed relationships, Genesis 37:4, 8, 11.
Today’s Focus Verse
Today’s verse, Luke 16:10, is short and to the point. Basically it can be a stand-alone statement, “if you are faithful in a little you will be faithful in much and if you are dishonest in a little you will be dishonest in much”. However, there is much to be learned from it and the verses that surround it that make it much more than a general statement.
Learn more about the parable of the ‘unjust steward’, found in Luke 6:1-13, from Gotquestions.org
We should be a faithful steward, not unfaithful. Being faithful with our ‘earthly’ wealth or things entrusted to us here will bear witness to what kind of stewards we will be with the responsibilities and treasures that God will entrust to us in His Kingdom.
Prayer: Response to God’s Word
Father, help us to be faithful stewards here so that we may be found even better stewards with the responsibilities and treasures of Your Kingdom. This to Your glory both on earth and in heaven. – Amen!
Your Turn:
Over what areas has God given you responsibility?
How can you be faithful in the small things in you life?
How can you be faithful in the big thing God has given you?
Scripture Reading: Genesis 35 and Deuteronomy 30:16-20 (SOAP: Deuteronomy 30:15-16)
15 “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. 16 For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. Deuteronomy 30:15-16 NLT
Observation:
In our Deuteronomy passage we hear Moses encouraging the Israelites. Were we to listen to the whole “farewell speech” we would hear him reminding the people of all God had done for them and of what He had promised to do for them. Here in this section – what we hear is the reminder that God has set a choice before them – and what He expects their choice to be. They can choose life and prosperity or death and disaster. This makes me think of Jesus’ words to the Pharisees in John 10:10, when He told them He had come that the sheep, [believers] might have a rich and satisfying life, but the thief [the ruler of this world] comes to steal, and kill, and destroy – that certainly sounds like death and disaster to me. It also reminds me of Paul’s declaration, in Romans 6:23, that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord! Seems to me that while Moses was making a specific speech to the Israelites in Deuteronomy, God, through Christ has made the same offer available to the world today. We can choose the wages of our sins – or – His gracious and merciful gift of eternal life. To put it another way – we can choose Him [God] or the world.
Application: How then should we Live?
Life or death? Prosperity or disaster? God instead of the world? The answer to all of these questions seems crystal clear – doesn’t it? Yet so many have chosen option ‘b’ to each of the questions – even as believers who have chosen life over death by placing our faith in Jesus – we still find it difficult at times to choose option ‘a’ as the answer to the second and third questions. We choose ‘life’ through faith in Christ but then choose the world instead of His ways more often than not. In doing so we forego the prosperous and blessed life and relationship with God that Christ came to give, John 10:10. This kind of living comes with a warning from Matthew’s Gospel, where he recorded the Lord saying, “I never knew you”.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
One other note on this application and the “fire-insured Christian”, a believer with one of his/her feet in heaven and the other running after the world. The verses we find just prior to 21-23 seem to provide another good reminder not to treat salvation like an insurance policy. For rest assured, The Lord will be the one to judge whether or not your ‘policy’ is creditable or not.
So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
Matthew 7:17-20 ESV
How then should we live if we want to bear fruit? Since I love a list when it comes to ‘how tos’ and ‘to dos’, let’s make a list so we can see how we are doing …
We should love the Lord our God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. (Mark 12:29-31)
We should walk in His ways, keep His commandments, statutes, and ordinances If you’re wondering what Moses meant by the words, according to gotquestions.org they are all Hebrew words referring to commands from God to be obeyed by God’s people regardless of the situation you are in.
We should be enjoying His blessings of life and provision (property, in the case of the Israelites)
Prayer: My Response to God’s Word
Oh LORD, my God – You are to be loved, imitated and obey. Help me to live this way – so that I might find favor in Your eyes and know Your blessing – In Jesus’ name – Amen and Amen!
Your Turn:
What’s your prayer response?
How will you choose to follow God today?
What temptations are you feeling?
What is pulling you away from God and toward the things of the world?
