Daily Devotion Guide

Transcription

1 Daily Devotion Guide Week 17: April Life Together Series Five-Year Devotion Guide (Year 1)

2 Week 17 April I. Invocation and Adoration: O font of wisdom, send her (wisdom) from your throne of might, to be with me, to work with me, to act in me, to speak in me, to order all my thoughts and words and deeds and plans according to your will and to the glory of your name. In Jesus Name. Amen. (Aelredof Rievaulx, c ) 1. Adoration through Psalm 17 (We ll use this Psalm, not for today s Bible reading, but for the sake of focusing our thoughts on God) Read slowly this passage at least three times and gather a different thought about God s character or deeds and translate in a prayer of adoration. II. Confession Pause now and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you your sins and ask for forgiveness. III. Thanksgiving List, one by one, things for which you should give thanks.

3 IV. Scriptural Reflection: We shall continue with our 5-year reading plan with the first book of the Old Testament, Genesis. Read slowly and reflectively the assigned passage twice at least and consider the questions below each day: April 22 Genesis 9: 1-7 (1) Some commentators describe this segment as God s ordinance to safeguard His program and divide them into three aspects. Can you assign the corresponding verses to each of these aspects? a. The propagation of life b. The protection of life, and c. The sustenance of life. (2) As God reiterates His blessing on humankind through His blessing on Noah: a. Compare His blessing in 9:1-2 to that in 1:28. How similar are they and what might the difference be and why? b. Comparing also 9:3 to 1:29. What is the difference between the two blessings and why? It appears that there is definitely a difference between the relationship of mankind and other living creatures before and after the flood. What is the difference and why? (3) Why should men not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it? (See Leviticus 17:11) (4) For the first time, capital punishment is pronounced for the murder of a human being. What is the basis of God s pronouncement? (5) This small segment begins with God s blessing of the multiplication of mankind and closes with the same blessing. Is there any special meaning or significance attached to this repetition, especially when it was pronounced right after the flood? (6) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?

4 April 23 Genesis 9: 8 19 This segment deals with the unique covenant that God made with all living things: (1) Consider carefully the contents of this covenant: a. What is God s promise? b. Is it conditional? Why? (2) Rainbow means a bow (the weapon with an arc shape): a. What kind of a sign is it? b. Was it in existence before the flood? c. If so, how can it be a sign? d. If not, what might cause it to appear after the flood? (3) With this new (or renewed) covenant in place: a. What is the desire of God toward mankind? b. Compare God s relationship with mankind before and after the flood? c. What are the responsibilities of mankind from now on? (4) The Bible always describes God as the God who remembers (9:15). Does He really need a rainbow to make Himself remember? What does it mean for God to remember? (5) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life? April 24 Genesis 9: (1) As godly as Noah was, what kind(s) of sin did he commit in v.21? (See Habakkuk 2:15 & Lamentation 4:21) (2) What might the reason(s) be that could have led to his behavior? (3) Read carefully about Ham s action. How many acts of sin had he committed? Note that the word saw (ra a) means to look at searchingly. (4) What does it tell you about his character? (5) What could he have done differently? (6) What did Shem and Japheth do that was so different? (7) What does it tell you about their character? (8) Was Noah s curse on Ham too harsh? Why or why not?

