January 26

Genesis 27; Matthew 26

Daily Catechism

QUESTION 2: WHAT IS THE CHIEF END OF MAN?

Answer: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31; Psalm 16:11; 37:4; 73:25-26; Isaiah 43:7.

Comment: “Glorify” does not mean make glorious. It means [to] reflect or display as glorious. Other words you could use for “end” are “goal” or “purpose”.

Genesis 27

Ready:
In the previous chapter you comforted Isaac and you spoke to him to ensure him that the promise to Abraham indeed was being applied and extended to him and you brought Isaac to worship and his trust was in you Lord.  Isaac walked in faith and he was as a virgin taking oil for his lamp and he invested the talents Lord and he was looking for your promises to be manifested.

Reading thoughts:
I see this chapter being about one thing.  That is that God will accomplish his purpose in and through his creation despite our best efforts to thwart him.  The decree of God stand firm and he not only overcomes but makes use of our sin as though Satan and his lies were his lackey and at his service…indeed they are.  I see the Lord in this chapter annihilating any concept that our election by grace is tied to the intentions of our will.  Everyone is jacked up here.  God uses a blind, deceived, dull old man who woefully chooses unwisely and blindly as it were the wrong child by his own foolish delight in food as well as a lying and disrespectful woman with a son who, although he trusts that God is the one behind the blessing to be given and not solely his father, he yet resorts to deception in order to obtain what God has already promised through the vision to his mother in chapter 25.  So none are without fault here and it is clear that God is the prime actor working behind the strange actions of people here that cannot be praised in any final sense.

Key Verses:

“6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, 7 ‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the Lord before I die.’” (Genesis 27:6–7, ESV)

“12 Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.” 13 His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.”” (Genesis 27:12–13, ESV)

“18 So he went in to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” 19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.”” (Genesis 27:18–19, ESV)

“30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting.” (Genesis 27:30, ESV)

“34 As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” 35 But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.”” (Genesis 27:34–35, ESV)

“41 Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”” (Genesis 27:41, ESV)

I see the theme as- God almighty keeps covenant and is faithful to his name and he displays his purpose of election that serves to show the glory of God in the salvation of men.

Rumination thoughts:
    v1-4.  Isaac is choosing poorly and it is unknown whether Rebekah ever told him over her encounter with God during pregnancy when God told her that the older will serve the younger.  If she did, then Isaac is clearly choosing to disregard the will of God in his choice.  If not, then Isaac is still making his choice errantly and is probably swayed by his stomach rather than seeking out the will of the Lord.  Or perhaps he sees his duty to be to pass the blessing to the first born irrespective of all other considerations.  Perhaps he would have learned from Abraham that the blessing indeed can be given to other than the firstborn when God decrees such since this is precisely what happened between Isaac and Ishmael.  At any rate, Isaac is attempting (knowingly or not) to thwart the will of God in his selection of whom shall be the one to carry the blessing that was given to Abraham.  But it will turn out the that will of man is not the prime actor in this selection.
    v5-17.  Here Rebekah and Jacob conspire to deceive Isaac and there can be seen a degree of faith and trust in God here where they take great risk to work toward the revealed will of God but they do so by sinful means and they are in no way pure or right in this action.  Rebekah steps right into this and the two of them risk the destruction of this family and disaster for what Rebekah is convinced to be the will of God.  Perhaps it is her own sinful partiality that leads to her evil means.  Paul says in Romans that evil done for the cause of good is wrong and judgement upon this action is right (Rom 3:8).
    v18-29.  Here Jacob completely lies and deceives his father and comes out with the blessing, intended by God, though not intended by the intermediary and sinfully acquired by the recipient.  There are some categories in the actors here.  Two people here act in obedience of faith (though through sinful means) trusting that what God promised shall come to pass.  Two people act with their eyes on earthly factors rather than looking to the promise.  There are enough moving parts here to make deciphering the intended teaching near impossible, but I think God intended to help us by the hand of Paul.  God declared before hand his choice of Jacob and Paul reveals to us that the reason he announced his choice while the twins were still in the womb  (apart from all of my own ideas) was to display God’s purpose of election where the call of his Son unto salvation is the decisive factor apart from man’s work or will (Rom 9:10-16).  I think this means that God elected (chose) without considering what either person would do in the future (like stealing a blessing by deception).  Such a strong teaching this is that Paul in that passage in Romans suggests (knowing the sinful state of all mankind) that the hearer will then question the very justice of God from a misplaced understanding of mercy, which is actually not owed in any sense but freely given.  The right question again is not why does he hate Esau but why does he love Jacob.  Paul refutes this arrogance and presumption of the right (or entitlement) to mercy and defends God’s free right to choose to exercise wrath or mercy as he pleases since it is wrath only that is deserved (entitled).
    v30-40.  Here Isaac realizes that he has been fooled and he accepts it and makes no effort to undo what God has clearly ordained (allowed or determined). Esau’s own sin come out here as well in that unlike Isaac, he does not rest in God’s providence but he wants what he thinks is owed to him.  Isaac intended no blessing for the other son and so here he struggles to come up with what ends up being not much of a blessing except to say that he will break the yoke at some point and be out from under the rule of his younger brother.  Esau will father the Edomites and they end up being an enemy of Israel, despite the fact that Jacob and Esau mend the rift and in the and their relationship is reconciled in tears of joy many years after this bump in the road (Gen 33:4-11), which gets a little worse in the next section.
    v41-46.  Here we find out the Esau planned to kill Jacob out of envy (sounds like Cain and sounds like Satan) but Rebekah intervenes by sending her son off to Haran with the ruse that she wants him to go find a wife there so he doesn’t end up with a Hittite woman like Esau.  This is no doubt true but it also gives cause to get Jacob off to safety.

