January 7

Reading 1 - Genesis 13 & 14

Click here to Listen

ch. 14 - A quite detailed look at Melchizedek today. This was a completely separate order of priesthood from the Levitical one. This chapter shows us the characteristics of a Melchizedek priest. This is the priesthood to which we aspire. David was also a priest of this order, as was Jesus. The following chart sets some of the evidence out:

�	Melchizedek	David	Jesus	Us
Associated with Zion	Came from Salem Gen.14:18	Pitched the tent for the ark in Zion himself 1Chron.15:1	Ate the last supper with his disciples there. Matt.26 etc.	Born there Ps.87:5,6
No pedigree of priesthood	We are told so Heb.7:3	Was not of the tribe of Levi	Confirmed by an oath Heb.6:17	No right to the promises as Gentiles, except through Christ.
Bread and wine	Gen.14:18	1Chron.16:3	Matt.26:26-28	Partake weekly
King	King of Salem Gen.14:18	King of Israel	The promised Messiah	We will be 1Pet.2:6-10
Blessed people	Blessed Abraham Gen.14:19	Blessed the people 1Chron.16:2	Blessed the disciples Luke 24:50	We will too

Peter Cresswell

13:3 - Bethel = "House of God" Hai = "heap of ruins". Abraham spent much of the early part of his life between these two - exactly the position of each of us. He did not always make the right decisions at this point either (e.g. his visit to Egypt). Perhaps this is the reason that God left it so long before fulfilling His promise with him, waiting for his faith to develop and his experience to show him the right way through the mistakes he made. Just like us!
Peter Cresswell

13:8 'For we be brethren' should mark the way that we respond to our brethren in issues of preference. The cessation of strife between brethren is far more important than personal 'rights' - after all Abram was the one to whom the land was promised and he gave Lot the choice as to which part he wanted.

ch 14 - Melchisedec - a seemingly shadowy character in Genesis 14 - only mentioned twice more in Scripture - Psalm 110 and Hebrews - is pivotal in developing the picture of the glorification of the saints into king / priests. The series in 'The Christadelphian' Feb 2001 onwards provides a fascinating review of the way in which the theme is developed in Scripture.
Peter Forbes

13:8 Whilst Lot 'pitched his tent toward Sodom' he is later found dwelling in Sodom (14:14) - the beginning of a downward spiral which caused Lot great grief.

14:14 That Abraham had 318 trained soldiers born in his house indicates something of the size of Abraham's camp. These trained servants would have wives and children and then there would be servants that were not born in his house - an indication as to why Lot had to separate from him - but why, then, was Abraham fearful of Pharaoh? (Genesis 12:12)
Peter Forbes

SHIFT TO SODOM

It is useful to take note of Lot's move into Sodom. When Abraham and Lot separated, Lot chose the plain of the Jordan because it was well watered. So we read that Lot "set out toward the east." (13 v 11). Only a little later we find that "Lot lived among the cities of the plain." and then "pitched his tents near Sodom." (13 v 12).

Little by little Lot was being drawn into Sodom. Bit by bit the separateness that he had learnt from Abraham was being eroded. Some time later, when Abraham lived in Hebron, Sodom was attacked by some invading armies. We read of Lot at that stage as "living in Sodom." (14 v 12). Lot had gone from moving toward the east, to living near Sodom, to living in Sodom. And that was not the end of it. In Genesis 19 v 1 we learn that Lot sat in the gate of the city, or, as it is put in verse 9, he was a judge in the city. In other words, Lot had moved in, settled down and was taking a leading role in the affairs of the city.

Step by step and little by little, Lot was drawn into Sodom and into it's lifestyle. He was sucked into the systems of the world around him until there was no difference between his family and the people of Sodom. He not only lived in Sodom, which many of us in cities already do, but his family began to live like Sodom.

