Verse for the Day, 30 May 2014.

Genesis 48:15-16, “And he blessed Joseph and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,  (16)  the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

Jacob is swiftly approaching the end of his life and news of his deteriorating health is reported to Joseph. Joseph quickly comes to his father’s side, bringing his own sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob was filled with joy, for just a few years ago he thought he had lost Joseph, and now he has not only seen Joseph again, but he has also seen Joseph’s offspring. Jacob seeing his grandsons pronounces a blessing upon them and in so doing makes them a part of his own family and therefore partakers in the covenant and promises of God.

As we read through this blessing we learn more about Jacob’s theology, his understanding of God. In fact this passage marks the beginning of a theme that will continue throughout the rest of Scripture and it one of great comfort to us as believers in Jesus Christ. Jacob speaks of God as being his shepherd. Jacob has come to know of God’s tender care, how God has led him, provided for him and protected him, how God has sought after him when he strayed and brought him back. He sees the parallel between the working, nature and character of God and himself as a shepherd. The manner in which Jacob sought to take care of his own flocks, is the same manner in which God cares from him, but to an even higher degree and in perfection.

This theme of God as the shepherd of His people will continue throughout the Old Testament and reach its ultimate fulfilment in Christ, the Good Shepherd. John 10:11, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” As believers in Jesus Christ we know the truth of Jacob’s words, for our experience has been the same and will continue to be until we enter into God’s kingdom.

We would do well to meditate more upon this truth, God, Christ is our good shepherd! There is much comfort, hope, peace, joy, rest and assurance to be found in this truth. What joy and peace there is to know that we have a loving God and Saviour who daily provides for us, right down to the simple needs of food and water, He protects us moment by moment, and He goes before us as we walk on into an unknown future. When we stray away and fall into danger, He firmly, but graciously, draws us back, binds up our wounds and restores us to the flock. He is the shepherd that never rests, nor tires, He is ever at hand, ever at work. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is our God and is our Shepherd!

Our Great Shepherd, our merciful God we give thanks today that we have know the truth and the depths of Your tender care and love for us. How we thank You that You in Your grace drew us into Your fold and flock, that You rescued us from the clutches of death and have given us new life. Thank You that we are now forever under Your shepherding care, never to leave your flock, eternally secure in the palm of Your hand. Help us to take this all in, to understand it and rejoice in it, all for the greater glory of Your name. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 29 May 2015.

Genesis 47:5-10, “Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Your father and your brothers have come to you.  (6)  The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and your brothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock."  (7)  Then Joseph brought in Jacob his father and stood him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.  (8)  And Pharaoh said to Jacob, "How many are the days of the years of your life?"  (9)  And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning."  (10)  And Jacob blessed Pharaoh and went out from the presence of Pharaoh.”

Jacob stands before Pharaoh and speaks some simple but profound words, words that are true of all of our lives. “Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life…” Jacob had been a deceiver and himself had been deceived, his sons had shed the blood of many men, his own son, Reuben, had fallen into sexual immorality with one of his concubines and Judah had committed fornication with his own daughter-in-law. Furthermore, his beloved son Joseph had been killed, or so his sons told him, and two of his grandsons, Er and Onan, had been struck dead by God. Jacob’s life had not been an easy one.

In spite of all the evil in the days of his life, Jacob had witnessed the gracious hand and working of God. He had come to see and know that God is a God who extends mercy and forgiveness, who reconciled and restores the sinful. He had known the daily mercies and presence of God in the midst of all this evil and futility. His days may have been few and evil, but God delivered him, protected him and even prospered him.

Today we should rejoice because we know that while the years, the days of our lives may be few and evil; that is not the sum total, nor the end of them. If we are believers in Christ we have in the midst of these evil days come to know the one who could save us from an evil and futile life. We have found in Christ salvation, life and eternal hope. Thus our days on this earth may be few and evil, but our days in eternity will be many and they will be blessed of God. Until that great day comes, we like Jacob have the same hope, assurance and confidence, that as children of the covenant, of the promise of God, we shall in the midst of a wicked generation and world know the deliverance, protection and provision of God.

Heavenly Father we thank and worship You today, for You in Your grace and mercy have saved us in the midst of and from our wickedness and evil. You have reconciled and restored us to a right relationship with You, and given us an eternal hope. We thank You also because You do not make us wait until we reach heaven to know the truth of this great salvation, You give so many of its rich blessings to us now. Though we started our days in evil and cursing, we shall end them clothed in Christ’s righteousness and praising Your great and holy Name. Amen

Verse for the Day, 28 May 2014.

