Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 2:1-10.

“Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him.

The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go ahead.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. And she named him Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.” Exodus 2:1-10.

———————-

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” Hebrews 11:23.

Faith motivates us to take action like faith motivated the parents of Moses to defy the king’s edict and hide Moses.

But, neither the actions by Moses or our actions would be successful if God did not cause those actions to be successful. With the actions of the parents of Moses, we can easily understand that point. Without God’s intervention, Moses could have easily died by drowning or by exposure or by animals or by people who would obey the king’s edict.

God caused Moses to be drawn out of the water. God showed further lovingkindness to Moses’ mother by causing Pharaoh’s daughter to choose Moses’ mother to nurse him and even causing Pharaoh’s daughter to pay for such nursing services.

“Irresistible Grace” draws us from death to life. “Irresistible Grace” draws us to saving faith. “Irresistible Grace” draws us to success in our faith-motivated actions. “Irresistible Grace” is the “I” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

“The Lord appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.” Jeremiah 31:3.

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:44.

“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” John 15:16.

“Now his master saw that the Lord was with him (Joseph) and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand.” Genesis 39:3.

“for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13.

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” Ephesians 2:5-10.

Today’s devotion comes from Exodus Chapter 1. Here is a link to the chapter – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+1&version=NASB

I quote the following verses.

“7 But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them.

8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 He said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. 10 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.” 11 So they appointed taskmasters over them to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel. 13 The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; 14 and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them.

15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah; 16 and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.” 20 So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. 21 Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them.” Exodus 1:7-21.

—————————-

There is sharp contrast on how the Egyptians treated the sons of Israel versus how the midwives treated the sons of Israel. We often focus on the Egyptians and how the Egyptians made the lives of the sons of Israel “bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them”. Verse 14. And, we forget or minimize attention on the midwives. Today’s devotion will focus on the midwives.

“But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live.” Verse 17. “So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them.” Verses 20-21.

“How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of men!” Psalm 31:19.

But, our natural condition is “Total Depravity”. We are, by natural, more like the Egyptians than like the midwives.

“10 as it is written,

“There is none righteous, not even one;

11 There is none who understands,

There is none who seeks for God;

12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless;

There is none who does good,

There is not even one.” Romans 3:10-12.

But, there is hope!

God is at work!

“They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. I will rejoice over them to do them good and will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.” Jeremiah 32:38-41.

“So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” Galatians 6:10.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis Chapter 50 which covers the death of Jacob (Israel), the burial of Jacob, and the death of Joseph. Here is a link to the chapter – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+50&version=NASB

I quote the following verses.

“Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely take care of you and bring you up from this land to the land which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.” Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.” So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.” Genesis 50:24-26.

—————————-

It is understandable that Joseph’s brothers needed such assurance that God would take care of them as they faced both Jacob’s death and later Joseph’s impending death. First, with Jacob’s death, “When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” Verse 15. Joseph did assure them: “So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.” Verse 21. But then, second, later, as Joseph’s brothers faced Joseph’s impending death, they likely feared what would happen after their protector and provider (Joseph) died, and they would be left in a strange land with foreigners. So, Joseph assured them twice: “God will surely take care of you”.

We too tend to get too dependent on others to protect us and provide for us. We need to remember that although God uses others (family and friends) to protect us and provide for us, it is ultimately God Who takes care of us.

The Heidelberg Catechism reminds us that when we confess in the Apostle’s Creed that we “believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth”, we confess that He is not only Almighty God, but that He is also our Faithful Father Who “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”.

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

Answer. 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. Heidelberg Catechism.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31.

“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 7:11.

“casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis Chapter 49 which covers Jacob’s summaries of the life of each son and prophecies for each son. Here is a link to that chapter – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+49&version=NASB

I quote verse the following verse.

“For Your salvation I wait, O Lord.” Genesis 49:18.

————————–

We may want our own salvation based on our own works. We may want our own salvation based on our own alleged “free-will” faith. We may want our own salvation based on our own sons or other saviors.  And, on whatever basis we want our salvation based, we may want our salvation when we want it.

