This Week’s Lectionary for Sunday, 22 June 2014:
2nd Sunday after Pentecost/in Kingdomtide – Green
Genesis 21:8-21
Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17
Psalm 17
Jeremiah 20:7-13
Psalm 69:7-10-18
Romans 6:1b-11
Matthew 10:24-39
Genesis 21: 8 The child grew, and was weaned. Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. 9 Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking. 10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this servant and her son! For the son of this servant will not be heir with my son, Isaac.”
11 The thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight on account of his son. 12 God said to Abraham, “Don’t let it be grievous in your sight because of the boy, and because of your servant. In all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice. For your offspring[a] will be accounted as from Isaac. 13 I will also make a nation of the son of the servant, because he is your child[b].” 14 Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder; and gave her the child, and sent her away. She departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. 15 The water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs. 16 She went and sat down opposite him, a good way off, about a bow shot away. For she said, “Don’t let me see the death of the child.” She sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept. 17 God heard the voice of the boy.
The angel of God called to Hagar out of the sky, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Don’t be afraid. For God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. 18 Get up, lift up the boy, and hold him in your hand. For I will make him a great nation.”
19 God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went, filled the bottle with water, and gave the boy drink. 20 God was with the boy, and he grew. He lived in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer. 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran. His mother took a wife for him out of the land of Egypt.
Footnotes:
a. Genesis 21:12 or, seed
b. Genesis 21:13 or, seed
Psalm 86: A Prayer by David.
1 Hear, Yahweh, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my soul, for I am godly.
You, my God, save your servant who trusts in you.
3 Be merciful to me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to the soul of your servant,
for to you, Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive;
abundant in loving kindness to all those who call on you.
6 Hear, Yahweh, my prayer.
Listen to the voice of my petitions.
7 In the day of my trouble I will call on you,
for you will answer me.
8 There is no one like you among the gods, Lord,
nor any deeds like your deeds.
9 All nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord.
They shall glorify your name.
10 For you are great, and do wondrous things.
You are God alone.
16 Turn to me, and have mercy on me!
Give your strength to your servant.
Save the son of your servant.
17 Show me a sign of your goodness,
that those who hate me may see it, and be shamed,
because you, Yahweh, have helped me, and comforted me.
Jeremiah 20:7 Yahweh, you have persuaded me, and I was persuaded; you are stronger than I, and have prevailed: I am become a laughing-stock all the day, every one mocks me. 8 For as often as I speak, I cry out; I cry, Violence and destruction! because Yahweh’s word is made a reproach to me, and a derision, all the day. 9 If I say, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name, then there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with forbearing, and I can’t. 10 For I have heard the defaming of many, terror on every side. Denounce, and we will denounce him, say all my familiar friends, those who watch for my fall; perhaps he will be persuaded, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him. 11 But Yahweh is with me as an awesome mighty one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail; they shall be utterly disappointed, because they have not dealt wisely, even with an everlasting dishonor which shall never be forgotten. 12 But, Yahweh of Armies, who tests the righteous, who sees the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance on them; for to you have I revealed my cause. 13 Sing to Yahweh, praise Yahweh; for he has delivered the soul of the needy from the hand of evildoers.
Psalm 69:7 Because for your sake, I have borne reproach.
Shame has covered my face.
8 I have become a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my mother’s children.
9 For the zeal of your house consumes me.
The reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
10 When I wept and I fasted,
that was to my reproach.
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing,
I became a byword to them.
12 Those who sit in the gate talk about me.
I am the song of the drunkards.
13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, Yahweh, in an acceptable time.
God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me in the truth of your salvation.
14 Deliver me out of the mire, and don’t let me sink.
Let me be delivered from those who hate me, and out of the deep waters.
15 Don’t let the flood waters overwhelm me,
neither let the deep swallow me up.
Don’t let the pit shut its mouth on me.
16 Answer me, Yahweh, for your loving kindness is good.
According to the multitude of your tender mercies, turn to me.
17 Don’t hide your face from your servant,
for I am in distress.
Answer me speedily!
18 Draw near to my soul, and redeem it.
Ransom me because of my enemies.