5 (9) How was this curse materialized in history? (Note: Ham s descendants include the Canaanites, Egyptians, Philistines, Assyrians and Babylonians). (10) With Shem getting the greatest blessings, it was probably his idea to cover his father. In any case, read 2 Kings 17:20 to see if the blessings were conditional or not. (11) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life? April 25 Genesis 10: 1-32 This chapter is called the Table of Nations written so extensively that it was unparalleled in antiquity and many of the names and locations have been verified through later archaeological finds (Alter). We may not be getting a lot of devotional insights from this table, but I ll try to provide some modern-day locale to some of these descendants, and suggest a few thoughts for reflection. It is perhaps helpful to point out once again that - Ham s descendants include some of Israel s most bitter enemies in later history: Egypt, Philistia, Assyria and Babylon - Japheth s descendants spread mainly in Anatolia and Greece, and - Shem s descendants are that of the chosen people the Israelites. (1) Sons of Japheth (10: 2-5) a. Gomer: a nomadic people to the north of the Black Sea b. Magog: Lydia c. Madai: later Medes d. Javan: Ionian Greeks e. Tubal and Meshech: Phrygia (Ezek. 27:13; 38:2) f. Ashkenaz: Scythians g. Riphath: uncertain h. Togarmah: Armenia i. Elishah: probably Cyprus j. Tarshish: Somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea k. Kittim: southern Cyprus l. Rodanim: Island people of Rhodes

6 The reference to each having its own language points to what actually happened after the Tower of Babel in chapter 11. Food for thoughts: In 9:27, Noah prophesied that the descendants of Japheth will live in the tents of Shem. Spiritually, what might it mean? (2) Sons of Ham (10: 6-20) a. Cush: possible northern Nubia and Northern Sudan b. Mizraim: Egypt c. Put: Libya d. Canaan: whole of Palestine, west of Jordan, including Syria e. Seba: Northern Africa f. Havilah: Southwest Arabia g. Sabtah, Raamah, Sebteca, Sheba: South Arabia h. Dedan: North Arabia i. Concerning Nimrod: Erech (southern Iraq), Akkad & Calneh (uncertain), Shinar: (whole of Mesopotamia), Rehoboth Ir (plazas of cities), Calah (Tell Nimrud, 20 miles south of Nineveh), Resen (2.5 miles northwest of Nimrud) Food for thoughts about Nimrod (whose name means We shall rebel ) - With the help of a map, see how large his territory was. - How did he become so powerful? ( warrior means tyrant in Hebrew) - What kind of a king was he? [The word before in v.9 means in the estimation of in Hebrew (Waltke, 169)]. In your reading of Ham s descendant, Canaan, with all his territories and descendant, reflect on the prophecy spoken by Noah in 9: Do you think they were who they were because of the prophecy, or because of their moral decadence that they fulfilled the curse of the prophecy?

7 (3) Sons of Shem (10: 21-31) a. Note this table chooses to highlight the genealogy of Eber, because from him branches into the non-elect line of Joktan and the elect line through Peleg. b. Some scholars opine that the adjectival form Hebrew may come from the name, Eber. c. Peleg: his name means division, probably points to the time of the dispersal of the people at Babel in chapter 11. d. The descendants of Joktan (the non-elect line): cover the area of Yemen and southern Arabia. Food for thoughts: God has certainly honored his post-flood blessing in 9:1 - Did He anticipate a recurrence of evil and wickedness of mankind (see 8: 21)? - What was acutely absent spiritually speaking in this genealogy when compared to those mentioned in previous chapters? (4) What is the main message to you today? April 26 Genesis 11: 1-9 (1) What was this incident preceded by? (2) What is the significance of such a background to this story? (3) Use your imagination to list at least five significant impacts if the whole world were to have only one language today? (4) God was clear in His command to men to spread over the earth (Genesis 1:28 and 9:1), why then would men be so determined not to be scattered over the face of the whole earth? (5) Why did the Biblical author take the care to mention with what they used to build the tower? Of course no tower can reach the heavens, what is the symbolical significance of such a notion? (6) The literal translation of the words of the Lord in v.6 is, All they plan to do will not be withheld from them! (Waltke) What does it mean? Was God being jealous of them?

