Day 24: Genesis 49; Matthew 16 - Thru the Bible 2019

In my reading of Genesis 49 this morning, I noticed that Jacob as he was nearing his death toward the end of his prophecy called out for God’s salvation. 

“I have waited for your salvation, O LORD!” --Genesis 49:18

The Hebrew word for salvation is "yeshuwah." I don’t know if Jacob knew he was calling out for Jesus or not, but truly the salvation he waited for was Christ.  He had just spoken of the promised seed in vs 10, and had just finished speaking about Dan being a serpent in the way in verse 17. Maybe it all came together in his heart and he cried out.  Either way, I found it interesting and it gave me a lot to think about this morning.  

In regard to the leaven of the Pharisees and Saducees in Matthew 16.  

Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. ⁶ Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”
⁷ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”
⁸ But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? ⁹ Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? ¹⁰ Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? ¹¹ How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹² Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.--Matthew 16:5-12

I knew the wrong doctrine of the Pharisees would be legalism and as far as the Saducees, materialism and unbelief came to mind. I looked up what Dr. Henry Morris thought and he coined the Saducees wrong doctrine as skepticism.  Jesus warning in regard to false doctrine brought Paul’s warning to mind in Colossians 2. 

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;

10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (emphasis mine)

I am COMPLETE in Him!  I want to remember that!  I want to look to my God when I am in want...He is the source of all I need...He is the Becoming One...the Great I AM.  He has all I need...my job is to open my mouth wide and receive it.  This is the mindset I am praying for!!!  

2nd Peter 1 tells us that "His divine power has already granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence." We are in need of nothing else...

Day 25 - Matthew 16 - Thru the Bible 2019

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?--Matthew 16:24-26

So thankful for the paradoxes in the Scriptures... It is such a comfort to me that when I give my life away and sow to my Spirit it has eternal value and significance.  My work is never in vain in the Lord. He uses even the smallest sacrifice to further His kingdom.  Here is the beautiful irony...When I live for me, I am most miserable, but when I live for God my joy abounds. God’s ways are perfect.  

The paradox I am most thankful for, however, is that when I am weak, He is strong...Thinking on this one for any length of time, never fails to fill my eyes with tears of gratitude.  So grateful for those things in my life that cause me to want Jesus...that cause me to depend on His sufficiency...that cause me to draw my strength from Him because truly I have no other choice.  

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.—2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I have listed the paradoxes of the Bible below in case anyone wanted to look them up. 

Paradoxes in Bible:  Matthew 10:39; 16:25; 

2 Cor 4:18; 6:8-10; 12:10; Ephesians 3:19.  

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Matthew 16:16–18 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 

“Jesus uses two Greek words for “stone” in this passage. Petros, or “Peter,” means small stone. Petra means massive stone. In other words, Jesus is saying, “Blessed are you, little stone. Upon the massive stone of your confession, I will build My church.” —J Courson

I love that...God is not building His church on Peter but on Peter’s confession of Christ.  BTW this is the first mention of the Greek word church in the NT. 

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.—1 Peter 2:4-5

Day 26 - Exodus 3; Psalm 22 - Thru the Bible 2019

Bible Reading: Exodus 2:11-3:22; Matthew 17:10-27; Psalm 22:1-18; Proverbs 5:7-14

Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I Am Who I Am.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I Am has sent me to you.'”--Exodus 3:13-14

When I think of the name I AM my heart goes to this explanation I heard a long time ago when listening to a Chuck Smith teaching...I LOVED it and have been helped by it time and again.  Hoping if you haven’t heard it, it blesses you and if you have heard it does the same.  ❤️

“Also inherent in the idea behind the name I Am is the sense that God is “the becoming one”; God becomes whatever is lacking in our time of need. The name I Am invites us to fill in the blank to meet our need – when we are in darkness, Jesus says I am the light; when we are hungry, He says I am the bread of life, when we are defenseless, He says I am the Good Shepherd. God is the becoming one, becoming what we need.”

I need not go anywhere else.  My God meets me at my point of need.  

Psalm 22 - Fulfilled Scripture always encourages my faith.  Ps 22 is holy ground. 

Hears prophetic words repeated in mockery

Ps 22:8 "He trusted  in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!"

Matthew 27:42,43 (NKJV)

42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

Mocked and insulted

Ps 22:6-8 NKJV
But I am a worm, and no man;

A reproach of men, and despised by the people.

7 All those who see Me ridicule Me;

They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

8 "He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him;

Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!"

And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads

40 and saying, "You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross."—Matt 27:39-40

Hands and feet pierced

Ps 22:16 NKJV
For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;

John 20:25,27 (KJV)

25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust [it] into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

Soldiers cast lots for His clothes

Psalm 22:18-19 NKJV

18 They divide My garments among them,

And for My clothing they cast lots.

19 But You, O LORD, do not be far from Me;

Mark 15:24 (NKJV)

24 And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.

Also go here: https://istwenty63.blogspot.com/2011/02/crimson-worm-psalm-226.html 

for a fascinating and encouraging description of the crimson worm spoken of in Psalm 22:6.