Genesis 24:52-26:16
We continue the story of the servant securing a bride for Isaac, which is a picture of the Holy Spirit gathering a bride for Christ.
Rebekah’s brother and mother attempted to hinder her from going to Isaac (Genesis 24:55), but the servant pushed. Ultimately they all agreed to ask her personally (Genesis 24:57). Rebekah’s response is courageous – she said yes to the proposal – she saw God’s hand in it all. We read her response in:
Genesis 24:58 (NKJV) “Then they called Rebekah and said to her, ‘Will you go with this man?’ And she said, ‘I will go.’”
This is how it is for every single Christian and their relationship with God. It’s a personal decision. Will you follow the prompting and proposal of the Holy Spirit to enter in to this permanent relationship with God through His son Jesus Christ? It’s up to you. Can you see the treasures? Do you hear His Word? Will you say yes to Jesus?
In Genesis 24:64 Rebekah sees Issac for the first time. What a moment this is. Christian, consider the moment when we finally see Jesus for the first time! 1 Peter 1:8 speaks of the fact that although we have never seen Jesus, we love Him…but one day we’ll see Him.
We read in Genesis 24:67 that Isaac “loved her.” The ultimate calling for every husband (Ephesians 5:25).
In Genesis 25 we see further reason for Abraham’s name (father of a multitude). Abraham married Keturah and God visited him again and blessed him with more children; but God makes it clear that Isaac was the child of promise.
It took 20 years, but in much waiting, praying, and even pleading (Genesis 25:21) Isaac and Rebekah eventually conceived. There were twins in her womb.
Warren Wiersbe, “Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah. For twenty years, they waited for a family that did not come. God blessed Isaac in everything but the thing he wanted most. He and Rebekah knew that God had promised descendants (Genesis 15:5), so Isaac laid hold of the promise and prayed. True prayer lays hold of God’s Word (John 15:7) and seeks to accomplish God’s purposes.”
Early on in the womb it was made manifest to mom that these boys would both be patriarchs of nations, and that the older would serve the younger. I don’t believe it was fate, it was simply God’s foreknowledge (1 Peter 1:2). God knew that one day Esau would despise his birthright and sell it for some soup.
Apparently it was okay for Isaac to spend time in the land of the Philistines, during the famine, but it was not okay for him to lie about his wife for his own protection. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Isaac’s father had done the same thing – repeatedly. Our children don’t usually do as we say, they do as we do.
God graciously kept and continued to reveal His promise to Isaac along with the reasoning behind it:
Genesis 26:4–5 (NKJV) “And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed 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.”
God was raising up the lineage of Abraham through Isaac – (the nation of Israel) because of the fact that through Israel “…all the nations of the earth,” would be blessed. Through Israel we received the Savior and the Scriptures. He chose Israel to reach others, it manifests His love for the whole wide world.
Matthew 8:18-34
Following Jesus doesn’t go hand-in-hand with a comfortable life. Jesus was on the go. As far as we know, He didn’t own a home or a mode of transportation; the only thing He owned were the clothes on His back. He would sometimes stay with friends, bundle up on a bench, and sleep with no pillow for His head.
Am I willing to follow Christ “uncomfortably?” As a missionary? Is He my priority? Or have I put others before Him? (Matthew 8:21-22)
Jesus set sail in order to cast out demons from two men, so it’s understandable that He would have strong opposition, hence the storm. Jesus was exhausted, so He slept through it. When His disciples woke Him up to ask for help, there was nothing wrong with their request – what Jesus disapproved of was the panic in their plea demonstrating a complete lack of faith.
Jesus stilled the storm and the disciples wondered, “Who can this be that even the winds and sea obey Him?” (Matthew 8:27) Good question for us all. Have you ever thought that one through? He’s not just a typical teacher, a passing prophet, or a random rabbi. The only logical answer to the one who did what Jesus did (even raising from the dead) is that this was none other than God the Son, the second Person of the Holy Trinity.
Getting back to the nap. Do you ever feel as if God’s sleeping through your storm? God is no longer here in the flesh so He never sleeps or slumbers, but we do sometimes wonder about things during the “storms” of life. When you’re there I do encourage you to trust Him, go to Him in faith, and find peace in the fact that Jesus is in the boat – He will keep His promise to take you to the “other side.”
Jesus goes on to cast out demons from two men. Why did the people beg Christ to leave? Because their pigs had perished. They valued the money the pigs produced over the men created in the image of God. Sadly, many people have the same heart – when will we understand that God and people are what this is all about!
Psalm 10:1-15
The Psalmist was just being honest. Sometimes it seems as if God is far away and uninvolved.
Psalm 10:1 (NKJV) “Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide in times of trouble?”
We need to know that there may be times when God seems silent, but He’s never absent. He with us always, He sees everything – and everyone will stand before the Judge one day.
Psalm 10 is a Psalm that bemoans the fact that wicked, wicked men seemingly get away with their crimes. They even murder the innocent (Psalm 10:8). They think there is no God, He’s the furthest thing from their minds (Psalm 10:4, 11, 13). But God does see and one day they will be required to give an account and pay for all the trouble and grief they’ve caused (Psalm 10:14).
Keep praying. And keep knowing that one day justice will be served!
Proverbs 3:7-8
Proverbs 3:7-8 (NKJV) Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.
I know it sounds silly, but sometimes people think they’re smarter than God. They have no reverence, no fear of the Lord, no heart for holiness.
If only they would fear the Lord and depart from evil. V. 8 reveals another “general” principle in the Proverbs and that is they’d be healthier and stronger physically – (4:20-22)
At the same time “strength to the bones” has a lot do with what’s going on internally.
Charles Bridges, “Exercising self-denial and godly discipline will bring health to your body and revive your soul.”
We’re commanded to turn away from self-destructive behavior – pleasing yourself, hurting yourself, cutting yourself, focusing on self.
3 John 1:2, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”
If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you as we grow forward in 2021.