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Genesis 1:27-28
Genesis 19:1-29
Leviticus 18:22-23
Leviticus 20:13-16
Deuteronomy 23:17-18
Romans 1:21-32
Romans 1:27
1 Timothy 1:9-10
PROCREATE - To beget or bring forth (offspring). Reproduce.
In the past few years, it has become accepted for a man or woman to come Out of the Closet and declare he or she is gay or a lesbian. Only a few years ago this was totally unacceptable. Homosexuals kept their sexual preference to themselves. Gay men and lesbian women rarely made it obvious to the general public that they preferred a deviant lifestyle with a person of their own gender. Being homosexual was a deep dark secret leaving them open to blackmail. People living an alternative life style were whispered about in public. The average person found it distasteful to have a “gay" or "lesbian" label hung on them. Being a masculine man or a feminine woman was something to be proud of. Feelings about sexual orientation have changed drastically over the past few years. However, today isn't the only time in man's history that alternative lifestyles have become a part of the popular culture.
Lot had a visit from two angels who had manifested themselves as men. He invited them into his home to be overnight guests. The angels thought that Lot's offer for a room to spend the night was unnecessary - they would just stretch out on the street to sleep. But Lot knew this was risky business in his community. He was so urgent about the angels coming inside that they agreed to accept his hospitality. They had an evening meal of freshly baked unleavened bread. Then they got ready for bed. Before they knew it, a group of young and old gays surrounded Lot's house. They started shouting to Lot, "Bring out those men to us so we can rape them."
Being the good host that Lot was, he stepped outside to talk to this group of gay men. “Please fellows,” he begged, “don't do such a wicked thing. Look I have two virgin daughters, and I'lI surrender them to you to do with as you wish. But leave these men alone, for they are under my protection.”
Obviously Lot was "straight" and had a different sexual orientation from this group of gays. “'Stand back,’ they yelled. ‘Who do you think you are? We let this fellow (Lot) settle among us and now he tries to tell us what to do! We'll deal with you far worse than with those other men.' And they lunged at Lot and began breaking down the door." The angels reached out the door, pulled Lot in, and bolted the door while temporarily blinding those gay men to prevent them from finding the door.
After doing that, the angels knew it was time to save Lot and his family from such a violent and corrupt city. They told Lot to get all of his relatives out of Sodom because they were going to completely destroy that city.
Lot rushed out to first tell his daughter's fiancés. But when Lot urged him to leave, he just looked at Lot like he had gone crazy. The sun was about to come up and the angels became more urgent. "Get your wife and daughters out of here just as fast as you can, or you'll be caught in the destruction of Sodom.”
Lot's home was in Sodom and he was in no hurry to leave it. So the angels grabbed Lot, his wife, and two daughters by the hand and rushed them outside the city where it would be safe. The angels did this because of God's mercy. “'Flee for your lives,' the angels told him. 'And don't look back. Escape to the mountains. Don't stay down here on the plain or you will die.’"
Lot was afraid to go all the way to the mountains. So he pled with the angels to let him go to a little nearby village so his life could be saved. The angels accepted Lot's proposition with a warning to hurry! Lot reached the village about sunrise. Then God rained down fire and brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah. He utterly destroyed these cities, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, people, plants, and animals. But Lot’s wife didn't do as the angels told her to do. She looked back and she turned into a pillar of salt. God expects better of us than that. He doesn’t want us to look longingly back on this world and its sins.
Abraham was up early that morning and hurried out to the place where he stood before the Lord. He looked out across the plains to Sodom and Gomorrah and saw columns of smoke and fumes rising from the cities. God had heard Abraham's plea and protected Lot.
How many lessons can you learn from this historical event? Many! One of the first is that God is the Supreme Being who sets the standards of right and wrong. Crossing over the boundaries from what is right to what is wrong puts you at high risk. God may tolerate sin for a while, but things can get so raunchy that He may say again enough is enough. When that happens, you had better make sure you're on His side of the boundaries.
Another thing you can learn is that God is our Heavenly Father who planned from the beginning to have a family. We become His children through conversion and we will be born into His family at the resurrection. He created us male and female, with a purpose and a very distinct biological difference. As God is reproducing Himself with a spiritual family, He made us so that we can reproduce ourselves physically in marriage. It is physically impossible for two women or two men to reproduce themselves. So God made man and woman different to become "one flesh" and procreate. God ordained a loving, lasting relationship to provide children with a loving and secure home environment.
What were the men at Lot's house doing that was so wrong? Their sinful, gay lifestyles were totally denying God's plan of becoming a father as it is pictured in the physical family through procreation. Physical families on this earth are intended to be a type of God's family. People who come Out of the Closet into a gay or lesbian lifestyle turn this whole picture upside down. God intends for us to see Him as our Father and the church as the bride of Christ.
Holy Father,
Thank you for this lesson that reveals clearly that you created man and woman physically different for reproducing themselves and to bond husband and wife together in love. It is so clear that children need a mother and a father. Help me to respect, believe, and practice your eternal law in my life.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Sunday: 1 Timothy 1:9-10
Monday: Romans 1:21-32
Tuesday: Genesis 1:27-28
Wednesday: Deuteronomy 23:17-18
Thursday: Genesis 19:5-8
Friday: Leviticus 18:22-23
Saturday: Leviticus 20:13-16
Genesis 22:1-19
Genesis 22:11-12
Jeremiah 7:13-16
Matthew 20:16
Luke 13:1-5
2 Thessalonians 2:14-17
2 Timothy 1:7-10
Revelation 22:16-18
PREREQUISITE - Something required beforehand.
FORFEIT - Something deposited as for making a mistake in a game and then redeemed on payment of a fine.
Have you ever wanted something very badly, you waited a very long time for it, and after you got it you were asked to give it up? How hard was it to give up this person or thing? You're not the only person to have this happened. It happened to Abraham in the Bible.
Abraham and Sarah were childless until he was 100 years old and she was 90. God had promised all sorts of blessing to Abraham's heirs, but he didn't have any children. Eventually, God answered their prayers and gave them their son, Isaac. Can you imagine what a joy it was to have a rightful heir to receive all of the promises God had made to Abraham? When Isaac was a young person, the day came when Abraham was asked to give up this heir to God's promises. This had to be a test of a lifetime for him.
