Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 30:1-24 which covers the jealousy between Rachel and Leah. Rachel was jealous that Leah bore children for Jacob, whereas she (Rachel) was barren. Leah was jealous that Jacob loved Rachel more than her. This Scripture shows the competition between them to bear more children for Jacob (and thus win Jacob’s favor and preference) directly by themselves or through their maids. Here is a link to the chapter – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+30&version=NASB

We will focus on the following verses.

“Then God remembered Rachel, and God gave heed to her and opened her womb. So she conceived and bore a son and said, “God has taken away my reproach.” She named him Joseph, saying, “May the Lord give me another son.” Genesis 30:22-24.

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Reproach is defined in part as “a cause or occasion of blame, discredit, or disgrace”. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reproach

Specifically, Rachel felt disgrace (reproach), because she did not bear children for Jacob.

More generally, the cause of reproach is our sins.

“O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us.” Daniel 9:16

Only God can take away our sins, and thus only God can take away our reproach.

But, there is hope!

“And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.” Colossians 1:21-23.

God has taken away our reproach. Indeed, we were predestined for this. Praise God!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. …” Ephesians 1:3-8.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis Chapter 29 which covers Jacob arriving at the land of his relatives, meeting his future wives Rachel and Leah, and the deception and hard bargain of Laban. Here is a link to it – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+29&version=NASB

I will quote the following verses from this chapter.

“15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 And Leah’s eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful of form and face. 18 Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may go in to her.” 22 Laban gathered all the men of the place and made a feast. 23 Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah, and brought her to him; and Jacob went in to her. 24 Laban also gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. 25 So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah! And he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served with you? Why then have you deceived me?” 26 But Laban said, “It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years.” 28 Jacob did so and completed her week, and he gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29 Laban also gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her maid. 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years.

31 Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 Leah conceived and bore a son and named him Reuben, for she said, “Because the Lord has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” 33 Then she conceived again and bore a son and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon. 34 She conceived again and bore a son and said, “Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore he was named Levi. 35 And she conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.” Genesis 29:15-35.

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If we don’t remember the context and the content of this Scripture, we may be inclined to be unduly dismayed and disturbed.  We may think:  “How unfair of Laban to require 7 years of labor from Jacob, and even more, deceive Jacob and drive an even harder bargain of another 7 years of labor!!”

We may forget the context of the Genesis Chapter 27 in which Jacob deceived his father Isaac and stole the blessing away from his brother Esau. “Turn around is fair play”?

We may forget the content of this Scripture which shows the grace given to Jacob to endure the years of labor and the deception and hard bargain.

We may forget the grace shown to Jacob in verse 20. “So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.”

We may forget the grace shown to Jacob in verses 27 and 28 that although Jacob had to serve another 7 years, Jacob received Rachel after only the first week of that 7 years.

We may forget the grace shown to Jacob in verses 31 to 35 that Leah bore four sons for Jacob from whom one-third of the tribes of Israel would descend and be named.

In our own lives, we may forget the context of the hardships that we experienced. We may think we are totally innocent. But, we are not totally innocent.

“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.”

13 “Their throat is an open grave,

With their tongues they keep deceiving,”

“The poison of asps is under their lips”;

14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;

15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,

16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,

17 And the path of peace they have not known.”

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Romans 3:10-18.

In our own lives, we may also forget the content of all that we experienced. God gives us grace to endure hardships even when we are responsible for the hardships that we experience.

“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9.

“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:10.

In briefest summary, putting these two points together, it helps us to be understanding and patient and even thankful when we realize: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 28:10-22.

“10 Then Jacob departed from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 He came to a certain place and spent the night there, because the sun had set; and he took one of the stones of the place and put it under his head, and lay down in that place. 12 He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, I will give it to you and to your descendants. 14 Your descendants will also be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 15 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.” 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

18 So Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on its top. 19 He called the name of that place Bethel; however, previously the name of the city had been Luz. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will keep me on this journey that I take, and will give me food to eat and garments to wear, 21 and I return to my father’s house in safety, then the Lord will be my God. 22 This stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.” Genesis 28:10-22.

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“It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.” Psalm 127:2

God gave this wonderful dream and these wonderful promises to Jacob while Jacob slept.

