Genesis 35:1-36:43, Matthew 12:1-21, Psalms 15:1-5, Proverbs 3:21-26
Today is the 17th day of January. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I’m Brian and it is a pleasure, it is a joy, and man we’re so fortunate, right, we’re so fortunate to be able to get together around this global campfire and live in a time where this sort of technology…I mean…like we’re living in science-fiction world to our brothers and sisters who were here just 100 years ago. So, it's…I mean…look at what God has done and allowed us to find each other and to be in each other’s presence as we take the next step forward. And that next step forward will take us back into the book of Genesis and back into the story of Jacob, whose name has become Israel. And, so today we’ll read Genesis chapter 35 and 36.
Commentary:
Okay. So, in the book of Genesis we said goodbye today to Isaac and Rachel. So, this is Jacob’s father and Jacob’s beloved wife. And, of course, Jacob’s name has been changed to Israel and his kids are now the children of Israel, literally, and that Rachel has died giving birth to the final of those children and his name is Benjamin and this won’t be the last time we interact with these kids. Now, as we go further into the Bible we’ll be interacting with their progeny, right, their descendants who become tribes but this isn’t the last time we’re actually gonna be dealing with these actual kids, the original children of Israel, the true vintage ones. We’ll continue to follow their story in the coming days.
And then we get the book of Matthew and we’re beginning to see what we were talking about yesterday. Remember when we talking about bearing the burden of light in a dark world and the fact that we are not gonna intellectually be able to figure out our faith simply in our mind without our heart being involved and engaged and intertwined in the process, like every relationship? We begin to see what this actually and practically looks like. So, let’s just go with Jesus. He’s moving around the Sea of Galilee. He is announcing the good news of the kingdom. He is touching people and they are finding wholeness and healing. Whether that be a physical thing or a mental thing, He’s healing people wherever He goes and it’s causing quite a stir and we would think that a person like this, right, a person who’s going around and being kind and healing people miraculously and speaking words that are igniting something that are like, unified, are actually speaking to a person’s heart. I mean, you’d think this would be celebrated. So, why is Jesus finding himself in trouble everywhere He goes, especially with the religious people? And let’s pay attention to this as we go through the Gospels. The people who have a beef with Jesus are the people who are the religious Jews. Like, the people who are the keeper of the religion are the people who have a problem with Jesus. And as we continue to go through this story throughout the year we’ll find out, I mean, things have changed but things haven’t changed that much. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Jesus is moving around the countryside doing good and revealing the kingdom and announcing it. And, so, He’s walking along on the Sabbath day. And this is where we begin to see light in the darkness and we also begin to see what happened, what it is that Jesus is coming into because in the book of Genesis we’re reading this origin story and as we continue through the book of Genesis and further we’re gonna meet a man named Moses, and I don’t want to be a big spoiler here, but we’re gonna meet a man named Moses and a law is going to come from it and now we’re going to zoom into the book of Matthew and come a couple thousand years to the future and we’re to begin to see what became of that law. In effect, the heart connection to the law that was baked in to the giving of the law, and we’ll read all this as the days unfold before us in the coming months, that heart connection, that integration that we’ve been talking about a was broken. And, so, the law became all law. So, you go to library and you get a law book and you open it up, you’re gonna read laws and it’s gonna be some seriously boring stuff, but it’s going to be the letter of the law. This is exactly what happens when this particular behavior happens. Like, this is how we have ordered our society. And yet the law of God, right, the law of God revealed through Moses, that can’t be just about behavior modification can it ? Like, did Jesus come to earth in the flesh, God in the flesh, to die for the sins of the world so that we could behave better, like, so that we could obey the rules better? Like, is that what a relationship is like? He would give His life for that? No, He wouldn’t. And that’s what we see revealed throughout His ministry. So, we rub up against this today. The law had become a means of controlling the population and the threat, right, of course, was God’s judgment. And, so, they are diligently trying to obey the letter of the law and they have forgotten their heart. Along the way. So, Jesus is walking along and his disciples eat a couple of kernels of grain because they’re hungry and they get chastised and persecuted because of it because they worked on the Sabbath day. And the next thing you know, Jesus is about to heal a person with a hurt hand, with the deformed hand. And the religious leaders are watching for whether or not He’s gonna do it so that they can come against him for healing someone on the Sabbath. So, that’s how far off things have gotten. And Jesus does heal this man and what do they plan to do? They go out and plot to kill him. So, this is bringing light into the darkness and what Jesus is doing is bringing light back to the people that were given a promise of a promised land. Like, these people that we’re reading about in the book of Genesis, we’re going through all of these genealogies and getting to know all these children of Israel. They’re promised this land and they’re promised that God will be their God. Now we’re 2000 years ahead in the book of Matthew and the law has become a means of control and His people have forgotten who they are and Jesus is coming into the scenario to announce the kingdom of heaven, and to remind them of who they are. And part of the way He’s doing it is by flying in the face of what they thought was the religious obligations handed down by God. And Jesus is saying that this was…what has become of this law was never what it was intended to be. And, so, of course, you can do good on the Sabbath, of course, you can do God’s work on the seventh of course, you can heal someone on the Sabbath, which is exactly what He did. He flew right in the face of, in fact, what they thought and what they assumed was that Jesus was committing a grave and evil sin for working on the Sabbath, which is how backward things had gotten. So, I say all that to say, this is the stuff we want to watch as we’re watching Jesus in the Gospels because we can know the Bible stories and just go, yeah, there were people who were jealous of Jesus and they were evil and they crucified Him and He died for the sins of the world and that would the story but there’s a whole back story going on here that informs our lives. And, so, let’s pay attention as we continue forward with Jesus in the Gospels and what it is that Jesus is willing to invade. Like, what territory, even what theology is Jesus willing to step into and break in order to set people free?
