I think the moral of today's story is that eventually there will be consequences to our decisions, whether good or bad, and there will be a Judgement Day and our actions now will shape our future.
Jacob's last words to his sons included some scathing words for a few of them.
Reuben may have thought he had gotten away with one when Jacob didn't do anything about his dishonourable behaviour - even going so far as to sleep with one of his father's concubines. Now he is stripped of his birthright - time to pay the consequences.
Harsh words as well for Simeon and Levi who murdered the men of Shechem.
Judah, however, was blessed. Though he had sold Joseph into slavery and slept with his daughter-in-law whom he thought was a prostitute, later in life, Judah changes. His speech to Joseph in Chapter 44 evidenced a huge change in his character. And now, out of his line, would come the promised Messiah!
Joseph, on the other hand, was a rock solid man of God. He would receive a double inheritance, and he had some very heroic descendants - Joshua, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah and Samuel!
Even when we think we are getting away with one, we are not. Eventually we will pay the consequences.
God doesn't just desire righteous behaviour though. (Segue into Matthew passage....) He desires our hearts.
We can act righteous and still not be righteous.
Man looks at the outside, but God looks at the heart.
We need to be transformed from the inside out. Only then will we be able to live righteously through the strength of the mighty God we desire to serve.
Tomorrow's passage: Exodus 1-3 - Matthew 24:1-28
6 comments:
As I was reading Jacob's "blessing," I wondered how some of those men must have felt, hearing their judgements aired in front of all the others. Did the other brothers know about Reuben's sin already, or was this the first they'd heard about it? How could their relationship with him be the same afterwards if they found this out about him?
And some of the others, I couldn't tell if it was a judgement or a blessing ~ "a snake by the roadside; a ravenous wolf"??
I did think the prophecy about the coming Messiah was kinda breath-taking though. We sometimes think Isaiah was the first to really talk about the coming Messiah, but He's pretty clearly referred to in Judah's blessing, so many hundreds of years before the time of the prophets.
So true. I think one of the greatest things about this passage is the hope that it brings. Judah definitely changed over the course of his life. If someone had been on the outside of the situation, they would have laughed and scoffed if they had heard that Christ would be born through his line. Yet, God does not hold a grudge and looks at what Judah has become and not what he once was. The slate was been wiped clean.
(That verse from Matthew always makes me smile because Kaden had learned it as a memory verse and also said "Man looks at the "outside of the parents" and the Lord looks at their heart")
Great post! I had many of the same thoughts as well. One other thing that I noticed was that Joseph's brothers would think he would now retaliate against them after their father's death. I found that really sad, and obviously Joseph did as well. I love that he tells them that what they intended for evil, God intended for good.
Also, I find it an amazing testament to the respect that was given to Joseph that the Egyptian court mourned his father together with him when Jacob/Israel passed away.
Yes! That was another thing I noticed too! (but forgot to mention) Obviously, Joseph was incredibly respected and well-loved by his countrymen ~ how different from most of today's famous people!!
Very true. It is in the heart that God desires truth. May it be so!
I love the way you tied the 2 readings together Tammy. I also love Jacobs blessings to his sons and how we can't get away with anything in our father's eyes. And Tammy, so very true that "God doesn't just desire righteous behaviour - He desires our hearts".
Post a Comment