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January
27
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Reading
1 - Genesis 44 & 45
Click
here to Listen
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44
v. 4
- The phrase 'evil for good' is picked up later in scripture by
David on 4 occasions and by Solomon on one: 1Sam.25:21,
Ps.35:12, 38:20, 109:5, Prov.17:13. It is a feeling we should expect
as part of living the gospel and we should respond appropriately - Rom12:9,21,
13:3,4, 1Thes.5:15.
Peter Cresswell |
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45
v.8 - Those of us that have had bad experiences that have turned good
in this way will know just how true this is - just how God can use these
things to the benefit of ourselves and those who will be helped by it. This
is the principle of the life of Solomon - to gain wisdom he had to have
experience - this is true of us all. Joseph here recognised that the hardships
he had been through were of God's making, that he might save not only himslef
but his brethren. We do well to look on our own hardships the same way and
not with the bitterness that we are encouraged by our neighbours to feel.
John
15:6, 19:11, Rom.9:16
Peter Cresswell
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44 - Whilst Joseph could easily have simply told his brother who he
was and told them to bring Jacob down to Egypt on their first visit he developed
the strategy of sending them back with the money the first time and putting
the cup into their sack the second time and then bringing them back to cause
them to address what they had done to him in the past and repent. This was
not done out of a desire for revenge but because forgiveness can only come
after true repentance has been manifest.
ch
45 - Amidst the terror of his brothers Joseph shows his utter confidence
that the events that had happened to him was of God :5
- The point is made again 50:20.
Peter
Forbes
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44:32-34
And now we see the true repentance of Judah - he had been a spokesman
before (Genesis
37:26) but on that occasion he was self seeking not caring about the
feelings of his father Jacob.
45:1
The making known of Joseph to his brethren is a pattern of the revelation
of Christ to repentant Israel. Whilst they will be horrified at what they
have done to him their repentance will assure that Jesus will lovingly
embrace them - and so 'all Israel shall be saved' (Romans
11:26) - of course this is not a blanket salvation. It is consequent
upon repentance.
Peter
Forbes
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Genesis
44 - 45 - We now begin to appreciate why Judah's sins are so chronicled
in Genesis
38, for now the brothers are to see Joseph revealed as he
really is, for up until 45:3
he is known only to them as "Zaphnath Paaneah" - 'Saviour
of the World.' Joseph concentrates on Judah in this narrative, and Judah
shines forth as a completely changed man. His conversion represents the
conversion of his brethren, and speaks to us of the conversion of Jewry
to Christ at His coming, for when He returns, one of His first works
will be to "save the tents of Judah first" - Zech
12:7. Though 'Saviour of the World,' Jesus is first Messiah
to the Jews, and their saviour, and it is through His work with them,
that the world will come to be saved.
Cliff
York
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Gen
44.11-18 - The writer is careful here to develop the character of Judah
a little further - v11
'they speedily' - shows that collectively the brethren have a clear conscience.
v13
shows their collective surprise, but by v14
Judah has taken control of the situation, he is a true man and will deal
with this truly v16, he will not accept the servants offer to be let off
the hook. Joseph in v17
again clears all their guilt and willingly sends them home free - but Judah
won't accept this and so v18
- 34 delivers an astounding confession of faith
Jared
Schipper |
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Reading
2 - Psalm 49
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here to Listen
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v.12,20
- This Psalm is a salutary lesson to us all as we all have hopes and aspirations
for this life which from time to time cloud out those we should have. So
much of scripture is dedicated to teaching this lesson. Ps.39:5,
82:7, Jas.1:10,11 1Pet.1:24, Eccl.3:18-21 and lastly Eccl.9:12 reminds
us that it could be today. We do not know our future.
Peter Cresswell |
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v.10
- It matters not who we are or what we have achieved, even though our memory
may live on in the history books if our worldly achievements are great,
we can take nothing of this with us when we die, which we all will - that
is inevitable. We need therefore to develop the perspective that we might
be encouraged to store up for ourselves riches which will not die with us.
Matt.6:19,20
Peter Cresswell
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49:9
Those who trust in their own wealth are like Adam and Eve - on hearing the
words of the serpent they thought that they would be able to live for ever
by their own strength and cunning. Of course, just like Adam and Eve, they
will die. It is :15
God who is the redeemer.
Peter
Forbes |
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Psalm
49 - "Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye
inhabitants of the world" - A universal Psalm, not only appealing
to God's chosen, the Jews - but an appeal to all the inhabitants of the
world to cast off the fog of ignorance, and to acquaint themselves with
the desirableness of seeking the true riches and wisdom of God, the only
Redeemer. Internal evidence suggests that this Psalm is written by
the Sons of Korah, to bring to light the iniquity of Korah, Dathan and
Abiram when the earth opened up and swallowed them up alive, binding them
in everlasting chains of darkness, where they lie, awaiting judgement
at the last day - Jude
v6.
Cliff
York
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Reading
3 - Romans 1 & 2
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here to Listen
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1v.16
- Paul is picking up Jesus' language here from Mark
8:38 (Luke 9:26 - parallel). The greek for 'ashamed' is epaischunomai.
