Verse for the Day, 10 April 2014.

Genesis 30:43 Thus the man increased greatly and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

On Monday we looked at Genesis 28 and the God-given dream that Jacob had. This dream taught Jacob that God was a God of providence, thus even though Jacob was going all the way back to Haran, with almost nothing to his name, God would watch over, protect, provide for and prosper Jacob. Yesterday, we saw the long standing promise of God made to Abraham, Isaac and now Jacob begin to blossom. Jacob, even though he was deceived my Laban, is prospered by God and given many children, eleven sons and one daughter. Here in Genesis 30 we continue to see how God upholds His promise to Jacob and proves Himself to be a God of providence.

Jacob over the past twenty or so years has been caring for Laban’s flocks and because God’s hand was upon Jacob, Laban’s flocks have prospered and greatly increased in number. The time for Jacob to now depart and return to Canaan has come, he and Laban come to an agreement as to what Jacob’s wages should be for the many years of labour that he has given to Laban. Laban agrees to give to Jacob every striped, spotted, speckled and black lamb and goat, leaving Laban with the best of the flock, that which would gain the most profit at the market. Whilst the agreement is made, Laban has no intention of honouring it, he will not allow Jacob to take away from his wealth, thus Laban deceives Jacob again. Laban instructs his sons to remove all the striped, spotted, speckled and black lambs and goats and then travelling for three days, putting a great distance between themselves and Jacob. How frustrated, angry and aggrieved Jacob must have been when he learnt of Laban’s deceit.

As sinful as Laban’s actions were, they become the means through which God will work. God will prosper Jacob, not Laban! Even though Jacob is now tending a flock of pure white sheep and goats, God gives Jacob insight and wisdom, the result of which is that these pure white sheep and goats are now giving birth to spotted, speckled, striped and black offspring. Laban’s deceitful plans fail and God prospers Jacob. At the end of Genesis 30 we see that God has kept His promise, Jacob entered Haran with very little and now he has a large family and great wealth.

Is it not remarkable to think that we have a God who is faithful and who is able to keep His promises to us, even when man mistreats and deceives us! This shows us that God’s power and God’s promises are greater than man, than man’s desires and man’s efforts. We see this greatest of all in the life of Christ, for whilst man was bent on destroying Christ and thought he had succeeded, God displays the infinite greatness of His power and sovereign will, when Christ rises from the dead and fulfils all the promises of God. God has made a promise not only save us, but to keep us throughout this life, to bring us into His kingdom and to give us eternal life. He gives us this promise in His infinite power and sovereign will, therefore no matter how much man may mistreat, deceive or persecute us; these promises will come to pass! We like Jacob shall know the providence of God, and though we brought nothing into our relationship with God through Christ, we shall receive from God a great and eternal inheritance.

Almighty Father we worship and adore You today, for You are a God who doesn’t make empty promises, You make promises and You bring them to pass in Your great and infinite power. We thank You that by Your grace we are now children of the promise, the promises received through the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank You that we have a hope and future to look forward to, and the assurance that it will be a hope and future that we will receive and know for all eternity. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 9 April 2014.

Genesis 29:32-35  And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben, for she said, "Because the LORD has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me."  (33)  She conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Because the LORD has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also." And she called his name Simeon.  (34)  Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, "Now this time my husband will be attached to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore his name was called Levi.  (35)  And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "This time I will praise the LORD." Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing.

Watching a fruit tree grow can be quite a frustrating process; it is one that demands much patience. When you planted the seed in the ground you knew that the seed was filled with promise, the promise that it would grow into a great fruit tree. However, that promise takes a considerable period of time to come to pass. At times one is tempted to think that the seed was a bad seed for there appears to be no growth, but after a while a shoot appears. It seems to take forever for that shoot to grow and gain strength and substance; as for the fruit, well that seems like a distant and unlikely reality. But then the joy of that day finally comes when the first buds appears and soon thereafter comes the first harvest!

God had made a promise to Abraham that he would become a mighty nation, over a hundred years later that promise looks like a distant and unlikely reality. Abraham had one son, and his son only had two sons, hardly a great nation! Yet as Genesis 29 and 30 unfold we witness the sudden expansive growth of this promise, the tree has begun to bear fruit. By the end of Genesis 30, Jacob has a family of some twelve children, which will in a matter of years grow to seventy and continue to grow. The fulfilment of the promise had been slowly growing, coming to fulfilment in small steps and now it has blossomed.