From the beginning, God gives to His beloved while they sleep. Think of what God gave Adam while Adam slept! “So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.” Genesis 2:21-22.

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8

“When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Proverbs 3:24

We certainly do not earn what God gives us; let us be “child-like” and thank and trust God like a child thanks and trusts His father.

God loves us, protects and provides for us, and we rest secure in Him!

“About Benjamin he said: `Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.’” Deuteronomy 33:12b.

With even a stone as a pillow, Jacob was able to rest and even fall into a deep sleep.

We may hundreds of worries as pillows. We may be as skittish as sheep, but our Good Shepherd, “He makes me lie down in green pastures …” Psalm 23:2.

“For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” Psalm 92:4

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 28:1-9.

“1 So Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him, and said to him, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and from there take to yourself a wife from the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother. 3 May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. 4 May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your descendants with you, that you may possess the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham.” 5 Then Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

6 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take to himself a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he charged him, saying, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,” 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Paddan-aram. 8 So Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan displeased his father Isaac; 9 and Esau went to Ishmael, and married, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth.” Genesis 28:1-9.

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“… the Lord had said to the sons of Israel, “You shall not associate with them (foreign wives), nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods. …” 1 Kings 11:2.

“The sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. The sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. ” Judges 3:5-7.

“Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the sons of Israel, “You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.” Solomon held fast to these in love. He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. For when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and after Milcom the detestable idol of the Ammonites. Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lord fully, as David his father had done.” 1 Kings 11:1-5.

“Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful and have married foreign wives adding to the guilt of Israel.” “Now therefore, make confession to the Lord God of your fathers and do His will; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.” Ezra 10:10-11.

This command is not just in the Old Testament applicable only to the nation of Israel.  The command has been expressed in the New Testament in the following terms with the following reason for us today. 

“Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?” 2 Corinthians 6:14-15.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 26:34 through all the following chapter, Genesis Chapter 27, which covers Esau’s relationship with his parents, Isaac and Rebekah, and the “stolen blessing” obtained by Jacob from his father Isaac, through the instigation of his mother Rebekah, at the end of the life of Isaac when Isaac could not see whom he was blessing. Here is a link to Genesis Chapter 27 – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2027&version=NASB

I will quote Genesis 26:34-35 and the key verse for today’s Scripture.

“When Esau was forty years old he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite; and they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah.” Genesis 26:34-35.

“Isaac said to his son (Jacob), “How is it that you have it so quickly, my son?”  And he said, “Because the Lord your God caused it to happen to me.” Genesis 27:20.

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We don’t think much of the actions of anyone in today’s Scripture.

Esau and his wife “brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah.”

Rebekah instigated the deception by Jacob.

Jacob carried out the deception.

Isaac was negligent in blessing the “wrong” person.  (“Wrong” from Isaac’s viewpoint in that Isaac blessed the person that he did not intend to bless and “trembled violently” because of that mistake;  but right from God’s viewpoint in that Isaac blessed the person whom God intended to be blessed).

Esau planned to kill Jacob.

Just like interactions by humans through history.

“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 truth to what Jacob stated:  “Because the Lord your God caused it to happen to me.”  Even though everyone’s actions were improper, God caused the blessing to be given to Jacob rather than to Esau.  As it is stated in the following Article 13 of the Belgic Confession, “nothing happens in this world without his appointment: nevertheless, God neither is the author of, nor can be charged with, the sins which are committed.”

Article 13: Of Divine Providence.

We believe that the same God, after he had created all things, did not forsake them, or give them up to fortune or chance, but that he rules and governs them according to his holy will, so that nothing happens in this world without his appointment:  nevertheless, God neither is the author of, nor can be charged with, the sins which are committed.  For his power and goodness are so great and incomprehensible, that he orders and executes his work in the most excellent and just manner, even then, when devils and wicked men act unjustly.  And, as to what he doth surpassing human understanding, we will not curiously inquire into, farther than our capacity will admit of; but with the greatest humility and reverence adore the righteous judgments of God, which are hid from us, contenting ourselves that we are disciples of Christ, to learn only those things which he has revealed to us in his Word, without transgressing these limits.  This doctrine affords us unspeakable consolation, since we are taught thereby that nothing can befall us by chance, but by the direction of our most gracious and heavenly Father; who watches over us with a paternal care, keeping all creatures so under his power, that not a hair of our head (for they are all numbered), nor a sparrow, can fall to the ground, without the will of our Father, in whom we do entirely trust;  being persuaded, that he so restrains the devil and all our enemies, that without his will and permission, they cannot hurt us. And therefore we reject that damnable error of the Epicureans, who say that God regards nothing, but leaves all things to chance.  Belgic Confession.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 26:26-33.

