READING FOR JUNE 5, 2024, GENESIS 46, MARK 15, PSALM 50:1-11 GENESIS 46 On the road to Egypt with a pit stop at Beersheba:
Sometimes it’s tough for an older parent to move to a new place for the last years of life. Jacob started off with all he had but stopped at Beersheba to offer a sacrifice to God. This was a place that had meaning for both his father and grandfather--a good spot to worship the Lord and seek His direction. As he did long ago, Jacob experienced a vision from God. God reassured him that He was the same God who directed his father. We can also know that our God is the same God who directed all the great figures in the Bible, great historical figures such as Luther and Wesley, and even the founders of Yorktown Methodist Church. He doesn’t change a bit: “For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, the sons of Jacob, (including us), have not come to an end” (Malachi 3:6). God told Jacob 1) He was with him, 2) keep going to Egypt, 3) become a great nation, 4) know that he (that is his descendants) would return, and 5) know Joseph would be with Jacob until he dies.
As we review the list of Jacob’s fellow travelers to Egypt, it is interesting to consider what a motley group it was. Recall that Reuben had sex with his father’s concubine. Simeon and Levi teamed up to kill all the men of a city out of revenge. Judah slept with his daughter-in-law then hypocritically called for her death. Issachar and Zebulon were the last two sons of Leah, the less loved wife, and thus were less loved sons of Jacob. Gad and Asher were sons of Jacob and Leah’s maid, Zilpah—part of the infamous baby war. Benjamin was the second and last son of Rachel, but whose birth caused her death. Dan and Naphtali were born to Rachel’s maid Bilhah, totally outside God’s original plan for the family. This is the group, along with their descendants, God brought to Egypt to become His chosen nation and a light to the world. We may have some flaws, but let’s not assume God has given up on us quite yet.
Finally, we come to the great reunion between father and favorite son, who was thought to be dead. We have seen surprise reunions between military people and their children after months apart. Consider how much more powerful this one must have been given the circumstances. We also see once again Joseph’s remarkable political skill. He knew that the Egyptians did not associate with shepherds. Thus, he told Jacob to emphasize this vocation when speaking with Pharoah. This would ensure that by being isolated in Goshen, the family could multiple into a great nation of God without interaction and the inevitable intermarriage with the pagan Egyptians.
READING FOR JUNE 5, 2024 CONTINUED: MARK 15, PSALM 50:1-11
MARK 15 Some of us have experience with America’s criminal justice system. There are certain protections, such as the right to legal counsel and the presumption of innocence. Another feature is the extreme slowness of the process. For example, several of President Trump’s cases deal with incidents from several years ago and yet may not go to trial in this calendar year. Here Jesus was given no lawyer, was assumed to be guilty, and--in the middle of the night--was indicted, tried, and sentenced to be executed the next day. As we saw in Matthew’s account, Pilate clearly knew Jesus did nothing wrong (vs. 14), but desired to satisfy the crowd rather than uphold the law (vs. 15). The rule of law is a good thing, but it only works if the officers of the law are committed to the law more than hanging onto power.
Notice how the different groups act toward Jesus and the cross. Reflect on how we act today:
- Soldiers. Mocked Jesus’s rightful status as King of the Jews; mistreated him as a person, let alone the Son of God; obeyed unjust commands as in Germany in the 1940’s; sought Jesus’s assets of garments rather than His truth; and one centurion affirmed His divinity based on the manner of His death. NOTICE THAT THE MANNER IN WHICH A PERSON DIES CAN BE A STRONG TESTIMONY TO OTHERS.
- Bystanders. Mimicked the distorted testimony of Jesus’s accusers; failed to grasp Jesus’s larger mission of redemption and thought Him a failure; and asked for a sign of their own choosing to believe rather than believe the signs Jesus provided by His life and death that fulfilled scripture. Read the Bible!
- Women Supporters. Viewedthe scene from a distance; the two Mary’s discovered his burial site.
- Male Supporter. Jesus’s disciples are not mentioned in this account, but Joseph of Arimathea, who was a member of the Jewish leadership, bravely approached Pilate to retrieve and bury Jesus’s body. THE WAY IN WHICH WE FOLLOW JESUS WHEN HE IS UNPOPULAR IS A MEASURE OF OUR FAITH.
PSALM 50:1-11 The famous twentieth century writer Francis Schaeffer wrote the (very good) book He is There and He is Not Silent. Perhaps Schaeffer derived his title from this Psalm. There is more than enough evidence to believe the Mighty One, God, the Lord exists and that He has communicated with us. Here Asaph cites creation as both evidence of God’s existence and His communication to us. Hebrews states God has communicated through scripture and Jesus: “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son” (Heb. 1:1-2). This fiery, totally self-sufficient God calls all in heaven and earth to observe as He both testifies against and judges His people. In these first 11 verses, He tells us what He is not rebuking: inadequate burnt sacrifices. He says He is aware of their offerings and does not need additional ones. He reminds us He already owns all such animals. Remember that all Christians will also experience God’s judgment. Hear Peter: “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Pet. 4:17). Hear Paul: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive compensation for his deeds done through the body, in accordance with what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).