One day God called, “‘Abraham.’ ‘Yes, Lord?’ he replied. ‘Take with you your only son - yes, Isaac whom you love so much - and go to the land of Moriah and sacrifice him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I'lI point out to you!’"
This couldn't have been an easy decision that Abraham made lightly even though he knew this calling was from God. He may have loved this son more than Sarah or his own life. God had given him Isaac in his old age. Children born to parents later in life are often very special to them. But Abraham had walked with God for years. He knew Him as no other man had. This knowledge of God led to an unwavering trust in God - a trust so firm that no matter what God required, he would do it.
Abraham didn't delay, nor did he argue with God about this command. The very next morning after God called to him, Abraham got up early, chopped wood for a fire for the altar, and saddled his donkey. He took Isaac and two servants with him and headed off on a three-day trip to Mount Moriah. As Mount Moriah came into sight, Abraham told the servants to wait there. “The lad and I will travel yonder and worship, and then come right back." He gave Isaac the wood to carry, he took the knife and flint for making a fire, and they made their way up the mountain.
Isaac had grown up learning about God from his father. He knew that God had never before commanded or accepted a human sacrifice. So he asked Abraham, "Father, we have the wood and the flint to make the fire, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?" Notice Abraham’s faith in action. “‘God will see to it, my son.' Abraham replied. And they went on."
The two of them arrived at the place where God had told them to go. Abraham built an altar and made it ready for a fire by placing wood on it. He even tied Isaac and laid him on the altar. Like no other human being, Abraham had the faith to follow God's command. Never before, and never again has God required of another man to sacrifice his only son. This was high drama! Abraham took the knife in his hand and raised it over Isaac, ready to kill his son.
Suddenly, the Angel of God shouted to Abraham, “‘Abraham! Abraham!' ‘Yes, Lord,’ Abraham replied. ‘Lay down the knife; don't hurt the lad in any way,’ the angel said, 'for I know that God is first in your life - you have not withheld even your beloved son from me.’"
Again, at that very moment, Abraham noticed a ram caught by its horns in a bush. God had provided a sacrificial offering to worship Him as Abraham believed that He would. He sacrificed the ram as a burnt offering instead of his son. Abraham named that place, "Jehovah provides."
"Then the Angel of God called again to Abraham from heaven. ‘I, the Lord, have sworn by myself that because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your beloved son from me, I will bless you with incredible blessings and multiply your descendants into countless thousands and millions, like the stars above you in the sky, and like the sands along the seashore. These descendants of yours will conquer their enemies, and be a blessing to all the nations of the earth all because you have obeyed me.’" Then all four men headed for home.
What Abraham did was a forerunner to what God was going to do when He offered His only Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Abraham was a type of God and Isaac a type of Christ. God didn't ask Abraham to do anything He was not willing to do. One difference is that God went all the way and offered His Son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. Had He not done this, you could have no forgiveness for your sins, and you would be doomed to eternal death, "For the wages of sin is death." Think about it. Abraham gained this faith in God by knowing Him intimately. Even though he didn't have the advantage of having a Bible to study as you do, and he had no YEA lessons to teach him, he knew and believed God. He could see God in creation. Everything around him pointed to God as Creator, and He wasn't going to deny this. Melchizedek, the one who became Jesus Christ in the New Testament, spoke to him and blessed him. Abraham tithed to Melchizedek. Abraham prayed and worshiped God. He had a very personal relationship with God.
What kind of relationship do you have with God? How well do you know Him? If He should ask you to give up something very dear to you, would you be willing to do it? What about tithing as Abraham did? Are you willing to give back to God ten percent of your increase? Abraham was willing to give up his greatest physical possession, and God promised, "I will bless you with incredible blessings and multiply your descendants into countless thousands and millions, like the stars above you in the sky, and like the sands along the seashore." Knowing God and believing Him were absolute prerequisites for Abraham's willingness to offer his son. At this point God knew Abraham would never withhold anything from Him. This act of faith paid enormous dividends. Is there anything you're not willing to give up for God? If so, what blessing are you forfeiting to hang on to it?
God of Abraham,
Thank you for this lesson that has been used to motivate me to know you better through prayer and Bible study, and to believe and trust you completely. Help me never to forfeit your blessings because of unbelief.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Sunday: Genesis 22:1-19
Monday: Jeremiah 7:13-16
Tuesday: Matthew 20:16
Wednesday: Luke 13:1-5
Thursday: Revelation 22:16-18
Friday: 2 Thessalonians 2:14-17
Saturday: 2 Timothy 1:7-10
Genesis 21:12
Genesis 25:23
Genesis 48:13-20
Deuteronomy 21:15-16
Matthew 13:45-46
Matthew 19:27-30
Hebrews 12:15-17
DESPISE - To look down on, to regard as negligible, worthless, or distasteful.
BIRTHRIGHT - A right, privilege, or possession that a person is entitled to at birth.
Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah to be his bride. Because they couldn't have children, Isaac prayed and asked God to give them a child. God answered his prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twin boys. Even before these lads were born they fought in the womb. It was so disruptive that Rebekah asked God why this was happening. God told them, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger." This was a prophecy for what would eventually happen to the twins' descendants.
When Isaac was 60 years old God blessed him and Rebekah with twins boys, whose names were Esau and Jacob. Esau was born first, and Jacob held on to Esau's foot as they were being born. Jacob and Esau were certainly not identical twins. Esau had so much hair all over his body that it was like a garment.
Each parent had their favorite son. Esau was Isaac's favorite and Jacob was Rebekah's favorite. Esau was an outdoors man and loved to hunt while Jacob spent his days around the house with his mother. Jacob was cooking stew one day when Esau showed up absolutely starved. At least he thought so. He asked his brother to give him some of this stew. Jacob knew that the firstborn son was heir to the birthright and got a larger inheritance from his father. So Jacob looked upon this as an opportunity to trade Esau out of it. He told Esau to sell him his birthright first and he would give him some stew.
