Meditate on it

We presume that whatever is unpleasant is our duty! Is that anything like the spirit of our Lord— “I delight to do Your will, O my God . . .” ( Psalm 40:8 ). -Oswald Chambers

William Blake's "Book of Job" On a good day, enjoy yourself; On a bad day, examine your conscience. God arranges for both kinds of days So that we won't take anything for granted. -Ecclesiastes 7:14 BKC: "When Job’s wife urged him to forget his integrity (related to the word “blameless” in Job_1:1), curse God and (as a result) die, he called her a foolish (nāḇāl, “spiritually ignorant or nondiscerning”) woman. Unknown to her, this advice that he curse God was exactly what Satan had twice predicted Job would do (Job_1:11; Job_2:5). When Job needed comfort from her, he received another terrible blow — evidence of her bitterness toward God. In calm confidence in God’s ways Job pointed out that trouble (rā‛, “evil, calamity”) as well as good comes from God (cf. Ecc_7:14; Lam_3:38). This contrasts starkly with most peoples’ view that trouble means God’s very existence is questionable! Later Job affirmed to his friends that he would retain his integrity till d

A hodgepodge of reflections on Jacob, Joseph, and the providential sweep of Genesis---some a record of emails, some from BKC, some loose thoughts knocking around my head: BKCisms: "With the coming of Messiah there will be paradise-like splendor. Kidner says that every line of Gen_49:11-12 “speaks of exuberant, intoxicating abundance: it is the golden age of the Coming One, whose universal rule was glimpsed inGen_49:10” (Genesis, p. 219). For Judah, grapevines will be so abundant that they will be used for hitching posts; wine will be as abundant as wash water. In Judah, people’s eyes will be red or bright from wine and their teeth will be white from drinking much milk. These are picturesque ways of describing the suitability of Judah’s territory for vineyards. Such opulence will be evident in the Millennium"(Isa_61:6-7; Isa_65:21-25; Zec_3:10). This was Jacob’s decision in spite of Joseph’s direction. Joseph, like so many others, expected God to work in a certain

"God’s sovereign choice of a leader often brings out the jealousy of those who must submit." -BKC Astute point, and this goes back to Cain & Abel---the Lord preferred Abel's sacrifice and instead of looking at his own sin, Cain chose to take out Abel. Jacob fled from his brother's anger after being chosen for the blessing, and then Joseph was sold as a slave as a result of his brother's jealousy of his dreams and righteous behavior. The Lord's choice of another should prompt us to humble reflection, but our sin nature longs to tear the "chosen" down instead...misdirected energy for sure. ******************* Gen 37:11 But while his brothers were jealous of Joseph, his father wondered what the dreams meant. Jacob's reflection here reminds me of a similar reflection of Mary about Jesus: "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." -Luke 2:19 Pondering parents are wise parents. Jacob lived a life o

Ratner Museum Commentary From the BKC: "So the book discusses the successions from his sons, following the custom of wrapping up the history of the unchosen line (Gen_36:1-43) before going to the chosen." "Second, Esau was Edom. In fact all through the chapter the reader is reminded of this. Certainly Israel would understand the import of this because she often struggled with the Edomites (cf. Obad.), Esau’s descendants." (Gen_36:43). "The narrative stresses two elements. First, Esau’s sons were born in the land (Canaan, Gen_36:5) before he moved to Seir (Gen_36:8). This contrasts sharply with Jacob, whose children were born out of the land, and who then moved into the land. Second, Esau was Edom." "In dramatic contrast with the expanding, powerful Esau, Jacob was dwelling in the land of the sojournings of his father… the land of Canaan. Unlike Esau, Jacob had no “chiefs” or kings (Gen_35:11) yet, no lands to govern, and no full tri

Rembrandt's "Sacrifice of Isaac," 1635 Commentary: Bible.org (Bob Deffinbaugh) The point of my illustration is that while this difference of interpretation was allowed to persist, there was a time when it would become an important issue. I find that God often does this same thing. He may allow a particular problem to continue for some time, but sooner or later the problem will become an issue of import and one that must be resolved. Such was the case with Abraham. At the very outset of his relationship with God he was given a clear command concerning his family: Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you” (Genesis 12:1; emphasis added). We know, however, that it took years for Abram to be separated from his father; and when it did occur, it was the result of death rather than of deliberate obedience. Next it was Lot from whom Abram was reluctant to separate. In chapt

BKC: Genesis 18-21 Angels fellowship with Abraham & announce that Sarah will have a child.  Sodom is increasingly wicked and Abraham dialogues with God about it. Justice is the theme. God wanted to demonstrate justice to Sodom.  I am curious about this concept of the sins of people being "complete" as I have seen it at other points in the scriptures.  It speaks of His long suffering and also again seems to imply that God gives people a chance, that freewill is somehow involved. It speaks against fatalism to an extent. "Thus the theme of justice predominates: those who will enjoy God’s blessing (a) will teach justice (Gen_18:19); (b) may intercede for just judgment to preserve the righteous; and (c) know that God may preserve the wicked for the sake of the righteous." -BKC

Commentary: Bob Deffinbaugh God seldom allows our faith to remain general, however, and so we face crises points which bring our faith from the abstract to the concrete, and from the general to the specific. Such is the case with Abram in this chapter. But why did Moses wait until this point to tell us that Abram believed, and that he was justified by faith? Luther’s answer, I believe is most satisfactory. Abram’s faith is not mentioned until now in order to emphasize the fact that a saving faith is one that focuses upon the person and work of Jesus Christ. When Moses says that Abram’s faith was reckoned for righteousness it does not mean that Abram’s faith was, in some fashion, exchanged for righteousness. Abram’s faith, like ours today, was not something which he conjured up by mental or spiritual effort. Faith itself is a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). Me: This distinction for me is one of the trickiest. Faith is a gift, salvation is a gift, so where does Free Will and Pre-determinis

BKC: The theme of “rest” seems to be quite strong throughout the story. The ark rested (Gen_8:4); at first the dove could find no place to set its feet (Gen_8:9; lit., “could not find a resting place for its feet”). When the ark came to rest on Ararat, this was more than a physical landing on dry ground. It was a new beginning; the world was clean and at rest. Matthew Henry "God calls us to "come." God does not bid him go into the ark, but come into it, implying that God would go with him, would lead him into it, accompany him in it, and in due time bring him safely out of it. Note, Wherever we are, it is very desirable to have the presence of God with us, for this is all in all to the comfort of every condition. It was this that made Noah's ark, which was a prison, to be to him not only a refuge, but a palace.  *** "There is always bad in good, even in the ark."  That there is a mixture of bad with good in the best societies in

Musée de Louvre, Paris, France~ carved for the Cathedral of St. Matthew (Duomo di San Matteo) Key Concept: Violence Gen 6:13  And God said to Noah, "I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.  From this, I am impressed that God hates violence.  God is all about peace and I sometimes forget this culturally as the "peace" that is popular in our culture is a peace without judgement or accountability.  This is different from God's peace.  Yet, I should not let the culture rob me of the truth that God hates violence and values peace, to the extent that he was grieved and willing to wipe out the world to achieve it: Gen 6:6  And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.  Commentary Excerpts BKC: The “way of Cain” (Jud_1:11), then, is a lack of faith which shows itself in envy of God’s dealings with t