Confessional Lutheran Ministerium

Genesis 28:6-22 NKJV

⁶ Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Padan Aram to take himself a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,” ⁷ and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Padan Aram. ⁸ Also Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please his father Isaac. ⁹ So Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife in addition to the wives he had.

¹⁰ Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. ¹¹ So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. ¹² Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

¹³ And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. ¹⁴ Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. ¹⁵ Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”

¹⁶ Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” ¹⁷ And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”

¹⁸ Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. ¹⁹ And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously. ²⁰ Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, ²¹ so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God. ²² And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.”

While traveling northward, Jacob sleeps and dreams. He sees a ladder set upon the earth that reaches heaven, with angels ascending and descending it. The Lord, standing above the ladder, promises to give the land on which he now sleeps to his numerous descendants. His Seed will bless all families of the earth. The Lord also promises to be with Jacob and keep him wherever he goes and bring him back to this land. The dream comforts Jacob. The ladder showed him how close the Lord was to him at any moment, His holy angels attending him.

Upon waking, Jacob converts his stone pillow into a pillar, anoints it with oil, and makes a vow. While his vow can be read as if he were making a bargain with God—“If You do this, then I will do that”—but it is better to read it as a thanksgiving. It’s as if Jacob were saying, “If God does what He has promised to do—be with me wherever I go—then I will most certainly come back here as He has promised, and when I do, I will offer Him sacrifices here.” Jacob goes forward, confident of God’s promises and presence.

 Dear Christian, you have even clearer promises than the patriarchs. The ladder Jacob saw in a vision was seen by the apostles in the person of Jesus Christ. He told Nathanael in John 1:51, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” Jesus has opened heaven for us with His blood. He is the ladder, or way to heaven, for all who place their trust in Him. He is the way, the truth, and the life.

He also promises to be with all who believe in Him. He says in John 14:23, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” God Himself dwells in believers, so that they are houses of God. He dwells within us by faith so that wherever we go or whatever happens to us, we go forward confident of God’s promises and presence. Let us pray: Keep us ever mindful of Your presence, O Lord, that wherever we go and whatever befalls us, we may we shun sinning and confidently rejoice all in Your promises. Amen.

Genesis 27:30—28:1-5 NKJV

³² And his father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?”

So he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”

³³ Then Isaac trembled exceedingly, and said, “Who? Where is the one who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it before you came, and I have blessed him—and indeed he shall be blessed.”

³⁴ When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me—me also, O my father!”

³⁵ But he said, “Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing.”

³⁶ And Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”

³⁷ Then Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Indeed I have made him your master, and all his brethren I have given to him as servants; with grain and wine I have sustained him. What shall I do now for you, my son?”

³⁸ And Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me—me also, O my father!” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.

³⁹ Then Isaac his father answered and said to him:

“Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth,
And of the dew of heaven from above.
⁴⁰ By your sword you shall live,
And you shall serve your brother;
And it shall come to pass, when you become restless,
That you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

⁴¹ So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

⁴² And the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, “Surely your brother Esau comforts himself concerning you by intending to kill you. ⁴³ Now therefore, my son, obey my voice: arise, flee to my brother Laban in Haran. ⁴⁴ And stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away, ⁴⁵ until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereaved also of you both in one day?”

⁴⁶ And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, like these who are the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

28 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and said to him: “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan. ² Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother.

³ “May God Almighty bless you,
And make you fruitful and multiply you,
That you may be an assembly of peoples;
⁴ And give you the blessing of Abraham,
To you and your descendants with you,
That you may inherit the land
In which you are a stranger,
Which God gave to Abraham.”

⁵ So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Padan Aram, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.

Hebrews 12:7 says that Esau “found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.” This can be understood in reference to Isaac. Esau found no place in Isaac for repentance. Realizing that he could not circumvent God’s word, “The older shall serve the younger” (Gen 25:23), Isaac would not repent of the blessing.

The other way is to understand Esau as the one who found no place for repentance, meaning that he found no place in his heart for true repentance. Esau was not sorry that he had offended God by his behavior. He was sorry for what he lost. This is evident by the fact that he blames Jacob for his own sin, saying, “He took away my birthright” (36). It is also evident in the fact that Esau planned to murder Jacob once their father died and the mourning period is complete. True repentance is sorry, not only for what is lost, but for offending God and provoking Him to wrath. True repentance takes responsibility for one’s sin and humbly accepts whatever chastisement the Lord sends. True repentance does not seek other ways to sin. It believes God’s promised mercy and fights against future temptations.

