Genesis 46:8-47:12; Matthew 15:1-14; Psalms 19:7-14; Proverbs 9:11-12

OT: “The total number of persons belonging to Jacob — his direct descendants, not including the wives of Jacob’s sons — who came to Egypt: sixty-six. And Joseph’s sons who were born to him in Egypt: two persons. All those of Jacob’s household who came to Egypt: seventy persons.” (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭46:26-27‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The significance of this passage is the number of Jacob’s household when they entered Egypt: 70. The nation of Israel began as a clan of 70 people. This number will hold significance throughout the rest of scripture. It is the product of 2 other significant numbers: 7 which symbolizes divine completeness and perfection, and 10 which symbolizes divine testimony, law and order.

NT: “Then Jesus was approached by Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem, who asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat.” He answered them, “Why do you break God’s commandment because of your tradition? …Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines human commands.” Summoning the crowd, he told them, “Listen and understand: It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth — this defiles a person.” Then the disciples came up and told him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted. Leave them alone! They are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭15:1-3, 7-14‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

There are two fancy words that come into play when interpreting scripture: exegesis and eisegesis. Exegesis is the process of drawing out the meaning of scripture through context and the meaning of the actual words – primarily objective. Eisegesis is the process of imposing the reader’s views and personal beliefs onto the scripture – highly subjective. The Pharisees had become guilty of eisegesis (interpreting the law of God in a way that benefited them, and then adding traditions on top of the scriptures that went way beyond God’s intent). By the time Jesus arrived on the scene, the web of tradition had become so think that people were no longer obeying the original intended law, but were obeying traditional eisegesic interpretations and applications of the law. Those diversions and perversions will never stand up to God’s judgement and only lead people away from the truth of who God is and the blessings He has for those who trust and obey Him. How do we avoid falling into the trap of believing traditions over truth? We must become students of God’s word and remain committed to applying the truth of God’s word to our lives instead of the other way around. The good news is that the Holy Spirt was given to us to help us in that critical endeavor.

Psalms: “The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the command of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous… In addition, your servant is warned by them, and in keeping them there is an abundant reward… May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭19:7-9, 11, 14‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

David has the right attitude and perspective. The Lord’s instruction is perfect. The Lord’s testimony is trustworthy. The Lord’s precepts are right. The fear of the Lord (honoring and respecting His words and ways) is pure and unadulterated. David doesn’t seek to reconcile God’s word to his life – he desires to reconcile his life to God’s word. That is why he says, may my words and thoughts be acceptable to You… may my words and my thoughts line up with and be in agreement with Your words and Your thoughts. I pray the same prayer… Lord, may my words and my meditations be acceptable to You, my rock and my Redeemer.

Genesis 45:16-46:7; Matthew 14:22-36; Psalms 19:1-6; Proverbs 9:9-10

OT: “Israel set out with all that he had and came to Beer-sheba, and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. That night God spoke to Israel in a vision: “Jacob, Jacob!” he said. And Jacob replied, “Here I am.” God said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you back. Joseph will close your eyes when you die.”” (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭46:1-4‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Beer-Sheba was a significant place to the Patriarchs. It was there that Abraham dug a well and found life-sustaining water. Abraham settled there and called on The Everlasting God. It is also where Issac found water and settled. So it is quite significant that Jacob/Israel, in the middle of a life-threatening drought, comes to Beer-Sheba as he is leaving the promised land for Egypt. There, God speaks to Jacob and gives him a word.  God says this to Jacob: “I am El, the Elohim of your father.” El is the Hebrew word for God. That word literally means the mighty one. Elohim is a more generic word for a god, but in this context, it means the one, true, preeminent God of all gods. So think about what God is saying to Jacob: I am THE Mighty One, the One True God of all gods that provided for your fathers in the middle of the wilderness. Do not be afraid. I WILL make you into a great nation while you are in Egypt, and I WILL bring you back to this land. It is My will and I am more that able. Isn’t it good to know that God’s desires and purposes for our life far transcends our immediate situation or our ability to see and understand? And He is more than able to accomplish them, for He is The Mighty God.

