DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY DAILY DEVOTIONS

Transcription

1 WINTER DECEMBER JANUARY FEBRUARY DAILY DEVOTIONS

2 This Personal Study Guide was created by FBC JAX with permission from LifeWay as a part of a paid licensing agreement.

3 This quarter we continue our study in the latter half of the book of Genesis. The book of Genesis was written by Moses as the first book in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. It covers events such as the Creation, the Fall, the worldwide flood, and the period of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the sons of Israel). In terms of literary genre, Genesis is a historical narrative it tells the story of the creation of the world and the history of early humanity from the perspective of the development of God s people, Israel. In terms of theme, we are introduced to God as the Creator, the righteous Judge, and the faithful Covenant God of Israel; and we are introduced to man as created in the image of God but broken and deviant because of sin. As you read Genesis, it is important that you pay attention to promises that God makes to His people. Many of these promises that He makes are couched in the language of covenant. God commits Himself to do certain things on behalf of His people, and throughout the Bible we see Him being faithful to these promises. For instance, in Genesis 3:15, God promises that the seed of the woman will one day crush the head of the serpent. We ultimately see God fulfill this promise through His Son Jesus Christ, who died on the cross and rose again to ultimately defeat the enemies of sin, death, and Satan (1 Corinthians 15:54-56). It is wonderful to read the book of Genesis from the perspective of God s promises being fulfilled in Christ. We encourage you to do so! May God bless you as you devote yourself to the study of Genesis. It is a book of beginnings for the beginning of the year. Commit yourself anew this quarter to listening attentively to God s Word and responding faithfully to its message. Commit to spending time with God each day. Ask Him to help you to apply His Word to your life each day and journal in your PSG about what He teaches you. Use your PSG to assist you and your family to walk together in God s Word. As you read and study the wonderful story of Genesis keep in mind Paul s reminder to the Corinthians about the Old Testament Scriptures: Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come (1 Corinthians 10:11). 3

4 List of Lessons Sunday Lesson Title Scripture December 2 December 9 December 16 December 23 December 30 The Deceiver Not Alone Family? Promise Kept Home! Genesis 27:18-29 Genesis 28:10-22 Genesis 29:16-30 Luke 1:26-38 Genesis 31:2-16 January 6 January 13 January 20* January 27* February 3* February 10 February 17 February 24 Transformed Reconciled Gospel & Conversaion Evangelism Relationships & Conversations Tempted Opportunity Knocks Reunited Genesis 32:24-32 Genesis 33:1-15 *REACH Lesson *REACH Lesson *REACH Lesson Genesis 39:3-12, Genesis 41:15-21, Genesis 45:1-15 4

5 Genesis 27:18-29 Week of NOVEMBER 26, 2018 I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for My servant Abraham s sake. Genesis 26:24 Monday NOVEMBER 26 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE God s promise passes on from Abraham to Isaac. Back in the fall of 2015, we read Genesis 1 24 together. This quarter, we will complete our study in the book of Genesis. Chapter 25 marks a major transition in the book of Genesis. Since chapter 12, the focus has primarily been on Abraham and his covenant with God. God created the heavens, the earth, and mankind (Genesis 1 2), but man sinned against God and was therefore exiled from His presence (Genesis 3). The curse caused by sin also came with a promise that is ultimately fulfilled in Christ: One day, the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent, setting right everything that went wrong because of sin (Genesis 3:15). The rest of the book of Genesis then traces this seed: through Adam and Eve s son Seth (Genesis 5), through Noah and his family (Genesis 6 10), and then finally to Abraham and his offspring (Genesis 12). God confirms this by making great promises to Abraham of blessing, land, and offspring (Genesis 12:1-3). God then fulfills these promises through the birth of Isaac (Genesis 21). In today s passage, we see the passing of the torch. Abraham, the patriarch, the father of the promise, breathes his last, dies, and is gathered to his people, in a good old age, an old man and full of years (Genesis 25:8). But before he dies we find these remarkable words: Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. Here we see the transference of the promise. Everything that once was Abraham s, all the great promises that God had made to him of blessing, land, and offspring, are given to Isaac. Abraham, the father of the promise, passes the promise on to Isaac, the child of the promise. The hope of redemption, the hope that God will one day set all things right through the seed of the woman, carries on through Isaac. Therefore, our reading ends with these words: After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son (Genesis 25:11). What role does the idea of seed play in the book of Genesis? In today s passage we see God making good on His promises He passes the promise of blessing on to Isaac. How does this impact the way we think about God s faithfulness? What promises has God made to us as the church? Praise God today for the hope that He gives us in Genesis 3:15. Praise Him that our sin has ultimately been dealt with at the cross of Christ, the true seed of Israel. 5

6 Tuesday november 27 Genesis 25:12-18 God delivers on His promises concerning Ishmael. Although Isaac was the child of promise, Abraham did have a child before Isaac, named Ishmael. Before God delivered on His promise of a child by the womb of Sarah, Abraham had a momentary lapse of faith and decided to have a child by his maidservant Hagar. This child was Ishmael. There is a major contrast between Isaac and Ishmael in Genesis 25. Even though both are born of Abraham, Isaac is the child of promise and Ishmael is not. Isaac receives the blessing of God (Genesis 25:11) and Ishmael does not. As we will see as we continue reading Genesis, the promise carries on through the line of Isaac, not Ishmael. The spiritual blessing that God promised Abraham, that will ultimately be carried to all the nations through the ultimate child of promise, our Lord Jesus Christ, carries on through Isaac, not Ishmael. God says, I will establish my covenant with Isaac (Genesis 17:21). However, God does not leave Ishmael without earthly blessing. He says, As for Ishmael I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation (Genesis 17:20). We see these promises about Ishmael fulfilled in today s passage as we read of his descendants and the territory he possessed. So, then, God delivered on His promises concerning both Isaac and Ishmael. What was the difference between Isaac and Ishmael? Why, at the end of Abraham s life, did he give all things to Isaac and not Ishmael? Ishmael was in many ways a son of disobedience. He was born of Hagar because Abraham did not patiently wait for God to fulfill His promise. How might Ishmael s life teach us about the consequences of sin? What does the fact that God made great promises to him in spite of the fact that he was a son of disobedience imply about God s character? Praise God for His faithfulness to deliver on His promises. Thank Him that He has ultimately delivered on His promises to us through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. 6

7 Wednesday november 28 Genesis 25:19-34 Jacob steals Esau s birthright. Right after we see Isaac identified as the child of promise, we see God further fulfilling the promises He made to Abraham by giving Isaac offspring. Rebekah bears twins; the first they call Esau and the second Jacob. Just as there was a sharp conflict between Isaac and Ishmael, one being the child of promise and one not, so also God tells Rebekah of the rivalry and division there will be between Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:23). This rivalry and division begins to manifest through Jacob s cunningness. One day Esau comes back from the field so famished he thinks that he will die. Jacob is at home cooking stew, and so Esau asks Jacob if he would give him some. Jacob, in turn, forces Esau to give up his birthright (since he was the firstborn) before Jacob will give him any stew. One thing that we will see repeatedly in Genesis is how God uses unlikely means to preserve and carry forward His promised seed. In today s passage He uses a cunning brother, Jacob. For it is Jacob, not Esau, who wins the birthright and through whom the promises God made to Abraham carry forward, the promises that ultimately climax in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. What is the importance of the birthright for Jacob and Esau? Why was it such a remarkable thing that Jacob stole Esau s birthright? In today s passage we find that God uses broken sinners to carry forward His plans and purposes. How does this impact the way you think about your relationship with God and His plans for you in this world? Praise God that He uses broken sinners to carry forward His plans and purposes. Thank Him for making you an ambassador for Christ; thank Him that He makes His appeals to a lost and dying world through you. Ask Him that He would give you an opportunity to share the gospel with an unbeliever today. 7

8 Thursday november 29 Genesis 26:1-35 Isaac, as the child of promise, follows in Abraham s footsteps. Today s passage gives us further evidence that the seed of the woman from Genesis 3:15 carries on from Abraham to Isaac. In many ways, Isaac is his father Abraham s son. Not only does God repeat His promises of blessing, land, and offspring to Isaac explicitly (Genesis 26:1-5, 23-25), but we also see that Isaac has some of the same sinful tendencies as his father. Just as Abraham lies about Sarah s identity to both Pharaoh and Abimelech to protect himself (Genesis 12:10-20; 20:1-18), so also Isaac lies to Abimelech in the same way and for the same reason (Genesis 26:6-11). This reminds us of something very important about the family and the seed through whom God chose to usher His eternal kingdom into the world they are all sinners. Our Lord Jesus Christ perfect and sinless in His nature comes from a long line of sinners on His mother s side. Abraham and Isaac, though the Patriarchs of our faith, needed the same grace of God and forgiveness of sin that we so desperately need. Significantly, God makes His covenant promises to Isaac both before his sin (Genesis 26:1-5) and after his sin (Genesis 26:23-25). This indicates that God will remain faithful to His covenant promises even though Isaac has been unfaithful on his part. God certainly deals with us in the same way! The only difference is that while they looked forward to the future coming of the Messiah to see the hope of God s faithfulness, we look back at the incarnation, the perfect and sinless life, the bloody sinner s death, and the glorious resurrection to see the fulfillment of God s faithfulness. To the patriarchs the Christ was a future hope of blessing, but to us He is a fulfillment of blessing in a person that we know by name, and His name is Jesus Christ. May we come to Him today with all our imperfections, all our sin, and all our inadequacies; may we bow the knee to Him as Lord and King, and may we experience the wonderful grace and forgiveness that is ours in Christ. What is the significance of Isaac s sinning against the Lord and others in the same way that his father Abraham did? Where are you placing your trust today? Are you trusting in your own ability, strength, adequacies, or righteousness? What is the implication of today s passage concerning where your trust should be? Praise God today that though the patriarchs were sinners in need of mercy, our Lord Jesus Christ was perfect and sinless in His nature. Thank Him that He fulfilled the righteous requirement on your behalf, so that you could be made right with God. 8

9 Friday november 30 Genesis 27:1-29 The blessing of Isaac upon Jacob ultimately points us to our Lord Jesus Christ. The Pharisees were huddled up in their council conferring about Jesus. He had done many signs and wonders, and many of the Jews were beginning to believe in Him. This put fear into the Jewish religious leaders: What if Jesus started a revolution, and the Romans came and destroyed our Jewish nation? That s when Caiaphas, the high priest, uttered the fateful words: It is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish (John 11:50). If only Caiaphas knew how true his words were. But, of course, he didn t; he spoke truer words than he intended, for Jesus did die for the people, so that all the children of God in all space and time would not perish. Something similar happens with Isaac and Jacob in today s passage. Isaac speaks words about Jacob and Jacob s descendants truer than he even knows. Jacob, cunning and deceptive as he was, disguised himself as Esau in order to steal Esau s firstborn blessing. So when Isaac utters the blessing that we find in verses 27-29, the intended recipient is Esau, not Jacob. But as God would have it in His sovereign and wise plan, Jacob is the descendant of Abraham through whom the covenant promises carry on, not Esau. And when read in light of God s covenant promises, the blessing that Isaac speaks over Jacob rings eternally true. Which one of Jacob s descendants is it that people will serve, before whom nations will bow down, who will be lord over his brothers, and who will bring cursing to those who curse him and blessing to those who bless him? It is, of course, none other than our Lord Jesus Christ! Paul tells us that at His name every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:11). The blessing of Isaac upon Jacob gives just a small foretaste of this coming Lord. But we have so much more than a foretaste. We have the witness of the Holy Why was it so important for Jacob to secure his father Isaac s blessing, so much so that he would lie and deceive for it? Jacob s blessing prophesies that one day all nations will bow down before him. This blessing ultimately points us to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. What does it practically look like for you today to bow down to your Lord Jesus Christ? Pray a prayer of adoration to your Lord Jesus Christ today. Let your tongue confess that He is Lord, let your heart pour out in praise to Him. 9

10 Saturday december 1 As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you. Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? In what areas of your life do these truths apply? In what ways do you plan to put the truths you ve observed this week into practice? Family Focus: Now take the verse or passage that stood out to you and think about how you can share it with your family. How does it apply to your husband, wife, son, or daughter? For singles or students, think about how it applies to your friends or parents. Commit to share this passage with a family member or friend today. Tomorrow our lesson is The Deciever from Genesis 27: Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher. 10

11 Sunday december 2 THE DECIEVER SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: 11

12 Genesis 27:30-46 Week of december 3, 2018 And he said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. John 1:51 monday december 3 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE Jacob s sin wreaks havoc in his relationships with Isaac and Esau. So far we have primarily looked at the theme of God s promised seed in Genesis and how this seed is carried from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob. This is indeed a glorious theme that brings us right to the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. But we also observed something else about Abraham s seed: they are all sinners, just like their father Abraham (except, of course, the ultimate seed of Abraham, our Lord Jesus Christ). In today s reading, we see the ugly effects that Jacob s sin has on his brother Esau and his father Isaac. For, indeed, Jacob sinned against the Lord, against his father, and against his brother when he deceived Isaac and pretended to be Esau in order to secure the blessing of the firstborn. The text shows us the pain that this caused both Isaac and Esau. When Isaac found out what Jacob had done, he trembled very violently (Genesis 27:33). Esau s response was even more severe: he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry (Genesis 27:34); he lifted up his voice and wept (Genesis 27:39); and he ultimately hated his brother Jacob and planned to kill him for what he had done (Genesis 27:41). This shows us that when sin enters into our relationships, it wreaks havoc. It causes strife, jealousy, anger, and hatred. It causes us to focus more on ourselves than on the interests of others. This is the disease that plagues the relationship between Isaac, Jacob, and Esau. Thankfully, as we will see later in Genesis, there is a wonderful reconciliation between Jacob and Esau. How is sin affecting your relationships? Is there a brother you are at odds with? Are you experiencing strife with your spouse? Who do you need to reconcile with? Turn to Jesus, brothers and sisters, and consider the great love with which He loved you and the great forgiveness that He secured for you. As you consider these things, strive to show the same love and the same forgiveness in your own relationships with others (Ephesians 4:31-32). In what ways does Jacob sin against Isaac and Esau? What is the result of this sin? Make a list of others in your life you currently have unresolved conflict with. Consider how you can begin to be reconciled to these people. Praise God for the love and forgiveness you have experienced in the person and work of Christ. Ask that He would help you to show the same love and forgiveness in your relationships with others. 12

13 tuesday december 4 Genesis 28:1-5 As Isaac sends Jacob off to Laban, he entrusts him to El Shaddai. There came a time in Abraham s life when the promises of God became unbelievable. God had promised that his wife Sarah would bear a child, but she was barren and elderly. By the time Abraham was eighty-five, he and Sarah decided to take matters into their own hands, so he slept with Hagar, Sarah s handservant, and she bore him Ishmael. Fourteen years later, when Abraham was ninety-nine years old, God had still not delivered on His promise, and it certainly looked like Ishmael would be Abraham s heir. Yet right when things seemed the worst, God appeared to Abraham and said, I am El Shaddai; I am God Almighty. This divine name, El Shaddai, is broken up into two parts. First is El, which is just the common Semitic word for God. The second is Shaddai, which emphasizes God s power over all things. So when God shows up and says, I am El Shaddai, He is saying that He is the God who can do all things, even cause an elderly, barren woman to conceive. In today s passage we find Isaac sending Jacob off to Paddanaram to find a wife. Jacob, the child of promise, the seed of Abraham, is leaving the protection of his home and of his father. This would undoubtedly be a hard time for Isaac, watching the embodiment of his hope ride away into another land. But what Isaac does at that moment is so instructive for us: he calls upon the God of his father Abraham, El Shaddai, and he asks Him to deliver on His covenant promises (Genesis 28:3-4). Amid one of the most difficult moments of his life, Isaac knew that his trust had to be in El Shaddai, God Almighty, the God who can do all things. Brothers and sisters, may our hope and trust also be in El Shaddai today. No matter what season of life you are in, no matter what trials and tribulations the day brings, know that because of what Christ has done El Shaddai is for you and is working all things together for your good. What is the meaning of the divine name, El Shaddai? What are the circumstances of your life right now? What difficult things are you going through? How does knowing that God is El Shaddai, the God who can do all things, help to change your perspective on your trials? Praise God today for being El Shaddai, the God who can do all things. Thank Him that He has shown His redemptive power to you primarily in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. 13