“26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with his adviser Ahuzzath and Phicol the commander of his army. 27 Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?” 28 They said, “We see plainly that the Lord has been with you; so we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, even between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.’” 30 Then he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 In the morning they arose early and exchanged oaths; then Isaac sent them away and they departed from him in peace. 32 Now it came about on the same day, that Isaac’s servants came in and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” 33 So he called it Shibah; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.” Genesis 26:26-33.

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How wonderful for Isaac to hear: “We see plainly that the Lord has been with you” and “You are now the blessed of the Lord”!

How wonderful for Isaac to experience such respect and peace!  “Then he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. In the morning they arose early and exchanged oaths; then Isaac sent them away and they departed from him in peace.” Verses 30 and 31.

This all happened after Abimelech sent Isaac away. “Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are too powerful for us.” And Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar, and settled there.” Genesis 26:16-17. This all happened even after the quarrel over the wells described in Genesis 26:18-22.

There is a good descriptive saying that I will modify and apply to what happened to Isaac and to what happens to us. “God has our back.” Even when our backs our turned and we contribute nothing to our protection or well-being, God protects us and God otherwise also provides for us. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.

“Behold, I am going to send an angel before you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.” Exodus 23:20.

“And it will be said,

“Build up, build up, prepare the way,

Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.”

 Isaiah 57:14.

For the wicked, there is no such protection or provision or peace.

“But the wicked are like the tossing sea,

For it cannot be quiet,

And its waters toss up refuse and mud.

“There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.” Isaiah 57:20-21.

For the righteous, God’s people, “God has our back”.

“5 You have enclosed me behind and before,

And laid Your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the dawn,

If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand will lead me,

And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,

And the light around me will be night,”

12 Even the darkness is not dark to You,

And the night is as bright as the day.

Darkness and light are alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts;

You wove me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;

And in Your book were all written

The days that were ordained for me,

When as yet there was not one of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.

When I awake, I am still with You.” Psalm 139:5-18.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 26:18-22.

“Then Isaac dug again the wells of water which had been dug in the days of his father Abraham, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham; and he gave them the same names which his father had given them. But when Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and found there a well of flowing water, the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with the herdsmen of Isaac, saying, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they contended with him. Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over it too, so he named it Sitnah. He moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, “At last the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”

Then he went up from there to Beersheba. The Lord appeared to him the same night and said,

“I am the God of your father Abraham;

Do not fear, for I am with you.

I will bless you, and multiply your descendants,

For the sake of My servant Abraham.”

So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.” Genesis 26:18-22.

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Our LORD provides us with wells to give us abundant water to satisfy our thirst and to grow our food.

“9 You visit the earth and cause it to overflow;

You greatly enrich it;

The stream of God is full of water;

You prepare their grain, for thus You prepare the earth.

10 You water its furrows abundantly,

You settle its ridges,

You soften it with showers,

You bless its growth.

11 You have crowned the year with Your bounty,

And Your paths drip with fatness.

12 The pastures of the wilderness drip,

And the hills gird themselves with rejoicing.

13 The meadows are clothed with flocks

And the valleys are covered with grain;

They shout for joy, yes, they sing.” Psalm 65:9-13.

Our LORD causes our land to be fruitful. “… He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” Acts 14:17.

But, our LORD also provides us with His Spirit, living water, “a well of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:14.

Our LORD does not only cause our land to be fruitful; our LORD causes His people to be fruitful by giving them His Spirit.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23.

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,

And for His wonders to the sons of men!

For He has satisfied the thirsty soul,

And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.” Psalm 107:8-9.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 26:1-16.

“Now there was a famine in the land, besides the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. So Isaac went to Gerar, to Abimelech king of the Philistines. The Lord appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land of which I shall tell you. Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.”

