Psalm 9:9-20 Knowing and Trusting
9:1 “I will give thanks to Yahweh with my whole heart. I will tell of all Your marvelous works. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in You. I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. 3 When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish in Your presence. 4 For You have maintained my just cause. You sit on the throne judging righteously. 5 You have rebuked the nations. You have destroyed the wicked. You have blotted out their name forever and ever. 6 The enemy is overtaken by endless ruin. The very memory of the cities which You have overthrown has perished. 7 But Yahweh reigns forever. He has prepared His throne for judgment. 8 He will judge the world in righteousness. He will administer judgment to the peoples in uprightness.
9 Yahweh will also be a high tower for the oppressed; a high tower in times of trouble. 10 Those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, Yahweh, have not forsaken those who seek You. 11 Sing praises to Yahweh, who dwells in Zion, and declare among the people what He has done. 12 For He who avenges blood remembers them. He doesn’t forget the cry of the afflicted. 13 Have mercy on me, Yahweh. See my affliction by those who hate me, and lift me up from the gates of death; 14 that I may show forth all Your praise. In the gates of the daughter of Zion, I will rejoice in Your salvation. 15 The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made. In the net which they hid, their own foot is taken. 16 Yahweh has made Himself known. He has executed judgment. The wicked is snared by the work of His own hands. Meditation. Selah. 17 The wicked shall be turned back to Sheol, even all the nations that forget God. 18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever. 19 Arise, Yahweh! Don’t let man prevail. Let the nations be judged in Your sight. 20 Put them in fear, Yahweh. Let the nations know that they are only men. Selah."
Observations: 9:1-8 See the previous post for vv 1-8, which establish that God sits on His throne to judge righteously, for which the righteous praise Him.
9:9-20 Most people don't like to consider God as judge, but His justice is a source of great comfort to the oppressed, as well as a major component of His character and glory. In fact if you don't know God as a judge, you don't know Him. Those who do know Him as He is (name/character/glory) put their trust in Him, knowing that in His justice He can't forsake them. See: Glorifying God the Judge.
Application: In His justice, God will never forsake those who seek and trust Him, so seek and trust and call for help, and then praise Him when He saves you.
Prayer: Most High God, I praise You for being accessible and just; guide me in seeking You and knowing You and trusting You throughout my days; I know I won't be disappointed. Amen.
Proverbs 3:11-12 Way to Wisdom
3:11 “My son, don’t despise/reject/refuse Yahweh’s discipline, neither be weary of His reproof: 12 for whom Yahweh loves, He reproves; even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.“
Observations: 3:11-12 Biblical parents should mirror God's parenting of themselves. God delights in His children, when they acknowledge that He's the parent, and they're the child. He wants what's best for them, so He brings their sin to light (reproof) and trains (disciplines/instructs) them to do what's right. Reproof is a major theme in Proverbs, and valuing it is the way to wisdom, rejecting it is the path to folly. If you clicked on the Strong's number for the noun (reproof), and the verb it comes from (reprove), you'd find these verses, and God's perspective on the subject in Proverbs. See Proverbs 1:23, 25, 30; 5:12; 6:23; 9:7,8; 10:17; 12:1; 13:18; 15:5,12,31,32; 19:25; 27:5; 24:25; 25:12 28:23; and Proverbs 29:1,15. Discipline or instruction is used 35 times in the 30 chapters of Proverbs, giving an indication of how important it is to acquiring wisdom.
Application: We start out naïve or foolish, and through the process of reproof and correction we become wiser.
Prayer: God, thanks for loving me enough to bring my sin to light so I can get rid of it, and enjoy life as You intended. Amen.
Genesis 48-50 How Can A Good God Allow Suffering?
Genesis 48 Crisscross Double Blessing!!
48:3 Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.’ 5 Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon 6...They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.
11 Israel said to Joseph, “I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your seed also.” 13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near to him. 14 Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day, 16 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” 17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. He held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.” 19 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 will be greater than he, and his seed will become a multitude of nations.” 20 He blessed them that day, saying, “In you will Israel bless, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’” He set Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”
Observations: 48:5 Jacob adopts Joseph's sons for the purpose of blessing/inheritance.
48:15 In a replay of the Jacob and Esau double cross in receiving the blessing, Joseph tries to manipulate the greater blessing to the firstborn Manasseh (under the right hand). Jacob refuses, blessing the younger Ephraim first with the greater blessing, then his brother (crisscrossing his hands). Joseph in effect is also getting the blessing of the firstborn, a double portion, above his elder brothers, by having his sons become Jacob's. Ephraim would become the dominant tribe during the period of Judges.
Application: God is able to override the plans of men, so it makes sense to trust Him to do that when it's best, and focus on being blessable.
Prayer: God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, I trust that You will look out for my interests. Amen.