We can draw encouragement from this as believers in Jesus Christ, as it encourages us to continue to persevere in faith and patience, knowing that God is working in our lives. The work may not happen at the speed we want it to, or produce the result as quickly as we would like, but it will come to pass at the right time. The challenge for us is to trust God and to wait upon God patiently until the time comes to pass. As hard as the waiting may be, it is helpful for us to look at many of the men and women in the Old Testament and in particular Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. These men had to wait decades for God to bring his promises about, Abraham and Isaac saw just small fulfilments before they died and thus they died trusting that God would bring the promise to its ultimate fulfilment even though they would never live to see it. Let us look at and study the lives of these men and learn that God is at work, God is faithful, God is good and God will use all of our lives in unique ways, some in small ways, some in great ways, to bring His promises and plans to pass. In time we will learn that God is all these things, and we shall know the joy of witnessing God at work in our lives.

Heavenly Father help us like the men of old to persevere, to trust and to faithfully hold on to Your promises. Forgive us for being impatient, and at times thinking that You have forgotten us, or have ceased to work in our lives. May we take refuge in the knowledge that You work, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly, but always at the right time and in the manner that is good. We pray that You will, by Your Spirit, help us to grow in patience and trust, whilst we constantly yield and open our lives to Your working. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 7 April 2014.

Genesis 28:10-18  Jacob left Beersheba and went toward Haran.  (11)  And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep.  (12)  And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!  (13)  And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring.  (14)  Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.  (15)  Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."  (16)  Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it."  (17)  And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."  (18)  So early in the morning Jacob took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it.

Genesis 28, like Genesis 14 with Melchizedek, is a somewhat mysterious passage as it speaks of a ladder between heaven and earth upon which angels descend and ascend. There have been many interesting theories put forward as to what this is all meant to symbolise, but the context and the words that God speaks to Jacob provide the meaning for us.

Jacob is instructed by his father Isaac to travel back to Haran in order to find a wife from his own kinsmen. This journey and what awaits Jacob in Haran is the beginning of a transition in Jacob’s life. Jacob has thus far not exactly covered himself in honour; he has been very under-handed and deceitful in his dealings. God is now about to deal with Jacob, Jacob will reap what he has sown in terms of deceitfulness and he will also have his character transformed by God. Jacob will return to Canaan a very different man. This transformation process starts on this night. God speaks to Jacob through a dream, in this dream God reaffirms His promises to Abraham and Isaac and then applies it to Jacob; Jacob is going to be a part of God’s fulfilment of this promise. One might wonder how this will happen, Jacob is now leaving the Promised Land and he leaves not knowing if he will ever be able to return due to the anger and murderous intentions of his brother. Jacob is going almost all the way back to where Abraham started. How then can God make such a promise to Jacob?

This is where we see the significance of the dream, in which Jacob sees this ladder between heaven and earth, with the angels descending and ascending upon it, with God standing at the top of the ladder. God has promised Jacob a land and a great nation of people, God is promising to prosper, provide for and protect Jacob. God is promising that Jacob will return to this land and when he returns, he will be prosperous. How is God going to accomplish this? God is going to accomplish this because God is a God of providence, a God who is at work in the world in which we live, at work in the lives around us and He is working all things according to His purposes and plans. God will work through Laban, through Leah and Rachel, even through Laban’s livestock so as to bring His purpose and plan for Jacob to pass. The vision of this ladder and the angels, speaks of God’s providence, God is at work directly and indirectly through His angels in the life of Jacob so as to bring His promise to pass. Jacob may be leaving the Promised Land, but that does not mean that he is leaving the presence of God. God will be with Jacob all the way back in Haran, God will continue to undertake in Jacob’s life. 

Psalm 104:4, which is also quoted in Hebrews 1:7, is made in reference to the works of the angels. They are God’s messengers and servants, to perform God will and works. Furthermore Psalm 91:11-12 teaches us that God at times charges His angels to protect us from harm, to keep watch over our lives. Jacob is being taught by God through this dream, that He is a God of providence, He has made a promise to Jacob, in His wisdom and sovereignty He will bring it pass, hence why God is standing at the top of the ladder, directing and controlling all things. Jacob will know the presence, hand and working of God in his life and will see how God is bringing His promise to pass.

This passage serves to be of great encouragement to us who are believers in Christ. God’s providence is upon us and God will work at times directly in our lives and at other times indirectly through His servants, His angels; all so that His wise and perfect will, will come to pass. It gives us the comfort of knowing that wherever we may be and whatever situation we may be enduring, we will never find ourselves outside of, or away from God’s presence; nor will we ever be in a situation in which God’s providence in unable to bring us through. Jacob endured many trials and tribulations whilst with Laban, yet through them all God’s purposes, presence, protection and providence was evident and all these trials and tribulations where used by God to accomplish His will. God does and will work to the same end in our lives and we will know Him to be a God of providence.

