God Speaks
Jacob/Israel’s Obedience and Worship, 2 Deaths, the Descendants of Esau, Joseph Aggravates Brothers
Verse of the Day: [May we all obey God as Jacob did.] “Then God said to Jacob, ‘Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God,’ . . . So Jacob said to his household and all who were with him, ‘Get rid of all of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes. Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.'” (Genesis 35: 1-3 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Reflection.
Consider the following questions regarding Genesis 35-37
> 1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
> 2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Genesis 35
1. God is to be feared, revered, worshiped and obeyed above all else.
2. People need to repent, remove all false idols and turn to the only true, living and almighty God.
Genesis 36
1. God knows and cares about each one of His image bearers (all human beings) and has made it possible for each of them to become His adopted children.
2. People need to respond to God’s invitation to become His adopted and obedient children through faith in what Jesus Christ has done for us.
Genesis 37
1. God superintends every action and attitude of mankind. He will use it for His purposes.
2. People tend to be covetous of those who may be receiving special favor.
Prayer
> 3. How might I pray regarding Genesis 35-37?
LORD God, You have given us instructions in how to worship You in Your Word, the Bible. You even demonstrated and modeled it for us in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Please help us to follow His lead. Help us to remove idols and known sin from our lives. Holy Spirit, purify us as we humble ourselves under Your mighty but loving hand. You will honor Your faith-filled people by giving us a new name, a new identity. This is Your covenant (unbreakable) promise just like the one You made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Please help me to be a faithful, obedient servant. May I live and die close to Your dwelling place. May wherever I am be like Bethlehem, a place where people can find the Bread of Life. Even when I am dying, may I give birth to children of God. May I see them move from being sons of sorrow to being children of the righteousness that comes from Your hand.. May I have the privilege of presenting many children before Your throne mature in Christ. Help me to bestow blessings on future generations. May we see many quarreling people (even nations) reconciled to each other and to You, LORD, Holy Spirit, please help teenagers, perhaps like Joseph, to grow in wisdom, to be humble instead of boastful. Please help parents to treat each of their children appropriately as each one needs. Show us the true interpretation of any dreams You give. Please show people, especially the current generation of young people, their true identity, particularly the identity they can have in Christ. Rescue those who are threatened with death (in whatever form or stage of life). Since You are everywhere, help those who are being abandoned, enslaved, or tortured to know that You are there with them. Keep me from jumping to negative conclusions when I’m faced with apparently horrific information. Be with and comfort those who grieve. Put Your obedient people in positions so they can be used to further Your kingdom agenda, thus bringing You glory, LORD. AMEN
Action (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
> 4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Genesis 35-37? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will seek God’s help in eliminating any “idols” in my life that keep me from fully trusting and obeying Him.
- I will determine to go wherever God calls me to go and do whatever He tells me to do.
- I will research the names and other pertinent information of relatives, so that I can effectively pray for them.
- I will seek forgiveness, peace and blessing for a person who hates or wants to harm me.
Share
I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.