I read this morning and am just now getting to the computer. I know what is coming in Genesis and I want to slow down.... savor it because I'm going to have to say goodbye to some much loved friends. Interesting how in reading about the lives of people you are drawn to them and don't want to say goodbye.
We start today out by seeing our much loved Jacob blessing the Pharaoh. Twice. :-) That makes me smile. Pharaoh trusted Joseph so completely that he entrusted his own livestock to the family. I love the Pharaoh's blunt question to Jacob... "HOW OLD ARE YOU?" Heehee! He must have looked his 130 hard years!
Joseph was a wise and shrewd businessman. He basically "taxed" the people so that there would be enough grain in the storehouses to survive the famine. The people lost everything but their lives, but had it not been for Joseph they would have lost that too. Joseph's leadership not only saved the people and prospered the kingdom, but the people did not receive "unemployment" so to speak... they worked for their living, just as before the famine. Interesting how God maneuvered things so that His beloved creation (man) would survive.
At this point we are close to losing Jacob. Jacob basically "adopts" Joseph's two sons. They will inherit, just as the other brothers. So there should be 14 brothers to inherit now, right? Not exactly. Joseph got the birthright... two portions, which went to his two sons instead of him. So minus Joseph, well that leaves 13 right? Not exactly. Levi did not inherit property as his descendants wound up being the priests and they did not own land. That leaves us the 12 sons who inherited.
Back to Jacob blessing Joseph's boys... The younger one had the better blessing. I wonder if Jacob was looking back on how he got the blessing from Isaac as he was the younger of he and his brother? Or I wonder if because of the boys names (the meanings of the boys names, that is) he chose the one who was called "God has made me fruitful in the land of my sufferings" over the one called "God has made me forget all my troubles and the family of my father". Just a thought. The point is, Jacob made that decision and knew what he was doing, despite confusing Joseph!
Note... I dread tomorrow's reading. We are gonna have to say goodbye to two incredible men!
In reading Luke today I got so sidetracked that I never read the end of the chapter. I thought I was finished and came back to the passage and realized that I was only half through reading!
We were on the road to Jericho when we last left Jesus. He was on his way to Jerusalem for the passover and for all things to be made new. Jericho... when was it rebuilt? A rabbit trail I will follow some other time! Anyway, who doesn't know the story of Zacchaeus? Who didn't sing the children's song in church... "Zacchaeus was a wee little man and wee little man was he..."? Love it! In going over the story I noticed that Zach was a Jew. Yet he was in the Roman tax collecting business. Not just a tax collector, but a CHIEF tax collector. No wonder he was influential, rich, and unloved by the crowds! But I did have questions...
- How did Jesus know Zacchaeus' name? We will have to ask Zach about this in heaven, but one possible reason Jesus knew his name was that Zach was a short, possibly rotund, well dressed fellow whose short little legs ran past many gawking people and climbed a tree. People were probably laughing at him, by name, and saying bad things about this chief tax collector who cheated his own people of taxes for the Roman government.
- How did Zach know who Jesus was? He could have heard the reputation of the man who brought good news wherever he went, who had a disciple that was a tax collector, a man who associated and ate with the sinners. Whatever the reason, no one comes to the Father unless drawn by the Spirit of God.
- Why did Zach's heart immediately change? Simple. He met Jesus. On the side he probably heard the criticism that he was bringing on Jesus. But seeing Jesus he had the immediate need to repent and turn from his ways. Wasn't that a part of your testimony? It was a part of mine, even though I wasn't old enough to build up too much of a testimony! :-) When you see Jesus, you also see yourself more clearly.
- Jesus came to Jericho... just passing through... doing what He was sent to do... save that which is lost. A gift to Jesus by His Father... Jesus came to Jericho for the purpose of seeking Zacchaeus. You see, Zacchaeus was one of those whom the Father had given as a gift to Jesus Christ to save. As per John 17:2, 6 "For you granted him authority over all people, that he might give eternal life to all those you have given Him. . ." and "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me, and they have obeyed your word."
In this parable Jesus would represent the nobleman who would be crowned King. The servants are those who belong to Him. The money was the gifts He left them to add to His "numbers". Those who added to their number were righteous and trusted with more gifts. Those who were unfaithful and did nothing with the gifts He had left them had all their gifts taken away from them. And the enemies of the King were executed.
That is where I got sidetracked and did not even read the Triumphal entry or the weeping over Jerusalem, or the clearing of the Temple! I think I'll continue those passages tomorrow. They are too important to leave out! And we will be dealing with Jesus' crucifixion soon. I'm hanging on to every word from the Word. See you tomorrow. d
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