Moravian Daily Texts for The Day 1/21/12
see www.moravian.org
Readings for Today:
• Psalm 15
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm15&version=NIV
• Genesis 23:1-24:25
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis23&version=NIV
• Matthew 8:23-34
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew8&version=NIV
Psalm 15, A psalm of David.
1 LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain
2 The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the LORD;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.
The psalmist lifts up the holiness of God and what it means to come into God’s presence. Since there was no temple in David’s time, the people worshipped in the tent, or tabernacle; where God dwelt by His Spirit. There is also reference to the holy mountain in Moses’ time where the Israelites received the Law and Ten Commandments. When Moses came down from the mountain his face was shining like the sun as a result of being close to God.
The prerequisite to come into God’s presence is holiness, as God is 100% holy. Verses 2-5 explain some of the ways we can lead a holy, or “set apart”, life. As we walk in God’s way as the verse concludes, we will never be shaken. Why? Because the truth sets us free and liberates us from the bondage to self and the world. Later we will learn that the only possible we can measure up to the righteous requirements of the Law is through Christ and in the power of His Spirit.
Genesis 24:42 “When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘LORD, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. 43 See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,” 44 and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the LORD has chosen for my master’s son.’45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 46 “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels also. 47 “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’
“She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’ “Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, 48 and I bowed down and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49 Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”50 Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has directed.”
In Genesis 23 and 24, we see the Covenant promise moving into the next generation. Sarah has died, and Abraham buys a double cave from Ephron the Hittite in the Land of Canaan. While Ephron wants to give him the deed to the property, Abraham is insistent on buying the property so it will be in his name and family line. This is significant because it is a sign of his trusting in the God’s covenant promise that the Israelites would live in the Promised Land. Abraham wanted to buy the land for burial for both he and his wife (and later others too), as a sign as this is where his future progeny would live.
The next order of business is to find a wife for his son Issac, as he knows his time is coming near too. Specifically, he prohibits his servant from finding a wife for him in the land of Canaan, but sends him back to his home country. When the servant doubts how this will happen, Abraham assures him that an angel will help in the process. Sure enough, when the servant gets back there he prays to the LORD and asks him to reveal Issac’s future wife. He asks for a sign with the women who comes out that she would not only draw water for him, but also his camels. Sure enough Rebekah, who is the daughter of Abraham’s brother Nahor, comes out and does exactly what the servant asked for.
The servant gives her two bracelets and a golden nose ring and goes to her house. After some bartering with her brother Laban (who will hear more from later) and her mom (it appears her father Bethuel may have died), he agrees to give Rebekah to return with the servant. They conclude, “This is from the Lord”. In the morning they reconsider but they ask Rebekah and she says, “I will go”.
What an incredible story of God’s covenant promise being lived out and the trust these people had that this was from the Lord. After all can you imagine letting your daughter go off to a foreign country with a stranger you had just met?
Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men
28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
Jesus continues to demonstrate the power of the kingdom. In the two stories today, Jesus shows his authority both over the forces of nature and spiritual powers. When the storm arises on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus speaks to the wind and the waves and they obey. Then in the story above, Jesus tells the demons who have possessed two men to go into the pigs. The pigs then rush into the water to their death, but the men are free of bondage.
Instead of realizing that they are in the presence of God, the townspeople are more worried about their livestock, so they plead with him to leave the region. The same power that caused Rebekah and her family to realize that Abraham’s servant was from God, come through Jesus who continues to show the world what God’s kingdom is like when it comes to earth.
Where might God be calling you to step out and trust one of His promises like Rebekah did in leaving her family to fulfill God’s purposes? It is always scary to trust God in these matters, but our faith comes alive when our actions show who we are truly trusting Him!
Prayer for the Day: Eternal God, your promises for our future fill us with excitement. We spend this day, tomorrow and the next day with you. You have promised to keep us for all eternity. Your glory fills our hearts. Amen.
