Weekly Bible Readings

July 14, 2019

Exodus 2:23-25

This Sunday for our Creation to Consummation passage, we will be reading together Exodus 2:23-25.

“During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.”

It is easy to sometimes overlook the significance of these three verses, but they remind us of the faithfulness of God. At this point the Jews have been enslaved in Egypt for about three-hundred years and it probably seems like God has forgotten them. But the text clearly tells us that “God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.” A covenant is a solemn promise. God had made covenants with all three patriarchs to be their God and the God of their offspring, particularly that God would make Abraham's offspring into a great nation and that through him all nations would be blessed. Thus, we are reminded that God always keeps his promises, and that God fulfills his promises in his own way and in his own timing. Thus, we must always be patient with God, and trust in his divine wisdom, sovereignty, and faithfulness. Looking forward to seeing you Sunday!

Blessings,

Hexon

Posted by Hexon J. Maldonado with

July 7, 2019

in CREATION TO CONSUMMATION

Genesis 15:1-6

Hi everyone!

I hope this email finds you well. This Sunday for our Creation to Consummation reading we’ll be going over Genesis 15:1-6.

“After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: ‘Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’ But Abram said, ‘O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.’ And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: ‘This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.’ And he brought him outside and said, ‘Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.”

This event is monumental within the history of redemption and is a harbinger of the coming Messiah. Abraham and Sarah were past childbearing age, he being about 85 years old and she being about 75 years old, so understandably Abraham is beginning to wonder how God is going to make him into a great nation without children (Gen 12:2). Yet, God makes a promise to Abraham that someday his descendants will be as numerous as the stars, and Abraham simply believes God and it is credited to him as righteousness. God then seals his promise with a covenant staking his very own existence on the fact that he will keep this promise (15:12-21). Sarah eventually and miraculously becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son, just as Mary would one day miraculously become pregnant and give birth to a son—the Son of God who would be a blessing to all nations (Gen 12:3; Gal 3:8). The promise of Genesis 3:15 is gradually coming to fruition. See you Sunday!