NT: “Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. After dismissing the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Well into the night, he was there alone. Meanwhile, the boat was already some distance from land, battered by the waves, because the wind was against them. Jesus came toward them walking on the sea very early in the morning. When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and they cried out in fear. Immediately Jesus spoke to them. “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter answered him, “command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those in the boat worshiped him and said, “Truly you are the Son of God.”” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14:22-33‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The God that spoke to Israel on his way to Egypt is the same God who was manifested in Jesus, Emmanuel – God with us. And God’s message to Jacob was Jesus’ message to the frightened disciples in the boat: “It is ME, don’t be afraid.” The Mighty God is our Savior, and He Who transcends the laws of nature and has authority over storms and troubled seas is well able to preserve and save us. What do we have our eyes on? Do we have our eyes on the scary waves and the roaring winds, or do we have our eyes on The Mighty God? Do we have our eyes on the impossible situation, or the Mighty God who eats impossible situations for breakfast? If He said it and if He wills it, He is well able and will do it.

Psalms: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands. Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge. There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard. Their message has gone out to the whole earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭19:1-4‬a ‭CSB‬‬)

All of creation: the majestic mountains, the beautiful sunsets, the roaring waves, the destructive storms, the mightiest beast, the smallest nano particle, the laws of nature, the incredibly unique and complex strains of DNA in every organic substance – it all declares the glory of the Mighty God. There is no where on earth or in the cosmos where the works of God do not proclaim His greatness – and that is the God who loves us and is committed to us, and will bless us if we submit to His word, will, and ways.

Proverbs: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭9:10‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Considering who God is, not fearing Him is extremely foolish. That is why the beginning of wisdom comes when we properly view God for who He is, humble ourselves, and reverently honor and respect Him in every way. And when we grow to know God the designer and creator of all things, then we begin to have true understanding.

Genesis 44:1-45:15; Matthew 14:13-21; Psalms 18:46-50; Proverbs 9:7-8

OT: “Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please, come near me,” and they came near. “I am Joseph, your brother,” he said, “the one you sold into Egypt. And now don’t be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life… God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”” (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭45:4-5, 7-8‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

When Joseph’s brothers first appeared in Egypt, Joseph didn’t reveal who he was right away. Before he let them know who he was, he had to first determine if they had come to the realization that their action of selling him into slavery was evil. He wanted to know if they had been convicted of their wrong and were remorseful. So he set up a plot to uncover their hearts. When he finally saw that his brothers’ hearts had changed and that they truly cared for Benjamin his blood brother, he was deeply moved with compassion for his brothers and finally revealed his identity. You can see in Joseph’s explanation to his brothers, that he had long forgiven his brothers for their evil act. His plot was not to get even with his brothers – it was to uncover their heart to see if they could be reconciled to him. It is amazing how much God can heal a broken, wounded, and rejected heart once we set aside our hurt and embrace His purposes.

NT: “When Jesus heard about it, he withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a large crowd, had compassion on them, and healed their sick. When evening came, the disciples approached him and said, “This place is deserted, and it is already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” “They don’t need to go away,” Jesus told them. “You give them something to eat.” “But we only have five loaves and two fish here,” they said to him. “Bring them here to me,” he said. Then he commanded the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14:13-19‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The phrase “had compassion” (translated in other versions as “moved with compassion”) is one word in Greek. It means a deep, gut-felt yearning. When Jesus heard of John the Baptist’s execution, He was grieved and needed to get away. When He arrived at His secluded spot, there was already a crowd waiting for Him. He didn’t allow His own grief to prevent Him from being deeply moved for the people in the crowd. So setting aside His own needs, He ministered to the people from the grace given Him by the Father through the Holy Spirit. The disciples, most likely tired and hungry from a full day, wanted Jesus to send the crowd away. I wonder if they pretended to have the crowd’s needs in mind, when all they really wanted was to satisfy their own needs. So Jesus, Who had just demonstrated how to truly minister out of compassion, even when His flesh was desiring rest, told His disciples to feed the crowd themselves. He then led them to experience for themselves the all-sufficient grace that He had come to experience. Just as the all-sufficient Father ministered through the physically limited Jesus, Jesus (filled with the all sufficient grace of the Father)ministered a miracle through the hands of the severely limited disciples. Our lack of resources and abilities don’t really matter that much when we have the all-sufficient God working through us. We just need to be willing to be used, and bring Him what little we have. In the end, everyone’s needs were met in a miraculous way. How willing am I to lay aside my physical and or emotional needs to allow God to move me with compassion and move through me with His sufficiency?

