One Year Bible Reading and Commentary for Tuesday, January 4th Noah and the Covenant of the Rainbow, Jesus Begins His Preaching Ministry
`Click Here for Audio Readings
Click links below for each online reading!
Though we see the judgment of God upon the wickedness of the people in chapter 7, we see God's grace as he remembers the covenant he made with Noah. Noah trusted in God's promises and 2 1/2 months after the flood, the waters receded and the ark he built rested on Mount Ararat. We know today this mountain is in Eastern Turkey, with a peak at just under 17,000 feet. As the waters recede and Noah tests things out by sending out a dove, the clear message of the Lord is to be "fruitful and multiply". You might even call this God's "do-over".
God confirms his covenant with Noah and his family that never again will the world be destroyed by a flood. Every covenant you will see in the Old Testament has a sign attached to it. In the Noachic Covenant the sign was a rainbow. The rainbow in the sky would forever be a reminder of God's promise to Noah. It would also be a reminder to God of the promise He made to Noah.
From Noah's three sons, God multiplies the human race. The writer of Genesis gives us the geneaology of Shem, Japeth, and Ham. Due to Ham's indiscretion with His Father, he and his posterity are cursed. The curse is that the future generation of Ham, including the Canaanites, would become slaves to the people around them. This is fulfilled when Joshua entered the Promised Land by first defeating the Canaanites.
So through Noah's faithfulness and obedience to the covenant God made with him, the salvation story continues through the lines of Noah's three sons.
"Every time we see a rainbow, we should remember the faithfulness of God and every one of His promises. He even says His covenant of peace with us is just as sure as His covenant with Noah and all generations." (Guzik)
After John the Baptist's arrest, Jesus moves north to Galilee to the town of Capernaum. Capernaum was on the northshore of the Sea of Galilee.
"Capernaum was reported to have been the hometown of the tax collector Matthew, and located not far from Bethsaida, the hometown of the apostles Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John." (wikipedia)
Importantly, we see the primary message Jesus preached. He preached, "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” Matthew 4:17
The word "repent" means to "turn around", or make a change in one's trajectory. It is a "180 degree turn". Jesus tells the people to turn from their sins, their propensity to be turned in on themselves, and turn to God. When we turn from sin, we turn to God. Therefore "repentance" should be a freeing word, not a negative word. And why should we repent? Because the kingdom of heaven has drawn near and as we turn from self preoccupation to God a whole new window of opportunity is opened for us.
Why would you not want to turn from sin, which causes destruction, to heaven where there is eternal life? Sin is overrated. The kingdom of heaven had drawn in the person of Jesus. Everything Jesus said and did reflected the what the kingdom of heaven looks like. Jesus showed us what heaven looks like. Unconditional love. No more sickness or sorrow. No more death. Pretty cool!
In Matthew 4, we see Jesus calling his first disciples. He called two sets of brothers, "Andrew and Peter", and "James and John", who were fishermen by the Sea of Galilee. Jesus called them to drop their nets and "fish for people". There was nothing wrong with being a fisherman, as most of the men were at that time, but Jesus had a different call on their lives. A call "catch" people and show them the power of the kingdom of heaven.
In verses 23-25, we see range and scope of Jesus' ministry. He taught in the synagogues, where his fellow Jews gathered, and his words were authenticated by his deeds of power. He preached about the kingdom, then showed them what the kingdom looked like, as he healed every sickness and disease. In God's kingdom there is no sickness and disease, and Jesus brought that reality to earth.
It is not surprising that the Good News of Jesus spread like wildfire. I'm sure the disciples could never have imagined that this is what it would mean to follow Jesus. They were catching people left and right!
David starts out this psalm by crying out to God to save him from his troubles. Mainly there are many around him making baseless accusations about him. Though he knows God has set him apart for good, popular opinion has tried to destroy his reputation.
“In this psalm the problem is one of malicious slander and lies. It is the psalmist’s reputation rather than his person that is being attacked.” (Boice)
As David finishes this short psalm, I love how he ends which is the outcome of his heartfelt prayer to the Lord.
"You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe." Psalm 4:7-8
One of the prominent literary devices in the Proverbs is called "personification". The definition of personification is,
"The attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form."
The most common personification in the Proverbs is the use of the term "wisdom". I.e. "Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square."
In Christianity, Job, Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are included in the Old Testament by all traditions as wisdom literature. As such, as we intepret the verses in these books, we need to keep this in mind. Since this kind of literature uses figures of speech, we should not take their words literally, just as the book Treasure Island should not be taken literally. (Got Questions)
The bottom line is in the Proverbs wisdom, who is feminine in gender in Hebrew, is the voice of God. Therefore the verse today, 'Come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise", urges us to listen to God's voice and wisdom for every area of our lives.
"What Now" Study Questions (www.oneyearbibleonline.com)
When Jesus calls out 'Come, follow me' in Matthew 4:18-22, the disciples are quick to respond. Simon and Andrew leave their nets 'at once' to follow him, James and John also follow him immediately, 'leaving the boat and their father behind.' How do you respond when you sense the prompting of the Spirit? Do you drop your nets and follow or do you make excuses?
The Psalmist often cries out to God in frustration and desperation. Do your prayers reveal that level of openness and honesty?
Comments
Post a Comment