Esau’s plot makes its way to Rebekah’s ears. She suggests that Isaac send him to her homeland to find a wife. Isaac consents and blesses Jacob with the blessing of Abraham. This includes descendants, the land of Canaan, and the promise of the Seed by whom all the families of the earth shall be blessed (Gen 28:14). The Seed will be a blessing to all families of the earth—including Esau’s—by atoning for the sins of the world, so that whoever truly repents will receive the forgiveness earned by the Promised Seed and be counted righteous by God.

We must be careful that our repentance is not the repentance of Esau which is only sad for what it has lost. Rather, true repentance sorrows over offending God. It also trusts that through the atonement won by the Promised Seed—Christ Jesus—God promises to forgive us and declare us righteous.

Let us pray: Give us true repentance, O Lord, to be contrite for our sins, and believe Your promised mercy for Jesus’ sake, and to fight against sin when temptations come. Amen.

Genesis 27:1-29 NKJV

27 Now it came to pass, when Isaac was old and his eyes were so dim that he could not see, that he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.”

And he answered him, “Here I am.”

² Then he said, “Behold now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death. ³ Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. ⁴ And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”

⁵ Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt game and to bring it. ⁶ So Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Indeed I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, ⁷ ‘Bring me game and make savory food for me, that I may eat it and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death.’ ⁸ Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to what I command you. ⁹ Go now to the flock and bring me from there two choice kids of the goats, and I will make savory food from them for your father, such as he loves. ¹⁰ Then you shall take it to your father, that he may eat it, and that he may bless you before his death.”

¹¹ And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Look, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned man. ¹² Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bring a curse on myself and not a blessing.”

¹³ But his mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.” ¹⁴ And he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and his mother made savory food, such as his father loved. ¹⁵ Then Rebekah took the choice clothes of her elder son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. ¹⁶ And she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. ¹⁷ Then she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

¹⁸ So he went to his father and said, “My father.”

And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”

¹⁹ Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done just as you told me; please arise, sit and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.”

²⁰ But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?”

And he said, “Because the Lord your God brought it to me.”

²¹ Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” ²² So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” ²³ And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him.

²⁴ Then he said, “Are you really my son Esau?”

He said, “I am.”

²⁵ He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, so that my soul may bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. ²⁶ Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near now and kiss me, my son.” ²⁷ And he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said:

“Surely, the smell of my son
Is like the smell of a field
Which the Lord has blessed.
²⁸ Therefore may God give you
Of the dew of heaven,
Of the fatness of the earth,
And plenty of grain and wine.
²⁹ Let peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you.
Be master over your brethren,
And let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
And blessed be those who bless you!”

While we may focus on Rebekah and Jacob’s deception of Isaac, we must not fail to understand how Isaac and Esau are sinning as well. The Lord had promised Jacob preeminence over Esau while they were both in the womb. Later, Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a meal. Despite these things, Isaac worked to get Esau the blessing that God had promised for Jacob in the womb and which Esau had forfeited. Rebekah and Jacob, on the other hand, conspired to obtain for Jacob what God had promised him while in the womb and which Esau had forfeited.

It is easy to learn the wrong lesson from this episode of Jacob’s life. The wrong lesson is that God is okay with lying and deceiving if done for a godly purpose. What Rebekah and Jacob did was wrong, and the fact that God does not condemn them should not be seen as divine approval of deception, especially lying and deceiving by God’s name. In fact, Jacob will undergo divine discipline in faith and godliness in Padan-Aram.

The lesson the Holy Spirit wants to teach us in this text is that even when sinful men and women work against God’s word and try to fulfil their own plans, or try to work it out themselves, God uses their schemes to fulfil His word. It isn’t God’s will that Jacob lies and deceives his father. But God foresaw Isaac’s attempt to divert the blessing to Esau and Rebekah’s response and determined from eternity to use both to fulfill His word.