Psalm 17: A Prayer by David.
1 Hear, Yahweh, my righteous plea;
Give ear to my prayer, that doesn’t go out of deceitful lips.
2 Let my sentence come out of your presence.
Let your eyes look on equity.
3 You have proved my heart.
You have visited me in the night.
You have tried me, and found nothing.
I have resolved that my mouth shall not disobey.
4 As for the deeds of men, by the word of your lips,
I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have held fast to your paths.
My feet have not slipped.
6 I have called on you, for you will answer me, God.
Turn your ear to me.
Hear my speech.
7 Show your marvelous loving kindness,
you who save those who take refuge by your right hand from their enemies.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye.
Hide me under the shadow of your wings,
9 from the wicked who oppress me,
my deadly enemies, who surround me.
10 They close up their callous hearts.
With their mouth they speak proudly.
11 They have now surrounded us in our steps.
They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
12 He is like a lion that is greedy of his prey,
as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
13 Arise, Yahweh, confront him.
Cast him down.
Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword;
14 from men by your hand, Yahweh,
from men of the world, whose portion is in this life.
You fill the belly of your cherished ones.
Your sons have plenty,
and they store up wealth for their children.
15 As for me, I shall see your face in righteousness.
I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.
Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection; 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him; 9 knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no more has dominion over him! 10 For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. 11 Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Matthew 10:24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. 25 It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,[a] how much more those of his household! 26 Therefore don’t be afraid of them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed; and hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim on the housetops. 28 Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. [b]
29 “Aren’t two sparrows sold for an assarion coin?[c] Not one of them falls on the ground apart from your Father’s will, 30 but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Therefore don’t be afraid. You are of more value than many sparrows. 32 Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.
34 “Don’t think that I came to send peace on the earth. I didn’t come to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to set a man at odds against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 A man’s foes will be those of his own household.[d] 37 He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me. 38 He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me, isn’t worthy of me. 39 He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 10:25 Literally, Lord of the Flies, or the devil
b. Matthew 10:28 or, Hell.
c. Matthew 10:29 An assarion is a small coin worth one tenth of a drachma or a sixteenth of a denarius. An assarion is approximately the wages of one half hour of agricultural labor.
d. Matthew 10:36 Micah 7:6
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John Wesley’s Notes-Commentary:
Genesis 21:8-21
Verse 9
[9] And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.
Sarah saw the son of the Egyptian mocking — Mocking Isaac no doubt, for it is sad, with reference to this, Galatians 4:29, that he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the spirit. Ishmael is here called the son of the Egyptian, because (as some think) the four hundred years affliction of the seed of Abraham by the Egyptians began now, and was to be dated from hence.
Verse 10
[10] Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.
Cast out the bond-woman — This was a type of the rejection of the unbelieving Jews, who, though they were the seed of Abraham, yet, because they submitted not to the gospel-covenant, were unchurched and disfranchised. And that, which above any thing provoked God to cast them off, was, their mocking and persecuting the gospel-church, God's Isaac, in his infancy.
Verse 11
[11] And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.
The thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight — it grieved him that Ishmael had given such provocation. And still more that Sarah insisted upon such a punishment.
Verse 13
[13] And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.
The casting out of Ishmael was not his ruin. He shall be a nation because he is thy seed - We are not sure that it was his eternal ruin. It is presumption to say, that all these who are left out of the external dispensation of God's covenant are excluded from all his mercies. Those may be saved who are not thus honoured.
Verse 14
[14] And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
And Abraham rose up early in the morning — We may suppose immediately after he had in the night-visions received orders to do this.
Verse 17
[17] And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
God heard the voice of the lad — We read not of a word be said; but his sighs and groans, cried loud in the ears of the God of mercy. An angel was sent to comfort Hagar, who assures her, God has heard the voice of the lad where he is - Though he be in the wilderness; for wherever we are, there is a way open heavenwards; therefore lift up the lad, and hold him in thy hand - God's readiness to help us when we are in trouble must not slacken, but quicken our endeavours to help ourselves. He repeats the promise concerning her son, that he should be a great nation, as a reason why she should bestir herself to help him.
Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17
Verse 2
[2] Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.
