Tues.’s Devo - The Blessing

Read: Genesis 26:17-27:46; Matthew 9:1-17; Psalm 10:16-18; Proverbs 3:9-10 Abimelech had sent Isaac away from the Negev because his family was growing so big and he was becoming too powerful. He was posing a threat to Abimelech’s kingdom, so Isaac moved his people to the Gerar Valley. Isaac went to where Abraham had dug wells and he dug them up again. The Philistines had filled them with dirt after Abraham died. The reason they did this was because whoever dug the wells and maintained them owned the land around them. So, now when Isaac redug them, the Philistines claimed them as their own because they claimed that Abraham’s wells had not been maintained. The herdsmen of Gerar claimed the land around them. Finally, on the third well, no one claimed it and Isaac named it Rehoboth meaning “broad places” because God had made room for them in the land. Isaac moved to Beersheba where the Lord appeared to him and told him not to be afraid for he was with him and would bless him and multiply his seed to become a great nation. Isaac built an altar and worshipped the Lord. They dug another well there. King Abimelech came and made a covenant of peace with him. After the covenant was made, Isaac was told that his servants had hit water and he named the well Beersheba which means “well of the oath”. At the age of 40, Esau had married two Hittite women who vexed Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac knew he was growing old and about to die so he called in Esau to give him his blessing as the first born. He sent Esau out to kill venison and cook it for him, then he would bless him. As soon as Esau left, Rebekah called in Jacob and told him the plan to get the blessing. Rebekah knew the prophecy of her sons and she wanted to help God make it happen. (Wrong choice, but she had to live with the consequences.) She helped Jacob dress like, smell like and look like Esau. He did trick his father and got the blessing. When Esau arrived, it was all over. The blessing had been given to Jacob and it would stand. Esau would live by the sword and one day break the yoke of his brother. Until then Esau’s descendants would serve Jacob’s. Esau planned to kill Jacob as soon as he buried his father but Rebekah learned of his plan. She told Jacob and told him to flee to Haran and live with her brother, Laban, until Esau cooled off, then she would send for him. In Matthew, Jesus looked at a paralyzed man and assured him that his sins were forgiven. They believed that if you had a sickness it was due to sin. Jesus wanted the man to know that it was not his fault he was paralyzed. The teachers of the law thought forgiving sins was blasphemy so Jesus asked them, “Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to ’Stand up and walk’? Then he turned and told the man to stand up and walk. He did! Then Jesus told him to take his mat and go home. The fear of God swept the crowds. Jesus called Matthew, a tax-collector to be his disciple. Tax collectors were most hated by all. Matthew had a great feast that night and invited all his friends to meet Jesus. The Pharisees disapproved of Jesus’ eating with sinners. Jesus rebuked them saying that he was not called to bring the righteous to salvation but the sinners. One of John’s disciples came to Jesus and asked him why his disciples didn’t fast like the Pharisees did. Jesus told them that it was not time to fast because the bridegroom was here; it was time to eat and feast. One day, he would be taken and they would fast again. Then he gave them a very important tip. The new was coming and everything would have to adjust to it, not vice versa. Jesus was the new wine. They would have to adjust their wineskins to receive him. Jesus was not coming to do away with the old but to fulfill it and preserve the past and the future. Lord, may we welcome everything new that you are bringing yet hold on to our basic foundations. You are the rock that we stand upon and you don’t change.