Feb 13th

Genesis 46     Job 12     Romans 16     (Click on the Reference to go to the passage)

As Jacob leaves the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob himself, God renews his promise to make their descendants into a great nation (Gen. 47:3, also 12:2, 18:18, 22:16-18, 26:2-4, 28:14). This was God’s chosen people into which his promised One would be born in due time, as we’ll read on Thursday “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” (Luke 2:32). Jacob is leaving the land God had promised to his descendants as a refugee in a time of famine but even at this low point God reminds him of his promise. God’s gracious and good plan for the world and for his people cannot be thwarted. A couple of thousand years later, Paul says: “This message about Jesus Christ has revealed [God’s] plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him.” (Rom. 16:25-26, NLT). “Gentiles” here is translated “nations” in the NIV – the Greek word “ethnos” refers to all the ethnic groups across the world, and was used by Jews to refer to people of other nations (i.e. Gentiles). So this is what we are here for - to tell to all people everywhere this message of Good News that Jesus has opened the way for us to become part of God’s chosen people.

(church mission partner)