Holy — Sincerely devoted to thy service.
Psalm 17
Verse 1
[1] Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
The right — Regard my righteous cause.
Verse 2
[2] Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.
Sentence — Judgment on my behalf.
Come — From thy tribunal.
Verse 3
[3] Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
Proved — Or, searched or tried it, by many temptations and afflictions.
Night — When men’s minds being freed from the distraction of business, and from the society of men, they act more vigorously and freely, according to their several inclinations.
Tried — As gold-smiths do metals.
Nothing — Nothing of unrighteousness.
Purposed — I have resolved, upon deliberation, as the word implies.
Mouth — I am so far from practising against Saul's life, as they charge me, that I will not wrong him so much as in a word.
Verse 4
[4] Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.
Concerning — Observing the works of the men of this age, how wicked they are, I was resolved to take more care in ordering my own actions.
By — By the help of thy blessed word.
Paths — The customs and practices.
Destroyer — Or, of the violent man: such as Saul, and his courtiers and soldiers.
Verse 7
[7] Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
By — By thy great power.
Verse 10
[10] They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.
They — They live in splendor and prosperity.
Verse 11
[11] They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
Steps — In all our ways. We go from place to place, to rocks, and caves, and woods; but wheresoever we go they are at hand, and ready to surround us.
Eyes — They keep their eyes fixed upon us.
Bowing — Couching down upon the earth, that they may watch the fittest opportunity to surprize us.
Verse 13
[13] Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
Sword — Thy instrument to execute vengeance upon thine enemies. Do not punish me with this rod: let me fall into thy hands, and not into the hands of men.
Verse 14
[14] From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
Thy hand — Wherewith thou dost correct me.
World — Who set their hearts upon this world, and neither have, nor desire any other portion.
Belly — Mind or appetite, as that word is used, Job 20:20. Proverbs 20:30.
Treasure — With extraordinary wealth and glory.
Children — When many of thy faithful servants are barren, these are blessed with a numerous posterity.
Verse 15
[15] As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
I will — I do not place my portion in earthly treasures, but in beholding God's face, in the enjoyment of God's presence and favour; which is enjoyed in part in this life, but not fully.
Satisfied — The time is coming, wherein I shall be abundantly satisfied with beholding thy face.
Awake — When I arise from he dead.
Likeness — With the image of God stamped upon my glorified soul.
Jeremiah 20:7-13
Verse 7
[7] O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.
Hast prevailed — Thou prevailedst against me. Jeremiah at first excused himself to God, chap. 1:6, but the Lord prevailed against him replying, verse 1:7, Say not, I am a child, for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak, verse 1:9. This is all that is here meant, namely, God's over-ruling him contrary to his own inclinations.
Verse 8
[8] For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.
Since — Since I first began to be a prophet, I have faithfully discharged my office, and that with warmth and zeal.
Spoil — I have prophesied that violence and spoil was coming.
Because — Because of that scorn and derision with which they treated him.
Verse 9
[9] Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
I said — He did not speak this openly, but in his heart.
But — He found in his heart a constraint to go on.
Verse 10
[10] For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.
Prevail — Desiring nothing more than that I might be enticed to speak or do something which they might make matter of a colourable accusation.
Verse 11
[11] But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.
But — The prophet recovering himself out of his fit of passion, encourageth himself in his God, whom he calls the mighty and terrible one, so declaring his faith in the power of God, as one able to save him, and in the promise and good will of God toward him; therefore he saith, The Lord is with me; such was the promise of God to this prophet, when he first undertook the prophetical office, chap. 1:8. Be not afraid of their faces, for I am with thee to deliver thee saith the Lord: from hence be concludes, that though he had many that pursued after his life, yet they should stumble in their ways of violence, and should not prevail.
Ashamed — That they should be ashamed of what they had done, or be brought to shame for what they had done; for prosper they should not: or they acted like fools, and did not deal prudently for themselves (so this word is translated, Isaiah 52:13,) yea, they should become a reproach, and their reproach should be a lasting perpetual reproach that should not be forgotten.
Psalm 69:7-18
Verse 7
[7] Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.
For thy sake — For my obedience to thy commands, and zeal for thy glory.
