Saturday, January 12

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Genesis 29, 30   and  Matthew 9:1-17

29:12  In a day of cell phones and Skype we don't realize how precious news from a distance becomes.  Rachel ran to tell her family of Jacob's arrival as Rebekah ran to tell her family of the arrival of someone from Abraham's family.

29:18  In today's economy it is difficult to say what a year's wage is.  In the U.S the poverty level for one person was $11344.  If we go up to $12000 per year, Jacob paid $84000 for his wife.  By the time he had to do it again he paid $168000 for the wife he loved and had an extra thrown in for the same price.  If he was paid more than just enough to escape poverty, the price would have been more.  If we consider that he also received his board and room it might have been less.

29:30  Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah.  Again we see the folly of straying from God's known best plan.  One man and one woman is God's plan.  It is no wonder that Jacob loved Rachel more, she was the only wife he wanted.  There is contention between these two sisters and then among the children of these and their servant girls.  I find it hard enough (though a pleasure) to please one wife.  Pleasing two wives, plus their servants, seems to be an impossible task.  Of course God knew all this before creation and gave instruction to guide us.

29:31 – 30:24  These verses indicate that the rivalry between Rachel and Leah was ever on their minds.  What a divisive setting to form a family.

30:25-43  The rivalry between Leah and Rachel is present between Jacob and Laban also.  It is no wonder that Jacob's sons did not get along well.  But, this is the family from which our Savior came.  Praise God for His love, mercy, and grace!

Matthew 9:1-8  I used to count syllables and say that "get up and walk" (4 syllables) was easier than "your sins are forgiven" (6 syllables.)  Of course I was missing the point of what Jesus was saying.  Anyone could pronounce another's sins forgiven.  There is no way to prove or disprove if it happened.  It would be like pronouncing that one of the moons of Jupiter is made of green cheese.  That cannot be proved or disproved, at least not yet.  But when Jesus told the man to get up, pick up his mat, and go home, his authority was about to be proved or disproved.  He left no room for doubt.  I sometimes wonder what happened to those who questioned Jesus' authority, where were they later when the crowd was shouting, "Crucify, crucify."  They had no excuse to doubt the power and authority of Jesus.

9:9-13  It would seem that Jesus did some things simply to gall the Pharisees.  He knew that they would strongly disapprove of having a tax collector for a disciple.  They thought no tax collector could deserve to be with any rabbi.   But it did not matter if the Pharisees liked what He did nor not.  He would do what was right no matter what others may have thought.  Praise God for that.  I also do not deserve to be with our Savior.

9:14-17  Jesus is announcing that something new is happening right then.  The old and the new do not mix.  The new is built upon the old but completely supersedes it.  Jesus came to completely fulfill the requirements of the Old Testament.  But we cannot understand the Messiah without understanding the Old Testament.  When the New Testament talks about the Scriptures pointing to the Christ, the Scriptures are the Old Testament.  They did not yet have the New Testament.

Don't forget to go to church Sunday.

Larry