14 Wednesday december 5 Genesis 28:6-9 Esau decides to marry Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael. Marriage is one of the most important decisions that a person makes in his or her lifetime. Who you marry has major ramifications on what your home life will look like, how your children will be raised, and the course of your life as a whole. So it is no understatement to say that you can tell much about others by looking at who they choose to marry. Unfortunately, in this regard, the marriage record of Esau testifies against him. We have already seen that Esau decided to marry two Hittite women, and that this choice made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 26:35). Now, after hearing Isaac counseling Jacob to not marry a Canaanite woman, Esau decides to marry a daughter of Ishmael (Genesis 28:8-9). The choice to marry Mahalath, daughter of Ishmael, speaks volumes about who Esau is. Just as Isaac was the child of promise and Ishmael was the child of disobedience, so also Jacob was the recipient of the blessing and Esau the recipient of the curse. And as if the similarities between Isaac and Jacob and Ishmael and Esau weren t already clear enough, here we have Jacob going off to marry one of the daughters of Laban, just as Isaac married the sister of Laban, and Esau going off to marry the daughter of Ishmael. The message that these structures and similarities convey is clear: the promised seed of Abraham carries on through Isaac and Jacob, not Ishmael and Esau. It is amazing, here in the opening chapters of the Bible, to see God s sovereign hand in the details of paternal blessings and marriage choices, molding and shaping human history toward a final climax in the true child of promise, the true offspring of Abraham, our Lord Jesus Christ. Why does Esau decide to marry Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael? So far in Genesis, we have seen God s sovereign hand in arranging human affairs so that His promised seed is preserved through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. How does this strong emphasis on God s sovereignty impact the way you think about the daily events of your life? Praise God today for being meticulously sovereign over all the affairs of humanity. Ask that He would help you to trust Him with your life today. 14

15 Thursday december 6 Genesis 28:10-22 Jacob dreams about the stairway to heaven. The central image in today s passage was made famous in popular culture in 1971 when Led Zeppelin released their hit song, Stairway to Heaven. Yet while Jimmy Page and Robert Plant s lyrics couch the stairway to heaven in a strange mystical cloud, the meaning of the stairway in Jacob s dream is really quite simple. God appears to Jacob and in effect says, I have not abandoned the earth. Instead, I have made a way for you to come to Me and for Me to come to you. God then affirms once again His great covenant promises of blessing, land, and offspring (Genesis 28:13-15). God is committed to His covenant people, and He assures Jacob that He will indeed make good on His promises. What a testimony this is to the grace of God! Jacob did not go out from his home looking for God. No, he went out looking for a wife. But God came, did He not? God came and He revealed Himself to Jacob and showed him His wonderful plans for human history. Back in Genesis 11, we saw the people of Babel try their best to reach heaven. They built a tower and reached as high into the heavens as they possibly could. But God, in His infinite might and transcendence, looked down upon the people and confused their language so that their efforts ultimately failed. The people of Babel could not get to God; God had to come to them, He had to make the way by which they could come into His presence. And this is precisely what we see God doing in Jacob s dream. He is, in effect, bridging the gap between us and heaven. How has He done this? Surely there isn t a physical stairway somewhere in the Middle East that we walk up to get to heaven? No, there sure isn t. When we begin to look at the testimony of the Scriptures, what we find is that the stairway is actually a person, and His name is Jesus Christ. Tomorrow we will look at an amazing episode in the life of Jesus where He confirmed just that. What is the meaning of the stairway to heaven? What are some ways that people try to get to God on their own? What does the Bible say about how a person enters into a relationship with God? How have these truths played out in your life? Thank God today for not abandoning us in our trespasses and sins. Thank Him that He did make a way for us to get to Him. Thank Him, therefore, for the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Himself the stairway to heaven. 15

16 Friday december 7 John 1:43-51 Jesus is the stairway to heaven. Jacob s dream about the stairway to heaven finds wonderful fulfillment in the words of Jesus in today s reading. The place is Galilee. Jesus is starting His ministry and calling on His disciples to follow Him. Philip begins to follow Jesus and then goes and finds Nathanael and tells him to follow Jesus. Nathanael meets Philip s description of the Messiah as Jesus of Nazareth with suspicion: Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip simply replies, Come and see. And Nathanael sees indeed! He meets Jesus and immediately he is blown away that Jesus is able to tell him that he was under the fig tree earlier that day. Nathanael says, Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel! And then Jesus replies, You think it was impressive that I told you that? You haven t seen anything yet! Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. Recognize the imagery? That s right, Jesus is pulling His imagery directly from Jacob s dream. He is saying, I am the true path to God. I am the stairway that leads to heaven. Anyone who wishes to have access to God, access to heaven, must come through Me. Brothers and sisters, Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). He is the stairway to heaven. Let us therefore proclaim His name far and wide: in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces, in our schools, in our nation, and in our world. What is the relationship between Jacob s dream and today s passage? How does the truth that no one will come to the Father except through Jesus impact the way you relate to unbelievers in your neighborhood, workplace, school, etc.? Thank God today that He made a way for us to come to Him. Thank Him that Jesus is the stairway to heaven. Ask that He would open the door for you to share the gospel with someone this weekend. 16

17 saturday december 8 As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you. Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? In what areas of your life do these truths apply? In what ways do you plan to put the truths you ve observed this week into practice? Family Focus: Now take the verse or passage that stood out to you and think about how you can share it with your family. How does it apply to your husband, wife, son, or daughter? For singles or students, think about how it applies to your friends or parents. Commit to share this passage with a family member or friend today. Tomorrow our lesson is Not Alone from Genesis 28: Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher. 17

18 sunday december 9 NOT ALONE SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: 18

19 Week of december 10, 2018 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying it refers to Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:31-32 monday september Genesis 29: Jacob follows after his father Isaac s footsteps by finding a wife at the well of Paddan-aram. Over the past couple weeks we have noted how Genesis gives us insights again and again into who God s chosen seed is in the family line of Abraham. God brought Abraham up out of the land of Ur, and made great covenant promises to him of blessing, land, and offspring (Genesis 12:1-3), indicating that his descendants would ultimately fulfill God s promise of a future Messianic serpent slayer who would right all the wrongs caused by human sin (Genesis 3:15). We have seen how this seed passed from Abraham to Isaac, and from Isaac to Jacob. In today s text we find yet another reminder that Jacob truly is the chosen seed of Abraham and Isaac. Just as Abraham s servant found Isaac s wife Rebekah at the well in Paddan-aram (Genesis 24), so also Jacob finds his future wife Rachel at the same well! Moreover, just as Rebekah was Laban s sister, so also Rachel is Laban s daughter! While Esau married Canaanite and Ishmaelite women (Genesis 28:6-9), Jacob follows after his father s footsteps in marriage. These details are not insignificant. They are communicating to us that God is preserving His seed, preserving the great promises that He made to Abraham, through Abraham s grandson Jacob. When we read this story of budding romance, we should see the sovereign hand of God carefully preserving His chosen seed and His promise, from which seed will ultimately flow the fulfillment of His promise the Lord Jesus Christ. Tomorrow, we will take a look at the exact circumstances that bring Jacob into a marriage not only with Rachel, but also her sister Leah. What similarities and differences exist between the account of Abraham s servant at the well of Paddan-aram (Genesis 24) and the account of Jacob at the same well? God is not explicitly mentioned in today s passage. In what ways, though, do we see God working behind the scenes in this passage? Thank God today for His steadfast love and faithfulness. Praise Him for being faithful to deliver on His promises to His people. Praise Him for showing us this faithfulness by sending Jesus as the Messiah to redeem us from our sins. 19

20 tuesday december 11 Genesis 29:15-30 Jacob, the deceiver, gets deceived by Laban into marrying both Rachel and Leah. Today s reading is filled with irony. One thing we have noticed about Jacob is that he is quite the deceiver. He tricked his brother Esau out of his birthright and tricked his father Isaac into giving him the blessing of the firstborn! But in Paddan-aram, Jacob gets a little taste of his own medicine. Jacob and Laban agree that Jacob will marry Rachel and that Jacob will pay the bridal price for her by working for Laban for seven years. Strikingly, the text tells us that those seven years seemed to him [Jacob] but a few days because of the love he had for her (Genesis 29:20). Finally, the day comes when Jacob s seven years of service are up. Jacob asks Laban for Rachel, Laban hosts a great feast, and Jacob meets his wife in the tent to lay with her. But there s only one problem: And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! These are perhaps some of the saddest and most comical words in all of Scripture. Jacob worked for seven years, went through the ceremony of marriage, lay with the woman he thought was his wife, only to wake up in the morning to find out that it was her sister, Leah! Laban had tricked Jacob and sneaked Leah into the tent instead of Rachel, because Leah was his firstborn daughter. The trickery goes even deeper, for then Laban makes Jacob agree to serve him for another seven years before allowing him to marry Rachel after the week of celebration. When we read a passage like this, and when we think about the strange circumstances Jacob was placed in, it is natural to think: Why would God allow this to happen? In God s divine foreknowledge, in His sovereign plan, He had a very specific reason for allowing Jacob to marry Leah along with Rachel. In what way did Laban deceive Jacob in this passage? Has an event ever happened in your life that made you think, God, why did You allow this to happen? How do you usually think through or process this question? How would Scripture have you think through it? Pray to God regarding the events and circumstances of your life. Whatever it is that you are facing today, entrust that to the sovereignty and divine plan of God. Express your trust and dependence on Him today. 20

21 wednesday december 12 Genesis 29:1-30 Marriage is an institution designed and established by God. When we read the book of Genesis (and the Old Testament in general), we find many strange episodes. Some of those episodes have to do with marriage. We have seen both Abraham and Isaac pretend that their wives were their sisters; we have seen Abraham sleep with his maidservant Hagar; we have seen Esau marry multiple women; and this week we have seen Jacob marry both Rachel and Leah. In light of these episodes, it is fair to ask: What is God s standard for marriage? When we come to a question like this, it is important to make some distinctions. First, it is important to know what kind of text we are reading. For instance, the narratives we have read in Genesis so far are descriptive they describe a scene and not prescriptive. Moreover, it is important to know where we are in the Bible. From Genesis 3 on, the narrator is telling us stories of post-fall humanity a humanity deeply affected by sin. In other words, the narratives of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob are not the best place in the Bible to go to find out what God s standard is for marriage. Over the next few days, we will look at two important passages of Scripture Genesis 2:18-24 and Ephesians 5:22-33 that help us understand God s glorious design for marriage. What is the difference between a descriptive text and a prescriptive text? Why is it so important to recognize the difference when reading the Bible? What is our culture s definition of marriage? Based on what you know about the Bible, what is God s design for marriage? Thank God for marriage. Pray that over the next two days your heart would be open to wonder anew at His glorious design for marriage. 21

22 thursday december 13 Genesis 2:18-24 Marriage is an institution designed and established by God. Marriage is an institution designed and established by God. After God created Adam, placed him in the Garden of Eden, and commanded him to not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, He said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him (Genesis 2:18). This, in its most basic form, is God s design for marriage. God created us for relationship with one another and with Him. The most natural human relationship is that between a husband and wife. Moreover, this relationship between a husband and wife is a relationship of complementarity: God creates Adam, and then He creates Eve as a helper fit for him. A helper is one who complements or provides what is lacking in the one being helped. Eve is fit for Adam because she supplies what Adam is lacking. So, then, God causes a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, takes his rib, uses it to create Eve, and they come together as husband and wife (Genesis 2:21-23; 25). But how do we know that this kind of relationship between a husband and a wife is what God wants for us? How do we know this isn t just another descriptive text to be placed alongside the narratives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Moses helps us here by commenting on the narrative: Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). This is no longer just description; this is a prescription from the inspired Word of God concerning God s design for marriage. God has designed marriage in this way: one man leaves his parents and cleaves to his one wife, and then the two consummate their relationship in a one flesh union. It is important for us to keep this design in mind as we continue reading Genesis and as we live in the world. In Genesis we see the effects of sin in many ways, not least of which is the twisting of God s design for marriage. Not surprisingly, we see the same thing happening in our culture! But God has a perfect design for marriage that outlasts the effects of sin and cultural norms. And it is a design that ultimately points us to Christ! We will see exactly how marriage points us to Christ in tomorrow s reading. Based on today s reading, what is God s design for marriage? Are you married? If so, what does it look like for you to fulfill God s design for marriage based on today s reading? Thank God again for marriage. If you are married, ask that He would help you to live out His design for marriage in your own marriage. If you aren t married, ask that He would help you to appreciate His glorious design for marriage and how it ultimately points to Christ. 22

23 friday december 14 Ephesians 5:22-33 Marriage is a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church. Yesterday s reading in Genesis ended in this way: Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh (Genesis 2:24). One of strongest reasons we believe this statement is prescriptive for the Christian life and indicative of God s design for marriage is because it is repeated again in the New Testament. In today s passage, Paul uses this statement from Genesis 2:24 as the basis of his entire teaching about Christian marriage. Just as Genesis 2 showed us the complementarity of marriage, so Paul defines the different roles of loving, willing submission that husbands and wives ought to take in relation to one another in marriage (Ephesians 5:22-27). Just as marriage was described as a one flesh union in Genesis 2, Paul commands husbands to love their wives as their own bodies (Ephesians 5:28). Paul does, however, introduce a new idea that we didn t see explicitly in Genesis 2. As he describes the different roles and the one flesh union in marriage, he also draws a comparison between the relationship that husbands and wives enjoy in marriage and the relationship that exists between Christ and the church. The glad submission of the wife to the husband mirrors the glad submission of the church to Christ; the sacrificial, loving headship of the husband over the wife mirrors the sacrificial, loving headship of Christ over His church; the union that the husband and the wife enjoy mirrors the union that Christ and His church enjoy. Brothers and sisters, did you know that the ultimate goal of your marriage is the gospel of Jesus Christ? Husbands, as you love your wife you are a living metaphor of the love that Christ has for His church; wives, as you submit to your husbands you are a living metaphor of the deference that the church shows to the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ. Your marriage, Based on today s reading, what is the picture that marriage is meant to put on display? How does knowing that your marriage is ultimately about the gospel of Jesus Christ impact the way you relate to your spouse? Thank God once again for marriage. If you are married, ask that He would help you to faithfully show the beauty of the gospel in your marriage. If you aren t married, ask that He would help you to see this beauty in the marriages of others. 23

24 saturday december 15 As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you. Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? In what areas of your life do these truths apply? In what ways do you plan to put the truths you ve observed this week into practice? Family Focus: Now take the verse or passage that stood out to you and think about how you can share it with your family. How does it apply to your husband, wife, son, or daughter? For singles or students, think about how it applies to your friends or parents. Commit to share this passage with a family member or friend today. Tomorrow our lesson is Family? from Genesis 29: Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher. 24

