Posted on May 7, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: jacob, Jesus, judah, Old Testament, prophecy
“Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you.
Judah is a lion’s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up.He stooped down; he crouched as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he has washed his garments in wine and his vesture in the blood of grapes.
His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk.” (Genesis 49:8-12)
In previous devotionals, we have already discussed the undeserved nature of Judah’s blessing and promise. He certainly did not earn his opportunity to be in the line of kings. That said, He was the patriarch of the tribe of Judah, and that tribe is blessed in some serious ways.
What we see in this passage is basically a direct line to Jesus. Again, friends, Jesus is the blessing! He is the culmination of and the reason for all of the blessings of the Old Testament. The whole point is to get to Jesus. While this blessing incorporates more than just Jesus (Judah’s line of kings encompasses more than the King of kings), it clearly references Him. The peaceful kingdom full of plenty [hinting at the final kingdom full of peace and plenty – heaven]; the eternal kingship and reference to obedience of the peoples (referring to more than one people group); the hints at wine and grapes [His sacrifice] – these all foreshadow the Savior.
Jesus is clearly the One who was prophesied about throughout Genesis and the rest of the Old Testament. Jesus is the blessing. Jesus is the gospel. The good news isn’t just about Jesus, it IS Jesus! He didn’t bring the message of God, He IS the message of God. The good news of our salvation is the life Jesus lived. We are blessed because of Jesus! Praise Him who gave His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)!
Posted on May 6, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: covid-19, frustration, joseph, pandemic, patient, waiting
“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. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 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. 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.” (Genesis 45:4-8)
Friends, this pandemic has been long and frustrating, testing all parts of our resolve, endurance, faith, strength, and patience. It is easy in times like this to ask why, and let our anger get the best of us. Stresses are high and if the news is any inclination, there is a strong mix in each person of fear to reengage mixed with strong desire to do so.
I encourage you to look at this time to Joseph. His suffering was longstanding and difficult. Yet he saw (without knowing the future) there was purpose to what God was doing and later on (as shown in the verses above) was able to see the connection between his suffering and the salvation of many.
We do not know or understand the purposes behind God allowing this COVID-19 crisis to happen. But we do now know a lot of people (each of us in our own circles) that are at the point of desperation, where they may actually be ready to listen. Are you ready to be a witness? Are you ready to show love through your words AND actions?
People are starting to see that they need God more than ever right now – the challenge is to us to take the opportunities given and return glory to God through our actions and discussions. Praise Him! And pray that He would use you for His glory, which He is working out in the minds and hearts of those around us.
Posted on May 5, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: judah, line of kings, matthew
“About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.” Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.” (Genesis 38:24-26)
What a mess. This whole story of Judah and Tamar (sandwiched in between and compared against the righteous Joseph) is an absolute mess of broken promises, schemes to destroy and a scandal of Hollywood proportions. While there is definitely righteous action and humble contrition, let’s remember that God makes it absolutely clear the line of kings and the promises of God have nothing to do with the quality of the character receiving the promise. Just as God walked alone through the covenant with Abram, God’s promises and unrelenting love and patience have everything to do with Him and nothing to do with us.
Simply put, if God is willing to work with a mess as nasty as this one, we should all feel comforted about His willingness to work with us. He is slow to anger and quick to forgive – which is a lot to be thankful about!
Posted on May 4, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: foreshadow, Jesus, joseph, melchidezek, righteous life
“Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.” (Genesis 37:5-8)
Isn’t it interesting that scripture doesn’t really tell us much in the way of negative things about Joseph? You could infer that he may have been a bit prideful, what with him being the favorite of Jacob and all, and with his dreams, but that is speculation. With the vast majority of characters we read about in the Bible, there are glaring negative flaws in their character. For example, Abraham trying to pass Sarah off as his sister (twice) and getting Hagar pregnant instead of waiting on God. You can also see Peter’s glaring flaws, such as sinking in the water, getting in Jesus’ way, and denying him before the rooster crowed. These are people who become good because God chose them and worked in them, but they are clearly human and sinful.
Joseph is just like that. We know for sure that he is sinful because he isn’t Jesus. He was, however, a foreshadowing of the rescuer. The plot of Joseph’s story in Genesis is clear – he was exiled and mistreated, only to end up in Egypt as the head administrator for Pharaoh. His actions, honesty and trustworthiness lead to everyone in that part of the world being saved from the severe famine. Joseph was the rescuer.
