January 23, 2024 - Random Thoughts
- brooks16055
- Jan 23, 2024
- 2 min read
Genesis 46:1-47:31
Matthew 15:1-28
Psalm 19:1-14
Proverbs 4:14-19
Genesis 46:2 And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
What should our response be when God calls to us? "Here I am" should be our reply.
Genesis 47:26 So Joseph established it as a law concerning land in Egypt—still in force today—that a fifth of the produce belongs to Pharaoh. It was only the land of the priests that did not become Pharaoh’s.
This struck me that it was one fifth not a tenth. I wonder if that is a statement of Pharaoh not being equal with God. Nothing and no one should get more of our anything than God.
Genesis 47:31 “Swear to me,” he said. Then Joseph swore to him, and Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
"Israel worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff." He was close to death but he still stood to worship God. He couldn't stand on his own, he couldn't get on his knees, he couldn't dance but he worshiped God even in the pain and struggle right to the end of his life.
Matthew 15:17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
Again Jesus tells us that what is in our hearts is more important than any things we can do. The rules and traditions don't matter when you are doing them to live up to some outward standard. Eventually actions and words will match the heart and the evil there will be exposed.
Psalm 19:14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
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