Genesis 49 Prophetic Paybacks
49:1 Jacob called to his sons, and said: “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come. 3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; excelling in dignity, and excelling in power. 4 Boiling over as water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father’s bed, then defiled it. 5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers. Their swords are weapons of violence. 6 My soul, don’t come into their council. My glory, don’t be united to their assembly; for in their anger they killed men. In their self-will they hamstrung cattle. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel.
8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father’s sons will bow down before you. 9 Judah is a lion’s cub...10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be...
22 “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a spring. His branches run over the wall.
23 The archers have severely grieved him, shot at him, and persecute him: 24 But his bow remained strong. The arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel), 25 even by the God of your father, who will help you; by the Almighty, who will bless you, with blessings of heaven above...They will be on the head of Joseph, on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers.
33 When Jacob made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.
Observations: Reuben, Simeon and Levi forfeited their blessings by their bad behavior. Judah, next in line, gets the Messianic promises of a Preeminent Ruler, not Joseph.
49:3 Reuben did not produce a judge, king, priest, prophet, nor any noteworthy descendent. Was it worth it? Like the Reubenites, the Simeonites also faded into the other tribes.
49:6 Levite's descendants reversed the curse by their loyalty to the Lord in Exodus 32:26ff. We'll look at the other blessings when we see their fulfillment later in the Scriptures.
49:6 Levite's descendants reversed the curse by their loyalty to the Lord in Exodus 32:26ff. We'll look at the other blessings when we see their fulfillment later in the Scriptures.
Note that God's plan to bless was modulated by the possible recipient's responses and actions. Reuben lost it; Joseph got it.
Application: Our actions affect those around us, for generations. It is never too late to turn the tide.
Application: Our actions affect those around us, for generations. It is never too late to turn the tide.
Hebrews 11:21 "By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff."
Prayer: Lord, help me live so others will be maximally blessed. Amen.
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully pay us back for all of the evil which we did to him.” 16 They sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded before he died, saying, 17 ‘You shall tell Joseph, “Now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ Now, please forgive the disobedience of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also went and fell down before his face; and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 Now therefore don’t be afraid. I will nourish you and your little ones.” He comforted them, and spoke kindly to them.
24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am dying, but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being one hundred ten years old, and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
Observations: 50:19 Genesis opened with man seeking to be in the place of God. It ends with man recognizing reality.
50:20 This is a great verse to keep close to your heart when you encounter injustice.
50:21 A forgiving heart can acknowledge the hurt and bless those who cursed them. A bitter, sinful heart nourishes and cherishes the hurt rather than those who hurt them.
50:25 Joseph expressed faith in God's promise to bring the Israelites back to the land.
Hebrews 11:22 By faith, Joseph, when his end was near, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave instructions concerning his bones.
Application: God frequently uses real and painful evil to bring about a greater good and blessing. How would the story have been different if Joseph were not sold, and had not submitted?
Prayer: Oh God who knows what He's doing, spare me the stupidity of not believing your promises and submitting to Your will. Amen.
Digging Deeper:
This world is not all there is; there is a better world coming in which those who have demonstrated the nobler virtues will be blessed. Unjust suffering sets the stage on which we demonstrate rewardable responses.
"Suffering is a vaccine against short-sightedness of the soul" -bc
"Suffering is a vaccine against short-sightedness of the soul" -bc
God in a nutshell: God has a purpose and plan to bless. Exactly who gets that blessing (unless otherwise specified) is determined by how people respond to His Revelation.
Us in a nutshell: We always have a choice that influences our destiny: trust and obey, or fuss and decay. The default is to carry on the sin or our forebearers, but like Joseph, we can rise above them, and like the Levites, we can turn the tide. We can also do worse, and reap appropriate consequences.
Where to Go for More:
Truthbase.net
Several sermons on the theme of suffering are on Truthbase.net
See also the Title Topic in the 7 Questions in the sidebar.
Genesis 48-50 complete text
Several sermons on the theme of suffering are on Truthbase.net
See also the Title Topic in the 7 Questions in the sidebar.
Genesis 48-50 complete text
Genesis 48
48:1 It happened after these things, that someone said to Joseph, “Behold, your father is sick.” He took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 Someone told Jacob, and said, “Behold, your son Joseph comes to you,” and Israel strengthened himself, and sat on the bed. 3Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, 4 and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples, and will give this land to your seed after you for an everlasting possession.’ 5 Now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, will be mine. 6 Your issue, whom you become the father of after them, will be yours. They will be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 7As for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan in the way, when there was still some distance to come to Ephrath, and I buried her there in the way to Ephrath (the same is Bethlehem).”
8 Israel saw Joseph’s sons, and said, “Who are these?”
9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.”
