Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 49:8-12.

“8 “Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
Your father’s sons shall bow down to you.
9 “Judah is a lion’s whelp;
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He couches, he lies down as a lion,
And as a lion, who dares rouse him up?
10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes,
And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
11 “He ties his foal to the vine,
And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine;
He washes his garments in wine,
And his robes in the blood of grapes.
12 “His eyes are dull from wine,
And his teeth white from milk.” Genesis 49:8-12.

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Jesus is a descendant of Judah.  Matthew 1:2-3, Matthew 2:16, and Hebrews 7:14.  

Jacob’s blessing of his son Judah teaches us about qualities of Jesus. Jacob compared Judah to a lion in verse 9, and in the Book of Revelation, we see Jesus called “the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah”:  “and one of the elders *said to me, “Stop weeping;  behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”  Revelation 5:5.  

More generally, Jacob’s blessing in verse 10 teaches us about the sovereignty of Jesus over all.  

“But of the Son He says,

“YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER AND EVER,
AND THE RIGHTEOUS SCEPTER IS THE SCEPTER OF HIS KINGDOM.” Hebrews 1:8.

“8 May he also rule from sea to sea
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 Let the nomads of the desert bow before him,
And his enemies lick the dust.
10 Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
11 And let all kings bow down before him,
All nations serve him.” Psalm 72:8-11.

“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.” Psalm 103:19.

Jacob’s blessing in verses 11-12 teaches us about the lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness of Jesus.

“Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;  but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth;  for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.”  Jeremiah 9:23-24.

“Who is this who comes from Edom,
With garments of glowing colors from Bozrah,
This One who is majestic in His apparel,
Marching in the greatness of His strength?
“It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”
2 Why is Your apparel red,
And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press?
3 “I have trodden the wine trough alone,
And from the peoples there was no man with Me.
I also trod them in My anger
And trampled them in My wrath;
And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments,
And I stained all My raiment.
4 “For the day of vengeance was in My heart,
And My year of redemption has come.
5 “I looked, and there was no one to help,
And I was astonished and there was no one to uphold;
So My own arm brought salvation to Me,
And My wrath upheld Me.
6 “I trod down the peoples in My anger
And made them drunk in My wrath,
And I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.” Isaiah 63:1-6.

“Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, “FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION;  BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY’S COLT.”  John 12:14-15.

In conclusion, there are many who have an image a/k/a idol of Jesus as some kind of Santa Claus at their beck and call.  But, Scripture reveals Jesus as a fierce and victorious warrior Who tramples the wicked in His wrath as part of His justice and His salvation of His chosen ones to whom alone He shows lovingkindness. 

“7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
9 ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.’”

10 Now therefore, O kings, show discernment;
Take warning, O judges of the earth.
11 Worship the LORD with reverence
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” Psalm 2:7-12.

“The LORD your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior.
He will exult over you with joy,
He will be quiet in His love,
He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.” Zephaniah 3:17.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 48:13-17.

“When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on Ephraim’s head, it displeased him;  and he grasped his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head.  Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn.  Place your right hand on his head.”  But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know;  he also will become a people and he also will be great.  However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”  He blessed them that day, saying,

“By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying,

‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”

Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh.  Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your fathers.  I give you one portion more than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”  Genesis 48:13-17.

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As we see in today’s Scripture, Jacob did not consider his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh equal nor did he bless them equally. Jacob also did not give his son Joseph an equal portion, but one portion more than his other sons. Today’s Scripture leads us to meditate on how considering everyone equal can lead us into trouble.

The foundation of what many in the church think is:  “God equally loves everybody, Christ equally died for everybody, and therefore, salvation must be determined by man:  either by man’s works or at least by man’s free-will.“

The foundation of what many think in the world is similar:  “Everybody is equal, and therefore, truth is equally determined by each man.  You cannot judge that what one person states is true (that is just your opinion) or what another person states is false (that is just your opinion).”  

The foundation of what many think in the family is similar:  “I love all my children equally, therefore they are equal.”

But, we know that God does not love everybody.  “Just as it is written, “JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.”  Romans 9:13.”  We know that Christ did not die for everybody.  In Christ’s intercessory prayer in John 17:9, we see Christ praying for only those whom God gave Him, not for the world:  “I ask on their behalf;  I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom Thou hast given Me;  for they are Thine;”  Christ laid down His life for only His sheep.  “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father;  and I lay down My life for the sheep. ”  John 10:14-15.  We know that salvation is determined by God alone.  “He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.”  So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.  …  So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.”  Romans 9:15-16 and 18.