8 (7) Have human beings changed today? In what ways are they following the footsteps of these people of old in rejecting God? (8) Did they succeed? Will the people of today succeed? Why or why not? (9) What then is the essential message of today and how may you apply it in your life? April 27 Genesis 11:10 32 (1) In this genealogy, the Bible introduces us to Abram through whom all nations on earth will be blessed. What might the message be in setting this genealogy against the event of the Tower of Babel and the specific mentioning of two years after the flood? (2) As much as Shem was blessed by Noah, and the line of Peleg was chosen by God, what was the spiritual condition of this chosen line when it reached the generation of Terah, the father of Abram? (See Joshua 24:2) (3) Ur was an important center for the worship of the moon god, Sin. The Hebrew name of Terah may be related to the word, moon. In any case, how then could Abram go against this tightly-knitted family s worship of pagan gods? (4) Stephen, in his speech in Acts 7:2, tells us that Abram received God s call to leave Ur even before they were in Haran. What insight might you gain about the family dynamics of Terah s family? (5) What kind of test to Abram s faith did Sarai s barrenness present, especially in light of God s covenant and blessing concerning multiplication and fruitfulness (9:1)? (6) Haran was about 550 miles northwest of Ur and was also an important center of moon worship. What does their settlement in Haran speak of God s calling of Abram to leave in Acts 7:2?

9 (7) Abram left Haran, only after his father s death. Some scholars opine that it was a sign of his slowness of faith. What do you think? (8) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life? April 28 Genesis 12: 1-9 This is an event that has changed not only history, but also the destiny of mankind, and it all begins with God calling a person who responds in obedience. (1) What does God call Abram to leave? (2) Of these, what might be the hardest to do? (3) What obstacles might Abram have to overcome? (4) What does God lay out in vv.2-3? Try to analyze it one by one to see its meaning and implication. (5) Are they a blessing or are they a mission? (6) How should Abram look upon it, as blessings or as a mission? What difference does it make? (7) If you (or your parents) are an immigrant, try to recall that move: a. How difficult was it? What might be the most difficult part of the move? b. What was the purpose of the move? c. Compare your move to that of Abram, as mentioned in vv.4-5. How difficult was his move? (See Hebrew 11:8 also). (8) While Abram s migration was for a clear purpose from God, your move, in God s foreknowledge and plan, also had a purpose. What might it be? Has it come to fruition? (See Jeremiah 29:11) (9) Vv.6-9 describes not only the migration of Abram, but it also conveys a pattern. What is that pattern? What does it tell you about Abram? (10) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?

10 V. Meditative Reflection April 22 Human and Animals The other day, as I was driving to church, I saw a bumper sticker that was quite interesting. The car belonged to a pet-sitting service, and its bumper sticker says, The more I meet people, the more I love my dog. Sometimes, I do share this feeling. As God created the earth and put human in charge of everything on earth, including animals, it appears that in this sinless state, even animals voluntarily submitted to human. In other words, the world was such a place of harmony that even The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox (Isaiah 65:25). As a result, men and beasts were all vegetarians. Subsequent to the Fall of Adam and Eve, as sin entered the world, everything changed, including the relationship between men (that led to the first murder by Cain); the relationship between animals, and that between men and animals. The wickedness on earth was so great that God had to wipe out everything, except those living beings sheltered by the ark. As God gave all living things a second chance as they left the ark, God knew that not only the human hearts would continue to be evil (Genesis 8:21), but the relationship between men and beasts will also not be the same as before the Fall. Now, this relationship will be marked by fear (Genesis 9:2), to this very day. Also, a new order was put in place by God in that, in addition to vegetation, men are allowed to eat everything that lives and moves as food. Scholars opine that such permission, on the one hand, allows men to demonstrate their dominion over the animals, and on the other hand, provides men with enough food in anticipation of their multiplication and spread over the earth even to regions not necessarily favorable to farming. But such permission is given with a caution that we are not to eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. Yes, symbolically it

