Reading 1 - Genesis 46 & 47

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47v.30 I thought a map might give a clue about the sort of effort involved in all the movement backwards and forwards between Canaan and Egypt. Now at the end of Jacob's life, a further journey presents to take him back to Machpelah before Mamre, which is Hebron (Gen.23:19), which I've marked on the map. Sarah was buried there - 23:19 - so was Abraham - 25:9 - so were Isaac and Rebekah and Leah - 49:31 and now Jacob wishes to join them and wait for the Kingdom of God, where we hope to meet him. Matt.22:32

Peter Cresswell

47:27 The way that Israel multiplied in Goshen is setting the scene for the affliction which was to follow which was, in itself, the process that would bring abut the Exodus. God is still at work!
Peter Forbes

46:34 We have another piece of language which is used in Zechariah 13. 'trade … youth' is found in Zechariah 13:5 - we should build up the links between different parts of Scripture so that we can then let Scripture expound itself.

47:28 Joseph was 17 when he was sold into Egypt (Genesis 37:2) and he spends 17 years with his father in Egypt. So Joseph has two 17 year periods with his father.
Peter Forbes

Genesis 46:30 - "And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face" - What was Joseph's Egyptian title again? "Saviour of the World" - Jacob, having laid his eyes once more on the Son of his love, the one who was named by him "Increaser," who was sent before his face to preserve life in Egypt (World) - John 3:16 - is now content to go to his grave in God's good time. Jacob actually lived a further 17yrs in the land of Goshen, matching the number of years that Joseph had spent in the family compound in the land, before being cruelly sold off into slavery as a mere lad. Was Simeon, many years later, thinking of this incident recorded here in Jacob's life as he took the infant Jesus into his arms? - Luke 2:30. And if so, why?

Genesis 47:9  - "And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been" - There are those who imagine that if only they could live longer, perhaps they might achieve a better standing before God. Though Jacob lived twice the life span most of us might expect today, his own summary of his days is that they were "few and evil." It is a blessing that 70yrs is our allotted span, and in that time is more than enough opportunity to sufficiently come to grips with the awesome Grace of God, and to embrace His righteousness with an attitude of gratitude.
Cliff York

Reading 2 - Psalm 50

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v.2 - Here we have a number of rare words - perfection (miklal - 04359) is only here, but its root word is used in similar circumstances in Eze. 27:4,11 (and nowhere else). The word for beauty (yophiy - 03308) only has 19 occurrences eg. Ps.45:11, Est.1:11, Prov.6:25, and shined is a special word too (yapha` - 03313) only 8 times in scripture eg. Deut 33:2, Ps.80:1, Ps.94:1(show). Of course we realise in retrospect that it is the work of Christ through which God will shine. 2Cor.4:6
Peter Cresswell

Psalm 50 - "A Psalm of Asaph" - are the first words of this Psalm. "Asaph" means 'to gather, or collect.' The theme of this Psalm is the gathering of God's children before Him for Judgement. Thus the language used is universal, and not limited to Israel in the land - "called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof" - All the inhabitants of the earth, from one end to the other: whom El Elohim Yahweh [to use the titles of God here given]  summons to be witnesses of His proceedings in this solemn judgment, between Him and His people, which is here poetically represented. For here is a tribunal erected, the judge coming to it, the witnesses and delinquents summoned, and at last the sentence given.

 v17 - "Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee" - This will undoubtedly be manifest as one of the great issues of the ages. It started in the garden of Eden when Adam failed to keep God's words before him. And it is alluded to in the picture of judgement given in Matthew 25: 1-12 where the foolish virgins are exposed as they who have not sufficient oil [God's word] in their lamps [active lives]. Hypocrisy is wickedness, which God will soon judge. And it is sadly too common, for those who declare the Lord's statutes to others, to live in disobedience to them themselves.
Cliff York