Of the 24 verses in the NT containing the english word 'ashamed',
only 9 are this word. Consider its other uses. It is quite an exhortation.
Rom.6:21,
2Tim.1:8,12,16, Heb.2:11, 11:16 - Can we use these verses to arrange
our lives in a way that the words of this last passage can be applied to
us as God adds our names to this list of men and women of faith from a bygone
age?
Peter Cresswell |
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1v.2
The fact that Paul says 'which he promised afore ... in the holy scripture'
should alert us to look for quotations and allusions to the Old Testament
in the letter to the Romans. If anyone would like a list of over 200 quotations
in Romans from the Old Testament I will gladly e-mail it.
v.8
wouldn't it be wonderful if it could be said of us that we are so faithful
and zealous that our faith was spoken of like this?
v.8-9
Paul makes mention without ceasing of other also Eph.1:6
Phil.1:3 Col.1:31 Thes.1:2 Philem.v.4 How does this with our prayers
for our brethren and sisters?
v.24,
26 'God
also gave them up ...' echoes the language of Psalm
81:12. A terrible
warning. God eventually punished Israel terribly because they would not
hearken to His words.
2v.21
The warning for ourselves is clear. James
3:1 Be not
many masters [teachers]. We must live to the standards we preach.
Peter Forbes
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1:3
That Jesus was 'of the seed of David according to the flesh' continues
a major theme found in Acts- The way in which Jesus was 'of David' - For
your own pleasure work through the early chapters in Acts where we find
the early preaching of the apostles and see how often they refer to David.
2:15
In speaking of gentiles with 'the law written in their hearts' Paul
is speaking of gentile believers who live according to the gospel. The
phrase is a quotation from Jeremiah
31:33.
Peter Forbes
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WORDS
AND ACTIONS
Hypocrisy is a real killer. Often it seems not nearly so obvious to the
hypocrite themselves, yet others (and especially children and teenagers)
can spot it a mile off. Hypocrisy happens when our word and actions don't
match. There are two ways we are shown in this chapter that warn us against
having mismatched words and actions.
The first is by passing judgement on someone else when we ourselves do the
same thing. It is important to look at ourselves critically as we look at
other people, because if we do that we will become much more humble and
realize that we too, all too often, fall under the same condemnation as
we dish out to them.
The second concerns our teaching. Paul put is best: "You then, who
teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing,
do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you
commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about
the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?"
Let us always be sure that our words and our actions go hand in hand so
that God's name is not blasphemed.
Robert
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1:1
Written about 57AD. Paul had not yet visited Rome (1:13).
Written when engaged in collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem during
his 3 months in Corinth on 3rd missionary journey Rom
15:25, Acts 20:2-3
Background to the times
Tacitus
- The.."epoch is rich in disasters, savage with battles, rent with
factions, cruel even in peace; the swallowing up or overflowing of cities,
the pollution of sacred functions, the prevalence of adulteries, the corruption
of slaves against their masters, of freedmen against patrons,, and where
there was no open enemy, the ruin of friends by friends".
1:8
Faith alone could sustain them, see what life was like in Rome. Cp. us
and today.
Background to the times
Tacitus
- "Rome... into that city flowed all things that are vile and abominable,
and
they are encouraged"
2:22
Commiting adultery, try the spiritual senses here - 'I am married to you
Lord'. Cp. Jer
3:14. aren't we all guilty of this too often?
Rom
2:25
Circumcision was a sign. For its significance see Jos
5:8,9 - the 'rolling away of the reproach of Egypt'. Think of rolling
away the flesh and all it spiritually signifies.
Derek
Palmer
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Romans
1 - Paul's clearest treatise on the issues of the atoning work
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul spends the entire epistle clearly building
the case for Grace, as opposed to mere observance of law. This first chapter
might be headed - "All men need God's righteousness - just look
at the Gentile world" - and lest the Jews be smug in their own
righteousness, Romans
2 might be headed - "And the Jews were worse." The
major issue Paul concentrates on throughout Romans is, how can a righteous
God be reconciled to unrighteous mankind.
Romans
1:4 - "declared" - Grk 'horizo' from which
we take our English word, Horizon. The Horizon is actually the point at
which we perceive Heaven and Earth to meet - which is exactly what we
see in Jesus - Seed of David according to the Flesh, and Son of God with
power, according to the spirit of holiness. This section appears to be
an exposition by Paul of Isaiah
7:10-11 where Ahaz is invited by the Lord to nominate a sign, either
in heaven or on the earth, which could increase his faith. Ahaz refused
the offer, but the prophet declared that such a earthly/heavenly sign
would be given in time. "Behold a virgin [seed
of David - earth] shall conceive [by the Spirit
of God - heaven], and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel"
- ie. "God with us".
Thus,
right from the beginning of his epistle, the Apostle establishes that
the means whereby any might be saved from sin and death is only through
the work of this one who was called Immanuel - 'God
with us.'
Cliff
York
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