Reading for TODAY
Genesis 28:1-29:35
Gosh, what a deceitful bunch we have here. First of all, let's get this out of the way - Jacob marries two of his cousins. So he has two wives, and they're both his cousins, and I think that's deemed OK here in this reading...This is another running question:
"Certain things that we consider horrific or immoral (slavery, polygamy) were cultural norms and were not condemned in the Bible. So does that mean we can dismiss them from the list of rules we should be following? And who's to say which things can be ignored? Can we now accept gays as OK and as God's creation too, please?"Anyway, back on topic...Jacob falls for Rachel, his cousin, and agrees to work seven years for her father, Laban (Jacob's uncle) in order to have her as his wife. After the wedding, Laban slips Rachel's sister, Leah into bed with Jacob, so now he is committed to Leah. Laban agrees to give him Rachel as well if he works for him for another seven years. Come on, dude...really?
Later, however, Leah has many sons by Jacob. Including Judah, whose lineage traces all the way to Jesus. So out of all that deception comes the Lord and Savior of our faith. Pretty cool.
Matthew 9:18-38
Miracle time. In this reading Jesus:
- Heals a two blind men
- Heals a woman who has been bleeding for 12 years
- Brings a girl back from the dead (so dead that they had already begun the funeral)
- Heals a mute guy
Psalm 11:1-7
Continued prayer for God to take out his holy vengeance on the wicked.
Proverbs 3:11-12
Ah Ha! Here is the proof of my theory a few nights ago:
11 My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline,
and don’t be upset when he corrects you.
12 For the Lord corrects those he loves,
just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.
Wow. I can't believe I caught up. This evenings readings were notable more positive than this afternoon's and last nights. I am still struggling with the problem of evil, but I will try not to let it consume me. I will do my best to continue to read and search for answers in an un-biased way, or as un-biased as possible.
Dear God. Thank you for the strength and perseverence to catch up from ten days behind on reading. I have read more of your word in the past four days than I have within a given year of my life. It hasn't been easy though. I have come across some tough questions, and I have read some things that don't mesh with the current way I see and praise You. I pray that you would give me understanding of the things I don't understand, and acceptance of the things I can never understand. Lord, one of my tough questions is why you chose to punish the nation of Haiti. I will probably not receive an answer to that, but Lord I just pray that you be with the people who are suffering. Show them your mercy God, for they have suffered a lifetime of anguish and pain. I also pray for the Outreach Red Bank mission trip that is in the neighboring nation of the Dominican Republic. I pray that you would give them strength at this time and allow them to help Haiti if they can.
Thank you, God for your word. Thank you for the continued motivation to read and think on your word. I pray that I will be able to meet my goal of finishing the Bible in 2010, and I pray that in doing so, you would reveal to me your full glory and intention for my life.
I pray all these things in Jesus' name. Amen.
"Throughout the Gospels Jesus tells people that he heals not to tell anyone else. I never really understood this - my best guess is because he didn't want to be overcome with healing the sick when he had a message to preach."
ReplyDeleteI think it's two things. One, from Matthew 12:
"15Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, 16warning them not to tell who he was. 17This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
18"Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
20A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he leads justice to victory.
21In his name the nations will put their hope."
So, one, it's in the prophecy. Kinda pigeonholes you, I guess.
But why? Check out that last sentence
"till he leads justice to victory."
The cross. The gospel is obviously not meant to be a secret. In fact, Paul goes out of his way to tall readers of his letters "STOP TRYING TO ACT LIKE GOD'S KNOWLEDGE SHOULD ONLY BE KNOWN TO CERTAIN PEOPLE. SILLY PEOPLE."
Jesus' plea for keeping quiet is specific to Jesus' time on earth 2000 years ago. Why? Here's my understanding, and this could only be part of it. People wanted to kill Jesus. But Jesus knew his calling on Earth would ultimately to die on a cross in Jerusalem. So he had to do all the other things he had to do first before dying on the cross. Therefore, can't be super-all "so, uh, hey!!!"
It's a little shrewd, actually. Wise as a serpent, innocent as a sheep