Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 49:27 through Genesis 50:14.  This Scripture spans two chapters.  Here is a link to Genesis chapter 49 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+49&version=NASB1995     Here is a link to Genesis chapter 50 – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2050&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“Then he charged them and said to them, “I am about to be gathered to my people;  bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a burial site.  There they buried Abraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and there I buried Leah— the field and the cave that is in it, purchased from the sons of Heth.”  When Jacob finished charging his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

…

Thus his sons did for him as he had charged them;  for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre, which Abraham had bought along with the field for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.  After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.”  Genesis 49:29-33 and Genesis 50:12-14. 

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We too will be gathered to our people.  Our people are all the elect, and we will be brought to Heaven.

“And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”  Matthew 24:31.

“And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.”  Mark 13:27.  

In the following parables by Jesus, we also read vivid figurative descriptions of the gathering, not only the gathering of the elect a/k/a righteous so that they may be brought to heaven, but the gathering of the non-elect a/k/a the wicked so that they may be brought to hell.    

The Parable of Tares among Wheat

“Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.  But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away.  But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.  The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field?  How then does it have tares?’  And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’  The slaves *said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’  But he *said, ‘No;  for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them.  Allow both to grow together until the harvest;  and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up;  but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”  Matthew 13:24-30.

The Parable of A Dragnet

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind;  and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach;  and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away.  So it will be at the end of the age;  the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire;  in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”  Matthew 13:47-50.

The Parable of The Judgment

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.  All the nations will be gathered before Him;  and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;  and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.”  Matthew 25:31-33.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 49:22-26.

“22 “Joseph is a fruitful bough,
A fruitful bough by a spring;
Its branches run over a wall.
23 “The archers bitterly attacked him,
And shot at him and harassed him;
24 But his bow remained firm,
And his arms were agile,
From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob
(From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
25 From the God of your father who helps you,
And by the Almighty who blesses you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
26 “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 49:22-26.

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Most of the prior Scripture in this chapter was prophecy concerning the other sons. “Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, “Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come.” Genesis 49:1.

Now, in today’s Scripture, Jacob now advances from prophecy about Joseph in verses 23-24 to blessings upon Joseph in verses 25-26. But, even in verse 24, Jacob credits God: “… From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob (From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),”.

Today’s Scripture leads us to consider some other Scriptures about this “Mighty One of Jacob”, ‘the Shepherd”, and “the Stone of Israel” and to also consider blessings from God.

“From the God of your father who helps you,
And by the Almighty who blesses you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.” Verse 25.

“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.

“Therefore thus says the Lord God,

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone,
A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed.
He who believes in it will not be disturbed.” Isaiah 28:16.

“3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
They will not be ashamed
When they speak with their enemies in the gate.” Psalm 127:3-5.

“How blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
Who walks in His ways.
2 When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands,
You will be happy and it will be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
Within your house,
Your children like olive plants
Around your table.
4 Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the LORD.” Psalm 128:1-4.

“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 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.