Esau was a short-sighted guy who thought more of his momentary hunger and feeding his stomach than the birthright he would inherit. But a birthright can be quite a chunk of cash and real estate. It is a double portion of the inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:15,16). So Esau said, "What good is the birthright to me?" To ensure that this was a business proposition, Jacob had Esau take an oath that he would sell him his birthright for a bowl of his stew. After this agreement was finalized, Jacob gave Esau some bread and stew. Then Esau ate and got up and left. The Bible says he despised his birthright.
God intended from the beginning that Esau would serve Jacob and that the birthright would be Jacob's. Consider the difference in these two young men. Esau despised his birthright while Jacob was willing to go to great lengths to get it. "We are left with no doubt that the writer saw in this story of Jacob's trickery a larger lesson, that Esau, though he had the right of the firstborn, did not value it over a small bowl of soup. Thus, when in God's plan Esau lost his birthright and consequently his blessing, there was no injustice dealt him. The narrative has shown that he did not want the birthright. He despised it" (The Message, page 184).
What can you, as a young adult, learn from Esau and Jacob? How can you relate this story of Esau despising his birthright and a double portion of his father's inheritance to the reward God has
for you? When you're young, healthy, your stomach is full, and everything is going well for you, it's easy to not fully appreciate the eternal reward God has for you. Physical things in this world, being like your peers, and wanting to do the things they do may lead you to despise your reward in the Kingdom. Despise simply means “to look down on, to regard as negligible, worthless, or distasteful.” How can you evaluate whether God really thinks you despise the place He has for you in His Kingdom? How can He know if you consider it worthless?
Jesus told His disciples, "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
"Again the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it" (Matthew 13:44-46 NIV).
Are you like Jacob? Do you see the value in your inheritance in God's Kingdom? Are you willing to think ahead, plan, and do what it takes to ensure that you make it? And not just barely make it, but will you have a reward that you'll enjoy throughout all eternity? Do you consider the Kingdom to be a hidden treasure? Do you look upon it as a very fine pearl that has such great value that you're willing to give up going to the prom or ball games on Friday nights to show God that you do love Him? Are you willing to read your YEA lessons and try to get every hidden treasure from each lesson? Are you willing to read your devotional Bible readings every day and think about what each verse means to you? Jacob must have had the foresight to see how all of these things would pay him great dividends. Esau didn't. He concentrated on physical things like being hungry.
Jesus told His disciples, "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last and many who are last will be first" (Matthew 19:29-30). God will see to it that your rate of return for what you do is absolutely enormous. Will you count the cost and be a Jacob, or will you despise the Kingdom - your birthright - as Esau did?
God ofAbraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
How can I thank you enough for wanting to share your Kingdom with me? Help me to always recognize its value and to be willing to sacrifice everything I have to be in it. It truly is a hidden treasure, a pearl of great price. Help me to always do your will so I can share your Kingdom with you.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Sunday: Genesis 25:23
Monday: Genesis 21:12
Tuesday: Genesis 48:13-20
Wednesday: Matthew 13:44-46
Thursday: Hebrews 12:15-17
Friday: Matthew 19:27-30
Saturday: Deuteronomy 21:15-16
Genesis 25:33
Genesis 27:1-40
Isaiah 55:6-7
Romans 9:14-16
INSURMOUNTABLE - Incapable of being surmounted
Have you ever known a person to inherit large sums of money, real estate, or valuables such as expensive jewelry? People usually make a will that states who gets what of their personal and real property at their death. Parents and grandparents often state in their will what they want to happen to their house, how their bank account, stocks, bonds, and other investments will be divided. They may designate a grandchild to receive a valuable diamond or piece of jewelry. They may set up a trust account to pay for the college education of their children or grandchildren. Receiving such an inheritance can be a real blessing to the recipient.
Isaac was an old man and nearly blind. He too wanted to ensure that his two sons would receive the blessing he wanted to pass on to them. So he called Esau, his oldest son, and explained that he could die any day and made this request. He asked Esau to go kill a deer, and prepare it just like he liked it. Then he would give him the blessing that belonged to him as his firstborn son. This wasn't something to take lightly. God would respect this blessing and see to it that Isaac's pronouncement would be carried out.
But Rebekah overheard this conversation. Jacob being her favorite son made her want to find a way to ensure that Jacob, not Esau, received this blessing. Rebekah immediately did some devious planning. She knew that they had to act fast and get ahead of Esau. So she sent Jacob out to quickly kill a couple of goats so she could cook them in a very delicious way that would please Isaac.
But there was another problem. Do you remember that when Esau was born, he was covered with hair? Well, he was still a very hairy young man, and even though Isaac was almost blind, he was very much aware of the differences in the two sons. Rebekah didn't feel this was an insurmountable problem. Her devious thoughts were thorough. She had Jacob dress in Esau's best clothes, she made him a pair of gloves from the hairy skins of the young goat, and fastened a strip of the hide around his neck.
Before Esau had time to kill, dress, and prepare his deer meal, Jacob was ready to take his meal in to his father. When Jacob spoke, Isaac thought it was Jacob's voice. But Jacob assured him that he was Esau. Isaac still unsure that this was really Esau, asked: "How were you able to find this deer so quickly." Jacob said that God had helped him. This still wasn't all the proof Isaac wanted. He kept thinking the voice he heard was Jacob's. So he asked his son to come near so he could do the final test that would rule out all doubts. He wanted to feel Esau's hairy arms. Then he would know that he had the right son to pronounce his blessing on him. The gloves Rebekah made and Jacob wore fooled Isaac. He asked for the venison and ate it. Isaac wanted Esau to kiss him. So Jacob kissed him on the cheek. Isaac sniffed to see if this really smelled like Esau and Esau's clothes that Jacob was wearing. This was just another proof this was Esau. Then Isaac pronounced this blessing on Jacob:
"May God always give you plenty of rain for your crops, and good harvest of grain, and new wine. May many nations be your slaves. Be the master of your brothers. May all your relatives bow low before vou. Cursed are all who curse you, and blessed are all who bless you.”
Isaac had barely finished giving this blessing to Jacob when Esau showed up with his Father’s favorite dish. "Here I am, Father, with the venison. Sit up and eat it so that you can give me your finest blessings!" Oops! The finest blessing had already been given away. What was Isaac going to do now that he realized he had been tricked. He knew that God was going to honor the blessing he gave to Jacob even though Isaac thought he was blessing Esau.