Psalms: “The Lord lives — blessed be my rock! The God of my salvation is exalted. God — he grants me vengeance and subdues peoples under me. He frees me from my enemies. You exalt me above my adversaries; you rescue me from violent men. Therefore I will give thanks to you among the nations, Lord; I will sing praises about your name. He gives great victories to his king; he shows loyalty to his anointed, to David and his descendants forever.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭18:46-50‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Again, not to be confused, our enemy is sin, evil, the powers of darkness, and Satan himself. When we make the Lord’s will, word, and ways the bedrock of our foundation, submit completely to Him, and place our trust completely in Him – He will free us from our enemies and subdue them under us. Not only that, but He will exalt us over our enemies. And for that reason, I will thank Him publicly and praise Him loudly.

Genesis 43:1-34; Matthew 14:1-12; Psalms 18:37-45; Proverbs 9:1-6

Psalms: “You have clothed me with strength for battle; you subdue my adversaries beneath me. You have made my enemies retreat before me; I annihilate those who hate me… You have freed me from the feuds among the people; you have appointed me the head of nations; a people I had not known serve me. Foreigners submit to me cringing; as soon as they hear they obey me. Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their fortifications.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭18:39-40, 43-45‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

One significant thing has changed since the days of David. We don’t annihilate people – but we do still have enemies that need to be vanquished. Jesus taught that we are to love our flesh & blood enemies and not hate them – and the Apostle Paul explained in Ephesians 6, that our struggle – our war is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness, evil, and spiritual forces. It is ultimately the spiritual forces of evil that drive sinful people to do evil things. How are we, mere mortals, supposed to battle against spiritual forces of darkness and evil? Just as the Lord gave David strength for the battle against his physical enemies, the Lord gives us strength for the battle against spiritual enemies. It is He that subdues our adversaries. When we submit to God’s leadership and come under His authority, we can resist the devil and he will flee from us. The longer we live our lives in submission to the Lord, the greater our reputation (in the physical and spiritual realm) will become.

Proverbs: “Wisdom has built her house; she has carved out her seven pillars. She has prepared her meat; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table. She has sent out her female servants; she calls out from the highest points of the city: “Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!” To the one who lacks sense, she says, “Come, eat my bread, and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave inexperience behind, and you will live; pursue the way of understanding.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭9:1-6‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Wisdom has set her table and is ready and waiting to give us a feast of knowledge, experience, and understanding. All we have to do is hear the call and respond. The apostle James said, if anyone lacks wisdom, ask God for it, and God will give it generously. We have the opportunity to sit at the Lord’s table and receive His wisdom and understanding for the things we face. Every morning, before we enter our day, we can come before the Lord and sit at Wisdom’s feast and get filled with sense and understanding to take on all of the battles we face. We just have to humble ourselves to receive instead of walking out of our door each day filled with self-reliance.

Genesis 42:18-38; Matthew 13:47-58; Psalms 18:25-36; Proverbs 8:33-36

NT: ““Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea. It collected every kind of fish, and when it was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw out the worthless ones. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” …When Jesus had finished these parables, he left there. He went to his hometown and began to teach them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, aren’t they all with us? So where does he get all these things?” And they were offended by him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his household.” And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13:47-50, 53-58‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

There is a belief out there known as Evangelical Universalism. Simply put, Evangelical Universalists believe, that while there is a judgement – the judgement is not final; instead there is a final restoration of all things and not an eternal hell. Based on this parable, it doesn’t appear that Jesus taught that. He spoke of a final judgement and a final end to those not found righteous… and apparently, even amongst those who were initially drawn to Him, there will be both righteous and unrighteous. Being “in the net” itself does not mark you as righteous. For those who have been drawn to follow Jesus, we need to be wary of allowing our closeness to Jesus develop into a casual familiarity with Jesus. We must, as His disciples, retain and grow our honor of His word, His will, and His ways. If He is our Lord, then He must remain Lord and His words must remain sacred. As we limit His honor, we limit His work in our lives.

