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January
17
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Reading
1 - Genesis 30
Click
here to Listen
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v
.14-16
- Mandrakes - hebrew dudaim
= "love-plants". The most likely thing that they were
is Mandragora officinalis (botanical name), which is a relative
of the night-shades and possesses mild stimulating and narcotic properties
(SofS
7:13). Hence
the reason that they became, as it were, currency on this occasion - worth
jealous bargaining over. God rewards Rachel's selfish jealousy over this
by allowing Leah to conceive again. It is not the first time important events
have been influenced by human greed - Gen.25:30
Peter Cresswell |
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v.1,14,15
- There is a lot of emotion in these years, and it seems again (supporting
Peter Forbes' point on tomorrow's
reading) that Rachel does not have quite the character we would have
expected. She seems to be rather spoilt, doubtless at least by Jacob's affections,
and have that consequent bitterness that comes from failed expectation that
we see so much of in our world today. Bitterness cannot lead us to the love
of God, let us beware of this, as bitterness is such a common and accepted
emotion in the world in which we live. We must accept the love of God and
His chastening hand in humility and faith, and with that we can have confidence
in His salvation. Col.3:19,
James 3:14
Peter Cresswell |
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The way
in which Jacob sought to build his own flock is certainly a puzzle. However
whatever Jacob thought he was doing it is clear that his God blessed him.
We can expend so much effort puzzling about the strategy Jacob used that
we miss the simple lesson that God was with him.
Peter
Forbes |
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:23
Rachel, in saying 'God hath taken away my reproach' vices words which Elizabeth
spoke after she was promised a child (Luke
1:25)
Peter
Forbes |
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DECEIVER
DECEIVED
Jacob fled to the house of Laban because he had deceived his brother Esau
too many times. He was born grasping the heel of Esau, he took his birthright
and his blessing. The meaning of his name, Jacob, means, "He Deceives."
When Esau spoke about Jacob he said, "Isn't he rightly named Jacob?
He has deceived me these two times: He took my birthright and now he's taken
my blessing!" (Genesis
27 v 36).
But when Jacob went to Laban's house he met his match. There was deceit
in everything Laban did for Jacob. He gave him Leah instead of Rachel, he
made Jacob work 14 years instead of 7 for Rachel, he demanded payment for
any stolen property - even though it was not Jacob's responsibility, and
he changed Jacob's wages ten times. If it was possible, Laban would have
kept all the benefit of Jacob's hard work and sent him away empty handed.
So Jacob, the deceiver, learned what it was like to be deceived. He learnt
how distasteful it was and, it seems, his character was improved by his
experience.
God may put us in similar situations to improve our characters. If we have
a problem he may sting us with it as he did to Jacob. So when we are confronted
by attributes we despise in others, let us make sure we cleanse those attributes
thoroughly from our own lives to become more like the people God wants us
to be.
Robert
Prins |
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Reading
2 - Psalms 34
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here to Listen
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v5.
- The word ashamed here is chapher,
which is a relatively rare word (17 occurrences). The normal word for ashamed
(eg. Gen.2:25)
is buwsh
(109 occurrences) and is used a lot. This word here in Ps.34:5
means confused or abashed or confounded, which is the most common translation.
It is the first of several uses of this word in Psalms. The others are in
Ps.35:4
(confusion), 35:26 (confusion), 40:14 (confounded), 70:2 (confounded), 71:24
(shame), and 83:17 (shame).
Peter Cresswell
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v.7
- This must apply to us too, though we seem to find it so hard to accept.
Maybe we are like the young man in 2Kings
6:17 to whom the previously invisible legions of angels guarding them
were revealed. Let us remember the protective hand of God, and lean on Him
to take us to His kingdom. Psa.91:11,
Matt.18:10
Peter Cresswell
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The titles
of this Psalm shows us why the Psalm was written. There is a change in focus
of the Psalm at :11
where David moves from speaking about how God has worked in his life. From
:11
David is instructing his 'children'. These children, in the first instance
are the 400 who were with him in the cave 1
Samuel 22 - the next event recorded after he escaped from Gath.
Peter
Forbes |
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Reading
3 - Matthew 19
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here to Listen
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v.25
- This is a very pertinent question. And notably Jesus is emphasising along
with the rest of scripture:
1. That God looks on the heart, not the outward appearance (1Sam.16:7,
Jer.17:10)
2. That only a remnant shall be saved (Matt.24:22,
Luke 13:23-24, Rom.11:5)
This passage in Matt. 19 shows the truth of the proverb in Prov.16:2
Peter Cresswell |
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:1
Maybe the question about putting away wives was not simply a theoretical
question. John Baptist had already reproved Herod for taking his brother
Philip's wife [Mark
6:17] Maybe the leaders thought that they could trap Jesus with this
question and cause him to suffer the same fate as John.
Peter
Forbes |
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:23
In telling the rich man to 'sell all that he had' Jesus is implementing
the teaching of the parable (13:44-46)
Peter
Forbes |
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