February 15

Genesis 48; Luke 1:39-80

Daily Catechism

QUESTION 22: WHAT IS THE SINFULNESS OF THAT CONDITION INTO WHICH ALL MANKIND HAS FALLEN?
Answer: The sinfulness of the condition into which all mankind fell is the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the lack of original righteousness, and the corruption of our whole nature (which is commonly called original sin), together with all actual transgressions which come from this nature.
Scripture: Romans 5:19; 3:10; Ephesians 2:1; Isaiah 53:6; Psalm 51:5; Matthew 15:19.

Comment: The Bible says that “in Adam all die” (1 Cor. 15:22) and that “one transgression yields condemnation for all men” (Rom. 5:18) and that “one man’s disobedience made many sinners” (Rom. 5:19). These statements lead us to conclude that God, in a way beyond our comprehension, established a unity between Adam and his posterity which makes it just for us to receive the imputation of his guilt and corruption. He was in some sense our representative head. We sinned in him and fell with him.

Genesis 48

Ready:
Yesterday I saw that Jacob settled in Goshen with his family and they multiplied and gained possessions while the rest of Egypt went into service of Pharaoh and lost their land and pays Pharaoh 1/5 tax on all their crops.

Seeing What’s There:
This chapter is entirely focused on Jacob blessing Joseph’s first two children and adopting them as his own sons so that they become two half-tribes under Joseph and later lists of the tribes in the Bible will leave Joseph out and include one or both of these half-tribes instead.  Though Manasseh was the firstborn, Jacob chooses to place his right hand on Ephraim and therefore gives him the priority of the blessing that he prays over both children in Joseph’s presence.

Theme:
Jacob provides a double blessing to Joseph by adopting two grandsons as full sons and tribal chiefs on par with their uncles.

Thinking About the Message:
    v1-7.  Here Jacob tells Joseph about the day God spoke to him at Luz, which he renamed Bethel.  This was the day that Jacob was promised by God that he was to receive the blessings promised to Abraham and Isaac.  Now Jacob is casting this blessing upon the sons of Joseph who will join Jacob’s other sons in this full degree of blessing as tribes of Israel.  Jacob establishes Joseph as two tribes and thus Joseph receives a double blessing and will eventually mean his family (two tribes instead of one) receives more land.
    v8-21.  Joseph presents his children to Jacob for the blessing with Manasseh to Jacob’s right but then there is drama because Joseph thinks his father errs by crossing his arms during the blessing but Jacob explains that he is purposefully placing his right hand on the younger son since he has decided that he shall bear the primary blessing of the first-born that these boys are assuming ahead of Rueben and Simeon.  Joseph clearly believed that the power of God and the ratification of the blessing by the hand of Jacob come from heaven and so it was a real thing to him where the right hand of his father was placed and it was not trivial.  Prayer and the blessing of a father upon his children is no small thing.
    v22.  Here Jacob seems to consider the land that was emptied by Simeon and Levi avenging their sister against the Hivites at Shechem.  Amorites is commonly used to refer to the inhabitants of Canaan and in this case I believe refers to the Hivites.  I recall that Abraham had purchased this hill but the emptying of the surrounding area must have expanded the property…even though they fled from there for survival from retaliation of surrounding peoples.

Meaning, Implications, and Significance
    What I take from this is an emphasis on the importance of family.  I take that God has ordained that a father bless his children and set them on a path of fearing the Lord and on fulfilling the promises made to the patriarchs before them.  I see a trust in God and a generational vision that extends far beyond what our culture now considers.  Jacob envisions a great nation (even nations) and so he knows what is riding on these children and the importance of their lives.  Legacy is important and Jacob is here handing a legacy of trusting God to be a covenant keeping God who is almighty and faithful.  The New Testament surely expand this with Jesus’ teaching on family and the fact that our spiritual family is ultimate, but this spiritual family of God all started in the physical family of Abraham.  I take the implication to be that fathers have a privilege and a responsibility to hand their children a blessing by leading them in the direction of honoring God with their lives and living according to God’s purpose, not for selfish ambition or leisure.  The significance for me is that I need to always reflect upon my leading and instructing and loving of my kiddos and I need to ensure that the legacy I am creating is one of trusting God and honoring him in the way we think and act so that our lives are a testament to the glory of God and we function as a telescope to show others the greatness and goodness and beauty of God in the person of Jesus Christ.