God has given believers many promises in Scripture. Christ Jesus promises to be with us always, even to the end of the age. He promises that the gates of hell shall not prevail against His church. God the Father promises the Holy Spirit to all who ask so that they may walk in faith and godliness. God, who has begun a good work in you, promises to complete ituntil the day of Jesus Christ. The devil, the world, and wicked men work to thwart God’s promises. But God has foreseen all this from eternity, set a boundary to their wickedness and determined how He would use all things for the good of those who love Him. Trusting God to fulfill all His promises, we put off lying and speak the truth in love to those around us.

Let us pray: We give You thanks, heavenly Father, for working all things for our eternal good. Amen.

Genesis 26:17-35 NKJV

¹⁷ Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. ¹⁸ And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them.

¹⁹ Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there. ²⁰ But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled with him. ²¹ Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitnah. ²² And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the Lord has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”

²³ Then he went up from there to Beersheba. ²⁴ And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.” ²⁵ So he built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well.

²⁶ Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, one of his friends, and Phichol the commander of his army. ²⁷ And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?”

²⁸ But they said, “We have certainly seen that the Lord is with you. So we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a covenant with you, ²⁹ that you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing to you but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.’ ”

³⁰ So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. ³¹ Then they arose early in the morning and swore an oath with one another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

³² It came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” ³³ So he called it Shebah. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.

³⁴ When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. ³⁵ And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.

Isaac moves to the valley of Gerar after Abimelech tells him to leave. Apparently, this was not far enough away because Abimelech’s herdsmen claim the water of that well as theirs. Isaac allows them to have the well and calls the well Esek, which means “Contention,” as a memorial to their behavior. He digs another well, only to have the same thing happen. Again, Isaac allows Abimelech’s herdsmen to have the well and names it Sitnah, which means “Hostility.” He moves further south, digs another well. This well is far enough away from Abimelech’s territory that his herdsmen have no rightful claim to it. Isaac names it Rehoboth, which means “wide places,” as a testimony to the Lord’s blessing of enough room to tend his flocks. At Beersheba, the Lord appears to him, reiterates His promise to be with him, bless him, and multiply his descendants. Trusting God’s promise, he builds and altar, sets up his home, an begins digging another well.

While in Beersheba, Abimelech visits Isaac, bringing his friend and his military commander with him. Though the Philistines had driven Isaac away and harassed him about the wells, they see that the Lord has blessed him, so they want to make a covenant with him. Isaac could have refused, citing their contentious and hostile behavior towards him, but he agrees to their request. Peace is better than continued animosity. Besides, Isaac trusts the Lord’s promise that He is with him and will bless him. Trusting God’s promise, he lives St. Paul’s words in Romans 12:18, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”

Living peaceably with others is not always easy and often requires us to sacrifice our pride and at times, even our rights. Isaac is an example of the humility that is only produced by faith in God’s promises. Trusting that God is with us and blesses us with everything we need in this life, we can treat others with patience and forbearance, so that as much as depends on us, we live peaceably with all men. Let us pray: Heavenly Father, bear in us fruit of humility and patience, that, trusting in Your presence and blessing, we may be peaceable people. Amen.

 Genesis 26:1-16 NKJV

26 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar.

² Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. ³ Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. ⁴ And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; ⁵ because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”

⁶ So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. ⁷ And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, “She is my sister”; for he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.” ⁸ Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. ⁹ Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?”

Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’ ”

¹⁰ And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.” ¹¹ So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

¹² Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. ¹³ The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; ¹⁴ for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him. ¹⁵ Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth. ¹⁶ And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.”

Isaac faces a famine just as his father had. He goes to Gerar, some ten miles south of Gaza, where his father Abraham had sojourned decades earlier (Gen 20:1). He does not go to Egypt, as Abraham had (Gen 12:10), because the Lord told him to remain in the land which He would give him. The Lord renews the promise He gave to Abraham for Isaac. Isaac’s descendants will be as numerous as the stars of heaven, they will dwell in all the lands in which Isaac sojourns, and in his Seed—the Messiah—all nations of the earth will be blessed. He commends Abraham’s obedience to encourage Isaac to follow his father’s example of faithfulness to God’s command and promise.

Although Isaac is armed with God’s promises, he fears what man may do to him. When the men of Gerar inquire about Rebekah, he becomes afraid that they may kill him so that one of them may take her as wife. He tells them she is his sister. The ruse works until Abimelech notices Isaac showing husbandly endearment to Rebekah. Abimelech shows himself a righteous man. He allays Isaac’s fear by declaring the death penalty to anyone who touches either Isaac or Rebekah. Isaac then, trusting God’s word to dwell in the land. He sows and reaps a hundredfold by the Lord’s blessing.