Where are we? God has called us to be his separate people, but how closely are we allied with the world around us - its business, entertainment, systems, or what it offers? Let's not make the move into Sodom to live like the people of Sodom, but stay separate for the Lord.
Robert Prins

v. 19-20,22 - Genesis chapter 14 is an account of Lot being rescused from Chedorlaomar by Abram. Abram arrived back in Salem, and Melchizedek, the priest of God came out to meet him. Melchizedek gave him bread and wine and blessed him. The king of Sodom told Abraham to take the booty that he (Abram) had taken from king Chedorlaomar; Abram refused to take the booty that belonged to the king, because he did not want enrichment by a human king. Abram said he had lifted his hands up to God of heaven, meaning Abram accepted the fact that God was the Suzerain of all human kings.
Chedorlaomar was suzerain over 8 kings, and eastern law says; that vassal kings must watch out for the interest of the suzerain (chief king), so when 5 kings rebel against king Chedorlaomar he and the remaining 3 kings go to fight them, that is when Lot and his neighbours were carried away in the scuffle.
Melchizedek was king of Salem, and priest of God Most High: Hebrew language says: "El Elyon" which means "God Supreme"; Melchizedek blessed Abram saying: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High Maker of heaven and earth: Hebrew language says: "El Elyon koneh shameen vaharets" which translates: "God Supreme Buyer of Heaven and Earth"; Melchizedek continued by saying: "blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hands!". These words by Melchizedek and Abram inidcates that a community of believers was well installed in Salem under the priesthood of Melchizedek (Salem was later called Jerusalem). It is a fact important to note that Abram rejected the goods of Sodom and placed the Supreme God as Suerain over the human kings, to prove this fact, after Melchizedek blessed Abram, Abram gave tithes to him. It was after this event, Abram meets the king of Sodom and refuses his goods, telling him the reason why! with the phrase: "Yahweh Supreme God Buyer of Heaven and Earth.
Beryl Butler.

Genesis 13 - 14 - What encouragement to see Abram developing faith through the events of these two chapters. In 13:2, Abram departs from Pharaoh and Egypt loaded up with cattle, silver and gold... and Hagar the Egyptian handmaid. Soon there is trouble in the compound between Lot's herdsman and Abram's herdsmen, so that Abram is forced to oversee a situation where it is better that they separate and remain brethren apart than stay and remain enemies together. In chapter 14:23, faced with a similar opportunity for recompense from the King of Sodom, Abram refuses to take even 'a feminine hairnet' ["thread"] to 'a man's shoelace' ["shoe latchet"]. Abram has learned his lesson from his experience in Egypt.

�

In Genesis 12:6 we were told that the Canaanite was in the land when Abram arrived. In 12:10 Abram decides to travel on down to Egypt because of the straitness of the famine in the land. In 13:7 after they return out of Egypt, the record [almost casually] tells us that "the Canaanite and the Perizzite [still] dwelled in the land." So the question then is, 'Did Abram really need to go on down to Egypt?' It seems not.

�

Genesis 13:14 - Why are we told the exact number of "instructed servants" who went with Abram to rescue Lot? For Abram to have�"318" young men travelling with him, there must have been close to 2,000 people travelling in Abram's compound. "318" = 53 x 6 [the lowest divisible ordinal number. "5" is the number of Grace. It is also a number characteristic of Abram's life... for the 5th letter of the Hebrew alphabet ["h"] was added to both Abram and�Sarai's names. �"3" is the number of new life & resurrection.�� And "6" of course, is the number of man.� So by giving us the exact number� - "318",�the scripture is telling us about "a multitude of resurrected [young] men, having new life by the Grace of God" going forth with Abram [who in the record is a type of Jesus Christ] to do battle with the Kings of the World in the Middle East.
Cliff York

14:17,18 Two men came to greet Abraham, and welcome him back. One, most wicked; the
other the King/Priest. Abraham gave a tithe to Melchizedek, but not to Bera
David Simpson

Reading 2 - Psalm 17

Click here to Listen

v.8 - the word used for apple ('iyshown) is a word meaning black or obscure. Prov.7:9 (black), Prov.20:20 (obscure). This seems odd until you realise that it must refer to the pupil of the eye - the black part - the centre of it - arguably a picture of the most sensitive part of the whole body. This makes quite a difference to our understanding of these passages. Deut.32:10 Prov.7:2. So in v. 8 of today's Psalm, David is asking God to treat him with as much care as He would the pupil of His eye.
Peter Cresswell

v.15 - How clear it is that David, without the insight that we have being able to look back on the sacrifice of Jesus, had a perfect belief in resurrection and the process by which he would become like God (just as the serpent promised Eve, but not quite the same way!!). We are all able to receive this reward, if we, like David, can turn our hearts to Him. We then can also have the faith to believe that we will behold His face, just like David. Matt 5:6, Rev 7:16-17, 21:3-4,23
Peter Cresswell

v.8 - In asking to be kept as 'the apple of the eye' David is asking God to treasure him as much as he does the whole nation [Deuteronomy 32:10]
Peter Forbes