Esau begged for a blessing and wept. Isaac said, "Your's will be no life of ease and luxury, but you shall hew your way with your sword. For a time you will serve your brother, but you will finally shake loose from him and be free.
Needless to say, Esau hated Jacob because he had Lost Out Again. He was planning to kill Jacob as soon as his father died. Rebekah certainly didn't want this. So she sent for Jacob and told him that his life was threatened and that he should flee to his Uncle Laban's place in Haran. She instructed him to stay there until Esau's furry passed.
Before Jacob left home, Isaac instructed him not to marry one of the Canaanite girls, but to marry a cousin - one of his Uncle Laban’s daughters. Then Isaac knowingly blessed Jacob one more time saying, "God Almighty bless you and give you many children; may you become a great nation of many tribes! May God pass on to you and to your descendants the mighty blessings promised to Abraham. May you own this land where we now are foreigners, for God has given it to Abraham.
Do you grasp how huge and important this blessing was? Do you recall from lesson two that God told Abraham, "I will bless you with incredible blessings and multiply your descendants into countless thousands and millions, like the stars above you in the sky, and like the sands along the seashore”? That's awesome! Now that blessing of Abraham's has been passed on to Jacob.
Jacob and Rebekah deceived Isaac and gained this enormous blessing for the son who was not the firstborn. How could this happen? They couldn't have done it if God had not intended it to be this way from the beginning. Do you recall what God told Rebekah when Esau and Jacob were fighting in the womb before they were born? He said, "The sons in your womb shall become two rival nations. One will be stronger than the other; and the older shall be a servant of the younger!" Even when men and women are deceitful, God is still in charge and can always make His plan work.
Great God and Creator,
You give us every blessing we have. Help us to always be grateful and satisfied with the blessings you give us. Help me to
order my life so that you will want to bless me each day.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Sunday: Isaiah 55:6-7
Monday: Genesis 25:33
Tuesday: Genesis 27:1-5
Wednesday: Genesis 27:6-17
Thursday: Genesis 27:18-29
Friday: Genesis 27:30-40
Saturday: Romans 9:14-16
Genesis 34:1-31
Genesis 35:1-12
Psalm 51:1-19
Proverbs 4:23
Proverbs 20:9
Proverbs 23:7
CIRCUMCISE - To cut off the prepuce of a male.
RAPE - The crime of having sexual intercourse with another person forcibly without her consent.
Somewhere in American, a woman is sexually assaulted every two seconds, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Some of these men could live next door to you, attend the college where you go, or even be a celebrity.
Some celebrities begin to think they are above the law - whatever they want they can have, with no consequences. Many famous athletes, actors, and political figures have been accused of raping a girl. Often the case has been settled without the celebrity going to jail. But a Celebrity Rape Case is not just a modern problem. There was a prince - a king's son - in the Bible who raped a girl. Unfortunately he underestimated the wrath of her 12 brothers.
Dinah must have been one beautiful girl. Shechem, the son of King Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah and lusted after her. He simply did not control his desires; he forced himself on her and raped her. Then he fell deeply in love with her and wanted to marry her.
When the word that Shechem had raped Dinah reached her 12 brothers, they were fit to be tied. Shechem had dishonored their sister, and he was going to pay for it.
The king went to talk with Jacob about this outrage and got there just as these 12 angry sons arrived from the field. The king explained to Jacob and his sons that Shechem was truly in love with Dinah and wanted to marry her. He extended an invitation to Jacob and his family to live among them and let his sons marry the king’s daughters. He even begged and said that he would give them whatever they required - dowry, gifts, or whatever.
"The Canaanites wanted to absorb Israel (see v. 16) in order to benefit from the blessings Jacob had received from the Lord (both his offspring and his possessions - vv. 21-23). This was a danger Israel constantly faced from other peoples and nations - either absorption or hostility, both of which are perpetual threats to the people of God" (NIV Study Bible).
The 12 sons protested that it would be a disgrace for Dinah to marry Shechem because he wasn't circumcised. But they made this concession. If every man of them would be circumcised, then they would intermarry with the king's family. Otherwise, they'd just take Dinah and be on their way.
Hamor and Shechem gladly agreed. They lost no time acting upon this request because Shechem loved Dinah very much. So King Hamor and Shechem went before their city council and explained what was happening, and all of the men agreed and were circumcised.
Three days later their wounds were sore and sensitive to every move they made. But Simeon and Levi's anger had not abated at all. They took their swords and entered the city and slaughtered Hamor, Shechem, and every one of Hamor's men without any opposition. That wasn't enough. They plundered the city because their sister had been dishonored. They confiscated the donkeys, herds, flocks, women, children, wealth of every kind, and everything they could lay their hands on. These were angry men!
Simeon's and Levi's actions frightened their father, Jacob, because he realized how small his family was compared to the Canaanites and Perizzites who were in that land. This stink could provoke them to crush Jacob's family.
So God told Jacob to take his family and move on to Bethel and settle there. Jacob instructed his family to destroy all of their idols they had brought with them, to wash themselves, and to put on fresh clothing. They headed out to Bethel as God had told Jacob to do. There was terror in all the cities they passed through, so they were not attacked. When they got to Bethel, Jacob built an altar and worshiped God. This was a place where God had appeared to Jacob when he fled from Esau.
God appeared to Jacob again in Bethel and blessed him. God's blessing was, “'You shall no longer be called Jacob ('Grabber'), but Israel (‘One who prevails with God’). I am God Almighty,' the Lord said to him, ‘and will cause you to be fertile and to multiply and to become a great nation, yes, many nations, many kings shall be among your descendants. And I will pass on to you the land I gave to you and to your descendants’" (Genesis 34:11-12). What an awesome blessing! Can you grasp just how far reaching that is?
There's quite a contrast between Jacob and Shechem. Shechem didn't control his appetites. He lusted after a girl and raped her and ended up dead. He had no descendants to become great nations and many kings. God takes note of a righteous person. It makes a big difference how you live your life. There are blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. How are you going to live your life?
