In Genesis 33, Jacob bows himself to the ground seven times before he comes near Esau. It’s interesting to see the change in Jacob and how he is humbling himself before his older brother. I think that Jacob got a better perspective on what it’s like to be used and deceived. Laban used and deceived Jacob, and I think that could have given Jacob insight into how Esau would have felt when he was deceived by him. We have more compassion and understanding for something when we’ve experienced it ourself.
The famous passage found in Matthew 11:28–30 is centered around three Greek imperatives. Come to me, take my yoke upon you, and learn from me. In Greek also the last phrase “learn from me” has the word “me” emphasized. Why is that? Because there are many people that we can learn from, but ultimately we are called to learn from Jesus. Only then will we find true rest for our souls.
Amen. And μανθάνω “learn” is the same word from which disciple is derived. A disciple is a pupil of Jesus, one who learns from Him. He is Rabbi (my teacher).
Genesis 24: Abraham sending a servant to find a wife for his only son is a representation of the father sending the Holy Spirit to find a bride for Jesus. We are that bride waiting and longing for our bridegroom to come.
Genesis 22, known as “the binding of Isaac” - verse 8 “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” אֱלֹהִ֞ים יִרְאֶה־לּ֥וֹ הַשֶּׂ֛ה The Hebrew is ambiguous - it can mean “God will provide for Himself the lamb”, but it can also mean “God will provide Himself - (as) the Lamb.” I believe the Holy Spirit is conveying both!
And it is here on Mount Moriah where Solomon’s Temple will be built, whose sacrifices will point forward to the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of world.”
In his intercession, Abraham appeals to God’s character: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” We see the same approach throughout Scripture in Moses, David and others. This informs the way I pray for the lost. “You Lord are merciful and are not willing that any should perish…”
In Genesis 26 God appears to Isaac during a time of drought and speaks to him, stating that he should stay in the land and not go down to Egypt. Isaac obeyed the word of the Lord and that year reaped a hundredfold.
God often speaks to us during seasons of trial and testing, and if we heed His voice, we become blessed.
In Genesis 24:67 ; Isaac is hurting because his Mom had died, and the Lord helped Isaac with his grief by giving him his wife Rebekah. They got married and Isaac was comforted in his times of sorrow.
In Psalms 6; David cries out to the Lord to free his enemies from his life. He cries out to God how he weeps every night, and how he wants God to heal him from his trauma.
In Matthew 9:36; Jesus has compassion for the crowd because they were abused, harassed and helpless.
In Matthew 27-30; Jesus asks two blind men if they believe that he can heal them, and they said yes, and he healed them.
Take away: God wants to Heal me of my trauma and trials i go through everyday, he wants me to make puddles in the side of my bed before him, and to pour out my heart and struggles to his throne. He wants more intimacy with me and in my prayer life.
In Genesis 24 Rebekah drew water for Abraham’s servant and for all of his ten camels. This was no small task! Ten camels can drink up to 200-300 gallons of water, roughly 2,000 lbs! Springs in the ancient world had a steep set of stairs that you had to traverse to fill up your pitcher. Some Jewish scholars estimate that she made around 100 trips just to serve this strangers camels.
Having the heart of a servant is an important quality in any spouse. That was one of them driving factors that Abraham’s servant was looking for when it came to Isaac’s wife.
In Genesis, when God told Abraham to sacrifice Issac on Mount Moriah, he rose early the next day and obeyed. This is a pattern that we see all throughout his life. What God would speak to him, he would immediately obey.
Do I have the same level of quick obedience? It is often said that delayed obedience is disobedience. How do I respond when I hear God’s commands?
In Genesis 22:16-18; God told Abraham that because he already sacrificed his son in his heart, and that he was obedient to the Lord, he will bless his offspring to be as many as tbe stars of the sky, and the through his offspring all the nations will be blessed.
In proverbs 1:23; lady wisdom cries aloud in the city streets, and whoever sacrifices their way of life at her reproof they will be saved from the day of calamity and will know her words that are full of wisdom.
In Matthew 8:22; Jesus tells a disciple to sacrifice his father and leave him to follow the Lord.
Take away: Following Jesus is as sacrificial as it gets; we need to sacrifice our daily simple lives to him, sacrifice our sinful desires, sacrifice the shame of our past and release the shame, and also to sacrifice on the path with Jesus, when we pick up big sticks that we are not supposed to carry, sinful idols that we are not supposed to have.
Day 14 · Genesis 33–34 · Matthew 14 · Proverbs 2:1–9
In Genesis 33, Jacob bows himself to the ground seven times before he comes near Esau. It’s interesting to see the change in Jacob and how he is humbling himself before his older brother. I think that Jacob got a better perspective on what it’s like to be used and deceived. Laban used and deceived Jacob, and I think that could have given Jacob insight into how Esau would have felt when he was deceived by him. We have more compassion and understanding for something when we’ve experienced it ourself.
