Genesis 24:52-26:16, Matthew 8:18-34, Psalms 10:1-15, Proverbs 3:7-8
Today is the 11th day of the month of January welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I am Brian it is a great to be here with you today around the Global Campfire that is the community here. What a blessing that it is that we have this space, this serene calm place to enter into every day together and just relax and let the Scriptures come alive in our hearts. And, so, let’s dive in. We’re reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week, picking up where we left off yesterday. Genesis chapter 24 verse 52 through 26 verse 16 today. And by way of reminder, we are moving into the second generation. A wife for the son of promise, Isaac is being searched for, and Rebekah has been found. But does she want to leave her homeland and go marry Isaac in a land far away. Let’s continue the journey.
Commentary:
Okay. So, we have met Abram whose name became Abraham. We know this. We’ve been following and tracking that story. Today we reach the conclusion of Abraham’s life. He lived to be 175 years old according to the Scriptures. And although his life and story have come to an end in this narrative, the book of Genesis, Abraham effects the world until this day. For example, Hebrews, the Jewish people. Those who are practicing Judaism that, we who are Christians and those who practice Islam all claim an allegiance to this guy, Abraham. And although we’ve reached the end of the narrative story of his life we’re gonna hear about Abraham through the rest of the Bible. We know that the son of promise that Abraham and Sarah had was named Isaac and we’ve been traveling through that story. Now Isaac has a wife. Her name is Rebekah and they have subsequently had twin boys, Esau and Jacob. And very quickly in the narrative, they’re grown men. Esau is a hunter and an outdoorsman, and Jacob sticks more close to home. And the Bible basically tell is Esau is kinda the favorite of his dad Isaac because he’s kind of a man’s man, whereas Rebekah loves Jacob, more of a mama’s boy. And that’s actually going to factor in as we continue the journey as we read what we read today. And we see that Isaac and Rebekah, their family has settled near a place called Gerar. And that place exists as old as it is. It has been identified by archaeologists. I’ve walked that place. It’s…it’s really never been excavated into kind of a place you can visit and make some sense of, but there are ancient ruins just sitting there and it’s still a place where shepherds care for their sheep. But it’s pretty interesting that when Isaac gets there, he meets King Abimelech and…and says that his wife Rebekah is actually not his wife, she’s his sister. It’s not until Abimelech sees Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah that it comes out that she’s married Isaac. And when Isaacs pressed on why he lied like that he said he was afraid for his life. The interesting thing is that his dad did the same thing in the same city to the same king. So, there is a little bit of trickery in the family line and that also comes into play as the story goes forward.
And then we flip over into the book of Proverbs and once again two sentences give us an orientation and context for how to live. “Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” So, that…those…those are the instructions. And we could say, yeah that's…to some degree that's…that’s wisdom that is known. We know we’re supposed to turn away from evil. We know wer’e supposed to fear the Lord. It’s not a matter of whether or not we know or understand this, it’s a matter of whether or not we pay attention and are aware and live into this. But those are the instructions. And then the next sentence sort of incentivizes the behavior. We get to see what the promised outcome of living this way will be. So, let’s read this whole thing again. “Don’t be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones.” If the Bible is telling us the truth, and I believe it is, then this is something that we should know. There is a reason to live this way. And, so, let’s meditate on that as we move through our day.
Prayer:
Father, we thank You for Your word. Every day it comes washing into our lives. Every day there is something we need to know. Every day there is something for us to be planted into our hearts. And, so, Holy Spirit come and do just that. Plant this in the soil of our hearts. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Announcements:
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And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
Hi, I’m Angie from Texas. I’m new to the DAB family and even though I’ve been a Christian since I was 16 years old, I’m 51, just recently my faith has changed into something deeper and more connected to the Lord. Has…something has shifted and changed. My son was…my son is 32 years old and on December…mid-December he was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. He’s had surgery, had most of his colon removed and he’s going to go on, once he heals, onto chemo. He was given a certain amount of time, but I know, we know that he will be healed. I ask the community to pray for him.
