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E-pistle

FreeWay Foundation           August 2, 2013

 

Back to bethel

(Genesis 35:1-29)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

 

I.  Concentration:  on the main events in this chapter

            1.  God told Jacob (Israel) to return to Bethel, vv. 1-15.

            2.  Rachel, Jacob's wife, died giving birth to Benjamin, vv. 16-20.

            3.  Reuben, Jacob's eldest son (by Leah) had illicit sexual relations with Bilhah,

                 his father's concubine (Rachel's maid), vv. 21-26.  This act caused Jacob to

                 curse Reuben in Genesis 49:3-4.

            4.  Isaac died at the age of 180 years, and was buried by his sons, Jacob and Esau,

                 vv. 27-29; Genesis 49:29-32.  (NOTE:  verse 8 tells of the death and burial of

                 Deborah, Rebekah's nurse.  She is mentioned only once in Scripture, but she

                 probably was important to Jacob because she had been his nanny.)

II.  Meditation:  on "Bethel" . . . the House of God

            1.  Bethel was the place where Abraham first settled, built an altar, and called on

                 the name of the Lord, Genesis 12:8; later Abraham returned "BACK TO BETHEL"

                 following his journey into Egypt, Genesis 13:3. 

            2.  Bethel was the place where Jacob saw the vision of the angels ascending and

                 descending on a ladder between earth and heaven, Genesis 28:10-19.

            3.  Bethel was the place to which the Lord commanded Jacob to return  from his

                 wanderings in a foreign land with his uncle, Laban, Genesis 31:13.

            4.  Bethel was the place which God chose to become the temporary place of worship

                 for the nation, before Jerusalem became the site of the temple in the days of David

                 and Solomon, Genesis 35:1-8, 15-16; I Samuel 10:3.

III.  Revelation:  on the spiritual meanings of going "BACK TO BETHEL"

            1.  Reconstruction of broken-down, unused altars, vv. 6-7.

            2.  Revival of spiritual fellowship with the Lord, v. 9.

            3.  Restoration of God's covenants with His chosen family, vv. 10-12.

            4.  Renewal of communion with God and sacrifice to Him, v. 14.

IV.  Applications:  as a Christian, I need to . . .

            1.  Hear the Lord's call to return (literally or in my thoughts) to the holy place where

                 I first met Him.

            2.  Prepare myself for this return to the Lord by renouncing all idols, purifying myself

                 through repentance and confession, putting on the righteous robes of Christ, and

                 arising and moving toward Bethel . . . God's house, vv. 2-3.

            3.  Testify to my family members, and others, about my spiritual experiences of encountering

                 Almighty God, vv. 3-7.

            4.  Revisit my old altars of worship, reaffirming my sacred vows to the Lord, and pouring

                 out my life before Him as a sacrificial offering, v. 14; Philippians 2:17; II Timothy 4:6.

 

 

 

 

O my city, my city!

(Matthew 23:1-39)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

 

 

I.  Concentration:  on the contents of this chapter

            1.  Jesus pronounced eight harsh woes upon the hypocritical scribes

                 and Pharisees, vv. 1-36.

            2.  Jesus wept over Jerusalem because of its unwillingness to receive

                 His loving care, vv. 37-39.

II.  Meditation:  on Jesus' lamentation over the city of Jerusalem

            1.  Jesus APPROACHED Jerusalem; too many of us flee from the city

                 rather than approaching it.

            2.  Jesus SAW the city; too many of us deliberately close our eyes to

                 the city rather than seeing its needs.

            3.  Jesus WEPT over the city; too many of us despise (or ignore) our

                 city rather than weeping in prayer over it.

            4.  Jesus LOVED the city's people; too many of us do not love lost people.

III.  Observations:  on the reasons Jesus wept over Jerusalem

            (NOTE parallel accounts:  Matthew 23:37-39 and Luke 19:41-44)

            1.  Because of its ignorance (spiritual blindness), Luke 19:42, 44.

            2.  Because Satanic influences were besieging the city, Luke 19:43.

            3.  Because it rejected God's mercy, Matthew 23:37.

            4.  Because these things inevitably lead to doom, Luke 19:44; Matthew 23:38, 39.

IV.  Revelation:  on Jesus' immediate action to cleanse the temple (Luke 19:45, 46)

            1.  He drove out the ungodly religious merchants.

            2.  He quoted pertinent Scripture.

            3.  He emphasized God's standard of holiness.

            4.  He prioritized the call to prayer (not to praise or to preaching).

V.  Applications:  as a Christian, I need to . . .

            1.  Draw near and really "SEE" my city, state, nation, and world.

            2.  Genuinely love the people of my city with 'AGAPE" love.

            3.  Weep because of their:

                        *  Spiritual blindness

                        *  Demonic oppression

                        *  Rejection of God's mercy

                        *  Pending doom

            4.  Take these actions:

                        *  Make sure my life and motives are pure, according to God's word

                        *  Confront ungodly religious profiteers

                        *  Emphasize Biblical holiness

                        *  Engage in intercessory prayer (spiritual warfare) for my city.

 

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

--George Eliot

 

 

 

 

 

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