19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. Romans 12:19 NLT
Observation:
The Genesis Saga
The story in chapter thirty-four turns unexpectedly grim. If you don’t mind a spoiler alert keep reading, but if you haven’t read the story yet stop and read it … You may remember at last count there are eleven brothers and at least one daughter, Dinah, the daughter of Leah. Today’s story begins with her being sexually assaulted while she was meeting the other young women of the land. It is written that the man, Shechem, who assaulted her fell in love with her and wanted to marry her. When Dinah’s brothers learned of the assault they were angry. Their emotions were fueled by righteous indignation and shame. When Shechem’s father approached Jacob and the brothers about marrying Dinah, the brothers “answered deceitfully” and their deceitful plan led to a massacre of Shechem, his father, and every male in the city, by Simeon and Levi – the sons of Leah. They plundered everything in the city including the children and wives. Jacob’s sons did not consider the consequences for themselves or the family – they thought only of what had happened to their sister and their anger took control of them. Revenge comes with a great and terrible price for all involved.
Revenge comes with a great and terrible price for all involved.
Me-From the Inside-out
Our Focus Passage:
This part of Jacob’s story and especially the actions of Simeon and Levi are a perfect segue to our focus passage. The brothers certainly could have benefited from Paul’s instructions to “not repay evil for evil: consider what is good for all people … to live peaceably with all people so far as it depends on you.” Paul goes on to quote a verse from Deuteronomy, “Do not avenge yourselves – but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the LORD.”
Application: How then should we Live?
As followers of Christ, the obvious answer as to how we should live in light of this passage is to not repay evil for evil and to trust that God will take care of the situation. This isn’t easy, in fact it is one of the most difficult callings on a believer – ranking right up there with turn the other cheek (Matt 5:39) and forgive seven times seventy (Matt 18:22). It requires getting rid of anger and malice, being self-controlled rather than emotionally controlled. It requires not leaning on our own understandings that convince us how wrong the situation is and taking it upon ourselves to make it right. Simply put, it requires trusting God will take care of the situation the way He deems best and in His perfect timing. We would also do well to remember that anything we do or say to right the wrong will only bring more problems and heartache. Retaliation of any kind, from swords drawn for a massacre or fingers on a keyboard typing hard and hurtful words to strike back, is wrong and we must resist. Before you say, it’s impossible not to retaliate in some situations – consider 2 Peter 1:3-4 … “God has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His great and precious promises so that we might participate in the divine nature having escaped the corruption of of the world caused by evil desires.” The question is – will we choose God’s way instead of the world’s way?
Prayer: Response to God’s Word
Father, I confess it is so difficult to not retaliate when my loved ones are hurt by others – So thank You for this reminder from Your Word – that even when our anger is justified, You want us to let You handle it. Help us to remember to lean on You and Your strength to resist the urge to pay back evil for evil; and please cause us to consider not just our anger but how Your name and the lives of others will be affected by our actions. In Jesus Name – thank You that you have given us everything we need to choose Your way instead of the world’s – Amen!
Your Turn:
Do you believe God will bring about justice?
In what areas is it difficult for you to wait on and trust in God’s justice?
18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 NLT
Observation:
Reunited: A glimpse at Jacob and Esau
After twenty plus years and all of the fear and planning Jacob and Esau are finally reunited and reconciled to one another. No longer was there a fear of death or present anger over the other’s past deceit or threat of death. While the scene reveals more of Jacob’s careful, or what I like to call – “just in case” planning, it also reveals a beautiful reunion and open reconciliation.
New Testament Reconciliation
As our focus verse points out – without the love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus we would have every reason to live in fear of death like Jacob did. We were God’s enemies according to Paul, in Romans 5:10, when we were restored/reconciled by the death of Jesus.
10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.
Romans 5;10 NLT
Like Jacob, we have been given a new identity in Christ, the old character is gone and the new is here. It is a gift of God. Not only has He clothed us with the righteousness of Christ, no longer counting our sins against us, but the title ‘Ambassadors for Christ’. He has given us a purpose, a ministry of making His Son known so that others can be reconciled to Him. – Til the whole world knows.
Application: How then should we Live?
We have been made ambassadors for Christ and should live faithfully proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel and what Christ has done for us. We should also faithfully praise Him for laying our sins on Christ and not counting them against us.
Prayer: Response to God’s Word
Father, as Jacob and Esau were reconciled to one another – so You have even more so – reconciled us to You – through Christ. And You no longer count our sins against us because we are new creations in Christ, the old has passed and the new has come! Glory to Your Holy Name!
Your Turn: Personal Reflections
Is there a relationship in your life that needs reconciliation?
What is God prompting you to do as you wait for His perfect timing for the reconciliation?
Me From the Inside Out 