There was no need for Isaac to fear the men of Gerar. The Lord had told him to dwell in the land. He had promised to make Isaac into a great nation and give him and his descendants these lands. Isaac should have strengthened himself against his fears with these promises. Isaac, like his father Abraham, has a sinful nature which does not always trust God above all things.

We have the same sinful nature as Abraham and Isaac. We do not always trust the Lord to fulfill His promises. Sometimes—from a human point of view—our fear is justified. At other times, we are afraid without reason. Regardless, the Lord gently reminds us to trust His goodness and His promises. Even in the face of real danger, we can say with David in Psalm 56:3, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” Let us pray: Lord, strengthen our faith in Your promises, so that when we are afraid, we trust You to deliver us. Amen.

  Psalm 22:1-22 NKJV

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Deer of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David.

22 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?
² O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.

³ But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
⁴ Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
⁵ They cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

⁶ But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
⁷ All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
⁸ “He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

⁹ But You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.
¹⁰ I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother’s womb
You have been My God.
¹¹ Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.

¹² Many bulls have surrounded Me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.
¹³ They gape at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion.

¹⁴ I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted within Me.
¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death.

¹⁶ For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced My hands and My feet;
¹⁷ I can count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
¹⁸ They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.

¹⁹ But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!
²⁰ Deliver Me from the sword,
My precious life from the power of the dog.
²¹ Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!

You have answered Me.

²² I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.

David prophesies the sufferings of Christ on Good Friday. He is forsaken by God. All who see Him ridicule Him. They mock Him with His own trust in God His Father. He is poured out like water, spent entirely. His heart is like wax melting under the heat of crucifixion. His strength is dried up like a piece of broken pottery. He thirsts so that His tongue clings to His jaws. His enemies have pierced His hands and feet, attaching Him to the cross. He is so emaciated that one could count His bones. His executioners cast lots for His only earthly possessions since He will not need them in death.

David also sees Christ’s trust in God the Father. God the Father’s purpose had determined this suffering in our place (Acts 4:28). Isaiah says, “It pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief” (Is 53:10). Although God His Father is punishing Him as the sinner, Christ still trusts in Him. He says: “But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God. Be not far from Me, For trouble is near; For there is none to help” (9-11). Although it is His Father who smites Him, Christ looks to Him alone as His strength and asks for deliverance.

Christ’s innocent, bitter sufferings and death atones for the sins of the entire world. In this way, our sufferings cannot resemble Christ’s. But in our sufferings—especially the crosses we bear for the sake of Christ, the gospel, and living a godly life—Christ’s sufferings are an example for us to follow. Although God allows us to suffer affliction and sickness in our bodies and minds, we look to Him alone as our God for help. Although God allows us to suffer ridicule, persecution, or even martyrdom for His sake, we are to look to Him as our strength and salvation. We trust God to save us, if not in this life, then in the next. We can say with David and Christ, “You have answered me” (21), knowing our gracious Father will save, deliver, and on the last day raise us from the dead to eternal life.

Let us pray: We give You thanks, O God, for Christ’s sufferings for our sins. Be our strength and help in our afflictions and crosses, that we may follow His patient example. Amen.

Psalm 21:1-13 NKJV

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

21 The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord;
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
² You have given him his heart’s desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

³ For You meet him with the blessings of goodness;
You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
⁴ He asked life from You, and You gave it to him—
Length of days forever and ever.
⁵ His glory is great in Your salvation;
Honor and majesty You have placed upon him.
⁶ For You have made him most blessed forever;
You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.
⁷ For the king trusts in the Lord,
And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.

⁸ Your hand will find all Your enemies;
Your right hand will find those who hate You.
⁹ You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger;
The Lord shall swallow them up in His wrath,
And the fire shall devour them.
¹⁰ Their offspring You shall destroy from the earth,
And their descendants from among the sons of men.
¹¹ For they intended evil against You;
They devised a plot which they are not able to perform.
¹² Therefore You will make them turn their back;
You will make ready Your arrows on Your string toward their faces.

¹³ Be exalted, O Lord, in Your own strength!
We will sing and praise Your power.