Verse 9
[9] For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.
Zeal — That fervent love which I have for thy house and service, and glory, and people.
Eaten — Exhausted my spirits.
Upon me — I have been as deeply affected with thy reproaches, as with mine own. This tho' truly belonging to David, yet was also directed by the spirit of God in him, to represent the disposition and condition of Christ, in whom it was more fully accomplished, to whom therefore it is applied in the New Testament, the first part of it, John 2:17, and the latter, Romans 15:3.
Verse 10
[10] When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.
Wept — For their impiety.
Reproach — They derided me for it.
Verse 11
[11] I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.
Proverb — A proverb of reproach.
Verse 12
[12] They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.
That sit — Vain and idle persons, that spend their time in the gates and markets.
Verse 13
[13] But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.
In the truth — Or, According to thy saving truth, or faithfulness; grant me that salvation, which thou hast graciously promised.
Romans 6:1b-11
Verse 1
[1] What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
The apostle here sets himself more fully to vindicate his doctrine from the consequence above suggested, Romans 3:7,8. He had then only in strong terms denied and renounced it: here he removes the very foundation thereof.
Verse 2
[2] God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Dead to sin — Freed both from the guilt and from the power of it.
Verse 3
[3] Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
As many as have been baptized into Jesus Christ have been baptized into his death — In baptism we, through faith, are ingrafted into Christ; and we draw new spiritual life from this new root, through his Spirit, who fashions us like unto him, and particularly with regard to his death and resurrection.
Verse 4
[4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
We are buried with him — Alluding to the ancient manner of baptizing by immersion.
That as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory — Glorious power. Of the Father, so we also, by the same power, should rise again; and as he lives a new life in heaven, so we should walk in newness of life. This, says the apostle, our very baptism represents to us.
Verse 5
[5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
For — Surely these two must go together; so that if we are indeed made conformable to his death, we shall also know the power of his resurrection.
Verse 6
[6] Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Our old man — Coeval with our being, and as old as the fall; our evil nature; a strong and beautiful expression for that entire depravity and corruption which by nature spreads itself over the whole man, leaving no part uninfected. This in a believer is crucified with Christ, mortified, gradually killed, by virtue of our union with him.
That the body of sin — All evil tempers, words, and actions, which are the "members" of the "old man," Colossians 3:5, might be destroyed.
Verse 7
[7] For he that is dead is freed from sin.
For he that is dead — With Christ. Is freed from the guilt of past, and from the power of present, sin, as dead men from the commands of their former masters.
Verse 8
[8] Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
Dead with Christ — Conformed to his death, by dying to sin.
Verse 10
[10] For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
He died to sin — To atone for and abolish it.
He liveth unto God — A glorious eternal life, such as we shall live also.
Matthew 10:24-39
Verse 24
[24] The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
Luke 6:30; John 15:20.
Verse 25
[25] It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
How much more — This cannot refer to the quantity of reproach and persecution: (for in this the servant cannot be above his lord:) but only to the certainty of it. Matthew 12:24.
Verse 26
[26] Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
Therefore fear them not — For ye have only the same usage with your Lord.
There is nothing covered — So that however they may slander you now, your innocence will at length appear. Mark 4:22; Luke 8:17; 12:2.
Verse 27
[27] What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
Even what I now tell you secretly is not to be kept secret long, but declared publicly. Therefore, What ye hear in the ear, publish on the house-top - Two customs of the Jews seem to be alluded to here. Their doctors used to whisper in the ear of their disciples what they were to pronounce aloud to others. And as their houses were low and flat roofed, they sometimes preached to the people from thence. Luke 12:3.
Verse 28
[28] And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
And be not afraid — of any thing which ye may suffer for proclaiming it.
Be afraid of him who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell — It is remarkable, that our Lord commands those who love God, still to fear him, even on this account, under this notion. 29, 30. The particular providence of God is another reason for your not fearing man. For this extends to the very smallest things. And if he has such care over the most inconsiderable creatures, how much more will he take care of you, (provided you confess him before men, before powerful enemies of the truth,) and that not only in this life, but in the other also?
