August 1, 2010
Scripture:
Scripture:
Ministry:
I’d just like to read this verse in connection with what our brother read from Exodus. Luke 12:37. In Exodus 21 the servant (a type of Christ) said, “I love my master, my wife and my children. I will not go out free.” He had his ear pierced, and He served forever. What sevice our Lord did at Calvary! What service He is doing now as our intercessor at God’s right hand! And what service He will do us in the future when he will gird Himself and serve us. Love loves to serve. We have a perfect example in the Lord.
Hymn 350 - I will make you fishers of men
Prayer
I’d like to go on with Isaac.
Genesis 26:12-15
Sowing is planting seeds. This passage tells us that Isaac sowed, and reaped a hundred fold. What’s that? If I planted a bushel of wheat and got one hundred bushels back, that would be a hundred fold. When I worked on a farm, we thought sixty fold was pretty good; so a hundred fold is excellent. Isaac was really blessed.
Verse 13 tells us that he waxed, or became, great and went forward. Our cars go forward and back, and so can our lives. God has given us a path to follow; we can go on in faith, reading our Bibles and loving the Lord and so forth. But if we don’t read our Bibles, or something like that; we would be going backward.
Isaac also grew. He was full grown, but he could grow in material (meaning he could get more things - Isaac had lots of flocks and herds), and he could grow spiritually. The Bible tells us that we can grow in grace, and we can grow in our love for the Lord, and our service to Him and to others.
Verse 15 tells us that Abraham, Isaac’s father, had wells; and we’ll talk about them next time, Lord willing.
This chapter starts out addressing the priests. It’s important to see that God is dealing with those who were leaders of the nation; they were not going forward in God’s way. And, as we look around today, we can see that there is much to sadden God, just as there was in Malachi’s day. God set the family of Aaron as the priests to stand between the people and Himself. Now, they weren’t doing what God had put them there to do. They were to be glorifying God’s name. Every Christian today is a priest toward God. Are we doing a better job than they did?
These priests were offering corrupt animals to God; in v. 3, we can see how God feels about this: He cursed them. Then, He goes on to remind them what they should have done, vv. 5-7. What they were supposed to do would have brought life and peace. Think of how much more we can have life and peace than they did, under the grace we now have. Are we going on for that? V. 6: They had forsaken the law; at first, they had walked with God, but now they were not. It was their responsibility to lead the people away from iniquity; instead, v. 8, they were leading them into it.
In a similar way, each of us has a sphere of influence; we can be a blessing to one another, or we can be a hindrance. What a responsibility we have, no matter who we are: we do influence those around us. May the Lord help each of us to be a blessing to one another, and lead away from evil.
We can take to heart all of the principles God laid out in vv. 5 - 7 for the priests; they are all applicable to us today, and on a higher level than for them, because of the Lord’s perfect sacrifice for us.
Hymn 345 - Jesus loves the little children
Prayer