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 it’s great to be here with you today as we gather in our little oasis around the Global Campfire to take the next step forward in the Scriptures. In the book of Genesis, we are in the third generation after Abraham. There was Abraham then there’s Isaac, and now we are surrounding ourselves with the drama that surrounds Jacob, whose name has become Israel. And Jacob and his wives are having a family. They’re having children, and those are the famous children of Israel. So, let’s dive in. We’re reading from the New Living Translation this week. Genesis chapters 35 and 36 today.
Commentary:
Okay. So, today in the book of Genesis we read a lot of names, a lot of people spreading out into a lot of territories, the descendants of Esau. And we’ve been working really since last week to sort of connect the dots to the story that we’re telling because all of these names, and all of the places that they go to and the things that they do can become confusing so that we don’t really know what we’re talking about anymore, the significance. And we spent probably enough time over the last few days saying Abraham, right, Abram turns to Abraham who has son of promise named Isaac. He had also had another son with Hagar the maidservant of Sarah named Ishmael. Isaac married Rebekah and they had twin boys, Jacob and Esau. It was Esau’s descendants that we read of today. Jacob also has descendants. We’ve been reading about their births for days. Jacob was married to Rachel and Leah, sisters. They and their maidservants have been having children into the family of Jacob, whose name has turned to Israel. And, so, these children are the children of Israel. We spent today learning of the children of Esau. So, Jacobs children are the children of Israel, and Esau’s children are the Edomites, brothers, family. But we’ll see that they don’t stay family. And as the generations go by the Edomites and the Israelites are not friendly nations. In today’s reading Isaac dies as does Rachel, the beloved wife of Jacob, also known as Israel. And, so, we have now been able to see the generations of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And Jacob or Israel’s children become the 12 tribes, each son a tribe of its own, the 12 tribes of Israel. So, I know when you’re just reading the narrative it can get confusing about who’s who and who belongs to who and where did they go and why did they go there and all of this. If we remember we’re following a big long family story it certainly keeps us locked into the story that we’re reading, but understanding this origin story helps us when we get many, many, many generations into the future. When we have all brand-new names and all kinds of new things going on we can remember we are still telling this…this big family story that begins with the patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
And then we turn into the book of Psalms, and we see the instructions for the orientation of life. And so often this happens. It’s encapsulated, something that we can hold onto, something that we can live into and become. So, the…the question that is asked. Actually, there’s two questions in the Psalms. “Who may worship in your sanctuary Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?” So, who can do that? Who enters the presence of the Lord? As Christians we could answer from that perspective and say, “those who are in Christ.” And I believe that. But that is through the righteousness of Jesus, not our own. In the Psalms we are…this question is being asked way before…way before the New Testament was ever written way before Jesus came. So David, here’s referring to the person that can enter into the temple complex, who can come and worship, who is it that can come into the Lord’s presence? And the answer is given, “those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. 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 and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.” This Psalm is thousands of years old, and its truth is still very much intact. This is the posture of heart. This is the posture to come into the Lord’s presence with worship. And although this was written long before Jesus entered the world and grew up and had a ministry on this earth redeeming us this is also reflective of the way that Jesus lived. And we who are believers are to imitate Christ. That is also known as being Christ like. And, so, let’s meditate upon these things today inviting the Holy Spirit to reveal to us. Because some of these things we probably are actually doing well at and other things we need an adjustment. And we find out where we can be divided and where we can be double minded and where things can begin to break down as the Bible comes to us as a friend speaking truth right into our hearts.