Reading 3 - Romans 3 & 4

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3:4 The quotation 'that thou mightest be justified ...' from Psalm 51:4 marks the beginning of an appeal to the repentance of David after his adultery with Bathsheba - see the title of the Psalm. This incident in David's life, as terrible as it was, marks the magnitude of the Father's forgiveness towards a repentant sinner. More notes on this in Romans 4.
3:23,24 These adjacent verses are at the opposite ends of the spectrum as far as the mind of man is concerned. One has to recognise the situation outlined in v 23 before one can be in the state described in v 24. Justification is only available to those who recognise their own personal need for salvation.
4:3 'Abraham believed God ...' the quotation is from Gen. 15:6. Righteousness is imputed by God on the basis of faith, not works of the law. Gen. 15 predates the giving of the law. This is the thrust of the argument in verses 4:4,5 and circumcision - the implications of this are developed in Rom.4:9-13.
4:6-8 The appeal to Psalm 32:1-2 which is a Psalm that David wrote after Nathan had spoken of God's forgiveness for David's adultery [2 Sam.12:13] continues the theme of forgiveness from ch. 3:4 We should take great comfort from the fact that God was willing to forgive the repentant David.
4:18 'against hope believed in hope' tells us that Abraham had to have faith in the promise of the seed as it was humanly speaking impossible.
4:23 The implication from 'now it was not written for his sake alone ...' is that Abraham had a written copy of the promise.
Peter Forbes

3:1 'What advantage then hath the Jew' is asked by Paul because in Chapter 1 & 2 he has powerfully demonstrated that the history of Israel's behaviour shows that they were sinful. Against that background a gentile might well think that there was no value in being Jewish which would undermine the clear Biblical teaching that the Jews are God's special people. Paul goes on to develop his argument to show that the benefit of being a Jew comes only from believing the things that God has said.

4:23 In saying 'it was not written …' Paul is indicating that Abraham had his own written copy of the promise contained in Genesis 15.
Peter Forbes

Romans 3:9 - "for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin" - in chapters one and two. Paul painted a word picture, first of the Gentile world - Romans 1 - then the Jewish world, which was even worse, for they had access to God's righteousness - Romans 2.

v12-18 - Paul describes the cadaver of sin. As Paul's scalpel opens up the body of sin, first the throat, then the tongue, lips, mouth, feet, and eyes are laid bare and examined - Hebrews 4:12-13. And Paul's conclusion is given in v23 - "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."  What does this tell us? We all need Jesus Christ. No-one will be in God's Kingdom who has not entrusted his life and his salvation to the only name given among men whereby they might be saved - Acts 4:12.

Romans 4 - To meet the views of the Jews, the apostle first refers to the example of Abraham, in whom the Jews gloried as their most renowned forefather. However exalted in various respects, he had nothing to boast in the presence of God, for he too was saved by grace, through faith, even as others. Without noticing the years which passed before his call, and the failures at times in his obedience, and even in his faith, it was expressly stated in the Scripture that "he believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness," Genesis 15:6. From this example it is observed, that if any man could work the full measure required by the law, the reward must then be reckoned as a debt, which evidently was not the case even of Abraham, seeing faith was reckoned to him for righteousness.

 It is clear from the Scripture, that Abraham was justified several years before his circumcision. This then is Paul's point to those who prided themselves on their pedigree and/or on the very private mark they received in their flesh whilst they were too young to effectively protest otherwise. It is, therefore, plain that this circumcision was not necessary in order to that justification which is by faith.

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It is truly fascinating to reflect on the great wisdom of the Father as one reads the 3 portions of Scripture each day, and often there runs a "Golden Thread" through them all. For example, one of the Golden Threads evident today, is the concept, that we can only be Justified by the Grace of God. Paul deals in great detail with the subject, of course, in Romans, Joseph in his life revealed how great a force faith in God is the life of each of His saints - Genesis 47:12, and the Psalmist captured the same beautifully in the closing verse of Psalm 50 - "Whoso offers praise glorifies me: and to him that orders his conversation aright, will I show the salvation of God."
Cliff York