Holy Father,
Thank you for showing me how one sin can lead to another, creating a chain reaction. It's far better to stop, think, and consider the possible consequences before sin. Also, thank you for the contrast in Jacob's life. He believed you and obeyed you, and you promised him such awesome blessings that they are hard to comprehend. You are a great and merciful God!
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.
Sunday: Genesis 34:1-5
Monday: Genesis 34:6-19
Tuesday: Genesis 34:20-25
Wednesday: Genesis 34:25-31
Thursday: Proverbs 23:7
Friday: Proverbs 20:9
Saturday: Psalm 51
Genesis 37:1-36
Proverbs 24:10
Matthew 10:22
ARROGANT - Exaggerating or disposed to exaggerating one's own self-worth or importance in an over-bearing manner; proud, cavalier, disdainful, haughty, high-and-mighty, insolent
Have you ever met anyone who seems to have everything and to get all the favors? Is that person prideful? Are the people around him jealous of his success and status? Was this what was going on with Joseph? Today’s lesson is about this seventeen year-old boy.
Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son. And Jacob showered him with more good things than the other 11 brothers got. He had this very expensive coat of many colors made for Joseph. Doubtless, every time he wore it the other boys were reminded of how special he was to their father. Genesis 37:4 says, “But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him” (ESV).
God also looked upon Joseph in a special way. One night Joseph had a dream. He shared it with his brothers, who were less than impressed. In fact, Genesis 37:5 says that when Joseph told his brothers what he’d dreamed, they hated him even more. What could possibly have caused this reaction? He dreamed that they were out in the field binding sheaves. His sheaf stood up. All of the brothers’ sheaves gathered around it and bowed low before it!
Then he had another dream and told it to his brothers and to his father. “Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” His father rebuked him, saying “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” (Genesis 37:10) As you might expect, Joseph’s brothers continued to be jealous. But here’s the interesting part: His father “kept the saying in mind.” He thought about what Joseph had said and remembered it.
All the brothers took the sheep to graze in Shechem, but Joseph staved home with his dad. A few days later, Jacob sent his son Joseph to check on the boys and come back and let him know how they and their flock were getting along.
Joseph headed out for Dothan to find the 11 brothers. But the boys saw him coming and plotted his murder. “‘Here comes that master- dreamer', they exclaimed. 'Come on. Let's kill him and toss him into a well and tell father that a wild animal has eaten him. Then we'll see what will become of all his dreams.’”
Joseph's brother Reuben wasn't as hard hearted and wanted to spare him and not shed any blood. His solution was to throw Joseph alive into a well. He reasoned that way they wouldn't actually be shedding any blood. However, Reuben, having a softer heart than the others, was actually going to come back later and return him to his father.
Joseph arrived and the first thing they did was to remove his beautiful coat of many colors that his dad had given him. They threw him in an empty well and sat down to have dinner with no conscious thought for what they had done.
They looked up and suddenly noticed a string of camels in the distance coming their way. These were Ishmaelite traders taking gum, spices, and herbs from Gilead to Egypt. Judah, piped up and said, "Let's sell Joseph to them! Why kill him and have a guilty conscience? Let's not be responsible for his death, after all, he is our brother!" The brothers agreed with Judah. And he pulled Joseph out of the well.
The brothers had to come up with an explanation they could give their dad as to what happened to Joseph. So they killed a goat and spattered its blood on Joseph's beautiful coat. Then they took it to their father and lied to him. The explanation they gave was that they found the coat in the field, and Jacob assumed that his favorite son had been killed and eaten by wild animals. Jacob was grieved beyond words, believing his sons' story. They tried to comfort their dad without telling him that they had sold Joseph and that he was very much alive.
When Joseph arrived in Egypt as a captive of the Ishmaelite traders, they sold him again to Potiphar, Pharaoh’s (king of Egypt) personal assistant. Joseph was a hard working, well-organized young man and it paid off. God had a plan for Joseph, and He blessed him with favor in Potiphar's eyes. Soon he was put in charge of the administration of Potiphar's household and all of his business affairs. Because God looked upon Joseph with favor, he also blessed Potiphar, his crops, flocks, and everything he did. Potiphar recognized the potential of this good young man and promoted him to be the administrator over everything he owned.
So what can you learn from this lesson? Life is not always a bed of roses. We find ourselves in trouble sometimes because of what we do and other times because someone is out to get us. Then how do we make the most of it and come out a winner in the end as Joseph did?
In the booklet Staying Power, by Ronald .L Dart, he says, "And we also have to stay the course. The author of Hebrews wrote that it [life] was like a race. 'Let us lay aside every weight,’ he said, and run with patience the race that is set before us.' We have to keep running. We have to endure the pain, the boredom, the sacrifice. It requires patience, because it isn't the first lap that wins, or the second. We have to be there at the finish. . .
"What that means, in the simplest terms, is that we must bear up under whatever burden we have to bear. We have not merely to passively endure, but to positively, actively endure.”
Gracious Father,
How awesome you are and how great your blessings. Help me to learn to hang in there as Joseph did, when troubles come my way and endure to the end. Help me to also remember when you bless me to stay humble and realize that those blessing come from you.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Sunday: Genesis 37:1-8
Monday: Genesis 37:9-11
Tuesday: Genesis 37:12-13
Wednesday: Genesis 37:15-22
Thursday: Genesis 37:23-36
Friday: Matthew 10:22
Saturday: Proverbs 24:10
Genesis 39:1-23
Proverbs 5:18-19
Proverbs 6:27-29
Proverbs 7:24-25
Titus 2:11-14
COYNESS - Affecting innocence or shyness, especially in a playful or coquettish manner.
Have you known people whose lives have seemed like everything they touched turned to gold? Maybe they got promoted on their job every time they turned around. Perhaps they made it rich by selecting, buying, and selling stocks that tripled in value. Or maybe their grandpa had reserved mineral rights on some property he had. You're the only heir, and 16 wells gushed with oil. That could be worth a pretty penny considering the price of oil today.
Joseph's luck hadn't exactly run this way, but God had blessed him abundantly and made him Potiphar's top man. Your Bible says, "everything he did succeeded." Potiphar noticed this and
realized that God was with Joseph in a very special way.
Soon Joseph was promoted again to be the administrator in charge of Potiphar's household. Potiphar didn't have to worry about a thing. Even though Joseph was a prisoner, he was a very handsome man who was honest and loyal.