Psalms: “With the faithful you prove yourself faithful, with the blameless you prove yourself blameless, with the pure you prove yourself pure, but with the crooked you prove yourself shrewd. For you rescue an oppressed people, but you humble those with haughty eyes. Lord, you light my lamp; my God illuminates my darkness… God — his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is pure. He is a shield to all who take refuge in him… God — he clothes me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer and sets me securely on the heights. He trains my hands for war; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of your salvation; your right hand upholds me, and your humility exalts me.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭18:25-28, 30, 32-35‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

While God is willing to bless anyone, His blessings are only experienced by those who humble themselves and honor Him. As long as David honored the Lord’s will, word, and ways, then the Lord would bless David with His strength, His training, His protection, etc. But as soon as David would allow his heart to be lifted up above the Lord, then the grace would end and David would be exposed to the fate of the world. The same can and will be true of us as we humble ourselves and worshipfully honor the Lord.

Proverbs: “Listen to instruction and be wise; don’t ignore it. Anyone who listens to me is happy, watching at my doors every day, waiting by the posts of my doorway. For the one who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord, but the one who misses me harms himself; all who hate me love death.”” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭8:33-36‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Waiting on the Lord is a lot like this. Waiting isn’t a passive sitting around for God to do something. It is an active attentiveness to what God is saying and what He is doing. When we wait and only do things in the Lord’s wisdom instead of striking out on our own, then we find life and obtain the Lord’s favor. If, instead, we miss what the Lord is doing and miss His wisdom, then we harm ourselves. Finally, those who despise and intentionally reject the Lord’s wisdom embrace a pathway to death.

Genesis 41:53-42:17; Matthew 13:34-46; Psalms 18:16-24; Proverbs 8:27-32

NT: ““The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.”” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13:44-46‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

For the past few years, our family has been watching a show called “The Curse of Oak Island.” It is believed, that buried on that island is a great treasure that could even contain significant religious artifacts of priceless value. It is amazing to see how much time, effort, and money has been spent and is continuing to be spent to hopefully uncover this alleged treasure. If a crew of men is willing to spend that much time, effort, and money uncovering a treasure that may not even be there – how much more willing would they be to do that for a sure thing? That is what Jesus is getting at here. In both of these stories, the people found a sure thing, and gave everything they had to obtain it. He compared the Kingdom of heaven to that sure treasure. Most people don’t see the kingdom of heaven in that way – they see it as a set of rules and regulations… stuffy and outdated do’s and don’ts. What price can you put on true joy… complete peace… unconditional love… eternal and lasting significance? Would you be willing to give all you have to obtain those things? With all the money that is spent on drugs, creature comforts, lavish vacations, etc. – it seems we are willing to give a lot of ourselves for things that aren’t sure and lasting. Would we be willing to give our lives for all that God wants to bless us with? Why or why not?

Psalms: “The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; he repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands. For I have kept the ways of the Lord and have not turned from my God to wickedness. Indeed, I let all his ordinances guide me and have not disregarded his statutes. I was blameless toward him and kept myself from my iniquity. So the Lord repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭18:20-24‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

David treasured the words of the Lord and the ways of His kingdom, and as much as it was in his power to do, he honored the Lord’s word and ways in his life. What he received in return was treasure indeed. The Lord delivered him from all his enemies, and along the way, he was able to enjoy God’s anointing and presence, and received the assurance from the Lord that his posterity would last forever.

Proverbs: “And now, sons, listen to me; those who keep my ways are happy.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭8:32‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The word translated here as ‘happy’ means more than just a joyful feeling. The word is actually plural – as in many “happys.” Another way to say it would be, happy, upon happy, upon happy! When we treasure the wisdom of God and live according to His ways, we are able to abide in the fullness of blessed happiness.