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This Week’s Lectionary for Sunday, 29 June 2014:
Genesis 22:1-14
Psalm 13
Jeremiah 28:5-9
Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18
Romans 6:12-23
Matthew 10:40-42
Genesis 22:1 After these things, God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
He said, “Here I am.”
2 He said, “Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, even Isaac, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will tell you of.”
3 Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place far off. 5 Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go yonder. We will worship, and come back to you.” 6 Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. He took in his hand the fire and the knife. They both went together. 7 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, “My father?”
He said, “Here I am, my son.”
He said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
8 Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they both went together. 9 They came to the place which God had told him of. Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood. 10 Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to kill his son.
11 Yahweh’s angel called to him out of the sky, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
He said, “Here I am.”
12 He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
13 Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 Abraham called the name of that place Yahweh Will Provide.[a] As it is said to this day, “On Yahweh’s mountain, it will be provided.”
Footnotes:
a. Genesis 22:14 or, Yahweh-Jireh, or, Yahweh-Seeing
Psalm 13: For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David.
1 How long, Yahweh?
Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
having sorrow in my heart every day?
How long shall my enemy triumph over me?
3 Behold, and answer me, Yahweh, my God.
Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;
4 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”;
Lest my adversaries rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your loving kindness.
My heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing to Yahweh,
because he has been good to me.
Jeremiah 28:5 Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people who stood in Yahweh’s house, 6 even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: Yahweh do so; Yahweh perform your words which you have prophesied, to bring again the vessels of Yahweh’s house, and all them of the captivity, from Babylon to this place. 7 Nevertheless hear you now this word that I speak in your ears, and in the ears of all the people: 8 The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. 9 The prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet shall happen, then shall the prophet be known, that Yahweh has truly sent him.
Psalm 89: A contemplation by Ethan, the Ezrahite.
1 I will sing of the loving kindness of Yahweh forever.
With my mouth, I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
2 I indeed declare, “Love stands firm forever.
You established the heavens.
Your faithfulness is in them.”
3 “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David, my servant,
4 ‘I will establish your offspring[a] forever,
and build up your throne to all generations.’”
Selah.
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 89:4 or, seed
15 Blessed are the people who learn to acclaim you.
They walk in the light of your presence, Yahweh.
16 In your name they rejoice all day.
In your righteousness, they are exalted.
17 For you are the glory of their strength.
In your favor, our horn will be exalted.
18 For our shield belongs to Yahweh;
our king to the Holy One of Israel.
Romans 6:12 Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 Also, do not present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? May it never be! 16 Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were delivered. 18 Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness.
19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification. 20 For when you were servants of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit then did you have at that time in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now, being made free from sin, and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification, and the result of eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Matthew 10:40 He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me. 41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. He who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, most certainly I tell you he will in no way lose his reward.”
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John Wesley’s Notes-Commentary:
Genesis 22:1-14
Verse 1
[1] And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
Here is the trial of Abraham's faith, whether it continued so strong, so vigorous, so victorious, after a long settlement in communion with God, as it was at first, when by it he left his country: then it appeared that he loved God better than his father; now, that he loved him better than his son.
After these things — After all the other exercises he had had, all the difficulties he had gone through: now perhaps he was beginning to think the storms were blown over but after all, this encounter comes, which is stranger than any yet.
God did tempt Abraham — Not to draw him to sin, so Satan tempts; but to discover his graces, how strong they were, that they might be found to praise and honour and glory. The trial itself: God appeared to him as he had formerly done, called him by name Abraham, that name which had been given him in ratification of the promise: Abraham, like a good servant, readily answered, Here am I; what saith my Lord unto his servant? Probably he expected some renewed promise, like those, Genesis 15:1; 17:1, but to his great amazement that which God hath to say to him is in short, Abraham, go kill thy son: and this command is given him in such aggravating language as makes the temptation abundantly more grievous. When God speaks, Abraham, no doubt, takes notice of every word, and listens attentively to it: and every word here is a sword in his bones; the trial is steel'd with trying phrases. Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that he should afflict? No, it is not; yet when Abraham's faith is to be tried, God seems to take pleasure in the aggravation of the trial.