25 sunday december 16 FAMILY? SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: 25

26 Week of december 17, 2018 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. Luke 1:31-33 monday december 17 Luke 1:1-25 Gabriel foretells the birth of John the Baptist. The Christmas season is a special time of adoration. We sing songs like, O Come All Ye Faithful, which contains a winsome invitation for the people of God to come and adore Christ the Lord. Over the next week and a half, we will spend our time adoring Jesus and celebrating the glorious coming of the newborn King. While this does mean taking a break from our study in Genesis and turning to Luke, we should remember that in a significant way the story of Genesis is still being told when we come to the Gospel narratives. In Genesis, God made a promise that one day He would send the seed of the woman to crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). He reiterated this to Abraham by promising him that all the families of the earth would be blessed through his seed (Genesis 12:3). Our Lord Jesus Christ is the seed of the woman that God promised so long ago; it is through Him that all the families of the earth receive blessing. So when we open the pages of Luke and read about Zechariah and Elizabeth, in a real sense they are still waiting on the promises of God to unfold! Little did they know the role that they would play in God s fulfillment of those promises! For God chose them to bear a son who would prepare the hearts of the people of Israel for the coming of the Messiah (Luke 1:16-17), our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom God fulfilled all the great promises He made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Israel so long ago. The name of this promised child who would prepare the way was, of course, John the Baptist (Luke 1:13). What is the connection between the book of Genesis and the Gospel narratives? What are some specific ways that you can express your adoration of Christ this Christmas? Praise God for being a faithful God who always delivers on His promises. Adore Him today for giving us this sweet and wonderful narrative of the birth of our eternal King Jesus. 26

27 tuesday december 18 Luke 1:26-38 Gabriel foretells the birth of Jesus. Luke 1 is full of baby announcements. Yesterday, we saw how Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and announced the coming birth of John. Today, we see that Gabriel appears to the virgin Mary and announces the coming birth of Jesus. While both baby announcements are remarkable, the greatness of Jesus far exceeds the greatness of John. The manner of Jesus birth is greater than John s: While Zechariah and Elizabeth, much like Abraham and Sarah, bear John despite being advanced in years, Mary bears Jesus despite being a virgin. Truly, as Gabriel says, Nothing will be impossible with God (Luke 1:37). The purpose of Jesus birth is also greater than John s: John comes to make ready for the Lord a people prepared (Luke 1:17), but Jesus comes as the Son of the Most High, who will reign on the throne of His father David and over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end (Luke 1:32-33). John is born to make the way straight for the Messiah of God; Jesus is Himself the Messiah of God, God incarnate, and comes into the world to redeem for Himself a people for His own good pleasure. Mary s response to these wonderful truths is very instructive for us. She says, Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word (Luke 1:38). Mary declares herself a servant of the Lord to whom she would soon give birth; she submits herself to the perfect will of the King who she would soon usher into the world. Brothers and sisters, may we likewise submit ourselves to Him and give ourselves to His service. In what ways is the foretelling of Jesus birth greater than the foretelling of John s birth? What are some practical ways that you can submit yourself to the service of your King Jesus today? Praise God today for the glory of the incarnation. Thank Him that He emptied Himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Thank Him for stooping to such a lowly state so that we could behold His glory and benefit from His saving work on the cross. 27

28 wednesday december 19 Luke 1:39-56 John, Elizabeth, and Mary rejoice in the fruit of Mary s womb. One of the best ways to read the Gospel narratives is to pay attention to how people respond to Jesus. When we read in this manner, we find very quickly that the response of most people to an encounter with Jesus indicates He truly is the Messiah of God. This is certainly true of today s passage. The unborn John, Elizabeth, and Mary all respond to the unborn Jesus in a way that compels us to conclude that He truly is the Son of God. John leaps in Elizabeth s womb (Luke 1:41), Elizabeth exalts Mary as the mother of [her] Lord (Luke 1:43), and Mary s soul magnifies the Lord for choosing her for such an awesome task as giving birth to the God of the universe incarnate (Luke 1:46-55). The way that we respond to Jesus is vitally important. It tells us much about who we are, what we believe, and what our relationship is like with God. John, Elizabeth, and Mary rejoice in Jesus as the promised Messiah, who has come into the world to fulfill all of God s mighty promises to His people. Today, through the pages of Scripture, you have been introduced to your Lord in the womb of His mother Mary. How will you respond? In what ways do John, Elizabeth, and Mary respond to Jesus? What is the proper way to respond to your encounter with Jesus in the pages of Scripture today? Praise God today for the fruit of Mary s womb. Thank Jesus for stepping off His high and exalted throne in order to be born of a virgin, to enter into this world as a helpless babe, so that we could be made right with God. 28

29 thursday december 20 Luke 1:57-66 Elizabeth gives birth to John the Baptist. The account of John s birth is filled with wonder. It comes as a direct fulfillment of the prophecy that Zechariah received from Gabriel (Luke 1:13), all the way down to the fact that Elizabeth s relatives and neighbors rejoiced with her (Luke 1:58; cf. Luke 1:14). Luke is careful to note how the bystanders viewed John s birth. When the mute and deaf Zechariah independently confirms Elizabeth s wish for the child to be named John, Luke observes that they all wondered (Luke 1:63). And again, when Zechariah s tongue is loosed, and he begins blessing God, Luke observes that fear came on all their neighbors (Luke 1:65). Finally, as stories of John s birth circulate around the hill country of Judea, Luke states that all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What then will this child be? (Luke 1:66) It was apparent to all the witnesses of John s birth that God planned to do something mighty through him. It was clear to see that the hand of the Lord was with him (Luke 1:66). And so, they responded with awe and wonder. Is it not an awesome and wonderful thing to witness the unfolding of God s redemptive plan that He set into motion before the foundation of the earth? When we read this account in Scripture, that is the privilege we have! So then, let us, along with the neighbors and relatives of Zechariah and Elizabeth, lay up these things in our hearts and rejoice in the birth of the one who made the way straight for our King Jesus. In what specific ways does the birth of John in today s reading fulfill the prophecy that Zechariah received from Gabriel? Elizabeth s neighbors and relatives stood in awe of how the hand of the Lord was upon John. What are some ways that God is working in your life? What are some ways that you can wonder or stand in awe of what He is doing? Stand in awe and wonder today at the awesome and wonderful character of God. Exalt Him for who He is and what He has done. Praise Him especially for His Son Jesus, whom He sent into this world for your sake and for the sake of His glory. 29

30 friday december 21 Luke 1:67-80 Zechariah prophesies about his son, John the Baptist. John Wycliffe has been called The Morning Star of the Reformation. He was born in 1330 and died in 1384, nearly one hundred years before Martin Luther was born. In many ways, Wycliffe paved the way for the Reformation. He worked alongside a group of pastors and theologians to translate the Bible into English, in an era in which it was considered illegal and condemnable to do so. He labored in an age of darkness, an age that is known as the Dark Ages, so that the world could be brought into the light through the light-giving revelation of the Word of God. His pioneering work was finally consummated in the Protestant Reformation. Zechariah s Spirit-filled prophecy communicates similar things about John the Baptist. John was born in fulfillment of God s covenant faithfulness to His people (Luke 1:68-75), and he was born in order to bring the light of salvation and forgiveness of sins to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death (Luke 1:76-79). While he himself wasn t the Messiah who would accomplish this work of salvation, he was the prophet of the Most High who would go before the Lord to prepare His ways (Luke 1:76). John the Baptist is the Morning Star of Advent; he appears on the scene of Israel after four hundred years of darkness, not to bring salvation himself, but rather to announce the glorious hope and arrival of it in the person and work of Jesus Christ. As we head into this weekend, let us stand in awe of the great faithfulness of our God, who sent His prophet at just the right time to announce the advent of His glorious Kingdom in the advent of His only begotten Son. According to Zechariah s prophecy, what was God s plan for John the Baptist? There was a significant time of waiting between God s Old Testament promises (ending in Malachi in roughly 500 B.C.) and the coming of Christ (roughly 5 B.C.) However, in the end God showed His faithfulness. Are you in any season of waiting in your life? What confidence can you draw from today s text amid your season of waiting? Thank God today for being faithful to keep His promises. Thank Him for sending John the Baptist to prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of the Messiah. Ask that He would continue to make your heart ready for the second coming of the Lord. 30

31 saturday december 22 As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you. Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? In what areas of your life do these truths apply? In what ways do you plan to put the truths you ve observed this week into practice? Family Focus: Now take the verse or passage that stood out to you and think about how you can share it with your family. How does it apply to your husband, wife, son, or daughter? For singles or students, think about how it applies to your friends or parents. Commit to share this passage with a family member or friend today. Tomorrow our lesson is Promise Kept from Luke 1: Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher. 31

32 sunday december 23 PROMISE KEPT SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: 32

33 Week of december 24, 2018 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased. Luke 2:14 monday december 24 Luke 2:1-7 Luke describes the birth of Jesus. Luke s description of the birth of Jesus is wonderfully simple and restrained. Due to a mandatory Roman census, Joseph and Mary were forced to leave Galilee and go to Bethlehem. Once they arrived at Bethlehem, the virgin Mary gave birth to the incarnate Christ, wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn (Luke 2:7). Even in this simple description, though, we find evidence that the birth of Jesus Christ was the most glorious birth in all history. This was no standard birth; this was the birth of the infinite King of the universe. Luke tells us that the time came for this birth. It was a birth that was divinely foretold and planned from the very beginning, when God promised that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). The location of the birth was likewise divinely appointed, for God made the following promise concerning Bethlehem: But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient of days (Micah 5:2). Luke s description is simple, but it is also glorious. He is announcing the most important birth that ever was and ever will be. It is a birth that has implications for each one of our lives, and that set into stone the entire course of human history. Today we read of the birth of the Lord and Savior of the world. O come let us adore What were the circumstances that led Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem? What implications does the birth of Christ have on your life today? Pour out your heart in adoration of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank Him for humbling Himself and taking on humanity so that you could be saved. 33

34 tuesday december 25 Luke 2:8-21 The angels appear to the shepherds revealing God s glory and announcing God s gospel. It is a remarkable thing that God chose to announce the coming of His only begotten Son to shepherds. These were the lowest of society: dirty, gritty, suspect, and oftentimes dangerous. Yet it is also a remarkably fitting thing that God would choose these shepherds, for many of God s chosen agents throughout history have been shepherds, and Jesus Himself is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11). To these shepherds God reveals His glory (Luke 2:9) and announces the gloriously good news of the gospel (Luke 2:10-12). This good news is so glorious that it prompts an outburst of praise from the multitudes of heaven: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased! (Luke 2:14). The shepherds heed the voice of the angel. They go to Bethlehem and they find the baby lying in a manger (Luke 2:16). Their response is not unlike the hosts of heaven: they return to their flocks glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them (Luke 2:20). Brothers and sisters, set aside some time on this Christmas day to respond to your Lord Jesus in like form. This is Christ the Lord, the Savior of the world, who was born of the virgin Mary over two-thousand years ago. Lift up your praises to Him today. How did people perceive shepherds in the time of Jesus birth? What can you learn from the shepherd s response to Jesus that you can apply to your relationship with Jesus? Lift your praises to Christ the King today. Adore Him, exalt Him, and pour out an offering of thanksgiving for His incarnation. 34

35 wednesday december 26 Genesis 29:31 30:24 Rachel, Leah, and their maidservants bear Jacob children. Proverbs 16:9 tells us that the heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. Today s reading is a wonderful illustration of this truth. From the beginning of his time in Paddan-aram, Jacob had his heart set on Rachel (Genesis 29:11, 17-20). But because of the deception of Laban, he ended up with Rachel and Leah. Jacob was gravely sinned against by Laban, but God did not waste Jacob s pain. Through Rachel and Leah (and their maidservants), God brought forth the twelve tribes of Israel. Jacob s domestic situation was frankly a disaster. Not only did he have two wives, but he also followed his grandfather Abraham by sleeping with his wives maidservants. Yet God did not waste this brokenness. God had an eternal plan that He was unfolding, even amid the sin-stricken circumstances of Jacob. Perhaps the most significant information we receive in this passage is that Leah bore a son, and called his name Judah (Genesis 29:35). Later, in the New Testament, we find that Judah is an essential link in the genealogy of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ (Matthew 1:16). While Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus (Mary was a virgin when Jesus was born), the genealogies in Matthew and Luke reveal that it is through Joseph that Jesus is associated with the family line of Abraham and David. And an essential link between the lines of Abraham and David is Judah, the son of Jacob and Leah! Jacob did not want to marry Leah; he did not want to be thrust into the difficult domestic situation that today s reading described. But God, in His sovereignty, used this situation to produce an essential link in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:1). Does this not show us how God is sovereign in the details of life, ultimately working all things together for the glory of our King Jesus and the good of His people? It is because of the petty deception of Laban, and the broken domestic circumstances of Jacob, that we will one day stand in rapt exaltation before the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5). What is the significance of the detailed account of Jacob s children in today s passage? What is one way that you can honor and love your pastors as they strive to shepherd your soul? Fall down in worship before your sovereign God today. Pray a prayer reflecting on Paul s doxology in Romans 11: Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! 35

36 thursday december 27 Genesis 30:25-43 Laban is both blessed and cursed through Jacob. One of the most important elements of God s covenant promises to Abraham was blessing. God told Abraham, 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 12:2-3). We see both the positive and the negative implications of God s covenant promises in today s passage. Laban recognizes that through Jacob he is receiving the blessing of the Lord (Genesis 30:27). But now that Jacob has fulfilled his obligation of fourteen years labor as the bridal price for Rachel and Leah, he is ready to go out on his own (Genesis 30:25-26). Laban resists this and asks Jacob what his price would be to stay (Genesis 30:28). Jacob, in reply, asks Laban for the speckled and spotted sheep and the black lambs to keep as his own (Genesis 30:29-33). And this is where things go awry for Laban. He once again tries to deceive Jacob by taking all the speckled and spotted sheep and the black lambs and giving them to his sons, basically leaving Jacob with nothing (Genesis 30:34-36). Jacob, though, is cunning in his own right, and devises a plan to ensure that he receives all the strong sheep through selective breeding (Genesis 30:37-42). So, then, when all is said and done, Laban receives the feeble sheep and Jacob receives the strong sheep; Laban increases in poverty while Jacob increases in prosperity. Laban attempted to curse Jacob, and according to God s covenant promises he received cursing as a result. In the book of Psalms, King David takes up this idea and applies it to the Messianic Son of God: Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him (Psalm 2:12). Brothers and sisters, let us take refuge in Him today. Why was Laban blessed through Jacob? Why was Laban cursed through Jacob? What is your relationship like with Christ today? Are you rejecting Him or taking refuge in Him? How might today s passage be a catalyst encouraging you to trust in Christ today? Praise God for the refuge that you can have in Christ. Ask that He would help you to take refuge in Him today. 36