Genesis 46:1-5, “So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.  (2)  And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here I am."  (3)  Then he said, "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation.  (4)  I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph's hand shall close your eyes."  (5)  Then Jacob set out from Beersheba. The sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him.”

Some may think that once Jacob/Israel heard that Joseph was alive, he would have immediately set off for Egypt. However, it was not as straightforward or easy as some might think. We need to remember that Jacob had been directed by God to return to Canaan, to settle and establish himself in that land. God told Jacob that this land would be passed on to his family and they would become a great and mighty nation. But now he has heard that his son, Joseph, is alive and has invited him and his family to come and live in Egypt where there is food for them. What would become of the promise, of the covenant if Jacob were to leave Canaan and go to live in Egypt? What would happen to their family in Egypt, would they be well received, or would they find themselves in hostile territory? Would they have freedom, or would they be enslaved? This is not an easy journey for Jacob.

In this midst of this God demonstrates His grace, for He is aware of Jacob’s fears, therefore God speaks to Jacob with kindness. God speaks in the same way He had spoken to Jacob when he fled from his brother and when he went to be reconciled with his brother. He calls on Jacob not to be filled with fear over the present or the future, for He in His sovereign providence is working all things out in accordance with His will. God assures Jacob that the promise, the covenant will continue to stand, his family in the time to come will return to that land and will return as great nation. God promises to continue to be with Jacob, to prosper and protect Jacob and the generations that follow after him. God also promises to Jacob that he will die in peace and in the company of his long lost son Joseph.

As believers in Jesus Christ we have the comfort and the assurance that God is aware of all that which we have to endure. He knows every situation and circumstance right down to the very finest details. He also knows of the battles that take place within us when it comes to making difficult decisions, especially ones that may have a long and lasting impact upon our lives and the lives of our children. The comfort and assurance come not just from knowing that God knows it all, but more from the fact that God seeks to aid, help and guide us through these times in His grace and kindness to us. Therefore we do not face the journey into the unknown alone, nor do we have to make hard decisions on our own, and in our own wisdom. God gives us His Spirit and His Word through which He speaks to us, comforts us, reminds us of His presence and assures us of His help and guidance. The challenge is for us not to make decisions in our own strength, but to earnestly seek after God’s guidance. If we do this we have that wonderful promise in Hebrews 4 that when we ask, God will send us the help that we need in our time of need.

Gracious and kind Father, we thank You today that You know all things. We thank You that You not only know all things, but You also extend to us Your help when we are faced with difficult times and decisions. We thank You that You remain with us through those times, giving us wisdom and strength. We also thank You, that even when we make wrong choices, Your grace is there, ready to forgive and to help us endure whatever the consequences of that poor choice might be. We pray that You would help us to lean upon Your more and to seek after Your wisdom more than we seek after our own. Help us and lead us to make decisions that are wise, that reflect our faith and trust in You and lead to Your honour and glory. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 23 May 2014.

Genesis 45:1-8  Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, "Make everyone go out from me." So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.  (2)  And he wept aloud, so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it.  (3)  And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.  (4)  So Joseph said to his brothers, "Come near to me, please." And they came near. And he said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.  (5)  And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.  (6)  For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.  (7)  And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors.  (8)  So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

Joseph can bear it no longer, he can no longer withhold his tears and his joy, he must reveal his true identity to his brothers. Putting all his servants out, he finally make himself known to his brothers, “I am Joseph!” His brothers’ reaction is not one that we might have expected, for when we have not seen a relative for a considerable length of time we run to embrace them, we receive them with joy. The brothers are shocked, stunned, speechless, alarmed, afraid and anxious. Not only is Joseph still alive, but he has risen to a position of great authority, he can with a single command have then cast into prison, or put to death. Was Joseph still angry and bitter about what they had done to him all those years ago, would he now seek to exact revenge?

Joseph, discerning their fear speaks to them graciously, gently, lovingly and kindly. He extends forgiveness, he acknowledges the wisdom and sovereignty of God and he acts in great kindness towards them, not only giving them many gifts and provisions, but also in seeking to provide for them in the years to come.

This chapter is a highlight in the book of Genesis, and it continues to reinforce many of the key themes of Genesis. God is the sovereign ruler of all things, man may plot and plan, but God’s will always prospers, He is the one that is in ultimate control. God is a God of faithfulness, what He promises, He will perform. We have seen this to be true in the lives of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and now in the life of Joseph. What an encouragement this is to us to know that we can entrust our lives into God’s hands and find our rest and assurance in His promises.