Have you ever had an uneasy feeling when things are going so well for you that something bad is about to happen? Joseph may not have had this feeling, but a Determined Woman was lurking
right around the corner. And she was Potiphar's wife. She didn't miss noticing that Joseph was very handsome. She seized every opportunity to give those come-hither looks. But she didn't stop there. She suggested that he come and sleep with her.
Being the honorable, God-fearing man that Joseph was, he refused. “Look," he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in the entire household; he himself has no more authority here than I have! He has held back nothing from me except you yourself because you are his wife. How can I do such a wicked thing as this? It would be a great sin against God.”
Like most morally-loose women, Potiphar’s wife did not give up easily. She was determined to get Joseph in bed. Then one day Joseph was working in the house and no one else was there. This Determined Woman looked upon this as the perfect time. So she nabbed this opportunity, grabbed Joseph, and demanded that he sleep with her. This was an invitation that not many men would have resisted. But Joseph had no doubt that the consequences would outweigh the pleasures of the moment. So he tore himself away from her.
Unfortunately Joseph's jacket slipped off as he fled. This deceitful woman started screaming, "That Hebrew slave you've had around here tried to rape me, and I was only saved by my screams. He fled, leaving his jacket behind!"
Much to Joseph's misfortune, Potiphar believed his wife's story. Now the tables were turned, and Joseph was back in prison, kept in chains. God hadn't left Joseph. He knew exactly where he was and what kinds of problems he was having. He was kind to Joseph and granted him favor with the chief jailor. Before long, the jailor handed over the entire prison to him. Joseph must have been some sort of a young man to now be in charge of the entire prison. Joseph ran the prison smoothly and God was with him each step of the way.
What lessons can you learn from this young man, Joseph? He left us with the perfect pattern to follow when someone tries to tempt you to commit adultery or fornication. First say "no!" and stick to your guns. Next get out of there as fast as you can even if you have to leave some of your clothing or valuables behind. Do not linger. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Just run for your life. What it may cost you won't come close to the penalty you'll pay if you give in and have sex outside of marriage. The consequences have unlimited possibilities, and none of them are good.
Joseph understood well the principles King Solomon laid out years after that in Proverbs 6:25-28: "Don't lust for their beauty. Don't let their coyness seduce you. For a prostitute will bring a man to poverty, and an adulteress may cost him his very life. Can a man hold fire against his chest and not be burned? Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet? So it is with the man who commits adultery with another's wife. He shall not go unpunished for this sin" (TLB).
Another thing you can learn is that God blesses those who have the kind of faith Joseph had to obey Him under such temptation. What seemed to be a set back, by being thrown into prison, didn't last long. God was with him each step of the way, and soon Joseph was granted even more authority than before. If you will obey Him He'll be with you too.
Awesome God,
We've learned about so many ways that you blessed and took care of Joseph because He loved and obeyed you. Thank you for
such outstanding examples for me to follow. Help me to always keep myself pure and trust you completely for the outcome. You will take care of me.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Sunday: Genesis 39:1-6
Monday: Genesis 39:7-10
Tuesday: Genesis 39:11-14
Wednesday: Titus 2:11-14
Thursday: Proverbs 5:18-19
Friday: Proverbs 6:27-29
Saturday: Proverbs 7:24-25
Genesis 41:1-57
2 Chronicles 7:13-16
Hebrews 11:6
PRUDENT - Marked by wisdom and judiciousness. Shrewd in practical affairs; circumspect, discreet (An often used word by the first President George Bush).
Have you ever dreamed a dream that you really wanted to come true? And have you dreamed a dream that there was no way that you wanted to come true? Or maybe you dreamed a dream and just wished you could understand its significance, if any, or that the dream would continue until it was truly complete. But life is very much that way; we have the good mixed with the bad.
One night Pharaoh dreamed one good dream. After he understood its meaning, he wanted it to come true. Then he dreamed another one he really didn't want to happen. In the first dream he was standing on the bank of the Nile River. Seven sleek, fat cows suddenly came up out of the river and started eating grass. But then seven cows, so skinny that you could see their ribs, came up out of the river. Then the skinny cows ate the fat cows. As so often happens when we dream, Pharaoh woke up. He fell asleep again very rapidly, so he must not have been too concerned with this dream.
It wasn't long before Pharaoh began dreaming again. This time his dream was about seven heads of grain, on one stalk, with every kernel well-formed and plump. All of a sudden, seven more heads appeared on the stalk. But the east wind had taken its toll on this grain and it was all withered and shriveled. The same thing happened to the well-formed, plump kernels that happened to the seven sleek, fat cows. The withered and shriveled grain swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads. Have you ever had a dream like that? I don't think Pharaoh had either. So he woke up again.
The next morning Pharaoh started thinking about the two crazy dreams he had the night before and became so concerned about the meaning of the dreams that he called for the magicians and sages of Egypt. He went over his dreams with them. No one had a clue what they were all about.
The wine taster spoke up. "Some time ago when you were angry with a couple of us and put me and the chief baker in jail in the castle of the captain of the guard, the chief baker and I each had a dream one night. We told the dreams to a young Hebrew fellow there who was a slave of the captain of the guard, and he told us what our dreams meant. And every thing happened just as he said: I was restored to my position of wine taster, and the chief baker was executed, and impaled on a pole.”
Well, this young Hebrew fellow just happened to be Joseph. So Pharaoh sent to the dungeon to get him out. Joseph hastily shaved, put on clean clothes and appeared before Pharaoh to see what was troubling him. Pharaoh wanted Joseph to interpret his dreams. Joseph explained that he couldn't do it himself, "but God will tell you what it is.”
Pharaoh repeated both of the dreams to Joseph in detail. Joseph explained that both dreams mean the same thing and that God was showing him what He was about to do. The next seven years will be a time of great prosperity throughout all of Egypt, but there will be a famine so great the next seven years that all of that prosperity will be forgotten and wiped out. It will be so bad that even the memory of the good years will be erased. "The double dream gives double impact, showing that what I have told you is certainly going to happen, for God has decreed it, and it is going to happen soon.”
