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OceanSide church of Christ
Read devotionals for August 2013
September 1, 2013
Genesis 33:1 – And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men…
Thought: After many, many years of separation, Jacob and Esau finally come together again. The outcome of this reunion was unknown. Hopefully, there would be reconciliation. In many families, including church families, there needs to be this type of coming together. Alienated parties need to meet and seek to heal the fractures in their relationships.
Matthew 5:23-24
September 2, 2013
Genesis 33:3-4 – And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.
Thought: This is one of the most beautiful pictures that we find in the Bible. Two brothers who were estranged are now embracing with tears. Jacob showed respect. Esau offered forgiveness. Both shed tears. Respect, forgiveness, and tears. These three things are needed if healing is ever going to transpire.
Proverbs 6:3
September 3, 2013
Genesis 33:10 – An Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.
Thought: Esau willingly forgave his brother of all the offences that he had committed against him in the past. Jacob felt as though he had been standing in the very presence of God, being forgiven of his iniquities. There is a sense in which men can act like God. One of the best ways to imitate Him is by forgiving those who have sinned against us.
Psalm 86:5
September 4, 2013
Genesis 33:12 – And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.
Thought: Having someone to go before us is a wonderful blessing. This person knows the way. This person is aware of the dangers. This person will protect. This person will make sure that we get to our final destination. Fortunately, we have Jesus who was willing to go before us.
Hebrews 6:19-20
September 5, 2013
Genesis 33:13 – And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.
Thought: A good father knows the state of all things that are under his authority. He knows exactly what his possessions can endure. He will not obligate them to more than they can endure. When another seeks to push them beyond their limits, he will intervene on their behalf. His knowledge of his family and his possessions is of great value to their welfare.
Isaiah 40:11
September 6, 2013
Genesis 33:20 – And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel.
Thought: Jacob was keenly aware of his need for his God. He trusted Him. He also made sure that he and his family worshiped God. Would that all fathers recognized their need for God. Would that they would make certain that they point their families toward heaven. God is essential to the strength of every family unit.
Psalm 71:18
September 7, 2013
Genesis 34:1 – And Dinah the daughter of Leah which she bare unto Jacob went out to see the daughters of the land.
Thought: Our physical movements and associations are of utmost importance. We can put ourselves in harm’s way very quickly. Many go to questionable places and associate with questionable people, experience pain and anguish, and then wonder, “Why?” We need to give heed to the words of the children’s song: “Be careful little feet where you go.”
Proverbs 9:6
September 8, 2013
Genesis 34:2 – And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.
Thought: There are many things that can lead to rape: lust, power, sheer evil. No reason can justify the act. The woman who is raped is defiled. Her purity, her emotional well-being, her sense of self, her security, and her trust of others is torn from her. It is an atrocity and those who commit it are worthy of death.
Deuteronomy 22:25-27
September 9, 2013
Genesis 34:7 – And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; which thing ought not to be done.
Thought: There are evil actions that others engage in that ought to anger those who are righteous. The brothers of Dinah were wroth with Shechem and rightly so. However, when we are angry, we must be very careful. If directed properly, it can be an asset. If not, it can be a curse.
Amos 5:15
September 10, 2013
Genesis 34:13 – And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister.
Thought: The anger of Dinah’s brothers caused them to act in a deceit toward Shechem and Hamor. Sadly, some believe that these men were “justified” in their actions. What we see is anger leading individuals into other sins. When this happens, anger becomes a curse.
Ephesians 4:25-27
September 11, 2013
Genesis 34:19 – And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob’s daughter: and he was more honorable than all the house of his father.
Thought: This verse describes Shechem, the man who had defiled Dinah. He is described as being “more honorable than all the house of his father.” Human beings are interesting creatures. We are a mixture of many elements. Some of these are extremely negative, while others are extremely positive. All will admit that we are both good and bad.
Galatians 5:16-17
September 12, 2013
Genesis 34:25-26 – And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males. And they slew Hamor and Shechem with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of the house, and went out.
Thought: Anger led to deception. Deception led to revenge and murder. Was Shechem guilty of a crime? Yes. Was he deserving of death? Yes. Simeon and Levi, however, did not slay just one man. They slew an entire city. This was not justice. It was vengeance at its worst.
Romans 12:19
September 13, 2013
Genesis 34:30 – And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
Thought: Every action that we engage in has consequences. Simeon’s and Levi’s vengeful actions against Hamor and Shechem would cause Jacob’s house to “stink among the inhabitants of the land.” We must be careful in all that we do. Others are watching. Their judgments of us will cause them to respond in certain ways toward us.
Romans 2:24
September 14, 2013
Genesis 35:2 – Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments.
Thought: The strange gods that Rachel had taken from her father, and perhaps others, had manifested themselves in Jacob’s household. Jacob was now called by God to worship him at Bethel. Jacob knew that to properly worship God, he needed to cleanse his house of the idols. More men would do well to cleanse their houses of all that keeps them from God.
I John 5:21
September 15, 2013
Genesis 35:3 – And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.
Thought: There is comfort in the knowledge that God will answer us in the day of our distress. God is not far off from His people. God is not one who is disinterested in the affairs of His people. On the contrary, He is near and concerned. Often He answered the cries of His faithful when they are in trouble and affliction.
