God blessing the Patriarchs. Interior, The arch of the left door depicts scenes from the Old Testament, with the righteous await the arrival of the Savior. In the center of the first archivolt is God the Creator who blesses the pilgrim and holding the Book of Eternal Truth. In a Roman Catholic cathedral of the archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. Photo by James Gordon, flickr CCL
Meditation
Monday, Ordinary 14/Proper 9, celebrated marriage in the Old Testament lesson of the Song of Solomon. The poetic “Rise up my love and come away…” that is often used in wedding ceremonies speaks to the commitment that love engenders.
The Old Testament lesson in Genesis also dealt with marriage…and blessing. Jacob had just cheated Esau out of the blessing by fooling his blind father, Isaac, into thinking he was Esau. When Esau returned with the favorite hunting animal and cooked his father the meal he wanted, Isaac was mortified. He recognized his error and was sorry that he had no blessing for Esau. Such was the significance of the vow before God—his words were inviolate. He could not recant them—no “Do overs.”
Esau was devastated having already lost his birthright to Jacob, when, in a moment of exhaustion and hunger, he traded it for a meal that Jacob prepared for him. He begged his father for some blessing. After his persistence, his father relented with a paltry blessing that said he would be able to break away from his brother’s rule over him. Esau was furious and plotted to kill Jacob.
Rebekah’s spies reported the plan to her and she devised a means to get Jacob out of town. She whined to Isaac that Esau had taken a Hittite wife and Jacob must go to her family’s town to find a bride. She told Jacob about Esau’s plan to kill him and said he must go to Laban, her brother, for safety until she informed him differently.
God worked with all the shenanigans to fulfill the promise made to Abraham, drew on the understanding we learned from the New Testament lesson in Romans. Paul confided to the Roman church that God was angry with people. There were enough examples of God’s greatness for anyone to recognize and still so many people failed to do so.
Paul noted that there was so much about God’s eternal qualities that we have no awareness of or ability to comprehend. As space exploration has revealed the infinite quantities and length of the universe, we have been given a greater glimpse into the extent that we don’t know about God. We cannot box God into a physical body with long grey hair. God is a spirit and doesn’t have a body like we do.
With all the greatness of God, people still think they are greater and set themselves up in their own wisdom created idols resembling animals and other creatures. They turned worship into something foolish and disrespectful of God. The God who should be praised was dishonored.
The Supreme Being, deserving of all praise and honor, whom Isaac invoked for a blessing over Jacob and Esau, was and is more omnipotent, more infinite and more incredible than we can even imagine. Christ brought that greatness to us on earth in the flesh, so that we have access to the throne of God through his atonement for our sins.
Thanks be to God.
All Scriptures printed below are in King James Version for copyright purposes. However, clicking on the verse locations will take you to Biblegateway.com where the text is linked to more contemporary versions.
Click on the Scriptures for links to biblegateway.com, where many translations of the same text enhance the understanding the readings, which come from the (RCL) Revised Common Lectionary – Daily Lectionary
Readings. I add a Daily Prayer to bless you with God’s Favor.
Enjoy the Daily Encouragement and Bible Study and may you be inspired to be your best self for Ordinary 14/Proper 9.
Ordinary 14/Proper 9
How Great Thou Art – Sam Robson (a cappella)
The Lentil Stew (Esau Selling His Birthright)
![Esau selling his birthright Matthias Stom, Esau [right] selling his birthright to Jacob or The Lentil Stew, 17th century. Wikipedia CCL](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Matthias_Stomer_%28Umkreis%29_Das_Linsengericht.jpg/800px-Matthias_Stomer_%28Umkreis%29_Das_Linsengericht.jpg)
Esau selling his birthright Matthias Stom, Esau [right] selling his birthright to Jacob or The Lentil Stew, 17th century. Wikipedia CCL
Prayer: Almighty God, Open my eyes that I might see. Open my mind that I might understand. Open my heart that I might make your words a part of me. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen
Ordinary 14/Proper 9
Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow – Heidi Nadine
Esau Going for Venison for Isaac
Esau Going for Venison (illustration from the 1890 Holman Bible); Wikipedia CCL
Ordinary 14/Proper 9
Bible Readings
http://legacy.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2045:10-17;Genesis%2027:18-29;Luke%2010:21-24&version=KJV;ERV;GNT;NCV;CEV
(multiple versions)
Monday, Ordinary 14/Proper 9
Daily Bible Verses to Memorize for Meditating
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Single Bible Study chapter to study
King James Version (KJV)
30 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
31 And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me.
Esau seeking his blessing by Giotto di Bondone in Public Domain Giotto – The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei; Wikipedia CCL
32 And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.
33 And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.
34 And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.
35 And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.
Isaac Blessing Jacob (1637 painting by Giuseppe Ribera); Wikipedia CCL
36 And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?
37 And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?
38 And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;
The blessing tongeron91 Basilique de la Madeleine à Vézelay, chapiteau de la bénédiction de Jacob par Isaac, détail : Esaü revenant de la chasse (Vézelay, Yonne France)
40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.
41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
42 And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee.
Jacob and Esau Photo by kristobalite of the Collégiale des Saints Pierre et Ours à Aoste; flickr CCL
43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;
44 And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn away;
45 Until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?
46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth[Hittites]: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?
OBSERVE:
Take a moment and write three observations of the verses. What strikes you? An observation is an observable fact from the Word.
1.
2.
3.
INTERPRETATION:
What do you interpret these verses to mean for you today?
APPLY:
Today, I learned _____________________________________and apply it to my life.
Prayer of Encouragement
Almighty God, thank you for your infinite greatness and compassion for us. Every good and perfect gift comes from you. We are blessed by your power and we pray that we might rise to the occasion of your service. In Jesus name, Amen
Ordinary 14/Proper 9
Music
Bless the Lord – Matt Redman
Ordinary 14/Proper 9 Humor
We are blessed by the Infinite God despite that we are a drop in the bucket of Eternity
©Jeff Larson, Used by permission
Bless the Lord, O My Soul – Anrdre Crouch
I hope you found a chance to encounter your Creator and experience the Love of God and the joy of Christ in Ordinary 14/Proper 9.
Conclusion
Monday, Ordinary 14/Proper 9 celebrated the blessings of God—whether it be the inheritance of Jacob and Isaac or the love in the Song of Solomon or the recognition in the New Testament epistle to the Romans that God was much greater than we could imagine and there was enough evidence of that greatness throughout creation for everyone to be held accountable for acknowledging the one true God.
We must avoid our own conceits, our false wisdom and the setting up of false idols—something created instead of the Creator—that draw our attention away from God. Instead, we must give God the glory and praise for all the many blessings in our lives.
Go out and be ready for God to do mighty things in your life—for the glory of God.*
Thank you for visiting ChapLynne’s Daily Encouragement and Bible Study. Please like if it was meaningful. God bless you.
*If you do not know the Lord as your personal Savior and you are seeking, please contact me. A genuine and simple prayer, asking God into your heart for the forgiveness of your sins will also do.Please like if you are blessed and don’t hesitate to comment or contact me. I love hearing from you.
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