Jan. 17, 2021

Genesis 35 and Genesis 36

As Jacob continues his journey back to his father Isaac, several events take place to signify the passing from one generation to the next. At Bethel, Jacob recalls where the Lord first appeared to him in Genesis 28 by building an altar, acknowledging God’s faithfulness to him. 

An altar is a place where God and man meet. At this altar, the Lord appeared to Jacob again to confirm that the promises made to Abraham and to Isaac would be fulfilled through Jacob and his descendants, now known as Israel. With the death of Isaac, the covenantal worship and blessings of God Almighty (“El Shaddai” in Hebrew) are inherited by Jacob. 

The list of Esau’s descendants may read like a list of names, but no detail is ever wasted by the author of Genesis. This genealogy echoes the descendants of Ishmael in Genesis 25:12-18, reminding the reader that the blessing will not come through Esau’s lineage. These people groups will later form the nation of Edom, with whom Israel will have many conflicts through the rest of the Old Testament. 

Matthew 12:22-50

Jesus continues his public confrontations with the Pharisees, refuting their accusations through miraculous healing and the authority of his teaching. The Pharisees’ jealousy at the crowds’ amazement causes them to slander Jesus by accusing him of being in league with Satan. Jesus issues a strong rebuke to this rejection of the Spirit of God, warning that such a willful and continuous rejection of the ministry of the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.  

The scribes and Pharisees then try to trap him by demanding a “sign,” or miracle, that they could use against them. Jesus replies with the story of Jonah. If the wicked city of Ninevah repented at the preaching of Jonah after God rescued him, how much more should this generation repent and believe in Jesus, the Son of Man, after God raises him from the dead. 

Make It Personal
  • Are you listening for God to speak to you? Or are you avoiding him like Jacob once did?  
  • What promises has God made to you that you can step into?
  • As you pray today, ask God to open your ears and soften your heart so that you too may hear and do the will of your Father in heaven. 

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