Thurs.’s Devo - The Way of the Kingdom

Read: Genesis 35:1-36:43; Matthew 12:1-21; Psalm 15:1-5; Proverbs 3:21-26
God told Jacob to go back to the place where he had seen angels ascending and descending into heaven when he fled from Esau. He told Jacob to build a standing altar because this place marked his salvation, the place God was revealed to him and he believed. God reminded him that his name had changed to Israel and he needed to start going by his new name. Bethel means “house of God.” When we come into the household of God, everything changes. We get a new name and are called by God’s name.
Everything changed for Israel too. The first thing he did was sanctify his house and get rid of the idols of his past. When he did this, fear of him fell on his enemies. Getting rid of our past makes us powerful against our enemy, Satan.
Israel obeyed God and built the altar and two women who were very close to Israel died. One was his nurse who helped raise him, Deborah, and the other was his beloved wife, Rachel. Deborah means “her words” and Rachel means “a baby lamb”. The oak stood for the cross, Rachel for Jesus and Deborah the words of his past. Unless a wheat falls to the ground and dies, it will not bear fruit. Out of death came the birth of Benjamin which means “son of the right hand.” He was a picture of Jesus resurrected. He was the only son of Israel’s born in the promised land. He quickly became Israel’s favorite son who would replace Joseph when he would leave them later.
Israel’s eldest son, Reuben, had sex with Israel’s concubine, Bilhah which was a huge dishonor to his father and his brothers. This would cost him his birthright. He lost his birthright just as Esau lost his because the first-born in the Bible is a picture of our first birth. We are fruitless unless we die and are born again a second time. The second birth in Christ gets us the birthright. It is a picture that you must be born again.
We have a list of Esau’s children who became Edomites. Esau was a son of Israel even though he was not the promised son: “born-again”. Esau and Jacob mended their relationship but sadly their children carried the ill-will and were never friends.
In Matthew it was the Sabbath. Jesus had a confrontation with the religious leaders over the law. His disciples were hungry so as the walked through a field they took some grain, rubbed it together and ate the kernels. This, in the Pharisees eyes constituted reaping and threshing. They were straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel. Jesus explained that the Sabbath was to bless man and not to confine him. To explain further, he went into the temple and healed a man who had a withered hand showing that the Sabbath was a day to do good. He reminded them of what Isaiah said of the Messiah. He would come and bring justice and hope. What the Pharisees taught was a heavy burden that no one could lift. Jesus came to lighten the load and show them that walking with God was easy and fun. The Pharisees knew nothing about fun.
Lord, teach us the way of your kingdom. Help us to understand justice and love.