Through the Bible in one year - Day 41

Psalm 40:4, 8

Blessed is the man who makes

the Lord his trust,

who does not turn to the proud,

to those who go astray after a lie!

...

I delight to do your will, O my God;

your law is within my heart."

In Genesis today we begin by reading about the dreams of Joseph, Jacob’s son, and how his dreams were not well received by his brothers – or his father for that matter. Once his brother’s get it in their heads, they are jealous and think up some way to rid themselves of the ‘precious’ favored son.

Not all of the brothers are of the same mind, and yet not one of them – even the eldest are willing to stand for what is right and save their brother from the plots of the others. I am interested to see what comes of this. (You did notice, I suppose that they ‘sold him to the Ishmaelites’ and here we have these same old family feuds being extended.)

Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa his son reigned in his place. In his days the land had rest for ten years. And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim and commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to keep the law and the commandment.(2 Chronicles 14:1-4)

After our reading in 2 Chronicles yesterday we talked about who this lost prophet Iddo was, and now today we read about Abijah’s son Asa who turned toward the Lord in order to keep his commandments. In the middle of this reading Asa and Judah cry out to the Lord for protection; they humble themselves and know they are bereft without the Lord’s help, and for me today, I will take that as my own need. I am bereft without the Lord’s help (not that I plan on needing to overtake countries or anything).

There is too much to talk about in this Acts reading all at once. Each of the sections could take us quite a while and I commend them to further study.

We definitely need to notice that Saul is gladly persecuting the new believers, and while we don’t hear more of it today; I know there is more to this story.

We don’t read a lot about Philip, but what we do read is mostly in this chapter. Notice first of all that a magician believes because of Philip. This individual, who knew what it was to trick people and to conjure up false perceptions, was amazed by the truth he saw and the real miracles accomplished; this he knew was true, this was not a trick! And next we have this story of the Ethiopian Eunuch – a man of wealth and influence, and a traveler – he has heard of the Bible and is reading the scriptures. He is learned – and yet he asks for help in understanding what he is reading. Don’t you love this enthusiastic response; what is there to stop me from being baptized right here and now? (And then POOF, Philip was out of there!)

Yes, there is a lot to ponder here today, and we can learn from this traveler to ask, and to respond enthusiastically and immediately.

Today’s readings: Psalm 40, Genesis 37, 2 Chronicles 14, Acts 8