37 friday december 28 Genesis 31:1-16 God cares for Jacob and his family. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing is one of the sweetest hymns that we sing as a church. The second verse begins in this way: Here I raise mine Ebenezer, hither by Thine help I m come, And I hope by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. * The word Ebenezer is a Hebrew word that means stone of help, and it comes from 1 Samuel 7:12, where Samuel sets up a stone to commemorate the faithful and steadfast help he received from God. Something very similar could be said about God s dealings with Jacob. Today we see God s faithful and steadfast care of Jacob. Jacob acknowledges, The God of my father has been with me (Genesis 31:5). He knows that God did not permit Laban to harm him in all his years working for him (Genesis 31:7). Though Laban attempted to deceive and impoverish Jacob, God had taken away from him all his wealth and belongings and had given them to Jacob and his family (Genesis 31:16). So, then, it comes as no surprise that at just the right time God appears to Jacob and says, Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you (Genesis 31:3). Why did God treat Jacob with such care and why is He so graciously leading Jacob home? It is because Jacob is a child of the covenant, a beneficiary of the promises God made to Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 31:12-13). Could not Jacob have sung Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing? Could he not have said, Here I raise mine Ebenezer, hither by Thine help I m come, and I hope by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home? Jacob was a child of the covenant, an heir to the promise. But do not forget that so are we who trust in Christ! We are the true heirs, the spiritual children of Abraham and the final inheritors of the promises of God! So, then, if God cared so graciously for Jacob, helping him in his times of need and bringing him safely home, how much more will God care for us! We are not home yet, brothers and sisters. We are sojourners in a land that is not our own. Yet we have a God who is our help, and He will bring us safely home to Himself in Christ. So trust Him today! In what ways did God care for Jacob during his time with Laban? What life circumstances are you currently experiencing? How can you apply the character of God revealed in today s reading to your present circumstances? Pour out your thanks to God today for being a God who intimately cares for His children. Express your hope in Him and your dependence on Him. Express your confidence that in the end He will bring you safely home by His good pleasure. 37

38 saturday december 29 As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you. Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? In what areas of your life do these truths apply? In what ways do you plan to put the truths you ve observed this week into practice? Family Focus: Now take the verse or passage that stood out to you and think about how you can share it with your family. How does it apply to your husband, wife, son, or daughter? For singles or students, think about how it applies to your friends or parents. Commit to share this passage with a family member or friend today. Tomorrow our lesson is Home! from Genesis 31:2-16. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher. 38

39 sunday december 30 HOME! SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: 39

40 Week of december 31, 2018 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE Then he said, Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed. Genesis 32:28 monday december Genesis 31: Jacob flees Paddan-aram and Laban pursues him. Proverbs 11:3 tells us, The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Treachery, lying, and deceit always lead to brokenness and, ultimately, to destruction. We have been watching this play out in the lives of Laban and Jacob. Over the past couple weeks, we have seen them deceive one another repeatedly. Each time this occurs it leaves another fissure in their relationship. All of this comes to a head in today s passage when Jacob leaves Paddan-aram with his wives and children and livestock without telling Laban. When Laban hears of Jacob s departure, he is undoubtedly shocked and angered that his son-in-law took his daughters, grandchildren, and possessions and fled. So Laban pursues Jacob and after seven days of pursuit he overtakes Jacob. The scene before us today is a striking image of the destructive effects of sin in our lives. Jacob and Laban should have loved one another. Laban was the father of Jacob s wives, Jacob the father of Laban s grandchildren. They had labored together for years, and their lives were intimately intertwined. Yet because of sin, because of deception on the part of both Laban and Jacob, they appeared to hate one another. This sad scene should cause us to hate sin, just as God hates sin. But this sad scene shouldn t leave us without hope. We have a God who glories in reconciliation. We have seen this most clearly at the cross of Christ, where Jesus died so that we might be reconciled to God. But we also see it here in Genesis. Tomorrow, we will see how Jacob and Laban experience partial reconciliation in their relationship with one another. In what ways have Jacob and Laban deceived one another? What has this done to their relationship? Have you ever deceived someone that you loved? Has someone you loved ever deceived you? How might today s passage be instructive when it comes to how we relate with our loved ones? Praise God today for being a God of reconciliation. Ask Him to forgive you for any times that you have been deceptive. Ask Him to help you forgive anyone that has deceived you. Ask Him to help you to walk in integrity as you seek to honor your Lord Jesus Christ. 40

41 tuesday January 1 Genesis 31:17-55 Jacob and Laban make a covenant. Yesterday we observed how the deceit of Laban and Jacob severely fractured their relationship. Today, however, we observe how their relationship was at least partially restored. God desires that as much as possible, on our part, that we live at peace with others (Romans 12:18). We know it was God s desire that Laban and Jacob be restored, for God comes to Laban and says, Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad (Genesis 31:24). Laban takes God s words as a warning against doing Jacob harm (Genesis 31:29), and Jacob sees them as a vindication of his righteousness: God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night (Genesis 31:42). In either case, God brings Laban and Jacob together in the hill country of Gilead; and after some heated arguments, they settle their disputes by making a covenant. Yet even in the covenant of peace that they make, there are some indications that disunity still exists between them. First, notice that both Jacob and Laban set up different witnesses to commemorate the covenant. Jacob sets up only one stone as a pillar, while his kinsmen (Laban and his companions) set up a heap of stones. Jacob and Laban are therefore still divided in the manner of the covenant. They are also divided in the result of the covenant. Laban says to Jacob, See this heap and the pillar, which I have set up between you and me (Genesis 31:51). The covenant, instead of bringing these men together in unity, actually divides them. It stands as a witness that neither one will pass over to the side of the other (Genesis 31:52). In terms of reconciliation, the text leaves us with much to be desired in the relationship of Jacob and Laban. What a wonderful contrast this is to the new covenant that we as followers of Christ have before God. While Jacob and Laban establish a covenant with stones, Jesus Christ establishes a new covenant with His blood, which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28). He is the One who will enable us to live at peace with others. While Jacob and Laban s covenant merely prevents each man from continuing to sin against the other, the new covenant in Jesus blood completely wipes away our sin, making us pure and reconciling us to God completely and in every way imaginable. Let us fall down in worship today before the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac. What are the stipulations of the covenant that Jacob and Laban make with one another? Is there anyone in your life to whom you need to be reconciled? How might today s passage impact the way you seek reconciliation with that person? What can we learn from Jesus about reconciliation? Thank God today that the covenant established by the blood of Jesus is so much better than the covenant established between Jacob and Laban. Thank Him that He has fully reconciled you to God through His blood. Ask that He would help you reconcile with others as well. 41

42 wednesday january 2 Genesis 32:1-21 Jacob fears Esau but prays to God. While Jacob and Laban might not have ended their relationship with full reconciliation, they at least ended it peacefully. Now, as Jacob enters into the country of Edom, which was settled by his brother Esau, he begins to fear another nasty encounter. We continue to see the heartache that Jacob s deceptiveness causes him. It contributed to the brokenness in his relationship with Laban, and now it is causing him more trouble as he anticipates seeing his brother again for the first time in twenty years. And, admittedly, things don t look good for Jacob. He sends out messengers who return and tell him that Esau is approaching with four hundred men. All appearances suggest that an attack is imminent. So Jacob prepares a series of gifts for Esau to hopefully pacify him. Yet right in the middle of this scene of Jacob s fear and efforts at appeasement, we see Jacob praying to God. Though Jacob s situation is of his own making, though he is shriveling before his brother in fear, he responds rightly to his situation by praying. In his prayer he shows humility and contrition of heart: I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant (Genesis 32:10). He also shows confidence in the Word of God by repeating back to God what God had already said to him (Genesis 32:9, 12). And in the context of this humility, contrition, and dependence on God s Word, he makes his request made known to God: Please deliver me from the hand of my brother (Genesis 32:11). Jacob is not the perfect role model; he is deeply flawed in many ways. We should be careful when we draw lessons of morality from his life. But today we do find something commendable in him. We find him praying to God with a proper heart, in a proper manner, and with a proper request. Let us pray likewise! How does Jacob respond to the prospect of an attack from Esau? What is your prayer life like? What can you take away from today s passage that will help improve your prayer life? Praise God today that we can approach Him in prayer. Thank Him for making this possible through the redeeming blood of Christ. As you pray, ask that you would abound in prayer all the more. 42

43 thursday january 3 Genesis 32:22-32 Jacob met with God in his solitude. Jacob s wrestling match with God is one of the more famous episodes that we find the book of Genesis. While wrestling has been popularized in our culture by pro wrestlers and MMA fighters, the biblical text is a wondrous testament to the transforming power of God s grace. Today we will look at the conditions that led to the event of Jacob wrestling with God, and tomorrow we will look at the event itself. Jacob knew that Esau was coming. He was afraid, but he was also depending on God in prayer. Today s text tells us something else very important about the condition that Jacob was in: he was left alone (Genesis 32:24). Amid the hustle and bustle of travelling with all his family, all his servants, and all his possessions, Jacob found a sliver of solitude. In Scripture, it is often true that God reveals Himself to His people in times of solitude. God would reveal Himself to Moses in a tent pitched outside the camp (Exodus 33:7-11); Elijah heard the gentle whisper of the Lord while he was alone in a cave (1 Kings 19:9-12); God called the psalmist to Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10); Jesus oftentimes spent time praying to His Father in solitude (Matthew 14:13; Mark 1:12-13, 35; Luke 5:16; 6:12-13; 11:2; John 6:15). It is in his solitude that Jacob experienced a transforming encounter with God. Let us also seek a sliver of solitude from our busy schedules this week, whether it be five minutes or five hours, in order to fix our minds firmly on the Lord and listen attentively to His Word. What were the conditions of Jacob s meeting with God? When did you last spend time in silence and solitude? What are some practical ways for you to find a sliver of it in your schedule? Take some time right now to be still, and know that He is God. Ask that He would give you an attentive and receptive heart to His Word. Ask that He would help you draw near to Him today. 43

44 friday january 4 Genesis 32:22-32 Jacob wrestles with God and is transformed in the process. The solitude that Jacob experienced was suddenly interrupted when a man appeared and engaged him in an all-night wrestling match. Jacob fought valiantly, but he fought valiantly against one who was infinitely more powerful than he. After a whole night of fighting, one touch to the hip from this stranger and Jacob s hip was put out of joint. But Jacob pressed on he clung to his opponent and said, I will not let you go unless you bless me (Genesis 32:26). It seems that at some point Jacob realized who it was he was wrestling, that he was in fact striving with God. Yet he strove with boldness and persistence, insisting that God would give him the blessing He promised to Abraham and Isaac. God, in fact, did give him this blessing. Just as Abram had received the new name of Abraham from God, so Jacob received a new name from God: Israel. Israel means he strives with God, and it describes Jacob s dramatic encounter with God. But it does more than that. It replaces a shameful name, for Jacob means he cheats. Jacob met God, and his life was never the same. His very name (Israel) suggests the fact that his life was now defined by His relationship with God, not his predilection for deception. Have you encountered God in this way? Have you come to know Jesus in such a way that your life has been transformed, that you have moved from death to life, from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, from stubborn rebellion to repentance, from apathy toward God to affection for God? This is the mark of true saving faith. In what way does Jacob encounter God? What happens in his encounter with God? How would you describe your relationship with God? In what ways has God transformed your life? Praise God today that His grace meets us squarely in the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Praise Him that you can continually access this grace, day-by-day, moment-bymoment, in His Word, in prayer, and among His people. 44

45 saturday october 6 As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you. Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? In what areas of your life do these truths apply? In what ways do you plan to put the truths you ve observed this week into practice? Family Focus: Now take the verse or passage that stood out to you and think about how you can share it with your family. How does it apply to your husband, wife, son, or daughter? For singles or students, think about how it applies to your friends or parents. Commit to share this passage with a family member or friend today. Tomorrow our lesson is Transformed from Genesis 32: Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher. 45

46 sunday january 6 TRANSFORMED SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: 46

47 Week of january 7, 2019 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE Bear one another s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Romans 5:10-11 monday january 7 Genesis 33:1-15 Jacob and Esau meet and reconcile. Last week we concluded with Jacob s transforming encounter with God at Peniel, which was marked by the changing of his name to Israel. In the episode that immediately follows this experience, we begin to see evidence of the transformation that Jacob underwent. The passage before us today narrates Jacob s meeting with Esau, and it functions as a contrast to Jacob s previous meeting with Laban. When Jacob met Laban, the two ended things on peaceful yet cold terms. But Jacob s meeting with Esau is characterized by warm, fraternal reconciliation. So what is the difference between Jacob s meeting with Laban and his meeting with Esau? While several factors are at play, one of the main reasons his meeting with Esau went so well is because of the humility he showed. We see that Jacob offered up to Esau all that he had (Genesis 33:2), and that when he himself approached Esau, he did so with the disposition of a servant, bowing to the ground seven times (Genesis 33:3). Moreover, throughout the narrative we see Jacob showing deference and respect to Esau. If you remember back to Jacob s previous dealings with his older brother Esau, this is a marked change. Where Jacob once practiced deceit, he now shows esteem; where he once thought of his own interests, he now thinks of Esau s interests. In short, Jacob operates out of humility in his relationship with his brother. And the result of his newfound humility is that he is reconciled to his brother. As you wrap up your devotion this morning, turn to Philippians 2:1-11. Meditate on the humility of the Lord Jesus Christ, and how through His humility He reconciled you to God. How is Jacob s encounter with Esau different from his previous encounter with Laban? What are some practical ways you can grow in humility today? In what ways can you put the interests of others above your own today? Praise God for the humility of Christ today. Thank Him for humbling Himself on your behalf. Ask that He would help you to have this same mind and to operate out of humility today. 47

48 tuesday January 8 Psalm 133 Psalm 133 describes the beauty of unity. Psalm 133 is one of the shortest psalms in the Psalter, yet its theme is one of the loftiest and most majestic. The guiding thought that binds these verses together is, When brothers dwell together in unity (Psalm 133:1). David gives us two value judgments and then two similes in his treatment of when brothers dwell together in unity. First, it is good when brothers dwell together in unity. When brothers live together in peaceful communion with one another, they are doing what is right and fitting in the sight of God. Just as God looked down on His perfect creation and said, It is good, so also He looks down on brothers dwelling together in unity and says, It is good (Psalm 133:1). It is also pleasant when brothers dwell together in unity (Psalm 133:1). It brings God and His people pleasure; it is a phenomenon of joy. When brothers dwell together in unity it is like the consecration oil running from the head of Aaron, down his beard, and onto his robes (Psalm 133:2). This image may strike us as strange and even a bit comical, but in Israel it would have had major significance. The oil that David refers to is the oil of consecration, the oil that would be poured over the high priest to make him clean to enter the Holy of Holies. Unity between brothers is a most holy thing. When brothers dwell together in unity it is like the dew of Hermon falling on Mount Zion (Psalm 133:3). This dew nourishes the vegetation in the dry season and helps to produce a fruitful land. Unity between brothers carries forward the life and blessing of God s covenant with His people, in which He promised a fruitful land for Israel. While this description of brothers dwelling together in unity originally had in mind the congregation of Israel, God has similar purposes for the church of Jesus Christ. Wrap up your devotion today by reading Ephesians 4:1-16 and meditating on the kind of unity that Christ accomplished for His body, the church. Let us strive for such unity today! In what ways does David describe unity between brothers in today s passage? How might you begin to experience the beauty of unity in your own life? What steps do you need to take today to work in the direction of unity? Thank God for the goodness and pleasantness and holiness and abundance of unity. Thank Him for His love for us, in that He sent Christ so the church could experience this unity. Ask Him that He would help you foster unity in your relationships with others today. 48