Genesis 41:17-52; Matthew 13:24-33; Psalms 18:4-15; Proverbs 8:14-26

OT: ““So now, let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt.” …The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants, and he said to them, “Can we find anyone like this, a man who has God’s spirit in him?” So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you are. You will be over my house, and all my people will obey your commands. Only I, as king, will be greater than you.” Pharaoh also said to Joseph, “See, I am placing you over all the land of Egypt.” Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph’s hand, clothed him with fine linen garments, and placed a gold chain around his neck. He had Joseph ride in his second chariot, and servants called out before him, “Make way!” So he placed him over all the land of Egypt. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh and no one will be able to raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt without your permission.”” (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭41:33, 37-44‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

On earth, we know of 4 seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. In the Kingdom of God, there is a 5th season: Due Season. Due Season comes when all the circumstances around a promise become fully ripe, everything lines up, and the time is right. With Joseph, there were so many components to the promise God had given him years before. First, Joseph’s heart had to be broken and matured to be able to rightly handle the fulfillment. He also had to be properly positioned. Pharaoh had to be in the right frame of mind, and all the weather patterns had to come together to create the perfect situation for God through Joseph to shine. Some of the things were the work of the enemy, some of the things were just cycles of a fallen earth, and some were intentional choices made by Joseph as he continued to humble himself and trust God. Then finally, in a way that not even the best project manger on earth could arrange, everything came together and due season for Joseph came… and this humble come-from-nothing boy that was sold into slavery by his family became the second most powerful man on the earth.

NT: “He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared… “An enemy did this,’ he told them. “‘So, do you want us to go and pull them up? ’ the servants asked him. “‘No,’ he said. ‘When you pull up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn.’” He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.” He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into fifty pounds of flour until all of it was leavened.”” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13:24-26, 28-33‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Jesus used parables to explain the Kingdom of God and describe the ways of God’s kingdom. In the first parable, God the Father is the man sowing good seed. The earth is the field. The enemy is Satan who comes along and sows counterfeit seed along with the good seed. That is exactly what Satan does: he sows seed that is similar enough to the kingdom of God to lure people away from the Lord’s ways, but different enough to lead people to death. As due season approaches, both righteousness and evil must be allowed to fully mature. That is why we see evil growing more and more evil, even while the church of God continues to grow and expand around the earth. When both have fully matured, evil will receive it’s full judgement, and righteousness, it’s full reward. The second parable suggests that God’s kingdom is not limited by appearance and God is not disappointed in small beginnings. For He is able to take something or someone small and insignificant and bring greatness out of them. The third parable speaks of the permeating power of the Kingdom, even though the Kingdom of God started small with a hand full of common men, it will eventually permeate the world, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God. So… If you are part of God’s kingdom, don’t be disheartened by current circumstances and don’t be discouraged by your seeming insignificance.

Proverbs: “I love those who love me, and those who search for me find me. With me are riches and honor, lasting wealth and righteousness. My fruit is better than solid gold, and my harvest than pure silver. I walk in the ways of righteousness, along the paths of justice, giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭8:17-21‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

This proverb speaks of the wisdom of God’s kingdom, that can be found by all who search for her. And the evidence of this can be seen in Joseph: By God’s wisdom, he walked in the ways of righteousness, and literally filled the treasuries.