What makes this more than just a rescue story is that other references and hints show this connects more than just as a similar story. First of all is the example of Joseph’s righteous life. Like Melchidezek before him, Joseph’s example in scripture is one of a righteous life. Regardless of the trails he is put through, he shined as the example. Him becoming the rescuer fits right in line as not just an example of a savior-type story, but also as the righteous example that is similar to Jesus. He was a good fit for his role because of his righteous life, not just because that was the role he was given by God.
Second, we bring in the verse from above. Joseph was not in the line of kings from Abraham to Jesus. So we know that his dream is limited to him and not prophetic generationally. That said, this is again an example of foreshadowing. They will bow down to Joseph as the rescuer – and we all bow down to Jesus, our rescuer. While I admit there is some speculation in my connections, it is common to see Joseph as the foreshadowing example of Jesus; thus, seeing how these connections are made don’t seem to be far off that road.
The point is this – God is clearly trying to get the point across that His plan for Jesus to be our savior is fully fleshed out in numerous and and examples, each covering different aspects of the plan. Enjoy reading and discovering some on your own. If you find any references or foreshadow examples, comment or let me know!
Posted on May 1, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: coming king, future promise, Jesus, pandemic, promise fulfilled
“God appeared to Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-aram, and blessed him. And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.” Then God went up from him in the place where he had spoken with him. And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.” (Genesis 35:9-15)
God’s promises follow through all the way to completion. That is true with these verses as well, where God promises Israel that kings will come from his body. That is obvious in David and Solomon, etc…, but it is also shown in Jesus, of whose kingdom we belong. But this promise is not fulfilled completely yet. Jesus is our Coming King. His bodily return is promised, meaning there is still a King to come to reign on this earth from Israel’s body.
We long for the days when all will be made right and justice will truly be justice. Those are His days – days that are promised to come when every tear shall be wiped away and we are fully in the presence of our King. No pandemics, natural disasters, or evils will befall His kingdom. “So, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,” (Hebrews 12:2). He’s got this – this isn’t the end, because He hasn’t returned yet.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow and Jesus who died and LIVES for us!
Posted on Apr 30, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: jacob, Jesus, judah, leah, praise
“When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 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.” 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. 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. 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.” (Genesis 29:31-35)
Though often times missed or forgotten for the sake of the larger story, this passage holds some incredible truths about the promise of our Savior. This proclamation over Judah shows us that God has something special planned for him, regardless of who he is or what he does with his life (he definitely makes some questionable choices). While Judah does at times show himself to be a natural leader, this has no bearing on these words spoken over him at his birth. Judah was just a man – but he was a man given a promise from God. And kept keeps His promises – no matter what.
In this story, what he see is that with the birth of Judah, Leah finally turns to praise the Lord. Her actions have no bearing on the plan God laid out before creation, but is a glimpse, showing all who read this that, despite the three children born previously, it is shown that praising the Lord comes with the birth of Judah. Why? Because of the promise of our Savior!
While there is nothing special about Judah himself, he is the herald (ancestor) to Jesus, who is the One who makes it possible for us to praise the Lord. We see here the first mention that through Judah we will be able to praise the Lord. We know this now to be because of Jesus. Again, friends, even in these small, one-liners, we see how intricately woven God’s rescue plan truly is.
Want to know more about Jesus? Please comment or send me a message – I would be happy to talk with you anytime!
Posted on Apr 29, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: gift, gospel, Jesus, merit, undeserved favor
“Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said,
See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed! May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!” (Genesis 27:26-29)
This blessing is a truly undeserved blessing. Jacob was not a worthy recipient, nor did he achieve it honestly. He stole it from His brother. Yet, what is the gospel if not undeserved favor? The reality is, none of us are any better (or worse) than Jacob. As human, we just are. We are sinful. Nothing we can do will earn us the merit bestowed freely by God through Christ. And I think that was the point of this part of the story. If Jacob, in any way, deserved this blessing than Ephesians 2:8-9 would become meaningless.
Romans 5:8 says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. It is another example showing that there is nothing we can do to deserve or earn salvation. The gospel is a gift and only a gift. Enjoy that gift tonight and share it with someone you know. Blessings to you!