49 wednesday january 9 Proverbs 17:9-13 It is wise to seek unity, even when we are sinned against. Yesterday we looked at the beauty of unity. Today we look at the wisdom of unity. In this section of Proverbs, Solomon gives us several examples of how people respond when someone offends them. Some of the responses are wise and some are foolish. Oftentimes, when someone lays an offense against you, the wisest response is to cover that offense (Proverbs 17:9). This doesn t mean we cover it up, acting like it never happened or concealing that it ever happened. In fact, as Christians we have a duty to make some offenses (such as abuse) known for the protection of the offended party. This also doesn t mean we sweep sin that was committed against us under the rug, expecting that it will never be dealt with by God. Rather, it means patiently bearing up under the offense out of the love that we have for the offending party (c.f. 1 Corinthians 13:4) and trusting that God in His sovereignty and goodness will ultimately right all wrongs and deal justly with all sin. Such a response has been modeled to us by God Himself, who practiced divine forbearance by passing over former sins (Romans 3:25), and then rightly dealing with those former sins through Christ s substitutionary, atoning death on the cross. In these actions of God we find the supreme example of love (1 John 4:7-12), and we would do well to live out that example in our own lives by bearing up under the offenses of others. Certainly there is a place to rebuke a brother who has sinned against us for the sake of his sanctification and restoration (Proverbs 17:10), but the hallmark of our faith is the forgiveness of sins. As we grow up into Christlikeness, may we grow up into unity with one another as we lovingly bear up under one another s offenses. In today s devotion, we only covered the responses that appear in verses 9 and 10. What other wise and foolish responses to offense do we see in today s passage? Can you think of some present examples in your life where you can cover an offense out of love for the purpose of unity? How will you do that practically? Praise God today that He covered the offense of your sin with the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. Thank Him for the right standing that you have with Him because of the substitutionary, atoning death of Christ. Ask that He would help you to bear up under the offenses of others as you pursue Christlikeness in your life. 49

50 thursday january 10 Matthew 5:21-26, Jesus teaches about reconciliation in the Sermon on the Mount. The teaching of Jesus about reconciliation in the Sermon on the Mount has often been regarded as radical. As we read these words, we are tempted to ask, Who could actually do these things? Who can live in a constant state of peace with his brothers, both outwardly in terms of action and inwardly in terms of heart attitude? Who can have such keen insight into the human heart that they identify the need to be reconciled with a brother before going to the altar to worship? Who can consistently turn the other cheek, give away the second cloak, or go the extra mile? What kind of man can actually love his enemies? It is no wonder that at the end of this teaching on the high calling of unity and reconciliation, Jesus says, You therefore must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. These are the demands of holiness. But who can meet them? The answer, of course, is that in and of ourselves none of us can. There is only one who is perfectly holy, and His name is Jesus Christ. One of the primary purposes of the Sermon on the Mount is to help us realize that we have gravely disobeyed the law of God and thus have earned for ourselves an infinite sentence of punishment. And yet in Christ we have infinite hope. Though we could never meet the demands of God s holiness, Christ can and did. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus lays before us the absolute demands of God s law, only to show us that He is the ultimate fulfillment of that law. In His life Christ fulfilled the righteous requirement of the law, in His death He met the demands of God s wrath due to our disobedience to that law, and in His resurrection He conquered once and for all the sentence that each of us earned the penalty of death. Jesus did these things for us so that we could be made right, so that we could live lives consistent with the high calling of the Sermon on the Mount. So let us rise from our devotions today empowered by the wonderful news of the gospel. Christ has taken away our guilt, He has freed us from sin. Let us rise today empowered to be reconciled with our brothers, to respond in peace to those who would harm us, and to love our enemies. This is the very reason that Christ came, died, and rose again. Let us live lives worthy of this glorious gospel today. What does Jesus teach about how we should relate to our brothers and sisters in Christ? To those who would harm us? To our enemies? What aspect of the teaching of Christ can you draw from today and apply to your life? What is your practical plan for applying this teaching? Thank God today for the Sermon on the Mount. Thank God for Jesus strong teaching on love and reconciliation. Ask that He would help you, empowered by the gospel, to live a life of love and reconciliation. 50

51 friday january 11 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Christ reconciled us to Himself in order to make us agents of reconciliation. This week we have been looking at the theme of reconciliation from several different angles and passages of Scripture. We will conclude the week today by taking a closer look at the ultimate source, motivation, and example of reconciliation: our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul tells us that Christ reconciled us to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:18). Paul also tells us the means of this reconciliation. God, in His infinite goodness and wisdom, and in His perfect timing, carried out the Great Exchange. On the cross, Christ took all of our sins upon Himself and God counted those sins against Him. In exchange for our sins, God counted toward us the perfect righteousness of Christ. If we were to look at this exchange from a business, or even a human perspective, we would have to conclude that it was the worst trade in all of history. Christ got everything bad our sins, God s wrath, death and we got everything good Christ s righteousness, forgiveness, and reconciliation with the Father. And yet this is the glory of the gospel. God gave everything for us, so that we might know Him and love Him and live in a manner that brings Him glory. Indeed, the wonderful reality of Christ s work on the cross is that in Him we have been made a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Not only have we been reconciled, but in Him we have become reconcilers and have been given the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). As ambassadors of Christ, we have been entrusted with the message of reconciliation, God making His appeal of reconciliation to a lost and dying world through us. We have been reconciled so that we might become agents of reconciliation. We have been made ambassadors of the King; we have been given a noble post. Let us not squander it. Let us go out into this lost and dying world and boldly proclaim the message of reconciliation that we have received from Him! In what way did Christ accomplish our reconciliation with the Father? What does it mean to be an ambassador of Christ? In what ways can you live out your ambassadorship for Christ today? Thank God for the Great Exchange. Thank Him that Christ took all our sin and gave us His righteousness in exchange. Thank Him that in Christ we have been given a new identity sons of the living God and ambassadors for Christ. 51

52 saturday january 12 As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you. Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? In what areas of your life do these truths apply? In what ways do you plan to put the truths you ve observed this week into practice? Family Focus: Now take the verse or passage that stood out to you and think about how you can share it with your family. How does it apply to your husband, wife, son, or daughter? For singles or students, think about how it applies to your friends or parents. Commit to share this passage with a family member or friend today. Tomorrow our lesson is Reconciled from Genesis 33:1-15. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher. 52

53 sunday january 13 RECONCILED SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: 53

54 Week of january 14, 2018 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27 monday january 14 Genesis 1:27 At the pinnacle of the creation story is the sanctity of human life. This coming week we will celebrate Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. This is a day in which the church focuses on the intrinsic worth and value of human life. The Bible teaches us that humans are created in the image of God. This is the central reason why we emphasize the sanctity of human life. It is a truth rooted in the creation story: God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Genesis 1:27). These are staggering words: as humans, we are image bearers of the Triune Holy God. We resemble Him in our moral, social, spiritual, and intellectual capacities. We represent Him on the earth He created and in which He commanded us to multiply and have dominion (Genesis 1:28-30). We are His representatives, carrying out His purposes and plans under the direction of His sovereign will. We are His sons, created for the specific purpose of loving Him and worshiping Him and glorifying His name. In all these things we find our identity as image-bearers of God. And yet, as we know, we don t always do these things as He created us to do them. We are broken images, shattered by the Fall of Genesis 3. And yet God in His goodness did not discard His broken image-bearers. Rather, He made us a promise. He promised us that one day the seed of the woman would come, crushing the head of the serpent and making all things right again. He would come to restore the broken image of God in us that was shattered by the Fall. And the good news of the gospel is that He did come. He came and through faith in Him, Paul tells us that we are created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:24). This is the supreme object of human life. This is what sanctity of human life is all about. What does it mean to be an image-bearer of God? In what ways can you be a better image-bearer of God today? Thank God for His marvelous work of creation. Stand in wonder of the fact that He is mindful of you, cares for you, and has created you for the express purpose of bearing His image. 54

55 tuesday january 15 Genesis 5:1-3 Though the image of God in man was marred in the Fall, it carries on through Adam s offspring. Though Genesis 3 is early in the storyline of Scripture, it truly is a watershed moment. Other than the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, it may be the most pivotal moment in all human history. Adam and Eve were created in God s image, and they lived in perfect innocence and bliss in the Garden as His image bearers. And yet sin entered the picture and they fell from grace. As soon as sin entered their hearts, the image of God within them was tainted and they knew that things would never be the same for them. Guilt and shame followed, and they found themselves hiding from God behind the cover of bushes and fig leaves. It is natural to ask the question: Is any of the image of God left in them after such a catastrophic descent? Has it been marred beyond recognition? Does it still exist at all? Genesis 5:1-3 helps us to answer these questions. Moses begins by reaffirming that God made man in the likeness of God (Genesis 5:1). But we also find a clear affirmation that the image of God in Adam was passed down to his offspring: When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth (Genesis 5:3). In Seth we find a beacon of hope. The image may have been marred in Adam after the Fall, but it is an image nonetheless, and he passes it down to his son Seth. In the passing of the image we find the hope of restoration, the hope that one day the seed of the woman would appear to set all things right again. This is a hope that was ultimately fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is Himself the second Adam, the true imagebearer of God, being Himself God in the flesh. What evidence is there in today s passage that the image of God in man was not destroyed in the Fall? How might the truth, that the image of God continues to be passed down to our offspring, impact the way we think about human life today? Praise God today for His mercy and kindness. At the point that our father Adam sinned in the garden, we deserved nothing but death. And yet, He has given us life. Thank Him for life today. 55

56 wednesday january 16 Genesis 9:1-7 Even after the flood, the imago dei (image of God) carries on. Have you ever seen the movie Groundhog Day? The key motif in this movie is repetition. Phil, a disgruntled weather man, must cover a Groundhog Day story about a meteorological rat for the fourth year in a row. After he covers the story, though, he wakes up the next day to find that it is Groundhog Day again, and again, and again, and again. While the subject of Genesis is infinitely more serious than that of Groundhog Day, we find a similar repetitiveness in Genesis. God creates man in His own image, but then man sins against God and mars that image. God reaffirms that His image has carried on to Seth, but again after a while another kind of fall occurs. God looked down and saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5). Just as God cursed Adam, Eve, and the serpent in the Garden, so now He curses all the earth with a great flood. But, just as there is hope in Genesis 3 in the promise of the seed of the woman who will set all things right, and just as there is hope in the reaffirmation of the imago dei in Genesis 5, so now God provides hope and promise. He saves Noah and his family from the flood, and He once again reaffirms the image of God within them. He says, Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in His own image (Genesis 9:6). Even though Adam and Eve fell from grace and the whole world was destroyed by the flood due to the wickedness of their hearts, still the image of God carries on in Noah and his family. There is some added weightiness to this passage that we haven t seen in the previous ones. Because we are created in the image of God, making life so valuable and precious, it is a heinous offense to take human life. In fact, God says, Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed (Genesis 9:6). Brothers and sisters, each human life is an image-bearer of the Triune Holy God that we love, serve, and worship. We must therefore do everything in our power to protect such life! What patterns emerge as we think about the first nine chapters of Genesis? What similarities and differences exist between the Creation/Fall account and the Flood account? What are some practical applications to the message of Genesis 9:6? Think about applications for your life in particular and our culture in general. Thank God for the weight that He gives to the sanctity of human life. Thank Him that He cares about life dearly. Ask Him to help you to see and feel the weight of your own life and the lives of others. 56

57 thursday january 17 Ephesians 4:17-24 When we are in Christ, the image of God is restored in us. So far this quarter we have talked a lot about the promised seed of Genesis 3:15 the one who would come and who would set all things right, who would restore the image of God in man. Ephesians 4 gives us a glorious picture of this promised seed. The seed to whom Genesis 3:15 ultimately points is, of course, our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 4:24 points to a wonderful reality for those who are in Christ: put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. In Christ, the broken image is restored, the effects of the Fall reversed. While every human being carries the image of God, it is those who trust in Christ who see that image restored to something of its original glory. Certainly, sin will be present in our hearts and lives until the Lord takes us home or returns in glory. And yet, the process of sanctification is the process of becoming more like Christ and therefore becoming more like the image-bearers that God created us to be. This is the process that Ephesians 4:24 describes. In Christ we are given a new self, and it is a self that is forged in the likeness of God. Where the old self indulged in unrighteousness and evil, the new self glories in righteousness and holiness. If you are in Christ, these are realities that are true in you. Are you living these realities today? How does being in Christ impact the image of God in us? What are the practical implications for your life of being in Christ, having a new life, and being created in the likeness of God? How should these realities change the way that you live? Praise God for the restoration He has provided for us in Christ. Thank Him that He did not leave us to perish in our sin, but through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ He redeemed us for His own glory. 57

58 friday january 18 James 3:9 James uses the image of God in man as a warning for those who curse man. After yesterday s devotion, one might think, Well, sure, Christians now have the image of God within them because they are redeemed in Christ. But what about the rest of the world? Does the universal image of God in every man still exist? Is every human life that is created still created in the image of God? We find a New Testament answer to that question in James 3:9. In this passage, James is talking about taming the tongue. He is explaining the power of the tongue, and how in human terms it is impossible to resist its flaming and restless will. In this context, he says about the tongue: With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God (James 3:9). The hypocrisy of the tongue is astonishing! We lift blessings to God with it, and we spew curses against our fellow man with it. The true irony and horror of this is that our fellow man, whom we curse, is created in the very likeness of the God we bless! James main goal here is to warn his readers of the dangerous power of the tongue. But in so doing, he has provided us with New Testament evidence of the enduring presence of the image of God in man. Every person we come across on the street, in the mall, in our homes, in our churches, in the most upscale and the most unsavory parts of our cities, in third world and first world countries, in hospitals and nursing homes and nurseries and in the wombs of mothers is an image-bearer of the Triune Holy God. Let us remember this always. May this truth guide and direct the way that we interact with our fellow man daily. May we care for their immortal souls, and may we do this primarily by stopping at nothing to get the gospel of Jesus Christ to them. Based on today s passage, what is the importance of the image of God in man? How does it impact the way we should treat one another? What is one way that you have increased your understanding of the image of God in man this week? What is one practical step that you can take to fight for the sanctity of human life in your family, in your church, in your city, and in your nation? Praise God today for the enduring presence of the image of God in man. Ask that He would help you to love others as fellow image-bearers of the Triune Holy God. 58

59 saturday january 19 As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you. Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? In what areas of your life do these truths apply? In what ways do you plan to put the truths you ve observed this week into practice? Family Focus: Now take the verse or passage that stood out to you and think about how you can share it with your family. How does it apply to your husband, wife, son, or daughter? For singles or students, think about how it applies to your friends or parents. Commit to share this passage with a family member or friend today. Tomorrow our REACH Jacksonville lesson explains The Gospel and Conversion. Please pray for your teacher and prepare your heart to participate in your Sunday School class. 59

60 sunday january 20 THE GOSPEL AND CONVERSION SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: 60