Genesis 40:1-41:16; Matthew 13:10-23; Psalms 18:1-3; Proverbs 8:12-13

NT: “Then the disciples came up and asked him, “Why are you speaking to them in parables?” “…That is why I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see, and hearing they do not listen or understand… For this people’s heart has grown callous; their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back — and I would heal them. Blessed are your eyes because they do see, and your ears because they do hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but didn’t see them, to hear the things you hear but didn’t hear them. So listen to the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path. And the one sown on rocky ground — this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. Now the one sown among the thorns — this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But the one sown on the good ground — this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13:10, 13, 15-23‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The disciples asked Jesus why He spoke in parables. He replied that it was because the people would not listen to plain truth. Their hearts had grown callous, their ears had lost sensitivity, and their eyes were shut. That sounds similar to people in our day. There has been so much “truth” thrown at people that they have lost the ability to discern what the actual truth really is. So much of what we hear is what we want to hear. We can easily customize what we hear to things that align with our own belief system and confirm our own biases, while canceling anything that challenges our beliefs. Jesus knew that if He wrapped truth into parables, He wouldn’t be immediately “cancelled” and those who truly desired to know the truth would investigate further. He then went on to explain the parable of the sower, which explains what happens when people hear the truth of the Kingdom of God. Some have the truth snatched away before they even have the chance to listen. Others may listen and think the truth is great, but their hearts are so hardened that the truth can never get rooted in their lives. As soon as challenges come, the truth they accepted gets abandoned for self-reliance. Then there are some in whom the truth actually takes root and begins to grow, but the truth wasn’t given priority, so it gets choked out by those things which were given priority in their lives. Finally, there are the few who receive the truth, allow it to take root in their lives, and give it priority – cultivating it and feeding it. It is in those people where the truth fully matures and bears fruit… and is able to multiply. Do I know what I am listening for? Do I know what I am listening to? Am I just listening to the things that titillate my desires and encourage my own self-interests, or am I seeking out the truth of the kingdom, no matter how it may “offend” my desires and self-made categories? Do I just agree with it, or do I actually heed it and allow it to take root in my life and produce fruit?

Psalms: “I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I was saved from my enemies.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭18:1-3‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The context for this psalm is it was written on the day that all of David’s enemies were finally vanquished. King David was someone who truly treasured the words of God. It was because he didn’t just hear the words of God but fully heeded the words of God, that God was able to fully bless David and deliver him from all who opposed the work of the Lord in his life.

Proverbs: “To fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭8:13‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

Hating evil isn’t a prerequisite for fearing the Lord. Truly fearing the Lord develops in you a hatred for evil – for the Lord hates evil. Fearing the Lord involves fully honoring and respecting who the Lord is, His words, His will, and His ways. When we hear God’s words and give them the honor and respect they deserve, and order our lives around them, then we will grow to love the things that the Lord loves and hate the things that the Lord hates. Do you want to be delivered from arrogance and pride? Fear the Lord, and you will grow to hate arrogance and pride because the Lord hates arrogance and pride. Do you want to be delivered from evil conduct? Fear the Lord and you will hate doing evil, because the Lord hates it when people do evil. It goes on and on. Hear, listen, understand, receive, and do the words of the Lord and you will produce life and not evil.

Genesis 39:1-23; Matthew 12:46-13:9; Psalms 17:6-15; Proverbs 8:1-11

OT: “Now Joseph had been taken to Egypt. An Egyptian named Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guards, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master… Joseph found favor with his master and became his personal attendant. Potiphar also put him in charge of his household and placed all that he owned under his authority. From the time that he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph. The Lord’s blessing was on all that he owned, in his house and in his fields. He left all that he owned under Joseph’s authority; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome. After some time his master’s wife looked longingly at Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.” But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has put all that he owns under my authority. No one in this house is greater than I am. He has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. So how could I do this immense evil, and how could I sin against God?” …When his master heard the story his wife told him — “These are the things your slave did to me” — he was furious and had him thrown into prison, where the king’s prisoners were confined. So Joseph was there in prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him. He granted him favor with the prison warden.” (‭‭Genesis‬ ‭39:1-2, 4-9, 19-21‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

A sentiment that I hear from time to time is: As soon as I start living right, bad things start happening to me… why would God allow bad things to happen to me if I am doing good? I wonder if Joseph thought similarly. First, he was sold into slavery by his brothers and taken to Egypt. Right when things seemed to be going well, he found himself in a quandary: his masters wife wanted to take advantage of him. After making the righteous decision to turn down her advances and run away, she falsely accused him of attempted rape and he gets thrown into prison. What a raw deal. Did Joseph make a mistake in choosing righteousness? As the saying goes, it is always the right time to do the right thing – and by choosing righteousness, Joseph remained a bless-able person. Even though the enemy manipulated other people in Joseph’s life to put Joseph in a bad place, God was still with him and continued to bless him… even in slavery… even in prison. I think that the enemy causes bad things to happen to us because he is counting on us denying God, denying our faith, taking things into our own hands, and disqualifying ourselves from God’s purposes. Yet, when we remain faithful to God, He continues to faithfully bless us and keep us in His purposes – even turning the enemies schemes against him. That’s what happened with Joseph. That’s what happened with Jesus. That can happen with us.

