Genesis 41:17-42:17, Matthew 13:24-46, Psalms 18:1-15, Proverbs 4:1-6
Today is January 20th welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it is a wonderful honor to be here with you today as we, you know, reach out our foot, and take another step that leads us forward, forward in life, and forward through the year, and forward through the Scriptures. And when it comes to the Scriptures, every step that we take forward also leads us a step deeper. So, it’s a joy to be here taking the next step forward, which will lead us back into the book of Genesis. And we have begun to camp out in this story that is…is certainly an intriguing narrative, but this story is also revealing our hearts to ourselves and there are poignant things for us to learn from this character that we’re reading about named Joseph, who has been human trafficked by his own family. He was purchased as a slave and then falsely accused. So, he’s been thrown into a dungeon where he stayed for years. And then the next thing you know he’s standing before the Pharaoh of Egypt in an attempt to interpret a dream. You can only imagine that kind of culture shock for Joseph. I think about him in a dungeon for years and then the next thing you know there’s guards going like, “take a bath, get a shave you’re going in front of Pharaoh.” And he’s humble before Pharaoh. Pharaoh wants the dream interpreted and he’s like, “I can’t. Only God can do that.” And that’s where we pick up the story. We’re reading from the English Standard version this week. Genesis chapter 41 verse 17 through 42 verse 17.
Commentary:
Okay. Let’s go into the book of Matthew for a second. So, Jesus has told a number of stories in our readings today, stories that are called parables. They’re wisdom teachings. But in today’s teachings, the stories Jesus is talking about is intended to reveal something in particular, the kingdom of heaven. And what Jesus is doing is revealing to his hearers that something that they are looking for, this kingdom in particular, is something that already exists. It’s not something that they are waiting to come onto the horizon. It’s something that is already happening. They just don’t have eyes to see it because there spirituality has become about obeying a set of rules and ethics, and regulations. And, so, Jesus tells common but disruptive stories that you’re not exactly sure what He’s getting at, which is why the people and the disciples ask Him. So, let’s just kind of look here, the kingdom of heaven…we should be actually interested in this because we’re basically…we’re longing for the same thing, this fullness, this wholeness, this kingdom, that all things would be made new and that all things would be as they are supposed to be. So, Jesus words about the kingdom of heaven should set our hearts on fire too because this is what we’re longing for. So, He says the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but when his men were sleeping, there was an enemy that came and sowed weeds in with his good seed. And, so, when this crop started to come up, it became apparent that the seed that had been sown was good but there are all of these weeds sown in among this…this good crop. And, so, the servants are asking, “what we do? How did this happen? What are we supposed to…do we pull the weeds? Like what are we supposed to do?” And the master says, “let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I’ll tell the reapers together the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned and then gather the wheat into my barn.” That story is an illustration from Jesus the Savior to illustrate the kingdom of heaven. And, so, if we look at the story what do we would do we glean if we’re gonna stick with this metaphor? What do we get out of this story that gives us something we can understand about God’s kingdom? What we can begin to understand is that it is a growing and that it is happening and it’s all mixed in. There’s all of this other stuff that’s not the kingdom growing up around it, even to try to choke it, but it remains in and among everything. It’s here in and among all of the bad. So, one of our words for this year was vision, which is an obvious word for 2020. But it’s specific. What if we looked for this kingdom? Like, if Jesus is telling us the truth. If He’s not telling us the truth then we should close the book, right? Close the book and use this time for other things. But if He’s telling us the truth and I am convinced that He is, then this kingdom isn’t something we’re supposed to be waiting for, it’s something that’s happening right now, and we should be looking for the evidence of that everywhere. We live in a world that is highly crafted and designed to reveal to us what we are lacking and then to attempt to provide the answer to that problem at a purchasable price. Like, this is the world we live in. The entire system is to show us what’s wrong and how we can buy what’s right. If that is where and how we live our entire lives, then we do not have eyes to see a kingdom that is here and happening right now. But what if we did have eyes to see and ears to hear? And have we ever intentionally tried to cultivate that? Eyes to see and ears to hear of…of this kingdom that Jesus is revealing. He went on and told another story. The Kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It’s the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows it’s larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches. It’s a small thing that keeps growing and growing and growing where it is so that at some point it sustains life. Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up and then in his joy sold everything he had to buy that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls who, on finding one, one pearl of great value, went and sold everything he had to buy that pearl. So, what are we getting here? We’re getting that there is a kingdom for those with eyes to see it. It’s here. It’s happening in and among everything else if we have eyes to see and ears to hear. And when we find it it is worth selling everything we have in order to have it. I mean, I can just look at my own life. I’ve looked at my own life over the years and I realized that I live as if this kingdom exists, but most of the time I live as if it’s something yet to come. It’s what I’m striving for, it’s what I’m enduring for. I’m waiting for this point at which I can have this experience, right? I think…I think that’s the condition of the modern church. Like that’s kinda how we normally live. Jesus words should be just as disruptive to us as they were to His hearers because the same kinds of things were going on. They believed that something would happen but hadn’t. And, so, they were hoping for this Messiah, for this restoration to come when Jesus comes and says, “this is already underway. This is already going on. You’ve just been blinded to it. But if you have eyes to see and ears to hear you might hear the whisper on the wind.” Jesus wasn’t just trying to talk of just new things that…that were happening, he was talking of things that had been happening all along. And according to the Scriptures this is one of the reasons he used parables. I’m just reading from Matthew. “This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet. I will open my mouth in parables. I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.” So, what Jesus is revealing is something ancient and hidden since the foundation of the world. And what Jesus is revealing is the kingdom of heaven. In other words, we may be waiting for something that’s already happening. We may not have eyes to see. So, at least for me, for me, trying to live into vision this specific kind of vision where I…where I see the kingdom in action instead of the evil like a tidal wave swarming over us. I wanna see the pushback. I wanna see God at work at all times in all places and in all things. And I know I’m not alone. I know you long for that too. What we may be missing is that it’s not a future thing, it’s a now thing, a now thing that will stretch into the future forever and ever. I want to find my heart, my mind, my life, my soul in alignment with that flow, the unstoppable march forward of the kingdom of heaven. And if what it takes is eyes to see, then I want them.
Prayer:
Father, Jesus, we’re asking for eyes to see and ears to hear Your kingdom because now we’ve come far enough into our journey and heard enough of Your words to understand that You are describing this same world that we live in viewed from a completely different perspective and if we can find ourselves seeing from that perspective, becoming aware of Your vision, the way You see things, then the world and our circumstances and the date and time that it is, and how we’re feeling, and what we’re wearing, those things won’t change, but our eyes will have been opened and we will see. And we pray that we won’t be able to un-see, that once we’ve seen we can’t stop seeing Your kingdom’s advancement in this world and our place in it, that we might find great courage to be Your hands and feet in this world. Come Holy Spirit into all of that we pray on the authority and by the name of Jesus we ask. Amen.
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And that is that’s it for today. I‘m Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
Hello Daily Audio Bible this is Dacia from Austin Texas and I don’t normally call in to pray. This one just kind of kicked me in the gut and I just want to pray for Diana Davis who has cancer, who has the two boys with autism. I have two boys with autism, and this is just…wrenched my soul. Lord I just pray that You would be with Diana and that You would calm her and soothe her like You did Hagar, that You’re going to take care of her sons. Lord I pray that You would enable Elijah and Michael to stay together and that they know that You care for them and that You will protect them Lord and I pray that You place angels around them and her Lord. Calm her and give her peace. And Lord, You know, You can do the unthinkable and You can do hard things. And, so, we pray that if it’s You’re will that You would heal Elijah and Michael and that they would be able to take care of themselves and have a good life and know You the way You want them to know You. And I thank You that You hear our prayers. And thank You for loving us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Hi this is Verlyn from Alberta and it’s January 14th I’ve just heard the lady call in that has cancer has two autistic boys and got really bad news and I just want to pray for you today. God I just thank You for this podcast and I thank You for this community. And Lord You said that if we have great faith as small as a grain of a mustard seed that You will move mountains. And God my faith is growing. I just want to lift her up and her boys up, her to autistic boys and I want to just ask You to answer her prayer that You keep her boys together. And God I ask for healing for her, a miracle healing would be awesome. I know You could do it. However, if You’re going to call her home, if You’re gonna heal her by calling her home to see You God I just pray that You will give her peace, that You know about her two boys, You know her two boys and You will take care of them. That’s what You do for Your kids. And, so, I just pray that You will just fill her with Your spirit of peace and not of confusion and let her know that You got this. Thank You, Jesus. In Jesus name. Amen.
