Jan 21st

Genesis 22     Nehemiah 11     Matthew 21     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

First, this story shows us the character of the man of faith, Abraham. ‘God tested Abraham’, who showed his willingness to give up that which he had longed for, prayed for and treasured to the God he trusted. Knowing so much more of God how much more should we trust him?

Secondly, this story shows us the character of God.  Dallas Willard, a theologian I deeply respect and rarely understand, recently made a thought-provoking comment in a conversation on suffering; ‘God does not need to test you to find about you. He already knows you fully – what you will think, what you will say and what you will do.’

Yet God tests Abraham, why?

1. Abraham is shown his own character that God already knew. It is in times of testing and stress that who we really are is revealed to us and others. God tests you to show you you.

2. God reveals his character to Abraham. We know God more fully than Abraham did, we know that he is unrelentingly good and loving and that he despises human sacrifice (Deuteronomy 12:31) but Abraham was learning about God for the first time as he walked with him. God tests you to show you himself.

3. Through this story God reveals a glorious foreshadow of the lamb to come.

Thousands of years later a city called Jerusalem would be built in the region of Moriah, and another beloved son would approach, also travelling on a donkey (Gen 22:3). Like Isaac he too would climb a mountain with the wood for his sacrifice laid upon his shoulders and Abraham’s prophetic words would finally be fulfilled – ‘on the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’

How unthinkable to Abraham that Genesis 22:16 would one day be said in praise of God.

(homegroup member)

Jan 20th

Genesis 21     Nehemiah 10     Matthew 20     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

The parable of the labourers:  Each one is hired at a different time of day but all receive a denarius which was a fair day’s pay.  When they complain the owner protests that he is doing no wrong. It is his privilege to extend generosity to all who have worked for him.  This is God’s generosity to each of us – the last will be first and the first will be last – all who love Jesus will receive the full blessings of heaven – this is the grace of God to us. There is no extra advantage we can gain by the things we do.

In the second part of the passage Jesus foretells his death and resurrection and following James and John’s request for greatness for themselves, Jesus teaches that for believers true greatness and leadership is different from that which is valued in the world.  Believers are to lead by being servants and giving themselves away for others, just as Jesus had come to serve and give his life for our sins.

In these passages we see how the kingdom values are the opposite of the world’s values. God reaches down to us and becomes our servant even to giving his life and he wants us to be generous, giving servants in response.

(homegroup member)