In his Summaries of the Psalms of 1531, Martin Luther says: “The 21st Psalm is a prophecy of the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom which is and remains eternally and spiritually before God…. This psalm belongs in the first commandment and the second petition, for it announces a new worship and kingdom.”

Therefore, this psalm celebrates the victory and reign of a King who delights in the strength of the Lord and finds joy in His salvation. This King is Christ, whose kingdom is established forever before God.

This psalm also contrasts the eternal reign of Christ and the fall of the Jewish kingdom that opposed Him. By rejecting and crucifying their rightful King, the Jewish leaders of that day brought upon themselves unending pain and suffering, a burden they would bear without profit. This psalm points to a new worship and a new kingdom under Christ, aligning with the First Commandment, “You shall serve God only,” and the Second Petition of the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come.”

For Christians, Psalm 21 is a reminder of the joy and security we have in Christ, our eternal King. His reign is not like earthly kingdoms, subject to rise and fall, but is everlasting and unshakeable. Christ has conquered sin, death, and the devil, and in His victory, we too find our strength and salvation.

As we reflect on this psalm, let us rejoice in the sure and certain hope we have in Christ’s eternal kingdom. Let us also be mindful of the new worship to which we are called, worship that is centered on Christ, our King, and His saving work. Our response is to sing and praise the power of God, exalting Him for the victory He has won for us.

Let us pray: Almighty God, we thank You for the victory of Christ, our eternal King. Grant that we may always rejoice in Your strength and find our joy in Your salvation. Help us to worship You in spirit and truth, and to live as faithful citizens of Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Genesis 25:19-34 NKJV

¹⁹ This is the genealogy of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham begot Isaac. ²⁰ Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah as wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan Aram, the sister of Laban the Syrian. ²¹ Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his plea, and Rebekah his wife conceived. ²² But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.

²³ And the Lord said to her:

“Two nations are in your womb,
Two peoples shall be separated from your body;
One people shall be stronger than the other,
And the older shall serve the younger.”

²⁴ So when her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. ²⁵ And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau. ²⁶ Afterward his brother came out, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

²⁷ So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents. ²⁸ And Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

²⁹ Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. ³⁰ And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom.

³¹ But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.”

³² And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?”

³³ Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.”

So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. ³⁴ And Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils; then he ate and drank, arose, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

In Genesis 25:19-34, we encounter divine wisdom and human frailty. Isaac, though a man of faith, was not exempt from weaknesses. His choice to marry Rebekah at forty reflects a victory over youthful desires, showing us that sanctity is found in disciplined, patient living rather than in extraordinary deeds. Genuine piety often unfolds in the ordinary, faithful moments of life.

The story of Rebekah’s barrenness teaches us the importance of earnest prayer. Isaac’s persistent intercession for Rebekah reminds us that true prayer is fervent and steadfast, even when God’s promises seem delayed. Our prayers, like Isaac’s, should be rooted in trust and patience, knowing that God’s timing surpasses our understanding.

The birth of Esau and Jacob brings another crucial lesson: the reversal of worldly expectations. Esau, the firstborn, was expected to inherit the blessing, yet God chose Jacob, the younger, to carry forward His promise. This divine choice illustrates a fundamental truth—God’s ways often defy human wisdom. This cautions us against placing trust in external appearances or worldly status.

Esau’s disregard for his birthright in exchange for a simple meal serves as a stern warning against valuing immediate, worldly pleasures over spiritual blessings. Esau signifies all who prioritize temporal gains over eternal truths, like the false church. He urges us to guard against such folly, valuing spiritual inheritance above all else.

As we reflect on this passage, let us heed the lessons of patience, earnest prayer, and the dangers of worldly desires. Our true blessing comes not from the fleeting pleasures of this world but from faithfully pursuing the spiritual riches God offers. Let us pray: Heavenly Father, help us to value Your promises above all else and resist the temptations of immediate, worldly pleasures. May we seek Your kingdom first and live in the light of Your eternal truth. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Genesis 25:1-11 NKJV

25 Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. ² And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. ³ Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. ⁴ And the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abidah, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

⁵ And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. ⁶ But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had; and while he was still living he sent them eastward, away from Isaac his son, to the country of the east.

⁷ This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. ⁸ Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. ⁹ And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, ¹⁰ the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife. ¹¹ And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi.