:3 In saying that God had 'visited' him in the night David is making a point which he makes a number of times (Psalm 16:7 63:6 119:148). How do we spend our sleepless nights? Do we think about God and the things that He has done for us?
Peter Forbes

Psalm 17:5 - "Hold up my goings in thy paths" �- David walked in God�s ways; but, without Divine assistance, he could not walk steadily, even in them. The words of God�s lips had shown him the steps he was to take, and he implores the strength of God�s grace to enable him to walk in those steps. He had been kept from the paths of the destroyer; but this was not sufficient; he must walk in God�s paths -�we are called to�spend�our life in obedience to the Divine will. Negative holiness can save no man. "Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."

Psalm 17:8 - "Keep me as the apple of the eye" - Or, as "the�little one or�the daughter of eye." Take as much care to preserve me now by Divine influence, as thou have done to preserve my eye by thy good providence. You have entrenched it deeply in the skull; have ramparted it with the forehead and cheek-bones; defended it by the eyebrow, eyelids, and eyelashes; and placed it in that situation where the hands can best protect it.

"Hide me under the shadow of thy wings" - This is a metaphor taken from the hen and her chickens.�The Lord says of his followers, Zec 2:8 : "He that touches you, touches the apple of mine eye." How dear are our eyes to us! How dear�are His followers�to God!
Cliff York

Reading 3 - Matthew 9

Click here to Listen

v.4 - how often Jesus knew their thoughts - Matt.12:25, 16:7,8, Mark 12:15, Luke 6:8, 9:46,47. Look at the power of the revelations he had - John 6:64. Yet still he lived a life of no sin, even with the knowledge of other people's thoughts. What an amazing man he was.
Peter Cresswell

9:36 Seeing Israel as scattered sheep echoes 1 Kings 22:17 - another time when spiritual leadership from the elders in Israel was lacking.
Peter Forbes

9:2 How often does Jesus tell people that their sins are forgiven? Look for the occasions.
Peter Forbes

JESUS CAME FOR SINNERS

It sometimes seems as if groups of believers are supposed to be the elite of the world. They look perfect, do what is good, avoid sin and look as if they are living a holy and godly life. In Jesus day the Pharisees looked just like that. People looked up to them thinking that they were the perfect godly people. But in reality Jesus came for another group of people completely. He came for those who are struggling with sin and who are struggling with life. He came to help make you perfect - he did not come for those who are perfect already. He came to help us overcome weakness - not to gather the strong.

The sinless, strong and perfect have no need for Christ. They believe they have already made it (although they do not know how far away they really are). But those of us who are weak and sinful have need of the strength and forgiveness that Jesus came to give. So let us never feel to ashamed, embarrassed, sinful or too bad to meet with Christ. You are just the person Christ came to save.. He came to call sinners just like you and me. Let us accept his call and have the faith to fall on his grace and mercy.
Robert Prins

Matthew 9:1 - "He came into his own city" - To Capernaum, where�Jesus seems to have had His common residence at the house of Peter. See Mat 4:13, and Mat 8:14. This verse properly belongs to the preceding chapter.

Matthew �9:18 -� "My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live." Some have difficulty with this statement of Jairus here in Matthew, for it seems to contradict the companion records, by having Jairus say, "My daughter is even now dead."��The words may understood this way, �"my daughter was just now dying;�" or, "is by this time dead." i.e. "She was so ill when I left home that she must be dead by this time." This turn of the expression reconciles the account given here with that in Mark and Luke.

Jairus' petition to Jesus was successful because, first,�a man should place himself in the presence of God - "he came unto him." Secondly, He should humble himself sincerely before God - "he fell down before him - at his feet" -��Mar 5:22. Thirdly, He should lay open his wants with a holy earnestness - "he besought him greatly" -�Mar 5:23.� Fourthly, he should have unbounded confidence in the power and goodness of Christ that his request shall be granted - "put thy hand upon her, and she shall live" - Matt 9:18.

Is it co-incidence that Jairus' daughter was just 12 years old, and the woman who held up the procession back to Jairus' house had been haemorrhaging for 12 years also? As Jairus was the ruler of the synagogue here in Capernaum, he would have pronounced this woman unclean and kept her out of "his" synagogue all those years. Imagine Jairus' anguish that it should be this woman who holds Jesus up on his way to heal his little daughter, his only child. It is so hard to be patient when our "important" plans are held up by other people!
Cliff York