61 Week of january 21, 2019 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. Genesis 35:11 monday january 21 Genesis 34:1-31 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE Though this episode of the defiling of Dinah reveals several shades of sin, it ultimately points us to our great need for Jesus. The defiling of Dinah is one of the messier episodes in the book of Genesis. We see at least three sinful activities in this passage. First, we see the abuser. Shechem saw Dinah and seized her and lay with her and humiliated her (Genesis 34:2). Although the text notes that Shechem loved Dinah and spoke tenderly to her (Genesis 34:3), we cannot ignore the fact that he committed an act of violence against her. Second, we see the accusers. Even though Shechem sinned gravely against Dinah and against her family, the response of Simeon and Levi to kill all the men in his city was severe. It was a response born out of indignation and anger (Genesis 34:8) and covered by deceit (Genesis 34:13). Finally, we see the appeaser. While Simeon and Levi s response to Dinah s defiling was too severe, Jacob s was too indifferent. He cared more about the financial gains he stood to make from a union with Hamor and Shechem (Genesis: 8-12) and the physical safety of his tribe (Genesis 34:30) than he did about seeking justice for the wrong done against his daughter Dinah. Why would an episode so filled with sinful activities be present in the Bible? One telling fact about this passage of Scripture is that God is not mentioned once. In a Godless text, sin pervades every aspect of the lives of Jacob and his family. This text points us to the absolute necessity of God s moral law to restrain human sin. Moreover, it points us beyond our need for a restraining moral law to our infinitely greater need for a divine Messiah. Even texts like the defiling of Dinah point us to Jesus, because it is only Jesus who can redeem us from the devastating effects of sin in our lives. What kinds of sin are on display in this passage? In what ways can this passage point us to Jesus? Thank God today for teaching you about the destructive effects of sin. Ask Him to keep you from sin and to help you to love and obey Him today. 61

62 tuesday january 22 Genesis 35:1-15 God reaffirms His covenant with Jacob. For the remainder of this week, we will look more closely at what it means for God to be the God of the covenant. In today s passage, God commands Jacob to return to Bethel, where God had previously appeared to him on his way to Laban s house and where he had previously set up a pillar to God (Genesis 28:18). Jacob has grown tremendously in his relationship with God since that time, and we will come to see that his interactions with God evidence that growth. As he approaches Bethel, he commands his whole house to put away foreign gods, purify themselves, and change their garments (Genesis 35:2). Jacob has grown in his understanding of God s holiness. He feels the weight of entering into His presence. Jacob has also grown in His reverence toward God. While he only erected a pillar to God before, now he erects an altar (Genesis 35:3). This altar signifies the way in which God has related to Jacob God has answered Jacob in his distress and been with him wherever he has gone (Genesis 35:3). God, as the God of the covenant, is a present and protecting God. He has kept Jacob from harm and has guided him in the way he should go. God reveals his care for Jacob by causing a terror to fall on all the cities around Bethel, so that the inhabitants won t come out and attack Jacob (Genesis 35:5-7). Finally, the God of the covenant is the God of blessing. He blesses Jacob with the blessing of his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac. He gives him a new name, Israel, and promises him fruitfulness and nationhood and royalty (Genesis 35:9-15). Isn t it a wonderful thought that the God of the covenant relates to us in the same way He related to Jacob? Through Christ, God has protected us from eternal hell; He has put His Spirit in us to be present with us always; and He has given us an eternal blessing and made us a fruitful, holy, and royal priesthood. Just as Jacob was a son of the covenant, so also through Christ we are children of the covenant. May we respond to Him today as Jacob did: in reverence, awe, and fear of our holy and righteous covenant God. What characteristics of God are highlighted in today s passage? How might today s passage change the way you view your relationship with God? What steps can you take today to live more faithfully in the presence of your covenant God? Praise God today for His past faithfulness to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Thank Him for the faithfulness that He has shown you in Christ Jesus, who came and died and rose again in order to ultimately fulfill the promise of blessing He made to Abraham and his family so long ago. 62

63 wednesday january 23 Genesis 15:1-19 The idea of covenant is very important in the book of Genesis and in the Bible as a whole. So far in our study of Genesis, you have probably come to notice that the idea of covenant is very important. God primarily deals with His people in terms of covenant. His covenant dealings with Abraham and his family are a major milestone in God s covenant relationship with His people through all history. Today and tomorrow we are taking a few steps back to Genesis 15 in order to better understand the idea of covenant and why it is so important in Genesis, in particular, and Scripture, as a whole. Genesis 15 is, in essence, an ancient Near Eastern covenant ceremony. Covenant agreements between states were very common in the ancient Near East. They would include two parties: a suzerain state and a vassal state. The suzerain state was the powerful party, and it would bring protection and support to the covenant. The vassal state was the weaker party, and it would bring allegiance and subservience to the covenant. Together, the two parties would make a mutually beneficial alliance. Now, some of you business folks just thought, Ah, it is like a contract then. In some ways it is like a contract, but it also differs in some major ways too. One major way it differs is in the kind of relationship that exists between covenant partners and contractual partners. In a contractual relationship, the focus is not on personal fidelity or alliance, but rather on mutual monetary or qualitative gains. As soon as the gains diminish, one contract might be voided for another. In a covenantal relationship, focus is placed not primarily on the gains of the agreement, but on the parties of the agreement. Each party swears loyalty to the other in an unbreakable vow much like a marriage covenant. And while contractual agreements might have some small penalty if either party unduly voids the contract, oftentimes in the ancient Near East, as we will look at more closely tomorrow in Genesis 15, the penalty for breaking a covenant was death. What are some of the differences between a contract and a covenant? If your relationship with God is primarily defined in terms of a covenant, what are the implications of that for how you relate to Him? Praise God that He is the God of the covenant. Praise Him that He has unilaterally pledged Himself to us as our God and King and Protector and Lord. 63

64 thursday january 24 Genesis 15:1-19 God makes a covenant with Abraham. Genesis 15, in many ways, is a strange and foreign text. We might rightly ask, What is all this talk of heifers and goats and rams being cut in half and being laid each half over against the other? What is all this talk of a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passing through the pieces of carcass? What we have here, believe or not, is a classic ancient Near Eastern covenant ceremony. God, as the suzerain, comes to Abraham and announces His protection of and blessing on Abraham. Abraham, as the vassal, pledges his allegiance and faith to God. Then, in a traditional ancient Near Eastern covenant ceremony, the parties would ratify the covenant by cutting up the sacrificial animals, laying the pieces side by side, and then walking through the bloody alleyway between the pieces. This was imagery; it was ceremony. It was meant to communicate, If either of us breaks this covenant between us, may we become like these bloody pieces through which we are walking. May we perish. The covenant was ratified in blood, and the penalty for infidelity was blood. God s covenant with Abraham was a little bit different though. And the reason it was different is because of how the covenant was ratified. Look at the text: Who or what was it that passed through the pieces? It was not God and Abraham, it was a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch. It was the presence of God and Him alone that walked through the pieces. God, in essence, was saying that He will assume all of the liability for the covenant. God alone walked through the pieces so that if either God or Abraham breaks the covenant, the punishment will fall on God and Him alone. We know, of course, that Abraham and his descendants did break the covenant. They broke it in many ways and at many times. And yet God, in His faithfulness, kept up His end of the covenant. Just as the covenant was ratified in blood, so also God fulfilled the covenant with blood, the blood of His one and only Son Jesus Christ. We broke the covenant, brothers and sisters, and the right and just punishment is our blood. Yet at the moment that God walked through the pieces alone in Genesis 15, He signaled to us that He was committed to paying the penalty of death on our behalf. And in Christ, He has done just that! Stand in awe at the grace of God today! Why does the text tell us that a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch pass through the pieces? What is the significance of this imagery? What impact does this passage have on the way you view your relationship with God? What effect does the truth have on your heart that God committed Himself, in Christ, to the cross when He knew you would break the covenant? Praise God today for His grace and kindness that is yours in Jesus Christ. Thank Christ for sacrificing Himself on your behalf, a plan set in stone from the very beginning! Ask Him to help you love Him and worship Him today. 64

65 friday january 25 Genesis 35:1-15 The blessings of the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob result in the curse of the cross for Christ. Now that we have gained a deeper understanding of the covenant and its importance in Genesis and the Bible as a whole, we can return to God s reaffirmation of the covenant with Jacob with a greater sense of appreciation. God, despite all of Jacob s shortcomings and acts of rebellion, stands behind His covenant promises. Jacob, the deceiver and the cheat, is the beneficiary of the covenant faithfulness of God. It is as if God says to Jacob, Every scam you have pulled, every lie you have told, every act of rebellion you have committed against your God, I will pay the penalty for. For every promise of blessing to Jacob there is a promise of cursing to Christ. Every sin that God passes over in order to remain faithful to the covenant is a sin for which Christ will endure the wrath of God. These are staggering truths that should lead us to worship. Such realities should lead us to say with the apostle John, See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are (1 John 3:1). May we lift our hearts in praise to our covenant keeping God today. What is the connection between God s keeping of the covenant and Jesus going to the cross? What should your heart s response be when you consider the fact that every sin for which you are forgiven is a sin for which Jesus suffered the wrath of God? Praise God for the good news of the gospel that Christ became a curse for you so that you could receive the blessings of God. Ask Him to help you increase in your thanksgiving toward Him today. 65

66 saturday january 26 As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you. Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? In what areas of your life do these truths apply? In what ways do you plan to put the truths you ve observed this week into practice? Family Focus: Now take the verse or passage that stood out to you and think about how you can share it with your family. How does it apply to your husband, wife, son, or daughter? For singles or students, think about how it applies to your friends or parents. Commit to share this passage with a family member or friend today. Tomorrow our REACH Jacksonville lesson explains what Evangelism is. Please pray for your teacher and prepare your heart to participate in your 66

67 sunday january 27 EVANGELISM SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: 67

68 Week of january 28, 2019 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE 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 nations that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. Genesis 15:13-14 monday january 28 Genesis 35:16-27 With the deaths of Rachel and Isaac and the birth of Benjamin, one chapter ends and another begins. There is a sense of finality and completeness that resounds through today s passage. With the death of Rachel and Isaac, one chapter ends. But with the completion of Jacob s family of twelve sons, the last being Benjamin, a new chapter begins. We have already seen two episodes in which God has given Jacob the new name, Israel. While the text continues to call him Jacob, it is fitting that he is called Israel several times in this passage. With the deaths of Rachel and Isaac, the focus of the narrative is shifting from him as an individual to the nation that God will build through him, the nation of Israel. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon wisely tells us that for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2). The deaths of Rachel and Isaac and the birth of Benjamin mark a change of the seasons. God, in His sovereignty and goodness, gives life and takes it by His own good pleasure, oftentimes for reasons that remain a mystery to us. Yet, we can know for sure some things that God is doing in these events. God is building His people Israel, He is establishing His covenant, and He is preserving His seed. And, therefore, we see grace in this passage. For the events that God sets into motion in today s passage will ultimately lead one day to the birth of another child of Israel named Jesus of Nazareth. He will be the true seed of Israel, and He will ultimately and finally bring God s blessing to all the families of the earth through the good news of the gospel. Why might the listing of Jacob s sons be an important detail in this passage? What season of life are you currently in? How might today s passage help you to have more confidence in God during this season of your life? Ask God to help you to trust Him today no matter what season of life you are in. Ask Him to help you to remember His past faithfulness in your life and in Scripture, so that you can have more confidence in His future faithfulness to you. 68

69 tuesday january 29 Genesis 36:1-43 The genealogy of Esau shows us the faithfulness of God. In the past several chapters in Genesis, we have been reading about the births of Jacob s children. In the following chapters, we will read about the lives of Jacob s children. But in today s chapter, we read about the descendants of Esau. The accounting of Esau s descendants is in many ways evidence of the fulfillment of God s plan and Isaac s paternal blessing. Isaac told Esau, Away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high (Genesis 27:39). In other words, Isaac told Esau that he would not ultimately inherit the land that God promised Abraham. Indeed, the genealogy that we are presented with in this chapter shows us that Esau instead took over the hill country of Seir and established for himself there a people called the Edomites. While Esau did not inherit the promises of God passed down from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob, God did allow him to make of himself a great nation. All these things show God s faithfulness, for He divinely ordered events so that His prophecy to Rebekah, while she was still pregnant with Jacob and Esau, would come to pass: Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger (Genesis 25:23). In the end, God saw to it that both Jacob and Esau became nations. Yet while Esau became the father of the Edomites, who would ultimately be cursed of God, Jacob became the father of the Israelites, the recipients of the rich and bountiful blessings of God. May we rejoice today that in What does Esau s genealogy tell us about his heritage and his relationship with the Lord? List some of the rich and bountiful blessings that are yours today because of Christ. Spend some time today thanking God for each of those rich and bountiful blessings. 69

70 wednesday january 30 Genesis 37:1-11 Though Joseph did many things that resulted in his brothers hating him and being jealous of him, God had a mighty plan for him. One of the most comical and obnoxious characters in C. S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia is Eustace Clarence Scrubb. If you have read The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, you probably feel this strongly. Eustace is the embodiment of all things annoying and insufferable. In fact, the narrator of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader introduces Eustace in this way: There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it. * As we begin the familiar story of Joseph and his brothers, we are aware that Joseph s brothers are about to do horrible things to him. But as we read about Joseph and the way he related to his brothers, it is hard not to smile and say tongue in cheek, He almost deserved it. Somewhat like Eustace, Joseph embodies many of the things that we would associate with an annoying and insufferable sibling. He told on his brothers to his father (Genesis 37:2); he is the favorite child (Genesis 37:3); and he shared with his older brothers the dreams he had about ruling and reigning over them (Genesis 37:5-11). The result of the sum of these things is predictable: Joseph s brothers hate him (Genesis 37:4, 8) and become jealous of him (Genesis 37:11). So, what was God doing with this son of Jacob s old age, whose brothers could not seem to live in peace with him? What we will find in the following narrative is that God was planning to use Joseph in a mighty way to save his father and brothers and ultimately to preserve the family line of Israel that would one day end in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways! (Romans 11:33). What are some of the reasons that Joseph s brothers hated him and were jealous of him? Based on the negative example of Joseph and his brothers, what are some things you can do or not do to foster peaceful living among your brothers and sisters in Christ? Praise God today for His unsearchable judgments and inscrutable ways. Thank Him for putting a plan in motion from the beginning of time to save you from your sins through the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Ask that He would help you to live in peace with your brothers and sisters in Christ today. 70

71 thursday january 31 Genesis 37:12-36 Just as Joseph s brothers rejected him for the message he spoke from God, so also the Jewish leaders rejected Christ for the message He spoke about Himself. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said the following words: You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment (Matthew 5:21-22). The story of Joseph s brothers selling him into slavery is a fitting illustration of Jesus teaching here. The anger and hatred that Joseph s brothers felt for him eventually led to murderous thoughts and actions. Were it not for the interventions of Reuben and Judah, and ultimately God, the scene would almost surely have been one of murder and not slavery. There is a recurrent theme in Scripture of God s people rejecting and doing violence against God s messengers. Stephen talks about this in his sermon before the Jews, before he, as God s messenger, is stoned (Acts 7:9, 51-53). God s plans for Joseph became clear as a messenger of God, preaching a message to his brothers that they did not want to hear. His brothers rejected him for it, nearly murdered him, and then sold him into slavery. Jesus Christ came as the messenger of God, announcing the arrival of God s kingdom in His own arrival. This likewise was a message that the Jewish leaders did not want to hear, and so they rejected and murdered Him for it. Yet, just as God had a perfect plan for the enslavement of Joseph in Egypt, so also He had a perfect plan for the murder of His only begotten Son. That plan was, of course, the redemption of His people through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Why did Joseph s brothers do violence against him? What role did Reuben and Judah play? What connections exist between Joseph s story and the story of Christ? Based on what you read today from Genesis and Acts, how should you respond to God s message when He speaks to you through His Word? Praise God today for His perfect plan even in the murderous actions of the Jewish leaders in the day of Jesus. Ask Him that He would give you a soft and responsive heart to the message of His Word. 71