11 reminds us that the life of a creature is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11), but I believe that it also reminds us not to take life lightly, even the life of animals, by eating it with haste and savagely. This is perhaps why God chose to remind Jonah why He was concerned about the city of Nineveh, and it was because, Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city? (Jonah 4:11) Yes, it is a pity that some have given up the chance to learn God s kind of love by not getting involved in the life of other people, and prefer to pour their so-called love on their pets and avoid any close human interaction. But the fact remains, our mandate to manage the world on God s behalf continues, and we are to cherish what God cherishes, including animals. April 23 O Rejoice in the Lord As we reflect on the rainbow as a sign of God s covenant to withhold His wrath on the earth, the Bible says that God remembers His promise. Today, I invite you to reflect on the lyrics of this song which reminds us that not only God remembers us, He never moves without purpose or plan. God never moves without purpose or plan When trying His servant and molding a man. Give thanks to the LORD though your testing seems long; In darkness He giveth a song. I could not see through the shadows ahead; So I looked at the cross of my Savior instead. I bowed to the will of the Master that day; Then peace came and tears fled away. Now I can see testing comes from above; God strengthens His children and purges in love. My Father knows best, and I trust in His care; Through purging more fruit I will bear.

12 O Rejoice in the LORD He makes no mistake, He knoweth the end of each path that I take, For when I am tried And purified, I shall come forth as gold. Ron Hamilton April 24 How Flawed We are! The story of Noah was set against a vile and wicked generation so wicked that God had to wipe out all living creatures. This makes the appearance of Noah so much more precious as the Bible introduces him as, a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time. (Genesis 6: 9) Certainly, his righteousness was not a result of his action, but his faith in God. This is made clear in his subsequent sin committed after the flood. I believe it was not so much the wine that got him drunk, but likely the comfort and ease that accompanied his life after the flood. As his family continued to expand, they were kind of under his influence, godly influence, no doubt. But he changed his profession to that of being a man of soil, and no doubt, God blessed his soil. In other words, life was good, so good, and he lapsed into moral inertia to the point where he allowed himself to be drunk and naked. Even with this mistake of his, he remained a righteous person, because from the beginning, his righteousness did not depend on himself, but on his faith in God, just as Abraham s (Romans 4: 1-3). How much more precious would his story be, if his life began well and ended well? That s how precious the Word of God is, because it honestly shows us that all is grace, from start to finish, even in the life of Noah!

13 April 25 The Sins of the Fathers It is interesting to note that as Ham sinned against his father, Noah s curse was upon his son, Canaan. For one, Noah was prophesying of the sins of the Canaanites that had come to pass historically in a horrible fashion. On the other hand, it might also show that Ham felt a deeper conviction as he realized the consequence of his sin was being passed on to his son, who might be just a child at the time. And the sin of Ham was evil. He did not just happen to invade the privacy of his father, he insulted him by not just looking, but looking with searching eyes (as the original Hebrew suggests). To stare lustfully at a man s private part is already a horrible sin committed by another man, but his sin was made far more wicked when he was staring at his own father. As the curse of Canaan came to fruition, history depicts exactly this kind of sexual perversion being prevalent in the Canaanite society. Today, the same perversion exists in our world, except that it is not only becoming commonplace, but it is recognized not as sin anymore. Their perversion not only has caused them to receive in themselves the due penalty (Romans 1:27), but its consequence will be passed onto future generations, just as the sin of Ham did. April 26 Defiance and Rejection of God The Tower of Babel signifies human defiance and rejection of God. The people at the time knew that to build a tower that appeared to have reached the heavens was at best a symbolic genius achievement by men which by no means could match the wisdom and power of the creator. But somehow, they believed that it was significant enough to throw God out of their lives. Today, this Babel s mentality continues, as men take pride in reaching Mars, in cloning and in seemingly duplicating life. On