Verse 2
[2] And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
And he said, take thy son — Not thy bullocks and thy lambs; how willingly would Abraham have parted with them by thousands to redeem Isaac! Not thy servant, no, not the steward of thine house.
Thine only son — Thine only son by Sarah. Ishmael was lately cast out, to the grief of Abraham, and now Isaac only was left and must he go too? Yes: take Isaac, him by name, thy laughter, that son indeed. Yea, that son whom thou lovest - The trial was of Abraham's love to God, and therefore it must be in a beloved son: in the Hebrew 'tis expressed more emphatically, and I think might very well be read thus, Take now that son of thine, that only son of thine, whom thou lovest, that Isaac.
And get thee into the land of Moriah — Three days journey off: so that he might have time to consider it, and if he do it, must do it deliberately.
And offer him for a burnt offering — He must not only kill his son, but kill him as a sacrifice, with all that sedateness and composedness of mind, with which he used to offer his burnt-offering.
Verse 3
[3] And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
The several steps of this obedience, all help to magnify it, and to shew that he was guided by prudence, and governed by faith, in the whole transaction. (1.) He rises early - Probably the command was given in the visions of the night, and early the next morning he sets himself about it, did not delay, did not demur. Those that do the will of God heartily will do it speedily. (2.) He gets things ready for a sacrifice, and it should seem, with his own hands, cleaves the wood for the burnt-offering. (3.) He left his servants at some distance off, left they should have created him some disturbance in his strange oblation. Thus when Christ was entering upon his agony in the garden, he took only three of his disciples with him.
Verse 6
[6] And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
Isaac's carrying the wood was a type of Christ, who carried his own cross, while Abraham, with a steady and undaunted resolution, carried the fatal knife and fire.
Verse 7
[7] And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb? — This is, 1. A trying question to Abraham; how could he endure to think that Isaac is himself the lamb? 2. 'Tis a teaching question to us all, that when we are going to worship God, we should seriously consider whether we have everything ready, especially the lamb for a burnt-offering. Behold, the fire is ready; that is, the Spirit's assistance, and God's acceptance: the wood is ready, the instituted ordinances designed to kindle our affections, which indeed, without the Spirit, are but like wood without fire, but the Spirit works by them. All things are now ready, but where is the lamb? Where is the heart? Is that ready to be offered up to God, to ascend to him as a burnt-offering?
Verse 8
[8] And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
My son, God will provide himself a lamb — This was the language either, 1. Of his obedience; we must offer the lamb which God has appointed now to be offered; thus giving him this general rule of submission to the divine will to prepare him for the application of it to himself. Or, 2. Of his faith; whether he meant it so or no, this proved to be the meaning of it; a sacrifice was provided instead of Isaac. Thus, 1. Christ the great sacrifice of atonement was of God's providing: when none in heaven or earth could have found a lamb for that burnt-offering, God himself found the ransom. 2. All our sacrifices of acknowledgement are of God's providing too; 'tis he that prepares the heart. The broken and contrite spirit is a sacrifice of God, of his providing.
Verse 9
[9] And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
With the same resolution and composedness of mind, he applies himself to the compleating of this sacrifice. After many a weary step, and with a heavy heart, he arrives at length at the fatal place; builds the altar, an altar of earth, we may suppose, the saddest that ever be built; lays the wood in order for Isaac's funeral pile; and now tells him the amazing news. Isaac, for ought appears, is as willing as Abraham; we do not find that he made any objection against it. God commands it to be done, and Isaac has learned to submit. Yet it is necessary that a sacrifice be bound; the great Sacrifice, which, in the fulness of time, was to be offered up, must be bound, and therefore so must Isaac. Having bound him he lays him upon the altar, and his hand upon the head of the sacrifice. Be astonished, O heavens, at this, and wonder, O earth! here is an act of faith and obedience which deserves to be a spectacle to God, angels and men; Abraham's darling, the church's hope, the heir of promise, lies ready to bleed and die by his own father's hands! Now this obedience of Abraham in offering up Isaac is a lively representation, 1. Of the love of God to us, in delivering up his only begotten Son to suffer and die for us, as a sacrifice. Abraham was obliged both in duty and gratitude to part with Isaac and parted with him to a friend, but God was under no obligations to us, for we were enemies. 2. Of our duty to God in return of that love we must tread in the steps of this faith of Abraham. God, by his word, calls us to part with all for Christ, all our sins, tho' they have been as a right hand, or a right eye, or an Isaac; all those things that are rivals with Christ for the sovereignity of our heart; and we must chearfully let them all go. God, by his providence, which is truly the voice of God, calls us to part with an Isaac sometimes, and we must do it by a chearful resignation and submission to his holy will.