Meaning, Implications, and Significance
    1.  God is at work to deliver upon his promises and he will accomplish this whether we help or hurt.  The implication for today is that God will do what he says and it depends not upon my will or my actions but upon his mercy alone.  The significance to me is that I can rest in his work and not worry that the outcomes depend upon my willing or working.  Like the virgins waiting for the bridegroom I can bring my oil in trembling anticipation but rest assured that it is God who is willing and working through me (Phil 2:12-13) and he has already declared that I will in the end be ready for his arrival.  I can have assurance of my salvation and of the goodness of God’s plan without relying on the circumstances I see around me.

Response:
“Private”

Reaction:
“Private”

Matthew 26

Ready:
Coming off of the description of final judgement by Jesus I learned that those who are in God's family love God by loving others and pouring themselves out for others and this is what it looks like to trim the lamps and to invest the talents.  A friend of Jesus does not only receive the love of Jesus but returns this love.  Jesus knows my love when I extend it "to the least of these".

Reading thoughts:
This is another massive chapter with much to say to me.  Here the plot to kill Jesus gets put into motion, he is anointed prior to his sacrificial death and he eats a final passover meal that serves to reveal that he himself is the passover sacrifice that secures the unmerited mercy of God for the children of Abraham (remember the four different types of offspring).  I see Jesus explain to Peter that it is none other than the Son of God who prays for him and enables his faith to survive even though failures and hardships (leaning on another gospel to help with this point).  I see Jesus deal with the human nature that he bears and with his aversion to the guilt and shame and the wrath of God that he will bear in his flesh upon that cross.  I see Jesus surrender to the will of the Father and the disciples flee.  Peter faces his worst night ever and yet his betrayal (by denial) turns out different than Judas’.

Key Verses:

“1 When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, 2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”” (Matthew 26:1–2, ESV)

“3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.” (Matthew 26:3–4, ESV)

“12 In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”” (Matthew 26:12–13, ESV)

“24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”” (Matthew 26:24–25, ESV)

“26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:26–28, ESV)

“34 Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”” (Matthew 26:34, ESV)

“38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”” (Matthew 26:38–39, ESV)

“53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”” (Matthew 26:53–54, ESV)

“56 But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.” (Matthew 26:56, ESV)

“74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.” (Matthew 26:74–75, ESV)

I see the theme as- An evil human plot unfolds that will fulfill the purpose and plan of God to save his people from the wrath to come, which is so real and so severe that the Lion of the Tribe of Judah himself, in his humanity that is no different than mine, trembles and gropes at alternatives that would be still serving the purpose of God…yet none are found and he resolves to persevere in the obedience of faith.