Valuing the Message:
This message is valuable to me because we can daily blend in to the American culture around us and be concerned with things that are temporal and will pass away instead of on eternal concerns that are forever and that impact souls.  Capturing the hearts of my kiddos and making my priority in their life seeing them treasure Christ is the only way we will make a gospel impact for generations to come.  This message trumps and must weave itself into every activity and interest that our family has and the importance of a habit of family worship and meals together and discussions and traditions and time alone with dad and spoken prayers and words of encouragement is evident.

Reflecting to Feel the Impact of the Message:
The legacy I hand down is my responsibility and if I am not purposeful in accomplishing it then they will still receive a legacy but it will be watered down and probably not focused on hallowing the name of God.  I need to reflect upon my own heart and how I spend my energy and ensure that I am not letting other things distract me from how I steer my children and pour myself into them.  The generations to follow (come Jesus come) will carry more impact for Christ if I am devoted to this message.  I can’t let Egypt swallow my children.

Questions to ask:

1. Read verse 21.  Why wouldn’t Jacob want Joseph and Ephraim and Manasseh to remain in Egypt where they were excessively wealthy and under the care of Pharaoh?
2. What is the most important thing I focus my children’s attention on?  Financial security and comfort, influence and power, morals and ethics, education and curiosity, strength and teamwork, or a heart for God and a trust in his promises?

Responding to God & Reacting to His Lesson:
Tell God about your observations and your thoughts and your struggles with the chapter and determine how it will change or impact your thinking and your decisions.  Be sure to react in some way to the truth rather than remain silent.

Proclaiming the Truth to Others:
Decide who you can share what you have learned with and ask for God’s help in reaching out to love others.

Luke 1:39-80

Ready:
Picking up after Gabriel has foretold the births of Jesus and John the Baptist…

Seeing What’s There:
Mary may have been aware that Elizabeth was pregnant and would have then known of the amazing occurrences and how Zechariah was muted by Gabriel, but now in response to Gabriel’s prodding she heads out to give Elizabeth the news of her own pregnancy and the amazing message she also received from Gabriel.  What jumps out at me from this half of the chapter is:

• Elizabeth blesses Mary at her arrival
• Baby John leaps in the womb when Baby Jesus comes near in Mary’s womb
• Mary rejoices in praise with The Magnificat
• Zechariah honors God and receives his voice back at the naming of his new son
• Zechariah prophesies about John being the prophet of God who will prepare the way
• John the Baptist goes into the wilderness as soon as he is grown and remains there until he begins his public ministry

Theme:
God breaks into humanity to deliver on his promise and to offer help to Israel (his people) who cannot achieve salvation by the law alone.  The point of the law was to motivate a fear of God that brings them to trust in the coming offspring and repent of their sin (obedience of faith).

Thinking About the Message:
    v39-45.  There is a neat bond between Jesus and John from the womb that comes out later when Jesus is baptized by John and then when Jesus declares John to be the man of men.  In the meeting with Elizabeth they both exult and praise the Lord for their amazing blessing and for what God is doing in the world.  They are an amazing part of God breaking into mankind in a mighty way.
    v46-56.  Mary’s song of praise in this passage has three main parts (plus an opening) that are worth considering.  She begins with the personal impact God has had upon her and then considers what he is doing for all those who fear him and finally brings it back around to the fact that this is all part of his keeping his covenant because he is a faithful God who speaks truth.

• God is magnified within her and she rejoices for the reasons in the subsequent verses (verse 46)
• Her innermost emotions and drive is to exalt the Lord and rejoice in what he has done.  This is a worship that comes in spirit and truth.  She is not giving lip service to God here but she is pouring out what is in her heart.  She has three reasons to praise God that she sings to him with joy.