We worship You today for You are God of providence, who has given us the promise of Your presence, protection and provision in our lives. We thank You that You are at work in our lives, at times directly and at others times indirectly through Your angels. Thank You for the comfort, confidence and assurance that this brings us, especially in the times of trial and tribulation. Thank You, that You stand at the top of our lives, the top of our world, at the top of all things, controlling, directing and working all things according to Your good and gracious will. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 3 April 2014.

Genesis 26:1-7  Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar to Abimelech king of the Philistines.  (2)  And the LORD appeared to him and said, "Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land of which I shall tell you.  (3)  Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father.  (4)  I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,  (5)  because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."  (6)  So Isaac settled in Gerar.  (7)  When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, "She is my sister," for he feared to say, "My wife," thinking, "lest the men of the place should kill me because of Rebekah," because she was attractive in appearance.

Genesis 26:1-7 contains a remarkable contrast between the faithfulness of God and Isaac’s lack of trust in God. In verses two through five, God appears to Isaac and speaks to Isaac, restating the covenant promise that He made with Abraham. God now applies this covenant to Isaac, promising to be as faithful to Isaac as He was to Abraham, promising to Isaac that he too would be protected and prospered by God’s gracious hand. What an incredible event this must have been in Isaac’s life!

Tragically, the impact of this encounter with God is short-lived, for when Isaac’s trust is put to the test he follows in the poor example of his father, lying about his wife and stating that she is his sister. Isaac has been given every reason to trust God. God had faithfully provided a wife for him in Rebekah, God had answered their prayer for a child, in fact God gave them two children. God had answered Rebekah’s prayer when she was pregnant with Jacob and Esau, revealing His sovereign plans and purposes. Now in this passage God had actually appeared to and spoken with Isaac, declaring a wonderful covenant-promise to him and his family. Isaac fails to bring any of these things to mind when he believes that his life is under threat because of the beauty of his wife. Isaac’s forgetfulness leads him to trust in himself and leads him into sin.

As Christians this is a problem that plagues us all, forgetfulness. We are constantly reminded of the wonderful covenant-promises that God gave to us through the Lord Jesus Christ. We are reminded of them when we read His Word, pray, speak with fellow believers, and attend church or Bible study. Yet despite these many reminders, we quickly forget, and thus when faced with decisions and choices we fail to keep in mind God and the promises He has made to us. The results of this forgetfulness are disastrous, for they lead us to trust ourselves and often that quickly leads to sin. We demonstrate that we have greater faith in our own ability than in God’s ability. Furthermore, it shows that we do not trust in the many promises God has made to us, rather we doubt and question them, choosing to work our own salvation from that situation instead of trusting in God to deliver, give wisdom, to protect, to provide and to lead us through it. We need to constantly remember that we have a faithful, promise-making, promise-keeping God, who can be trusted in all things and at all times.

Merciful Lord of heaven and earth, we praise You for You are a God who keeps His covenants and His promises through thousands of generations. What You have spoken, You will perform. Help us to trust in Your promises and to constantly remember them so that they may guide us when we are faced with situations in which we may be tempted to trust in ourselves, instead of in You. Keep us ever mindful of the fact that You are our Father, who has given us all things through Christ and who withholds no good thing from His children. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 2 April 2014.

Genesis 25:21-26, “And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.  (22)  The children struggled together within her, and she said, "If it is thus, why is this happening to me?" So she went to inquire of the LORD.  (23)  And the LORD said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger."  (24)  When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb.  (25)  The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau.  (26)  Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.”

Isaac and Rebekah faced a similar trial to that of his parents. Rebekah, like Sarah, was barren. We are simply told that Isaac’s response was that of prayer. Isaac knew better than most that God was able to answer his prayer and perform the seemingly impossible. However, this prayer was not immediately granted. Isaac and Rebekah had to wait some 20 years before God undertook and provided them with children.

Once more we witness the sovereign plan and purposes of God; God works in His power to cause Rebekah to conceive. But her pregnancy is far from normal as she can feel her unborn children already striving within her. Such an occurrence would cause any pregnant mother great concern for the welfare of her children. How does Rebekah respond? She follows the example of her husband Isaac and she seeks the Lord in prayer. Rebekah had come to learn the value not just of prayer but of faith in God. She came from an idol worshipping family, but then married into a family that no longer bowed down to idols but worshipped God in faith. Her trust, faith and prayerfulness is rewarded as God answers her prayer quickly, revealing to her His sovereign will and purpose for the two children within her.