But, Jacob recognized that even though he lived a long life and had many works, many experiences of his own faith, and even many sons, and was even near death, he waited for God’s salvation. He declared in the middle of his summaries of the life of each son and prophecies for each son: “For Your salvation I wait, O Lord.” Verse 18.

God’s salvation is based on God’s “Unconditional Election”, God’s “Limited Atonement”, God’s “Irresistable Grace”, and God’s “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

“Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.”  Psalm 25:5.

“My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation.”  Psalm 62:1.

“My soul languishes for Your salvation; I wait for Your word.”  Psalm 119:81.

“And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the Lord for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.”  Isaiah 25:9.

“O Lord, be gracious to us; we have waited for You. Be their strength every morning, Our salvation also in the time of distress.”  Isaiah 33:2.

“My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait for Me, And for My arm they will wait expectantly.”  Isaiah 51:5.

“It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the Lord.”  Lamentations 3:26.

“But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.”  Micah 7:7.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis Chapter 48 which covers Jacob’s last days and his blessing upon Ephraim and Manasseh. Here is a link to that chapter – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+48&version=NASB

I quote the following verses.

15 He blessed Joseph, and said,

“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

16 The angel who has redeemed me from all evil,

Bless the lads;

And may my name live on in them,

And the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;

And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” Genesis 48:15-16.

————————

What is your life testimony?  What do people think of you?

Do people mostly perceive you groaning about your aches or pains?  Or, do people mostly perceive you praising God?

“12 The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree,

He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

13 Planted in the house of the Lord,

They will flourish in the courts of our God.

14 They will still yield fruit in old age;

They shall be full of sap and very green,

15 To declare that the Lord is upright;

He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” Psalm 92:12-15.

In today’s Scripture, Jacob gave his life testimony as “The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day”. Verse 15.

To the Egyptians, shepherds were “loathsome”. Genesis 46:34.

But, to Israel:

“1The 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.

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 Chapter 23.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis Chapter 47 which covers Jacob’s family settling in the area of Goshen in Egypt in the seven years of severe famine which occurred in all the land of Canaan and Egypt. Here is a link to that chapter – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+47&version=NASB

I quote the following verses.

“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 47:11-12.

“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.

—————–

We remember Joseph’s words. “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.” Genesis 45:7. God indeed did preserve Jacob’s family. And, today’s Scripture shows that God did more than just prevent Jacob’s family from starving, God “gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land”, and God caused Jacob’s family to acquire property and become “fruitful” and “very numerous”.

“16 Better is the little of the righteous

Than the abundance of many wicked.

17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken,

But the Lord sustains the righteous.

18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless,

And their inheritance will be forever.

19 They will not be ashamed in the time of evil,

And in the days of famine they will have abundance.

20 But the wicked will perish;

And the enemies of the Lord will be like the glory of the pastures,

They vanish—like smoke they vanish away.

21 The wicked borrows and does not pay back,

But the righteous is gracious and gives.

22 For those blessed by Him will inherit the land,

But those cursed by Him will be cut off.

23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord,

And He delights in his way.

24 When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,

Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.

25 I have been young and now I am old,

Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken

Or his descendants begging bread.

26 All day long he is gracious and lends,

And his descendants are a blessing.” Psalm 37:16-26.

“1 Praise the Lord!

How blessed is the man who fears the Lord,

Who greatly delights in His commandments.

2 His descendants will be mighty on earth;

The generation of the upright will be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches are in his house,

And his righteousness endures forever.

4 Light arises in the darkness for the upright;

He is gracious and compassionate and righteous.

5 It is well with the man who is gracious and lends;

He will maintain his cause in judgment.

6 For he will never be shaken;

The righteous will be remembered forever.

7 He will not fear evil tidings;

His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” Psalm 112:1-7.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis Chapter 46 which covers Jacob and his descendants moving to Egypt. Here is a link to that chapter – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+46&version=NASB

I quote the following verses.

“So Israel (Jacob) set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes.”

Then Jacob arose from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob and their little ones and their wives in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They took their livestock and their property, which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt, Jacob and all his descendants with him: his sons and his grandsons with him, his daughters and his granddaughters, and all his descendants he brought with him to Egypt.” Genesis 46:1-7.