He said, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them.”10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he couldn’t see. He brought them near to him; and he kissed them, and embraced them. 11 Israel said to Joseph, “I didn’t think I would see your face, and behold, God has let me see your seed also.” 12 Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near to him. 14 Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn. 15 He blessed Joseph, and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has fed me all my life long to this day, 16 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. He held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”
19 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 will be greater than he, and his seed will become a multitude of nations.” 20He blessed them that day, saying, “In you will Israel bless, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh’” He set Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am dying, but God will be with you, and bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22Moreover I have given to you one portion above your brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.”
Genesis 49
49:1 Jacob called to his sons, and said: “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come.
- 2 Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Jacob.
- Listen to Israel, your father.
- 3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength;
- excelling in dignity, and excelling in power.
- 4 Boiling over as water, you shall not excel;
- because you went up to your father’s bed,
- then defiled it. He went up to my couch.
- 5 “Simeon and Levi are brothers.
- Their swords are weapons of violence.
- 6 My soul, don’t come into their council.
- My glory, don’t be united to their assembly;
- for in their anger they killed men.
- In their self-will they hamstrung cattle.
- 7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce;
- and their wrath, for it was cruel.
- I will divide them in Jacob,
- and scatter them in Israel.
- 8 “Judah, your brothers will praise you.
- Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies.
- Your father’s sons will bow down before you.
- 9 Judah is a lion’s cub.
- From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
- He stooped down, he crouched as a lion,
- as a lioness.
- Who will rouse him up?
- 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,
- nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
- until he comes to whom it belongs.
- To him will the obedience of the peoples be.
- 11 Binding his foal to the vine,
- his donkey’s colt to the choice vine;
- he has washed his garments in wine,
- his robes in the blood of grapes.
- 12 His eyes will be red with wine,
- his teeth white with milk.
- 13 “Zebulun will dwell at the haven of the sea.
- He will be for a haven of ships.
- His border will be on Sidon.
- 14 “Issachar is a strong donkey,
- lying down between the saddlebags.
- 15 He saw a resting place, that it was good,
- the land, that it was pleasant.
- He bows his shoulder to the burden,
- and becomes a servant doing forced labor.
- 16 “Dan will judge his people,
- as one of the tribes of Israel.
- 17 Dan will be a serpent in the way,
- an adder in the path,
- That bites the horse’s heels,
- so that his rider falls backward.
- 18 I have waited for your salvation, Yahweh.
- 19 “A troop will press on Gad,
- but he will press on their heel.
- 20 “Asher’s food will be rich.
- He will yield royal dainties.
- 21 “Naphtali is a doe set free,
- who bears beautiful fawns.
- 22 “Joseph is a fruitful vine,
- a fruitful vine by a spring.
- His branches run over the wall.
- 23 The archers have severely grieved him,
- shot at him, and persecute him:
- 24 But his bow remained strong.
- The arms of his hands were made strong,
- by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,
- (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel),
- 25 even by the God of your father, who will help you;
- by the Almighty, who will bless you,
- with blessings of heaven above,
- blessings of the deep that lies below,
- blessings of the breasts, and of the womb.
- 26 The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of your ancestors,
- above the boundaries of the ancient hills.
- They will be on the head of Joseph,
- on the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers.
- 27 “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf.
- In the morning he will devour the prey.
- At evening he will divide the spoil.”
28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his blessing. 29 He instructed them, and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah, his wife, and there I buried Leah:32 the field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the children of Heth.” 33 When Jacob made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.
Genesis 50
50:1 Joseph fell on his father’s face, wept on him, and kissed him. 2 Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Forty days were fulfilled for him, for that is how many the days it takes to embalm. The Egyptians wept for him for seventy days.
4 When the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the house of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “Behold, I am dying. Bury me in my grave which I have dug for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now therefore, please let me go up and bury my father, and I will come again.’”
6 Pharaoh said, “Go up, and bury your father, just like he made you swear.”
7 Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father’s house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen. 9 There went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. 10 They came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they lamented with a very great and severe lamentation. He mourned for his father seven days.11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan. 12 His sons did to him just as he commanded them, 13 for his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field, for a possession of a burial site, from Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre. 14 Joseph returned into Egypt—he, and his brothers, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully pay us back for all of the evil which we did to him.” 16 They sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father commanded before he died, saying, 17 ‘You shall tell Joseph, “Now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ Now, please forgive the disobedience of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also went and fell down before his face; and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 Now therefore don’t be afraid. I will nourish you and your little ones.” He comforted them, and spoke kindly to them.
22 Joseph lived in Egypt, he, and his father’s house. Joseph lived one hundred ten years. 23 Joseph saw Ephraim’s children to the third generation. The children also of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born on Joseph’s knees. 24 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am dying, but God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being one hundred ten years old, and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
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