72 Friday february 1 Genesis 37:12-36 God had a perfect plan for Joseph s enslavement. While the story of Joseph being sold into slavery is primarily dark and depressing, it does end with a ray of hope: Meanwhile, the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard (Genesis 37:36). For most of the passage, the temptation for us is to think, Where is God in all of this violence and human suffering? Will God allow chaos to reign in this situation? But this final verse in the narrative connects everything that Joseph is going through with the perfect plan of God. God had told Abraham generations ago, 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 nations that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions (Genesis 15:13-14). These verses should help us breathe a sigh of relief and say, Ah, all things have not succumbed to chaos. These events, though hard and sad and evil, are a link in the great chain of God s plan for the ages. God knew from before the beginning of time that Joseph would suffer slavery, that His people would be enslaved in Egypt, and that He would decisively and majestically deliver them at the right time. Brothers and sisters, as you enter this weekend, be encouraged that your confidence in God is not misplaced. He is trustworthy. He knows what He is doing. Just as God was leading Joseph through his afflictions with His kind and gracious hand, according to His purpose and for His glory, so also He is leading and guiding you. What was God s plan for Joseph s enslavement? What did God accomplish through Joseph s affliction? How might understanding God s perfect plan in Joseph s situation of life help you to trust God in your situation of life? Praise God today for His divine Providence. Thank Him that His plans are always good and perfect for the affliction of Joseph, for the death of His Son, and for the events of your life, too. Ask Him to help you trust Him today. 72

73 Saturday february 2 As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you. Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? In what areas of your life do these truths apply? In what ways do you plan to put the truths you ve observed this week into practice? Family Focus: Now take the verse or passage that stood out to you and think about how you can share it with your family. How does it apply to your husband, wife, son, or daughter? For singles or students, think about how it applies to your friends or parents. Commit to share this passage with a family member or friend today. Tomorrow our REACH Jacksonville lesson explains Relational Steps for Conversations to Share the Gospel. Please pray for your teacher and prepare your heart to participate in your Sunday School class. 73

74 Sunday february 3 RATIONAL STEPS FOR CONVERSATIONS TO SHARE THE GOSPEL SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: 74

75 Week of february 4, 2019 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed. Genesis 39:23 Monday november 5 Genesis 38:1-11 Judah s sons die because of their wickedness before they produce an heir. Genesis 37 ends with a cliffhanger Joseph is sold into slavery and ends up in Potiphar s house. For the whole chapter of Genesis 38, we are left wondering about Joseph s fate as the focus shifts to his brother Judah. When we fit this episode focusing on Judah into the context of the whole Bible, its importance becomes clear. Judah s family line would produce the line of David, which would eventually be shown to be the line of Christ (Matthew 1:3). The main theme of this passage is the perseverance of Judah s line amid a genealogical crisis. Judah s firstborn son, Er, was wicked and therefore died before he could produce an heir through his wife Tamar (Genesis 38:7). Onan, Judah s next eldest son, was likewise wicked and therefore died, since he refused to fulfill his duty as kinsman redeemer and produce an heir through Tamar on behalf of his deceased brother (Genesis 38:10). Finally, Shelah, Judah s youngest son, was yet too young to produce an heir (Genesis 38:11). As this first portion of the Judah narrative ends, we are left wondering how Judah s line will continue with two of his sons already dead. How will the line that eventually produces not only King David, but also the greater King Jesus, be preserved? The rest of the Judah narrative answers that question, but perhaps not in the way we expect. Why is it important for us to pay attention to the family line of Judah? Why does the Genesis narrative focus on Judah in this way? Two of Judah s sons die for doing what is wicked in the sight of God. What does this suggest about God s character? Thank God today that even though Judah s first and second-born sons were wicked, there was ultimately a Son from the tribe of Judah who was not wicked the Lion of the tribe of Judah, our Lord Jesus Christ. Ask God that He would help you to follow Jesus today and to walk in righteousness, as He is righteous. 75

76 Tuesday february 5 Genesis 38:12-30 The wickedness of Judah and Tamar results in the birth of Perez and the preservation of Judah s line. Today s passage is perhaps one of the most shocking in the Bible. It reminds us of a similarly shocking situation Paul received report of in the church of Corinth: It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among the pagans, for a man has his father s wife (1 Corinthians 5:1). Though the situation is reversed Judah takes the wife of his deceased son, Er we are likely to feel some of the same outrage that Paul expressed in 1 Corinthians. It is important to note at least two things regarding this passage: 1) Nowhere does the biblical text endorse the actions of Judah. In fact, the Bible calls such prostitution an abomination to the Lord (Deuteronomy 23:17-18) and explicitly forbids such relations between a father and his daughter-in-law (Leviticus 18:15). Amid a passage of overwhelming sexual impurity, it is important for us to remember God s standards for purity in all areas of life. The actions of Judah, Onan, and Tamar in this chapter unequivocally and undeniably transgress these standards. 2) Genesis presents the results of Judah and Tamar s actions as the solution to the problem of Judah s genealogical crisis. While the actions of Judah and Tamar are indeed abominable, these actions produce Perez, Judah s heir and the next name listed in the genealogy of King David and the greater King Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:3). The seed of Abraham and the covenant promises of land, nationhood, and blessing to all the families of the earth carry on through this unbelievably broken family. Just as we will see at the conclusion of Genesis how God turns the evil intentions of Joseph s brothers into their salvation, so now we see how God turns the wickedness and brokenness of Judah, Onan, and Tamar into a glorious story of the preservation of Judah s line. God is a God of redemption, and He redeems even the worst of circumstances for His own glory and the good of His people. Let us remember this awesome truth today. In what ways do Judah and Tamar transgress the Lord s commandments and standards for purity? In what ways does God turn around their sinful actions? In what ways does this passage show you the fallen condition of man and your desperate need for Christ? How might this passage help to show you your own personal brokenness and need for Christ? Thank God today for His righteous and holy character. Thank Him for never compromising His character, but remaining the same for ever and ever. Thank Him also for His sovereign goodness, which leads Him to use even the actions of sinful men for His own glory and the good of His people. 76

77 Wednesday february 6 Genesis 39 While Judah and his family sin against the Lord, Joseph honors the Lord. The contrast between Judah and his family in Genesis 38 and Joseph in Genesis 39 could not be more striking. Judah s narrative is dripping with impurity and its consequences. In a harrowing commentary on the conduct of Judah and his family, the name of the Lord is only mentioned in Genesis 38 in reference to the wickedness of Er and Onan and the subsequent punishment they received from the Lord. Everywhere else, the human actions of Genesis 38 are devoid of God. In stark contrast, Genesis 39 is marked by the purity of Joseph and the Lord s intimate involvement in his life. Where Judah and his family transgress the commandments of the Lord and face the consequences for it, Joseph obeys the commandments of the Lord and receives blessing. Where Judah and his family curse one another, Joseph transmits the divine blessing, which God promised that Abraham would bring to all the families of the earth (c.f. Genesis 12:3), to Potiphar and his entire household. This pair of chapters shows us the vast difference between the life separated from God because of sin and the life in which the divine blessing of God is present and active. It is ironic that Judah should serve as the negative side of this contrast and Joseph as the positive, for it is Judah who is counted among the line of Christ (Matthew 1:3). Judah serves as a poor representative of the One to whom his family line ultimately leads, while Joseph embodies the integrity and purity of his Lord. And yet in the end even Joseph cannot compare with the matchless glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, who not only lived the perfect life that no other human could, but also died and rose again so that we could experience the presence and blessing of God that only He truly deserves. What points of comparison and contrast stuck out to you between Genesis 38 and 39? What do Genesis 38 and 39 teach us about the folly of sin and the wisdom of obeying the Lord? How do Genesis 38 and 39 ultimately point you to your need for Jesus? Thank the Lord today for showing you the folly of sin and the wisdom of obedience. Thank Him for sending Christ to obey in all the areas of life where you could not obey and to die on the cross and rise again on the third day, so all the merit of His obedience could be counted to those who place their faith in Him. 77

78 Thursday february 7 Genesis 39 God shows Joseph His steadfast love and helps him to prosper in Egypt. In Psalm 1, the psalmist paints a portrait of the blessed life. The blessed man, Psalm 1 says, does not walk in the path of sin, but rather in the path of righteousness; he does not love sinful ways, but rather loves God s Word and abides in it. The result of this in the life of the blessed man is that he prospers in all that he does (Psalm 1:3). This description of the blessed man in Psalm 1 is a very fitting description of Joseph as well. The text tells us that the Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man (Genesis 39:2), for the Lord caused all that he did to succeed (Genesis 39:4). Even after Joseph fled the advances of Potiphar s wife and was unjustly thrown into jail, the text tells us that the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison (Genesis 39:21). The passage ends summarily, The Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made him succeed (Genesis 39:23). Joseph was a blessed man of God who walked the path of righteousness, not wickedness. Because of this, the Lord caused his way to prosper, even amid severe trials in his life. And yet it is important for us to remember that Joseph did not prosper and prevail because of any inherent worth or righteousness within him. In fact, the text indicates that it is due to the steadfast love of God that Joseph persevered. God, in faithfulness to His covenant promises to Abraham and his offspring, lovingly and graciously gave Joseph favor and helped him to prosper in Egypt. Joseph was dependent upon God s grace for his success in Egypt, just as we are dependent upon God s grace for success in the Christian life. As God showed His steadfast love to Joseph, so also He shows His steadfast love to us in the person and work of His Son, Jesus Christ. Through faith in Christ and by the grace that He provided for us on the cross, we can have victory over sin and live in a manner that is pleasing to God. Through Him we can, in short, become the blessed man of Psalm 1. So, let us cling to Him today! How does God help Joseph to prosper in Egypt? In what ways does God show Joseph His steadfast love? In what ways have you experienced the steadfast love of God? How does your relationship with Christ relate to your experience of the steadfast love of God? Praise God today for His steadfast love. Thank Him that He was faithful to His covenant promises and made a way for you to be right with Him, even at the price of His only Son, Jesus Christ. Ask that He would help you, through the grace of Christ, to live in a way that pleases Him today. 78

79 Friday february 8 Genesis 39 Joseph practiced sexual purity when Potiphar s wife made an advance. While Genesis 39 plays an important role in the overall narrative of Genesis, helping us to see the Lord s gracious hand on Joseph and his entrance and success in Egypt, as a stand-alone text it is also very instructive in relation to the topic of sexual purity. There are several important principles about sexual purity that we can pull from Joseph s conduct in Genesis 39. Though Potiphar s wife invited Joseph into a sexually immoral relationship, Joseph resisted this invitation and eventually fled from her advances. Genesis 39 shows us Joseph s perspective on sexual immorality and his practice of sexual purity. First, Joseph viewed sexual immorality primarily as a sin against God. He says to Potiphar s wife, How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Surely, to commit sexual immorality would have been a sin against Potiphar and against his wife. But in sexual immorality, the primary party offended is God. God created us as sexual beings, and He created us to express our sexuality in a very specific context: within the context of marriage. When we express our sexuality in any context besides the context of the marriage of husband and wife, we are living in a way that is contrary to the way God created us to live. We are, in short, deviating from God s design for us. This is why, in Psalm 51, as David reflects on his sexual sin with Bathsheba, he says to God, Against You, You only have I sinned, and done what is evil in Your sight (Psalm 51:4). Second, Joseph practices sexual purity by resisting the invitation of Potiphar s wife and fleeing her advances. Potiphar s wife begins by merely inviting Joseph into an impure relationship. Joseph meets each of her invitations with a strong and decisive refusal. But after some time, Potiphar s wife decides to make a physical advance on Joseph. When she does this, Joseph responds by fleeing and getting out of the house. Joseph didn t mess around with resisting at this point. He knew that to stay in the situation would be too dangerous and could potentially lead to sexual immorality. In the circumstance of a physical advance by another person, Joseph knew the only right option was to flee. This is precisely what Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 6: Flee from sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18). Brothers and sisters, God has called us in Christ to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:12). Let us take after the example of Joseph and fight to maintain sexual purity today! What was Joseph s perspective on sexual immorality? How did he practice sexual purity? What can you draw from Joseph s example in this passage to help you better practice sexual purity in your life? Thank God today that He is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. Praise Him for His perfect purity. Praise Him that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross in order to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, a people who are zealous for good works. Ask that He would help you to walk in purity today. 79

80 Saturday february 9 As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you. Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? In what areas of your life do these truths apply? In what ways do you plan to put the truths you ve observed this week into practice? Family Focus: Now take the verse or passage that stood out to you and think about how you can share it with your family. How does it apply to your husband, wife, son, or daughter? For singles or students, think about how it applies to your friends or parents. Commit to share this passage with a family member or friend today. Tomorrow our lesson is Tempted from Genesis 39:3-12, Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher. 80

81 Sunday february 10 TEMPTED SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: 81

82 Week of february 11, 2019 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. For, he said, God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father s house. The name of the second he called Ephraim, For God has made me fruitful in the land of affliction. Genesis 41: Monday february Genesis Joseph interprets the dreams of Pharaoh s cup-bearer and baker. Joseph s relationship with dreams is a matter of much interest. Throughout his life, it seems that dreams play an important role. It was his own dreams that he interpreted to his father and brothers that led his brothers to hate him and his eventual captivity in Egypt. And now, in today s text, dreams are once again prominent. This time, however, Joseph interprets not his own dreams but those of Pharaoh s cup bearer and baker. Many an interpreter has taken the story of Joseph (and others like it, such as Daniel) and concluded that divine revelation may come through dreams in the normal course of the Christian life. While these texts show that God certainly can work in this way, they by no means establish a normative pattern for the Christian life. In fact, the focus of the Bible is overwhelmingly on the Bible itself as the sole source of specific divine revelation (i.e., the person and work of Christ, the way of salvation through faith in Christ, etc.: 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3; 16-21). Nowhere in the Bible is there a command for Christians to look to dreams for divine revelation; but repeatedly the Bible refers to itself as the final, authoritative, and all-sufficient source of divine revelation. With that said, though, God used dreams in a major way in Joseph s life. While the cup-bearer and baker would have been looking for a magician to interpret their dreams by some sort of inherent magic, Joseph points them to the right source of interpretation: Do not interpretations belong to God? Joseph was aware that whatever supernatural gift of interpretation he possessed came not from him but from God. Let us marvel today at the mysterious and majestic way that God worked in the life of Joseph in the past, while at the same time expressing thanksgiving for the clear revelation of Jesus Christ that God has given us in His Word. We have no need for dreams or interpretations, for we have the testimony of the Scriptures, which reveal to us, unambiguously, all things sufficient for life and godliness. What approach does Joseph take toward the dream interpretations that he gives to the prisoners? From his perspective, from where do these interpretations come? Take some time to read 2 Peter 1: According to this passage, where should you go for your source of divine revelation? How can you do better putting this into practice today? Praise God today for revealing Himself to you. Thank Him that He is not a disinterested God who created you and then left you to your own devices. Thank Him that He has revealed Himself to you perfectly through His Word, and specifically that He revealed to you the person and work of His Son Jesus Christ and how you can receive the forgiveness of sins through faith in Him. 82