So Isaac lived in Gerar. When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” for he was afraid to say, “my wife,” thinking, “the men of the place might kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is beautiful.” It came about, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out through a window, and saw, and behold, Isaac was caressing his wife Rebekah. Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Behold, certainly she is your wife! How then did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” And Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘I might die on account of her.’” Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might easily have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” So Abimelech charged all the people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

Now Isaac sowed in that land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. And the Lord blessed him, and the man became rich, and continued to grow richer until he became very wealthy; for he had possessions of flocks and herds and a great household, so that the Philistines envied him. Now all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines stopped up by filling them with earth. Then Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are too powerful for us.” And Isaac departed from there and camped in the valley of Gerar, and settled there.” Genesis 26:1-16.

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Today’s Scripture is divided in three paragraphs. In summary, in the first paragraph, we read of God’s promise: “Sojourn in this land and I will be with you and bless you”. In the second paragraph, we see Isaac fearful and anxious and deceptive as he looks toward possible evildoers. In the third paragraph, we see Isaac trust God and dwell in the land and become very wealthy.

Does this Scripture remind you of a Psalm?

“1 Do not fret because of evildoers,

Be not envious toward wrongdoers.

2 For they will wither quickly like the grass

And fade like the green herb.

3 Trust in the Lord and do good;

Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

4 Delight yourself in the Lord;

And He will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord,

Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light

And your judgment as the noonday.

7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,

Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath;

Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.

9 For evildoers will be cut off,

But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.

10 Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more;

And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.

11 But the humble will inherit the land

And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.” Psalm 37:1-11.

Now, there are certainly times when we need to move. We see Isaac move (at least a little) at the end of today’s Scripture. And, we see the righteous sometimes move throughout Scripture and throughout history (for one good reason or another). But, today’s Scripture does teach us the lesson that we should not fret because of evildoers, but rather we should trust God and rest in Him. We should do good and dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 25:19-34.

“19 Now these are the records of the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham became the father of Isaac; 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord answered him and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 The Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb;

And two peoples will be separated from your body;

And one people shall be stronger than the other;

And the older shall serve the younger.”

24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 2 5 Now the first came forth red, all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came forth with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob; and Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.

27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; 30 and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom. 31 But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” 32 Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” 33 And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.” Genesis 25:19-34.

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“See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.  For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.” Hebrews 12:15-16.

“And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.”  Just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

What shall we say then?  There is no injustice with God, is there?  May it never be!  For 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.” Romans 9:10-16.

This grace of God is “Unconditional Election”, the “U” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.  This birthright is “Unconditional Election”, the “U” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

This birthright is that we were born of God: “… not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:13.  “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,” John 1:12.

This grace is that God chose us before the foundation of the world and predestined us to adoption as His sons.  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.  In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. …” Ephesians 1:3.

And yet, how many of us like Esau despise our birthright and are willing to sell it, so to speak, for something for which we think we can get partial credit for our salvation!

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 25:1-18 which covers the descendants of Abraham through his wife Keturah (after the death of Sarah), the descendants of Ishmael, and the death of Abraham.

Here is the link to the Genesis Chapter 25 – http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+25&version=NASB

We will focus on verse 11.

“It came about after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac lived by Beer-lahai-roi.” Genesis 25:11.

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Isaac could have been troubled and jealous by the descendants of Abraham through his wife Keturah. But, “… Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac; but to the sons of his concubines, Abraham gave gifts while he was still living, and sent them away from his son Isaac eastward, to the land of the east.” Verse 5.

Isaac could have been troubled and fearful of Ishmael and his descendants. But, they moved away. “They settled from Havilah to Shur which is east of Egypt as one goes toward Assyria; he settled in defiance of all his relatives.” Verse 18.

Isaac could have been troubled and crushed by sorrow by the death of Abraham. But Isaac realized that his father Abraham “… died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life …” Verse 8.

There are blessings that I will categorize as joyful blessings (such as the joyful blessings that Abraham and Isaac experienced in Genesis Chapter 24). 

“The Lord has greatly blessed my master, so that he (Abraham) has become rich; and He has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and maids, and camels and donkeys.” Genesis 24:35.

“Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” Genesis 24:67.

But, there are also blessings that I will categorize as peaceful blessings which help us cope with troubling events (such as the peaceful blessings of what Isaac experienced in today’s Scripture). 

“The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.” Psalm 29:11.