Getting ready for seven years of wonderful prosperity may not seem like such a challenge. But a prudent person would know better than to fritter away that time with no plan for the famine ahead. Joseph began to advise Pharaoh to find the wisest man in Egypt and put him in charge of administering a nation-wide farm program where the land was divided into five administrative districts. The officials would gather all the excess crops of the next seven years into the royal storehouses so there would be enough to eat when the famine comes. Joseph warned, "Otherwise, disaster will surely strike.”
Pharaoh took to heart what this young Hebrew advised and discussed who should head up this national farm program with his assistants. It became absolutely obvious that Joseph was the man for that job. They recognized that no one could do it better "For he is a man who is obviously filled with the Spirit of God.”
Pharaoh turned to Joseph and said: "Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, you are the wisest man in the country! I am hereby appointing you to be in charge of this entire project. What you say goes, throughout all the land of Egypt. I alone will outrank you." Wow! What a promotion from Prisoner to Administrator!” (All above scriptures taken from TLB). With this promotion came a signet ring for Joseph's finger to show his authority, beautiful clothing, a royal chain for his neck, and the chariot of Pharaoh's second-in-command.
The next year, the bumper crop came right on schedule. Joseph saw to it that all of this excess grain was properly stored in nearby cities for the famine to come. At the end of seven years, the granaries were full to overflowing. Prudent planning by a wise man prepared Egypt for a horrible famine they were about to experience.
Amos 8:11 says, "The days are coming, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I will send a famine through the land - not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD" (NIV). You've been warned. What can you do to be prepared for that famine?
Eternal God and Father,
Thank you for such an inspirational story about a young man not much older than I am. He obeyed you and you abundantly blessed him with riches, responsibility, and honor. There is so much I can learn from Joseph. Help me to follow him as he followed you.
In Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen.
Sunday: Genesis 41:1-8
Monday: Genesis 41:9-13
Tuesday: Genesis 41:14-24
Wednesday: Genesis 41:25-36
Thursday: Genesis 41:37-45
Friday: Genesis 41:46-57
Saturday: 2 Chronicles 7:13-16
Genesis 42:1-38
Genesis 43:14-34
Genesis 44:1-34
Genesis 45:1-28
Genesis 45:7
Genesis 46:1-4
INGENUITY - Skill or cleverness.
ENVIABLE - Highly desirable.
Is any nation immune to droughts and famines? Well hardly. All nations are dependent upon rain for crops. Oh, it can irrigate, but water is a limited commodity that has to come from somewhere. Today's lesson shows the impact a drought can have on a nation and on history.
Pharaoh's dreaded dream came true. “The seven years of plenty came to an end. Then the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had predicted." Egypt, along with all the surrounding countries, had crop failures. When the crops fail, there's little or no food to eat and people go hungry. These are the realities of a famine. We depend on rain so our crops will grow and we can eat.
Because of Joseph's ingenuity given to him by God, Egypt had food. Think what an enviable position they were in with plenty of grain in their storehouses. But people in other countries were starving because of a severe famine all over the world.
News traveled that there was grain available in Egypt. So Jacob told his sons that he had heard that there was grain available in Egypt and they should go there and buy some before all of them starved to death.
Jacob sent the ten older brothers to Egypt to buy grain. He had Benjamin, Joseph's younger brother, stay home with him. He was afraid that some harm might come to his other ten sons as he thought it had to Joseph. Benjamin and Joseph were Rachel's children. Rachel was Jacob's favorite wife who died in childbirth when Benjamin was born. So Benjamin was very special to Jacob.
All ten of Jacob's other sons headed off to Egypt. They arrived there with a lot of other people looking for grain. Because Joseph was put in charge of selling the grain, his brothers had to come to him. As they approached him they all bowed low before him with their faces to the ground. Joseph recognized his brothers, but never let on that he knew who they were. Remember, these ten men were fully responsible for Joseph being in Egypt. They sold him to the Ishmaelite and led their father to believe he was dead. They must have convinced themselves, as well, that he was dead. They had no clue that this was their own brother with whom they were dealing. But there is one thing we can always be sure of, our sins will catch up with us, and they were catching up with these brothers. Joseph hadn't forgotten what they had done. So he demanded roughly, "Where are you from?" They told him that they had come from the land of Canaan to buy grain. Joseph remembered a dream he had before they ever sold him to be a slave. "We were out in the field binding sheaves, and my sheaf stood up, and your sheaves all gathered around it and bowed low before it!” (Genesis 37:7). All of his brothers had just bowed before him. Now this dream had come true as well.
Joseph wasn't going to make it easy on these ten men since they had tried to kill him and then sold him to be a slave. So he accused them of being spies. They explained that there were 12 brothers, one was with their father, and the other was dead, not realizing they were talking to the brother they had just said was dead. That's all very interesting, but Joseph wanted to know what it proved. To prove it they couldn't leave Egypt until Benjamin was brought there. Nine of the brothers would be put in jail while one went to get Benjamin. "If it turns out that you don't have a younger brother, I'll know you are spies." So all of them were thrown in jail.
Three days later Joseph told them that he was a God-fearing man and would let them prove their honor. This time he would keep one in jail, and the others could go home with grain, but they must bring Benjamin back to prove they were telling the truth. These scared men said this had happened because of what they did to Joseph a long time ago.
Joseph continued to make life miserable for his brothers. But they went back home to get Benjamin, and Jacob wasn't about to let his favorite son go. . . until the famine got worse. That convinced Jacob that they better go buy more grain or they would all starve. They got to the palace entrance and told the household manager, about the money Joseph had put in their sacks, and they returned it. The manager told them not to worry because God must have put it there. Simeon was released from jail and the men were told they would be eating in the palace. Joseph entered the room and they again bowed before him. He looked at Benjamin and asked if he was their youngest brother. Joseph couldn't control his emotions and had to leave the room and cry.
They got their grain and headed home again. But Joseph had a silver cup put in Benjamin's sack. He sent his men after them. They returned to be slaves, but Joseph only wanted Benjamin. They told Joseph they couldn't go back to their father without Benjamin, or Jacob would die.
