https://esv.literalword.com/?q=genesis+10%3B+matthew+8
Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Wednesday, 12 January 2022:
Genesis 10:1 – These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood.
Genesis 10 is often called the table of the nations and is arguably the oldest ethnological record in all of ancient literature, demonstrating that God created all peoples, united by one ancestor. Almost all the names in this chapter have been found in other archaeological discoveries, and many of the names in this chapter will be important contextually to other books of the Old Testament.
The purpose of Genesis is not primarily to trace ancestry but rather to show affiliations between people groups, with a special emphasis on tribes in and around the land promised to Israel. This is a selective list of tribes, not comprehensive. Japheth’s descendants are addressed most briefly, likely due to their distance from Israel. The greater emphasis placed on Ham’s family indicates the importance of these people and places in Israel’s history. Finally, Shem’s family account, which continues in chapter 11, has greatest emphasis because it is from Shem that Abraham will come, and from the nation of Abraham the seed of Christ will come, and, of course, the whole Bible points to Jesus.
The following links are provided for more information on Genesis 10:
- https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/genesis.pdf
- https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Gen/Gen_010.cfm?a=10001
- https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Gen/Gen-10.cfm?a=10001
Matthew 8:21 — Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”
“Often our struggle as Christians is not in deciding whether we should obey Christ but in obeying immediately. We may acknowledge our need to follow Christ and commit ourselves to do what He has told us. Yet when God reveals His will to us, that is the time to obey! God’s revelation of His will is His invitation to respond immediately. Some would-be disciples pledged their willingness to follow Jesus, but they told Him they were not ready yet. In Jesus’ day, a Jewish man was expected to care for his elderly parents until they died. One man wanted to wait until his father died before going with Jesus. This would be an honorable delay. The man had to choose between this important responsibility and heeding a call from the Lord. Yet God knew this man, and He knew the man’s father. God would have taken care of the man’s father, if he only would have followed Jesus. This was an opportunity to walk with the Son of God, yet the concerns of this life were competing for priority with obedience to God. Timing our obedience is crucial. Invitations from God come with a limited opportunity to respond. Some opportunities to serve Him, if not accepted immediately, will be lost. Occasions to minister to others may pass us by. When God invites us to intercede for someone, it may be critical that we stop what we are doing and immediately adjust our lives to what God is doing. Missing opportunities to serve the Lord can be tragic. When an invitation comes from God, the to respond is now.” (Henry T. Blackaby)
Matthew 8:25-26 — And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
“It is by faith that God’s mighty power is released into the life of a Christian (Hebrews 11:33—35). The fact that you have doubts indicates that you do not know God as you should. If your prayer life is infiltrated with doubts, you have denied yourself the greatest single avenue of power that God has made available to you. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). God never comforts you in your doubt. Jesus consistently rebuked those who would not believe Him. He had revealed enough of Himself for His disciples to have believed Him in their time of need. God wants to build your understanding of Him until your faith is sufficient to trust and obey Him in each situation (Mark 9:23—25). The moment you turn to Him with a genuine commitment to rid yourself of doubt, God will match your doubt with a revelation of Himself that can convince you of His faithfulness. When Thomas doubted, Jesus revealed Himself to him in such a way that every doubt vanished (John 20:27). You can only resolve your lack of faith in God’s presence. He must reveal Himself in such a way that any doubt you might have is removed. Jesus did this with His disciples. He involved them in a consistent, growing relationship with Himself. Jesus took them through teaching, to small miracles, to large miracles, and to the resurrection. Jesus knew that the redemption of the world rested on His disciples’ believing Him. What does God want to do in the lives of those around you that waits upon your trust in Him and the removal of your doubts?” (Henry T. Blackaby)
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) — 12 Jan 22: Respond to God’s invitation to trust him immediately, today! Do not be anxious in your circumstances but rather rest in the confidence of God’s love, grace, and perfect providence. Today, in complete confidence in the LORD, love, give, forgive, and selflessly serve others with a countenance of love, joy, peace, contentment, and gratitude which testifies to the glory of God.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 