Month: January 2019

January 31, Reading 1 – Genesis 38

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Consider Judah’s words about Tamar: she is more righteous than I, before judging her actions too harshly. (38:26) Tamar had the responsibility of producing the heir. Judah took that away from her unrighteously. He condemned her to a future of poverty and charity within the camp – she who was chosen to bear the heir! How did Joseph treat Mary – she who was chosen to bear the Heir?

SJA Notes

* Holy God, thank You for saving us from darkness into light – please teach us today from Your word.

“‘By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.'”

This is a sorry story.

Judah was a man who gave his lust the reins, and who would have burned Tamar for getting pregnant immorally (outside of marriage).

What are we to think here?

This is why we need Jesus!

Judah was human. He sinned. He made bad decisions. He was a hypocrite. He yielded to temptation.

Just like us.

We need to see Jesus in this passage, Saviour and King – Able to take even such a one as Judah (or ME) and save, taking away the just penalty for our sin and gifting us with faith, marking us for an eternal inheritance like no other.

One of the twins of the union between Judah and Tamar is Perez, from whom came King David, from who came the GREATER SON, the LION of Judah – Jesus!

Praise God that one day we will all of us, from Adam down through Jacob and his sons, to now – All of God’s people joined together with God among us, us the bride adorned for her Husband, God welling with us in full revealed truth.

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

* Father God in Heaven,

Thank You for Your word to us today.

Please teach us a little more of You, of our need for You.

Thank You for Jesus.

Amen.

January 31, Reading 2 – Psalm 15, 16

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

These two psalms form part of the Messianic teaching in the Old Testament. The first asks the question: Who can live with God? And the second looks at David the Messiah’s prayer to God to preserve his life. Peter quotes this psalm in his sermon on the day of Pentecost as prophesying about the resurrection of Christ. (Acts 2:25-32)

SJA Notes

* Holy God, You tell us that the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life – May our loved ones who don’t know You enter the narrow gate!

“The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.”

David knew the hope of resurrection!

Regardless of our current earthly situation this is true for all of us, God’s people.

In Jesus, we have a beautiful inheritance.

David finds great joy in this. He says,

“I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.”

David’s strength and assurance are from the Lord.

In v10 we read,

“For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

Long years before the true Lord’s Christ (Jesus) came to earth, this was true for David. He believed that he would one day be resurrected through Jesus.

In true fulfilment, this passage was true for Jesus – He did not see corruption, He suffered death on that sorrowed Friday and came back to life on that wonderful Sunday.

So it is true for us too, God’s people throughout all of time.

What a beautiful inheritance we have alongside King David in his greater son, our Forever King – Jesus!

* Father God,

We praise You – What a Saviour You are!

Please show us today what You want us to know from Your word.

Please fix our eyes on You today.

Amen.

January 31, Reading 3 – Matthew 21:33-22:14

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

These two parables are told to the chief priests and the elders of Israel. What warning is there for you in these parables, for your acceptance of the Bible’s authority and for your practice?

SJA Notes

* Dear God, please show us Your wisdom today, please help us know how to live.

“Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

These are a hard word.

The church today is often guilty of taking for granted the framework and the understanding and the structures that the Bible sets up and then building our own ways within it, moving away from God.

Are we a people producing fruits in keeping with repentance?

Have we fallen on the rock of Israel, the cornerstone, Jesus?

Are we broken into pieces before Him, our foundation?

As with the Pharisees, teachers of the law and chief priests – so with us. Guilty of thinking we are good people by keeping the law, instead of walking as saved through Jesus.

He is the stone that the builders rejected, the cornerstone.

He is the only rock we can build on and trust as a sure foundation!

* Father God,

You have ordained that Your Son would be rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

Please remind us what it means that He is the cornerstone and capstone, the rock on which we build our foundations.

Hallelujah and thank You for this Lord God.

Amen.