Joseph couldn't stand it and sent all of his servants out of the room. He wept aloud and his sobs could be heard throughout the palaces. Then he told his brothers that he was Joseph, their brother whom they had sold into Egypt. He told them not to be angry with themselves, because God did it and had sent him there to save their lives so that they would become a great nation. Joseph gave them wagons, food, clothing, and supplies to return to Jacob and tell him that Joseph was alive.
Jacob, or Israel as God had renamed him, went to Beersheba and offered sacrifices to God. During the night God told him not to be afraid to go to Egypt, "for I will see to it that you will become a great nation there. And I will go down with you into Egypt and I will bring your descendants back again." Jacob's entire family went to Egypt. This is how Israel came to live in Egypt, eventually becoming enslaved and needing God’s deliverance some 400 years later.
Eternal Father,
Thank you for helping me to understand how our forefathers managed to get themselves in Egypt as slaves and the part that you played in this happening. Help me to always remember that all things work together for those who love you and are called according to your purpose. Doubtless, Joseph was called for your purpose.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Sunday: Genesis 42:1-20
Monday: Genesis 42:21-34
Tuesday: Genesis 42:35-38
Wednesday: Genesis 43:14
Thursday: Genesis 43:15-26
Friday: Genesis 43:27-34
Saturday: Genesis 44:1-17
Genesis 41:43
Genesis 41:50-52
Genesis 48:1-22
Genesis 49:22-26
Deuteronomy 33:13-17
2 Chronicles 5:1-2
Isaiah 49:1-3
Isaiah 49:19-21
Matthew 24:48-51
2 Peter 3:9
COMMONWEALTH - A nation, state, or political unit. The English State from Charles I in 1649 to the restoration in 1660
REITERATE - To state or say over again; repeat.
AMPLIFY - To expand by use of an explanation or illustration
We learned in the last lesson how Pharaoh saw "god-like power of life and death" in Joseph. He showered him with physical things. One of those things was a wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
Before the famine arrived, Joseph and Asenath became proud parents of two boys. Joseph named the oldest boy Manasseh, which means "Made to Forget." The second son was named Ephraim which means "Fruitful."
As Joseph's interpretation of the dream said,” a severe famine came all over the world and Joseph opened up the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians and to those from other lands who came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph. This famine was used to get Joseph back with his brothers who sold him into Egypt and his 130 year-old father, Jacob.”
Seventeen years later, the word came to Joseph that his father was failing rapidly. So he took his sons and went to visit Jacob, his father. This is a very important part of history and prophecy. After Joseph and the sons arrived, Jacob said: "God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and said to me, 'I will make you a great nation and I will give this land of Canaan to you and to your children's children, for an everlasting possession.' And now, as these two sons of yours, Ephraim and Manasseh, born here in the land of Egypt before I arrived, I am adopting them as my own, and they will inherit from me just as Reuben and Simeon will. But any other children born to you shall be your own, and shall inherit Ephraim's and Manasseh's portion from you." (Genesis 48:3-6, TLB).
By now Jacob was half-blind. What he was about to do had such important implication that he needed confirmation that these two boys were really Joseph's before he proceeded. Joseph affirmed that they were. And Jacob asked Joseph to bring the boys to him. "Joseph took the boys by the hand, bowed deeply to him, and led the boys to their grandfather's knees - Ephraim at Israel’s left hand and Manasseh at his right. But Israel crossed his arms as he stretched them out to lay his hands upon the boys heads, so that his right hand was upon the head of Ephraim, the younger boy, and his left hand was upon the head of Manasseh, the older. He did this purposely.
"Then he blessed Joseph with this blessing: 'May God, the God of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, the God who has shepherded me all my life, wonderfully bless these boys. He is the Angel who has kept me from all harm. May these boys be an honor to my name and to the names of my father Abraham and Isaac; and may they become a mighty nation" (verses 15-16 TLB).
This upset Joseph because Jacob had laid his right hand on Ephraim's head and his left hand on Manasseh's. So he tried to change his father's hands, explaining that Manasseh was the firstborn. But Jacob knew what he was doing because God was guiding him. He explained to Joseph that Manasseh would become a great nation, but that Ephraim would become greater and actually be a group of nations. So this blessing put Ephraim before Manasseh.
If you looked around the world today, where would you find the single greatest nation on the face of the earth? Does the United States of America come to mind? Where do you see the greatest group of nations on the face of this earth? Would the British Commonwealth of Nations fit this bill. Great Britain doesn't hold the power in the world that it once had. They had a saying that, “The sun never sets on the British Empire." And it didn't. There was always a nation in that Empire where the sun was shining.
There is no way that every person in the United States is a descendant of Manasseh with all the ethnic mix in this country. Nor is every person in Great Britain a descendant of Ephraim. But these two nations certainly fit the type of what God promised to these two boys.
Notice in Genesis 49:22-26 what will happen to Jacob "in the last days" (v. 1). As you read this keep in mind that Joseph was Jacob's son and the blessings were passed down through Ephraim and Manasseh. "Joseph is a fruitful tree beside a fountain. His branches shade the wall. He has been severely injured by those who shot at him and persecuted him, but their weapons were shattered by the Mighty One of Jacob, the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel (Christ).
"May the God of your fathers, the Almighty, bless you with blessings of heaven above and of the earth beneath - blessings of the breast and of the womb, blessings of the grain and flowers, blessing reaching to the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills. These shall be the blessings upon the head of Joseph who was exiled from his brothers (sold to be a slave in Egypt).”
"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). God keeps His promises. So somewhere on the face of the earth are the descendants of Sons With A Promise. They are receiving all of the blessings that God promised to them. Where do you think they are? Call 1-888-BIBLE 44 and ask for a FREE program titled “Who's Who in Prophecy" and tell them that you are a YEA student. Then listen to this program.
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
Thank you for revealing your truths to me. It's impressive to understand that the obedience of one man can make such a difference and blessings can be passed down to the last days. Thank you that I am able to partake of those blessings. It's awesome how much you love us and how much l owe you.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
Sunday: Deuteronomy 33:13-17
Monday: Isaiah 49:1-3
Tuesday: Isaiah 49:19-21
Wednesday: 2 Chronicles 5:1-2
Thursday: Genesis 48:19-22
Friday: Genesis 49:22-26
Saturday: Matthew 24:48-51
