Study from Genesis 36; Passage for Reflection: Genesis 36: 2 … NIV Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan.
My Journal for Today: Today’s reading is one of those chapters in the Bible where a lineage or line of descendents is documented and listed. And in reading this, one might ask why God’s word would carefully document the names of the descendants who would become known as the Edomites, or the progeny of Esau.
Well, how God’s Name and faith in Him, or lack thereof, is perpetuated is important to God; and out of today’s simple highlight verse in Gen. 37a we read of the lineage of one of the sons of Abraham, the one who got away. And Esau’s (or “Edom’s” as his name became) descendants had a great deal to do with the wives he chose, all of whom were pagan women from Canaan, … women who came from a culture who worshipped idols and even sacrificed their children to idols. And God’s word wants believers, reading Chapter 37, to realize that a whole generation of pagans, an entire nation, resulted from Esau’s mixed marriages, a nation of descendants who came to hate God’s chosen people, the Israelites, and a nation who developed an entire religion, Islam, which set itself up against the descendants of Abraham who did all they could to marry other believers in the one, true God. And now, even today, we have the second largest religion on the planet which has devolved into worshipping a moon God, Allah, and is at constant war with the descendants of Jacob (i.e., Israel).
My friend, one cannot minimize the importance of Christians marrying other devoted Christians. In the New Testament we read the command of 2nd Corinthians 6: 14-16 (linked), which specifically directs believers away from marrying or being in a covenant with any other unbeliever. All Christians should know that marriage is the most sacred institution created and honored by God. In fact His word even uses the marriage covenant in His word of truth to depict the relationship which God, the Son, has with “His Bride,” the Church. Therefore, we, as His children, are to honor and revere marriage; and when we dishonor it by marrying non-believers or ignoring God’s instructions with regard to marriage, the results can be disastrous, spiritually and socially. I firmly believe that if our country allows for or adopts a national policy, allowing for homosexual marriage, we will see God’s wrath of abandonment settle on our Nation, which had been founded as a nation to honor Christ; and we’ll see God turn us over to Satan’s world (see the teaching of Romans 1: 18-32 - linked here). Esau abandoned the ways of God in marrying into a pagan culture of unbelievers; and we see what has resulted; and we will also see the schism between Christians and non-Christians widen if we tamper in our culture, either individually or collectively, with the institution of marriage.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, help this nation and Your world, because it is YOUR world, to realize how much You revere Your institution of marriage; and, dear Lord, have mercy on those of us who do honor Your Bride and our marriages to You in the face of our spouses here on earth. Amen
Showing posts with label marriage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marriage. Show all posts
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Friday, April 24, 2009
2009 – Day 113.Apr. 24 – A Kindred Spirit
2009 – Day 113.Apr. 24 – A Kindred Spirit
Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 18: 1 – 4 … 1 Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.
My Journal for Today: If you are a “David,” do you have a “Jonathan” in your life. As Swindoll emphasizes by today’s devotional, intimate friends are very rare. Generally we are blessed if we have one; but it’s very rare to have two or more friends who would always be there for you – NO MATTER WHAT! These are friends who don’t keep score, … who defend you when you need defending, … and who will give generously of their time, talents, and treasures to make life better for you.
This was Jonathan, Saul’s first-born son, to David; and in today’s highlight passage we see that Jonathan sealed that friendship with a covenant. The concept of covenant was very important to this middle-eastern culture. When two partners or friends wanted to show that they would be there for the other one, a covenant was “cut” between the two. And if you study “covenant” in the Bible, you’ll see that God established a covenant with Israel which involved the shedding of blood and the exchange of vows.
And though we don’t read of the sharing of blood in today’s passage, we do see the exchange of garments and armament, signifying Jonathan’s and David’s pledge to one another to be there for the other and to fight the other’s battles if necessary. It was a declaration that anything one had the other was welcome to claim; and it also said that each considered the debts incurred by the one to be the debts of the other. Covenant in biblical times was more than a close friendship. It was the joining of one life to another.
Think of the covenant God made with Abraham or with Noah or with Moses and with David. This was God pledging His all for these covenant partners. Think of the way a covenant marriage SHOULD BE. Two take vows to be there for one another ... FOREVER. And in a real covenant marriage, there is an exchange of vows and rings to signify the joining of one life to another. If you’re married, do you see your marriage partner as your covenant partner for eternity? Christ certainly sees what He did on the cross, shedding His blood for anyone who would receive His act of sacrifice, as His New Covenant to mankind.
So, I hope you can see that Jonathan is a type of Christ in today’s passage. Christ was willing to exchange His garments of righteousness for my rags of sin, just as Jonathan was willing to give David his robes and armor, the robes and armor of the son of the king. This was Jonathan willing to set aside everything for David when David received that covenant promise; and I hope you can see Jonathan being a picture of Christ for each of His covenant partners – you and me, if we are Christians.
I hope you have a covenant friend/partner in life. I do in my wife. I do in a dear friend of mine. And above all, I do in Christ.
My Prayer for Today: Lord Jesus, I am bound to You for eternity in covenant love; and You to me. Amen
Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 18: 1 – 4 … 1 Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2 Saul took him that day, and would not let him go home to his father’s house anymore. 3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt.
My Journal for Today: If you are a “David,” do you have a “Jonathan” in your life. As Swindoll emphasizes by today’s devotional, intimate friends are very rare. Generally we are blessed if we have one; but it’s very rare to have two or more friends who would always be there for you – NO MATTER WHAT! These are friends who don’t keep score, … who defend you when you need defending, … and who will give generously of their time, talents, and treasures to make life better for you.
This was Jonathan, Saul’s first-born son, to David; and in today’s highlight passage we see that Jonathan sealed that friendship with a covenant. The concept of covenant was very important to this middle-eastern culture. When two partners or friends wanted to show that they would be there for the other one, a covenant was “cut” between the two. And if you study “covenant” in the Bible, you’ll see that God established a covenant with Israel which involved the shedding of blood and the exchange of vows.
And though we don’t read of the sharing of blood in today’s passage, we do see the exchange of garments and armament, signifying Jonathan’s and David’s pledge to one another to be there for the other and to fight the other’s battles if necessary. It was a declaration that anything one had the other was welcome to claim; and it also said that each considered the debts incurred by the one to be the debts of the other. Covenant in biblical times was more than a close friendship. It was the joining of one life to another.
Think of the covenant God made with Abraham or with Noah or with Moses and with David. This was God pledging His all for these covenant partners. Think of the way a covenant marriage SHOULD BE. Two take vows to be there for one another ... FOREVER. And in a real covenant marriage, there is an exchange of vows and rings to signify the joining of one life to another. If you’re married, do you see your marriage partner as your covenant partner for eternity? Christ certainly sees what He did on the cross, shedding His blood for anyone who would receive His act of sacrifice, as His New Covenant to mankind.
So, I hope you can see that Jonathan is a type of Christ in today’s passage. Christ was willing to exchange His garments of righteousness for my rags of sin, just as Jonathan was willing to give David his robes and armor, the robes and armor of the son of the king. This was Jonathan willing to set aside everything for David when David received that covenant promise; and I hope you can see Jonathan being a picture of Christ for each of His covenant partners – you and me, if we are Christians.
I hope you have a covenant friend/partner in life. I do in my wife. I do in a dear friend of mine. And above all, I do in Christ.
My Prayer for Today: Lord Jesus, I am bound to You for eternity in covenant love; and You to me. Amen
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