Rumination thoughts:
    v1-2.  Here Matthew points out to us a shift in the storyline with the phrase “when Jesus had finished all these sayings” and so we know that this is probably another day and a fresh conversation.  Now he tells his disciples again of his coming death but this time he introduces something new.  He links his death with the observance of the Jewish Passover.  This is just a quote of Jesus that Matthew inserts into his narration of the events that next moves to the plotting of his death.  But stopping here for a moment this statement that Jesus makes should get my attention.  Exodus 12 records the original passover and from its very introduction it is planned to be a continued practice for the Jews to commemorate something that is about to happen…it had not even happened yet and God was instructing them about how they will observe this in a certain month each year!  No time for great detail but Jesus is making plain here that he is the actual passover lamb and that the ritual performed in Egypt back in Exodus 20 was merely a foreshadowing of the coming death he will endure.  The Israelites that night in their homes were not protected by the blood of the sacrifice that they saw and ate…but by the death of Jesus.  God did not honor the blood of lambs that night.  He honored the blood of his beloved Son.  The passover celebration that the nation of Israel had practiced for centuries was all a foreshadowing and not a remembrance at all.  1 Corinthians 5:7 calls Christ our passover and he is not a copy but he is the original.  This speaks to how the cross functions with saving authority to people who lived centuries before the death of their savior.
    v3-5.  Here is a weaving of human responsibility and accountability before God with the everlasting decree of God to accomplish his purpose in the sacrifice of his Son for the salvation of his people.  The very plan that was crafted by the Jewish council was serving the precise will of God even though it was completely sinful and they, just like Pharaoh, carry the burden of responsibility for their sin.  See Acts 2:23 and Acts 4:27-28 plus verse 24 in this chapter regarding this plan of God that is carried out through the sinful actions of men.  Rom 9:18-24 sheds light on this work of God in using people’s dishonorable actions still in his good and righteous plan of revealing the riches of his glory to those who will receive his mercy by the abundance of his grace (Rom 5:17).
    v6-13.  Jesus sums up this account in explaining that Mary was unknowingly preparing his body for burial, which implies a death that precedes it.
    v14-16.  Judas is utterly guilty and yet utterly fulfilling the perfect plan and intention of God.
    v17-25.  Here is the passover meal that has been celebrated for centuries since the plague in Egypt being observed by Jesus and we see Judas identified as the traitor (though only John is in the know according to John 13:21-30).  Comparing the gospels it seems that Judas is now under the direct control of Satan (still serving the will and intention of God, however) and he leaves , I think, before Jesus institutes what we now call "The Lord’s Supper" or “Communion”.  
    v26-29.  Here Jesus redefines the passover as was indicated in verse 2 of this chapter.  Jesus now explains that he is the passover sacrifice and that in all future remembrance of the passover it is to be know that his body was broken to pay the penalty for sin and his blood was shed to cleanse the guilt and remove the enslavement of sin.  The ordinance or “rule” is here given that all Christians shall remember Jesus’ work on the cross by taking part in this ceremonial remembrance that redefines the passover in light of the real passover lamb.
    v30-35 No time to develop it but here Jesus explains how the disciples will scatter and hoe even Peter will deny him.  Not included in Matthew’s account is that Jesus encouraged Peter by letting him know that he had prayed for him that his faith would be maintained in spite of his failure and that he would return and he called him to strengthen his brothers when he returned.  This talk should have hopefully comforted Peter and perhaps even contributed to his tears that come in verse 75.
    v36-46.  Here Jesus lays out his dual natures (human and divine) and teaches us that we can come to God asking for comfort and deliverance from suffering and he teaches us about prayer.  How does Jesus’ prayer that God keep this “cup” from him turn out?  Does Jesus receive what he is asking for with faith like a mustard seed?  Does this mountain get thrown in to the sea?  Nope.  So if the Son of God can pray for something and he is turned down perhaps there is certainly more to the earlier teaching about prayer.  I suggest again that we trust in God’s ability to do anything (which Jesus expressed here) and we make a plea for why we think it is to his glory that he answer in the manner we are requesting (I take this from the Lord’s Prayer in Matt 6) and then we leave room for God having a different plan and we let him know that it is his will that we prefer and trust to be for our good and to his glory (which Jesus does here) since in our flesh we do not always know what to pray for (Rom 8:26-29).  No time to develop more of what happened here if the Garden but suffice it to say that Jesus recognized what he was facing and it is bigger than three nails and a crown of thorns and whipping and beating and spitting.  Nothing they could possibly do to him if they were given 10,000 years to continue this beating would come close to the wrath of the Father that he was about to bear on that cross.  Such an amazing endurance of punishment would Jesus take that the earth would quake and darken as he lovingly and compassionately held all of creation (which has assembled against him) in existence yet during his greatest moment of pain and suffering in separation from his Father.
    v47-56.  In the darkness Jesus faces his betrayer and willingly surrenders, though he retains authority to command the armies of heaven should he have chosen (verse 53).  The disciples flee and the Son of Man, the second Adam faces ultimate suffering alone.
    v57-68.  Here in this passage is the culmination of the failure of Israel that Paul speaks of in Romans 11.  Here they plainly reject Jesus as the Son of God come as Messiah to deliver his people.
    v69-75.  Here is the sad account of Peter’s denial but thanks to the great intercessor, who today intercedes for us as well (Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25, Rom 5:10), Peter ends up being restored and Peter’s story does not end like the story of Judas.

Meaning, Implications, and Significance
No time!

Response:
“Private”

Reaction:
“Private”

Soli Deo Gloria!