———————–

God also speaks to us today through today’s Scripture and other similar Scripture. We may not be going down to Egypt, but God also is with us and counsels us. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9.

“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Genesis 28:15.

“I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth.” 2 Samuel 7:9. See also very similar 1 Chronicles 17:8.

“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 23:4.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”  Psalm 32:8.

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

“Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised; not one word has failed of all His good promise, which He promised through Moses His servant. May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us or forsake us, that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers.” 1 Kings 8:56-58.

“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.” Nehemiah 9:19.

“… He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” Hebrews 13:5.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis Chapter 45 which covers Joseph’s disclosure of his identity to his brothers and his kind provisions to preserve his brothers and the rest of his family. Here is a link to the chapter – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+45&version=NASB

I quote the following verses.

“Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come closer to me.” And they came closer. And he said, “I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.” Genesis 45:4-8.

———————

God is sovereign. God is the actor, not the reactor. God initiates actions; God does not just react to man’s sinful actions. Joseph had every reason to focus on man’s sinful actions and be bitter at what his brothers had done to him, but Joseph recognized God’s sovereignty in today’s Scripture: “God sent me before you to preserve life. … God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of Egypt.”

“Remember the former things long past,

For I am God, and there is no other;

I am God, and there is no one like Me,

Declaring the end from the beginning,

And from ancient times things which have not been done,

Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,

And I will accomplish all My good pleasure‘;

Calling a bird of prey from the east,

The man of My purpose from a far country.

Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.

I have planned it, surely I will do it.” Isaiah 46:9-11.

God accomplishes all of His good pleasure. Total Perfect Triumph.

“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 Chapter 44 which covers Joseph’s plot of placement of his silver cup in Benjamin’s sack and which covers Judah’s plea for Benjamin. Here is a link to that chapter – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+44&version=NASB

I quote the following verses.

“For your servant (Judah) became surety for the lad (Benjamin) to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, then let me bear the blame before my father forever.’ Now, therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers. For how shall I go up to my father if the lad is not with me—for fear that I see the evil that would overtake my father?” Genesis 44:32-34.

———————–

When we read about Judah and his plea for Benjamin, we think about Christ and what He did for the beloved of the LORD.

Christ brought the beloved of the LORD who were lost, even dead in sin, back to the Father. Christ bore the sins of the beloved and the wrath of God, so that the beloved of the LORD would be saved. Christ preserves the beloved of the LORD to salvation. Christ states: “and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” John 10:28-29.

“Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the sons of Israel before his death. …

Of Benjamin he said,

“May the beloved of the Lord dwell in security by Him,

Who shields him all the day,

And he dwells between His shoulders.” Deuteronomy Chapter 33, Verses 1 and 12.

Psalm 91 provides beautiful and comforting images of the security of the beloved of the LORD.

“1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,

My God, in whom I trust!”

3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper

And from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with His pinions,

And under His wings you may seek refuge;

His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night,

Or of the arrow that flies by day;

6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,

Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.

7 A thousand may fall at your side

And ten thousand at your right hand,

But it shall not approach you.

8 You will only look on with your eyes

And see the recompense of the wicked.

9 For you have made the Lord, my refuge,

Even the Most High, your dwelling place.

10 No evil will befall you,

Nor will any plague come near your tent.

11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you,

To guard you in all your ways.

12 They will bear you up in their hands,

That you do not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and cobra,

The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

14 “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;

I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.

15 “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will rescue him and honor him.

16 “With a long life I will satisfy him

And let him see My salvation.” Psalm Chapter 91.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 43:16-34 which covers the arrival of Joseph’s brothers including Benjamin. Joseph’s brothers were nervous about how Joseph would treat them. Here is a link to the chapter – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+43&version=NASB

I quote the following verses.

“When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to his house steward, “Bring the men into the house, and slay an animal and make ready; for the men are to dine with me at noon.” So the man did as Joseph said, and brought the men to Joseph’s house. Now the men were afraid, because they were brought to Joseph’s house; and they said, “It is because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time that we are being brought in, that he (Joseph) may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for slaves with our donkeys.” Genesis 43:16-18.