In these passages, we see Abraham marrying Keturah and having children, Isaac waiting long years for God’s promise, and Abraham’s peaceful death. Abraham’s life teaches us about patience and divine timing. Even in his old age, Abraham fathered children through Keturah, demonstrating that God’s promises extend beyond human limitations. Abraham’s actions were not driven by indulgence but by a deep faith in God’s plan. The patriarch reminds us that God’s promises are not bound by our expectations or timelines.

Isaac’s story, marked by 20 years of waiting for offspring, highlights the essence of faith. Despite the delay, God’s blessing was sure and came in His perfect timing. Issac’s patience demonstrates that waiting on God is not a sign of unfaithfulness but a crucial aspect of true worship. Our patience and trust in God’s promises, even when they seem long delayed, demonstrate our confidence in His sovereignty.

The death of Abraham, peaceful and full of years, offers us comfort. The end of life for the righteous is not a fearful transition but a peaceful resting in God’s promises. The phrase “gathered to his people” signifies the hope of resurrection and eternal life. The faithful can approach death in confidence that their souls will rest in peace God.

From Abraham’s life to Isaac’s waiting, and through the comfort of death, we learn that God’s promises are reliable. Our faith involves enduring trials, trusting in God’s timing, and holding firm to His word. True worship is faith which holds fast to God’s promises and waits patiently upon Him in hope. Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we thank You for the examples of faith shown in Abraham and Isaac. Help us to trust in Your promises and wait patiently for Your timing. Grant us the strength to endure trials and the assurance that Your blessings will come as You have promised. Comfort us with the hope of eternal life and help us live faithfully, reflecting Your love and trustworthiness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Genesis 24:27-44 NKJV

²⁷ And he said, “Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master. As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master’s brethren.” ²⁸ So the young woman ran and told her mother’s household these things.

²⁹ Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well. ³⁰ So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “Thus the man spoke to me,” that he went to the man. And there he stood by the camels at the well. ³¹ And he said, “Come in, O blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside? For I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels.”

³² Then the man came to the house. And he unloaded the camels, and provided straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. ³³ Food was set before him to eat, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told about my errand.”

And he said, “Speak on.”

³⁴ So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. ³⁵ The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. ³⁶ And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him he has given all that he has. ³⁷ Now my master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell; ³⁸ but you shall go to my father’s house and to my family, and take a wife for my son.’ ³⁹ And I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ ⁴⁰ But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I walk, will send His angel with you and prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father’s house. ⁴¹ You will be clear from this oath when you arrive among my family; for if they will not give her to you, then you will be released from my oath.’

⁴² “And this day I came to the well and said, ‘O Lord God of my master Abraham, if You will now prosper the way in which I go, ⁴³ behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin comes out to draw water, and I say to her, “Please give me a little water from your pitcher to drink,” ⁴⁴ and she says to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also,”—let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’

In today’s passage, we witness that the servant’s recounting of his mission is a profound expression of acknowledgment and gratitude of God’s guidance. That the servant begins by praising God for successfully guiding him emphasizes that all our successes, big or small, are gifts from God. In every aspect of our lives, we should maintain an attitude of thanksgiving.

Despite the generous hospitality he received, the servant’s primary focus remained on fulfilling his mission. This highlights the importance of faithfulness and diligence in our roles, whether in our personal or professional lives. Just as the servant demonstrated unwavering commitment, we too are called to serve with integrity and dedication, honoring God through our responsibilities.

The servant’s detailed recounting of his mission serves to honor both Isaac and Rebekah. He openly and respectfully approaches the possibility of their marriage, since marriage is a divine institution, worthy of honor and to be entered into with transparency. In a world where marriage can be undervalued, we are reminded to uphold its sanctity and respect.

Abraham’s wealth and status were viewed by the servant as blessings from God. This should cause us to see our own blessings as gifts from God, acknowledging His providence rather than attributing success solely to personal achievement.

This episode teaches us to view all things through the lens of divine ordaining. Despite the challenges, marriage is a gift from God with profound significance for those who enter into it and their community. We are encouraged to honor these roles and recognize their divine purpose.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your guidance and blessings in our lives. Help us to approach our daily tasks with gratitude and faithfulness, and teach us see to our successes as gifts from You and serve with integrity in all that we do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.