And then last, ahhh, there’s so much to talk about in today’s reading, is what we read in the book of Psalms because a major question was asked at the beginning of Psalm 15, “Who may worship in Your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter Your presence on Your holy hill?” So, in other words, who gets to be where you are? That’s an important question, right? Isn’t this what we’re pursuing the presence of God in our lives, a true and intimate life-giving relationship that we can understand so that we can move through life as we were intended to, right? So, the question’s an important question and the question was answered. So, who gets to do this, who gets to be where you are? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right. Now there’s more. I’m pausing so we can think about how much of this applies to us - those who speak the truth from sincere hearts, those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. Ok now we’re starting to touch some sensitive spots in our heart, right? Because the description we’re being given is who gets to be in the presence of God? “Those who despise flagrant sinners and honor the faithful followers of the Lord and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who lend money without charging interest”, right, so those who are doing a good thing to take advantage of someone and “those who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent, those people. Such people will stand firm forever.”
Prayer:
Father, once again, You have given us so much to think about just from a few minutes in Your word and You have again continued to press in on us and touch sensitive areas that make us have to stop and consider. And, so, we’re thankful for that even though some of this is heavy lifting, some of this is hard work and some of this we don’t want to deal with right now. And for sure, some of us, are going to just five minutes from now we’re gonna forget what we’ve read and we’re gonna be back into our day. But You will not let up, You will keep coming after these things in our lives until we will face them because You will have Your way if we will surrender and Your way will set us free even if we are fighting You for the things that are hurting us. So, we humble ourselves and we invite Your Holy Spirit to all that we’ve read today, plant it in our lives, use it for Your good purposes of sanctifying us and making us whole. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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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 everyone, my name is Doug, from Alabama here in the United States. I’m going to have to talk a little bit more quickly because I initially started listening back in college around 2008 - 2009. I believe I called in once then but, you know, over the years I haven’t listened, you know, on and off, I was never able to totally make it through. The point being I need, you know, when you call it tells you you only have two minutes so, you know, I have to be a little quick here. So yeah, today is the 13th of January and I was listening to the 12th of January’s reading and I was planning on calling in at some point, you know, for myself with some problems I have but I believe there was a lady, I want to say her name was Janet and she has a son named Jared. And listening to her, you know, her problem I guess, you know, her son has a substance abuse problems with alcohol and as someone else who, you know, also has addiction problems, I just really felt moved to call in and just let you know that I can definitely empathize with what you’re going through and also for someone who’s on the other end like your son that I will definitely keep you in my prayers every day as long as I can remember because I can get a bit busy. But I will definitely keep you in my prayers. And then the call that was right after yours, I believe David, I think that he had a son that was going through a separation. And David, you mentioned that you have anger problems. And I have much the same, nothing where, you know, I’m throwing tables and things like that but, you know, a lot of times you have those anger problems, you know, problems with anger where it’s totally up inside of you and you’re just like…arrrr…you know…and…but I do believe me…I call just for both of you Janet and David and Janet your son Jared to let you all know that I’ll…as long as I can remember…I’m going…I’ll keep you all in my prayers. And I do hope to call again soon, but I believe in…
Hi this is Apple of His Eye from St. Louis, it’s Monday, January the 14th and __. I’ve had vertigo since last Thursday and I’m worse and worse with hours and hours of literally spinning and nausea. I have been to the doctor __ in the middle of the year so it’s been a year, but it is getting worse. I take some anti nausea pills but it’s extremely hard to live with. I have __ to help comfort me though as __ Daily Audio Bible and over again including the community prayer. So, I am lifting you up in prayer even as I am lying here spinning __ . Thank you, thank you for your love and care and prayers. Goodbye.
I’m calling for prayer for my 26-year-old son, Matthew, who wrote a suicide note on the 10th of January and he has not been seen since and we’re looking for him. Please lift him up in prayer that he will come back home safe and sound and God would keep a hedge of protection about him and pray for my strengths and his brother strength, his family and siblings. Thank you. Bye-bye.
Hi, this is Beth calling from Canada and it’s my first time calling. I used to listen to this beautiful community years ago and then I stopped, and I just felt a tug in my heart to start up again this year and then today I just really felt compelled just to call to ask for some prayer. I have an immigrations situation and I’m trying to get my green card and it’s been pending for over a year now and I really need God’s supernatural hand on my case to have it turnaround in the next two weeks before one of my documents expires. And definitely looking at the timelines it looks like, you know, it’s not gonna happen but I know with God all things are possible. So, I know He wants what’s best for me. So, I just ask…reach out to everybody just asking if they can just pray for me. I just felt this overwhelming anxiety of this situation and I just want to be a permanent resident of America finally so bad. I just love this country and I would like to also pray for anybody else that is struggling through a similar immigration situation and also thank God for this trial in my life because even though it’s been really difficult it’s helped me realize I can’t rely on my own strength and that I just have to rely completely on Him. And that it also got me closer to Him and it really helped me just kind of burn off some of the impurities in my life and, you know, bad habits and bad attitudes and bitterness and things like that. So, I just thank God for allowing this trial and I also just pray that He will have His divine and on the application and that everything would be turned around with no more delays or denials or any other problems. In Jesus’ name. Thank you all so much and God bless you.