“He (Joseph’s house steward) said, “Be at ease, do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.” Then he brought Simeon out to them. Then the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their donkeys fodder. So they prepared the present for Joseph’s coming at noon; for they had heard that they were to eat a meal there.” Genesis 43:23-25.

————————

We notice with interest Scriptures (such as in today’s Scripture) that refer to God, not only as “Your God”, but also as “the God of your father” or words similar to those words. Here is just a few of those references.

“See, the Lord your God has placed the land before you; go up, take possession, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’” Deuteronomy 1:21.

“For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.” Deuteronomy 4:31.

“Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, great and splendid cities which you did not build,” Deuteronomy 6:10.

“It is not for your righteousness or for the uprightness of your heart that you are going to possess their land, but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God is driving them out before you, in order to confirm the oath which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 9:5.

“Then the Lord your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers;” Deuteronomy 30:9.

“Then David said to all the assembly, “Now bless the Lord your God.” And all the assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their fathers, and bowed low and did homage to the Lord and to the king.” 1 Chronicles 19:20.

“It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.” Acts 3:25-26.

“For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” Acts 2:39.

These and other references lead us to ponder the Unconditional Covenant. I cannot cover the Unconditional Covenant within the scope of my knowledge or the scope of the daily devotion. But, I can point out today’s Scriptures and other Scriptures which should lead us to consider that God often unconditionally elects and saves within such family relationships (or within lines of descendants), but God does not necessarily save all the children of the elect.  (“Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”  Romans 9:13.) 

The Protestant Reformed Churches have done a good job teaching and maintaining the purity of this Unconditional Covenant Doctrine. I quote the following from Essentials of Reformed Doctrine: A Guide in Catechetical Instruction by Rev. H. Hoeksema (revised by Prof. H. Hanko) of the Protestant Reformed Churches.

Lesson 18: The Covenant of Grace

1.How does God save His people?

By means of a living faith in the Mediator of the covenant, our Lord Jesus Christ.

2.What is the fruit of the work of Christ?

That God maintains, restores, and perfects His covenant through Him. Jeremiah 31:33 .

3.What is the covenant?

It is the gracious relation of living fellowship and friendship between God and His people in Christ, wherein He is their God and they are His people. Genesis 17:7 ; Psalm 16:5 ; Psalm 33:22 .

4.How many covenants are there?

There is only one covenant in both the Old and New Testaments established with God’s people throughout all time.

5.Did not Adam stand in a covenant relationship to God?

Yes, but he violated the covenant through his sin so that the covenant must be restored through Christ.

6.How does God establish His covenant?

God establishes His covenant by His own work of grace whereby He takes His people into His own covenant fellowship. Ephesians 2:8 .

7.Does God establish His covenant with all men?

No, He establishes His covenant only with His elect people in the line of continued generations. Galatians 3:16, 29 .

8.What does God do for His people in that covenant?

He forms them to be His people, makes them partakers of all the benefits of Christ, and leads them on to eternal glory. Ephesians 1:23 .

9.Through Whom does God make us partakers of all Christ’s benefits?

Through the Holy Spirit, Who dwells in Christ as the Head and in His people as members of His body. Ephesians 1:23 .

EXTRA WORK:

1.There are some who teach that the covenant is an agreement between God and man. How does an agreement differ from a bond of friendship and fellowship?

2.Some teach that, because the covenant is an agreement, it is bilateral (two-sided). Prove from Genesis 15:7-18 that the covenant is unilateral (one-sided).

3.Prove from Psalm 89:28-34 that God not only establishes His covenant, but that God also preserves it by His own work.

4.How is the protevangel in Genesis 3:15 a promise of the coming of Christ the Head of the covenant?

5.Prove from Psalm 25:14 that the covenant is a bond of friendship between God and His people.

6.Prove from Genesis 17:7 that God establishes His covenant in the line of continued generations.

7.Read the doctrinal part of the Baptism Form and explain from it what is our “part” of the covenant.