For a full description of the (Y4) reading plan, see the “About” page.
Gen. 26
The bulk of this chapter sounds like a page copied out of Abraham’s story. There was a famine in the Promised Land. Isaac lied to the Philistines regarding his wife. The Philistines quarreled with Isaac over the wells he dug. Then Abimelech and Isaac had a conversation very similar to the one between Abimelech an Abraham at the exact same location. As with the prior conversation, this one resulted in a covenant of peace. This overlap in father and son’s stories seems very significant to me. So does the fact that both ended at Beersheba, the “Well of the Oath”.
If, as I have suggested in the past, the stories of the Bible are in a way real life parables for us, I can’t yet make out the meaning of this one. I do, however, see a bit of a connection in it. This “Well of the Oath”, which marked a covenant of peace, started with Abraham. It was then reestablished and passed on through Isaac. However, the covenant with Abimelech is not the only one that was reestablished and passed on through Isaac at Beersheba. God also came to Isaac there and passed on His covenant through him as well. As far as what that tells us about God’s great plan for us, all I come up with for now is that God extends His covenant of peace to us through His promised, sacrificed Son, Jesus Christ.
Matt. 25
I’ve been thinking a lot about joy lately. I’m in a place in my life right now where I seem to be taking things in stride pretty well. I’m not getting upset, anxious, and bent out of shape over the hard and unpleasant stuff. It feels a little like the contentment Paul wrote about. But it also feels a little detached. Almost like I just don’t have the capacity to care. While remaining trusting, content, and calm through whatever life throws at me is a good thing, I don’t really want to live life with a “whatever” attitude. Where that’s good to a point, I believe God desires so much more for us. That’s where the joy comes in.
In the parable of the talents, the two slaves who increased what their master gave them received their master’s praise. More than that, though, their master invited them into his joy. I don’t really understand that expression. Maybe it is just a way of saying that they pleased their master. But I get the sense that it is more encompassing than that. Even so, knowing that you pleased your master does bring joy to a heart that desires to please. Either way, the point is that God isn’t the harsh task-master the third slave saw Him as. The Bible tells us that He truly does desire joy for us. So I want to receive and put to work ALL that God gives me. This includes His mercy, grace, forgiveness, peace…and also His joy. I want my “whatever” to become His hallelujah.
Est 2
Later in this story, Mordecai suggests that Ester came to be Queen so that she would be in a position to save her people. Though Mordecai never explicitly named God in his statement, he certainly implied God’s hand in it. Mordecai made that statement in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus’ reign. Esther became Queen in the seventh year. And King Ahasuerus banished the former Queen, Vashti, in year three, opening the position for Esther to fill four years later. I couldn’t help but think, as I read, “…in the seventh year…” this morning, how slowly the wheels of God’s plan turn! This life does indeed require patience and trust!
I then started thinking about the scope and scale of all of it. One thing led to something else several years later, which in turn led to something else several years after that. And so on. Though we find no mention of God in the entire story of Esther, I think maybe part of the point of the story is to demonstrate the truth of Romans 8:28. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
The story of Esther is full of ironic ‘coincidences’. They are impossibly woven together over a large span of time for the good of the Jews, God’s people. However, the scope and scale of all those ironic coincidences are just too great to be accidental. Yes, Esther’s story makes me think this life requires patience and trust. However, it also shows me why we can live that out. With such a great God working out every good and bad thing for His ultimate purpose, which includes the good of those who love Him, what do we have to fear or fret about?