83 Tuesday february 12 Genesis 41 Joseph interprets Pharaoh s dreams and rises to power. In today s passage we witness Joseph undergo a rags to riches transformation. God uses Joseph s gift of dream interpretation to bring him out of the pit and to give him an audience and favor with Pharaoh, to such an extent that Joseph becomes second-in-charge in the whole land of Egypt. It would have been easy for Joseph to pass off his gift of dream interpretation as something that came from his own ability, for professed magicians were many in Egypt. Yet it is striking in this passage how often Joseph gives glory to God, the God of his fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Joseph labors to deflect credit from himself and instead to direct Pharaoh s attention to the work of God. His efforts eventually influence Pharaoh, who says to him, Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are (Genesis 41:39). Moreover, Joseph does not allow his ascent to power to skew his humility before the Lord. This appears in the naming of his sons: Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. For, he said, God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father s house. The name of the second he called Ephraim, For God has made me fruitful in the land of affliction (Genesis 41:51-52). God mightily worked in Joseph s life and brought him out of the pit of despair. Joseph responded by giving Him all the glory. Brothers and sisters, has God not likewise brought us out of the pit of despair? Were we not bound in the deep, dark pit of sin, without any hope of being released? And did not God mightily work on our behalf by sending Christ to redeem us and to set us free? Let us then respond today by praising His glorious grace! In what way did God end up using Joseph s gift of dream interpretation? What are some specific ways that you can respond to the grace of God today? Cry out in thanksgiving to God for delivering you from the pit of sin, death, and hell. Thank Him for Christ, who took the punishment you deserved so that you could receive the favor you don t deserve. Ask God to help you glorify His name today. 83

84 Wednesday february 13 Genesis 42 By God s providence, Joseph and his brothers meet again in Egypt. If you have ever read a Charles Dickens novel, you know how he had an uncanny ability to bring together multiple narrative threads into one final, climactic moment. Details that you thought weren t important, characters who you thought were only passing, and events that you didn t even remember all unite as Dickens completes the mosaic that he has been constructing the whole time. It truly is a wonderful thing. Surely, at least part of Dickens inspiration for writing the way that he did came from the Bible. In today s passage, we see two seemingly disparate narrative threads come together into one climactic moment. Jacob and his sons have not been mentioned for several chapters now, and there is no indication that the events of Joseph s life were leading to another meeting with his father and brothers. But, in fact, they were. Jacob and his family feel the effects of the worldwide famine, and so Jacob sends his sons to Egypt, to the doorstep of Joseph, to buy food. Now we see some of the glory of God s sovereign plan. In God s infinite wisdom and through all the circumstances He had led Joseph, He has placed Joseph in a position in Egypt where he could save his entire family from famine and certain death. What a picture of grace! Joseph, who suffered near murderous treatment at the hands of his brothers, is now able to return such treatment upon his brothers. But instead, we see Joseph taking steps to preserve the lives of his brothers. To be sure, he gives them a scare and employs a bit of deception. But at the same time his love for them reveals itself in his private weeping and his replacing of their money. The sinful human heart has a natural tendency to return evil for evil. In Joseph we see a broken, yet fitting example of returning good for evil. This distorted picture in Joseph ultimately points us to the perfect picture of grace we find in Christ. Christ suffered at the murderous hands of His kin; but instead of responding in righteous wrath and judgment, He used the very murderous intentions of His captors to accomplish their salvation and the salvation of all who would trust in Him. Let us pour out our hearts in thanksgiving to Him today! In what ways does Joseph respond honorably and dishonorably toward his brothers? What are some specific ways that you can follow the example of Christ by returning good for evil, not evil for evil? Praise God today for your salvation. Thank Him that even while you were an enemy of God, He sent Christ to die for you and to purchase your forgiveness. Ask God that He would help you to likewise respond to others with love and forgiveness. 84

85 Thursday february 14 Genesis 43 Joseph s brothers return to Egypt for more grain while Jacob entrusts their lives to God. Joseph s brothers left Egypt and returned to Canaan with the food they had bought, except Simeon, who Joseph kept behind as a guarantee that they would come back with Benjamin. It appears, though, that their eagerness to return to Egypt again was not great, because they did not do so until they had eaten the grain that they had brought from Egypt (Genesis 43:2). By necessity, then, they returned to Egypt to purchase more food, and they brought Benjamin along with them. Once in Egypt, they were invited to a great feast with Joseph, who saw his younger brother Benjamin and became overwhelmed with compassion for him. For Joseph, the meeting was a family reunion; for Joseph s brothers, on the other hand, the situation was very tense, and they thought all the time that they themselves were being led into captivity by an Egyptian lord. Jacob s response to this whole situation is particularly instructive for us. Faced with the destruction of his family either through famine or captivity in Egypt, this is what he says: May God Almighty grant you mercy before the man, and may he send back your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved (Genesis 43:14). In the face of an incredibly difficult situation, Jacob shows a deep trust in God. He calls to El Shaddai, the God who can do all things, to protect his sons and to bring them home again. The story of faith is oftentimes the story of God doing what seems downright impossible based on human efforts. The ultimate example of this is, of course, the story of redemption. Just as Jacob looked to El Shaddai to do the seemingly impossible task of saving the lives of his sons, so also we look to El Shaddai, who accomplished the humanly impossible task of making broken sinners right with a holy God through the person and work of His Son Jesus Christ. Where have we read the phrase God Almighty or El Shaddai before in Genesis? What is the significance of that phrase? How does knowing that God is a God who is able to do all things impact the way you think about your present life circumstances? Praise God today as El Shaddai, the all-mighty God. No matter what life circumstances you currently face, ask Him to help you trust in Him today. 85

86 Friday february 15 Genesis 44 Benjamin is accused of theft and threatened with slavery, but Judah offers himself in his place. In today s passage, Joseph puts his brothers through a final test. After he has his meal, Joseph sends his brothers back to Canaan with more grain. But before they leave, he places his silver cup in Benjamin s sack. Thereafter, his men overtake his brothers and accuse Benjamin of stealing the cup. Benjamin, Jacob s favorite son without whom he would go down with sorrow into Sheol, has now been accused of theft and faces lifelong slavery in Egypt. Judah s response to Benjamin s plight commands the second half of the chapter. Instead of consigning Benjamin to slavery as he did to Joseph so long ago, he offers himself as a slave in Benjamin s place. Judah responds to Benjamin s plight with the ultimate gesture of love: he lays down his own life for the sake of his brother. The good news for Judah is that Joseph never intended to hurt his family, and soon enough his identity would be revealed. But Judah s actions point beyond himself to another who would come from his line. Our Lord Jesus Christ likewise laid down His own life for the sake of His people. While Judah got off without a scratch, our Lord Jesus Christ went to a Roman cross and bled and died and rose again, all so He could purchase the forgiveness of the sins for all those who would trust in Him. As we head into this weekend, let us remember the great sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf, and let it compel us to live sacrificially on behalf of others. In what ways has Judah developed since Genesis 37? How might meditating on the sacrifice that Christ made for you on the cross impact the way you relate to other people? Praise God today for His love. Thank Him that He loved you so much that He sent Christ to die for you. Praise Jesus for showing love to you by laying down His life for you. Ask that He would help you to sacrificially give of yourself for the sake of others as well. 86

87 Saturday february 16 As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you. Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? In what areas of your life do these truths apply? In what ways do you plan to put the truths you ve observed this week into practice? Family Focus: Now take the verse or passage that stood out to you and think about how you can share it with your family. How does it apply to your husband, wife, son, or daughter? For singles or students, think about how it applies to your friends or parents. Commit to share this passage with a family member or friend today. Tomorrow our lesson is Opportunity Knocks from Genesis 41:15-21, Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher. 87

88 Sunday february 17 OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: 88

89 Week of february 18, 2018 WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:19-20 Monday february 18 Genesis 45 Joseph trusts in God s good and sovereign plan for his suffering. One of the most popular and beloved mechanisms in literature and film is the plot twist. We have actually seen one plot twist in Genesis already. Jacob worked for Laban for seven years as the price for the hand of Rachel. Finally, after all his labor, the wedding night came. The ceremony went off without a hitch, the light of day descended into the darkness of night, and Jacob retreated into his tent to take his bride to bed. And then Moses records these words: And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! We certainly weren t expecting that turn of events, and neither was Jacob! In today s passage, we find a similar plot twist. Though we have known Joseph s identity in Egypt all along, his brothers did not. So, when Joseph finally revealed himself to them, it could likewise have been said, Behold, it was Joseph! We also find Joseph responding in an unexpected manner toward his brothers. We might think that Joseph would punish his brothers for the way they sinned against him. We might think that he would respond in anger and wrath. But instead, he responds by understanding the events of his life in light of the sovereignty of God. He says to his brothers, And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life (Genesis 45:5). Joseph sees God s sovereign plan in the evil that was done to him, and he rejoices in it. And just as we can see the sovereign hand of God in Joseph s suffering, working all these things together for the preservation of Israel, so also we see the same sovereign hand in the suffering of Christ. In his Pentecost sermon, Peter says the following about Christ to the Jewish leaders: This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men (Acts 2:23). While Jesus was crucified at the hands of lawless men, He was also delivered up according to God s perfect plan, all so that He could make atonement for sin and bring salvation to all who call upon His name. If God so worked in the sufferings of Joseph and Christ, won t He also do the same in our sufferings? Let us trust in His good and sovereign plan today! How did Joseph respond to his brothers once he finally revealed his identity to them? How might today s passage help you to rethink the hard things that you are going through? Thank God today for His sovereignty. Praise Him for making a good and definite plan to redeem you from your sin through the suffering of Christ. Ask Him to help you trust in Him today. 89

90 Tuesday february 19 Genesis 46 God uses Joseph s enslavement to fulfill the promises He made to Abraham generations ago. It is amazing to see in today s text how God is bringing His promises to pass through the enslavement of Joseph in Egypt. Generations ago, God promised Abraham that he would become a great nation, even though his descendants would be slaves in a foreign land for four hundred years. In today s passage, God repeats that promise to Jacob and shows how it will be fulfilled through Joseph: I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I Myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph s hand shall close your eyes (Genesis 46:3-4). Who would have guessed that God would use the evil intentions of Joseph s brothers and all the circumstances Joseph had gone through to bring His people Israel into Egypt to make provision for them? They would labor as slaves for four hundred years, only to be miraculously saved by God in a wondrous showing of divine redemption. Such wonderful plans are only fashioned by the hands of Divine Providence. Brothers and sisters, no matter what you are going through right now in your life, you can know that the divine hand of Providence is upon you, and that He is working all things together to fulfill His great promises and to make you more like your Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28-29). Take heart in these truths today! In what specific ways does Joseph s enslavement in Egypt fulfill the promises that God made to Abraham? How can you draw comfort and peace from today s passage? Praise God again today for His Divine Providence. Ask Him that He would help you to trust His sovereign hand in all the matters of your life. 90

91 Wednesday february 20 Genesis 47 Joseph s suffering and exaltation in Egypt led to the salvation of many affected by the famine. We continue to see the positive outworkings of Joseph s enslavement in Egypt. It is because Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt that he had the opportunity to gain power and eventually become second-in-charge in the whole land. And it is because of his position of authority that he was able to save the lives of so many who were affected by the famine. Joseph s suffering eventually led to exaltation, and his exaltation led to the salvation of many in Egypt, including his family. There is no clear evidence that Joseph is what theologians call a type of Christ; that is, that Joseph explicitly foreshadows the person and work of Jesus Christ. However, we can certainly appreciate the fingerprint of redemption in this passage. Just as Joseph went from suffering to exaltation to accomplish the salvation of his people from famine, so also Jesus Christ suffered to the point of death, even death on a cross, only to be resurrected from the grave in exaltation to accomplish the forgiveness of sins for all who would trust in Him (Philippians 2:5-11). Brothers and sisters, let us marvel today at the mysterious, majestic ways of God! What events led up to Joseph being in a position to help all those affected by the famine? When we think about the suffering and exaltation of Christ, how does that help us to think about our suffering? Praise God today that He sent Jesus as the humble suffering servant. Thank Him that He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-8). And thank God for highly exalting Him in His resurrection, so that He could ultimately accomplish redemption for all who would trust in Him. 91

92 Thursday february 21 Genesis Jacob blesses his sons and reserves the greatest blessing for Judah. The book of Genesis begins to come to a close as Jacob is reunited with Joseph in Egypt and issues his deathbed blessing upon his sons. After thirteen chapters focusing primarily on Joseph, we would expect Joseph to receive the most extravagant blessing. While Joseph does receive a rich blessing, Judah surprisingly receives the highest blessing from Jacob. It is true that we have seen some growth in Judah since his immoral actions in Genesis 38. For instance, he offered to give over his own life on behalf on his younger brother. Still, the magnitude of Judah s blessing comes as a bit of a shock. Jacob prophesies that Judah will rule over his brothers and crush his enemies (Genesis 49:8), that he will rule in royalty over all peoples (Genesis 49:9-10), and that he will usher in a time of peace and prosperity for the people of Israel (Genesis 49:11-12). Of course, these favorable prophecies and images associated with Judah become a little less surprising when we remember that it is Judah of all Israel s sons who appears in the genealogy of Christ (Matthew 1:3). When we think about Judah as a link in the line of Christ, we see how the promises of royal rule and blessing ultimately point to Him. For it is Jesus who ushers in the Kingdom of God and reigns even now over all the universe. And it is Jesus who will come again one day to judge the world and to usher His people into an eternity of peace. Let us look to our King Jesus today and bow the knee to Him in worship! What does Jacob say about Judah in his blessing? How does the blessing of Judah compare to the blessings his brothers receive? How does this passage point you to your hope in Jesus? Spend some time today in worship and adoration of your King Jesus, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Ask Him to help you honor Him and follow Him all your days. 92

93 Friday february 22 Genesis 50 Genesis concludes with the death of Jacob and finally with the death of Joseph. Genesis concludes with the death of Jacob and then finally with the death of Joseph. When we open up the book of Exodus, we will find that the people of Israel prospered in Egypt for a time, but eventually fell under slavery, just as God had promised. With the conclusion of the book of Genesis, then, we have the conclusion of the era of the Patriarchs. The fathers of the covenant Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have passed on, but God s promises have remained steadfast and an entire nation has proceeded from them. By God s good and sovereign hand, all of this has been made possible because Joseph s brothers sold him into slavery with the evilest of intentions. Yet the book of Genesis leaves us with one last reminder of the good purposes of God, even in the worst of circumstances. As he recalls all that God has allowed to come about in his life, Joseph says to his brothers, Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today (Genesis 50:19-20). As we close our study in the book of Genesis, let us be reminded one more time of the good and sovereign hand of our Lord. He proved Himself faithful to Jacob and his family, even amid terrible circumstances. He proved Himself good at the cross of Christ, where He turned the world s most heinous crime into the world s most glorious news. Has He not proved Himself trustworthy, brothers and sisters? The message of Genesis, and the message of the whole Bible, is that God is faithful to His promises. So let us trust His promises for us today, tomorrow, and for the rest of our days! How does Joseph comfort his brothers once Jacob passes away? What comfort can you draw from this passage for your own life? Ask God to help you to benefit for years to come from your study in the book of Genesis. Ask Him to help you use what you have learned to help others. Ask Him to continue to transform you into the image of His Son Jesus Christ as you continue to devote yourself to the study of His Word. 93

94 Saturday february 23 As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you. Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? In what areas of your life do these truths apply? In what ways do you plan to put the truths you ve observed this week into practice? Family Focus: Now take the verse or passage that stood out to you and think about how you can share it with your family. How does it apply to your husband, wife, son, or daughter? For singles or students, think about how it applies to your friends or parents. Commit to share this passage with a family member or friend today. Tomorrow our lesson is Reunited from Genesis 45:1-15. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher. 94

95 Sunday november 25 REUNITED SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week: 95

96 CITATIONS Page 37 - Friday, December 28 Robinson, Robert. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing Page 70 - Wednesday, January 30 Lewis, C. S. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, 7. 96

97 PERSONAL STUDY GUIDE SPRING 2019 AVAILABLE IN JANUARY