Posted on Apr 28, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: abraham, calvary, golgotha, isaac, Jesus, sacrifice
“When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”” (Genesis 22:9-14)
If you are looking for an obvious reference to Jesus in the Old Testament, this one should be about the clearest. The setup to the story has quite the makeup for a scandalous situation – after all, this is the one true God who is asking His most faithful follower to sacrifice His only son (who God earlier promised to Him). What seems like a horrific test of a servant is not what it seems – if you have a little higher perspective.
Just to clear any doubts, God never intended to let Abraham kill Isaac. It was never about that; yes, God was challenging Abraham’s trust, but at the same time God was giving Abraham (and us through scripture) a glimpse into the real sacrifice. We see this in verse 14, “Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
It is commonly accepted that Abraham’s near sacrifice of Isaac happened on Mt Moriah. That hill also happens to be the same place that King David purchased from Auranah the Jebusite to sacrifice burnt offerings to the Lord (2 Samuel 24:18-25). This is significant because the explanation of that passage in 2 Samuel is describing what the true king will be (hint: prophet, priest and king). Even more crucial is that this same hill is also known as Golgotha, or Calvary. This hill that Abraham almost sacrificed his son, but with the provision of the ram, Abraham called that hill “the Lord will provide”, is the very hill that Jesus died on taking punishment for our sins.
The Lord provided on that hill with the words “it is finished” the salvation for everyone who believes. Isaac was a glimpse of the coming rescuer, our Messiah. This is a clear and direct promise to Jesus and foreshadowing of the cataclysmic event that would be required for our salvation. Hebrews says that the blood of culls and goats is not enough to take away the sins of the world (Hebrews 10). Jesus was, and is, and will always be, enough.
Posted on Apr 27, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: covenant, Jesus, mortgage, promise, signature
“And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”” (Genesis 15:7-16)
In the olden days, it is often quoted that “your word was your bond”. With the number of times I had to sign my name on mortgage papers, I am guessing that line doesn’t mean as much as it used to. No longer can we say, “take me at my word” or “Let’s shake on it” as those phrases don’t hold meaning anymore.
I’m not sure “your word” counted for too much back in ancient times, either. Take this whole idea of a covenant. When this was made between two people, they would cut the animals in half, then each walk in between them to symbolize that if either of them broke the covenant, then cutting them in half would be the appropriate response.
And it is that fact that makes this passage so powerful as a promise of God. Notice who walks through the covenant promise? God ALONE. Abram was sound asleep – meaning that this was a one-way covenant. It had nothing to do with Abram or his (or anyone else’s) actions. This is an unconditional covenant with all of the responsibility squarely on God. This journey He took Abram on is purely to develop the line of Jesus, while showing that He is all-patient and all-powerful.
Our God is an amazing God! Can you share a time when you saw God act unconditionally on your behalf?
Posted on Apr 24, 2020 by admin in Video Devotional | Tags: blessing, israel, Jesus, politics, salvation
“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3)
I wonder what hearing this must have felt like to Abram. A child-less husband, getting on in years is told he will become a great nation and all the families of the earth will be blessed through him. What a promise! What an improbable promise. There are a lot of things riding on this, the first of which is actually having a child; that being a problem for Abram and his bride, Sarai.
What exactly is this blessing? The United States has historically used this verse as their reasoning for holding political ties with Israel. Is that really what God meant? I don’t think so. Looking back through Israel’s history, what blessing could be so powerful that it literally blesses every family on earth? Jesus. Jesus is the blessing – the gospel, the salvation of all humans who believe, which we see in Revelation that is from every tribe, every tongue, every nation. Every family will be blessed with the gift of Jesus.
So why preface it with the “bless those who bless you” and vice versa part? Looking at it in its context makes this answer simple: because God was protecting the line of Christ – the line of the promise. This is proven historically as well. No matter how evil Israel got as a nation, God continued to bless them. Why? Because they deserved it or were entitled to it? No, of course not. They were blessed because of this promise – Jesus was on His way, but the lineage had to be protected and blessed.
God gives promises for a reason – and keeps them no matter what. With God, there is no variation or shifting shadow; no change (James 1). He is faithful, yesterday, today and forever. So for us, that means we are blessed through Abram – Jesus is our gift, our blessing, our salvation!