Psalm 120:1
September 16, 2013
Genesis 35:8 – But Deborah Rebekah’s nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allon-bachuth.
Thought: Occasionally in life, we enter into special relationships with other people. Deborah was Rebekah’s nurse and had served her faithfully for many years. She was loved and cherished. Now the relationship came to an end. It was special enough that divine revelation mentioned Deborah’s death. It is sad when special earthly ties are severed.
Ecclesiastes 3:4
September 17, 2013
Genesis 35:10 – And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.
Thought: This is the second time that God speaks of the change of Jacob’s name. The names of old pointed to character and personality. God wanted his people to be named with the designation of Israel. When that name was heard, others would not that this people had power with God and had prevailed.
Exodus 4:22
September 18, 2013
Genesis 35:11-12 – And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come of thy loins; and the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.
Thought: Jacob had been away from Canaan for many years. Now that he was back upon the soil of his homeland, God renewed His promise to him. He was to become a mighty nation. Too, the land upon which he stood was to become his and his seed’s after him. The passing of time may mean that man needs to be reminded, but God is always focused upon His purposes.
Exodus 19:5-6
September 19, 2013
Genesis 35:19 – And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is in Bethlehem.
Thought: There are occasions that rise in our lives are that we refer to as “bitter-sweet.” Here, Rachel dies, but she died giving birth to her second son, Benjamin. This baby would soothe the heart of Jacob in the loss of his wife and as a “replacement” for Joseph. The emotions experienced on such occasions are often difficult to comprehend much less bring under control. To handle them, we must rest deeply in that portion that is sweet.
Genesis 48:7
September 20, 2013
Genesis 35:28-29 – And the days of Isaac were a hundred and fourscore years. And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.
Thought: Isaac came to the end of his life with both of his sons reconciled to one another and at his side. When a man has harmony in his family, he can truly rest in peace. When there is bitterness and discord in one’s family, one enters into rest, but with grief in his heart and tears in his eyes.
Genesis 37:35
September 21, 2013
Genesis 36:6 – And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan and went into the country from the face of his brother.
Thought: After the death of a father or mother, siblings often separate one from another. They feel that they no longer have ties that bind them together. This, however, is not true. They have a rich heritage that they share. These siblings will forever be brothers and sisters to one another.
John 11:1-3
September 22, 2013
Genesis 36:8 – Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.
Thought: Reconciliation occurred between Jacob, the father of Israel, and, Esau, the father of Edom. Sadly, the peace between the brothers did not continue. The Edomites eventually became enemies of God’s people. Would that families could always continue in the peace of the past.
Matthew 5:23-24
September 23, 2013
Genesis 36:12 – And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau’s son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau’s wife.
Thought: The seeds of historical events are often planted long before those events occur. Here, we read of the birth of Amalek. No one could have imagined that this son would form a nation that would become a bitter enemy of Israel. God knew, however. Isn’t it a wonderful thought that we serve a God who can see the future.
Isaiah 46:10
September 24, 2013
Genesis 36:32-34 – And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom: and the name of his city was Dinhabah. And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead. And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of Temani reigned in his stead.
Thought: Kings, rulers, and those in positions of power come and go. They die and another reigns in their stead. Kings would do well to remember that they will die. Too, the understanding that kings come and go can give those under the hand of an oppressive ruler hope for the future.
Daniel 2:21
September 25, 2013
Genesis 37:2 – These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren: and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.
Thought: Joseph’s actions while he was young have always been criticized. He is viewed as a tattler because he “brought unto his father their evil report.” Were the actions of these sons hurting their father? Did Jacob believe that it was Joseph responsibility to report such wrong doing? When thought of from a different perspective, Joseph could have been a wise son to make such a report to his father.
Proverbs 13:1
September 26, 2013
Genesis 37:3 – And Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors.
Thought: Parents have many reasons why they favor one child over another. This feeling within can be displayed without. The other children see it as favoritism. This favoritism often fuels jealousy, envy, and anger. Parents and grandparents need to guard against partiality.
Acts 10:34
September 27, 2013
Genesis 37:4 – And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
Thought: Homes are meant to be places of peace. When envy, hatred, and harsh words fill a home, it becomes a place of torment instead of tranquility. When brothers become bitter enemies, the home has left the design that God intended for it.
I John 2:11
September 28, 2013
Genesis 37:5 – And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
Thought: Many believe that Joseph should have kept his mouth shut about his dream. This would have circumvented some of the anger of his brothers. However, had the dream remained with Joseph only, the fulfillment of the dream would not have been recognized by Joseph’s father and brethren. Telling the dream was essential to its fulfillment.
Deuteronomy 18:22
September 29, 2013
Genesis 37:7-8 – For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said unto him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? Or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
Thought: The dreams that Joseph received were revelations from God. In some way, Joseph’s brothers should have at least sought to discern their truthfulness. The Bible exhorts us not to despise prophesying. However, we have a right to test it. When we do, we are to hold fast to the good and abstain from the evil.
I Thessalonians 5:20-22
September 30, 2013
Genesis 37:11 – And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
Thought: When God’s will is proclaimed there will be those like Joseph’s brothers who are angered by the message. There will be others who will be like Jacob and will observe the saying. The word “observe” means “to give heed to” and “to attend to.” Jacob questioned the revelation, but he did not dismiss it from his mind.
James 1:19
Read devotionals for October 2013