NT: “Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” He replied to the one who was speaking to him, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” Stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12:47-50‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

There is a very prominent belief in the world that all people are children of God and part of His family. As we see here in Jesus’ teaching, that is not true. While all people are created by God, and loved by God – not everyone is a child of God. In fact, even many who claim to be part of God’s family because of the religious traditions they identify with are truly part of God’s family. According to Jesus, the Son of God, only those who do the will of the Father are part of His family, joint heirs with Him, and part of the line of God’s blessing and redemptive purpose on the earth.

Psalms: “I call on you, God, because you will answer me; listen closely to me; hear what I say. Display the wonders of your faithful love, Savior of all who seek refuge from those who rebel against your right hand. Protect me as the pupil of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who treat me violently, my deadly enemies who surround me.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭17:6-9‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

When we are submitted to God’s will and ways, and are adopted into His family, He listens to us, answers us, faithfully loves us, saves us, and protects us – even when we are surrounded by deadly enemies or dropped right in the middle of a scary or challenging situation. What a blessing to truly be part of God’s family.

Genesis 38:1-30; Matthew 12:33-45; Psalms 17:1-5; Proverbs 7:24-27

NT: “Either make the tree good and its fruit will be good, or make the tree bad and its fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. A good person produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil person produces evil things from his storeroom of evil. I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” He answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights… When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places looking for rest but doesn’t find any. Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ Returning, it finds the house vacant, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that person’s last condition is worse than the first. That’s how it will also be with this evil generation.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭‭12:33-40; 43-45‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

When Jesus mentioned “careless” words, He was talking about the words that we speak unintentionally. The nature of what is in us comes out in the words we speak when we are in private – not when we are in public and intending to impress people with our rhetoric. Though the world judges us on the things that we speak in public, the Lord judges us by the things that we carelessly say when we are in private – when we are no longer in mixed company – when we are in the locker room with the guys or having lunch with the ladies – when we can hide behind the “anonymity” of social media. It is in those words that you find out what is truly in a person. Evil words come out of a person filled with evil, and good words come out of a person that is filled with good. The Pharisees, incensed at His charges, basically say back to Him, “who are you to make such claims… we don’t believe you have the right or authority to label us I such a way… prove yourself by showing us a sign.” Jesus then proceeds to reveal the state of their heart even more by bringing up Jonah. Jonah was someone who very unwillingly brought a message of repentance to a heathen gentile nation – something the Pharisees would never do. Jesus basically said, I’ll give you the same sign that Jonah gave the Ninavites… in fact, I’ll give you and even greater sign that Jonah gave – and the Ninavites who you despise will stand in judgement of you, for they heeded the sign. You won’t. Then finally, Jesus explained that it isn’t enough to be clean on the outside. It isn’t even enough to be “clean” on the inside. What matters is that you are filled with good. So many Christians will go so far as getting saved and cleaned out, but they don’t fill themselves up with good – with the abiding presence of Christ through the Holy Spirit, and in the end, even though they might be “saved,” their lives end up just as bad, or even worse than before they were saved. What is my life filled with? What do the words I speak in private moments reveal about the contents of my heart?

Psalms: “Lord, hear a just cause; pay attention to my cry; listen to my prayer — from lips free of deceit. Let my vindication come from you, for you see what is right. You have tested my heart; you have examined me at night. You have tried me and found nothing evil; I have determined that my mouth will not sin. Concerning what people do: by the words from your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. My steps are on your paths; my feet have not slipped.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭17:1-5‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The way that we maintain a pure heart, which produces pure words and pure actions, is to keep our eyes on the Lord, keep our ears attuned to His words, keep our feet on His paths, and keep our hearts filled with His presence.