1. God’s grace upon her (verses 47-49)
1. She recognizes that God has put special favor upon her and she knows that she has not merited this honor.  She recognizes that all generations to follow will find blessing from her child and she will forever have been given this gift of being the mother of God.  She recognizes that what God has done in her body is physically impossible and was accomplished by the power of his name in holiness and purity.  Luke 11:27 has an example of a woman noting the blessedness of Mary but Jesus corrects her slightly to indicate that the blessing extends specifically to those who listen to the God who they hear…who have the obedience of faith…those who fear God
2. God’s mercy and power upon those who fear him (verses 50-53)
1. Mary knows that the blessing of God’s mercy is not universal but is upon those who fear him.  Mary understands that there is no universal salvation and she knows that salvation is not for one bloodline but for all who fear the Lord and put their faith in the promised offspring that she has been chosen by God to bear.  Her understanding of the promised offering mentioned at the end of her song makes clear that she recognizes the fruit of her womb to be the very offspring promised to Abraham.  
2. She recognizes God’s omnipotent hand at work to bring this mercy in spite of wickedness and brokenness of this world.  God accomplishes his salvation despite the pride and the opposition to his message in the wicked hearts of mankind.  It is his arm that puts down the proud and raises up the humble.  He gives to those who see their need and not to those who think they offer him a gift.
3. God’s keeping of his covenant with the true children of Abraham (verses 54-55)
1. Mary concludes with the fact that it is this omnipotent God who spoke and who’s Word is true.  In faithfulness to his name, he puts the fear of the Lord in the hearts of his sheep.  Since the grace of God moves in a unilateral covenant with Abraham, God will establish through this child a new and everlasting covenant that purchases the fear of him in his people.  See again Jeremiah 31:33; Jer 32:40, Ezek 36:26-27, Deut 30:6 and it is clear that he does not leave it up to the dead and enslaved to free themselves (Luke 1:54) from the bondage of sin but that he himself grants them what he requires…that they fear the Lord.  The law demands what we cannot accomplish and only condemns.  Grace demands even more but then gives us the very thing it requires.  

   
v57-66.  The whole thing of Zechariah regaining his voice in the moment that he honors God and stands up for God’s intention to name the child John is a tear-jerker.  I can’t imagine Elizabeth not being bowled over with joy and amazement and awe at the power of God and the glory of his name.
    v67-80.  John will prepare the way for the Messiah with a final plea that Israel acknowledge their sin in a correct use of the law (faith in the coming offspring and repentance).  He will announce the arrival of the kingdom of God among us.  John ends up in the desert from an early age.  Unlike other great Biblical figures there is no record of big stumbles by John the Baptist.  His question to Jesus confirming that he is the Messiah is the worst we see of him and even Jesus will declare that John is the greatest human to ever live (I bet there will be a line at his dinner table in heaven!).

Meaning, Implications, and Significance
    God broke into mankind to deliver us.  In the end salvation was smoke and mirrors and mercy was unjust unless the offspring came and died.  Salvation was available before Jesus came by the same means as after he came- obedience of faith.  Recall that the obedience of faith is this: Taking God at his word, turning form our sins and trusting that an offspring was coming who would take our sins away for good.  Obeying him because we trust him.  But Israel was in large part failing because they were misusing the law.  They were trusting and boasting in the law as a measuring stick to live up to in order to achieve salvation rather than receive salvation (Rom 9:30-33, Rom 2:23, Rom 3:20-24).  So God broke in to finalize the salvation (Gal 4:4, Eph 1:10) that he had already been applying to OT saints (Luke 2:25-32) and to vindicate his righteousness in having mercy by passing over our sins (Rom 3:25-26).  Mary’s song celebrates this mercy.  The significance to me is that by faith I become an offspring of Abraham (Rom 9:8, Gal 3:29) and a child of God (Rom 8:14-16).

Valuing the Message:
I value this message because it is this very gratitude and awe of God and his work that should motivate a life of worship.  My life should be a reflection of the glory of this mighty God who saves.

Reflecting to Feel the Impact of the Message:
I need to asses my own heart and my motives and what excites me.  

Questions to ask:
Do I have a song in my heart like Mary’s?  Am I excited about what he has done and what he is doing?  Do I seek for God in a way that puts his thoughts and priorities on my mind all day?  Is my trust in my actions or in the persons and work of Jesus?  Do I worship from the heart or from the lips and vocal cords?  Am I bowled over by God’s work or am I busy thinking of my work?

Responding to God & Reacting to His Lesson:
Tell God about your observations and your thoughts and your struggles with the chapter and determine how it will change or impact your thinking and your decisions.  Be sure to react in some way to the truth rather than remain silent.

Proclaiming the Truth to Others:
Decide who you can share what you have learned with and ask for God’s help in reaching out to love others.

Soli Deo Gloria!