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Gen. 48
Just a question for today…What went on with Simeon all that time he was in prison in Egypt waiting for his brothers to return? They didn’t come back until after they finished off the first load of grain. So Simeon must have been in that prison for at least a few, likely several months. Yet for all that time in Egypt he was no more aware of Joseph’s identity than his other brothers. Also, Jacob and his sons never even considered Simeon in their discussion about returning to Egypt.
Clearly, what happened to Simeon in prison isn’t important for us, or else we would know. I wonder, then, if there is any meaning in the general matter of his imprisonment. Simeon’s tribe is absent in some of the tribal lists in the Old Testament and did not technically receive its own, separate land inheritance, but was absorbed into Judah’s territory instead. Is there something to see here? Or just something for me to be curious about?
Mark 13
Like Isaiah’s prophecy concerning Jesus’ virgin birth, Jesus’ words here seem to have both a more immediate fulfillment and also a fulfillment yet to come. A major clue to this in both prophecies lies in a specific word choice. In Isaiah, the word translated “virgin” can also mean a young woman. I think this double meaning, rather than being controversial, is intentional. It is the very nature of the word that allows Isaiah’s prophecy to apply accurately to both situations. I noticed this morning in Mark 13 that the NASB 1995 translation has a footnote by the word translated as “generation” saying that it could also mean race. Thus, when Jesus said, “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Mk. 13:30), He could also be saying, “this race will not pass away…”. Again, the nature of the word gives His prophecy two possible time frames.
Job 9
I see a truth in Job’s words about the human condition. Bildad essentially told him that God destroys the wicked but upholds the righteous. Job then responded, “In truth I know that this is so; but how can a man be in the right before God?” (Job 9:2). No matter how righteous we are compared to men, we can never be righteous before God. Thus, no matter how hard we try to live a clean life, our fate is the same as those given to wickedness. Job’s words suggest the chasm that exists between God and man and the need for an “umpire” to close that gap. His final statement in this chapter is telling. “But I am not like that in myself.” (Job 9:35b).
That’s the truth I see. On our own, it is impossible for us to stand before God; to speak to Him without fear. We cannot declare ourselves righteous before Him. We need that go-between; that “umpire” who can remove God’s rod from us. That go-between is Jesus. He is the One who stands before God and declares us righteous, not because of anything we do but because He ransomed us, paying the penalty for our unrighteousness.