We see in these verses two people facing two trials, their response to these trials is to approach God in prayer and faith, trusting God to answer and to work. In the one instance the answer comes after 20 years, in the other instance the answer comes almost immediately. God shows Himself once more to be the faithful, prayer answering God and the God that rewards those who diligently seek after Him. This encourages us to approach God all the more in prayer and to grow in our faith and trust. It also reminds us that God’s purposes are God’s purposes, they will come pass in accordance to God’s will and timing. Sometimes those purposes remain hidden for years and in other times God reveals His purpose to us. We are simply called to diligently seek after Him in prayer and to live in faith and trust, knowing that God’s purposes are at work and those purposes are good. Lastly, this passage encourages us to be quick to go to God in prayer and to persevere in prayer. When we face trials, the moment the trial presents itself we have an immediate choice to make, who or what will we turn to first for help. Let us learn from Isaac and Rebekah’s example and turn to God first.

Faithful Father, we thank You that You are a prayer answering God, that we can seek You in times of trials and know that You hear our prayer and answer at the time of Your choosing. Father, help us to trust in Your timing and in Your purposes, instead of being impatient or questioning Your wisdom. You are the all-wise, all-powerful, good God, help us to constantly remember that and keep that before our minds in the times when Your purposes seem hidden to us. Help us to make You the first one to whom we turn to when we face trials and difficulties, trusting in You to help and guide us through them all. Amen.

Verse for the Day, 31 March 2014.

Genesis 24:1-9, “Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years. And the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.  (2)  And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who had charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh,  (3)  that I may make you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell,  (4)  but will go to my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac."  (5)  The servant said to him, "Perhaps the woman may not be willing to follow me to this land. Must I then take your son back to the land from which you came?"  (6)  Abraham said to him, "See to it that you do not take my son back there.  (7)  The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke to me and swore to me, 'To your offspring I will give this land,' he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.  (8)  But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free from this oath of mine; only you must not take my son back there."  (9)  So the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning this matter.”

We see Abraham acting here with discernment and wisdom. In fact Abraham does exactly what the Israelites would be commanded to do by God through Moses. God would instruct them not to take for themselves wives from amongst the Canaanities. Abraham had lived long enough amongst the Canaanities to know they were a wicked and idolatrous people, he had witnessed God’s wrath against them in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. He wisely discerned that it would be not only be wrong for his son to marry a Canaanite women, it would also invite idolatry back into his family, which would ultimately lead to the judgement and wrath of God. Thus Abraham gives very specific instructions to his servant to return to the land from which he came and seek a wife for his son there. Abraham demonstrates further wisdom and faith when his servant asks if the woman he finds is unwilling to leave, should he then take Isaac to her. Abraham had understood clearly God’s promise to him, this was the land in which he was to live and remain, and this promise was not just for Abraham but also for Isaac and for Isaac’s offspring. This land, this promise of blessing and prosperity was as much for Isaac as it was for Abraham. If Isaac where to return to the land from which Abraham came, it would be to forsake and turn away from the promises and covenant of God.

Abraham functions as an example to us in his decision making and trust in the sovereignty of God. We need to exercise the same wisdom and discernment when it comes to the decisions we make. We need to be aware of the world in which we live, of their ways and the great danger that comes with flirting with the world, with inviting them into our lives and homes. We are called to reach out to the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are called to live in the world, but we are also called to not live like the world, we are to be distinct from the world. We are not to engage in the ways and practices of the world, but are to demonstrate holiness and obedience towards God. As we do this, as we seek to make important decisions with these things in mind, seeking to honour God, we need to trust in God and in God’s sovereignty, believing in faith that God will lead us in the right way. Abraham’s obedience, trust and faith in God is rewarded, for it is with remarkable ease that his servant finds a wife for Isaac and he returns rejoicing, rejoicing for the sake of his master and rejoicing in the God of his master. God will lead us faithfully as we seek to follow him and live in obedience to His ways, honouring Him with our lives and in the decisions we make.

Our good and great God we thank You that You give Your wisdom and guidance to us so freely. We thank You that You have given us Your Spirit of wisdom and Your Word that gives us wisdom and discernment, that teaches us how we are to live in the midst of the world. We pray that You will enable us to not only trust in You and Your sovereign purposes, but to also seek to make wise decisions that honour You. Amen