Prayer:
Holy Spirit, we invite You into this. This is how our lives are to look. But this is how we want our lives to look. We want to lead blameless lives. We want to do what’s right. We want to speak the truth from sincere hearts. We want to ignore and refuse to participate in gossip or harm our neighbors or speak evil of our friends. We want these things, and yet the more we attempt in our own strength to by brute force be this kind of person the more we realize the impossibility without the leading of Your Holy Spirit. This is possible through Your grace and mercy and guidance and clarity and comfort in our lives. It is not possible in our own strength. And, so, our part is to surrender and not be triggered by anything but the prompting of Your Spirit who will only trigger us in the right direction. So, come Holy Spirit into this we pray. In the name of Jesus, we ask. 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:
Good morning my name is Haley I’m calling or leaving a message on Daily Audio Bible to say thank you so much to Brian and his ministry team and to everyone who leaves prayers on here. I was a bit nervous about leaving a message because it’s my first time, but I just want to say thank you so much. It moves my heart and literally had tears welling up in my eyes listening to everyone praying and leaving messages for each other and listening to the scriptures as well. I want to say thank you to my friend Kevin. I hope he gets to hear that one day because he always encourages me to read scriptures and encourages…encouraged me to listen to Daily Audio Bible as well. But it’s amazing because hearing the scriptures and hearing the word changes…can change your life and has definitely changed mine, just diving into God and His presence and feeling…and knowing him more, knowing His heart and His heart for His people and how much He loves us all. And I just encourage anyone today to just keep on pressing into God and keep on seeking His voice. And when you’re going through something whatever it may be I just pray for everyone, that everyone will feel His peace and His love in Jesus’…
Good morning DAB family this is Just James. I’m so encouraged every morning as I listen to this and…and hearing Brian read the word. And just I couldn’t help but call in this morning because it seemed like some of the testimonies and stories that…that…that you all are sharing each…each day is like so lining up with what’s going on in my family. And the first today a man called in about his wife and my mom’s going through the same exact thing with being overstressed and…and…and they had to put her into a…a psychiatric rehab place to…to get her restored back from the stress. So, please keep her in prayer for that. And also, my daughter, going through things with her boyfriend. And it’s so similar to the testimonies that are being called in and just pray that she may…right now she’s seeking to better understand what it means to be a believer. And just pray that God will open up her heart and my…my grandchildren as well. And the third thing is, pray for the Bible study that…that we had done for so many years while incarcerated that we've…we’ve begun doing it out here and are sharing the things of the Kingdom with the brothers out here so they can grow and be strong men of God within their families and just walk in the ways of the Lord and the fellowship of His grace and suffering. And I just love each and every one of you. And it’s so good to be able to come and join in this family every morning and…and share all with brothers and sisters all over the planet. I love y'all. Talk to y'all later. Bye.
High dab family this is Janine from Washington and I wanted to say a prayer for Dave, pastor Dave from Dover DE that called in today on January 13th. I do know a little bit about the struggles of being a pastor. I…my grandpa was a pastor, my brother, my uncle, etc. So, I’ve seen the challenges and…and have a real heart for pastors. So, Lord I just want to lift up Dave and his family to you right now. God would just provide for all their needs. First off, I pray for their finances, personally and for the church Lord that You would just open up Your heavens and pour out a blessing on them Father. Would You just provide for every need? Would You playing money from unexpected places God? Would You just show Yourself strong on Dave’s behalf and his church and his family God? And would You also just protect Dave and his family and his church from attacks of the enemy. God, I know in the end times the enemy is…is…is on the warpath, but we know You are greater God. Greater is he that is in You than he that is in the world Lord. So, we just pray against any attacks of the enemy and just pray a hedge of protection around him and his family and his church Father. I also want to lift up just his physical health and his family, just keep them physically healthy, pray for Dave’s emotional health Lord. Just be his strength Lord. Just daily just give him that emotional strength he needs to make it every day every minute every hour of every day God. So, Lord I just thank You so much for the calling that You’ve given Dave. And, so, I just pray that he would walk worthy of that calling and that You would just bless his ministry God. I pray that it would prosper. I pray You’d bring in the people to his church that…that You want Lord. So, Lord we just commit him to You now in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Hey brothers and sisters of the DAB this is Patrick from Seattle and I have a very needed and heartfelt prayer request for you if you have time. The last couple of years have caused an incredible insurmountable amount of stress for my wife. I am bold and courageous in my faith in that I’m going to be able to do what I can to glorify God and His name through all of these difficulties we keep encountering; however, my wife is falling away from the faith and literally making herself sick, physically sick with worry. She hasn’t been able to eat and is having horrific abdominal pains and digestive issues and her hair is falling out and emotionally she’s falling apart and the breaks my heart to see it. And when I ask her to pray with me for resolution she won’t or can’t. Her name is Michelle and again my name is Patrick. And if you could, your prayers for her comfort would be appreciated and for eyes to be opened and her ears to hear the truth and to come back to God first and then hopefully me afterwards as well. Thank you. I love you all.
Hello, my wonderful DAB family this is Rosie also known as Great to be Free in Jesus. Please pray for me and my family. I’ve been sick a lot the last few months and I think part of the reason is because I’ve lost five family members in three months. First, I lost my stepson then I lost my brother, then I lost my brothers oldest daughter, then I lost…my stepchildren lost their biological mother, and then I lost my daughter in law. Please pray that there will be no more death in the family and pray that I will start getting better because I think I’m just kind of devastated over all these losses. And I would really appreciate your prayers. I really appreciate the DAB. I love my wonderful DAB family and I thank you for all the encouragement that you’ve given me and the people who have called in and prayed for me. I really do appreciate it and all those who pray for me even if they didn’t call in. I love you guys. God bless you. Bye.