Greatest of all, we are seeing that God’s plan of redemption is growing, moving forward and coming nearer to fulfilment. God has taken a man, Abraham and called him, to Himself, promising to make him into a great nation, that through a promised Son, the whole world will be blessed. This promise proved itself true through the birth of Isaac, whom God preserved and in time blessed with two sons, Jacob and Esau. God worked powerfully through Jacob, preserving Jacob’s life from his brother Esau and from Laban, God took a man who had nothing except the clothes on his back and made him into a great and prosperous family. But this family’s livelihood was threatened by a great famine, would this famine destroy the promises of God and God’s plan of redemption through God the Son, Jesus Christ? Joseph’s words make it clear to us, “And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.” Years and years before the famine came upon the land, God was already at work, preserving the life of Joseph from his brothers, from Potiphar and his wife, and from the jailer. Throughout this time God was not just at work preserving the life of Joseph, He was also at work in the hearts of Joseph and his brothers, transforming and changing their characters. God was working out His sovereign and perfect plan of redemption, one that could not be hindered, thwarted, derailed or inhibited by man. Joseph’s rise to power in Egypt and the preservation of Jacob’s whole family in Egypt brings us one step closer to coming of Christ.

Almighty, sovereign God, we thank You that You truly do work all things out in accordance to the purposes of Your will. We thank You that is was a part of Your purpose and will to accomplish a great salvation for us through Your Son. Thus we thank You that as we read the pages of the Old Testament we see Your plan of redemption at work, moving ever closer to its climax and fulfilment in the coming of Christ. We thank You that as we see You at work, it encourages us to trust in You and rest in Your promises, even though the future is unknown to us. You are a God who is faithful and good, whose plans and will cannot be hindered, but shall always come to pass. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 22 May 2014.

Genesis 44:11-14  Then each man quickly lowered his sack to the ground, and each man opened his sack.  (12)  And he searched, beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.  (13)  Then they tore their clothes, and every man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.  (14)  When Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house, he was still there. They fell before him to the ground.

These verses bring us to the climax of Joseph’s testing of his brothers. The extent to which they have changed will now be made obviously evident in their reactions and actions. Joseph is aware, just as his brothers are aware, that Benjamin is very precious to their father. Therefore this test is in many respects a repeat of Genesis 37, with the temptation, the crucial question being the same, how will they treated the favoured son? They knew that Joseph was precious to their father, yet this did not keep them from acting in jealousy and selfishness. Likewise they know that Benjamin is precious and dear to their father, so much so that it is their very real fear that if they should return without Benjamin their father would die. What will they do now that Benjamin is about to be taken away from them?

The brothers’ grief, anguish and fear are plain to see as they tear their clothes and fall before Joseph, casting themselves upon his mercy and favour. Joseph holds them to their word, and declares that all of them but Benjamin are free to go, Benjamin as punishment and payment for his crime of theft must now remain as Joseph’s servant, with no promise of release. This test exceeds that of the previous test with Simeon. There Joseph promised to release him when they returned with Benjamin, but now the brothers will have to return to Jacob and declare to him that he shall never see Benjamin again.

How will the brothers’ react, will they fight for the life of their brother, will they plead with Joseph? Or will they simply walk away and abandon once and for all Benjamin, in the same manner that they allowed Joseph to be taken away from them?

The change is quickly evident, evident not just in their sorrow, anguish and fear, but also in their actions, specifically Judah’s actions. Judah quickly and freely seeks to sacrifice himself for the sake of his father, brother and family. He pleads that he might take the place of Benjamin, so that Benjamin might return to his father, lessening the grief and preserving the life of their father.

We see in this a picture of Christ. Unlike Benjamin in whose sack the cup was planted, we all stand condemned before God. We are all rightly and justly found guilty and therefore must pay the penalty for our sin, which will be to suffer under the hand of God’s wrath for all of eternity in hell. Christ in divine grace and mercy steps forward and freely, willingly takes our place and receives out punishment. The result of which is that we are restored to life and given eternal life, one of joy and blessing in the presence and kingdom of God.

Gracious Saviour we adore You today as we are reminded of that great work that You accomplished on our behalf. We cannot fathom the depths of your grace and mercy that brings us into the favour of God. We praise You that because of Your obedience and sacrifice, You have appeased and turned aside the wrath of God from us and brought us forgiveness, peace and life with God. Help us today to understand yet more of our great salvation and respond by offering to you our lives, seeking to live them for the furtherance of Your glory. Amen.