Verse 11
[11] And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
The Angel of the Lord — That is, God himself, the eternal Word, the Angel of the covenant, who was to be the great Redeemer and Comforter.
Verse 12
[12] And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
Lay not thine hand upon the lad — God's time to help his people is, when they are brought to the greatest extremity: the more eminent the danger is, and the nearer to be put in execution, the more wonderful and the more welcome is the deliverance.
Now know I that thou fearest God — God knew it before, but now Abraham had given a memorable evidence of it. He need do no more, what he had done was sufficient to prove the religious regard he had to God and his authority. The best evidence of our fearing God is our being willing to honour him with that which is dearest to us, and to part with all to him, or for him.
Verse 13
[13] And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
Behold a ram — Tho' that blessed Seed was now typified by Isaac, yet the offering of him up was suspended 'till the latter end of the world, and in the meantime the sacrifice of beasts was accepted, as a pledge of that expiation which should be made by that great sacrifice. And it is observable, that the temple, the place of sacrifice, was afterward built upon this mount Moriah, 2 Chronicles 3:1, and mount Calvary, where Christ was crucified, was not far off.
Verse 14
[14] And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
And Abraham called the place Jehovah-jireh — The Lord will provide. Probably alluding to what he had said, Genesis 22:8.
God will provide himself a lamb — This was purely the Lord's doing: let it be recorded for the generations to come; that the Lord will see; he will always have his eyes upon his people in their straits, that he may come in with seasonable succour in the critical juncture. And that he will be seen, be seen in the mount, in the greatest perplexities of his people; he will not only manifest but magnify his wisdom, power and goodness in their deliverance. Where God sees and provides, he should be seen and praised. And perhaps it may refer to God manifest in the flesh.
Psalm 13
Verse 2
[2] How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
How long — Shall I be in such perplexities, not knowing what course to take?
Verse 3
[3] Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Lighten — Revive and comfort, and deliver me from the darkness of death, which is ready to come upon me.
Verse 6
[6] I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
I will sing — It is a common thing for David and other prophets to speak of future deliverances as if they were already come, that so they may signify both the infallible certainty of the thing, and their firm assurance thereof.
Jeremiah 28:5-9
John Wesley has no notes commentary on Verses 5-9.
Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18
Verse 1
[1] I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
Sing — He prefaces this, lest the following complainers of present miseries should argue ingratitude for former mercies.
Faithfulness — Whatsoever hath befallen us, it proceeded not from thy unfaithfulness.
Verse 2
[2] For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
Establish — As firmly and durably as the heavens themselves.
Verse 3
[3] I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
Chosen — With David; whom I have chosen to the kingdom.
Verse 4
[4] Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. /*Selah*/.
Build up — I will perpetuate the kingdom to thy posterity; which was promised upon condition, and was literally accomplished in Christ.
Verse 15
[15] Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.
Know — Who enjoy the presence of God and his ordinances, to which they are called by the sound of trumpets.
Walk — Under the comfortable influences of thy favour.
Verse 16
[16] In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.
Name — In the knowledge and remembrance of thy name, of thy infinite power and goodness.
Verse 17
[17] For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn shall be exalted.
The glory — To thee alone belongs the glory of all their valiant achievements.
Romans 6:12-23
Verse 12
[12] Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Let not sin reign even in your mortal body — It must be subject to death, but it need not be subject to sin.
Verse 13
[13] Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Neither present your members to sin — To corrupt nature, a mere tyrant.
But to God — Your lawful King.
Verse 14
[14] For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
Sin shall not have dominion over you — It has neither right nor power.
For ye are not under the law — A dispensation of terror and bondage, which only shows sin, without enabling you to conquer it.