Good evening DABbers my name is Mike I’m in Texas long-time listener I’ve been listening for about 12 years now. I have not called in before. I didn’t feel I had a need. Today we just got word that my daughter of 33 years has breast cancer. I’m asking for prayer for my family that I’ve prayed for and listen to that all this time. Thank you very much. I’ll keep you posted as much as I can. Bye.
Good morning Daily Audio Bible family I’m just calling in to welcome the gentleman that called today, January 15th into our family, the one that is training for the Chicago Marathon I think he said. I’m not gonna rewind and get his name. I’m just so thankful that he called in and bore his soul and heart with us. And I don’t know if he’s heard before the saying that we say around here, give it a year and you will look in the mirror and the December 31, 2020 and you won’t see the same person. I am so excited to hear what he has to say December 31st. So, welcome, welcome, welcome to our family. Thank you. Thank you. Bye now.
Hi Daily Audio family this is Karen from Hemet and I got so excited, this is January 15th when I heard Harold call in. Harold is training for the marathon and I just got so excited to hear that he has included Daily Audio Bible in his training and right away I thought of first Corinthians 10. Let me find it. Okay, no, it’s 9, first Corinthians 9:24. Harold this is just for you. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the game goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly. I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and I make it my slave so that after I have preached to others I myself will not be disqualified for the praise…for the prize. You know Harold, you are running two races. Having the discipline of Daily Audio Bible every day in your life, opening your heart to the truth of God, that is the greatest race you’re ever gonna run. And you’re going to get the wall many times where you’re gonna wonder what does this have to do about my life? I say key, keep running both races. Harold we’re gonna be on the sidelines cheering for you.
This is Lori in Texas I’m calling in response to a prayer request from Diana Davis and she has learned that her cancer has spread to her brain. She’s seeking prayer on behalf of her two autistic boys, Elijah and Michael, that…that they could stay together. And Diana, you really touched me, and I am lifting you up in prayer. Father, holy heavenly good and merciful Father I pray that You would give my sister Diana peace of mind, that You would give her Your incredible comfort, that You would assure her, that You will direct the paths of these boys, and that You will keep them together, that they can be a help and a comfort to one another and I pray father that You would walk through this valley with her to keep her under the shelter of Your wing, that You would give her heart and mind the peace that passes all understanding. Father we know You hear our prayers and we know there are so many others that are joining and to pray for this thing. Father with You nothing is impossible, and You are…You are Jehovah Jira, You are a great provider and I’m just believing what You’re going to make happen for Elijah and Michael and Diana. I ask for Your blessings over this and I ask it in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Good morning friends this is Jen in SoCal, a.k.a. Prayer Warrior Princess. It’s Wednesday, January 15
th
. Harold in St. Louis, my brother I was so excited to hear your call this morning. I am a fellow marathoner and something you said struck my…my heart so much because my first marathon many years ago, I’m five foot four and at that time I was 183 pounds and I was so scared I was going to starve to death running all those miles I packed so much. I looked like a kangaroo. I had a bunch of pouches and pockets. I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in one of my pockets. And as I ran that marathon I started throwing things off left and right to the point where I threw…I pulled everything out of the pockets and then I pulled off the jacket and all the layers just getting every piece of weight off of me that was encumbering me and since that race, Hebrews 12:1 has been a life first for me. It says let us throw off every weight that hinders us. And when you are talking about the other podcasts that weighed you down, I smiled with so much joy thinking of how that is happening in your life in a similar way. So, I looked up your marathon is Sunday, October 11. I am totally praying for you Harold and I wish you the best. And I pray today that though you be afflicted you shall not be crushed. Any lactic acid filled muscles sweat stained brows desperate for oxygen on hills and speed work days, through all of this suffering toward your noble goal, Harold I pray that your body would reveal the heart of God for you the love and joy that he takes in you and He’s so proud of you. We’re glad you’re here Harold. Let us know how it’s going. Bye.