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This is The Living Word Bible Study for Sunday, July 9, 2023, based on these Bible readings set according to the interdenominational scheme:
Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67 — Abraham’s prayerful plan for Isaac
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 — Jesus’ burden lightens ours with His rest
Romans 7:14-25 — Through Jesus we are delivered from the law of sin
Theme: Finding joy, peace and freedom in the Lord
Psalm 45:10-17
10 Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention: Forget your people and your father’s house.
11 Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honour him, for he is your lord.
12 The city of Tyre will come with a gift, people of wealth will seek your favour.
13 All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold.
14 In embroidered garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions follow her — those brought to be with her.
15 Led in with joy and gladness, they enter the palace of the king.
16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land.
17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.
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Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67 — Abraham’s prayerful plan for Isaac
• His servant is to prayerfully choose Isaac a wife from his own distant clan
34-36 So [Abraham’s senior servant] said, “I am Abraham’s servant. The Lord has blessed my master abundantly, and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age, and he has given him everything he owns.
37-38 And my master made me swear an oath, and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live, but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’
“My master made me swear an oath” — the chief servant, probably Eliezer, Gen. 15:2, repeats the detail in his instruction from Abraham, Gen.24:1-27.
42-44 “When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if You will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come. See, I am standing beside this spring. If a young woman comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,” and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’
I said, “Lord… if You will…” — repetition underlines God’s providence in this story,
45 “Before I finished praying in my heart, Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’
46 “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’ So I drank, and she watered the camels also.
“She watered the camels” — no light task, several jars for each camel, hours of work.
47-48 “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’
“She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’
“Then I put the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms, and I bowed down and worshipped the Lord. I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.
“Ring… and bracelets” — gifts were a usual prelude to marriage arrangements and showed the wealth of the household.
49 “Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”
58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”
“I will go,” she said.
59-60 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way, along with her nurse and Abraham’s servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,
“Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the cities of their enemies.”
“They blessed Rebekah” — expressing hopes which echo the divine promise of descendants made to Abraham, Gen. 22:17.
61 Then Rebekah and her attendants got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.
62-63 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, for he was living in the Negev. He went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching.
“Negev” — southern part of Canaan.
64-65 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”
“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.
“Took her veil” — showing herself to be betrothed.
66-67 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
“The tent of his mother” — making her mistress of the household. Isaac was 40 years old, making Abraham 140.
Reflection
SUMMARY The intriguing story of the ageing Abraham sending his most trusted servant on a journey to find a wife for his son among his brother’s family in Mesopotamia.
APPLICATION An ancient story about trusting God’s providence, and prayer engagement in finding it. God’s way is not the shortest or easiest path but His right way is always best for us.
QUESTION What does this teach us about asking God to confirm His leading?
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Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 — Jesus’ burden lightens ours with His rest
• Recognising who Jesus is and accepting His rule is a revelation
16 “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the market-places and calling out to others:
17 ” ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’
“We played the pipe…. we sang a dirge” – some were too hard-hearted to receive God in either John the Baptist’s or Jesus’ ministry.
18 “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’
19 “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is proved right by her deeds.
“Neither eating nor drinking” – both John’s radical desert lifestyle and Jesus sharing meals were criticised, although “wisdom is proved right” with God’s purpose being fulfilled in both ministries.
25-26 At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what You were pleased to do.
“Hidden… from the wise and learned” – the kingdom of God is spiritually revealed and the Pharisees’ over-reliance on their narrow cerebral understanding was a barrier to receiving spiritual insight.
27 “All things have been committed to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.
“Committed to Me” – three strands of Jesus’ authority were (1) entrusted the Father, (2) through His unique association with the Father, and (3) received as the way to God, John 10:14-15, John 14:6-7.
28 “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
“Weary and burdened” – by rules and observances the Pharisees insisted on, Matthew 23:2-4.
29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
“Take My yoke” – the opposite of the Pharisees’ religiosity. Jesus’ way brings Jesus’ peace.
30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
“My burden is light” – with the ‘power assistance’ of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ guiding yoke becomes intuitive.
Reflection
SUMMARY The supposedly-wise and learned Pharisees are placing unrealistic expectations of religious observance on people, adding to their life’s struggle. Jesus offers an alternative ‘yoke’ which lightens the burden.
APPLICATION There is the way of religion and the way of faith. Man’s construction of a religious path to salvation goes on and on; faith in Jesus brings His peace and rest.
QUESTION Where do we encounter Pharisee-like obligations put on us today? What is our remedy?
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Romans 7:14-25 — Through Jesus we are delivered from the law of sin
The pull of the old flesh nature is like a war going on in the mind
14-15 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate, I do.
“The law is spiritual” – it had its origins in God and it exposes sin.
“I am unspiritual… a slave to sin” – Paul is contrasting “the old way of the written code” with the freedom of “the new way of the Spirit”, Romans 7:6.
16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.
“I agree that the law is good” – as a Jew and a Pharisee Paul wants to obey the law perfectly, v22.
17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.
“No longer I myself” – the conflict between the old sinful nature and the new, Spirit-empowered life “in Christ Jesus”, Romans 8:1.
• For further study: read Romans 8:1-13, Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10.
18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
“Good…does not dwell in…my sinful nature” – the problem is the flesh, the selfish part of us. The believer in Jesus, regenerated and open to the Holy Spirit, is in a lifelong process of sanctification (being made holy) by the Holy Spirit who influences our flesh, helped by our good choices.
19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing.
“The evil I do not want to do” – flawed human nature wants to pursue its own sinful course.
20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
“This law at work” – this principle, rather than the Law of Moses, v.22.
22-23 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
“Another law” – the “law of sin” working through the sin, or flesh, nature seeks to draw us away from following the leading of the Spirit and “God’s law”.
24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
“Rescue me from this body” – meaning fallible and perishing humanness.
25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
“Deliver me through Jesus” — describing his journey from being unable to find peace through the law even as a rigorously observant Jew, then having an encounter with Jesus and finding the freedom he describes in Romans 8.
Reflection
SUMMARY Paul takes us back to the time when he was a zealous Jew failing to find peace with God through legalistic observance of the law. He describes his journey to new life and peace in Jesus.
APPLICATION Religion masquerades as faith but burdens people with more guilt and is powerless to transform. Thanks to Jesus we can be delivered, healed and saved — same word — through faith in Him.
QUESTION In our devotional life, contrast the things that obligate us and those that bring us freedom and life.
PRAYER Father, may we learn from Abraham’s faith and insistence on seeking Your providence.
As we come to You in Jesus, help us to perceive and receive spiritually what may conflict with our prejudices. May we grow increasingly free of the old nature and its mind-set, free to live new life in You.
Jesus, You have come to give us abundance in life in a relationship that leaves religious ways as an empty attraction. Thank You for reminding us that Your joy and peace do not come from our ‘doings’ but as the result of what You have done, and our being free to receive it. Amen.
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• Watch this week’s video and more on Substack
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