Readings for Today:
• Psalm 15
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm15&version=NIV
• Genesis 23:1-24:25
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis23&version=NIV
• Matthew 8:23-34
www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew8&version=NIV
Psalm 15, A psalm of David.
1 LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain
2 The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the LORD;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.
The psalmist lifts up the holiness of God and what it means to come into God’s presence. Since there was no temple in David’s time, the people worshipped in the tent, or tabernacle; where God dwelt by His Spirit. There is also reference to the holy mountain in Moses’ time where the Israelites received the Law and Ten Commandments. When Moses came down from the mountain his face was shining like the sun as a result of being close to God.
The prerequisite to come into God’s presence is holiness, as God is 100% holy. Verses 2-5 explain some of the ways we can lead a holy, or “set apart”, life. As we walk in God’s way as the verse concludes, we will never be shaken. Why? Because the truth sets us free and liberates us from the bondage to self and the world. Later we will learn that the only possible we can measure up to the righteous requirements of the Law is through Christ and in the power of His Spirit.
Genesis 24:42 “When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘LORD, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. 43 See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,” 44 and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the LORD has chosen for my master’s son.’45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 46 “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels also. 47 “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’
“She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’ “Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, 48 and I bowed down and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49 Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”50 Laban and Bethuel answered, “This is from the LORD; we can say nothing to you one way or the other. 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the LORD has directed.”
In Genesis 23 and 24, we see the Covenant promise moving into the next generation. Sarah has died, and Abraham buys a double cave from Ephron the Hittite in the Land of Canaan. While Ephron wants to give him the deed to the property, Abraham is insistent on buying the property so it will be in his name and family line. This is significant because it is a sign of his trusting in the God’s covenant promise that the Israelites would live in the Promised Land. Abraham wanted to buy the land for burial for both he and his wife (and later others too), as a sign as this is where his future progeny would live.
The next order of business is to find a wife for his son Issac, as he knows his time is coming near too. Specifically, he prohibits his servant from finding a wife for him in the land of Canaan, but sends him back to his home country. When the servant doubts how this will happen, Abraham assures him that an angel will help in the process. Sure enough, when the servant gets back there he prays to the LORD and asks him to reveal Issac’s future wife. He asks for a sign with the women who comes out that she would not only draw water for him, but also his camels. Sure enough Rebekah, who is the daughter of Abraham’s brother Nahor, comes out and does exactly what the servant asked for.
The servant gives her two bracelets and a golden nose ring and goes to her house. After some bartering with her brother Laban (who will hear more from later) and her mom (it appears her father Bethuel may have died), he agrees to give Rebekah to return with the servant. They conclude, “This is from the Lord”. In the morning they reconsider but they ask Rebekah and she says, “I will go”.
What an incredible story of God’s covenant promise being lived out and the trust these people had that this was from the Lord. After all can you imagine letting your daughter go off to a foreign country with a stranger you had just met?
Jesus Restores Two Demon-Possessed Men
28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 “What do you want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”30 Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”32 He said to them, “Go!” So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
Jesus continues to demonstrate the power of the kingdom. In the two stories today, Jesus shows his authority both over the forces of nature and spiritual powers. When the storm arises on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus speaks to the wind and the waves and they obey. Then in the story above, Jesus tells the demons who have possessed two men to go into the pigs. The pigs then rush into the water to their death, but the men are free of bondage.
Instead of realizing that they are in the presence of God, the townspeople are more worried about their livestock, so they plead with him to leave the region. The same power that caused Rebekah and her family to realize that Abraham’s servant was from God, come through Jesus who continues to show the world what God’s kingdom is like when it comes to earth.
Where might God be calling you to step out and trust one of His promises like Rebekah did in leaving her family to fulfill God’s purposes? It is always scary to trust God in these matters, but our faith comes alive when our actions show who we are truly trusting Him!
Prayer for the Day: Eternal God, your promises for our future fill us with excitement. We spend this day, tomorrow and the next day with you. You have promised to keep us for all eternity. Your glory fills our hearts. Amen.
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