November 21, 2010
Scripture:
Ministry:
Let’s look at a verse or two; what we’ve had has brought this before me. Read Colossians 1:10 - 20: *“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”*
Hymn 370 - Yield Not to Temptation
Prayer
Genesis 28:10-13
Today we are going to continue our story about Jacob. We remember that He had lied to his father in saying that he was Esau. Are there consequences for sin? Yes, there are; the Bible says, “Be sure your sins will find you out.” Esau was so angry with Jacob (ch. 27:41) that he wanted to kill Jacob. But Rebekah loved Jacob, so she told him to go to Haran for a couple of days, until Esau’s anger cooled down (ch. 27:43).
How do you think Jacob felt then? I think he would have been scared. Jacob might have felt smart when he pulled the trick on his father and got the blessing, but now he had to leave and run away from Esau. Also, his conscience was probably working on him: what will God do to me?
Eventually, the sun set and it got dark. When it gets dark, it gets scary, doesn’t it? So here he is: poor, alone, guilty and now tired. What does He use for a pillow? All he had were some rocks. I can just picture him, lying there. When a branch cracked, he would wonder if it was Esau … or a bear. After a while he finally fell asleep. While sleeping, he had a dream. He dreamed there was a ladder and at the top of the ladder was the Lord. He himself was at the bottom of the ladder. Then going up and down the ladder were angels. Ladders are for getting to a higher place.
Notice that there are four “beholds” in these verses. What does “behold” mean? “Behold” means “to observe, or to point out.” John the Baptist said,”Behold, the Lamb of God.” He was pointing out the Lord Jesus.
Let’s look at the four “behold”s.
This is the dream that poor, guilty Jacob had. God was telling him that even though he had sinned, He was still with him. Next time, Lord willing, we will finish the story.
We have been looking at the first chapter of Like as a sequel to Malachi; as we have seen, much has changed. We saw last week how Zacharias was at the altar of incense burning fragrance when the angel came to him. Angels don’t appear as often in the New Testament as they did in the Old Testament. It mentions that the angel was on the right side of the altar. The right side may be typical of the Lord’s power. It’s often mentioned in scripture; compare Mark 16:5. Some writers have called it the propitious side.
It seems that Zacharias and Elisabeth prayed long and hard for a son … up to some point. They must have stopped, thinking it would never happen. However, God answered their prayer, even after they had given up.
Zacharias and Elisabeth and Mary and Joseph are the first two couples “on stage” when the curtains open. Both of these couples received a visit from an angel, telling them that they would have a child. The first child would be born of a barren womb; the second, of a virgin. John the baptist was a miraculous birth, but the Lord’s birth was supernatural.
Why was John the baptist born? It was part of God’s plan to make sure the Lord was not missed. Just as the star was the guide to the wise men, John pointed many people to the Lord. He said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” He prepared the way for the Lord.
Hymn 338 - I love my Saviour
Prayer