But under grace — Under the merciful dispensation of the gospel, which brings complete victory over it to every one who is under the powerful influences of the Spirit of Christ.
Verse 17
[17] But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
The form of doctrine into which ye have been delivered — Literally it is, The mould into which ye have been delivered; which, as it contains a beautiful allusion, conveys also a very instructive admonition; intimating that our minds, all pliant and ductile, should be conformed to the gospel precepts, as liquid metal, take the figure of the mould into which they are cast.
Verse 18
[18] Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Being then set free from sin — We may see the apostles method thus far at one view: - Chap. Ver. 1. Bondage to sin Romans 3:9 2. The knowledge of sin by the law; a sense of God's wrath; inward death Romans 3:20 3. The revelation of the righteousness of God in Christ through the gospel Romans 3:21 4. The centre of all, faith, embracing that righteousness Romans 3:22 5. Justification, whereby God forgives all past sin, and freely accepts the sinner Romans 3:24 6. The gift of the Holy Ghost; a sense of Romans 5:5, God's love new inward life Romans 6:4 7. The free service of righteousness Romans 6:12
Verse 19
[19] I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
I speak after the manner of men — Thus it is necessary that the scripture should let itself down to the language of men.
Because of the weakness of your flesh — Slowness of understanding flows from the weakness of the flesh, that is, of human nature.
As ye have presented your members servants to uncleanness and iniquity unto iniquity, so now present your members servants of righteousness unto holiness — Iniquity (whereof uncleanness is an eminent part) is here opposed to righteousness; and unto iniquity is the opposite of unto holiness. Righteousness here is a conformity to the divine will; holiness, to the whole divine nature. Observe, they who are servants of righteousness go on to holiness; but they who are servants to iniquity get no farther. Righteousness is service, because we live according to the will of another; but liberty, because of our inclination to it, and delight in it.
Verse 20
[20] For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
When ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness — In all reason, therefore, ye ought now to be free from unrighteousness; to be as uniform and zealous in serving God as ye were in serving the devil.
Verse 21
[21] What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
Those things — He speaks of them as afar off.
Verse 23
[23] For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Death — Temporal, spiritual, and eternal.
Is the due wages of sin; but eternal life is the gift of God — The difference is remarkable. Evil works merit the reward they receive: good works do not. The former demand wages: the latter accept a free gift.
Matthew 10:40-42
Verse 40
[40] He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
Matthew 18:5; Luke 10:16; John 13:20.
Verse 41
[41] He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
He that entertaineth a prophet — That is, a preacher of the Gospel: In the name of a prophet - That is, because he is such, shall share in his reward.
Verse 42
[42] And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
One of these little ones — The very least Christian. Mark 9:41.
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Today’s Devotion:
Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Under His Wings" for Friday, 27 June 2014 - Read Psalm 91:1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of Yahweh, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler,
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
Under his wings you will take refuge.
His faithfulness is your shield and rampart.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
nor of the arrow that flies by day;
6 nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.
The psalmist wrote, “How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”(Psalm 36:7 (NRSV))
My grandparents used to raise white leghorn chickens — fowls with snow-white feathers and vivid red combs. Sometimes, as a child, I would see a hen squat on the ground, looking as if she were resting from the heat of the day. When she finally stood up, a brood of tiny chicks would come scrambling out and take up position behind her. Anywhere she went, the chicks would follow; if she stopped and held out her wings, they’d scurry back under. For those chicks, the safest place to be was enfolded inside their mother’s wings. Seeing this as a child has given me insight into a statement Jesus made. He was expressing to the multitude his grief over Jerusalem because they had rejected all the prophets God had sent them. Then, in a more tender moment, he exclaimed, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, . . . . How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Matt. 23:37). We live in a stressful world filled with problems that can seem overwhelming. Our Savior beckons us to trust him and run for protection within his arms.
The Author: Mary Baird (Texas, USA)
Thought for the Day: Christ’s arms of protection are available every day.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, may we learn to run to you for protection. Amen.
Prayer focus: Chicken farmers
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Contact Information
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Wichita KS 67207
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800-745-2350
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