Day 11 · Genesis 27–28 · Matthew 11 · Psalm 8
The famous passage found in Matthew 11:28–30 is centered around three Greek imperatives. Come to me, take my yoke upon you, and learn from me. In Greek also the last phrase “learn from me” has the word “me” emphasized. Why is that? Because there are many people that we can learn from, but ultimately we are called to learn from Jesus. Only then will we find true rest for our souls.
Amen. And μανθάνω “learn” is the same word from which disciple is derived. A disciple is a pupil of Jesus, one who learns from Him. He is Rabbi (my teacher).
Day 9 · Genesis 24 · Matthew 9 · Psalm 6
Genesis 24: Abraham sending a servant to find a wife for his only son is a representation of the father sending the Holy Spirit to find a bride for Jesus. We are that bride waiting and longing for our bridegroom to come.
Day 8 · Genesis 21–23 · Matthew 8 · Proverbs 1:20–33
Genesis 22, known as “the binding of Isaac” - verse 8 “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” אֱלֹהִ֞ים יִרְאֶה־לּ֥וֹ הַשֶּׂ֛ה The Hebrew is ambiguous - it can mean “God will provide for Himself the lamb”, but it can also mean “God will provide Himself - (as) the Lamb.” I believe the Holy Spirit is conveying both!
And it is here on Mount Moriah where Solomon’s Temple will be built, whose sacrifices will point forward to the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of world.”
Day 7 · Genesis 18–20 · Matthew 7 · Proverbs 1:8–19
In his intercession, Abraham appeals to God’s character: “Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” We see the same approach throughout Scripture in Moses, David and others. This informs the way I pray for the lost. “You Lord are merciful and are not willing that any should perish…”
Day 10 · Genesis 25–26 · Matthew 10 · Psalm 7
In Genesis 26 God appears to Isaac during a time of drought and speaks to him, stating that he should stay in the land and not go down to Egypt. Isaac obeyed the word of the Lord and that year reaped a hundredfold.
God often speaks to us during seasons of trial and testing, and if we heed His voice, we become blessed.
Day 9 · Genesis 24 · Matthew 9 · Psalm 6
In Genesis 24:67 ; Isaac is hurting because his Mom had died, and the Lord helped Isaac with his grief by giving him his wife Rebekah. They got married and Isaac was comforted in his times of sorrow.
In Psalms 6; David cries out to the Lord to free his enemies from his life. He cries out to God how he weeps every night, and how he wants God to heal him from his trauma.
In Matthew 9:36; Jesus has compassion for the crowd because they were abused, harassed and helpless.
In Matthew 27-30; Jesus asks two blind men if they believe that he can heal them, and they said yes, and he healed them.
Take away: God wants to Heal me of my trauma and trials i go through everyday, he wants me to make puddles in the side of my bed before him, and to pour out my heart and struggles to his throne. He wants more intimacy with me and in my prayer life.
Day 9 · Genesis 24 · Matthew 9 · Psalm 6
In Genesis 24 Rebekah drew water for Abraham’s servant and for all of his ten camels. This was no small task! Ten camels can drink up to 200-300 gallons of water, roughly 2,000 lbs! Springs in the ancient world had a steep set of stairs that you had to traverse to fill up your pitcher. Some Jewish scholars estimate that she made around 100 trips just to serve this strangers camels.
Having the heart of a servant is an important quality in any spouse. That was one of them driving factors that Abraham’s servant was looking for when it came to Isaac’s wife.
Day 8 · Genesis 21–23 · Matthew 8 · Proverbs 1:20–33
In Genesis, when God told Abraham to sacrifice Issac on Mount Moriah, he rose early the next day and obeyed. This is a pattern that we see all throughout his life. What God would speak to him, he would immediately obey.
Do I have the same level of quick obedience? It is often said that delayed obedience is disobedience. How do I respond when I hear God’s commands?
Day 8 · Genesis 21–23 · Matthew 8 · Proverbs 1:20–33
In Genesis 22:16-18; God told Abraham that because he already sacrificed his son in his heart, and that he was obedient to the Lord, he will bless his offspring to be as many as tbe stars of the sky, and the through his offspring all the nations will be blessed.
In proverbs 1:23; lady wisdom cries aloud in the city streets, and whoever sacrifices their way of life at her reproof they will be saved from the day of calamity and will know her words that are full of wisdom.
In Matthew 8:22; Jesus tells a disciple to sacrifice his father and leave him to follow the Lord.
Take away: Following Jesus is as sacrificial as it gets; we need to sacrifice our daily simple lives to him, sacrifice our sinful desires, sacrifice the shame of our past and release the shame, and also to sacrifice on the path with Jesus, when we pick up big sticks that we are not supposed to carry, sinful idols that we are not supposed to have.