14 the one hand, men know that with whatever achievements or advancements they have, they cannot come close to unmask the mystery of the origin of the universe, let alone duplicate such a creation. Yet, they arrogantly flaunt their tiny successes as an act of defiance and rejection of God. Jumping on the same bandwagon are celebrities of all kinds, mainly in the entertainment industry, who also flaunt their defiance and rejection of God with their licentious lifestyle. As they openly engage shamelessly in immoral behaviors, they donate generously towards humanitarian causes of all kinds. One would think that they do so with the hope that they might buy their ways into heaven. But the sad truth is they do not even care if there is a heaven. They do so in defiance and rejection of God. I wonder who might be worse the atheistic scientists or the godless celebrities? April 27 To Drink or Not to Drink The Bible refers to wine over 200 times, and many of the references are positive, like referring to the gift of new wine as a blessing (e.g. Genesis 27:28). Drinking wine appears to be a social habit in the Old Testament. But, the Bible often cautions us not to be drunk (e.g. Romans 13:13). In fact, sins are often committed when we are drunk. Noah and Lot are prime examples. In fact, Hosea equates adultery with drinking in that both can take away the understanding of my people (Hosea 4:11). Therefore, I am very reluctant in giving an answer to those who ask if Christians can drink or not, especially when I heard the sharing of a pastor on the radio. He had just baptized a couple who invited him to celebrate their baptism over a meal. As they ate, the pastor casually ordered some wine, as was his habit at dinner. The couple was very surprised and asked, Can Christians drink? The pastor went on the use the Scripture to prove that it is okay to drink, but it is not okay to be drunk.

15 Little did the pastor know that this couple was former alcoholics and because of the pastor s sensible explanation, they gave themselves permission to drink again. The result was tragic in that one of them ended up in a mental hospital and the marriage fell apart. Paul is absolutely right: Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible, but not everything is constructive So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble (I Corinthians 10: 23, 31) April 28 Never Too Old It is obvious that the age of mankind saw a marked decrease after the Flood. Although Abraham and Sarah both lived beyond a hundred, they were in their senior years as they obeyed the call of God to move all the way from Ur to Canaan. Genesis 12:4 tells us that Abraham was 75 years old when he set out from Haran to the Promised Land the final destination of which was a mystery to him. But he obeyed (Hebrew 11:8). As some commentators point out, nothing was mentioned about the first 75 years of Abraham s life, except that he was living with his father s family in place of idol worship, and his father s family worshipped those gods (Joshua 24:2). Would you make such a major move when you are in your senior years? Would your spouse be willing to make such a move? Why did God not call me much earlier, when I was younger, more resourceful, more useful, and more at ease in adapting to changes? If Abram did ask some of these questions, it would only be logical! We have no clue as to why God only chose to call and use Abraham in his senior years. Perhaps, his father was such an obstacle that he had to wait for his death. Perhaps, Sarah was not quite ready until she realized that there was no hope to have a child and moving away from their land and country didn t matter

16 anymore. As I said, we do not know. But one thing for sure, God knows when it is best for us. In recent decades, we have witnessed more and more Christians being called to leave and go in the latter part of their mid-life. I became aware of this movement of God in the seventies when I learned that a prominent Chinese pastor decided to answer God s call to be a missionary to Africa when he was seventy years old, not much younger that Abraham when he left Haran. Since then, I have seen God calling Christians to leave from their established business or career, and go into gospel ministry as full-time workers or as lay Christians, and for some, even leaving their families. These are people, like Abraham, who spent a good part of their lives in spiritual obscurity. But just the same, their obedience has become a blessing to many, even to the Kingdom of God.

17 VI. A Time for Silence You have meditated much with your intellectual faculty today. Now have a moment of silence (the length is up to you, 5 or even 30 minutes), and ask God quietly, Lord, is there any important message from you today that I might have missed? Show me, your servant is listening? VII. Supplication Use the following chart to cover people and ministries that you want to remember before the Lord: Sunday Your family Other people Church Ministries Other Ministries City & World Others Monday Tuesday Wed. Thursday Friday Saturday VII. Benediction Do not hurry, walk slowly, do not react instantaneously, but with prayers, consult the Word and remain in Jesus, then you will bear the fruit of righteousness. In Jesus name. Amen.