Hello this is Paul from Wales happy new year. Wonderful to have done another year with you all as a family. My real message is for the man that I’ve run over the past few days and the prayers have been short…shared. There’s no excuse for abusing your family. It’s been on my heart. I’ve wrestled with it for the past couple of days, that a man ringing up with suicidal thoughts and depression and asking for prayer. And how do we be real and how do we speak in love? So, I turn to the scriptures. Be watchful, stand firm in the faith. Act like men. Be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 13. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 1 Timothy 5. But if any one does not provide for his relatives and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 4. Let no one despise you for your youth but set the believers as an example in speech and conduct and love and faith and purity. I’m not a perfect man, far from it. I lost my temper New Year’s Eve. My daughter recently lost a baby. And I let things get on top of me and I shouted. And I screamed in an empty house. But we’re called to be men and men of faith and we’re…we’re called to act like men and do everything that we can in love. We will make mistakes, but brothers join me this year in pursuing Jesus heart.
Good morning Brian good morning DABbers it is Florida Charlie Oscar Pappa. I just wanna say welcome to 2022. I completed another year. I’ve been a DABber Brian for approximately 6-7 years now and it’s changed my life entirely. Not only have I grown spiritually, I’ve grown in my personal life. I’m also a Bible college student and listening to the Bible and reading the Bible and hearing your commentary and reading commentary. it just…it…it gives you a threefold strand spiritually and I just want to say thank you Brian for what you do. The people that call in and pray, continue to call in and pray. We are people that are praying for you. We might not all call…call your name or say your name but we are praying for you. If you have a need, if you have any requests call in. And then also __ sow into this ministry. Ephesians talks about if a man, if someone sow’ into you your spiritual, what is it is for us to sow our…sow are natural. Amen? So, let’s continue to pray for each other, support each other, and help each other, especially in this year coming because 2022 is gonna be a great year for Christ. Amen? So, you all have a blessed one and take care. Bye-bye. This is Florida Charlie Oscar Pappa.
Hi, this message is for the caller who called in on December 9th talking about how you had placed your mother in a memory support facility. I’m sorry. I know that I played…prayed for you right before and I just cannot recall you guy’s name. This is Reba the nurse from Nebraska. I work at a Mary memory support facility and I also, I too had to place my father in the very facility that I am now working at because I had been up for 36 hours straight as he went into delirium and then after that we just never could get back him back to baseline. So, let me just pray for you and just pray for the facility and pay for the people that are taking care of your mom and pray for your mom. Heavenly Father I just thank You and praise You so much for just Your hand upon us and our choices that with the infinite possibilities of what we can do - time and skills and things given to us Father. You work Your will for those who love You and who serve You. Father I just pray for this gal. I pray for her mother. I ask that You just bless her with caregivers who are…just who will walk with her as her mind changes. Father I just pray for her that You would give her the stability that she needs, that she would have good health Father, that she would have no falls, that she would just in the in the essence of dementia Father live the fullest life that she can in this facility Father. I pray for the caregivers. I ask that You give them insight. I ask that You give them guidance. I ask You give them knowledge to care for her both in mind body. And Father what we know…
Hello Eleanor, this is Greg from Bothell WA and I heard you on January 3rd asking for prayer. Eleanor you are a child of God, you’re a Princess in the Kingdom of God and you have no reason to believe that God can’t make you, sanctify you and make you holy and help you take those thoughts captive to His obedience. Just press into Him. I love you and I want you to know that none of us are good parents in ourselves. None of us are good people in ourselves, that Lord Jesus is the one that allows us to step into those roles that we need to be in. I want to encourage you to keep listening and keep praying for others and we will be praying for you. I’ll be praying for you. Lord Jesus I just pray for Eleanor right now that she would…she would feel Your comfort and presence in her life, that she would know that You have her, and that in Your care and her children in Your care. I rebuke in the name of Jesus the spirit of suicide and I cover her in the blood of Jesus, that no weapon formed against her will prosper but that she will see her glory in her life start to manifest in new in mighty ways and Jesus’ name. I love you, Eleanor. It’s OK to be afraid sometimes. But fear your Lord Jesus and not those other things that come to your mind. Cast those on Him and He will care for you. He’ll take care of you and your children. Amen.