We also know that everybody is not equal and everybody’s opinion is not equally true.  We may think that publicly we may need to spout such nonsense, but privately and practically, we know that we seek out the truth and base our decisions on it.  Most of the time we trust experts with experience on what product to buy or what action to take, not always, but we do believe that there is absolute truth out there as to what is best for us and do not base our decisions equally on what each category of people believes.  

And what we have seen in Scripture, including today’s Scripture, is that the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob on their children have not been equal.  Moreover, the children did not receive equal inheritances.  Consider how Abraham so favored Isaac more than Ishmael.  Consider how Isaac so favored Jacob more than Esau.  Considered how Jacob favored Joseph and Ephraim more.

A false foundation in thinking can get us in much trouble in the church, in the world, and in the family, but through God’s grace, a true foundation in thinking based on Scripture can get us OUT of trouble and bring us peace and prosperity and even salvation. 

“2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

4 The wicked are not so,
But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish.” Psalm 1:2-6.

“13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.
14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than jewels;
And nothing you desire compares with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are peace.” Proverbs 3:13-17.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house;  and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.  Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house;  and it fell—and great was its fall.”  Matthew 7:24-27.

“Enter through the narrow gate;  for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.  For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  Matthew 7:13-14.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 47:27-31.

“Now Israel (a/k/a Jacob) lived in the land of Egypt, in Goshen, and they acquired property in it and were fruitful and became very numerous.  Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years;  so the length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years.

When the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place now your hand under my thigh and deal with me in kindness and faithfulness.  Please do not bury me in Egypt, but when I lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.”  And he said, “I will do as you have said.”  He said, “Swear to me.”  So he swore to him.  Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.”  Genesis 47:27-31.

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Jacob did not want to be buried in Egypt;  Jacob wanted to be buried back in Canaan, his home, the land God promised to them, in the burial grounds of his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac.

Despite all the good things that happened to Jacob in Egypt as stated in today’s Scripture, reunion with his beloved son Joseph and his family being all together and prospering and becoming numerous, Jacob did not consider Egypt his home.

Joseph was honored for his faith in Hebrews chapter 11, the Hall of Fame for faith, and Jacob should also be honored for his faith for making similar orders concerning his bones .  “By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.”  Hebrews 11:22.  

We too know our true home.

There are some descriptions about our home that can be accessed through either clicking on the Headnote titled “Heaven” above on this home page or through the following link – https://reformeddoctrine.com/heaven/

“By faith he (Abraham) lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;  for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”  Hebrews 11:9-10.

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;  who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”  Philippians 3:20-21.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 47:13-26.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+47&version=NASB1995

I quote only verses 13-19 and 23-26.

“Now there was no food in all the land, because the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished because of the famine.  Joseph gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the grain which they bought, and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house.  When the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food, for why should we die in your presence?  For our money is gone.”  Then Joseph said, “Give up your livestock, and I will give you food for your livestock, since your money is gone.”  So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses and the flocks and the herds and the donkeys;  and he fed them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year.  When that year was ended, they came to him the next year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent, and the cattle are my lord’s.  There is nothing left for my lord except our bodies and our lands.  Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land?  Buy us and our land for food, and we and our land will be slaves to Pharaoh.  So give us seed, that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”

…  Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have today bought you and your land for Pharaoh; now, here is seed for you, and you may sow the land.  At the harvest you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four-fifths shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food and for those of your households and as food for your little ones.”  So they said, “You have saved our lives!  Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.”  Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt valid to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth;  only the land of the priests did not become Pharaoh’s.

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When the people said to Joseph, “You have saved our lives!”, for selling them grain (a/k/a food), even though it was for their bodies and their land, we are reminded of the following verses.

“25 The generous man will be prosperous,
And he who waters will himself be watered.
26 He who withholds grain, the people will curse him,
But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.
27 He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
But he who seeks evil, evil will come to him.” Proverbs 11:25-27.

Today’s Scripture should give us pause to consider, so to speak, how we withhold grain and how we sell it.

Generally, we should not be greedy.  We should be generous.  But, we also do not need to give it all away for free.  We can get fair and reasonable compensation. 

When the people showed such favor to Joseph in spite of needing to give as much as they did for food, we are also reminded of the following verses.

“3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good repute
In the sight of God and man.” Proverbs 3:3-4.

In conclusion, consider what delights the LORD, namely, lovingkindness, justice and righteousness. We exercise lovingkindness when we save lives, however we may do it. We exercise justice when we only charge fair and reasonable compensation. We exercise righteousness when we find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man. But, God gets all credit for giving us the will to do these things and for working within us to accomplish these things. Philippians 2:13.

“Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 9:23-24.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 47:7-12.

“Then Joseph brought his father Jacob and presented him to Pharaoh;  and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.  Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many years have you lived?”  So Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty;  few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning.”  And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from his presence.  So Joseph settled his father and his brothers and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had ordered.  Joseph provided his father and his brothers and all his father’s household with food, according to their little ones.”  Genesis 47:7-12.

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The main theme of today’s devotion is God’s providence.  Joseph providing for his family in verse 12 leads us to consider God’s providence.

But first, I do want to deal with the puzzling answer of Jacob to Pharaoh.  “Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How many years have you lived?”  So Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty;  few and unpleasant have been the years of my life, nor have they attained the years that my fathers lived during the days of their sojourning.”  Verses 8-9.

Jacob could have directly and fully answered Pharaoh’s question by just stating:  “one hundred and thirty”.

Why did Jacob add that his years have been “few and unpleasant”?

First, obviously, Jacob did not know how long he would live.  He in fact would live much longer and his life would be fruitful.  “Now Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in Goshen, and they acquired property in it and were fruitful and became very numerous.  Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years;  so the length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years.”  Genesis 47:27-28.

Second, overall, when Jacob blessed Joseph at the time of his death, it seems as if Jacob acknowledges the blessings that he received during his whole life “Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors”.

“The blessings of your father
Have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors
Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills;
May they be on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers.” Genesis 49:26.

Third, Jacob had a reputation of being a deceiver and maybe he gave that “few and unpleasant” answer to Pharaoh so that Pharaoh would feel sorry for Jacob and would want to do good to Jacob and his family and not be afraid of his family.  We do know what happened later.  

“Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation.  But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them.

Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.  He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we.  Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land.”  So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor.  …”  Exodus 1:6-11.

Now, going back to the main theme of God’s providence in today’s devotion, consider the following from the Heidelberg Catechism.

Q. 26.  What believest thou when thou sayest, “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth”?

A.  That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (who of nothing made heaven and earth, with all that is in them;  who likewise upholds and governs the same by His eternal counsel and providence) is, for the sake of Christ His Son, my God and my Father;  on whom I rely so entirely, that I have no doubt but He will provide me with all things necessary for soul and body;  and further, that He will make whatever evils He sends upon me, in this valley of tears, turn out to my advantage;  for He is able to do it, being Almighty God, and willing, being a faithful Father.

“15 “You provided bread from heaven for them for their hunger,
You brought forth water from a rock for them for their thirst,
And You told them to enter in order to possess
The land which You swore to give them.

…
19 You, in Your great compassion,
Did not forsake them in the wilderness;
The pillar of cloud did not leave them by day,
To guide them on their way,
Nor the pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they were to go.
20 “You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them,
Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth,
And You gave them water for their thirst.
21 “Indeed, forty years You provided for them in the wilderness and they were not in want;
Their clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell.” Nehemiah 9:15 and 19-21.

“Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:9-11.

“11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
12 O LORD of hosts,
How blessed is the man who trusts in You!” Psalm 84:11-12.

“8 O taste and see that the LORD is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
9 O fear the LORD, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him there is no want.
10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.” Psalm 34:8-10.

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32.

“5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:5-6.

“8 But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever.
9 I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it,
And I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones.” Psalm 52:8-9.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
3 Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
5 Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.” Psalm 103:1-5.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 46:31-34 through Genesis 47:1-6.  I will only quote the verses in chapter 46.  Here is a link to the verses in chapter 47 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2047&version=NASB1995

“Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh, and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me;  and the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock;  and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’  When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ that you may live in the land of Goshen;  for every shepherd is loathsome to the Egyptians.”  Genesis 46:31-34.

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Although the thought of a shepherd was (for some reason) “loathsome to the Egyptians” verse 34, Pharaoh recognized the need for keepers of livestock.  “Shepherds” and  “keepers of livestock” are different titles for doing the same necessary work.  Pharaoh said to Joseph, “…  and if you know any capable men among them, then put them in charge of my livestock.”  Genesis 47:6. 

Today’s Scripture leads us to consider how our LORD is both our Shepherd and our Keeper.  We see both descriptions in the following two Scriptures.  The LORD is described as a shepherd in Psalm chapter 23, and the LORD is described as a keeper in Psalm 121.  In sharp contrast to the Egyptians for whom the thought of a shepherd was (for some reason) “loathsome”, we love and cherish the thought of our LORD being both our Shepherd and our Keeper.   

“The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:1-4.

“4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
8 The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time forth and forever.” Psalm 121:4-8.